Year: 1869

dition It would have only few NOR,
members than the Ohio, New Yorl
and Philadelphia Conferences hat
pricr TO their division, and probably
not any more than the old Ba,timor,
Conference once contained. The
Wesleyan Conference i'm England
which meets annually, is usually
composed Of about six hundred, ol
nearly twice as many as our Genera
Conference would have.


| Again IL has been objected to by
some that IL will add to the expenses
of the Church-that these additional
delegates will be q burden to the peo,
pie. LII q measure be of spiritual
benefit and would add to the infiu-
ence and strength of the Church oil
the Lord Jesus Christ, IL seems to me
the question Of money should be sub
ordinated to moral aud spiritual In
terests. Yet 1t may not be amiss to
inquire how far ID would add to the
expenses. Let Us suppose, for in
stance, that the Pittsburg Conference
has two delegates. The most distant
points at which the General Confer
ence has heretofore set have been
Chicago and Boston. The railroad
fare to Chicago Is, 1 think, fourteen
dollars; TO Boston, about twenty.
"Owing to the courtesy of railroad
companies this fair is often times
reduced. But let us give liberal
margin, and suppose that the fare
going to and returning from Confer
ence should be fifty dollars for each
delegate. We should then have one
hundred dollars as the travelling ex-
penses. But suppose the additional
number Of delegates would embarrass
the provision for the General Confer
ence, and that these delegates must
be placed at boarding houses. Let
Us suppose the General Conference to
last for about four weeks, the board.
ing say twelve dollars per week, we
should then have for the two dele
gates an additional hundred dollars.
making two hundred In all for the
laymen of the Conference. As I
turn to the minutes 1 find that the
Pittsburg Conference numbers nearly
forty thousand members. One cent
piece would make four hundred
dollars, or one-half cent each would
furnish two hundred, the amount
necessary. In other words, the great
expense of this system would consist
In one-half cent q piece once In four
years. How much weight should be
attached to this half cent argument
l leave for you to determine.


THAT 1t has an influence Is proved
by the fact that 1t Is used by your
Doctors Of Divinity In New York
and elsewhere, and they doubtless
feel Its force.


Again, it Is said our system has
worked well hitherto, aud is 1t not
best to let well enough alone I
answer, our system, III by that be
meant the precise mode in which the
Church commenced has never been
let alone. We have been adding,
from time to time, almost every quad
rennlal period since the Church COM
menced its career. We began with
out college, without academies,
without O missionary society, with
out Preachers Aid Society, without
Sunday Schools, without tracts, with
cut Book Concern, without q Church
Extension Society, without theolog-
ical scminaries but from time to
time as the Church expanded each
one of these has been added to our
Church machinery, so that from the
commencement OF the Church
onward, we have been adding ele-
ments OF power to those already pos~
sessed. Ii the present measure be
adopted 1t will be simply following
In the line Of precedent, adding am
other element Of power; not destroys
ing or impairing those we have. but
enlarging for more extensive useful-
ness the operations Of the Church.





"But IL is said by some they would
have no objections to adding the lay
element to the Council of the Church
were 1t not that they fear that fac
tious, ambitious, rich and ungodly
men would find their way to these
centers Of influence. And some saw
that these Offices would be filled by
tile rich only who would seek to TYR
anize over both ministers and mem
bers. Let us examine this subject
TOT a Few moments, as many, doubt
less have been affected by Its pIausi.
BILE statement, and first, as to ungod-
ly men. Such may make their way
into the Church. There was one
such among the twelve disciples.
There may be some such found even
among the most exalted ministry
But these are sad and mournful ex.
ceptions. SO with the laity of the
Church. There may be unhoIy men
who acquire standing among the lai.
ty, but we hope these are compare
lively few and far between. Ii such
be the general character Of the laity.
alas! for the work which ministers
have been doing In the last century,
Or how little we have to be proud n
such be the character Of the general
membership which we have crowd.
ed together. But to suppose the un-
godly, the factious or the ambitious
would be voluntarily chosen by the
Church to represent them Is to sup
pose great ignorance on the part oil
the Church or gross carelessness or
utter recklessness as 10 its Interest,"
But are these the characteristics ot
It's membership? III duty deyolves
upon them to select one whe shall be
their standard bearer and support
their honor, will they select one In
whose religious character they have
no confidence, or one who would dis
honor the cause Of God p,