METHODISTS. 



543 



that the Methodist Protestant Church claims, 

 as a reason for distinct denominational exist- 

 ence, " certain distinct fundamental principles, 

 from which a departure in tlie least degree 

 would involve interests and questions of vital 

 importance, not only within our denominational 

 lines but also with our common Methodism 

 throughout the world. To abandon, or even 

 to show a want of confidence in these princi- 

 ples, at a time when there is a strong senti- 

 ment in the Methodist Episcopal Church now 

 leading them to the adoption of the views of 

 our fathers upon the subject of church polity, 

 would be to commit a grievous blunder, that 

 in effect would be equivalent to blotting out 

 our history in the past, and a tacit acknowl- 

 edgement that the early reformers were in 

 part mistaken, if not entirely wrong, in the 

 position they had announced and defended." 

 The committee was further of the opinion that, 

 so long as the question of organic union was 

 under the consideration of the General Confer- 

 ence, the Church would be in continual con- 

 fusion and unrest, and the church-work would 

 be hindered ; and that, in case any changes in 

 the fundamental laws or doctrines of the 

 Church should be required and attempted for 

 the sake of union, causes would be opened for 

 litigation in regard to Church property aud the 

 disposition of trust funds, which would be de- 

 structive of the very object for which organic 

 union is proposed. It therefore reconimended 

 that further overtures on the subject should 

 cease. The report was adopted by the Confer- 

 ence. A proposition to authorize women to 

 preach was disposed of by declaring that the 

 proposed action involved a change in the con- 

 stitution of the Church which the General 

 Conference had no power to make. Ministers 

 were forbidden to celebrate the marriage of 

 divorced persons who had violated their mar- 

 riage vows. The marriage ritual was amended 

 by inserting provisions for the use of rings, and 

 for responses by the parties. It was ordered 

 that transfers of ministers, though signed by 

 the president, should not entitle the person 

 transferred to membership in another annual 

 conference without a vote of that body accept- 

 ing the transfer. The phraseology of the Apos- 

 tles' Creed was modified by striking out the 

 words " Holy Catholic Church," and inserting 

 in their place " Universal Christian Church." 

 A Board of Home Missions was constituted, 

 with a traveling secretary to be supported by 

 the conferences, for the purpose of assisting 

 in the support of weak churches and founding 

 new ones. On the subject of temperance, the 

 Conference resolved : "That we are unalterably 

 opposed to any form of license, high or low, as 

 being wrong in principle and pernicious in 

 practice: that any minister or any member 

 who makes, buys, sells, or signs a petition for 

 license to sell, or gives to others as a beverage 

 any spirituous or malt liquor, is guilty of im- 

 morality, and shall be dealt with accordingly. 

 We believe that the time has fully come when 



Christian men should rise above party preju- 

 dices and sectional jealousy, and give their 

 suffrage to any party which lias for its object 

 the protection of our homes by the destruction 

 of the unholy traffic." The Conference re- 

 fused to empower pastors of churches when 

 unordained to administer the ordinances, and 

 to allow supernumerary and snperanuated min- 

 isters to be represented by laymen in the an- 

 nual conferences. A committee was appointed 

 to formulate from the articles of religion, as 

 found in the "Discipline" of the Methodi.-t 

 Protestant Church for 1830, and from the rec- 

 ognized standards of doctrine known as Wes- 

 leyan Arminiauism, articles of faith, its work 

 to be completed by June 1, 1890, referred to 

 the annual conferences at their next ensuing 

 meetings for acceptance or rejection, with criti- 

 cisms by the rejecting conferences ; returned to 

 the committee for revision and perfecting ; and 

 referred to the ensuing General Conference. A 

 cheap edition of the " Discipline " was ordered 

 printed, copies of it to be given to members 

 when they join the Church. Arrangements 

 were ordered for the representation of the 

 Methodist Protestnnt Church in the " (Ecu- 

 menical Conference of Methodists." to be held 

 in the United States in 1891. The Conference 

 resolved to be represented in the National 

 Convention on Sabbath Observance which was 

 proposed by the General Conference of the 

 Methodist Episcopal Church. An overture 

 was approved, to be sent to the annual con- 

 ferences, contemplating such a change in the 

 constitution as would grant the power to the 

 annual conferences to license women to preach. 

 VI. Primitive Methodists in the United State*. 

 The Primitive Methodists are represented in 

 the United States by two conferences the 

 Eastern and the Western Conferences which 

 maintain fraternal relations with each other, 

 and with other Primitive Methodist bodies, but 

 are substantially independent. The Eastern 

 Conference met in its sixteenth session at Tarn- 

 aqua, Pa., May 1, the Rev. J. A. McGreaham 

 presiding. Its statistical report gave the fol- 

 lowing numbers: Ministers. 35; local preach- 

 ers, 110; full members, 2,626; probationers, 

 477: class - leaders, 69; Sunday-schools, 53, 

 with 940 officers and teachers, and 6,607 pu- 

 pils; valuation of church property, $195,215; 

 debt on church property, $54,573 ; valuation 

 of Sunday-school property, $4,006 ; amounts 

 raised toward improvements, etc., $13,913. 

 The business of the Book-Room was balanced 

 at $4,247. The Western Conference met at 

 Dodgeville, Wis., May 23, the Rev. John Ralph 

 presiding. The following is a summary of the 

 statistics: Number of ministers, 20, with 1 

 superannuate; of local preachers, 64; of 

 leaders, 73: of approved members, 1,707, with 

 140 on trial; of churches, 40. with 25 other 

 preaching-places ; of Sunday-schools, 40, with 

 389 teachers and 2,820 pupils; value of church 

 property, *G2/>20 ; indebtedness on the same, 

 $3,112 ; contributions for mission fund, 7 



