METHODISTS. 



513 



all of whom addressed the General Conference 

 on the state of their several communions. An 

 address from the Bishops, giving an account 

 of the condition and prospects of the Church, 

 and many suggestions for the General Con- 

 ference, was read. With regard to one of the 

 most important topics which was expected to 

 occupy the attention of the Genera] Con- 

 ference, the Slavery question, the Bishops 

 gave it as their " solemn judgment," that no 

 members should he admitted to the fellowship 

 of the Church who were slaveholders. The 

 General Conference referred this subject to a 

 committee consisting of one member from each 

 Annual Conference. This committee proposed 

 so to alter the rule of the Church, as to pro- 

 hibit not only, as heretofore, " buying or selling 

 slaves," but also slaveholding. The General 

 Conference had an animated discussion on this 

 subject, and finally adopted the report of the 

 committee by a vote of 204 to 8, the minority 

 consisting of the delegates from the Baltimore, 

 West Virginia, and Kentucky Conferences, and 

 one from the East Baltimore Conference. The 

 majority of the delegates from the East Balti- 

 more Conference, and the entire delegation 

 from the Missouri and Arkansas Conference, 

 voted with the majority. In consequence of 

 this action of the General Conference the rule 

 was sent down to the Annual Conference, 

 three-fourths of all the members of which 

 bodies must concur, to make the action of the 

 General Conference the law of the Church. 



Another important subject which was acted 

 upon by the General Conference was lay dele- 

 gation. In 1862 a vote of the entire Church 

 had been taken on this subject, and the Bishops 

 reported that this vote had resulted as follows : 

 Of the ministers, 1,388 votes for, 3,069 against ; 

 of the male members, 28,884 for, 47,855 against ; 

 showing a majority against lay representa- 

 tion in the General Conference of 1,731 minis- 

 ters, and of 18,971 male members. A "Lay- 

 men's Convention," numbering upwards of 

 two hundred delegates from twenty-one different 

 States of the Union, met simultaneously with 

 the General Conference, and, after addresses 

 from Ex-Governor Wright of Indiana, Senator 

 Willey of West Virginia, and others, adopted 

 an address to the General Conference. The 

 officers of the Convention were introduced to 

 the General Conference, and the address was 

 read before that body by Dr. Strong. A de- 

 bate on the subject ensued, which led to the 

 adoption of the following resolutions : 



1. Resolved, That while we reaffirm our approval 

 of lay representation in the General Conference, 

 whenever it shall be ascertained that the Church 

 desires it, we see 'no such declaration of the popular 

 will as to justify us in taking action in relation to it. 



2. Resolved, That we are at all times ready to re- 

 ceive petitions and memorials from our people on 

 this subject, and to consider them most respect- 

 fully. 



The time of pastoral service was extended 

 by the General Conference from two to three 

 VOL. rv. 33 A 



years, without any alteration in the mode of 

 appointing the preachers. 



The entire section of the rule on " the rights 

 and privileges of our colored members," which 

 recognized " the usages of the country," and 

 limited their privileges accordingly, was stricken 

 out. Now there is no difference between 

 white and colored members in law, no lega? 

 bar to the admission of colored preachers into 

 the Annual Conferences. Mission Conferences 

 are to be formed of colored travelling preach- 

 ers under the same restrictions which apply to 

 white missions ; their members cannot vote on 

 constitutional questions, nor send delegates to 

 the General Conference, nor share in the divi- 

 dends of the Book Concern or Charter Fund. 

 Two Mission Conferences have already been 

 added to the list of Annual Conferences, namely, 

 the Washington Conference, embracing West- 

 ern Maryland, the District of Columbia, Vir- 

 ginia, and the territory south ; the Delaware 

 Conference, embracing all the territory north 

 and east of the Washington Conference. 



The German members of the Church were 

 organized into three separate German Con- 

 ferences, called the Central German Confer- 

 ence, the Northwestern German Conference, 

 and the Southwestern German Conference. 

 Twenty-two German churches remained, how- 

 ever, for the present connected with the Xew 

 York Conference. 



The General Conference resolved that the 

 centenary of American Methodism be cele- 

 brated by special religious services and thank 

 offerings, beginning on the first Tuesday in 

 October, 1866, and continuing throughout the 

 month; that $2,000,000 be raised for two de- 

 partments of Christian enterprise, the one to be 

 styled connectional, and the other local. 



On the state of the country the following 

 resolutions were adopted : 



J?-:?ohed, That in this hour of the nation's trial we 

 will remember the President of the United States, 

 all other officers of the Government, and our army 

 and navy, in never-ceasing prayer. 



Resolved, That it is the duty of the Government to 

 prosecute the war with all its resources of men and 

 money till this wicked rebellion shall be subdued, the 

 integrity of the nation shall be secured, and its legiti- 

 mate authority shall be reestablished, and that we 

 pledge our hearty support and cooperation to secure 

 this result. 



Resolved, That we regard our calamities as result- 

 ing from our forgetfulness of God, and from slavery, 

 so long our nation's reproach, and that it becomes 

 us to humble ourselves and forsake our sins as a peo- 

 ple, and hereafter, in all our laws and acts, to honor 

 God. 



Resolved, That we will use our efforts to secure 

 such a change in the Constitution of our country as 

 shall recognize the being of God, our dependence on 

 Him for prosperity, and also His word as the founda- 

 tion of civil law. 



Resolved, That we regard slavery as abhorrent to 

 the principles of our holy religion, humanity, and 

 civilization, and that we are decidedly in favor of 

 such an amendment to the Constitution, and such 

 legislation on the part of the States, as shall prohibit 

 slavery or involuntary servitude, except for crime, 

 throughout all the States and territories of the 

 country. 



