METPIODIST EPISC. CHURCH 178 M. E. CHURCH IX CAXADA
in case they coidd not oflFer arbitration, and no suit I should be commenced, it was recommended to the An- ] nual Conferences to " so far suspend the sixth Kestrictive j Article of the Discipline as to authorize the book agents j at New York and Cincinnati to submit said claim to ar- bitration." This was going to the utmost limit of its power. The ijuestion of the suspension of the sixth ar- ticle was midway iu its progress through the Annual Conferences when it was arrested by the commencement of suits in the civil courts. The case iu New York came to a hearing before judge Nelson, but before the issuing of the linal decree the matter was amicably ad- justed through the friendly otHces of judge M'Lean. The Cincinnati case resulted in favor of the defendants in the Circuit Court; but on a hearing of the appeal by the Supreme Court, to which it was carried by the Southern commissioners, the decision of the court below was reversed, on the alleged ground that the General Conference had full power to divide the Church, and that that body did, in the adoption of the report on the Declaration, actually divide the Church, when the divi- sion of the property follows, as a matter of course. The Church at once obeyed the decision ; but no intelligent minister or member of the denomination has ever accept- ed the exposition given by the Supreme Court, through the lips of judge Nelson, of the law of the Church, the facts of its Idstory, or the action of the General Confer- ence of 1844. The relations between the two churches have not as yet become cordial. The bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1809 made some advances towards a reunion, which were ungraciously received; but the (ieneral Conference of 1872 onkrcd the appoint- ment of a delegation of two ministers and one layman to convey its greetings to the General Conference of the Church South at its next ejisuing session.
Aside from these troubles, and others growing out of the increasing intensity of the conflict between freedom and slavery, the work of the Church was vigorously and successfully pressed. It stood arrayed with its full moral power on the side of the Union in the war pro- voked by slavery, and more than a hundreil thousand of its mcmi)ers gave themselves to the armies of their country. Before the close of the war it entered upon j)rcparatio.is for the celebration of the centenary of Methodism in America, by all the churches and people, " with devout thanksgiving, by special religious services and liberal thank-offerings," setting apart the month of October, 1800, for that purpose. The Church had at- tained by the end of the century, notwithstanding its losses by the several secessions, more than a million of members, and it was hoped that " not less than two mill- ions of dollars" would be contributed to render its agen- cies more efficient in the future. Appropriate services were held throughout the Church, and at the close of the joyfid month the aggregate contributions amounted to *8,'7(i'.t,4'.l8 ol).
7. An inijjortant organic change in the economy of the Cliurch was effected in 1872 by the introduction of laymen into the (iencral Conference. In 18()() that body expressed its approval of the measure " when it shall be ascertained that the Church desires it," and also pro- vided for the submission of the question to the votes of both the ministry and members. The result showed a large majority against the proposed change. Never- theless, while the General Conference felt precluded by this expression of the popular will from adopting it, it reaffirmed in 18()4 its apjiroval of it upon the same con- dition as before. At its next ses-sion it took up the sub- ject anew, recommending a delinite plan to the consid- eration of the Church, ordering the submission afresh of the question of lay delegation to the vote of the laity, and proposing to the Annual Conferences the requisite alterations in the second Kestrictive liule. A large ma- jority of the former, and more than the necessary three- fourths vote in the latter, having been obtained in favor of the change, the General Conference, with the assent of 281) out of its 202 members, concurred in the same.
The lay delegates, who had been provisionally elected in anticipation of this action, v.ere at once admitted to their seats. It is provided that '"the ministerial and lay delegates shall sit and deliberate together as one body, but they shall vote separately whenever such separate vote shall be demanded by one third of either order; and in such cases the concurrent vote of both or- ders shall be necessary to complete an action."
8. The Hoard of Hishops, including the missionary bishop Roberts, whose jurisiliction is restricted to Afri- ca, is fourteen in number. It had become so diminished by death that the General Conference of 1872 added eight to the superiutendency, assigning them residences in specified localities. The following list contains the names of all who Lave held the office, with the year of their ordination, and other facts :
Thomas Coke 1TS4.— Died at sea, May 3, 1814, aged
CO. Francis Asbury 1TS4.— Died in Virginia, March 31,
1S16, aged 70. RichardWhatcoat. ...1800.— Died in Delaware, Jidy 5,