History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

themselves to the ministry of the saints, that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that
helpeth with and laboreth." That Stephanus was a layman no one will deny, yet the Christians are
exhorted to submit themselves to all such, which can mean no more than the holy conversation of
both preacher and laymen respecting the doctrines of the gospel of Christ which ought to be
submitted to. I read in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians that the church is subject to Christ, but I cannot
find in scripture the church is subject to any human head upon earth, I conclude that all who claim
it are usurpers. We read of one in St. John's day, but there appear many in this our day (John 3d,
epistle) "I wrote unto the church but Diotrephes who loveth to have the preeminence among them,"
in casting the brethren out of the church is severely reproved by the great apostle. That Diotrephes
was a minister and was threatened by the apostle for his ambition, I think no one will deny — "He
loveth to have the preeminence among them" (the church) but Christ by his apostle reproved, and
Christ by his word reproves all who love to have the preeminence to the end of time; it is clear from
scripture neither of the apostles claimed any preeminence over each other, neither had the inferior
clergy power over the laity, but the church was invested with the power having Christ for its head,
and does by his spirit (when not opposed) guide her into all truth.
I will now consider the subject in the light of reason and as to what you have said under this head
appears rather to darken counsel than to enlighten the mind and fly from one extreme to another, but
I am of opinion the truth lies between the two extremes "for the husband to judge in the church his
wife, the wife the husband, the parent the child, the child his parent, the brother the sister, the sister
her brother, the master the servant, the servant the master," are neither the language of scripture nor
reason; but are all the preachers single men? Have they no parents? no children, no relations, no
servants, no favorites in the church? Yes, and you have constituted the preachers the sole judge of
them all. May I not cry out with the prophet Jeremiah and say "a wonderful and horrible thing is
committed in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by this means, and my
people love to have it so, and what will ye do in the end thereof?" You have prudently constituted
a court for the trial of the preachers, in the first instance the court of inquiry must consist of at least
three ministers, and if a presiding elder there must be one of his own grade, and if the offender is
found guilty he is only suspended until the ensuing district conference, when he is to be tried before
the whole conference composed of ministers, and after this is allowed an appeal to the quarterly
conference, but how different is it from the form of trial of a layman, who is brought before one of
the circuit judges, he may be a prudent, good man, a proud ambitious tyrant, or one that drinks much
spirituous liquors, an adulterer, etc.
It is well known all these characters have been in the traveling connection (and although you
abhor them as much as I do, they must be detected before they can be expelled), whose judgment
alone is to determine the trial of a member without the consent of the church — to say the church
is obliged to consent to what the preacher does is one of the highest degrees of tyranny; it is true the
lay member has an appeal to the next quarterly conference which may be so far distant or poor
members cannot attend with their witnesses — but admit they can, from your note, they are a body
almost entirely composed of men who are more or less engaged in the ministry of the word, or you
could not have allowed an appeal, so that a lay member has not the slightest chance from first to last
to be tried by those of his own order. The lay members of the church of Christ, the Lamb's wife, who
are thus degraded by a self created body of legislators who have given the judicial and executive
power to each traveling preacher, which are separate branches in the constitution of our country and