ENGLISH WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 9

ENGLISH WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

■•'■ ; THE MEMBERSHIP QUESTION;: 'The resolutions.'■'/dealing- /with:''/the: basis! "of ■ church? membership .which had been'.adopted .the".previous .week: by'theRepresentative, Session was considered by the/Wesleyan Conference'at.Bradford" oii': July'■; 23. ) ■ Early ;in: the; discussion- a resolution was .moved'by Rev. W.' chairman'of'the Halifax: ancV Bradford district,-to the", effect: "That: inasmuch as .the:' Pastoral:; Ses-'si6h:of:-,'tfo:i;cph'fefenc«:.iuyitedVtKer!::'co-: operation of the Representative Session in'!- dealing :with. the conditions of membership, and'as".it'is most., important, and desirable:that, .the:judginent of ■t-lib' Bynodsshould.be obtained on; the resolutions, adopted, by -the Representative V Session, this; session provisionally-, accepts i.these;,resolutions .without'prejudice."', Ih; moving:-",this;'. Mr. Bradfield was l actuated by .the:'desire that there^should.be'no difference of, opinion between the two ; sessions;. If. .they did not pass these resolutions, the. matter would'bo delayed another, year," and ho wanted, it settled now;. ~He. did 'not think' they had:solved.the problem yet,, but.ho': believed;/the -Methodist, people/'would solve it.;/;Dr..Scott Lidgett seconded it -on:: the.'ground - that a difference' of: opinion:between tie."4wo sessions' would.:only' .make;'- confusion. .worse'/confounded; ■■-• A 'keen-debate/fol-. ■lowed, :'.'in the course.' ;of' .which . twf young; * ministers, Revs.; J. ;H. -Ridei;' (London)';.and Russell, Maltby (Man-, ohester), 'each made, a ''.reputation;'' bj the speech-he contributed.; MrV.Maltby, pointed out,,that the,.difficulty was not in, legislation,"but'in'/-administration'; One: minister 'would. take ■ such a- view, of/the resolutions that he would admit to'membership but a.limited : fevr, /and would insist.on all: the conditions being, loyally/carried out. .Another, less, strict would, .admit , by,: tbe,' now _method ; . .a multitude of^membersi;-;. In his judgment, the new, proposal ;ivas; not :so' much ; a "widening of the door": .as a' ! 'pulling , dowu'bf.- , the'' , 'walls'."': , Bradfield's-resolutidu'was carried, and as- the new /proposals-.go. down /.from the conference as/.provisional - legislation ,'.minister's ,and kymeh. throughout the connexion,:will have an s opportunity/ of' clearly, expressing. theii - ,;minds,..;on the'subject in the. synods next. May.. ■