The Doctrinal Test; A Discussion of the Constitutionality of One of the Questions Required to Be Asked of Candidates Seeking Admission to the Methodist Episcopal Church - Softcover
Inhaltsangabe
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922. Excerpt: ... ni DISCUSSION BY GEORGE W. WHITE The Ritual For The Reception Of Members Is Constitutional The Issue Stated An Appeal from a ruling in the Des Moines Conference was referred to the Committee on Judiciary at the General Conference of 1920. The Appeal was based on the claim that as paragraph 29 of the Discipline, under the heading of the General Rules, states that "There is only one condition previously required of those who seek admission into these societies, namely, 'a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and to be saved from their sins' "; and, furthermore, that as the General Rules were first adopted by Wesley's original Methodist Societies, and then incorporated into the constitution of the Methodist Episcopal Church at its organization; and, that as the Restrictive Rules, enacted by the General Conference of 1808, forbade the General Conference to "revoke or change the General Rules of the United Societies," therefore, it was unconstitutional for the General Conference of 1864 to adopt, and require the pastors to use, the form of Ritual now in paragraph 527, which asks candidates for full membership to profess faith in "The doctrines of Holy Scripture as set forth in the Articles of Religion of the Methodist Episcopal Church."1 A large majority of the Judiciary Committee supported the Appeal, but the minority dissented so strongly that it was agreed to present two reports to the General Conference. After the most extensive debate of the entire session, the minority report was sustained, thus upholding the constitutionality of the Ritual in question. While the issue is primarily one of law, it is necessarily also one of history, for the law must be interpreted in the light of the meaning given to it, and the use made of it, by those who enacted it. ...
Die Inhaltsangabe kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.
