Allusion had been made to the reproaches which had been thrown upon him. He had not found those reproaches very difficult to bear,—not by any means so difficult as the praises of his friends. He found it easier and safer, needing less grace, and often really less painful, to endure evil than good report, and blame than thanks and praise. His motto in reference to those that spoke evil of him had been, he learnt the example from our Lord,-to 66 answer them never a word." He found it, on this plan, less difficult to bear such things than might have been supposed. Dr. Bunting then expreesed his thankfulness that the present Meeting had been called, he should have rejoiced if it had been earlier called,— and anticipated much good as its result. It was right that the ministry and laity should mutually confer; they did each other good. Whatever fair and feasible improvements could be suggested he should be happy to promote, preserving intact the great principles of Methodism, and respecting, in all our arrangements, the law of truth, and purity, and peace. Many of the minor plans and provisions in Methodism-especially those relating to financial matters-were so new, so recent, that they required some testing to ascertain the nature of their working, and might well be susceptible of improvement. He hoped that something (very much should not be looked for) might be done by the Conference in the way of change for the better. In reference to lay-influence, of which much had been said, the Doctor would venture to adopt and urge the advice so persuasively given by Mr. Richardson, of Barnsley. If laymen-men of personal and social respectability-wished to have a great and beneficial influence in Methodism, both upon Ministers and people, let them regularly and devoutly-as often as it was in their power-attend the SPIRITUAL means and meetings of Methodism, the prayer-meetings, class-meetings, and love-feasts. The Doxology was then sung, and the REV. JOHN M'LEAN offered the concluding prayer. THE DECLARATION OF THE UNDERSIGNED LAY-MEMBERS OF THE METHODIST SOCIETIES. MANCHESTER, July 16th, 1851. WE, the undersigned Officers and Members of the WesleyanMethodist Society, having been convened by the President of the Conference for the purpose of conferring with him, in friendly conversation, upon various subjects affecting the general interests of the Connexion at the present time, embrace the opportunity of expressing our sentiments on the following subjects. I. We deeply deplore the measures which have been adopted for the avowed purpose of agitating the various Societies forming our Connexion; measures by which many thousands of our Members have been separated from us, and the character of the Body greatly injured; and we declare our conviction that the aspersions which have been cast upon the Conference are false and calumnious. II. We state it as our deliberate and conscientious opinion, that it is the imperative duty of the Connexion faithfully and steadfastly to adhere to the great and long-established principles of Wesleyan Methodism, and more particularly to those which respect the Consti tution of the Conference, which secure our Connexional Union, which provide for the due exercise of the powers of the Pastoral Office, and which guarantee the purity and efficiency of the Christian Ministry, by confiding to the Conference the care of its own members. III. We most cheerfully and entirely confide in the wisdom, integrity, and liberality of the Conference; and we respectfully request their early consideration of such of the suggestions made at the present Meeting in reference to the Rules of the Body, as the Conference may consider best adapted to meet the present and future circumstances of the Connexion, and to carry out into more effectual and extensive operation those tried principles of Wesleyan Methodism, every departure from which we most sincerely deprecate. Thomas Exley, M.A., Bristol. F. Riggall, Bristol. William Dingley, Sherborne. William Pearce, Poplar, London. William W. Pocock, 7th London Circuit. John Meek, Macclesfield. Joseph Edge, Burslem. John Burton, Rhodes, near Manchester. T. Percival Bunting, Ditto. Joseph Gordon Jones, Bradford, Wilts. W. D. Mathews, Penzance. John F. Sutcliffe, Sowerby-Bridge. William Smith, Gledhow, near Leeds. John Otter, Stokeham. T. White, Brimscombe-Mills, Stroud. C. Walton Rippon, Manchester. Robert Townend, Manchester. George Fishwick, Scorton, near Garstang. James George Newey, Birmingham. John Fernley, Ditto. J. Vanner, Hackney-Road, London. Robert Bentley, Hinde-street, London. Isaac H. Clark, Fourth London Circuit. Charles Thomas Bainbridge, Easingwold. Edward Goody, Broughton, near Manchester. James Middleton, Smethwick. Edward Carpenter, Stroud. Thomas Jerram, Cheltenham. John Taylor, Ditto. James Garstang, Manchester. Ralph Wilson, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. *** Many of the gentlemen who attended the Meeting in Manchester, had left before the Declaration was prepared for signature. We, the undersigned, not having been present at the Meeting above mentioned, beg leave to express our cordial concurrence in all the sentiments which the forcited William Hopwood, Burnley. William Merry, London. William Miles, Birmingham. Joseph Ward, Ditto. Boaz Bloomer, Dudley. John Warner, Leighton-Buzzard. G. B. Pearson, Holbeck. John Walker, Bradford-House, near Bolton. William Cannon, Bolton. John Orton, Ditto. William Valentine, Radley, Sheffield. John W. Smallwood, Macclesfield. Benjamin Gough, London, Lambeth Edward S. Browning, Faversham. Thomas Simpson Flower, Ditto. John Bliss, Northampton. Robert Coulson, Ditto. Thomas Twitchell, Willington, nea John Hazlehurst, Runcorn. Thomas Hazlehurst, Ditto. Charles Hazlehurst, Ditto. Henry B. Wake, Goole. James Forman, Goole. W. Walker, Bowling-Hall, Bradford. John Rhodes, Bradford. Henry Fowler, Scarborough. Humphry Sandwith, M.D., Hull. John Stocks, Leeds. George Smith, Gledhow, near Leeds. William Tagg, King's-Cross, London. John Josiah Buttress, Brixton-Hill. John Wingrave, St. Alban's. John Buttress, Hornsey-Road. Thomas Knight, Seventh London Circuit. James Illingworth, Limehouse. W. Lamplough, Ditto. John Chubb, Eighth London Circuit. Charles Robinson, Acomb, near York. Hildyard M. Leppington, Grimsby. George Gaskell, Margate. John Twibell, Dodworth, near Barnsley. Richard Moulton, Ditto. Peter Beckwith, Easingwold. James Critchinson, Tholthorpe. Thomas Clemetshaw, Ditto. George Robson, Ditto. William Skinner, Stockton-on-Tees. John Knaggs, Ditto. John Laycock, Keighley. William Moxon, Pontefract. John Wordsworth, Ditto. William Chapple, Bodmin. J. M. H. Cardell, Ditto. Francis Follows, Macclesfield. Thomas Allen, Ditto. Samuel Wood, Ditto. Abraham Bishop, Guernsey. Willian C. Webb, Newport, Monmouthshire. William Rabbitts, Frome, Somerset. John Yewdall, Rawdon, near Leeds. Richard Bonniwell, Pembroke-Dock. John Roads, Ditto. T. R. Bradnack, Great Yarmouth. John Jackson, Lynn. James Burch, Ditto. Joseph Linay, Ditto. Joshua Moss, Sheffield. Joseph Page, Norwich. Thomas Speeding, Monkwearmouth. W. R. Johnson, Manchester. George Corderoy, Hinde-street, London. William Hill, Ditto. Joseph Dixon, Barnard-Castle. Robert Brown, Middleton in Teesdale. Joseph Marsden, Ditto. John Higgs, Maidenhead. H. Armstrong, Holloway, London. J. W. Lamplough, Ditto. Edward Beesley, Ditto. John Vickers, Gateshead. Thomas Barker, North-Shields. George J. Armstrong, Broughton, near Manchester. Robert Gordon, Stockport. Thomas Spouncer, Gainsborough. W. Wilkinson, Ditto. T. A. Farmer, Ditto. Thomas C. Wholey, Ditto. J. Watkinson, Ditto. J. T. Rawsthorne, Ditto. James W. Horsfield, Ditto. Joseph W. Horsfield, Ditto. Robert Middleton, Cheltenham. John Turner, Bath. James Taylor, Ditto. Thomas Harris, Bristol. John Waller, sen., Luton. |