Minutes of Several Conversations at the ... Yearly Conference of the People ...

APPENDIX X.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON THE RELIGIOUS
OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD'S DAY.

THE Committee notes with deep satisfaction the great awakening, which is undoubtedly taking place, on the vital question of Sunday observance. In France, the Sunday Rest Law recently instituted has secured to the labouring classes a day of rest from toil. In Belgium, and even in Russia, somewhat similar laws have come into operation. In the dominion of Canada a National Sunday Rest Law has brought a general observance of the Lord's Day. In our own country a Joint Select Committee of the Houses of Parliament have unanimously recommended the improvement of the laws against Sunday Trading.

The Committee also heartily welcomes the Clause in the Government Licensing Bill limiting the number of hours for the opening of public-houses on the Lord's Day to three outside London; and is especially thankful for the extension of the Welsh Sunday Closing Act to Monmouthshire. The Committee, however, would very greatly rejoice if the Government could see its way to complete the closing of Publichouses on Sundays throughout the Kingdom.

The progress of the various Lord's Day Organisations, especially the National Movement for the preservation of the Lord's Day, calls for devout thankfulness. But on the other hand, we have to deplore the continuance and increase of Sunday pleasure-seeking, and in fact the growing secularisation of the sacred day. The desecration of the Sabbath has become to some extent a national sin, and is becoming a grave national peril. Fully mindful of these facts, the Committee has quietly and discreetly, but none the less effectively, done its work during the year. In particular, we have forIwarded to the executive of the Franco-British Exhibition a very strong protest against the suggested opening of any part of the Exhibition on Sundays.

All important questions relating to the observance and the preservation of the Lord's Day have been carefully watched, and wherever possible we have endeavoured to arouse the

practical interest of Methodist people in regard to this great question. Once again, in conjunction with the Lord's Day Rest Association, we have suggested the observance of the Sunday immediately after Easter for sermons and addresses, and the response has been more hearty than ever. In addition to the great majority of our Ministers many Local Preachers, Sunday-school Workers, and Leaders of Brotherhoods have made special reference to the subject.

We cannot too strongly urge all our people to assist us by advocacy and by example in the great struggle to preserve the divinely-appointed Day of Rest. Let us veto all that pertains to Sabbath amusement, and let us reduce secular toil and Sunday travelling to a minimum. Never was it more necessary than now to safeguard and defend this great bulwark of religion and virtue-the Lord's Day.

APPENDIX XI.

LOCAL PREACHERS.

THE following is the scheme for the constitution of the Committee finally adopted by the Conference :

I. The District Local Preachers' Committee.

1. At the September Synod of each District a Local Preachers' Committee shall be appointed, to consist of the Chairman, the Financial Secretary, four other Ministers, and six Local Preachers. If any Local Preachers be chosen who are not already Members of the Synod, they shall by this appointment become Members.

2. Each Synod shall have power to associate with the Members of the District Local Preachers' Committee other Ministers and Local Preachers interested in the subject, provided always that the Laymen so added shall not thereby become Members of the Synod.

3. Each Synod shall appoint a Ministerial and a Lay Secretary of the District Local Preachers' Committee.

4. At the September Local Preachers' Meeting in each Circuit, a Circuit Secretary shall be appointed, and his name and address shall be forthwith sent by the Superintendent to the Lay Secretary of the District Local Preachers' Committee.

5. The Superintendent shall also send to the Lay Secretary, quarterly, a Circuit Plan containing the full postal address of each Local Preacher.

6. Immediately after the March Local Preachers' Meeting, the Circuit Secretary shall forward, on prepared forms, to the Lay Secretary of the District Local Preachers' Committee, the various statistical facts relating to the Local Preachers in that Circuit. The required statistics shall be furnished by the Superintendent to the Circuit Secretary, and the schedule signed by both.

7. The District Local Preachers' Committee shall prepare a Report based upon the statistics so furnished, and relating to the work of the year, to be presented to the May Synod.

8. Immediately after the May Synod the Reports of the District Local Preachers' Committees shall be sent to the Lay

Secretary of the Connexional Committee, which shall report thereon to the Conference.

9. It shall be the duty of the District Local Preachers' Committee to inquire whether the directions of the Conference with regard to the mental and theological culture of Local Preachers have been observed in the various Circuits of the District, and to take necessary steps to assist in carrying out those directions.

10. The District Local Preachers' Committee is empowered to establish and conduct Voluntary District Examinations of Local Preachers in Theology, Biblical Study, and Homiletics.

11. Subject always to the laws and usages of Methodism, the District Local Preachers' Committee shall endeavour to promote the interest and efficiency of Local Preachers' Meetings in all practicable ways, by suggesting subjects for discussion, providing deputations to visit such Meetings, and otherwise.

12. Subject to the laws and usages of Methodism, the District Local Preachers' Committee may initiate and promote arrangements providing for the ministrations of Local Preachers in Circuits other than their own, especially with a view to the advantage of the neediest and poorest Circuits; and may also undertake arrangements for Special Missions and Services where desired. (Minutes, 1902, pp. 89-91.)

II. The Connexional Local Preachers' Committee.

1. The Connexional Committee shall consider the Reports of the District Local Preachers' Committees received from the May Synods, and prepare thereon a Report for presentation to the Conference.

2. The Committee shall also furnish a List of Books for guiding the Studies of Local Preachers, and prepare a scheme of Voluntary Examinations with the necessary Examination papers.

3. The subject of the Theological Reading of Local Preachers shall also be dealt with by this Committee, together with the working out of the scheme of the Committee which reported to the Conference in 1894 on A Course of Reading for Local Preachers" (Minutes, 1894, pp. 462-465).

4. A Lay Treasurer, and a Ministerial and a Lay Secretary of the Connexional Committee, shall be annually appointed by the Conference.