enrolled with the others were called, and the protests were read. Their
names have been called as members of this body, and they are simply here
as "challenged" members. From that standpoint this question must be
discussed, and any disposition of this case under the circumstances must
be in this direction. These women delegates must be put out of this
General Conference if they are not granted the rights and privileges
of members here. It is not a question of "admitting" them. Before this
report, before the bar of history, we stand, and will be called upon to
vote and act, and millions of people will hold us responsible, and I
dare say that our votes will be recorded as to whether they shall be
"put out" or "stay in."

Why, sir, the government of the Methodist Episcopal Church exists
for the ministry and membership of the Church. The ministry and the
membership of the Church do not exist for the government. The world was
made for man, and not man for the world. That is the fundamental idea
in the government of God, as He treats us as human beings. That is the
fundamental idea in the government of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
as we are enlisted in the support of that government as ministers
and members of the Church. Now under this system of ecclesiastical
government a time came in our history when we submitted a grave question
to the membership of the Church. It was not a question simply of
petition, asking the membership to send petitions up to the General
Conference. On the contrary, it was submitting a constitutional question
not simply to the male members of the Church, for that grand and noble
man of the Methodist Church, Dr. David Sherman of the New England
Conference, moved himself to strike out the word "male" from the report
of the Committee on Lay Delegation. It came to a vote, and it was
stricken out, two to one in the vote. When that was done, then the
General Conference of our Church submitted to the membership of the