The important transactions we have detailed in the preceding chapter were found, upon experiment, to exert a beneficial influence upon the interests of true religion. And having closed the session in peace and with great unanimity of sentiment, the preachers went to their respective fields of labor with renewed courage and with great cheerfulness of mind.

Mr. Freeborn Garrettson and Mr. James O. Cromwell about the middle of February took their departure for Nova Scotia; and after enduring many perils on the voyage, arrived in safety at their destined sphere of labor.

At the close of the Revolutionary War, some members of the society had emigrated to that province of the British empire; and being in a destitute state as to religious instruction, they had sent an earnest request to Mr. Wesley to be supplied; and Dr. Coke had interested himself much in their behalf. Accordingly these brethren volunteered their services for this work.

On their arrival they were cordially received at Halifax, where they landed.

Here Mr. Garrettson found a few members of the society, some of whom had come from Europe, and some from the United States: and during his short continuance in this place, he preached several times with great satisfaction.

Some time before the arrival of these missionaries, Mr. William Black had been instrumental in doing much good to the souls of the people by preaching in various places, particularly in New Brunswick and Halifax.

Mr. Black gave the right hand of fellowship to Mr. Garrettson, and he entered upon his work in this Country with that zeal by which he had been distinguished in the United States, and many sinners were awakened and converted to God, and several societies formed.

Here, however, as elsewhere, opposers of the pure doctrines of Christ were found, not only among the openly profane, but also among professors of godliness. Mr. Garrettson gives the following account of a people here called Allenites, taking their name from Mr. Allen, who was their principal leader: — “Some of them,” says Mr. Garrettson, “seem to have the fear of God; but in general they are as deluded a people as I ever saw. Almost all of them preach in public. I was conversing with one who seems to be a principal person among them. She said she believed death would slay more sins for her than were ever destroyed before. ‘As for sin,’ said she, ‘it cannot hurt me: not even adultery, murder, swearing, drunkenness, nor any other sin, can break the union between me and Christ.’ They have passed judgment upon us, that we are neither Christians nor called to preach. “Thursday I preached at Mr. Woodworth’s to a crowded audience.

A little before preaching time, two old Calvinists came into my room to have a conversation with me before preaching. ‘I understand,’ said one of them, ‘that you hold with falling from grace: I heard it, but did not know how to believe it, and should be glad to know whether you do deny the perseverance of the saints.’

I answered, I do not, for my desire is that they should persevere: I do not hold with man’s persevering in wickedness, neither do I believe that a man can have grace while he lives in sin. Let us take the Bible, and see what is said there. I read part of the 15th of John, and parts of several chapters in Hebrews, Romans, and Peter.

Now, said I, this is the language of many other passages. We have no promise for any but such as do persevere to the end, and we have had many unhappy instances of men running well for a time, and then turning back: read the <261801> 18th chapter of Ezekiel. Now what harm can there be in enforcing our Lord’s, the prophet’s, and the apostles’ exhortation? ‘Very good,’ said he. Why should we do it if there was no danger? and what harm can there be in the doctrine? Suppose you are a Christian, and your neighbor is one also; you believe in the unconditional perseverance of saints; he in the conditional: who, sir, is the safest? if you are right, surely he cannot fall. ‘I never,’ said he, ‘saw so much in it before.’ They stayed to hear the sermon, and afterward one said, ‘I never heard these men before, but they are better than I thought.’ “Friday morning I set out for Granville. I had not got far before a man came running out. ‘Sir,’ said he; ‘I like part of your doctrine well, but part I do not like.’ What part don’t you like? ‘You say, sir, that a saint may fall.’ Will you answer me one question, said I.

Do you know that you were ever converted? ‘I do,’ said he. Pray tell me how matters are at present between God and your soul. ‘Why,’ said he, ‘it is a winter state.’ But, said I, are you not living in open sin against God? He paused awhile. I ask, said I, in the fear of God, and desire an answer in truth. ‘I confess,’ said he, I am living in sin.’ And yet you do not believe in falling from grace! I believe it because you have fallen. This is what you call a winter state! I call it lying in the arms of the wicked one; and you may talk as you will about your past experience, but I would not give a straw for your chance of heaven, if you die in this state. You are reconciling Christ and Belial together. ‘O,’ said he, ‘I shall be raised up at the last day.’ You will, said I; but, unless you repent, it will be to be cast into the lake of fire. He seemed much affected, and left me. “January 19th, I preached opposite Granville, to a number of serious hearers, and was invited home to dinner by an old gentleman, who, soon after we were seated at table, said, ‘I understand you preach perfection.’ I do, said I, and have done so for a number of years; and shall do so as long as I find the doctrine in the Bible. ‘Why, sir,’ said he, ‘Paul was not perfect: he complains of a thorn in the side.’ The heart is the place for sin, said I, and not the side. He then mentioned several other passages of Scripture which he thought were opposed to holiness of heart, which I explained to him. Pray, said I, let us come to the point at once. Do you believe that an unholy creature can enter into heaven? ‘No.’ Pray, when is sin to be destroyed? ‘At death.’ You must then hold with death as being part of a savior, or with a purgatory after death, or you must come to perfection on this side the grave.

He sat amazed, and seemed to give up the argument. We rose from the table. I went to prayer; then went on my journey, and preached at six o’clock in the court house. When I left the old man, he desired me to make his house my home. I left Fletcher’s Checks with him. Shortly after, I received a few lines from him to this effect: — ‘I believe you to be a servant of God. I hope the Lord will bless you, and those that sent you here. I want to see you at my house at every opportunity. I thank you for the book.’” Mr. Garrettson, in another place, gives the following summary of their leading absurdities: — “ 1. They think they can tell whether a person is a Christian at first sight. 2. They say that we are leading people blindfolded to hell. 3. They are, they say, as sure of heaven as if they were already there, for sin cannot hurt them.” “I never met with such a people in my life.

There are about fifty of them in Liverpool.”

Soon after his arrival, Mr. Garrettson received a letter from Mr. Wesley, of which the following is an extract: — “I am glad brother Cromwell and you have undertaken that labor of love, the visiting Nova Scotia, and doubt not but you act in full concert with the little handful who were almost alone till you came.

It will be the wisest way to make all those who desire to join together thoroughly acquainted with the whole Methodist plan, and to accustom them, from the very beginning, to the accurate observance of all our rules. Let none of them rest in being half Christians. Whatever they do, let them do it with their might, and it will be well, as soon as any of them find peace with God, to exhort them to go on to perfection. The more explicitly and strongly you press all believers to aspire after full sanctification as attainable now by simple faith, the more the whole work of God will prosper. “I do not expect any great matters from the bishop. I doubt his eye is not single, and if it be not, he will do little good to you or any one else. It may be a comfort to you that you have no need of him: you want nothing which he can give. “It is a noble proposal of brother Marchington; but; doubt it will not take place. You do not know the of the English Methodists.

They do not roll in money like many of the American Methodists.

It is with the utmost difficulty that we can raise five or six hundred pounds a year to supply our contingent expenses, so that it is entirely impracticable to raise five hundred pounds among them to build houses in America. It is true, they might do much; but it is a sad observation, they that have most money have usually least grace. The peace of God be with all your spirits.

I am your affectionate friend and brother, “J. Wesley.” As the societies in this province did not long remain connected with the church in the United States, for we find them on the British Minutes for 1787, it is thought most advisable to complete the notice of the work there in this place. It appears from the Life of Mr. Garrettson that he continued his labors in this province, traveling from place to place, and often exposed to many temporal hardships and privations, until April 10th, 1787, when he embarked for the United States, leaving behind him, as evidences of his fidelity and success in his Master’s work, about six hundred members in the societies. While in this country, Mr. Garrettson says, — “I traversed the mountains and valleys, frequently on foot, with my knapsack on my back, guided by Indian paths in the wilderness, when it was not expedient to take a horse; and I had often to wade through morasses half leg deep in mud and water, frequently satisfying my hunger with a piece of bread and pork from my knapsack, quenching my thirst from a brook, and resting my weary limbs on the leaves of the trees. Thanks be to God! he compensated me for all my toil, for many precious souls were awakened and converted to God.”

This extract will show the manner in which the early Methodist preachers, in imitation of their divine Lord, “went about doing good.”

This year, also, Methodism was introduced into the city of Charleston, South Carolina. In the latter part of February, Bishop Asbury, Jesse Lee, and Henry Willis set off on a visit to this place. Mr. Willis preceded the others, and gave out their appointments; and after preaching in sundry places on their way, they arrived in Charleston on Saturday, February 26th, and on Sabbath morning Mr. Lee preached in an old meeting-house belonging to the Baptists, which had been procured for that purpose.

While here they lodged with Mr. Edgar Wells, a respectable merchant, who, though a man of the world, courteously entertained the messengers of the Lord. On their arrival he was preparing to attend the theater, but his plans of amusement were abandoned, and the worship of God was set up in his family. The consequence was, that he became awakened to a sense of his sinfulness, and, after a struggle for about ten days, was brought into gospel liberty.

This was the commencement of Methodism in this place; for although Mr. Wesley visited Charleston in 1736, and Mr. Pillmore in 1773, their visits were but transient, and left no permanent impression upon the minds of the people. After preaching a few times, Mr. Lee left the city with a view to labor in other places, but Bishop Asbury remained until the 9th of March, preaching every evening, and sometimes in the morning, to the people, explaining to them “the essential doctrines” of Methodism; and he says, “I loved and pitied the people, and left some under gracious impressions.”

Though it will be anticipating the chronological order of the history a little, I think it best to give the following account, taken chiefly from that furnished by the Rev. James O. (now Bishop) Andrew, for the Methodist Magazine and Quarterly Review.

It seems that, on the departure of Bishop Asbury, Mr. Willis was left in charge of the work. Being a man of general intelligence, of deep piety, and of amiable manners, and devoting himself entirely to his work, he made a favorable impression upon many minds, and soon succeeded in forming a small society. Being informed that they could no longer occupy the old house in which they had hitherto convened, and the private house kindly offered them by Mrs. Stoll soon becoming too small to contain the increased number of hearers, they began to think seriously of building a house of worship, and soon commenced the work. While this was in progress they continued their meetings in an unfinished house which had been offered them by a friend. This house, begun in 1786, and completed in 1787, was situated in Cumberland Street, and has been the spiritual birthplace of many souls. Bishop Asbury visited the place in 1786, and again in 1787, when he met Dr. Coke, who had recently arrived from England. “Here,” he says, “we have a spacious house prepared for us; and the congregations are crowded and solemn.”

Being thus furnished with a convenient house of worship, and the word and ordinances of the gospel, the work of God prospered more than it had done heretofore. It did not, however, go on without opposition. In addition to what arose from the natural enmity of the human heart when it comes in contact with the pure doctrines and precepts of Christianity, Methodism received a wound in Charleston from one of its professed friends and public advocates. In 1787, the Rev. Beverly Allen was placed in charge; as an elder, of the society in this place. He was a man of great popularity as a preacher, had married into a respectable family, and acquired much influence in the community. This unhappy man fell from his steadfastness, and in his fall inflicted a wound upon the cause from which it did not recover for a long time. This, together with the difficulties which arose from the state of slavery as it existed in all the southern states, made the situation of a Methodist minister extremely unpleasant, especially when it is considered that the mistaken but well-meant zeal of Dr. Coke, in his open opposition to slavery, tended much to irritate the public mind on that subject. The cause, however, gradually gained ground, and was acquiring the public confidence, until the year 1791, when the church was convulsed by the conduct of the Rev. William Hamett, who formed a division, put himself at the head of a party, and fulminated his anathemas at the head of Bishop Asbury and others.

Mr. Hamett, also, unfortunately for the cause against which he arrayed himself, was a man of popular talents and gentlemanly manners, and had acquired considerable influence in the community, and hence the facility with which he accomplished his design. Bishop Asbury, alluding to the secession of Mr. Hamett, says, “He had three grand objections to us, 1. The American preachers and people insulted him. 2. His name was not printed on our minutes. 3. The Nota Bene minute was directed against him.” “We are considered by him as seceders from Methodism! because we do not wear gowns and powder, and because we did not pay sufficient respect to Mr. Wesley.” This was the pretense; but it is manifest that Mr. Hamett, who had recently arrived from the West Indies, was not willing to submit to the authority of the conference, and to Bishop Asbury.

The minute to which Mr. Asbury alludes, was in these words: — “Mark well! Our brethren and friends are desired to be more cautious how they receive strange preachers, especially to preach; unless their names are in the minutes, or they can show a parchment or certificate from a presiding elder, or some elder in the district they may say they come from.” This, however, instead of being directed against Mr. Hamett, who was a regular preacher from the European connection, was designed to guard the people against those impostors who endeavored to palm themselves upon the public as Methodist preachers. The accusations which Mr. H. preferred against Bishop Asbury were amply refuted; and that apostolic man lived to witness the clouds of reproach thus raised against him dispersed by the bright rays from the sun of truth. Mr. H., however, succeeded in establishing himself at the head of a party, built him a house of worship in the city of Charleston, and his society were distinguished by the name of “Primitive Methodists.” Though many of his mistaken followers returned afterward to the church they had left, and some joined other communions, he remained at the head of a small sect until his death, when Trinity Church, as it was called, passed into the hands of the Protestant Episcopalians, and finally it reverted back, by an amicable arrangement between the parties, to the Methodist Episcopal Church, where it remains to the present day. I shall not anticipate farther the order of events, but notice other particulars in their proper place.

Mr. Asbury having been elected and consecrated to the office of general superintendent, entered immediately upon his great work, traveling from place to place, preaching to the people, and making collections for the college, which had been recently commenced.

In mentioning the college, I am reminded of the necessity of giving an account of this institution, as it belongs most properly to this period of our history. Soon after the arrival of Dr. Coke in 1784, he and Mr. Asbury entered into a consultation respecting the expediency of establishing a literary institution for the education of the sons of our preachers and others who might wish to share in its benefits. Bishop Asbury tells us that he desired a school, but as Dr. Coke pleaded for a college, the conference, when the subject was submitted to them, decided in favor of Dr. Coke’s plan, and measures were adopted to carry it into effect. As all these things belong to the history of the times, and will show the views by which the projectors of this institution were actuated, I think it proper to give the whole plan, as it was published by the superintendents immediately on the adjournment of the Christmas conference. “The Plan for erecting a College, intended to advocate religion in America, to be presented to the principal members and friends of the Methodist Episcopal Church. “The college is built at Abingdon in Maryland, on a healthy spot, enjoying a fine air and very extensive prospect. It is to receive for education and board the sons of the elders and preachers of the Methodist Church, poor orphans, and the sons of the subscribers and of other friends. It will be expected that all our friends who send their children to the college will, if they be able, pay a moderate sum for their education and board: the rest will be taught and boarded, and, if our finances will allow of it, clothed gratis. The institution is also intended for the benefit of our young men who are called to preach, that they may receive a measure of that improvement which is highly expedient as a preparative for public service. A teacher of the languages, with an assistant, will be provided, as also an English master, to teach with the utmost propriety both to read and speak the English language: nor shall any other branch of literature be omitted which may be thought necessary for any of the students. Above all, especial care shall be taken that due attention be paid to the religion and morals of the children, and to the exclusion of all such as continue of an ungovernable temper. The college will be under the presidentship of the bishops of our Church for the time being; and is to be supported by yearly collections throughout our circuits, and any endowments which our friends may think proper to give and bequeath. “Three objects of considerable magnitude we have in view in the instituting of this college. “The first is a provision for the sons of our married ministers and preachers. “The wisdom and love of God hath now thrust out a large number of laborers into his harvest: men who desire nothing on earth but to promote the glory of God, by saving their own souls and those that hear them. And those to whom they minister spiritual things are willing to minister to them of their temporal things; so that they have food to eat and raiment to put on, and are content therewith. “A competent provision is likewise made for the wives of married preachers. “Yet one considerable difficulty lies on those that have boys, when they grow too big to be under their mother’s direction. Having no father to govern and instruct them, they are exposed to a thousand temptations. To remedy this is one motive that induces us to lay before our friends the intent of the college, that these little ones may have all the instruction they are capable of, together with all things necessary for the body. “In this view our college will become one of the noblest charities that can be conceived. How reasonable is the institution! Is it fit that the children of those who leave wife and all that is dear to save souls from death, should want what is needful either for soul or body? Ought not we to supply what the parent cannot, because of his labors in the gospel? How excellent will be the effect of this institution! The preacher, eased of this weight, can the more cheerfully go on in his labor. And perhaps many of these children may hereafter fill up the place of those that shall rest from their labors. “The second object we have in view is the education and support of poor orphans; and surely we need not enumerate the many happy consequences arising from such a charity. Innumerable blessings concenter in it; not only the immediate relief of the objects of our charity, but the ability given them, under the providence of God, to provide for themselves through the remainder of their lives.

The last, though not perhaps the least object in view, is the establishment of a seminary for the children of our competent friends, where learning and religion may go hand in hand; where every advantage may be obtained which may promote the prosperity of the present life, without endangering the morals and religion of the children through those temptations to which they are too much exposed in most of the public schools. This is an object of importance indeed: and here all the tenderest feelings of the parent’s heart range on our side. “But the expense of such an undertaking will be very large; and the best means we could think of at our late conference to accomplish our design was, to desire the assistance of all those in every place who wish well to the work of God: who long to see sinners converted to God, and the kingdom of Christ set up in all the earth. “All who are thus minded, and more especially our own friends who form our congregations, have an opportunity now of showing their love to the gospel. Now promote, as far as in you lies, one of the noblest charities in the world. Now forward, as you are able, one of the most excellent designs that ever was set on foot in this country. Do what you can to comfort the parents who give up their all for you, and to give their children cause to bless you. You will be no poorer for what you do on such an occasion. God is a good paymaster. And you know, in doing this you lend unto the Lord: in due time he shall repay you. “The students will be instructed in English, Latin, Greek, logic, rhetoric, history, geography, natural philosophy, and astronomy.

To these languages and sciences shall be added, when the finances of our college will admit of it, the Hebrew, French, and German languages. “But our first object shall be, to answer the design of Christian education, by forming the minds of the youth, through divine aid, to wisdom and holiness; by instilling into their tender minds the principles of true religion; speculative, experimental, and practical, and training them in the ancient way, that they may be rational, Scriptural Christians. For this purpose we shall expect and enjoin it, not only on the president and tutors, but also upon our elders, deacons, and preachers, to embrace every opportunity of instructing the students in the great branches of the Christian religion. “And this is one principal reason why we do not admit students indiscriminately into our college. For we are persuaded that the promiscuous admission of all sorts of youth into a seminary of learning is pregnant with many bad consequences. For are the students likely (suppose they possessed it) to retain much religion in a college where all that offer are admitted, however corrupted already in principle as well as practice? And what wonder, when (as too frequently it happens) the parents themselves have no more religion than their offspring? “For the same reason we have consented to receive children of seven years of age, as we wish to have the opportunity of ‘teaching their young ideas how to shoot,’ and gradually forming their minds, though the divine blessing, almost from their infancy, to holiness and heavenly wisdom as well as human learning. And we may add, that we are thoroughly convinced, with the great Milton, (to whose admirable treatise on education we refer you,) that it is highly expedient for every youth to begin and finish his education at the same place: that nothing can be more irrational and absurd than to break this off in the middle, and to begin it again at a different place, and perhaps in a quite different manner. And on this account we earnestly desire that the parents and others who may be concerned, will maturely consider the last observation, and not send their children to our seminary if they are not to complete their education there, or at least make some considerable proficiency in the languages, and in the arts and sciences. “It is also our particular desire, that all who shall be educated in our college may be kept at the utmost distance, as from vice in general, so in particular from softness and effeminacy of manners. “We shall therefore inflexibly insist on their rising early in the morning; and we are convinced by constant observation and experience, that this is of vast importance both to body and mind.

It is of admirable use either for preserving a good, or improving a bad constitution. It is of peculiar service in all nervous complaints, both in preventing and in removing them. And by thus strengthening the various organs of the body, it enables the mind to put forth its utmost exertions. “On the same principle we prohibit play in the strongest terms: and in this we have the two greatest writers on the subject that perhaps any age has produced (Mr. Locke and Mr. Rousseau) of our sentiments for though the latter was essentially mistaken in his religious system, yet his wisdom in other respects, and extensive genius, are indisputably acknowledged. The employments, therefore, which we have chosen for the recreation of the students are such as are of greatest public utility, agriculture and architecture; studies more especially necessary for a new-settled country and of consequence the instructing of our youth in all the practical branches of those important arts will be an effectual method of rendering them more useful to their country. Agreeably to this idea, the greatest statesman that perhaps ever shone in the annals of history, Peter, the Russian emperor, who was deservedly styled the Great, disdained not to stoop to the employment of a ship carpenter. Nor was it rare, during the purest times of the Roman republic, to see the conquerors of nations and deliverer, of their country return with all simplicity and cheerfulness to the exercise of the plow. In conformity to this sentiment, one of the completest poetic pieces of antiquity (the Georgic of Virgil is written on the subject of husbandry; by the perusal of which, and submission to the above regulations, the students may delightfully unite the theory and the practice together. We say delightfully, for we do not entertain the most distant thought of turning these employments into drudgery or slavery, but into pleasing recreations for the mind and body. “In teaching the languages, care shall be taken to read those authors, and those only, who join together the purity, the strength, and the elegance of their several tongues. And the utmost caution shall be used that nothing immodest be found in any of our books. “But this is not all. We shall take care that our books be not only inoffensive but useful; that they contain as much strong sense, and as much genuine morality as possible. As far, therefore, as is consistent with the foregoing observations, a choice and universal library shall be provided for the use of the students. “Our annual subscription is intended for the support of the charitable part of the institution. We have in the former part of this address enlarged so fully on the nature and excellency of the charity, that no more need be said. The relieving our traveling ministers and preachers, by educating, boarding, and clothing their sons, is a charity of the most noble and extensive kind, not only toward the immediate subjects of it, but also toward the public in general; enabling those ‘flames of fire,’ who might otherwise be obliged to confine themselves to an exceedingly contracted sphere of action for the support of their families, to carry the savor of the gospel to the remotest corners of these United States. “The four guineas a year for tuition, we are persuaded, cannot be lowered, if we give the students that finished education which we are determined they shall have. And though our principal object is to instruct them in the doctrines, spirit, and practice of Christianity, yet we trust that our college will in time send forth men that will be blessings to their country in every laudable office and employment of life, thereby uniting the two greatest ornaments of intelligent beings, which are too often separated, deep learning and genuine religion. “The rules and regulations with which you are here presented, have been weighed and digested in our conference: but we also submit them to your judgment, as we shall be truly thankful for your advice, as well as your prayers for the success of the college, even where the circumstances of things will not render it expedient to you to favor us with your charity. And we shall esteem ourselves happy, if we be favored with any new light, whether from the members of our own Church or of any other, whereby they may be abridged, enlarged, or in any other way improved, that the institution may be as near perfection as possible. “GENERAL RULES CONCERNING THE COLLEGE “ 1st . A president and two tutors shall be provided for the present. “ 2ndly . The students shall consist of “ 1. The sons of traveling preachers. “ 2. The sons of annual subscribers, the children recommended by those annual subscribers who have none of their own, and the sons of members of our society. “ 3. Orphans. But, “ 1. The sons of annual subscribers shall have the preference to any others, except those of the traveling preachers. “ 2. An annual subscriber who has no sons of his own shall have a right to recommend a child; and such child so recommended shall have the preference to any other, except the sons of traveling preachers and annual subscribers. “ 3. As many of the students as possible shall be lodged and boarded in the town of Abingdon, among our pious friends; but those who cannot be so lodged and boarded shall be provided for in the college. “ 4. The price of education shall be four guineas. “ 5. The sons of the traveling preachers shall be boarded, educated, and clothed gratis, except those whose parents, according to the judgment of the conference, are of ability to defray the expense. “ 6. The orphans shall be boarded, educated, and clothed gratis. “ 7. No traveling preacher shall have the liberty of keeping his son on the foundation any longer than he travels, unless he be superannuated, or disabled by want of health. “ 8. No traveling preacher, till he has been received into full connection, shall have a right to place his son on the foundation of this institution. “ 9. No student shall be received into the college under the age of seven years. “RULES FOR THE ECONOMY OF THE COLLEGE AND STUDENTS “ 1. The students shall rise at five o’clock in the morning, summer and winter, at the ringing of the college bell. “ 2. All the students, whether they lodge in or out of the college, shall assemble together in the college at six o’clock, for public prayer, except in cases of sickness; and on any omission shall be responsible to the president. “ 3. From morning prayer till seven, they shall be allowed to recreate themselves as is hereafter directed. “ 4. At seven they shall breakfast. “ 5. From eight till twelve they are to be closely kept to their respective studies. “ 6. From twelve to three they are to employ themselves in recreation and dining: dinner to be ready at one o’clock. “ 7. From three till six they are again to be kept closely to their studies. “ 8. At six they shall sup. “ 9. At seven there shall be public prayer. “ 10. From evening prayer till bedtime, they shall be allowed recreation. “ 11. They shall be all in bed at nine o’clock, without fail. “ 12. Their recreations shall be gardening, walking, riding, and bathing, without doors; and the carpenter’s, joiner’s, cabinetmaker’s, or turner’s business, within doors. “ 13. A large plot of land, of at least three acres, shall be appropriated for a garden, and a person skilled in gardening be appointed to overlook the students when employed in that recreation. “ 14. A convenient bath shall be made for bathing. “ 15. A master, or some proper person by him appointed, shall be always present at the time of bathing. Only one shall bathe at a time; and no one shall remain in the water above a minute. “ 16. No student shall be allowed to bathe in the river. “ 17. A Taberna Lignaria shall be provided on the premises, with all proper instruments and materials, and a skillful person be employed to overlook the students at this recreation. “ 18. The students shall be indulged with nothing which the world calls play. Let this rule be observed with the strictest nicety; for those who play when they are young will play when they are old. “ 19. Each student shall have a bed to himself, whether he boards in or out of the college. “ 20. The students shall lie on mattresses, not on feather beds, because we believe the mattresses to be more healthy. “ 21. The president and tutors shall strictly examine, from time to time, whether our friends who board the students comply with these rules as far as they concern them. “ 22. A skillful physician shall be engaged to attend the student on every emergency, that the parents may be fully assured that proper care shall be taken of the health of their children, without any expense to them. “ 23. The bishops shall examine, by themselves or their delegates, into the progress of all the students in learning, every half year, or oftener if possible. “ 24. The elders, deacons, and preachers, as often a they visit Abingdon, shall examine the students concerning their knowledge of God and religion. “ 25. The students shall be divided into proper classes for that purpose. “ 26. A pupil who has a total incapacity to attain learning, shall, after sufficient trial, be returned to his parents. “ 27. If a student be convicted of any open sin, he shall, for the first offense, be reproved in private; for second offense, he shall be reproved in public; and for the third offense, he shall be punished at the discretion of the president; if incorrigible, he shall be expelled. “ 28. But if the sin be exceedingly gross, and a bishop see it necessary, he may be expelled for the first, second, or third offense. “ 29. Idleness, or any other fault, may be punished with confinement, according to the discretion of the president. “ 30. A convenient room shall be set apart as a place of confinement. “ 31. The president shall be the judge of all crimes and punishments, in the absence of the bishops. “ 32. But the president shall have no power to expel a student without the advice and consent of three of the trustees, but a bishop shall have that power.”

The site selected for the college buildings, which was on a rising ground in the town of Abingdon, about twenty-five miles from Baltimore, is thus described by Dr. Coke: — The situation delights me more than ever. There is not, I believe, a point of it, from whence the eye has not a view of at least twenty miles; and in some parts the prospect extends even to fifty miles in length. The water part forms one of the most beautiful views in the United States; the Chesapeake Bay in all its grandeur, with a fine navigable river, the Susquehanna, which empties itself into it, lying exposed to view through a great extent of country.”

It was on this spot that a noble brick building was erected, one hundred and eight feet in length, and forty in breadth; and the house was conveniently divided for lodging the students, and for recitation rooms, etc.

Through the solicitations of Dr. Coke and Bishop Asbury, nearly five thousand dollars had been secured by subscriptions and donations, when they commenced building; and before the rooms were entirely finished a school was opened with a few scholars. On the 8th, 9th, and 10th days of December, 1787, the college was opened with religious exercises, and Bishop Asbury preached a sermon on each day, the dedication sermon being delivered on Sabbath, from 2 Kings 4:40, “O, thou man of God, there is death in the pot.” Whether the selection of this text was ominous or not of the fate of the institution, after being in successful operation for about ten years, it was consumed by fire. Bishop Asbury makes the following remarks on being notified of the destruction of the buildings: — “We have now a second and confirmed account that Cokesbury College is consumed to ashes, a sacrifice of ten thousand pounds in about ten years! The foundation was laid 1785, and it was born December 7, 1795. Its enemies may rejoice, and its friends need not mourn. Would any man give me ten thousand pounds a year to do and suffer again what I have done for that house, I would not do it.”

It seems to have been the opinion of Bishop Asbury, that this destruction of the college buildings was an indication of divine Providence that it was no part of the duty of the Methodist Episcopal Church to engage in founding and raising up colleges. It appears to us, however, that on the same principle of reasoning, we should refuse to build a church, or a dwelling house, or even to embark in any business, which might be injured by the elements. Job’s repeated losses were permitted to try his patience, and this might have been permitted for a similar effect on the church.

But although Bishop Asbury was dispirited in respect to building colleges, Dr. Coke, encouraged by the generosity of a number of wealthy friends in the vicinity of Abingdon, who sympathized with the sufferers, and also felt a deep interest in the cause of education, determined to make another effort. To aid him in his design, a number of friends in the city of Baltimore, after consulting together, immediately subscribed about four thousand five hundred dollars toward erecting a new building on the same premises. Ascertaining, however, that there was a large building in Baltimore which would answer the purpose, they purchased the premises for the sum of about twenty two thousand dollars. The ground and building thus purchased being more than was needed for the college, the brethren in Baltimore determined to erect a new church on a part of the premises. This was accordingly done, and the church and college were fitted up for use, and the college was opened with a fair prospect of success, even more promising than what had appeared in Cokesbury College; but unhappily a similar fate awaited it.

Through the imprudence of a few boys who had been making a bonfire with some shavings in an adjoining house, the flames were communicated to the house in which they were assembled, and thence to the church and college, which were, after ineffectual attempts to extinguish the flames, entirely consumed. Thus were the hopes of the friends of education again blasted by the sudden destruction of these buildings, by which the Methodists lost not less than forty-four thousand dollars, and the cause of learning was abandoned in despair by the Methodist Episcopal Church for a number of years. Other denominations, however, in the city of Baltimore, sympathized with the Methodists in the loss of their church, and offered their churches for them to assemble in until they could repair their own. This generous offer was thankfully accepted, and they occupied these houses until they succeeded in erecting another.

Having thus traced the commencement and termination of this laudable effort to diffuse a knowledge of literature and science among the people, we will now return to notice the progress of the general work. Immediately after the adjournment of the conference in Baltimore, Dr. Coke returned to Europe. The doctor’s talents as a preacher, his Christian and gentlemanly deportment, and the disinterested zeal he had manifested for the welfare of Methodism in these United States, gained for him a great reputation among the people generally, and gave him an influence of a commanding character; and his enjoyments among his brethren would have been unalloyed had be not given offense, particularly to the people of Virginia, by his pointed, and, as he himself afterward acknowledged, imprudent manner of preaching against slavery. He was, however, rescued from the violence of a mob who had assembled for the purpose of wreaking their vengeance upon him, by the timely and resolute interference of a Christian magistrate and a military officer, and Dr. Coke was permitted to pursue his way unmolested.

It seems that heretofore there had been held only one regular conference in a year; for though some of the preachers had assembled in separate places for the dispatch of their local affairs, the regular conference was considered one and indivisible as to all matters of a general character; but as the work enlarged, new circuits formed, and additional laborers entered the field, and these scattered over such a large surface of country, it became inconvenient for all the preachers to assemble together in one place; hence this year there were held three conferences; one at Green Hills, in North Carolina, April 20th; another at Mr. Mason’s, Brunswick county, Virginia, May 1st; and another at Baltimore on the 1st day of June. But though the business was transacted in three separate conferences, their doings appeared in the minutes as one because nothing, except the stationing the preachers, was considered binding which was done in one conference unless approved by all the rest.

The following seven new circuits were added to the list this year: Georgia, in the state of Georgia; Charleston, Georgetown, and Broad River, in South Carolina; New River, in North Carolina; Lancaster, in Virginia; and St. Mary’s, in Maryland. The stations in Nova Scotia, before mentioned, and Antigua, in the West Indies, were also returned on the minutes. There were very considerable revivals of religion this year in the south and north, but the greatest work was on the eastern shore of Maryland, and in some parts of New Jersey; so that the increase of members was three thousand and twelve, and of preachers twenty-one: the whole number of members being eighteen thousand — preachers one hundred and four.

The origin of the presiding elder’s office may be traced to this year, though those who had charge of several circuits were not so denominated in the minutes until 1789. The office originated in this way: at the organization of the Church in 1784, but twelve out of the whole number of preachers were elected and ordained elders, and hence many of the circuits were destitute of any officer who was authorized to administer the ordinances, as a deacon could only assist at the celebration of the Lord’s supper. To remedy this defect, and to supply the people with the ordinances regularly, several circuits were linked together, and put under the charge of an elder, whose duty it was to visit each circuit quarterly, preach to the people, hold love-feasts, and administer the sacrament of the Lord’s supper.

As the Church had now become regularly organized, and the several offices provided for as they have continued with but little variation to the present time, perhaps this may be the most suitable place to give a short analysis of the several parts of the entire economy, as provided for in the Discipline, that the reader may have the whole before him at one view. 1. There is the society, which includes all the members of the church attached to any particular place. 2. The classes, which originally consisted of about twelve persons in each, but unhappily have often increased to from twenty to forty, who meet together weekly for mutual edification. 3. The class leader has charge of a class, and it is his duty to see each person in his class once a week, to inquire how their souls prosper, and to receive what they are willing to give for the support of the church and poor. 4. The stewards, who are chosen by the quarterly conference, on the nomination of the ruling preacher, have charge of all the money collected for the support of the ministry, the poor, and for sacramental occasions, and disburse it as the Discipline directs. 5. The trustees have charge of the church property, to hold it in trust for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. These are elected by the people, in those states where the laws so provide, in other places as the Discipline directs. 6. There are the exhorters, who receive their license from the quarterlymeeting conference, and have the privilege of holding meetings for exhortation and prayer. 7. A preacher is one that holds a license, and is authorized to preach, but not to baptize or administer the Lord’s supper. He may be either a traveling or local preacher. A local preacher generally follows some secular employment for a livelihood, and preaches on Sabbath and at other times occasionally, without any temporal emolument. A traveling preacher devotes himself entirely to the work of the ministry, and is supported by the people among whom he labors. All these, after being recommended by the class to which each respectively belong, or by a leaders’ meeting, receive their license from a quarterly meeting conference, signed by a presiding elder. 8. A deacon holds a parchment from a bishop, and is authorized, in addition to discharging the duties of a preacher, to solemnize matrimony, to bury the dead, to baptize, and to assist the elder in administering the Lord’s supper. It is his duty also to seek after the sick and poor, and administer to their comfort. 9. An elder, besides doing the duties above enumerated, has full authority to administer all the ordinances of God’s house. These generally, whenever a sufficient number can be had, have the charge of circuits, and the administration of the several parts of the discipline of the church. 10. A presiding elder has charge of several circuits, called collectively a district. It is his duty to visit each circuit once a quarter, to preach, and administer the ordinances, to call together the traveling and local preachers, exhorters, stewards, and leaders of the circuit for a quarterly conference, and in the absence of a bishop, to receive, try, suspend, or expel preachers, as the Discipline directs. He is appointed to his charge by the bishop. 11. A bishop is elected by the General Conference, and is amenable to that body for his official and moral conduct. It is his duty to travel through the work at large, to superintend the spiritual and temporal affairs of the Church, to preside in the annual and the general conferences, to ordain such as are elected by an annual conference to the office of deacons or elders, and to appoint the preachers to their stations. 12. A leaders’ meeting is composed of all the class leaders in any one circuit or station, in which the preacher in charge presides. Here the weekly class collections are paid into the hands of the stewards, and inquiry is made into the state of the classes, delinquents reported, and the sick and poor inquired after. 13. A quarterly meeting conference is composed of all the traveling and local preachers, exhorters, stewards, and leaders belonging to any particular station or circuit, in which the presiding elder presides, or in his absence the preacher in charge. Here exhorters and local preachers are licensed, and preachers recommended to an annual conference to be received into the traveling ministry; and likewise appeals are heard from any member of the church, who may appeal from the decision of a committee. 14. An annual conference is composed of all the traveling preachers, deacons, and elders within a specified district of country. These are executive and judicial bodies, acting under rules prescribed the by the General Conference. Here the characters and conduct of all the traveling preachers within the bounds of the conference are examined yearly; applicants for admission into the traveling ministry, if accounted worthy, are received, continued on trial, or dropped, as the case may be: appeals from local preachers which may be presented, are heard and decided; and those who are eligible to deacon’s or elder’s orders are elected. An annual conference possesses original jurisdiction over all its members, and may therefore try, acquit, suspend, expel, or locate any of them, as the Discipline in such cases provides. For the specific duties of an annual conference, see Discipline, p.28. 15. The General Conference assembles quadrennially, and is composed of a certain number of delegates, elected by the annual conferences. It has power to revise any part of the Discipline, not prohibited by the restrictive regulations, (which will be more particularly noticed hereafter,) to elect the book agents and editors, and the bishops; to hear and determine appeals of preachers from the decisions of annual conferences; to review the acts of those conferences generally; to examine into the general administration of the bishops for the four preceding years; and, if accused, to try, censure, acquit, or condemn a bishop. This is the highest judicatory of the Church. 16. That the reader may have a complete view of our entire economy, so far as it was organized at the time of which we now speak, it is necessary to notice one more usage, and that is, the holding of love-feasts. Those who are acquainted with the history of the primitive church, know perfectly well that they had what were called Agape, (Agapa,) or feasts of charity, in which they ate and drank together, in token of their love and fellowship to and with each other, and in which they bound themselves not to betray one another into the hands of their enemies. In imitation of these primitive feasts of charity, Mr. Wesley established his love-feasts, and they have been continued to the present time in the Church. Without pretending that every minutia observed in these social meetings has an exact archetype in those primitive assemblies, it is sufficient that they resemble them in the main particulars.

Here believers only, and those who profess to be seeking redemption in the blood of Christ, are admitted, generally on the presentation of a printed ticket, which is a certificate of membership in the Church. After singing an appropriate hymn, and prayer, a small piece of bread and a little water are taken by each person as a token of Christian fellowship, and then some time, usually about one hour, is spent for each one who chooses to relate his or her experience and enjoyment of divine things. A collection is then made for the benefit of the poor, when the assembly is dismissed, after singing and prayer, by the benediction. These meetings have been found peculiarly profitable to the souls of God’s people. 17. There is one other item in the economy of our Church which ought to be mentioned in this connection, and that is the salary of the ministry, and the mode in which it is raised. At the time of which we are now speaking, the allowance of a single traveling preacher was sixty-four dollars per annum, and his traveling expenses, and double that sum to one who was married. Out of this amount he had to furnish himself with clothes, horse, and traveling apparatus, his board being included among his traveling or extra expenses.

This was raised by the voluntary contributions of the people in weekly class, and quarterly collections a yearly fifth collection was made in all the congregations, and with the small avails arising from the sale of books, was brought to the annual conference, and appropriated to make up the deficiencies of those who did not receive their full allowance on the circuits, and for the widows and worn-out preachers.

Having given this outline of our economy, the reader will be able to understand the meaning of such technical phrases as quarterly, annual, and general conference, society and class meeting, love-feasts, exhorter, preacher, deacon, elder, and bishop, whenever they occur, without further explanation.

This year, for the first time, the minutes contained, in connection with the names of those preachers who had died in the work during the preceding year, short sketches of their character. As, however, the insertion of these sketches would swell this history beyond its destined bulk, the most of them will be abridged, reserving however the privilege of extending such as were the most eminent for their labors and success in the work. The following record concerning the deaths of preachers is found in the minutes of this year: — 1. Caleb B. Peddicord, a man of sorrows, and like his Master, acquainted with grief; but a man dead to the world, and much devoted to God. 2 . George Mair, a man of affliction, but of great patience and resignation, and of an excellent understanding.

Samuel Rowe, James Martin, and James Morris, were located; and Le Roy Cole was expelled.

Numbers in Society: Members this year, 18,000, last year 14,988; Preachers this year, 104, last year, 83; Increase in Members, 3,612; Increase in Preachers,21. 1786 . There were three conferences held this year; one at Salisbury, in North Carolina, on the 21st of February; another at Jones’s chapel in Virginia, on the 18th of April; and the third at Baltimore, on the 8th day of May. Five new circuits were added to the list, namely, Santee and Peedee, in North Carolina, Newark in New Jersey, and Kentucky, in the state of Kentucky.

As this is the first mention of Kentucky in our minutes, and as I have given a sketch of the first settlements and general condition of the thirteen original States, it seems proper to give some account of this, and also of the other new states, in the order in which they were visited by the Methodist ministry. For though Kentucky was not received as a member of the American confederacy [Union] until the year 1792, yet as this [1786] was the year it was first entered by a Methodist preacher, this seems to be the most suitable time and pace to notice these things.

In 1775, Colonel Daniel Boone, one of the most famous of American pioneers, first penetrated into the woods of Kentucky, which was then a part of Virginia. His reports of the fertility of the soil, and of the facilities for forming settlements, soon induced other hardy adventurers from Virginia to join him; and thus a way was opened for the cultivation of this wilderness, which, after the war of the revolution had closed, was so rapidly settled, that in 1792 it was formed into an independent government, and received as one of the states of the Union.

The character of the first settlers, being principally from Virginia, partook of that chivalry and hospitality for which the Virginians are distinguished, though as to religion and morals much could not be then said in their favor.

At the time of which we now speak, there were but few inhabitants, probably not over twenty thousand, in the whole territory, and these were found in scattered groups through the country.

The settlements were first visited by the Baptist preachers; but though they exerted some influence among the people in favor of religion, yet it appears from the history of those times, that their general neglect of the Sabbath, their intermeddling much with politics, and their strong bias for Antinomian doctrines, prevented them from doing the good they otherwise might have done. In 1784, a Presbyterian minister settled at Harrodsburgh, in Mercer county, and in the same year a seceder took charge of a congregation in Lexington.

But, as in many other instances we have mentioned, the pioneers of Methodism in this country were some local preachers, who went there for the purpose of bettering their worldly condition, at the same time carrying their religion with them. The author of Short Sketches of the Work of God in the Western Country, from whom much of this account is taken, relates, that about this time (1784) a local preacher by the name of Tucker, while on his way to that country in company with some of his friends and connections, who were removing with him to Kentucky, in descending the Ohio River in a boat, was attacked by some hostile Indians, and the preacher received a mortal wound, when he fell on his knees and died shouting praises to God. Before he fell, however, by his bravery and presence of mind he rescued the boat and his companions, among whom were several women and children, from destruction.

This year Messrs. James Haw and Benjamin Ogden were sent to Kentucky; and though their labors were blessed in this new country to the souls of the people, they both soon after departed from the work, being seduced by James O’Kelly and his party.

At the conference in Virginia a proposal was made for some preachers to volunteer their services for the state of Georgia, and several offered themselves for this new field of labor. Two of those who offered themselves, namely, Thomas Humphries and John Major, were accepted, and they went to their work in the name of the Lord, and were made a blessing to many. They formed a circuit along the settlements on the banks of the Savannah River, around by Little River, including the town of Washington. During the year they formed several societies, containing, upward of four hundred members — so greatly did God bless their labors.

Mr. Major continued in the state of Georgia about two years, where he ended his labors and life in great peace.

Mr. Asbury, as the general superintendent, besides attending the conferences, which indeed was but a small part of his labor, traveled extensively through the bounds of the work, exposed often to many hardships and privations, but everywhere treated by the people of God as a messenger of peace and salvation. We find in his Journal for this year that he traversed the country from New York through the middle states to Virginia, and thence to North and South Carolina, preaching generally every day, and meeting the societies. While in Maryland, he received information that on Talbot circuit not less than five hundred souls had joined the Church, half of whom had professed justifying faith, and more than one hundred of the old professors gave evidence of enjoying “perfect love.” Indeed, the work of God abundantly prospered this year in various parts of the country, so that the good effects of the late organization were generally felt and acknowledged, and in no department more than in the energy diffused through all its members by the general superintendency in the hands of such a man as Bishop Asbury. His influence was felt throughout the entire work.

Two preachers had died, namely, — 1. Jeremiah Lambert, who had been six years in the work, of whom it is said, that he was “a man of sound judgment good gifts, of genuine piety, and very useful” as a preacher, much esteemed in life and lamented in his death. 2. James Thomas, a pious young man, of good gifts, useful and acceptable, blameless in his life, and much resigned in death. James Hinton, Edward Drumgole, William Glendenning, and William Ringold desisted from traveling.

As the case of William Glendenning was somewhat singular, a few particulars respecting him may not be uninteresting. It seems that when a proposal was made for preachers to go to Nova Scotia, he was requested to volunteer in this service, to which, as he himself acknowledges, he objected with improper warmth, and thereby, as he supposed, grieved the Spirit, and soon fell into a state of mental darkness, and finally into an alienation of mind. On his being proposed for the elder’s office, he was rejected, as he says, “because I wanted gifts.” He then says, “While Mr. Asbury was at prayer, I felt all light of divine mercy, as in a moment, take its flight from me. My soul then sunk into the depths of misery and despair.” After this he wandered about from place to place, until, in 1792, he wrote to the conference, requesting to be readmitted into the traveling ministry but his request was not granted, because it was believed that he labored under mental derangement.

The numbers in society this year stood as follows: (white,) 18,791, (colored,) 1,890 — total, 20,681: last year, 18,000 — increase, 2,681.

Preachers this year, 117: last year, 104 — increase, 13.

It will be perceived from the above that a considerable number of colored persons had been received into the Church, and were so returned in the minutes of conference. Hence it appears that at an early period of the Methodist ministry in this country, it had turned its attention to this part of the population. Under the active labors of Dr. Coke, missions had already been established in the West Indies which promised much success, and 1,000 of the above number were in the Island of Antigua. These missions, however, were soon after taken under the care of the British conference, and have ever since been prosecuted by the Wesleyan Methodists with perseverance and success.

FROM 1787 TO 1791 INCLUSIVE Three conferences were held this year; one in Salisbury, in North Carolina, on the 17th of March; another at Rough Creek Church, in Virginia, April 19th; and the third in Baltimore on the first day of May. Ten new circuits were added, namely, one in Georgia, the old circuit being divided, the two new ones being called Burke and Augusta: Cainhoy and Edisto, in South Carolina; Greenbrier, Bath, and Ohio, in Virginia; Clarksburgh, Nollechuckie, and Cumberland; and New Rochelle in New York.

Dr. Coke arrived on the continent just in time to attend the first conference in North Carolina, whence he traveled extensively through different parts of the country, preaching to large congregations, and was very useful in his labors. It seems, however, that when he came to the conference in Baltimore, some dissatisfaction was manifested toward him, because, while in Europe, he had, as was contended, so far transcended his powers as to alter the time and place for the conference to meet after they had been fixed by the conference itself. This, with some other complaints of a trifling character, drew from Dr. Coke, with a view to allay all apprehensions of his American brethren hereafter, the following certificate: — The Certificate of Dr. Coke to the Conference. “I do solemnly engage by this instrument that I never will, by virtue of my office, as superintendent of the Methodist Church, during my absence from the United States of America, exercise any government whatever in said Methodist Church during my absence from the United States. And I do also engage, that I will exercise no privilege in the said Church when present in the United States, except that of ordaining according to the regulations and laws already existing or hereafter to be made in said Church, and that of presiding when present in conference, and lastly that of traveling at large. Given under my hand the second day of May in the year 1787. “Thomas Coke.” “Witnesses: “John Tunnel, “John Hagerty, “Nelson Reed.”

And with a view to guard, as much as possible, against similar infringements of their rights in future, the following question and answer were entered on the minutes: — Question Who are the superintendents of our Church in these United States? Answer Thomas Coke (when present in the States) and Francis Asbury.”

These things are recorded because they belong to the history of the times, and show the vigilance with which the conference watched over their rights. They show likewise the Christian spirit by which Dr. Coke was actuated in his intercourse with his American brethren; the respect he entertained for Bishop Asbury, his junior in office, in yielding to him, on account of his more intimate acquaintance with the preachers and people, the power of stationing the preachers; as well as his readiness to conciliate all by a frank acknowledgment of his error in the assumption of power which did not belong to him — an act which was certainly more meritorious as it involved a greater sacrifice of feeling than that of the conference in passing a decree of oblivion for what had passed. Dr. Coke was, like all other men, too fallible not to err, and too good to persist in an error after being made sensible of it.

At this conference it was proposed that Mr. Freeborn Garrettson be elected and ordained a superintendent for the societies in Nova Scotia and the West Indies. This was done in compliance with the express wishes of Mr. Wesley and Dr. Coke, as well as those of many of the preachers in Nova Scotia. To this, however, Mr. Garrettson objected, until he might go and visit the brethren for one year, and then, if there should be a general wish for him to take the oversight of them in the character of a superintendent, he would comply. With this proposition Dr. Coke expressed his satisfaction, and there the business ended; for, on account of some unexplained reason, Mr. Garrettson, contrary to his expectations, was appointed a presiding elder in the peninsula, on the eastern shore of Maryland.

Mr. Wesley also signified his wish to have Mr. Richard Whatcoat ordained a joint superintendent with Bishop Asbury; but to this the conference objected, assigning, among other reasons, that they feared, should he be elected and consecrated, Mr. Wesley would call Bishop Asbury home; which shows the high estimation in which he was held by his brethren.

This was the year in which the title of bishop, instead of superintendent, was used in the new edition of the Discipline, and has ever since been in use to designate that highest officer in the Church. Seeing that this change of name, perfectly innocent in itself, has given rise to so much controversy, by the fastidiousness of disaffected individuals, and those who have sought a pretext to impugn the motives of our first bishops and others, it were almost to be wished that it had never been taken. The fact, however, may have its use, as it has been the occasion of furnishing the friends of the Church with arguments in its defense, of which they might otherwise have never availed themselves.

But as many specious objections have been preferred against our Church organization, arising partly from this circumstance, and partly from an opinion which has been expressed by malignant individuals, that fraudulent means were resorted to in order to effect it, I shall here state some of these objections, together with such answers as may be considered necessary to obviate them. 1. As to the name itself, it is descriptive, when rightly understood, of the same official work as that of superintendent, the latter being derived from the Latin super and intendere, to oversee, and the former from the German, bishop, and both of the same signification with the Greek Episcopos, an overseer. The simple name, therefore, is perfectly harmless. 2. It is objected that Mr. Wesley was opposed to the thing, and reproved Bishop Asbury for assuming the title of bishop. To the assumption of the title simply, I allow Mr. Wesley was opposed, but not to the thing signified by it; for, 1. He ordained Dr. Coke to this very office; and, 2. He sent him with a prayer-book prepared by himself, and with orders to consecrate Mr. Asbury to this office, with power to ordain others, and exercise functions which appertained not to a simple presbyter. 3. A surreptitious taking of this title is not, in truth, chargeable upon either Dr. Coke or Bishop Asbury; for though they affixed it to their names in the edition of the Discipline without a formal vote of the conference, in 1786, Mr. Lee says, that at the ensuing conference, when the subject was submitted to them, a majority of them approved of the act, and it was accordingly inserted in the minutes for 1787, in the following words: — “We have constituted ourselves into an Episcopal Church, under the direction of bishops, elders, deacons, and preachers, according to the form of ordination annexed to our prayer-book, and the regulations laid down in this form of discipline.”

Hence we find in the minutes for 1788 this question and answer: — Question Who are the bishops for our Church in the United States? Answer Thomas Coke, Francis Asbury.”

Here, therefore, was an open avowal of the whole business in the official document of the Church, which all could read and understand. There was, therefore, neither secrecy, collusion, nor underhandedness of any sort in this transaction.

The following questions and answers show the deep interest felt for the colored population, and for the rising generation: — Question 17. What directions shall we give for the promotion of the spiritual welfare of the colored people? Answer We conjure all our ministers and preachers by the love of God, and the salvation of souls, and do require them, by all the authority that is invested in us, to leave nothing undone for the spiritual benefit and salvation of them, within their respective circuits or districts; and for this purpose to embrace every opportunity of inquiring into the state of their souls, and to unite in society those who appear to have a real desire of fleeing from the wrath to come, to meet such in class, and to exercise the whole Methodist discipline among them. Question 19. Shall any directions be given concerning the registerbooks? Answer Let register-books be provided by all the societies that the elders and deacons may enter the marriages and baptisms regularly in them; and let every such register book be kept in the hands of the steward or any other proper person of each society respectively. Let one general registerbook be also kept in the hands of the general steward of every circuit, in which the contents of all the private register-books in the circuit may be inserted at convenient times. Question 20. What can we do for the rising generation? Answer Let the elders, deacons, and helpers class the children of our friends in proper classes, as far as it is practicable, meet them as often as possible, and commit them, during their absence, to the care of proper persons, who may meet them at least weekly; and if any of them be truly awakened, let them be admitted into society.

Hitherto there had been no conference held north of Philadelphia, and, since the commencement of the Revolutionary War, north of Baltimore; but this year we find Bishop Asbury, in pursuance of his grand design of spreading the gospel over these lands, in company with Dr. Coke, coming to New York, where he says “the doctor preached with great energy and acceptance.” He then says, “I rode twenty miles on Long Island, to Hempstead harbor, and preached with some liberty in the evening. I am now out of the city, and have time to reflect: my soul returns to its rest, and to its labor for souls, in which I can live more by rule.”

This, indeed, seemed to be the element of his soul, to be in prayer, in which he was mighty, and in calling sinners to repentance; and having, as above related, visited this part of the country, he turned his face toward the south, traversing all the middle states, and everywhere sowing the “good seed of the kingdom.” In Virginia he passed through the east end of the “Dismal Swamp,” and thence into North Carolina, where he says, “I found we had to go twelve miles by water, and send the horses another way. O what a world of swamps, and rivers, and islands, we live in here!”

This year was distinguished by a remarkable revival of religion, particularly in the southern parts of Virginia. As Mr. Lee has given a very particular account of this revival, the reader will be pleased to read it in his own words. It is as follows: — “There was a remarkable revival of religion in the town of Petersburgh, and many of the inhabitants were savingly converted; and the old Christians greatly revived. That town never witnessed before or since such wonderful displays of the presence and love of God in the salvation of immortal souls. Prayer meetings were frequently held both in the town and in the country, and souls were frequently converted at those meetings, even when there was no preacher present; for the prayers and exhortations of the members were greatly owned of the Lord. “The most remarkable work of all was in Sussex and Brunswick circuits, where the meetings would frequently continue five or six hours together, and sometimes all night. “At one quarterly meeting held at Mabry’s Chapel in Brunswick circuit, on the 25th and 26th of July, the power of God was among the people in an extraordinary manner: some hundreds were awakened; and it was supposed that above one hundred souls were converted at that meeting, which continued for two days, i. e., on Thursday and Friday. Some thousands of people attended meeting at that place on that occasion. “The next quarterly meeting was held at Jones’s Chapel, in Sussex county, on Saturday and Sunday, the 27th and 28th of July. This meeting was favored with more of the divine presence than any other that had been known before. The sight of the mourners was enough to penetrate the most careless heart. The divine power was felt among the people before the preachers came together. Many of the young converts from the quarterly meeting that had been held two days before at Mabry’s, had come together, and uniting with other Christians in singing and praying, the heavenly fire began to kindle, and the flame of love and holy zeal was spreading among the people, which caused them to break out in loud praises to God.

Some when they met would hang on each other, or embrace each other in their arms, and weep aloud, and praise the Lord with all their might. The sight of those who were thus overwhelmed with the love and presence of God, would cause sinners to weep and tremble before the Lord. “By the time the preachers came within half a mile of the chapel, they heard the people shouting and praising God. When they came up they found numbers weeping, both in the chapel and in the open air. Some were on the ground crying for mercy, and others in ecstasies of joy. “The preachers went among the mourners and encouraged them and prayed with them. The private Christians did the same. Some were lying and struggling as if they were in the agonies of death; others lay as if they were dead. Hundreds of the believers were so overcome with the power of God that they fell down, and lay helpless on the floor, or on the ground; and some of them continued in that helpless condition for a considerable time, and were happy in God beyond description. When they came to themselves, it was generally with loud praises to God, and with tears and expressions enough to melt the hardest heart. The oldest saints had never before seen such a time of love, and such displays of the power of God. “The next day the society met early, in order to receive the Lord’s supper. “While the society was collected in the house, some of the preachers went into the woods to preach; and while they were preaching, the power of the Lord was felt among the people in such a manner that they roared and screamed so loud that the preacher could not be heard, and he was compelled to stop. Many scores of both white and black people fell to the earth; and some lay in the deepest distress until the evening. Many of the wealthy people, both men and women, were seen lying in the dust, sweating and rolling on the ground, in their fine broadcloths or silks, crying for mercy.

As night drew on the mourners were collected together. and many of them were in the most awful distress, and uttered such doleful lamentations that it was frightful to behold them, and enough to affect the most stubborn-hearted sinner. But many of these were filled with the peace and love of God in a moment, and rising up, would clap their hands and praise God aloud. It was then as pleasing as it had before been awful to behold them. “Many of these people who were happily converted, left their houses and came to the meeting with great opposition to the work of God; but were struck down in an unexpected manner, and converted in a few hours. So mightily did the Lord work, that a great change was wrought in a little time. “Soon after this, some of the same preachers who had been at the quarterly meetings mentioned above, held a meeting at Mr. F.

Bonner’s, ten miles from Petersburgh, where a large concourse of people were assembled; and the Lord wrought wonders among them on that day. As many as fifty persons professed to get converted at that time before the meeting closed. The cries of distressed sinners under conviction, and the shouts of happy Christians, were heard afar off. Some that were careless spectators in the beginning of the meeting were happily converted before the meeting ended, and went home rejoicing in God, knowing that he had forgiven their sins. “They had another meeting at Jones’ Hole Church, about twelve miles from Petersburgh; many people assembled. They began to sing and exhort each other before the preachers came, and the Lord wrought among them, and many were crying for mercy. The preacher began to preach, but it was with difficulty that he could keep the people quiet enough to hear him at all. The old Christians were all alive to God, and the young converts were so happy that they could not well hold their peace, but were ready to break out in loud praises to God. They kept in for a while; but toward the close of the sermon some of them broke out into strains of praise the flame spread immediately through the whole house, and hundreds were deeply affected. Some prayed as if they were going to take the kingdom by violence: others cried for mercy as if they were dropping into eternal misery; and some praised God with all their strength, till they dropped down helpless on the floor.

The poor awakened sinners were wrestling with the Lord for mercy in every direction, some on their knees, others lying in the arms of their friends, and others stretched on the floor not able to stand, and some were convulsed, with every limb as stiff as a stick. In the midst of this work several sleepers of the house broke down at once, which made a very loud noise; and the floor sank down considerably; but the people paid but little or no attention to it, and many of them knew nothing of it, for no one was hurt. On that day many souls were brought into the liberty of God’s children.

Sinners were struck with amazement at seeing so many of their relations and neighbors converted, and few of them were left without some good desires to be converted themselves. “The great revival of religion in 1776, which spread extensively through the south part of Virginia, exceeded any thing of the kind that had ever been known before in that part of the country. But the revival this year far exceeded it. “It was thought that in the course of that summer there were as many as sixteen hundred souls converted in Sussex circuit; in Brunswick circuit about eighteen hundred; and in Amelia circuit about eight hundred. In these three circuits we had the greatest revival of religion but in many other circuits there was a gracious work, and hundreds were brought to God in the course of that year.

To give a full description of that remarkable outpouring of the Spirit would exceed the bounds of this history. I have only given a short sketch of a few meetings. There were many other meetings not much inferior to those I have noticed. But the work was not confined to meetings for preaching; at prayer meetings the work prospered and many souls were born again; and the meetings often continued all night, without intermission. In class meetings the Lord frequently set the mourning souls at liberty. It was common to hear of souls being brought to God while at work in their houses or in their fields. It was often the case that the people in their cornfields, white people, or black, and sometimes both together, would begin to sing, and being affected would begin to pray, and others would join with them, and they would continue their cries till some of them would find peace to their souls. Some account of this work was published in the newspapers at different times, and by that means spread all through the United States.”

John Robertson and James Foster located this year.

Richard Owings had died. In the notice of his death, it is said that he was “one of the first local preachers on the continent.” Before he entered the traveling ministry, which he did about two years before his death, he labored much in the back settlements; and, being a plain, honest, and good man, was very useful. He died at Leesburgh, Virginia, and no doubt rested from his labors.

The success of this year’s labor may be seen in the following account of the Numbers in the Church.

Whites This Year, 21,949, Last Year, 18,791, Increase, 3,158; Colored This Year, 3,893, Last Year, 1,890, Increase, 1,003; Total This Year, 25,842, Last Year, 20,681, Increase 5,161; Preachers This Year, 133, Last Year, 117, Increase 16. 1788.

This year there were seven conferences, as follows: — Charleston, South Carolina, March the 12th; Georgia, on the 9th of April; in Holstein, on the 19th of May; Amelia county, Virginia, on the 17th of June; in Uniontown, on the 22d of July; in Baltimore, on the 10th of September; in Philadelphia, on the 25th of September.

By the division of some of the old circuits, and the addition of new ones, there were added to the list nineteen this year, making in all eighty-five; but as the names of the circuits were undergoing changes almost every year, and new ones added, it is thought not advisable to swell this history with every new name, noticing those only which were formed in new parts of the work. Two new circuits were added in North Carolina, called Seleuda and Waxsaws, and one in South Carolina, called Anson; French- Broad, and West River, in the back settlements, among the mountains of Virginia; Buckingham, Gloucester, and Rockingham, below the mountains.

In Maryland, Annapolis, Harford, and Cecil were formed; Bristol and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania; Dutchess, Shoreham, New City, Cambridge, and Lake Champlain, in New York conference.

This year was also distinguished by very extensive revivals of religion, some of the most remarkable of which will be noticed. As may be seen by the preceding chapters, the Lord had raised up a number of zealous young men, who had entered the field of itinerancy with hearts fired and filled with love to God and the souls of men. Several of these were placed under the charge of Mr. Garrettson, who was requested by Bishop Asbury to penetrate the country north of the city of New York, and form as many circuits as he could.

A great portion of this country was entirely destitute of religious instruction, more especially the northern and western parts of New York state, and the state of Vermont. There were, to be sure, some small scattered congregations of Lutherans, and Dutch Reformed, along the banks of the Hudson River, and some Congregationalists and Baptists in Vermont. It is manifest, however, that experimental and practical religion was at a very low ebb; and in most of the places, particularly in the new settlements on the west side of the Hudson River, where not even the forms of it were to be found. The following is Mr. Garrettson’s own account of the manner in which he was led in this holy enterprise: — “I was very uneasy in my mind, being unacquainted with the country, an entire stranger to its inhabitants, there being no Methodist societies farther north than Westchester; but I gave myself to earnest prayer for direction. I knew that the Lord was with me. In the night season, in a dream, it seemed as if the whole country up the North River, as far as Lake Champlain, east and west was open to my view. “After conference adjourned, I requested the young men to meet me. Light seemed so reflected on my path that I gave them directions where to begin, and which way to form their circuits. I also appointed a time for each quarterly meeting, requested them to take up a collection in every place where they preached, and told them I should go up the North River to the extreme parts of the work, visiting the towns and cities in the way, and on my return, I should visit them all, and hold their quarterly meetings. I had no doubt but that the Lord would do wonders, for the young men were pious, zealous, and laborious.”

This plan, so wisely conceived, was carried into execution, and the result was as anticipated. Many houses and hearts were opened to these men of God; and although they suffered some persecution from those who understood not their character and motives, God wrought by their hands in a wonderful manner, so that in the minutes for the next year upward of six hundred were returned as members of the Church on those circuits.

As an instance of the infatuation under which some persons labored respecting the character and objects of the Methodist preachers in that day, take the following, which is related on the authority of Mr. Garrettson: — A gentleman from Vermont, on his way down the country, informed the people that these preachers were spread all over those parts through which he had come, and that some one had circulated a report, which many, it seems, believed, “that the king of England had sent them to disaffect the people toward their own government; and they doubted not but they would be instrumental of producing another war.” Others, however, not quite as sagacious in political science, but better versed, as they thought, in theology, gave it, as their opinion, that these itinerants were a flying army of the false prophets spoken of by our Savior, who should come in the last days, and deceive, if it were possible, the very elect! And then, again, the settled clergy were alarmed by an apprehension that they would break up their congregations, and thus deprive them of their “livings.” These things, however, moved not those heralds of mercy from their steadfastness, nor turned them aside from their course.

This year Bishop Asbury crossed the Allegheny Mountains; and as it will give the reader a correct perception of the manner in which he performed his duties in those days, and the privations to which he and his companions were often subjected, as well as the reflections of a pious and observant mind, I will give his own account of this journey. “ Thursday 10. We had to cross the Allegheny Mountain again, at a bad passage. Our course lay over mountains and through valleys, and the mud and mire was such as might scarcely be expected in December. We came to an old forsaken habitation in Tygers’ Valley: here our horses grazed about while we boiled our meat: midnight brought us up at Jones’s, after riding forty, or perhaps fifty miles. The old man, our host, was kind enough to wake us up at four o’clock in the morning. We journeyed on through devious lonely wilds, where no food might he found, except what grew in the woods, or was carried with us. We met with two women who were going to see their friends, and to attend the quarterly meeting at Clarksburg. Near midnight we stopped at A_____’s, who hissed his dogs at us: but the women were determined to get to quarterly meeting, so we went in. Our supper was tea. Brothers Phoebus and Cook took to the woods; old _____ gave up his bed to the women.

I lay along the floor on a few deerskins with the fleas. That night our poor horses got no corn; and the next morning they had to swim across the Monongahela: after a twenty miles’ ride we came to Clarksburg, and man and beast were so outdone that it took us ten hours to accomplish it. I lodged with Col. Jackson. Our meeting was held in a long close room belonging to the Baptists: our use of the house, it seems, gave offense. There attended about seven hundred people, to whom I preached with freedom; and I believe the Lord’s power reached the hearts of some. After administering the sacrament, I was well satisfied to take my leave. We rode thirty miles to Father Haymond’s, after three o’clock, Sunday afternoon, and made it nearly eleven before we came in; about midnight we went to rest, and rose at five o’clock next morning. My mind has been severely tried under the great fatigue endured both by myself and horse. O, how glad should I be of a plain, clean plank to lie on, as preferable to most of the beds; and where the beds are in a bad state, the floors are worse. The gnats are almost as troublesome here as the mosquitoes in the lowlands of the seaboard. This country will require much work to make it tolerable. The people are, many of them, of the boldest cast of adventurers, and with some the decencies of civilized society are scarcely regarded, two instances of which I myself witnessed. The great landholders who are industrious will soon show the effects of the aristocracy of wealth, by lording it over their poorer neighbors, and by securing to themselves all the offices of profit or honor: on the one hand savage warfare teaches them to be cruel; and on the other the preaching of Antinomians poisons them with error in doctrine: good moralists they are not, and good Christians they cannot be, unless they are better taught.”

What has God wrought in those western wilds since that period! The above is given as a specimen of the labors of that great and good man. His Journal shows that this year, as usual, he penetrated almost every part of the country, old and new — the cities, towns, and villages, not neglecting the remote settlements of the woods; thus setting an example to the younger preachers, and to his successors in office, of the labors of a primitive evangelist. In all the conferences he presided jointly with Dr.

Coke, when the latter was present; and then he was away, leading on “God’s sacramental hosts” to the grand work of saving the souls for whom Christ had died.

The eastern and western shores of Maryland were blessed this year with an outpouring of the Spirit, and many were brought to the knowledge of the truth. But the most remarkable revival of religion was in the city of Baltimore; and as this was somewhat peculiar in those days, in some of its characteristics, it may be well to give it a particular notice.

In imitation of a practice adopted with so much success by Mr. Wesley, the preachers in and about Baltimore went into the fields and in the market-house on Howard’s Hill, every Sabbath in the afternoon, after the service in the churches. By this means thousands were brought to hear the word of God, who otherwise, in all probability, would never have been reached by it. Through this instrumentality a number of persons had been awakened and converted before the session of the conference in September; and during the conference many more were brought from darkness to light.

On the afternoon of Sabbath the 14th, Bishop Asbury preached in the church of the Rev. Mr. Otterbein, with whom he always maintained a Christian fellowship; and he remarks, “The Spirit of the Lord came among the people, and sinners cried aloud for mercy. Perhaps not less than twenty souls found the Lord from that time until Tuesday following.” The work thus begun went on most rapidly, and in a short time there was such a noise among the people, particularly those who were smitten with conviction for sin, that many, even of the Christians, looked on with astonishment, having never seen things “on this wise;” while others, as if frightened at what they saw and heard, fled precipitately from the house, some making their escape through the windows. This strange scene soon drew multitudes to the church, “to see what these things meant,” so that not only the house was filled, but many stood without in silent astonishment. In a short time some of those who were crying for mercy fell helpless upon the floor, or swooned away in the arms of their friends.

But this scene soon changed. “Their mourning was turned to joy,” and they arose “filled with all the fullness of God,” and with joyful lips proclaimed his goodness to their souls. This had its happy effects upon the spectators, and the work continued to spread among the people, and several students in Cokesbury College were subjects of the revival. The consequence of this great work was, that about three hundred were added to the Church in the city of Baltimore.

As this work commenced at the conference, many of the preachers received a new baptism of the Holy Spirit, and went to their several fields of labor “full of faith and the Holy Ghost,” and God gave them many seals to their ministry.

Enoch Matson, Adam Cloud, and Thomas S. Chew were entered on the minutes as having desisted from traveling, but they were in fact expelled for improper conduct. Their names were entered in this way probably from tenderness toward them and their friends.

Caleb Boyer, Samuel Dudley, William Cannan, Joseph Wyatt, Michael Ellis, and Ignatius Pigman were returned as having a partial location on account of their families; but who, nevertheless, were subject to the order of the conference. The following had died since the last conference: — 1. Thomas Curtis, of whom it is said that he was of “upright life, successful in his labors, and triumphant in his death.” He had been seven years in the ministry. 2. John Major, who was an honest, loving man, and who died as he lived, full of faith and the Holy Ghost. He was one of the first missionaries that went to the state of Georgia, and was frequently called, on account of the tenderness of his feelings, “The weeping prophet.” He had been ten years in the ministry, and left behind him many witnesses to the blamelessness and usefulness of his life. 3. Woolman Hickson. He is said to have been a young man of promising abilities as a preacher, of an upright life and blameless conversation; but after traveling seven years he was taken from his labors by the consumption, to his eternal reward. His last labors were chiefly in the vicinity of New York, and he finally died and was buried in that city. 4. Elijah Ellis. An humble, diligent, and useful man, who, after laboring five years in the ministry, chiefly in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, died in peace.

Numbers in the Church: White, This year, 30,809, Last year, 21,949; Increase, 8,860; Colored, This year, 6,545, Last year, 3,893; Increase, 2,652; Total This year, 37,354, Total Last year, 25,842; Increase, 11,512; Preachers, This year, 166, Last year, 133; Increase, 33.

This large increase shows the blessed effects of the revivals before mentioned, and which exerted an extensive influence upon the surrounding population. 1789 . In consequence of the extension of the work in almost every direction, for the convenience of the preachers, and that the general superintendent might perform his work with greater facility and energy, there were eleven conferences this year, as follows: — March 9th in Georgia; March 17th in Charleston, South Carolina; April 11th at McKnight’s meeting house, on the Yadkin River, North Carolina; April 18th at Petersburgh, Virginia; April 28th at Leesburgh, Virginia; May 4th at Baltimore, Maryland; May 9th at Cokesbury, Maryland; May 13th at Chestertown; May 18th at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; May 23d at Trenton, New Jersey; May 28th in the city of New York. These conferences must have been very small, and it is stated that the having so many so near together gave dissatisfaction to many of the preachers, though it is manifestly impolitic for an annual conference to comprehend a very large territory.

The following new circuits had been formed during the past year: — Bush River and Little Peedee, in South Carolina; Pamlico, in North Carolina; Greensville and Bottetourt, in Virginia; Baltimore City was this year separated from the circuit, and for the first time a preacher was stationed in the city; Wilmington and Milford, in Delaware; Burlington, in New Jersey; Newburgh, Columbia, Coeyman’s Patent, and Schenectady, in New York; and Stamford, in Connecticut.

At the conference of 1787, in consequence of its having been pleaded by Dr. Coke that the conference was under obligation to receive Mr. Whatcoat for a bishop, because it was the wish of Mr. Wesley, the minute which had been adopted in 1784 declaring that “during the lifetime of the Rev. John Wesley, we acknowledge ourselves his sons in the gospel, ready, in matters of church government, to obey his commands,” was so far modified as to leave them at liberty to depart from his advice whenever they might think it incompatible with their rights and privileges as an independent Church. In justification of this proceeding it was said that the minute in question was a voluntary act of their own, and not a formal contract entered into with Mr. Wesley, and therefore without any violation of an agreement, they had a right to act in the premises as they thought proper; and more especially, as Mr. Wesley was in England, three thousand miles distant, he could not judge what was fit and right to be done here as well as those who were on the spot, and had actual knowledge of the state of things. On this account the resolution was rescinded in 1787, and a letter written to Mr. Wesley inviting him to come over and visit his American children, that he might more perfectly understand the state of things here from actual observation.

These proceedings were not agreeable to Mr. Wesley, especially as they seemed to imply an abjuration of his authority, inasmuch as his name was not inserted in the minutes. With a view therefore to remove all unpleasantness from his mind, and to give assurance that they intended no disrespect to him, nor any renunciation of his general authority, the following question and answer were inserted in the minutes for this year: — Question Who are the persons that exercise the episcopal office in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Europe and America? Answer John Wesley, Thomas Coke, and Francis Asbury, by regular order and succession.”

There appears no little ambiguity in this question and answer. Did they mean to say that these persons exercised a joint superintendency both in Europe and America? Certainly not; for neither Thomas Coke nor Francis Asbury exercised any episcopal powers in Europe. What they meant to say evidently was this, that Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury acted in this country as joint superintendents over the Methodist Episcopal Church, while Mr. Wesley exercised a similar power singly in Europe, and a general superintendence in America. This is farther manifest from the next question and answer, which are in the following words: — Question Who have been elected by the unanimous suffrages of the General Conference, to superintend the Methodist connection in America? Answer Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury. This year was, on several accounts, an important era in these United States. The old federal constitution had been found wanting in those principles which were essential for an efficient government, and was this year superseded by the adoption of that constitution under the operation of which the country has ever since so greatly prospered, and Gen.

Washington had been unanimously elected the first president. It was therefore thought advisable by the Methodist conference which sat in the city of New York at the time that the first congress assembled in the same city under the new constitution, for Bishops Coke and Asbury to present a congratulatory address to him as the public organ and head of the government. This was accordingly done. And as the author of a pamphlet quaintly called the “History and Mystery of Methodist Episcopacy,” has seen fit to arraign the authors of this address before the public, and even to impeach their integrity, it is thought to be a duty which we owe to the venerable men who signed the address, as well as to the interests of truth, to set this matter in a fair point of light.

The author above mentioned affirmed that the true date of the address was 1785; *[4] but as it was published under date of May 29, 1789, he inferred that for some sinister purpose, Bishops Coke and Asbury had altered the date, and thereby practiced a deception upon the public. This subject was fully investigated by the late Bishop Emory in his “Defense of our Fathers,” and all the insinuations and false assertions of the above writer fully exposed and refuted. The following letter from the Rev. Thomas Morrell, who has recently gone to his reward, to the Rev. Ezekiel Cooper, dated Elizabethtown, N. J., August 26, 1827, will throw much light on this subject: — “With regard to the information you request concerning the address to General Washington, I can furnish you with every material circumstance respecting it, having acted as a sub-agent in the transaction, and having a distinct recollection of the whole business. The history of it is, That Mr. Asbury, in the New York conference in 1789, offered for the consideration of the conference the following proposal: — Whether it would not be proper for us, as a church, to present a congratulatory address to General Washington, who had been lately inaugurated president of the United States, in which should he embodied our approbation of the constitution, and professing our allegiance to the government. The conference unanimously approved, and warmly recommended the measure; and appointed the two bishops, Dr. Coke and Mr. Asbury, to draw up the address. It was finished that day, and read to the conference, who evinced great satisfaction in its recital.

Brother Dickens and myself were delegated to wait on the president with a copy of the address, and request him to appoint a day and hour when he would receive the bishops, one of whom was to read it to him, and receive his answer. It was concluded that although Dr. Coke was the senior bishop, yet not being an American citizen, there would be an impropriety in his presenting and reading the address; the duty devolved of course on Bishop Asbury. Mr. Dickens and myself waited on the general; and as I had some personal acquaintance with him, I was desired to present him with the copy, and request his reception of the original by the hands of the bishops. The president appointed the fourth succeeding day, at twelve o’clock, to receive the bishops. They went at the appointed hour, accompanied by Brother Dickens and Thomas Morrell. Mr. Asbury, with great self-possession, read the address in an impressive manner. The president read his reply with fluency and animation. They interchanged their respective addresses; and, after sitting a few minutes, we departed. The address and the answer, in a few days, were inserted in the public prints; and some of the ministers and members of the other churches appeared dissatisfied that the Methodists should take the lead. In a few days the other denominations successively followed our example. “The next week a number of questions were published, in the public papers, concerning Dr. Coke’s signing the address. Who was he? How came he to be a bishop? Who consecrated him? etc., accompanied with several strictures on the impropriety of a British subject signing an address approving of the government of the United States; charging him with duplicity, and that he was an enemy to the independence of America; for they affirmed he had written, during our Revolutionary War, an inflammatory address to the people of Great Britain, condemning, in bitter language, our efforts to obtain our independence and other charges tending to depreciate the doctor’s character, and bringing him into contempt with the people of our country. As I did not believe the assertion of the doctor’s writing the address above mentioned, I applied to a gentleman who was in England at the time, to know the truth of the charge; he assured me the doctor had published no such sentiments in England during the Revolutionary War, or at any other period, or he should have certainly had some knowledge of it. And this was the fact; for the doctor had written no such thing. As there was no other person in New York, at that time, in our connection, who could meet these charges, and satisfactorily answer these queries, I undertook the task, and in my weak manner endeavored to rebut the charges and answer the questions. A second piece appeared, and a second answer was promptly published. No more was written on the subject in New York. The doctor afterward gave me his thanks for defending his character. “Such are the material circumstances that occurred concerning the address to General Washington, and his reply: which you are at liberty to make use of in any way you think proper, — and if you judge it necessary may put my name to it. Thomas Morrell.’” “‘I certify that the above is a true extract of an original letter of the Rev. Thomas Morrell, addressed to me, bearing the above date, and now in my possession. “‘Ezekiel Cooper. New York, September 7, 1827.’” “To this we add the following copy of a letter from the Rev. Mr. Sparks, of Boston, to whom the papers of General Washington have been entrusted, for the purpose of making such selections for publication as he shall deem proper; in which important work this gentleman is now engaged. And for this polite and prompt reply to our inquiries, we here tender to Mr. Sparks our most respectful thanks. “‘Boston, September 1, 1827. “‘Dear Sir, — Your favor of the 26th ultimo has been received, and I am happy to be able to furnish you with the information you desire. The “date” of the address presented by Bishops Coke and Asbury to General Washington is May twenty-ninth, 1789. It is proper to inform you, however, that I do not find the original paper on the files, but take the date as it is recorded in one of the volumes of “Addresses.” It is barely possible that there may be a mistake in the record, but not at all probable. “‘It is not likely that any address from any quarter was presented to Washington in 1785. I have never seen any of that year. He was then a private man, wholly employed with his farms. “‘I am, sir, very respectfully,”’ Your obedient servant, “‘Jared Sparks. “‘Mr. J. Emory.’” That the reader may have all the information desirable in reference to this subject, I have copied the address itself from the Gazette of the United States for June 6, 1789, a file of which is preserved in the New York City Library. Fg4 It is as follows: —\parADDRESS OF THE BISHOPS OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. “‘To the President of the United States: — “‘Sir, — We, the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, humbly beg leave, in the name of our society, collectively, in these United States, to express to you the warm feelings of our hearts, and our sincere congratulations on your appointment to the presidentship of these States. We are conscious, from the signal proofs you have already given, that you are a friend of mankind; and under this established idea, place as full confidence in your wisdom and integrity for the preservation of those civil and religious liberties which have been transmitted to us by the providence of God and the glorious revolution, as we believe ought to be reposed in man. “‘We have received the most grateful satisfaction from the humble and entire dependence on the great Governor of the universe which you have repeatedly expressed, acknowledging him the source of every blessing, and particularly of the most excellent constitution of these States, which is at present the admiration of the world, and may in future become its great exemplar for imitation; and hence we enjoy a holy expectation, that you will always prove a faithful and impartial patron of genuine, vital religion, the grand end of our creation and present probationary existence. And we promise you our fervent prayers to the throne of grace, that God Almighty may endue you with all the graces and gifts of his Holy Spirit, that he may enable you to fill up your important station to his glory, the good of his Church, the happiness and prosperity of the United States, and the welfare of mankind. “‘Signed in behalf of the Methodist Episcopal Church. “‘Thomas Coke, “‘Francis Asbury. “‘New York, May 29, 1789.’” The following is the reply of President Washington: — To the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America. “‘Gentlemen, — I return to you individually, and through you to your society collectively in the United States, my thanks for the demonstrations of affection, and the expressions of joy offered in their behalf, on my late appointment. It shall be my endeavor to manifest the purity of my inclinations for promoting the happiness of mankind, as well as the sincerity of my desires to contribute whatever may be in my power toward the civil and religious liberties of the American people. In pursuing this line of conduct, I hope, by the assistance of divine Providence, not altogether to disappoint the confidence which you have been pleased to repose in me. “‘It always affords me satisfaction when I find a concurrence of sentiment and practice between all conscientious men, in acknowledgments of homage to the great Governor of the universe, and in professions of support to a just civil government. After mentioning that I trust the people of every denomination, who demean themselves as good citizens, will have occasion to be convinced that I shall always strive to prove a faithful and impartial patron of genuine vital religion — I must assure you in particular, that I take in the kindest part the promise you make of presenting your prayers at the throne of grace for me, and that I likewise implore the divine benediction on yourselves and your religious community. “‘George Washington.’” Though the fact that Dr. Coke signed the above address to Washington exposed him to some keen censure from some of his friends in England, because they contended that it was incompatible with his duty as a subject of the British empire thus to eulogize the American constitution and the president of the republic, yet the act itself originated from the sincerest sentiments of veneration for the excellent Washington; and the spirit which the address breathes is evidence of the most genuine piety and patriotism.

And whatever may be said for or against Dr. Coke on account of the double relation he held to the two bodies of Methodists in England and America, no whisper could be breathed against the propriety of Bishop Asbury’s conduct in this affair, as he had become an American citizen, was cordially attached to the constitution and government of his adopted country, was seeking to promote its best interests, and regarded the newly elected president with ardent affection and profound veneration. Nor were the expressions of devotedness to the government and its president less the sentiments of the conference, and the Methodist people generally, than they were of the venerable men who signed it. The high estimation in which Bishop Asbury held Washington may be seen from the following remarks which he made on hearing of the death of that great man. He was then at Charleston, South Carolina, and had just adjourned a conference which had been held in that city, January 1800. He says, — “Slow moved the northern post on the eve of new year’s day, and brought the distressing information of the death of Washington, who departed this life December 14, 1799. “Washington, the calm, intrepid chief, the disinterested friend, first father, and temporal savior of his country under divine protection and direction. A universal cloud sat upon the faces of the citizens of Charleston — the pulpits clothed in black — the bells muffled — the paraded soldiery — the public oration decreed to be delivered on Friday the 14th of this month — a marble statue to be placed in some proper situation, — these were the expressions of sorrow, and these the marks of respect paid by his fellow-citizens to this great man. I am disposed to lose sight of all but Washington.

Matchless man! At all times he acknowledged the providence of God, and never was he ashamed of his Redeemer. We believe he died not fearing death. In his will he ordered the manumission of his slaves — a true son of liberty in all points.”

I have made this quotation, the sentiments of which seem to have been the spontaneous effusion of the writer’s heart in respect to this universally beloved and respected man, for the purpose of showing that the above address was not intended as an unmeaning compliment, merely to court the popular favor by a servile fawning at the feet of a great man; but that it contained the genuine feelings of the heart, and was intended as a tribute of gratitude to God for favoring the American people with such a noble monument of his wisdom and goodness in the person of this illustrious chief, and in that admirable constitution which his hands helped to frame, and which he was now called upon, by the unanimous suffrages of a free people, to administer and carry into practical effect.

It was indeed but natural for those who had suffered so many privations through a bloody and protracted war, and had since contended with many sorts of opposition from malignant foes, and not a little low scurrility from the exclusive spirit of sectarian bigotry, to rejoice in beholding the adoption of a constitution which guarantied to all denominations their rights and privileges equally, and to see this constitution committed to the hands of men who had ever manifested an impartial regard for each religious sect, and for the inalienable rights of all mankind.

As this year was the beginning of Methodism in New England, perhaps it may be proper to give some account of the state of that part of our country, that the reader may duly appreciate the difficulties with which it had to contend.

It has already been seen in the introduction that Congregationalism was the prevalent system of Christianity established in this portion of the country.

As the early settlers fled here on account of the persecutions which they endured at home, and built themselves up in a separate community, their religious and civil regulations were interwoven, so that they were made mutually to support each other. Thus churches were built, ministers settled and supported, schools and colleges established according to law; and a tax was laid upon the people, in proportion to their property, to sustain these things in conjunction with their civil institutions. In thus providing by law for their own support, they took care to guard against the introduction of other sects, as far as they consistently could, simply tolerating them in holding their meetings, while they were abridged of many of their rights. According to these regulations all were born members of the Congregation Church, and, when grown maturity, were obliged to pay their proportion toward its support, unless they lodged a certificate in the office of the town clerk that they had attached themselves to some other society.

But the Ideological creed of the country differed in some important particulars from that of the Methodists. I need barely say that the Congregationalists of New England were Calvinist: of the highest order, and, at that time, excessively rigid in their opposition to Arminian or Methodistical doctrines, professing to esteem them as heretical, and dangerous to the souls of the people. And, moreover, as there were very generally ministers established in every parish — for the whole country was divided into parishes — they considered it an encroachment upon their rights for a stranger to intermeddle with them. This was the general state of things in New England. Professing a system of religion which had been handed down to them from their Puritan fathers, guarded and supported by their laws, and defended too in the pulpit by men in general well educated, they wanted not motives to resist the intrusions of Methodist itinerants, who could boast little from their human learning and science, though they certainly stood high for their piety, and were by no means inferior to their fellows in their knowledge of divine things.

But with all these advantages — and surely they were not few — “pure religion” was not generally pressed upon the people from the pulpit.

Among the Baptists, some congregations of whom were found scattered through the country, experimental religion was enforced, and no doubt enjoyed by many. But generally speaking, I believe it may be said that, at the time of which we are now speaking, experimental and practical religion was at a very low ebb throughout the churches of New England and in some portions of the country, particularly in Massachusetts, the Unitarian heresy was beginning to show itself in some of the congregations, more especially in and about the city of Boston. This destructive heresy has since spread itself extensively in Massachusetts, has taken possession of Cambridge College, and infected most of the churches in Boston and its vicinity.

This was the general state of things when the Rev. Jesse Lee entered this field of labor. It was on the 17th of June, 1789, that he preached the first Methodist sermon ever delivered in the state of Connecticut, in the town of Norwalk. Such was the state of feeling in that country that no house could. be procured for preaching, all being afraid to open their houses to the stranger. Mr. Lee, therefore, who was not to be intimidated by such discouragements, went into the street, began to sing, and then to pray; and this being heard by a few, a tolerable congregation soon collected, to whom he preached, no one interrupting him. On the 21st of June he preached for the first time in the city of New Haven. He proceeded in his work until he formed a regular circuit, including the towns of Norwalk, Fairfield, Stratford, Milford, Redding, Danbury, and Canaan, with several, intermediate places. The manner of his preaching, without notes, the fervency of his spirit, as well as the doctrines he delivered, so opposite to the Calvinism which they had been accustomed to hear, excited much curiosity and drew multitudes to hear him; and some, he says, were brought to feel the weight of the truths he uttered. But they were by no means mere passive hearers. Priests and people, men, women, and children, from their education and habits of life, were fond of disputation, and often, after the preaching, would enter into controversy with the preacher, and especially upon those points on which he differed from the prevalent doctrines of the day. Their objections, however, were generally founded upon the erroneous representations, drawn by themselves as an inference from what they had heard, that the Methodists held to salvation by the merit of good works. This they inferred from the denial of the doctrine of irresistible grace, unconditional and personal election and reprobation, and not because that dogma had ever been asserted; for no such doctrine had ever been held or promulgated by Mr. Wesley or any of his preachers. Mr. Lee, however, endeavored to avoid, as much as possible, all thriftless controversy, by striving to direct their attention to the more important inquiry, whether they had ever been “born of the Spirit,” and whether, as a consequence, they now enjoyed “peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” The silent manner in which these questions were listened to, showed evidently that the disputants were more anxious about “lesser matters,” than they were concerning “the things which accompany salvation.”

The first Methodist society which was formed in Connecticut was in Stratford, which was on the 26th day of September, and consisted of only three females; but this was a nucleus around which others gathered after much labor and toil, and which has since become a large and flourishing society. The next class was formed in the town of Redding, consisting of a male and female; the former, Aaron Sandford, became a local preacher, and continues such to this day, having lived to see his children, and many of his grand children, members of the Church, with a large and influential society gathered around him; he has a son and a son-in-law in the ministry, and I believe one grand son.

The first Methodist church ever built in New England was on this (Stratford) circuit, in the town of Weston. It was called, in honor of the first Methodist preacher who penetrated into that part of the country, Lee’s Chapel. It stood until the year 1813, when it was rebuilt; and the writer of this [Nathan Bangs] preached the dedication sermon in the new house, on “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts,” Haggai 2:9.

In the month of February, 1790, three preachers, Jacob Brush, George Roberts, and Daniel Smith, were sent by Bishop Asbury to the help of Mr. Lee. They met him in Dantown, where he was holding a quarterly meeting in a house of worship not yet finished — which was the second built in the country. The coming of these brethren was a great comfort to Mr. Lee, and they strengthened each other’s hands in the Lord. During the preaching on Sabbath, the power of the Lord was so manifested that many cried aloud for mercy, a thing so unusual in that part of the country that some were very much alarmed, and fled from the house in consternation, and others who were in the gallery jumped out on the ground. In the midst, however, of the confusion occasioned by these movements, those who had an experience of divine things rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Notwithstanding the exterior respect which was paid to religion in this “land of steady habits,” the coming of the Methodist preachers excited no little opposition. They were generally called by the settled clergy, “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” the “false prophets who should come in the latter day,” etc., and hence the people felt themselves at liberty to ridicule and persecute them in a variety of ways. As many in the pulpit harangued their people in opposition to those “itinerating peddlers of a false doctrine,” as they were sometimes called in derision, the people caught the spirit, and echoed back upon them the opprobrious epithet, mingling with their jeers such unruly conduct as often disturbed them in their solemn assemblies. Hence they have been known to roll stones into the houses where they were assembled in the time of worship, and otherwise interrupt their devotions. These things, however, disheartened not these messengers of mercy in their work, nor impeded their progress in their endeavors to evangelize the people.

The writer of this [Nathan Bangs] remembers perfectly well, when but a boy, of hearing the remarks which were made by some of the people on returning one evening from hearing a Methodist preacher. The wonder was whence they came! They finally concluded, as they had come up from the south, that they were a set of broken merchants, who, having become poor, and being too lazy to work, had taken to this method of preaching to procure a livelihood. I have mentioned this circumstance to show the ignorance which prevailed among the people generally in respect to the character and objects of those primitive Methodist preachers, and as an apology for the treatment they met with from the thoughtless and the gay.

Good impressions, however, were made upon many minds, and Bishop Asbury, speaking of the commencement of his work, says, “New England stretcheth out the hand to our ministry, and I trust shortly will feel its influence. My soul shall praise the Lord.”

The revival noticed as having begun last year in Baltimore and in some parts of Maryland, went forward with great rapidity this year; and in Baltimore more particularly, Mr. Lee says it exceeded any thing which had been witnessed before. Such was the power which attended the word preached that some of the greatest revilers of the work were constrained to bow to its influence, and to confess that God was indeed is the midst of his people. The following is his own account of this work: — “Some, were two, three, or four hours on their knees; others were prostrate on the floor, most earnestly agonizing for mercy, till they could rejoice in God their Savior! “What power! what awe rested on the people! “Some, after they went home, could not sleep, but wept and prayed all night. The next day was such a time as cannot be sufficiently described. “Early in the morning, a preacher was sent for to visit a young woman who was under conviction. He exhorted her to believe in the Lord Jesus, and then sung and prayed with her. “A considerable number of the members of society were collected to supplicate the throne of grace in her behalf. At last the Lord suddenly shed abroad his love in her heart, so that she lifted up her voice with others in loud praises to God. “This was only a small part of that day’s work. About ten in the morning, a company of mourners assembled together at a private house, where the work of conversion began. First one, and then another, entered into the liberty of the children of God. The news spread; the people collected till the house and street were filled with a crowd of believers, and a wondering multitude: and this continued without intermission till night. They then repaired to the church, which was presently filled, and they continued there until two o’clock the next morning before they broke up. “Some who came there quite careless, and indeed making derision of the whole, were converted before they returned. Many hardhearted opposers were conquered at last, and earnestly sought salvation. “At the same time the country circuits throughout Maryland seemed to flame with holy love. On the eastern shore there was a powerful work; hundreds in different parts were turning to God.”

Dr. Coke arrived again on the continent this year, and after attending some of the conferences, traveled extensively through different parts of the country, and was made a blessing to many. Speaking of the conference which assembled in North Carolina, Bishop Asbury says, “We opened our conference, and were blessed with peace and union; our brethren from the west met us, and we had weighty matters for consideration before us.”

But the glorious work which was breaking forth in every direction was much aided by the energetic labors of Bishop Asbury, who traversed almost every part of the continent, preaching and setting things in order.

This year he followed in the track which had been marked out by Mr. Garrettson the preceding year, up the North River, through Dutchess county, surveying the length and breadth of the land, and in the midst of all his labors and bodily sufferings he exclaims, “My soul is so filled with God, that it appears as if all sense of pain was suspended by the power of faith.” Thence he went south, through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, and witnessed the glorious revival which was going on in Baltimore. Under date of September 8, 1789, he says, — “I preached in town and at the Point. The last quarterly meeting was a wonder-working time. Fifty or sixty souls were then and there brought to God. People were daily praying to God from house to house; some crying for mercy, others rejoicing in God, and not a few, day after day, joining in society for the benefit of Christian fellowship. Praise the Lord, O my soul! I spent some time in visiting from house to house, and in begging for the college.

The married men and the single men, the married women and single women, I met apart, and was comforted. Many of the children of the Methodists are the happy subjects of this glorious revival. We have more members in Baltimore (town and Point) than in any city or town on the continent besides.”

He did not, however, remain long pent up in the city, for under date of the 28th of this month we find him at Bush Forest Chapel, in the neighborhood of Abingdon, where he makes the following remarks “This was one of the first houses that were built for the Methodists in the state of Maryland, and one of the first societies was formed here. They had been dead for many years; — of late the Lord has visited the neighborhood, and I suppose, from report, fifty souls have been converted to God.”

The work of God also extended in many places within the bounds of the new district formed last year by Mr. Garrettson. Mr. Philip Embury, who had been instrumental in founding the little society in the city of New York, after the arrival of the regular preachers in that city, moved to Ashgrove, and collected a small society in that place, chiefly of emigrants from Ireland. Before the time of which we now speak, they had made several attempts to obtain the aid of traveling preachers, but did not succeed until 1788, when, in answer to a petition to the conference, Mr. Garrettson sent Mr. Lemuel Green to their help. He brought the society under disciplinary regulations, and likewise extended his labors with good effect into the adjoining settlements. Thus this society at Ashgrove may be considered as the center of Methodism in all that region of country.

Long Island also, in the state of New York, was more particularly provided for this year. We have already seen that Captain Webb visited some towns on this island, as early as 1768, and many sinners were awakened under his powerful appeals to their consciences. The political troubles, however, which arose out of the War of the Revolution, had a most deleterious effect upon the religion and morals of the Long Islanders. The British army had the island in possession for several years, and many were the skirmishes, after the memorable battle upon Brooklyn heights, between the contending forces; and the people were perpetually harassed with the depredations committed upon their property by both of the belligerents. On the return of peace, however, the people began to long for the ordinances of religion, and as early as 1784 Mr. Philip Cox was stationed on Long Island; he found a number who remembered the preaching of Captain Webb. He was succeeded by the Rev. Ezekiel Cooper, whose faithful and able ministry was made a blessing to many. Messrs. Thomas Ware, Peter Moriarty, and Robert Cloud followed Mr. Cooper, and their evangelical efforts were crowned with success. This year, 1789, Messr,. William Phoebus and John Lee were stationed here, and Long Island formed a part of the New York district.

Long Island has become somewhat famous as being the birthplace of Elias Hicks, the celebrated Quaker preacher, whose peculiar notions in religion, and his zealous manner of propagating them, have been a means of dividing that peaceable denomination, and, it is to be feared, of poisoning the minds of many with very erroneous views of Christianity. These notions, coming so directly in contact with some of the fundamental principles of Methodism, particularly as respects the deity and atonement of Christ, and the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper, were no small impediments in the way of those Methodist preachers who first labored here. The Lord of the harvest, however, was with them, and gave them access to the understandings and consciences of the people, so that at this time there were upward of two hundred members in the several societies on Long Island.

That God exercises a particular providence over his people, and grants to them blessings in answer to their prayers, is abundantly attested in the holy Scriptures, as well as by the experience and testimony of his servants, in all ages of his church. Those who affect to question this doctrine if they profess faith in divine revelation, would do well to remember that they thereby impeach the veracity of the divine promises, and render ineffectual even the fervent prayers of the righteous. God has said, “Ask, and be given” He also declares that “his ears are open and attentive to the prayers of the righteous.” And will he not fulfill his promise to those who pray in faith? He certainly will — else his promise is vain, and prayer is useless.

The following narrative respecting the introduction of Methodism into Southold, Long Island, strikingly illustrates the truth of the above remarks, and evinces that the good hand of the Lord is ever with his people. It Is related on the best authority: — In 1794, a Mrs. Moore, who had been converted by the instrumentality of the Methodists, removed to Southold. Being destitute of a spiritual ministry, she united with two other females of a like spirit with herself every Monday evening in holding a prayer meeting, in which they prayed especially that God would send them a faithful minister. Twice they met at the house of a Mr. Vail, who, though not a professor of religion, was willing that the meeting should be held in his house, as his wife was one of the three, engaged in this pious work. A circumstance occurring one evening which caused them to omit their social meeting, each one retired to her own house, determined to pour out the desire of their souls to God that the primary object of their prayers, namely, the gift of a faithful preacher, might be granted them. During the exercises of this evening they felt an unusual spirit of prayer; but more particularly Mrs. Moore, who continued in strong prayer until near midnight, when she received an assurance that God had heard them, by the following word being deeply impressed upon her mind: — “I have heard their cry, and am come down to deliver them:” and so strong was the conviction upon her mind that she praised God for what she believed he would most assuredly do.

At this very time, Wilson Lee, one of the early Methodist preachers, was at New London, Connecticut, and had put his trunk on board of a vessel with a view to go to his appointment in New York: Contrary wind prevented his departure on the same night in which these pious females were praying in their separate apartments on Long Island, for God to send them a “shepherd after his own heart,” this man of God, detained by contrary winds in New London, felt an unusual struggle of mind for the salvation of souls, attended with a vivid and powerful impression that it was his duty to cross the Sound and go to Long Island. Powerful, indeed, was this impression, that though he tried to resist it, he at length resolved that if a way opened he would proceed. On going to the wharf next morning, he found, to his surprise, a sloop ready to sail for Southold, and without farther hesitancy he immediately embarked and on landing, in answer to his inquiries, was conducted to the house of Mrs. Moore. On seeing him approach the house, and recognizing him from his appearance for a Methodist preacher, though a total stranger, she ran to the door, and saluted him in the following words: — “Thou blessed of the Lord, come in!” They mutually explained the circumstances above narrated, and rejoiced together, “for the consolation.” A congregation was soon collected, to whom Mr. Lee preached with lively satisfaction. God blessed his labors — a class was formed, and from that, period the Methodists continued, with various degrees of prosperity, in Southold, and gradually spread through the length and breadth of the island.

Having thus noticed the progress of the work of religion in different parts of the country, let us return to the doings of the conference. In consequence of the extension of the work on every hand, spreading over such a large territory, there were two difficulties which arose in the way of proceeding in the manner they had done heretofore. 1. It was very inconvenient for all the members of the conference to assemble together in one place to transact their business. Hence, as we have already seen, the bishops had appointed several separate conferences for the dispatch of their ordinary affairs. 2. But any thing which was done in these separate conferences was not binding, except simply the ordinations and stationing the preachers, unless sanctioned by them all. And as this could rarely be expected, constituted as human nature is, it was plainly seen that there was danger of their falling to pieces, or of having divers administrations. To provide against this evil, and to remedy the inconvenience above mentioned, it was determined this year, as the best thing which could be devised, to have a council, for the reasons and purposes, and with the powers set forth in the following questions and answers: — Question Whereas the holding of general conferences on this extensive continent would be attended with a variety of difficulties, and many inconveniences to the work of God; and whereas we judge it expedient that a council should be formed of chosen men out of the several districts as representatives of the whole connection, to meet at stated times; in what manner is this council to be formed, what shall be its powers, and what farther regulations shall be made concerning it? Answer 1st . Our bishops and presiding elders shall be the members of this council; provided, that the members who form the council be never fewer than nine. And if any unavoidable circumstance prevent the attendance of a presiding elder at the council, he shall have authority to send another elder out of his own district to represent him; but the elder so sent by the absenting presiding elder shall have no seat in the council without the approbation of the bishop, or bishops, and presiding elders present. And if, after the above-mentioned provisions are complied with, any unavoidable circumstance, or any contingencies, reduce the number to less than nine, the bishop shall immediately summon such elders as do not preside, to complete the number. 2ndly . These shall have authority to mature every thing they shall judge expedient. 1. To preserve the general union: 2. To render and preserve the external form of worship similar in all our societies through the continent: 3. To preserve the essentials of the Methodist doctrines and discipline pure and uncorrupted: 4. To correct all abuses and disorders: and, lastly, they are authorized to mature every thing they may see necessary for the good of the church, and for the promoting and improving our colleges and plan of education. 3rdly . Provided nevertheless, that nothing shall be received as the resolution of the council, unless it be assented to unanimously by the council; and nothing so assented to by the council shall be binding in any district till it has been agreed upon by a majority of the conference which is held for that district. 4thly . The bishops shall have authority to summon the council to meet at such times and places as they shall judge expedient. 5thly . The first council shall be held at Cokesbury, on the first day of next December.”

Mr. Asbury gives the following account of the first meeting of the council: — “Thursday, December 4. Our council was seated, consisting of the following persons, viz.: Richard Ivey, from Georgia; R. Ellis, South Carolina; E. Morris, North Carolina; Phil. Bruce, north district of Virginia; James O’Kelly, south district of Virginia; L. Green, Ohio; Nelson Reid, western shore of Maryland; J. Everett, eastern shore; John Dickens, Pennsylvania; J. O. Cromwell, Jersey; and Freeborn Garrettson, New York; all our business was done in love and unanimity. The concerns of the college were well attended to, as also the printing business. We formed some resolutions relative to economy and union, and others concerning the funds for the relief of our suffering preachers on the frontiers. We rose on the eve of Wednesday following. During our sitting, we had preaching every night; some few souls were stirred up, and others converted. The prudence of some had stilled the noisy ardor of our young people; and it was difficult to rekindle the fire. I collected about ú28 for the poor suffering preachers in the west. We spent one day in speaking our own experiences, and giving an account of the progress and state of the work of God in our several districts; a spirit of union pervaded the whole body; producing blessed effects and fruits.”

This shows the purity of mind by which those were actuated to whom the affairs of the Church were at that time committed. But though the preachers generally voted for the plan when it was submitted to them by the bishops, dissatisfaction soon sprang up in their minds in reference to it, on account of its being dangerous, as they thought, to their liberties. It was contended that as the council was composed of the bishops and presiding elders, and as the latter were appointed by the bishops, and changed at their pleasure, it was virtually concentrating all the authority of the Church in the hands of the bishops, and thus creating an aristocracy of power incompatible with the rights and privileges of the entire body.

There was, moreover, one clause in the laws which were to control them, which went to nullify their proceedings, and frustrate the very design for which the council was constituted. It was in these words “Nothing unanimously assented to by the council shall be binding in any district, till it has been agreed upon by a majority of the conference which is held for that district.” Such a regulation, every one must perceive, tended to a dilution of the body, by introducing dissensions: for it could not be expected that so many independent bodies, acting separately, should entirely agree in many important particulars. Such, accordingly, was the opposition manifested to the organization of this council, that it assembled only twice, and therefore it seems unnecessary to give a detailed account of its proceedings. But though it had but an ephemeral existence, it evinced the necessity more strikingly than ever of an organization which should concentrate the power of the Church in some body which might exercise it with prudence for the general harmony of ministers and people; and this was afterward provided for in a General Conference, which should meet once in four years, at such time and place as might be agreed upon.

This year I find the first mention made of a book steward. And as the printing and circulating of religious books forms a very important feature in the economy of our Church, this seems the most proper place to give some account of this establishment.

Among the means adopted by Mr. Wesley for the diffusion of gospel truth and holiness, and for guarding his people against erroneous doctrines, was that of printing and circulating books; hence he established a press under his own control. Here his own works, and those he extracted from others, were printed; and they were distributed by his preachers as extensively as possible among the people. Whatever profits might arise from the sale of these books were to be appropriated to charitable purposes, and to assist in spreading the gospel by means of an itinerant ministry. The establishment thus begun by Mr. Wesley, has been carried on by the Wesleyan Methodists in England to this day; and has been one of the most powerful auxiliaries in promoting the cause of Christ by that body of ministers.

In 1778 Mr. Wesley commenced the publication of the Arminian Magazine, a periodical filled with various sorts of information, containing a museum of divinity and a great variety of miscellaneous reading. It has been continued, greatly enlarged, since his death to this day, now called the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, making in all sixty large volumes.

In the early history of Methodism in this country, the preachers were supplied with books from England. But this method of procuring supplies became troublesome and expensive, which led to the establishment of a similar agency here, for the supply of the people in useful knowledge. By a reference to the books of the agency, in the handwriting of John Dickens, who was the first book-steward, it appears that the first book printed was “A Kempis.” This entry is dated August 17, 1789. The first volume of the Arminian Magazine was published the same year, also the Hymnbook, Saints’ Rest, and Primitive Physic.

I merely notice this here, intending hereafter to devote a chapter to a complete history of this institution, its objects, and the influence it has exerted on the community.

Robert Ayers and William Patridge desisted from traveling this year.

The following preachers had died: — 1. Henry Bingham, a native of Virginia. He had been four years in the ministry, had labored successfully as a pious, humble man, and died in peace. 2. William Gill. He was a native of the state of Delaware, and had been in the ministry about twelve years, and stood among the first in the conference, both for his experience and knowledge of divine things. He was therefore an able preacher, and a deeply devoted man of God, inspiring confidence in his wisdom and integrity by all who knew him; and in his death religion shone most conspicuously by enabling him to die in the triumphs of faith. 3. John Cooper, who had traveled fifteen years, and was greatly beloved by all who knew him, as a pious and holy man. He had been the subject of much affliction, but bore it all without murmuring, and finally ended his days in peace. 4. James White, a native of Maryland. He had been about eight years in the work of the ministry, was much esteemed as a pious and faithful man of God, successful in his work, and resigned in his death. 5. Francis Spry. He had traveled four years only, was a man of a pious life, of sound judgment, a useful preacher, and patient and resigned in his death.

Numbers in the Church: Whites This year, 35,019, Last year, 30,809; Increase, 4,210; Colored This year, 8,243, Last year 6,545; Increase, 1,698; Total This year, 43,262, Last year, 37,354; Increase, 5,908; Preachers This year, 196, Last year, 166; Increase, 30. 1790 . The following conferences were held this year: — February 15th, in Charleston, South Carolina; March 2d, in Georgia; April 26th, in Kentucky; May 17th, in Holstein; May 24th, in North Carolina; June 14th, Lane’s Church; July 29th, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania; August 26th, in Leesburgh, Virginia; September 6th, in Baltimore, Maryland; September 11th, in Cokesbury, Maryland; September 16th, at Duck Creek; September 22d, in Philadelphia; September 28th, in Burlington, New Jersey; October 4th, in New York.

Twenty new circuits were added to the list, as follows: — Savannah, Savannah Town, and Catawba, in the southern part of the work; Lexington, Limestone, Madison, Russel, Green, and Lincoln, in the western country; Contentney, in the lower part of North Carolina; Surry, in the South of Virginia; Stafford and Kanawha, in the northern part of the state; South River, in Maryland; Bethel and Randolph, in New Jersey; New Haven, Hartford, and Litchfield, in Connecticut; and Boston, in Massachusetts.

We find the following question and answer in the minutes of this year: — Question What can be done in order to instruct poor children, white and black, to read? Answer Let us labor, as the heart and soul of one man, to establish Sunday schools in or near the place of public worship. Let persons be appointed by the bishops, elders, deacons, or preachers, to teach, gratis, all that will attend and have a capacity to learn, from six o’clock in the morning till ten, and from two o’clock in the afternoon till six, where it does not interfere with public worship. The council shall compile a proper schoolbook, to teach them learning and piety.

This is the first account we have of Sabbath schools in this country; and they appear to have been established chiefly for the instruction of children, whether white or black, who had not the advantages of day schools. It was found, however, on experiment, that it was extremely difficult to induce those children to attend the schools, and in a short time the teachers, who had tendered their services gratuitously, became discouraged, and the schools were discontinued.

Such schools had been in successful operation in England for several years, were warmly patronized by Mr. Wesley, his preachers and people, and were exerting a salutary influence on the poorer part of the rising generation. In this country, it seems, the Methodists at that time were alone in their efforts to introduce this mode of instruction among the children and youth of their congregations; and hence, not succeeding according to their wishes, prematurely laid it aside. They scarcely thought, it is presumed, that this practice would thereafter be so generally adopted as it since has been, by Christian denominations, and become such an integral part of religious instruction. May it never be discontinued, until the whole population of our globe shall become imbued with the light and power of Christianity!

This year was also distinguished by several powerful revivals of religion.

Speaking of the conference which was held in Charleston, South Carolina, Bishop Asbury says, “I have felt fresh springs of desire in my soul for a revival of religion. O may the work be general;” and then remarks that, after preaching, “extracts from sundry letters from New York and Baltimore were read in the congregation, at which saints and sinners were affected.”

After the close of the conference he set off on a journey to Kentucky, which was then a comparative wilderness. In this tour he crossed the Allegheny Mountains, which, in some places, he says, “were rising before him like the roof of a house.” “Those who wish,” he adds, “to know how rough it is, may tread in our path. What made it worse to me was, that while I was looking to see what had become of my guide, I was carried off with full force against a tree that hung across the road some distance from the ground, and my head received a very great jar, which, however, was lessened by my having on a hat that was strong in the crown.” After pushing their way rough the wilderness, often having to swim the creeks with their horses, sleep in log huts, or encamp in the woods, he makes the following entry in his Journal: — “From December 14, 1789, to April 20, 1790, we compute to have traveled two thousand five hundred and seventy-eight miles. Hitherto has the Lord helped. Glory! glory to our God!” And the reader will recollect that neither steamboats nor railroads were in use in those days; but they were forced to wend their way through the new settlements in the best way they could, chiefly on horseback. As to the preachers who traveled this rough and poor country, they had to submit to all manner of hardships, so that Bishop Asbury says of them, “I found the poor preachers indifferently clad, with emaciated bodies, and subject to hard fare; but I hope they are rich in faith.”

That the reader may see the difficulties with which these primitive Methodist preachers had to contend, as well as the hardships and privations they endured, the following extracts from Bishop Asbury’s Journal are given: — After crossing the Kentucky River he says, — “I was strangely outdone for want of sleep, having been greatly deprived of it in my journey through the wilderness, which is like being at sea in some respects, and in others worse. Our way is over mountains, steep hills, deep rivers, and muddy creeks; a thick growth of reeds for miles together, and no inhabitants but wild beasts and savage men. Sometimes, before I was aware, my ideas would be leading me to be looking out ahead for a fence, and I would, without reflection, try to recollect the houses we should have lodged at in the wilderness. I slept about an hour the first night, and about two the last. We ate no regular meal; our bread grew short, and I was very much spent.”

Bishop Asbury stopped at the house of a gentleman whose wife, he says, “a tender, gracious soul, was taken a prisoner by the Indians during the last war, and carried to Detroit.” He then adds, “I saw the graves of the slain — twenty-four in one camp. I learn that they had set no guard, and that they were up late playing at cards. A poor woman of the company had dreamed three times that the Indians had surprised and killed them all: she urged her husband to entreat the people to set a guard, but they only abused him and cursed him for his pains. As the poor woman was relating her last dream the Indians came upon the camp: she and her husband sprang away, one east, the other west, and escaped. He afterward came back, and witnessed the carnage. These poor sinners appeared to be ripe for destruction. I received another account of the death of another wicked wretch who was shot through the heart, although he had vaunted with horrid oaths that no Creek Indian could kill him. These are some of the melancholy accidents to which the country is subject for the present.”

This shows the jeopardy to which those were often exposed who traversed this newly settled country in quest of immortal souls, and the intrepidity displayed in encountering these “perils by land,” by those who first penetrated these western wilds as heralds of peace and good will. In Lexington, Bishop Asbury met the preachers in conference, the business which, he says, they “went through with in great love and harmony.”

They had preaching at “noon and night, souls were converted, and the fallen restored. My soul,” he adds, “has been blessed among these people, and I am exceedingly pleased with them. I would not, for the worth of all the place, have been prevented in this visit, having no doubt but that it will be for the good of the present and rising generation. It is true, such exertions of mind and body are trying; but I am supported under it if souls are saved, it is enough.”

At this conference a plan was devised for a district school, and three hundred dollars were subscribed, in land and money for its establishment.

The school afterward went into operation, but for want of adequate support was finally discontinued. After visiting some places on the west of the mountains, Bishop Asbury set off on his return to the Atlantic slates. The following is his own account of the manner in which this tedious journey was performed: — “ Monday 24. We set out on our return through the wilderness with a large and helpless company; we had about fifty people, twenty of whom were armed, and five of whom might have stood fire. To reserve order and harmony, we had articles drawn up for, and signed by our company, and I arranged the people for traveling according to the regulations agreed upon. Some disaffected gentlemen, who would neither sign nor come under discipline, had yet the impudence to murmur when left behind. The first night we lodged some miles beyond the hazelpatch. The next day we discovered signs of Indians, and some thought they heard voices; we therefore thought it best to travel on, and did not encamp until three o’clock, halting on the east side of Cumberland River. We had gnats enough. We had an alarm, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

A young gentleman, a Mr. Alexander, behaved exceedingly well; but his tender frame was not adequate to the fatigue to be endured, and he had well nigh fainted on the road to Cumberland Gap.

Brother Massie was captain; and finding I had gained authority among the people, I acted somewhat in the capacity of an adjutant and quarter-master among them. At the foot of the mountain the company separated; the greater part went on with me to Powell’s River; here we slept on the earth, and next day made the Grassy Valley. Several of the company, who were not Methodists, expressed their high approbation of our conduct, and most affectionately invited us to their houses. The journeys of each day were as follows: Monday, forty-five miles; Tuesday, fifty miles; Wednesday, sixty miles.”

From this time Bishop Asbury traveled very extensively through the several states where Methodist societies had been established, and contributed much by his labors to promote the work of God, which was extending powerfully in many places, and particularly in some parts of New England, under the labors of the Rev. Jesse Lee and his helpers.

This year Methodism was introduced into the city of Boston. It is true, that about eighteen years previous to this time, Mr. Boardman had visited Boston, and formed a small society; but as he was not succeeded by any minister of the same order, the society gradually diminished, and finally became extinct. Mr. Garrettson had also passed through Boston, on his way from Nova Scotia, and preached a few sermons in a private house; but no society had been formed by him. On the arrival of Mr. Lee, no house could be procured for preaching; he therefore went upon the Common, stood upon a table, and began to sing and pray. When he commenced there were only four persons present; but before he had concluded there had collected, as he thought, not less than three thousand. The word preached had an effect upon the minds of a few who attended, so that on the next Sabbath, at the same place, the number of hearers was greatly increased; and a way was thus opened for the establishment of a small society in the town of Boston. It is an evidence, however, of the determined opposition which was felt here to Methodism, that Mr. Lee was in the city for about a week, using every means in his power to procure a house to preach in, but was denied in every instance in which he made application either publicly or privately, and was finally forced either to abandon the place without preaching at all, or to go on to the Common. Here, therefore, he set up his banner in the name of the Lord, and many have since, though not without much hard toiling and many privations, flocked around it.

While in Boston, Mr. Lee received an invitation from a gentleman in Lynn, about ten miles from Boston, for him to visit that place. This gentleman, a Mr. Benjamin Johnson, had heard Methodist preaching about twenty years before, in one of the southern states. Mr. Lee was, therefore, very cordially received, and he soon found himself among “a people prepared of the Lord” to embrace the pure doctrines of Jesus Christ. After giving an account of a sermon he had delivered at Mr. Lye’s, at Wood End, he says, — “I felt great enlargement of heart, and much of the divine presence, while I was warning the people not to be deceived. The presence of God was in the assembly, and some of the hearers appeared to be greatly lifted up in love and thankfulness. O! that God may continue the serious impressions in their minds, till they are brought to the knowledge of God. I have not met with a company of people for a long time that had so much of the appearance of a Methodist congregation as this.”

The word preached in Lynn took such effect that in about two months after Mr. Lee first visited the place, February 20, 1791, a society of thirty members was formed, and by the month of May following upward of seventy had received certificates that they attended Methodist meeting. So rapidly did the work progress, that on the 14th of June following, they began to build a house of worship; and “the people had such a mind to work” that the house was raised on the 21st, and dedicated on the 26th of the same month. This is said to have been the first Methodist church which was built in the state of Massachusetts.

Many other towns in this state were visited by Mr. Lee in the course of this year; in all which, notwithstanding the opposition generally manifested by the settled clergy and many of their congregations, he found access to the people. Salem, Newburyport, Danvers, Marblehead, and Charlestown were severally visited, and regular preaching established; and a foundation was thus laid for Methodism in that land of the “pilgrim fathers.”

The circuits also in Connecticut were greatly enlarged, and several new ones added by those enterprising preachers who followed in the track of Mr. Lee. Many amusing and instructive anecdotes might be related respecting the manner in which these preachers were received and treated in this part of the country. As they did not suppose any man could be qualified to preach the gospel without a classical education, almost the first question asked by the ministers with whom they came in contact would be, whether they had a “liberal education.” Mr. Lee was a shrewd man, and was seldom at a loss for an answer suited to the occasion. He says, in one place, “The woman of the house asked me a few questions, and in a little time wanted to know if I had a liberal education. I told her I had just education enough to carry me through the country.” Soon after a similar question was propounded to him by one of the principal men of the town, before he would give his consent for Mr. Lee to preach in the court house, to whom he replied, “I have nothing to boast of; though I have education enough to carry me through the country.” On another occasion, a young lawyer, with a view to puzzle Mr. Lee, addressed him in Latin, to whom he replied in German — a language not understood by either the speaker or his friends, who were anxiously listening to the conversation. “There,” said a gentleman who was in the secret of the lawyer’s intentions, “the preacher has answered you in Hebrew, and therefore he must be a learned man.” This repartee of Mr. Lee silenced the inquisitiveness of the facetious lawyer, and gave the former the decided advantage over his antagonist.

But the most effectual method adopted by the Methodist preachers was, when they came in company with those who were fond of disputations, and this was very general in New England, to urge upon the people the necessity of being soundly converted to God, and of enjoying an evidence of their acceptance in his sight, through faith in the Lord Jesus. And through, their persevering diligence in this good work, God blessed their labors abundantly in various places, so that a foundation was laid by their labors and privations for that extensive spread of evangelical principles, and piety which we have lived to see in that part of our country.

But the most difficult place to plant the tree of Methodism was in the city of Boston. It was a considerable time, as already related, before they could procure even a private house to preach in; and when they succeeded thus far, such was the general prejudice against them that they could not long retain possession of it. At length they succeeded in obtaining the use of a school-house, but this was soon after denied them. They then rented a chamber in the north end of the town, where they continued regularly for a considerable time. A small society had been formed on the 13th of July, 1792, and though few in number, and generally poor, with a view to obviate the difficulties they had to contend with, they undertook to build a house of worship. To aid them in this pious design, money was begged for them on the eastern shore of Maryland, in the state of Delaware, Philadelphia, and in New York. By the aid thus afforded they were encouraged to proceed in their labors; and on the 28th day of August, 1795, the corner stone for the first Methodist church was laid in Boston. It was a wooden building, forty-six feet in length and thirty-six in breadth. At this time there were but forty-two members in the Church in Boston, two of whom were colored persons. After the opening of this house the congregation very considerably increased, especially in the evenings, at which time many, who were ashamed to be seen going to a Methodist meeting by daylight, would assemble to hear the “strange doctrine,” as it was called.

In Salem, on some of his first visits, Mr. Lee was invited by the minister, the Rev. Mr. Hopkins, into his pulpit; but at length he was informed by Mr. Hopkins, that though he could not find any particular fault with his preaching, yet such was the opposition of some of his people, that he thought not prudent to admit Mr. Lee to his pulpit any more. Mr. Lee then thanked him for his former kindness, and they parted with mutual good will.

Hitherto I have recorded the names of those who were located, expelled, or had died; but as the continuance of these records would swell this history beyond reasonable bounds; and as their names, with a brief sketch of the characters of those who had died in the work, will be found in the minutes of the conferences, it is thought to be inexpedient to insert the names of all such, but only those who may have been most eminently useful in the cause of God.

This year eight received a location, and three had departed this life. One of these last, John Tunnel, was elected to the office of an elder at the Christmas conference in 1784, and was eminently useful as a minister of Christ. He had traveled extensively throughout the United States, was highly esteemed for the depth and uniformity of his piety, his indefatigable labors, and his commanding talents as a preacher. He died in great peace near the Sweet Springs, in Virginia, the Church deeply lamenting loss of such a devoted and useful servant.

Numbers in the Church: Whites This year, 45,949, Last year, 35,019, Increase 10,930; Colored This year, 11,682, Last year, 8,243, Increase, 3,439; Total This year, 57,631, Last year, 43,263, Increase, 14,369; Preachers This year, 227, Last year, 196, Increase, 31.

This was by far the largest, increase which had been realized in any one year, and shows the happy effects of the revivals we have mentioned. 1791 . There were thirteen conferences held this year, at the following times and places: — At Charleston, South Carolina, on the 22d of February; in Georgia, on the 16th of February; at Mr. McKnight’s, North Carolina, on the 2d of April; at Petersburgh, Virginia, on the 20th of April; at Hanover, on the 26th of April; in Alexandria, District of Columbia, on the 2d of May; in Baltimore, on the 6th of May; at Duck Creek, on the 13th of May; in Philadelphia, on the 18th of May; in New York, on the 26th of May; in Connecticut, on the 23d of July; in Uniontown, on the 28th of July; in Albany, on the 23d of August.

Ten new circuits were added to the list, namely, Edisto Island, in South Carolina; Union, in Virginia; Queen Anne’s, in Maryland; Northumberland, in Pennsylvania; Otsego and Saratoga, in New York; Stockbridge, in Massachusetts; and Kingston, in Upper Canada. Boston was exchanged for Lynn in the minutes.

As this is the first notice we have of a circuit in Canada, it is considered expedient to give some account of the state of things in that country.

Though Canada was discovered by the English as early as 1497, yet it was first settled by the French in 1608. In 1763, after the capture of Quebec by General Wolfe, the whole country passed into the hands of the English, and so remains to the present day.

As this country was first settled by the French, the Roman Catholic religion chiefly prevailed there, but more particularly in the lower province. After the conquest of the country by the English, the Church of England was established by law, though at the same time the Roman Catholic Church had all their religious rights and privileges guarantied to them by an act of the king and parliament of Great Britain. These provisions, however, did not exclude other sects from settling among them, and of enjoying their respective peculiarities, with the exception of solemnizing the rites of matrimony.

But while the great majority of the people of Lower Canada were French Catholics, the upper province was settled principally by Protestant refugees from the United States, disbanded soldiers from the British army, and by English, Scotch, and Irish emigrants but at the time of which we are now speaking, the country was extremely destitute of the word and ordinances of Christianity. For though the English Church had a name to live there, but few of her ministers were found among the people, and even these few were destitute of the requisite qualifications of ministers of the sanctuary. Hence the people generally were living in ignorance of God, alike destitute of the ordinances of religion for themselves, and the means of education for their children.

In this state of things, Upper Canada was visited by William Losee, a member of the New York conference, in the year 1791. He went through the wilderness of the western part of the slate of New York, suffering numerous privations and hardships, and crossed the lower part of Lake Ontario to Kingston. In attempting to form a circuit along the banks of the lake and of the bay of Quinte, he found here and there an individual who had heard the Methodist preachers in England or in the United States. By these he was cordially received; and he succeeded in forming a circuit, and establishing a few classes. The next year Darius Dunham was sent to Canada. He and brother Losee extended their labors from the bay of Quinte down the banks of the river St. Lawrence, forming what was called the Oswegotchie circuit; and the next year there were returned on the minutes of conference, as the fruit of their labors, one hundred and sixty-five members of the Church.

From this time the work of God went on gradually in Canada, until it eventuated in one of the most glorious revivals of religion we have on record in these modern days. It will be noticed more particularly in the proper place.

This year, with a view to guard against imposture, the brethren and friends were cautioned, in the minutes of conference, to which Mr. Hamitt took exceptions, and which has been before quoted, against receiving any in the character of Methodist preachers, unless they came recommended by the proper authorities of the Church. Perhaps no people have been more exposed to impositions of this character than the Methodists; by reason of their peculiar organization, and the constant habit, at that time especially not much practiced by other denominations, of itinerating so extensively through the country, and the numerous emigrants from Europe, many of whom, having lost their character at home, sought a shelter from their disgrace in America. Yet there is no necessity of suffering from these impostors, if the people would only examine those who come among them in the character of preachers, and ascertain whether or not they are furnished with proper credentials.

This year was also highly favored with the outpourings of the Spirit of God in many places. In New England especially many doors were opened, and solicitations sent for Methodist preaching, notwithstanding the opposition which was manifested to the peculiarities of Methodism. The doctrines of universal redemption, conditional election and perseverance, and more especially of Christian perfection, were most violently opposed by the “standing order” in this country, and the preachers were frequently called upon to defend these truths against subtle and powerful adversaries.

Although they in general endeavored to avoid disputations of this character, they were often reluctantly drawn into them in the midst of the people, or they must abandon to their antagonists what they considered the truths of God. Their doctrines, however, gradually gained upon the understandings and affections of many of the people, and commended themselves to their approbation by the happy effect which they produced in the hearts and lives of such as had embraced them.

Dr. Coke and Bishop Asbury traveled extensively through the southern states, and rejoiced together in beholding the prosperity of the work of God in many places. We have already seen that the Council had become unpopular among the preachers, and that they were obliged, after the second year’s trial, to abandon it. It seems that, among others who were much opposed to committing the affairs of the Church to so few hands, James O’Kelly was one of the foremost, and that by letters from him Dr.

Coke’s mind had become influenced against it. Hence Bishop Asbury, with whom the Council was a favorite, remarks, “I found the doctor had much changed his sentiments since his last visit to this continent, and that these impressions still continued. I hope to be enabled to give up for peace’ sake, and to please all men for their good to edification.” In this spirit of sacrifice he yielded to the general wish for the substitution of a General Conference in the place of the Council.

After traversing the southern and middle states, generally preaching every day, Bishop Asbury, for the first time, visited New England this year; and the following extracts from his Journal will show how he felt on his entrance into this land of the Puritans, and what were his first impressions on beholding the state of things here. Under date of June 4, he says, — “I went on to Redding. Surely God will work powerfully among these people, and save thousands of them.” — “This country is very hilly and open, not unlike that about the Peak of Derbyshire. I feel faith to believe that this visit to New England will be blessed to my own soul, and to the souls of others. We are now in Connecticut, and never out of sight of a house, and sometimes we have a view of many churches and steeples, built very neatly of wood.” — “There may have been a praying ministry and people here, but I fear they are now spiritually dead, and am persuaded that family and private prayer is very little practiced. Could these people be brought to constant, fervent prayer, the Lord would come down and work wonders among them.”

From this place he traveled through various towns, preaching the “gospel of the kingdom” to all who would come and hear, and on the 9th came to the pleasant city of New Haven, the Athens of New England. His appointment having been published in the newspapers, many came to hear, among whom was the president of Yale College, the Rev. Dr. Stiles, and several other clergymen. He remarks, that though they heard with attention and gravity, yet, after meeting, no one asked him to his house; and though he attended the college at the hour of prayer, no one gave him an invitation to visit the interior of the college buildings. This cold reception, he says, reminded him of the words of Mr. Whitefield to Messrs. Boardman and Pillmore, on their arrival in America: — “Ah,” said he, “if ye were Calvinists, ye would take the country before ye.” “Should Cokesbury or Baltimore,” he adds, “ever furnish the opportunity, I, in my turn, will requite their behavior by treating them as friends, brethren, and gentlemen. The difficulty I met with in New Haven for lodging, and for a place to hold meeting, made me feel and know the worth of Methodists more than ever.”

From New Haven Bishop Asbury passed on through Middletown to New London, and thence to Providence in Rhode Island where he took sweet counsel with the Rev. Mr. Snow, a pious Congregational minister, then aged about seventy years, who had been brought to the knowledge of the truth by the Rev. Mr. Tenant, “whose memory,” says the bishop, “I revere.” Of the people of Providence he makes the following remarks: — “They appear to be prudent, active, frugal; cultivating a spirit of good family economy; and they are kind to strangers. They have frequently had revivals of religion. I had faith to believe the Lord would shortly visit them again, and that even we shall have something to do in this town.

From Providence he went on to Boston, where he met with a very cold reception, owing to the want of boldness and energy in the few who professed to be friends. Such were the discouragements thrown in his way in this place that he says, “I have done with Boston until we can obtain a lodging, a house to preach in, and some to join us.” In Lynn he met with a most cordial and welcome reception, and says, which indeed is proved to have been prophetic, “Here we shall make a firm stand, and from this central point, from Lynn, shall the light of Methodism radiate through the state.”

From hence he passed on through Worcester and the intervening towns to Hartford, and from thence to Albany, N. Y., where he arrived on the 20th of July. After a short review of his recent travels in New England, and observations upon the religious state of the people, he says, — “I am led to think the eastern church will find this saying hold true in regard to the Methodists, ‘I will provoke you to jealousy by a people that were no people; and by a foolish nation will I anger you.’ They have trodden upon the Quakers, the Episcopalians, the Baptist — see now if the Methodists do not work their way.”

I have been thus particular in following the first tour made by Bishop Asbury into New England; that the reader may see with what indefatigable industry this man of God fulfilled the high and important office he sustained in the Methodist Church, and the influence which his labors exerted in the cause of Christ in that part of our country. His office was no sinecure, but one of increasing toil and sacrifice, and in the exercise of it he gave the most devoted attention to the best interests of mankind; nor were his impressions respecting the state of things in New England, and his anticipations of the success of Methodism among that people, either erroneous or chimerical; for they have since been verified by the course of events. From this land, where Christianity was interwoven with the civil institutions, have shot forth those branches which have since extended even to the far west, and are now flourishing in all the freshness of perennial growth in those new states and territories.

This year was distinguished by the death of that eminent man of God and founder of Methodism, the Rev. John Wesley. Dr. Coke and Bishop Asbury were in Virginia when this melancholy news reached them; and the following are the reflections which the latter makes on hearing this mournful event: — “The solemn news reached our ears that the public papers had announced the death of that dear man of God, John Wesley. He died in his own house in London, in the eighty-eighth year of his age, after preaching the gospel sixty-four years. When we consider his plain and nervous writings; his uncommon talent for sermonizing and journalizing; that he had such a steady flow of animal spirits; so much of the spirit of government in him; knowledge as an observer; his attainments as a scholar; his experience as a Christian; I conclude his equal is not to be found among all the sons he hath brought up; nor his superior among all the sons of Adam he may have left behind. Brother Coke was sunk in spirit, and wished to hasten home immediately. For my part, notwithstanding my long absence from Mr. Wesley, and a few unpleasant expressions in some of the letters the dear old man has written to me, occasioned by the misrepresentations of others, I feel the stroke most sensibly; and I expect I shall never read his Works without reflecting on the loss which the church of God and the world have sustained by his death.”

The death of Mr. Wesley, though from his great age it must have been generally expected by his friends, was an event mournfully felt throughout the Christian church, and more especially through all the ranks of Methodism. His character is now so well known that it is scarcely necessary to add any thing here to what has already been said in the published accounts of this great and good man. As long as pure Christianity shall remain, So long will the name of Wesley be held in grateful remembrance. For among all those who have been raised up in modern days to revive and diffuse abroad the pure principles of the gospel, no one shone so conspicuously, nor exerted such a holy and extensive influence, as did John Wesley. His writings will speak for him, and proclaim him the sound divine, the ripe and finished scholar, the deep and sincere Christian, and a man of the most enlarged philanthropy, so long as pure Christianity shall be held in esteem, while the scribblings of his defamers shall be held in execration by all pious and well-informed Christians. And the society he was instrumental in raising up and establishing in Great Britain, as well as the Church which was organized under his direction in America, shall remain as monuments of his wisdom in devising and executing plans for the diffusion of gospel truth and holiness, and for the permanent establishment of such associations as be instrumental in transmitting these blessings from generation to generation.

That the Church, in both hemispheres, should mourn the loss of such a man is nothing more than what could have been expected, while the fact that he had been instrumental in raising up men, as his sons in the gospel, competent to carry out, and to continue in operation, the plans he had devised for the salvation of the world, evinces the wisdom and energy with which he had applied himself to his work. While, therefore, his weeping friends stood around his bed, and heard his last dying words, “The best of all is, God is with us,” they gathered fresh courage to trust in the God of his life for a continuance of his blessing upon his mourning Church.

In consequence of this afflictive intelligence, Dr. Coke hastened to prepare for his departure from the continent, that he might mingle his sorrows with his brethren in Europe over the loss they had sustained in the death of Mr. Wesley. On his way he stopped at Baltimore, and on Sabbath preached a sermon on the occasion of the death of Mr. Wesley, in which he mentioned some things which gave offense to his American brethren. His profound sorrow at the loss of Mr. Wesley, though an event which, in the ordinary course of nature, must have been anticipated as near at hand, and the keen sensibilities of his heart to every thing which had the remotest tendency to tarnish the glory of that great man, led him to say, in the above sermon, that the act of leaving Mr. Wesley’s name from the minutes probably hastened his death.

This circumstance would be hardly worthy of notice, had not some persons, more distinguished for their petulance than their candor, seized upon it for the purpose of disparaging the character of the American conference. In addition to what has already been said in reference to this matter, the following particulars may serve to vindicate the conduct of the conference, as well as to apologize for the precipitancy of Dr. Coke in making the assertion, erroneous in itself, in so public a manner — a fault amply atoned for by the sincerity and frankness with which he afterward deported himself toward his American brethren. Were the judgments of mankind infallible in all cases, we should be saved the necessity of offering apologies for such venial instances of human infirmity.

That we may rightly understand this subject, it is necessary to review some of the doings of the conferences of 1784 and 1787. The minute of the conference of 1784, already noticed, respecting obeying Mr. Wesley during his lifetime, stood unrepealed until 1787, when it was omitted. Among other reasons for this omission, one unquestionably was, to prevent any one from accusing them, as some had already done, of being under the dictation and control of a British subject, who had written against the American revolution, and thereby of subjecting themselves to the suspicion of disloyalty to their own government; and also to remove every apprehension of having Bishop Asbury, whom they so highly respected and affectionately loved, taken from among them. This was an event the more to be deprecated, as they knew of no one who could fill his place. He had grown up with them — had suffered and sympathized with them during a protracted and sanguinary war — had fully identified his interests, his weal or woe, with t heirs and had, moreover, become familiar with their character and peculiar circumstances, both as American citizens and as Methodist preachers; and hence, whatever deference they might have felt for Dr. Coke — and they certainly were not deficient in love and respect for him — past experience convinced them that he did not understand their affairs so well as did Bishop Asbury. And that which gave origin to their fears that such a dictation as has been supposed might be exercised over their affairs, was the fact heretofore alluded to, that in 1787, Dr. Coke, at the request of Mr. Wesley, altered the time of holding the General Conference, without consulting the American preachers, and also requested Mr. Whatcoat to be elected a joint superintendent with Bishop Asbury. That Mr. Wesley was dissatisfied with this omission is certain, from some expressions in his letters to Bishop Asbury about that time, to which the bishop alludes in the above notice of Mr. Wesley’s death, and which probably led to the famous letter in which Bishop Asbury is censured for taking the title of bishop, concerning which so much has been said by the enemies of Methodist episcopacy. Fg8 As to the minute to which allusion has been made, it was a voluntary act of the conference, and not a contract mutually entered into between them and Mr. Wesley, and therefore its omission in 1787 was no violation of a pledged faith between the parties. But as some of the enemies of Bishop Asbury have blamed him in this business, it seems proper to give his own version of these acts of the conference, with a view to justify himself in reference to this affair. He says, “I never approved of that binding minute,” alluding to the minute of 1784, in which they promised obedience to Mr. Wesley in matters of church government: — “I did not think it practical expediency to obey Mr. Wesley at three thousand miles’ distance, in all matters relative to church government; neither did brother Whatcoat, nor several others. At the first General Conference I was mute and modest when it passed, and I was mute when it was expunged. For this Mr. Wesley blamed me, and was displeased that I did not rather reject the whole connection, or leave them, if they did not comply. But I could not give up the connection so easily, after laboring so many years with and for them.”

But although Mr. Wesley suffered a momentary displeasure to arise in his mind on account of their rescinding the rule in question, and with characteristic plainness expressed his dissatisfaction to Bishop Asbury, yet when the thing was fully explained to him, together with the motives which prompted them to that act, he became satisfied with the uprightness of their conduct, and expressed, only twenty-nine days before his death, his unabated attachment to his American brethren, in the following letter to the Rev. Ezekiel Cooper: — Near London, Feb. 1, 1791. “My Dear Brother, — Those who desire to write, or say any thing to me, have no time to lose; for time has shaken me by the hand, and death is not far behind. But I have reason to be thankful for the time that is past: I felt few of the infirmities of age for fourscore and six years. It was not till a year and a half ago that my strength and sight failed. And still I am enabled to scrawl a little, and to creep, though I cannot run. Probably I should not be able to do so much, did not many of you assist me by your prayers. I have given a distinct account of the work of God which has been wrought in Britain and Ireland for more than half a century. We want some of you to give us a connected relation of what our Lord has been doing in America, from the time that Richard Boardman accepted the invitation, and left his country to serve you. See that you never give place to one thought of separating from your brethren in Europe. Lose no opportunity of declaring to all men that the Methodists are one people in all the world; and that it is their full determination so to continue, Though mountains rise, and oceans roll, To sever us in vain.

To the care of our common Lord, I commit you; and am your affectionate friend and brother, “John Wesley.” After reading such an epistle as this, who can doubt of the writer’s affectionate regard for his American brethren, as well as his strong desire for their indissoluble union with their brethren in Europe? — Such sentiments were highly worthy the apostolic character which Mr. Wesley sustained, as well as the position he occupied as the founder and leader of the entire denomination on both sides of the Atlantic — standing, as he did, upon the margin of time, with eternity full in his view! May it ever be the aim of both families of the Methodists to cultivate the spirit herein recommended!

Having arranged his affairs for his departure to England, on the 14th of May, after an affectionate parting with Bishop Asbury and several of the preachers who were assembled in Philadelphia, Dr. Coke set sail for London, where he arrived in safety after a short and pleasant voyage. On his arrival in England, at this eventful crisis in the history of Methodism, he found that suspicions had been engendered in the circle of his acquaintance respecting the purity of his motives in hastening from his work in America. Though his future conduct put to silence all such suspicions, yet to a mind alive to every thing which would affect his reputation, and thereby wound the holy cause in which he was engaged, it was no small trial of his faith and patience to have the purity of his motives questioned, or his conduct unjustly censured. In the midst of these conflicts, confiding in the integrity of his own heart, and relying upon the protection of him who had been a never-failing source of consolation to him, both in adversity and prosperity, Dr. Coke silently bowed to the inscrutable ways of divine Providence, while in the meantime he was cheered by the reception of the following friendly and sympathizing letter from Bishop Asbury, which, as belonging to the history of the times, and as exemplifying the spirit and manner in which the writer employed his time, is given entire. It is as follows: — “Rev. and Most Dear Sir, — If yet in time, this brings greeting.

Rejoice with me that the last has been a year of general blessing to the church of God in this wilderness. We humbly hope two thousand souls were born of God, one of which is well ascertained in Jersey and York. East, west, north, and south, the glory of God spreads. “I have served the Church upward of twenty-five years in Europe and America. All the property I have gained is two old horses, the constant companions of my toil, six if not seven thousand miles every year. When we have no ferryboats, they swim the rivers. As to clothing, I am nearly the same as at the first: neither have I silver nor gold, nor any property. My confidential friends know that I lie not in this matter. I am resolved not to claim any property in the Book Concern. Increase as it may, it will be sacred to invalid preachers, the college, and the schools. I would not have my name mentioned as doing, having, being any thing but dust. “I soar, indeed, but it is over the tops of the highest mountains we have, which may vie with the Alps. I creep sometimes upon my hands and knees up the slippery ascent; and to serve the Church, and the ministers of it, what I gain is many a reflection from both sides of the Atlantic. I have lived long enough to be loved and hated, to be admired and feared. “If it were not for the suspicions of some, and the pride and ignorance of others, I am of opinion I could make provision by collections, profits on books, and donations in land, to take two thousand children under the best plan or education ever known in this country. The Lord begins to smile on our Kingswood school. One promising young man is gone forth, another is ready, and several have been under awakenings. None so healthy and orderly as our children; and some promise great talents for learning. The obstinate and ignorant oppose, among preachers and people, while the judicious for good sense and piety, in church and state, admire and applaud. I am, with most dutiful respect, as ever, your son in the gospel, “Francis Asbury.” This letter shows not only the high sense which Bishop Asbury entertained for the character of Dr. Coke, his ardent desire for his welfare, and the prosperity of the work of God in the conversion of sinners, but also the great interest he took in the cause of education, affirming that none but the “obstinate and ignorant” opposed their laudable efforts to extend its benefits to the youth of our land; and that the judicious in church and state admired and applauded the literary institution which they had established. And though Providence seemed to frown upon the praiseworthy attempts which they made in the case of education, it was never lost sight of by its friends, but, as we shall see in the course of our history, finally became an integral part of the general system of diffusing the lights of knowledge and Christianity among the inhabitants of this western world. That, however which cheered their hearts and animated them with fresh courage to pursue their way, in the midst of the signals of mourning which were hung out as tokens of sorrow for the loss of such a man as John Wesley, was the ingathering of souls into the fold of Christ, and the continual expansion of their field of gospel labor. While the strife of tongues was heard uttering reproach upon their character and conduct, conscious of the integrity of their hearts, and the purity of their motive, they rejoiced in beholding the right hand of their God stretched out to do them good, to sanction the efforts of their hearts and hands. The following will show the result of this year’s labor: — Numbers in the Church: Whites This year, 50,385, Last year, 45,949; Increase, 4,436; Colored This year, 12,884, Last year, 11,682; Increase, 1,202; [Corrected] Total This year, 63,269, [11] Last year, 57,631; Increase, 5,638; Preachers This year, 250, Last year, 227; Increase 23.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE SEVERAL ANNUAL CONFERENCES, AND OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF 1792.

There were no less than eighteen annual conferences held this year, the particulars of which, however, it seem unnecessary to notice, except that the following new circuits were added: Scoperlong and Trent, in North Carolina; Highco, in the south; Oconee and Elbert, in Georgia; Staten Island and Tioga, in New York; Needham in Massachusetts; Providence, in Rhode Island; Cataraqua and Oswegotchie, in Upper Canada.

The above-mentioned eighteen conferences were attended by Bishop Asbury in about eight months, during which time he traveled through most of the states in the Union, preaching, as usual, almost every day, and suffering many hardships: but in the midst of all, he rejoiced in beholding the extension of the work of God in many places.

This year he passed into the state of Tennessee, and preached to the people in that newly settled country. And as this is the first account we have of the introduction of Methodism into that country, it seems proper to give some account of its early settlement.

The earliest settlements made in Tennessee were about 1770, by emigrants from North Carolina and Virginia; and the country was considered a part of the former state until the year 1790, when it was erected by congress into the “Territory south of Ohio;” and in 1795, Tennessee was admitted into the Union as one of the federal states.

As to the general state of religion and morals at the time the Methodist preachers first visited Tennessee, our information is very imperfect. It is to be presumed, however, that, as in most new countries, the means of grace were within the reach of but few, and that those hardy adventurers who first peopled the wilderness of this new territory were chiefly actuated by a desire to enlarge their earthly possessions, and not, like the pilgrims who first settled New England, to insure religious privileges, as these were fully enjoyed at home. Some idea, however, may be had, of the general state of society from the fact, that the tour of Bishop Asbury through the wilderness was in company with a guard, and amid “confused accounts of Indians,” who, they feared, would intercept their path; and the following extract from his Journal, giving an account of his entrance from Tennessee into the state of Kentucky, will show some of the hardships which he and others had to undergo while carrying the “glad tidings of salvation” into this wilderness, and likewise exhibit some of the honors conferred upon this “strutting bishop,” as some of his heartless revilers have called him. He says, — “ Wednesday 5. This morning we again swam the river,” (namely, Laurel River,) “and the west fork thereof. My little horse was ready to fail. I was steeped with water up to the waist. About o’clock, with hard pushing, we reached the Crab Orchard. How much I have suffered in this journey is only known to God and myself. What added much to its disagreeableness was the extreme filthiness of the houses.”

Again he says, under date of May 1, — “An alarm was spreading of a depredation committed by the Indians on the east and west frontiers of the settlements; in the former, report says, one man was killed; in the latter, many men, women, and children; every thing is in motion. There having been so many about me at conference, my rest was much broken I hoped to repair it, and get refreshed before I set out to return through the wilderness, but the continual arrival of people until midnight, the barking of dogs, and other annoyances prevented. Next night we reached Crab Orchard, where thirty or forty people were compelled to crowd into one mean house. We could get no more rest here than we did in the wilderness. We came the old way by Scagg’s Creek and Rock Castle, supposing it to be safer, as it is a road less frequented, and therefore less liable to be waylaid by the savages. My body by this time was well tried. I had a violent fever and pain in my head; and I stretched myself on the cold ground, and borrowing clothes to keep me warm, by the mercy of God, I slept for five hours. Next morning we set off early, and passed beyond Richland Creek. Here we were in danger, if anywhere. I could have slept, but was afraid. Seeing the drowsiness of the company, I walked the encampment, and watched the sentries the whole night. Early next morning we made our way to Robinson’s Station. We had the best company I ever met with — thirty-six good travelers and a few warriors; but we had a packhorse, some old men, and two tired horses.” He adds: — “Through infinite mercy we came safe:” and then he exclaims, “Rest, poor house of clay from such exertions! Return, O my soul, to thy rest!”

Let the present race of Methodist preachers and missionaries look at this picture, and learn from it how the fields were won by such veteran soldiers of the cross.

Having performed this journey through these newly settled countries, he returned to the older states, and attended the several conferences, as before stated, preparatory to the General Conference, which met in the city of Baltimore.

At these conferences, two preachers, namely, Beverly Allen and Andrew Harpending were expelled from the Church for immoral conduct.

Thomas Weatherford, Peter Massie, and George Browning had died in peace. Fourteen were located The work of God was generally prosperous, though the increase was not so large as in some former years, as may be seen by the following statement: — Numbers in the Church: Whites This year, 52,109, Last year, 50,385; Increase 1,724; Colored This year, 13,871, Last year, 12,884; Increase, 987; Total This year, 65,980, Last year, 63,269; Increase, 2,711; Preachers This year, 266, Last year, 250; Increase, 16.

GENERAL CONFERENCE OF As has been seen in the preceding pages, the general affairs of the Church had been conducted heretofore chiefly in the several annual conferences, which were considered only as so many parts of the whole body; for nothing was allowed binding upon all unless it were approved of by each and every of these separate conferences. It is true, that the Christmas conference of 1784, at which the Church was organized, was considered a general conference, because all the preachers were invited to attend, for the transaction of the important business then and there to be submitted to them; and therefore the acts and doings of that conference were considered to be binding upon the whole Church. As the work continually increased and spread over such a large and extended territory, it was found impracticable for all the preachers to assemble annually in one place, without too great a consumption of time and expense; and hence the practice which had been adopted of appointing several conferences in the same year in different parts of the country, for the convenience of both the bishop and the preachers; but as one of these conferences could not make laws for all the rest, nor yet all the rest for that one without its consent; and as it was not likely that so many independent bodies could be brought to harmonize in all things pertaining to the welfare of the Church; there was danger from this state of things of a dissolution of the body, and the establishment of a number of separate and distinct communities, acting independently of each other.

To prevent evils of this character, and to create a center of union to the entire body, the council had been instituted; but this unpopular measure, not answering the end of its organization, was by general consent dissolved, and a General Conference called in its place. This was, it seems, agreed upon by the several annual conferences which had been held this year.

This conference assembled in the city of Baltimore on the first day of November, 1792, and was composed of all the traveling preachers who had been received into full connection. As this was considered the first regular General Conference, and as those who composed it came together under an expectation that very important matters would be transacted, it seems proper to give a particular account of their acts and doings. Dr. Coke had returned from Europe, and presided, conjointly with Bishop Asbury, over their deliberations.

As there were no restrictions upon the powers of this conference, the entire Discipline of the Church came up for review and revision; but to prevent, as far as possible, any improper innovation upon existing rules, or the premature adoption of new regulations, they agreed that “it shall take two-thirds of all the members of the conference to make any new rule, or abolish an old one; but a majority may alter or amend any rule.”

They soon had an opportunity to try the strength of this rule in preserving them from an innovation upon established usage, in respect to the power of stationing the preachers. With a view to keep up the itinerancy through the medium of an efficient general superintendency it had been established at the Christmas conference, and incorporated as a rule of Discipline, that the power of appointing the preachers to their several stations should be invested in the bishops. With this some had become dissatisfied; and at this conference the Rev. James O’Kelly, a very popular preacher in the state of Virginia, who had acted as a presiding elder in that district for several years, brought forward the following resolution: — “After the bishop appoints the preachers at the conference to their several circuits, if any one think himself injured by the appointment, he shall have liberty to appeal to the conference and state his objections; and if the conference approve his objections, the bishop shall appoint him to another circuit.”

This resolution elicited a very strong debate, which lasted for about three days, and was finally lost by a large majority. This gave great dissatisfaction to the mover and some of his particular friends, and the next morning he sent a letter to the conference, informing them that he could no longer hold his seat among them, because his appeal was rejected. With a view to remove his objections, and reconcile him to the present order of things, a committee was appointed by the conference to confer with Mr. O’Kelly and his partisans; but their labors were ineffectual, and they withdrew from the Church, and soon began to adopt measures for establishing a separate party.

During the discussion which arose on the above resolution, as it necessarily brought up questions in which the character and conduct of Bishop Asbury were deeply involved, with a view to leave the members of the conference at full liberty to speak their sentiments without restraint, the bishop withdrew from the conference room, and sent them the following note: — “My Dear Brethren, — Let my absence give you no pain: Dr.

Coke presides. I am happily excused from assisting to make laws by which myself am to be governed: I have only to obey and execute. I am happy in the consideration that I never stationed a preacher through enmity or as a punishment. I have acted for the glory of God, and the good of the people, and to promote the usefulness of the preachers. Are you sure that if you please your selves, that the people will be as fully satisfied? They often say, ‘Let us have such a preacher,’ and sometimes, ‘We will not have such a preacher — we will sooner pay him to stay at home.’

Perhaps I must say, ‘His appeal forced him upon you.’ I am one — ye are many. I am as willing to serve you as ever. I want not to sit in any man’s way. I scorn to solicit votes. I am a very trembling, poor creature, to hear praise or dispraise. Speak your minds freely; but remember, you are only making laws for the present time. It may be, that as in some other things, so in this: a future day may give you further light. I am yours, etc., “Francis Asbury .” As the secession of Mr. O’Kelly from the Methodist Episcopal Church was the first of any considerable magnitude which had happened, I shall, after having completed the account of the doings of the conference, endeavor to place it fully before the reader, together with its effects upon the Church, as well as upon himself and his party.

As before said, this conference entered into a full review of the doctrine and Discipline of the Church, altering some old, and introducing several new regulations, some of the most important of which I shall notice. The following was made respecting the selection, consecration, and trial of a bishop: — “Question How is a bishop to be constituted in future? “Answer By the election of the General Conference, and the laying on of the hands of three bishops, or at least of one bishop and two elders. “Question If by death, expulsion, or otherwise, there be no bishop remaining in our Church, what shall we do? “Answer The General Conference shall elect a bishop, the elders, or any three of them, that shall be appointed by the General Conference for that purpose, shall ordain him according to our office of ordination. “Question To whom is the bishop amenable for his conduct? “Answer To the General Conference, who have power to expel him for improper conduct, if they see it necessary. “Question What provision shall be made for the trial of an immoral bishop, in the intervals of the General Conference? “Answer If the bishop be guilty of immorality, three traveling elders shall call upon him, and examine him on the subject; and if the three elders verily believe that the bishop is guilty of the crime, they shall call to their aid two presiding elders from two districts in the neighborhood of that where the crime was committed, each of which presiding elder shall bring with him two elders, or an elder and a deacon. The above-mentioned nine persons shall form a conference to examine into the charges brought against the bishop; and if two-thirds of them verily believe him to be guilty of the crime laid to his charge, they shall have authority to suspend the bishop until the ensuing General Conference.”

Though a number of circuits had been given in charge to an elder, from the time of the organization in 1784, yet this had been done chiefly by the authority of the general superintendency, without any express enactment of the General Conference — it was a usage which grew out of the exigencies of the case, the circumstances of the country, and the paucity of ordained ministers. As some had objected to this usage, and expressed doubts respecting the authority of the bishop to make such appointments, the present conference authorized the appointment of presiding elders by the bishop, who should change them at pleasure, provided, nevertheless, that he should “not allow an elder to preside in the same district more than four years successively;” and he was to receive his support out of any surplus money which might be found on a circuit, or if there were no surplus, he was to take his proportion with the several preachers on his district. For the particular duties of a presiding elder, see chap. i, sec. 5, of the Discipline.

Though temporary provision had been made for the wives of traveling preachers, yet until this conference no express rule existed giving them a claim upon the funds of the Church. A rule was now passed allowing the wife an equal claim with her husband, namely, “sixty-four dollars annually,” the nominal amount which had been allowed to a traveling preacher, besides his traveling expenses.

It seems that heretofore the preachers had not been in the habit, nor was it considered lawful, to receive any thing for performing the marriage ceremony; but this prohibition was removed out of the way at this conference, by allowing them to receive whatever might be offered them by those whom they joined in matrimony.

The former usage respecting marriage fees, as well as the following question and answer, which were adopted at this conference; shows how exceedingly scrupulous were our fathers in the church on the subject of compensation for preaching the gospel; and if they deserve censure for any thing, we might feel disposed to administer a gentle rebuke for carrying self-sacrifice to such unreasonable, and, as is thought, unscriptural lengths; for it seems to have led the people to believe that their ministers should hardly “live by the gospel,” or “those which wait at the altar should” not be “partakers with the altar.” “Question What plan shall we pursue in appropriating the money received by our traveling ministers for marriage fees? “Answer In all the circuits where the preachers do not receive their full quarterage, let all such money be given into the hands of the stewards, and be equally divided between the traveling preachers of the circuit. In all other cases the money shall be disposed of at the discretion of the district conferences.”

AND AT THE CLOSE OF THE SECTION THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPH WAS ADDED, WHICH, HOWEVER, HAS LONG SINCE CEASED TO BE A RULE: — “No minister or preacher shall receive any money for deficiencies, or on any other account, out of any of our funds or collections, without first giving an exact account of all the money, clothes, and other presents of every kind, which he has received the preceding year.”

Though this rule was made with the very laudable desire to reduce all to as equal a level as possible, and thereby to prevent jealousies which might arise from one being more highly honored than another in pecuniary matters, it was soon found to have an unfavorable bearing in many respects; and as before said, was finally, and with good reason, erased from the Discipline.

With a view to prevent impositions, from unworthy persons obtruding themselves into societies where they were not known, the following advice was given to all who had the charge of circuits: — “To warn all, from time to time, that none are to remove from one circuit to another, without a recommendation from a preacher of the circuit in these words: — A. B., the bearer, has been an acceptable member in C., and to inform them that without such a certificate they will not be received into other societies.”

This is a standing rule in the Discipline.

The rule respecting the method of settling disputes which might arise between brethren “concerning the payment of debts,” was adopted at this time and afterward modified from time to time, until at the first delegated conference, which sat in the city of New York, in 1812, it was made as it now stands in the Discipline, chap. i, sec. 9. There can be no doubt but that this regulation has had a most happy effect in preventing expensive lawsuits and all those litigations in reference to matters which engender strife and alienate affection.

The section regulating the “method by which immoral traveling ministers or preachers shall be brought to trial, found guilty, and reproved or suspended, in the intervals of the conferences,” was considerably modified at this conference; but it had been altered and amended from one General Conference to another, until 1836, when it was so amended as to read as it now stands in the Discipline, chap. i, sec. 18.

The resolution not to “receive a present for administering baptism, or for burying the dead,” was passed at this conference; and it remained unaltered until 1828, when the words “receive a present” were exchanged for “make a charge.” See chap. i, sec. 21.

The twenty-second section of the same chapter, relating to the manner of conducting public worship, was incorporated in the Discipline, and the twenty-fourth section of the same chapter so modified as to discourage the use of fugue tunes, and the attending of singing schools not under our direction.

As provision had been made for supernumerary preachers, the conference appended the following explanatory note respecting the character of such: — “A supernumerary preacher is one so worn out in the itinerant service as to be rendered incapable of preaching constantly; but at the same time is willing to do any work in the ministry which the conference may direct, and his strength will enable him to perform.”

Before the conference adjourned, they passed a resolution to have another General Conference at the end of four years, to be convened in the city of Baltimore, November 1, 1796, and that it should be composed of all the traveling preachers who should be in full connection at the time it was to be held.

It was very manifest from what had taken place at this conference, and especially from the temper and conduct of Mr. O’Kelly and his partisans, that a spirit of insubordination was abroad, and that a division of the body would be likely to result from an improper indulgence in speaking against the constituted authorities of the Church. To prevent, as far as practicable, the evils naturally resulting from the course of conduct to be apprehended from those dissentient brethren, and such as they might influence to a spirit of opposition, the conference very opportunely passed the following rule: — If a member of our Church shall be clearly convicted of endeavoring to sow dissensions in any of our societies, by inveighing against either our doctrine or discipline, such person so offending shall be first reproved by the senior preacher of his circuit; and if he afterward persist in such pernicious practices, he shall be expelled the society.”

This leads us to notice now more particularly the secession of Mr. O’Kelly, and the effects it produced upon the cause of religion generally in that part of the country where he more especially operated, and finally upon himself and his adherents. It has already been remarked that Mr. O’Kelly was a very popular preacher, of considerable age and standing in the Church, had acquired great influence in Virginia, and particularly over the minds of the younger preachers in his district.

The reasons which induced him to withdraw from the Church have been before stated. Mr. Lee says, that while he stood and looked at the old man as he took his departure from Baltimore, he felt persuaded that he would not long be idle, but would endeavor to put himself at the head of a party, which, indeed, soon came to pass. Mr. Lee moreover says, that a preacher informed him that O’Kelly denied the doctrine of the Trinity, as held by us; and that it was his intention to have had O’Kelly tried at the conference for preaching false doctrine; and therefore he believed that one cause of his leaving the connection was a fear of being censured for his anti-Methodistical views in respect to this doctrine. However this may be, he soon raised a cry against the Church he had left, and poured forth his anathemas more particularly upon the head of Bishop Asbury, whose power in stationing the preachers he had so violently opposed. To these complaints Bishop Asbury replies, in his sententious style as follows: — “I bid such adieu, and appeal to the bar of God. I have no time to contend, having better work to do. If we lose some children, God will give us more. Ah! this is the mercy, the justice of some, who, under God, owe their all to me and my tyrants, so called. The Lord judge between them and me.”

After Mr. O’Kelly set up for himself, he published a pamphlet, the contents of which it is not necessary at this day to recite, which was answered by the Rev. Mr. Snethen, in which the bishop is fully vindicated from all the aspersions of his enemies.

Though all the traveling preachers, except one, who withdrew with O’Kelly, returned to the Church, yet there were several local preachers, and a considerable number of private members, who became warmly attached to him, and they made several efforts to organize themselves into a church more in conformity to their notions of republican principles, until finally they renounced all creeds and confessions, and professed to take the New Testament alone for the role of their government, claiming the right, of course, to interpret it according to their own views of order and propriety; and as party politics ran high in Virginia at that time, they took the popular name of “Republican Methodists,” with James O’Kelly as their head man.

In the latter part of the year 1793 they began to form societies on a plan which should exclude all superiority of one preacher over another, and at the same time promised to the people greater liberties than they could enjoy among their old brethren. This popular theme took with many, by which means hundreds of the people were induced to forsake the Methodist Episcopal Church, and to join the standard of revolt, so that in some places whole societies were broken up, and others divided and thrown into confusion, taking with them some houses of worship, while others were voluntarily left by our preachers, to avoid a thriftless contention.

As Mr. O’Kelly lived in the southern part of Virginia, the spirit of disaffection spread among some of the societies in North Carolina, infecting a number of local preachers, as well as several societies. What rendered this separation more destructive in its effects upon the interests of pure religion, was the bitterness of spirit with which it was conducted, especially in its hostility to bishops, and, as they called them, their servile creatures, the presiding elders — though the leader of the party had himself been a presiding elder for several years. Such are the inconsistencies of fanaticism, when impelled on by personal animosity.

This spirit, under the guidance of such minds, could not do otherwise than produce disastrous results to the interests of true religion. Instead of contending against sin and its pernicious effects, the party seemed to exhaust all their powers against episcopacy, and those debatable points of church government and economy which have always elicited less or more of controversy, and which these disputants were least of all likely to set at rest. And this controversy had such an effect upon the minds of many who were not under the influence of a religious principle that they became deeply prejudiced against all religion; and thus the secession was doubtless a means of hardening them in their iniquity.

Finding at length that the title already assumed was not likely to answer the purpose intended, Mr. O’Kelly published a pamphlet in 1801, in which he called his party “The Christian Church.” This device, however, did not dissolve the charm by which those deluded men were induced to follow their leader, until a happy thought led them to conclude that by assuming such a title they proscribed all others from the Christian character; and thus becoming startled at their own exclusiveness, they began to contend among themselves, and then to divide and subdivide; until in a few years scarcely a vestige of them was to be found in all Virginia. So ended this secession from the Methodist Episcopal Church, which began in the obstinate attachment of a vain man to his favorite theory, and ended in the entire overthrow of his power and popularity, and carried along with it, as is greatly to be feared, many to destruction. But what were its effects upon the prime leader of the revolt? Though he succeeded for a time to draw off disciples after him, and to excite a deep-rooted prejudice against the General Conference and Bishop Asbury, he gradually declined in power and influence, lost the confidence and affection of the people generally, and finally died in comparative obscurity, leaving behind him a sad picture of human infirmity, and a melancholy evidence of the pernicious effects of cleaving so obstinately to a theory which, right or wrong, is condemned as inexpedient by a majority of the good men with whom he may be associated. As, however, Bishop Asbury bore such a conspicuous part in this controversy, and was made the butt of so many abusive epithets, it is pleasant to witness the Christian disposition he manifested toward his fallen antagonist near the close of Mr. O’Kelly’s life. Under date of Friday, August 20, 1802, he says, — “Mr. O’Kelly having been taken ill in town,” (that is, the town of Winchester, Va.,) “I sent two of our brethren, Reed and Wells, to see him, by whom I signified to him that if he wished to see me, I would wait on him: he desired a visit, which I made him on Monday, August 23. We met in peace, asked of each other’s welfare, talked of persons and things indifferently, prayed, and parted in peace. Not a word was said of the troubles of former times. Perhaps this is the last interview we shall have upon earth.”

It is to be hoped, therefore, from the manner in which this interview was sought and obtained, conducted and ended, that ere death separated them, old differences and animosities were forgotten, and that the God of mercy extended that mercy to Mr. O’Kelley which they, as is presumed, extended to each other, and that he now rests where his “iniquities are forgotten and his sins covered.”

It may be proper to remark, however, that it was a long time before the societies in Virginia fully recovered from the deleterious effects of this secession. The spirits of many were exasperated against each other, brotherly love was greatly diminished, and as a consequence necessarily resulting from this state of things, the influence of the Church upon the public mind was much weakened and circumscribed, and the preaching of the gospel under these circumstances was not attended with its wonted effects. By a steady perseverance, however, these sad results of a pertinacious adherence to a favorite theory gradually subsided; and the cause of God, as proposed and advocated by the Methodist ministry, has since greatly prospered in that part of the country.

A few remarks will close the present volume.

Methodism had now existed in this country about thirty-six years, and numbered in its communion, including preachers and people, white and colored, sixty-six thousand, two hundred and forty-six souls. The entire population of the United Stales at that time was about four millions; if we allow three minors and others, who attended upon public worship among them, to each communicant, the population of the Methodist Episcopal Church would amount to about one hundred and ninety-eight thousand.

According to the this estimation, about one-twentieth part of the entire population were brought under Methodist influence in the short space of thirty-six years. This, it should he remembered, had been effected from nothing, that is, we had no church members with whom to begin, except the few solitary emigrants from Ireland, as noted in the second chapter of this work.

In this respect our circumstances were different from all the principal denominations in the country. From the very beginning of the settlements, the members of the English Church, the Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Dutch Reformed, Lutherans, and the Baptists were here established, some of them in some of the colonies by law, and in others in conformity to the ecclesiastical organizations in the respective countries whence they came.

They were, therefore, all here before us, peaceably enjoying all their immunities, civil and religious. Whereas when the Methodists arrived they had to begin every thing anew, and to contend with all sorts of opposition, and to work their way unaided by any human power, except so far as they were favored by those, from time to time, who were convinced of the truth of their doctrine, and the Scriptural character of their economy.

From these facts it is easy to perceive the vast advantages, so far as mere human agency is concerned, those denominations possessed over the Methodists. Those biases arising from religious habits, from education, and from legal protection, were all in their favor. The seminaries of learning, high and low, were under their control, and all the civil offices were filled by men belonging either to some one of these denominations, or from among those who had their religion yet to choose, or by such as were biased by infidel principles. And, moreover, for a period of eighteen years, which includes just one half the time we had had an existence here, the Methodists were but a society, and consequently were dependent upon other denominations for the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper.

Yet, under all these disadvantages, they prospered abundantly, increased in number and strength, and had spread themselves over the length and breadth of the land.

Now the question which forces itself upon us is, To what were they indebted for this unexampled prosperity? It cannot be attributed to the influence they possessed over the public mind — for, in fact, they had none, only so far as it was gained in the midst of obloquy and opposition, as their doctrine, character, and labors became gradually known to the people.

Neither can it be attributed to their learning or profound knowledge.

Though their founders were both able and learned, yet the first missionaries who came to this country, though men of sound understanding and well read in the sacred Scriptures, were by no means learned, according to the common acceptation of that word; and as to those who were, from time to time, raised up here, some of them hardly understood their mother tongue correctly, and but few could boast of any thing more than a common English education. While they were men of strong common sense and sound judgment, and some of them possessed a great flow of natural eloquence, yet, having been taken chiefly from the common walks of life, they enjoyed none of those qualifications which arise from a classical and scientific course of study. They were, however, “mighty in the Scriptures,” “full of faith and the Holy Ghost,” and “needed not that any one should teach them which be the first principles of Christ,” for they could call “him Christ by the Holy Spirit,” having received the “witness in themselves that they were born of God.”

These facts force us to the conclusion that their prosperity must be attributed to the blessing of God upon their labors. They, in fact, encountered a host of opposers. The entire religious community, as well as the vicious rabble and the infidel part of the community, were arrayed against them. The prejudices of education, of sectarianism, of the depravity of unregenerate sinners, and the rivalry of denominational jealousy, were in hostility to the progress of Methodism. Yet, in spite of all this mighty phalanx of opposing forces, it won its way among the people, converting thousands to its standard. We therefore say again, that its forward course can be accounted for only by supposing the sanction of the most high God upon their labors.

But will God give his sanction to bad men? Surely he will not. Those men, therefore, who were engaged in this cause were eminently holy and good.

They professed to have an experience of divine things upon the heart, and to be moved by the Holy Ghost to this work. They spoke therefore of the things which they had felt and seen, and God bore testimony to their word. Instead of amusing the people with mere speculative truths, they addressed themselves directly to the heart, aiming, above all other things, to effect a radical reformation there, knowing full well that a reformation of life would necessarily follow. It was this mode of preaching which gave such success to their efforts, and inspired the confidence of those who had an experimental knowledge of divine things.

It has been said that God gave his sanction to their labors. We do not wish to be misunderstood upon this subject. We do not infer the blessing of God upon the labors of a ministry merely because proselytes are made.

Mohammed made proselytes to his false religion by the power of the sword faster than Jesus Christ did by the power of his miracles and the purity of his doctrine. And any impostor, or mere formal minister, by the fascinating charms of his eloquence, or the cunning artifices to which he will resort, may succeed in proselytizing others to his party without at all benefiting their souls, or reforming their lives. The mere multiplication of converts to a system is no proof of itself that it has the sanction of the God of truth and love.

We have not, therefore, enumerated the communicants of the Methodist Episcopal Church as an evidence, of itself, that its ministry were moving in obedience to God’s will, and in the order of his providence. Though they had been as “numerous as the sands upon the seashore,” had they been destitute of righteousness, they would be no proof that the instruments of their conversion were sent of God.

But what we insist upon is, that these men preached the pure doctrine of Jesus Christ, and that those who were converted by their instrumentality were really “brought from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” — that such a reformation of heart and life was effected as resulted in a uniform obedience to the commands of God; and that those who were brought under the doctrine and disciplinary regulations of this Church, brought forth the “fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” — thus giving evidence that they were indeed “born of the Spirit,” and enjoyed His witness of their adoption into the family of God.

We speak of them as a body. Though it is not probable that there were many hypocrites who came among them — there being no temptation to such to identify themselves with them — yet there were doubtless some such, and others who imposed upon themselves and others; and some who apostatized from the faith — these could not do otherwise than reproach the cause they had espoused. But whenever such were discovered, if they could not he reclaimed from their wanderings, the strict discipline which was enforced cut them off from the communion of the faithful; and thus was the Church freed from the responsibility of their conduct, and kept pure from their corrupting example. By this faithful preaching of the word, and enforcement of discipline, the main body was kept in a healthy state, and presented a living example of the purity and excellence of their religion.

This was a resistless argument in their favor.

Another thing which made them more extensively useful was, their itinerating mode of preaching the gospel. Had these ministers confined their labors to insulated congregations, as most of the ministers of other denominations did, they never could have realized that diffusive spread of evangelical religion which actually accompanied their efforts. Had John Wesley, instead of going forth into the “highways and hedges” to call sinners to repentance, settled himself over a parish, Methodism had been either “hid in a corner,” or never have had an existence. It was his itinerating so largely, and preaching wherever he could find access to the people, which gave such efficiency to his efforts, and such a wide spread to the gospel by his instrumentality.

But in this country especially, many parts of which were newly settled, and therefore but sparsely populated, had not those preachers carried the gospel to the people by traversing the country, they had remained destitute of the means of salvation. We may, therefore, attribute the success which attended their labors to the blessing of God on an itinerant ministry — on a ministry which went everywhere preaching, “not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit, and with power.” This it was which enabled them to “reach even beyond themselves,” in preaching the gospel of Christ, and of gathering thousands of souls into his fold.

These men devoted themselves entirely and exclusively to this work, remembering, as their Discipline admonished them, that it was “not their business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society, but to save as many souls as possible; to bring as many sinners as they can to repentance, and with all their power to build them up in holiness, “without which they cannot see the Lord.” It was this diligence in their calling, of being in soul and body devoted to it, which enabled them to accomplish so much in so short a time, and that, too, in the midst of reproach and opposition.

It was, indeed, this very devotion, this diligence, these zealous efforts in the cause of their divine Master, which provoked much of the opposition which they had to encounter. The lukewarm clergy were aroused to indignation at seeing themselves rivaled by those whom they affected to despise on account of their erratic habits and inferiority in point of literature and science. And as these zealous itinerants made their pointed appeals to the consciences of sinners, denounced the just judgments of God upon hardened offenders, their ire was often kindled against those who thus “reproved them in the gate.” Wherever these flaming messengers of Jesus Christ came, they disturbed the false peace of the lukewarm, awakened the conscience of the sleeping sinner, and gave him no rest until he surrendered his heart to Christ. They not only “preached in the great congregation” “in the city full,” but “into whatever house they entered,” they addressed themselves personally to its inmates, urging them to be “reconciled to God;” and they accompanied all their efforts by earnest prayer, both public and private, that God would sanction their labors by sending upon them the energies of the Holy Spirit.

The doctrines, too, which they principally insisted upon, had a direct tendency to produce the desired effect upon the heart and life. While they held, in common with other orthodox Christians, to the hereditary depravity of the human heart, the deity and atonement of Jesus Christ, the necessity of repentance and faith; that which they pressed upon their hearers with the greatest earnestness was, the necessity of the new birth, and the privilege of their having a knowledge, by the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, of the forgiveness of sins, through, faith in the blood of Christ; and as a necessary consequence of this, and as naturally flowing from it, provided they persevered, holiness of heart and life. On this topic they dwelt with an emphasis and an earnestness peculiar to themselves.

The doctrine itself, though held by most orthodox churches, as is manifest from their articles of faith and formularies of religion, was allowed to sleep in their books, or was not brought before the people with that prominence which its importance demands, and with that particularity and definiteness which its vitality in the Christian system renders essential to the success of the gospel ministry.

But on this vital point the Methodist ministers bent their whole force. If they pressed upon the sinner a sense of his depravity and actual guilt, it was to make him feel the necessity of repentance and forgiveness. If they presented to him the death of Christ, as the meritorious cause of the sinner’s salvation, it was to encourage him to look to that source for pardon in his blood. If the Holy Spirit was spoken of as the helper of our infirmities, and as a leader into all truth, it was that he might be claimed by the penitent sinner as the sealer of his pardon, and as a witnesser of his “acceptance in the Beloved.” Thus all the doctrines of the gospel were brought to have a bearing on this point, that all who were induced to “seek after God” might have no rest until they found “redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

By preaching this doctrine everywhere, to all classes of people, making it prominent in every sermon, and exhibiting it as the common privilege of all penitent sinners to experience, they were blessed of God in their labors, and rejoiced over returning prodigals to their Father’s house.

From all these facts — and that they are facts is attested by every person who is at all acquainted with our history — we conclude that this work was eminently the work of God. Who will say it was not? Whoever does this must also say, that men by mere human effort, unassisted by the Holy Spirit, may turn more sinners from the error of their ways, and bring them into all holy living, than all the clergy in the country beside! Or else they must deny that sinners were thus converted from the error of their ways.

But to deny this, would be to fly in the face of the plainest facts on record — facts attested by thousands of witnesses. And to assert the former, that such a reformation may be effected by human persuasion alone, is to deny the necessity of the gospel to reform sinners from their sinfulness — it is, in fact, saying that the gospel is a “cunningly devised fable,” totally unnecessary for the salvation of a lost world. For if sinners may be reformed by means of “enticing words of man’s wisdom,” then may we dispense with the gospel, with the blood of Christ, and the energies of the Holy Spirit. But as all orthodox Christians acknowledge the indispensable necessity of these to renovate the sinner’s heart, and to make him holy all manner of conversation, it follows most conclusively, that the reformation which accompanied the labors of the Methodist ministry was the work of God.