History of the M.E. Church, Vol. IV - Media Sabda Org

the expediency of increasing the number of annual Conferences. The legality of the organization of
the Genesee Conference, two years before, had been questioned; the Conference now sanctioned that
measure. It also divided the Western Conference into two, the Ohio and the Tennessee, and
authorized the bishops to form another, "down the Mississippi," if they should judge it expedient.
After protracted debate the ordination of local preachers, as elders, was voted: but only for localities
where the "official service of local elders might be necessary, and "provided that no slave-holder
shall be eligible to the office of local elder in any state or territory where the civil laws will admit
emancipation, and suffer the liberated slave to enjoy his freedom." It was ordered that the Magazine,
which had been published in 1?59 and 790, should be revived, but it was not, till six years later. The
preceding session had disapproved of the manuscript of Lee's "History of the Methodists," which had
been submitted to the examination of a committee; the Conference now voted that the annual
Conferences should collect, by committees, historical materials, and the New York Conference
employ a historian to prepare them for publication; a proceeding which seems to have been soon
forgotten. It was ordered that stewards should no longer be appointed by the preacher in charge, but
be nominated by him, and appointed by the quarterly Conference. Annual Conferences were allowed
to provide funds for the relief of their own preachers, and "for mission purposes." Axley stood up
persistently for his " temperance" reform, moving repeatedly, against motions to lay on the table, that
"no stationed or local preacher shall retail spirituous or malt liquors without forfeiting his ministerial
character among us." At the third effort he was defeated. David Young moved that "the Conference
inquire into the nature and moral tendency of slavery." The motion was laid on the table, but the
question was irrepressible. The Conference sent forth a long and fervent pastoral address, in which,
among many important counsels, it paid some respect to Axley's defeated motions. "It is with regret,"
it says," that we have seen the use of ardent spirits, dram-drinking, etc., common among the
Methodists. We have endeavored to suppress the practice by our example, but it is necessary that we
add precept to example; and we really think it not consistent with the character of a Christian to be
immersed in the practice of distilling or retailing an article so destructive to the morals of society,
and we do most earnestly recommend the annual Conferences and our people to join with us in
making a firm and constant stand against an evil which has ruined thousands both in time and
eternity."
Two days were spent in a great debate on the question of the election of presiding elders by the
annual Conferences. Lee, Shinn, and Snethen were the leaders of the affirmative, and many of the
ablest delegates shared their opinions; but they were defeated, the bishops being known as
profoundly opposed to it. At every session of the General Conference, since 1784, down to 1828,
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(with the possible exception of that of 1804,) this question obtruded itself; arraying the chief men
of the ministry against each other in formidable parties. In the session of 1812 the majority against
the change was but three; the delegates of Philadelphia, New York, and Genesee were pledged to it;
the southern and western members were mostly opposed to it. Lee, Cooper, Garrettson, Ware,
Phoebus, and Hunt were its most strenuous advocates.
In 1816 the Conference again assembled on the first of May in Baltimore. The war with Great
Britain had just closed, and left, as has been noticed, some disturbance between the Wesleyan and
American Methodist bodies by the encroachment of Wesleyan missionaries on the Canadian
appointments. Case and Ryan were present to represent the Canadian Church on the subject; Black
and Bennett, from Nova Scotia, represented the Wesleyans. A letter from the English Missionary