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

my father's neighborhood. The Conference was then composed of all the traveling elders. The strong
men of Methodism were there, and such a noble class of men I had never beheld. There were Philip
Bruce, Jesse Lee, George Roberts, John Bloodgood, William P. Chandler, John McClaskey, Ezekiel
Cooper, Nicholas Snethen, Thomas Morrell, Joseph Totten, Lawrence McCombs, Thomas F.
Sargent, William Burke, William McKendree, and others. These were representative men, who laid
the broad foundations of Methodism east, west, north, and south. What a privilege to hear them
debate, and listen to their sermons! Such was the health of Bishop Asbury that he thought of
resigning; but the Conference, in order to relieve him, authorized him to take an elder as a traveling
companion. They elected Richard Whatcoat bishop, he having a majority of four votes over Jesse
Lee. I witnessed the excitement attending the different ballotings. The first, no election; the second,
a tie; the third, Richard Whatcoat was elected." [3]
The same authority gives a momentary view of the ordination Sabbath. "Sunday, the 18th, was
a great day in Baltimore among the Methodists. The ordination sermon was preached by Rev.
Thomas Coke, LL.D., in Light Street Church. Crowds at an early hour thronged the temple. The
doctor preached from Rev. ii, 8: 'And unto the angel of the church at Smyrna write; These things
saith the First and the Last, which was dead and is alive,' etc. After the sermon, which was adapted
to the occasion, Richard Whatcoat was ordained a bishop in the Church of God by the imposition
of the hands of Dr. Coke and Bishop Asbury, assisted by several elders. Never were holy hands laid
upon a holier head. In those days we went 'out into the highways and hedges and compelled them
to come in.' That afternoon Jesse Lee preached in the market-house on Howard's Hill, from John
xvii, 3: 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom
thou has sent.' The Lord was there in a powerful manner. Several were converted."
Asbury records a single paragraph of but fifteen lines respecting the session. "Two days," he says,
"were spent in considering about Dr. Coke's return to Europe, part of two days on Richard Whatcoat
for a bishop, and one day in raising the salary of the itinerant preachers from sixty-four to eighty
dollars per year. We had one hundred and sixteen members present. The unction that attended the
word was great; more than one hundred souls, at different times and places, professed conversion
during the Conference. I was weary, but sat very close in Conference. My health is better than when
we began." Whatcoat writes but nine lines about it. He says: "We had a most blessed time and much
preaching, fervent prayers, and strong exhortations through the city, while the high praises of our
gracious God reverberated from street to street, and from house to house, which greatly alarmed the
citizens. It was thought that not less than two hundred were converted during the sitting of our
Conference." [4]
Lee writes, that "such a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord has not been felt in that
[5]
town for some years." He seems to have suffered little from his defeat in the episcopal election,
for he was meanwhile as active as ever in the stirring scenes around him, preaching with great power
in the churches and the streets. In reviewing the occasion he says, "I believe we never had so good
a General Conference before. We had the greatest speaking and the greatest union of affections that
we ever had on a like occasion." [6]
Boehm says: "During this Conference I became acquainted with many choice spirits, both among
the ministry and laity; among the rest Dr. Thomas Coke. I not only had the pleasure of hearing the