A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org

and after the society had found him guilty, the officiating preacher was to pass sentence on him
according to the rules laid down in the form of our discipline. But in case the preacher should differ
in judgment from the society respecting the innocency or guilt of the accused person, he might refer
the business to the next quarterly-meeting where it should be determined.
Until this time our preachers were to give an account of all the private gifts they received, whether
it were money, clothing, or any thing else, towards their support; and it was to go in part of their
quarterage, or else it was to be applied to make up the deficiencies of the other preachers at the next
conference. At this conference it was agreed, the preacher might receive any present, and not give
an account thereof.
It was now determined that there should be seven annual conferences, and that of New England
should be divided. That one should be called the New England Conference, and the other the New
York Conference: and the bounds for each was fixed. It was then said, "Let each annual conference
pay its proportionable part toward the allowances of the bishops." This was the first time that a
regular plan was laid for the support of the bishops; formerly the bishop received the greater part of
his support from private friends; and the deficiency was generally made up by particular societies.
Another rule was made in the words following: "A record of the proceedings of each Annual
Conference, shall be kept by a secretary chosen for that purpose; and a copy of the said record shall
be sent to the General Conference."
We also formed a new rule respecting the next general conference, which was in the words
following: "No preacher shall have a right to sit as a member in the next general conference, unless
be is in full connection, and has been a traveling preacher four years." Previous to this time all our
preachers who had been admitted into full connection, were entitled to a seat in the general
conference, although they might have traveled only two years.
There was a new rule formed respecting the ordination of coloured, or black people, to the office
of Deacons, among us, which is in the following words: "The bishops have obtained leave by the
suffrages of the general conference, to ordain local deacons of our African brethren in places where
they have built a house or houses for the worship of God; provided they have a person among them
qualified for that office, and he can obtain an election of two-thirds of the male members of the
society to which he belongs, and a recommendation from the minister who has the charge, and from
his fellow-labourers in the city or circuit." Dated May 20, 1800.
This rule is at present but little known among the Methodist preachers themselves, owing to its
having never been printed; yet it is a regular rule which has been standing for nine years. When the
rule was formed, there were many of the preachers, especially from the southern states, that were
much opposed to it; but a majority of the preachers voting for it, it was carried: some that were
opposed, moved that it should not be printed in our Form of Discipline, and a vote of the conference
was obtained to enter it on the journals only, and most of the preachers were opposed to its being
made public. Richard Allen, of Philadelphia, was ordained a deacon on the 11th day of June, 1799,
and was the first coloured man that was ever ordained by the Methodists in the United States. Several
others have since been ordained in New York and Philadelphia, and one from Lynchburg, in