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

Q. What preachers have died this year?
A. Henry Medcalf and William Wright.
This was a new plan, and it was a very proper and profitable one. By it we might know when our
preachers left the world. Previous to this we had taken no account in our minutes of the death of any
of our traveling preachers. And notwithstanding we now mentioned the names of those who had
died, yet there was nothing said about their deaths or their characters. It might be proper therefore
here to observe, that Henry Medcalf was considered as a man deeply rooted and grounded in the
faith, and very much devoted to God; and I was informed, that when he was near his end, he got out
of his bed, and kneeling down, he there died upon his knees.
We had twenty-four questions and answers on our minutes this year, and some of them are well
worth noticing at this time.
Q. What can be done towards erecting new Chapels, and discharging the debts on those already
built?
A. Let the assistant preacher offer a yearly subscription through the circuit, and insist on every
member that is able, to give something; let them subscribe the first quarter, and pay the second; and
let the money be applied by two general stewards.
Q. How shall we prevent superfluity in dress among our people?
A. Let the preachers carefully avoid every thing of this kind in themselves; and let them speak
frequently and faithfully against it in all our societies.
It was also determined, that if any of our friends buy slaves with no other intention than to hold
them as slaves, after being previously warned they should be turned out of society. And they were
not permitted to sell a slave on any condition whatever. And if the local preachers would not free
their slaves in those states where the laws would allow of it, they should be suspended, except in
Virginia, and there they should be tried another year.
However good the intention of the preachers might be in framing these rules, we are well assured
that they never were of any particular service to our societies. Some of the slaves, however, obtained
their freedom in consequence of these rules.
Q. How shall we reform our singing?
A. Let all our preachers who have any knowledge of singing by note, improve it, and sing by rule,
and keep close to Mr. Wesley's tunes and hymns.
The conference then adopted the directions which Mr. Wesley had written in the latter part of the
preceding year, and formed a rule to take in the substance of that letter.