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

A SHORT HISTORY
OF THE
METHODISTS
By
Jesse Lee
CHAPTER 6
From the beginning of 1787, to the end of 1791, the year in which Mr. John Wesley died.
In 1787, we had three conferences. The twentieth conference was held at Salisbury in North
Carolina on the 17th day of March. The twenty-first conference was held at Rough Creek church in
Virginia, on the 19th day of April. The twenty-second conference was held at Baltimore on the 1st
day of May.
At these conferences we took in ten new circuits: one in Georgia; the old circuit being divided,
and the name changed, the divisions were now called Burk and Augusta. We took in two in South
Carolina, Cainhoy and Edisto. In Virginia we took in Greenbrier, Bath and Ohio. We also took in
Clarksburg, Nolachuckie and Cumberland. In New York state, we took in New Rochelle.
We admitted on trial thirty-four young preachers; and added to the society 7082 members,
according to the minutes; but strictly speaking, we had an increase of 8592 members. In our minutes
for the past year we had taken in the numbers from Nova Scotia and Antigua; but this year we left
them off, and did not take them into the numbers; and they amounted to 1510. This year for the first
time the numbers in society were taken in each state separately.
We had now sixty-five circuits in the United States, and 131 traveling preachers.
At the Baltimore conference the preachers complained of Dr. Coke, because he had taken upon
himself a right which they never gave him, of altering the time and place of holding our conferences,
after it had been settled and fixed on at the previous conference. Another complaint was brought
against him for writing improper letters to some of our preachers, such as were calculated to stir up
strife and contention among them.
At that time the Dr. saw that the preachers were pretty generally united against him; he
acknowledged his faults, begged pardon, and promised not to meddle with our affairs again when
he was out of the United States. He then gave in writing a certificate to the same purpose, which is
as follows:
"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 the 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