History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

subjection the membership. To this end an amendment was made to the mode of trial of members,
looking to their speedy expulsion for other cause than immorality. It was in these words: "If a
member of our Church shall be clearly convicted of endeavoring to sow dissensions in any of our
societies, by inveighing against either our doctrine or discipline, such persons so offending shall be
first reproved by the senior preacher of his circuit; and if he afterward persist in such pernicious
practices he shall be expelled the society." An old regulation of Wesley's time, intended by him to
protect the high officers of the British crown from defamation, and phrased as "speaking evil of
ministers," was incorporated in the American rules, and though proven to have been used by Wesley
exclusively of political officers, was perverted at this time and with marked effect in the controversy
of 1820-30, as meaning gospel ministers. The two regulations were stigmatized by those who
suffered from them, while blameless in moral deportment, and by their friends, as "the gag law."
Indeed, from this memorable Conference of 1792, which so firmly welded the iron laws of a
hierarchy, not over-scrupulous care was taken as to the means employed so the ends of discipline
were secured.
John Dickins was continued as book steward at a salary of $666.33, a comfortable provision in
that day for one who had no family but his wife, in the city of Philadelphia. Provision was also made
for Cokesbury College, $800 a year for the quadrennium. It is notable that the salary of the Bishop
is still kept at $64 a year. Asbury preached one sermon toward the close, and Coke the concluding
one on the last and fifteenth day of the session. He says: "The meeting was continued until about
midnight, and twelve persons, we have reason to believe, were added to the family of God. This was
a glorious conclusion; a gracious seal from heaven to our proceedings." That large majority who
came to the Conference in favor of the right of appeal melted away to a small minority. They
acquiesced in the decision, but did they surrender their convictions? No. The question revived in
after Conferences, but never successfully, largely, perhaps, by reason of the ill-considered secession
of O'Kelly, and the thousands of the membership who followed him into an independent
organization. Asbury left Baltimore the day after the Conference adjourned and made speed to the
Manchester District conference which met November 26, at Manchester, Va. Ira Ellis and other
preachers accompanied him. Dr. Coke went North, and, after tarrying, preaching, and employing
himself in directions to Dickins for a new and revised edition of the Discipline, he set sail for the
West Indies December 12, and reached St. Eustatius on the 31st, in pursuance of the missionary
work intrusted to him by the British Conference. It is an unalloyed pleasure to follow him as the
great Methodist Missionary propagandist, as he passed from island to island superintending the
various societies which had sprung up, ameliorating their persecutions as far as possible, abundant
in preaching labors himself, and keeping all around him on the move. His biographer gives numerous
interesting incidents of this visit to the islands, where he continued until he sailed from Jamaica on
the 14th of April, 1793, for England, landing at Falmouth the 6th of June.
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