History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

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northward trend, and the General Conference now followed, all the previous ones having been held in Baltimore. New York was growing as a great commercial center, but there were other reasons between the lines of debate. It was a drift in the direction of a division which a few years more than thirty brought about. Had the Book Concern been brought to Baltimore, with its traditional claims, it is fairly safe to say that the disruption of 1844 would not have occurred — the plum would have been on the wrong side of the ecclesiastical pie. The Solomonic sword of the civil law had to be invoked for its equitable division, much to the religions discredit of all concerned. It seems like poetic retribution that the General Conference of 1844, that agreed to the Plan of Separation, reassuming the sovereignty of such a body, met in New York City. The General Conference of 1812 met at John Street church, New York City, May 1. Asbury's references are few and epigrammatical. "Our General Conference began. . . . Local deacons, after four years of probation, should be elected to the eldership, having no slaves, or having them, to manumit them, where the law allowed it — it passed by a majority. . . . A motion was made to strengthen the episcopacy by adding another bishop. After a serious struggle of two days in General Conference to change the mode of appointing presiding elders, it remains as it was. Means had been used to keep back every presiding elder who was known to be favorable to appointments by the bishops; and long and earnest speeches have been made to influence the minds of the members. Lee, Shinn, and Snethen were of a side; and these are great men. . . . Mr. Shaw of London called to see me, and I had seventeen of the preachers to dine with me; there was vinegar, mustard, and a still greater portion of oil, but the disappointed parties sat down in peace, and we enjoyed our sober meal." That is all. Bangs furnishes a full list of the members. The notable men were Garrettson, Ostrander, Phoebus, Bangs, Truman Bishop, Stead, and Billy Hibbard from New York. Pickering, Hedding, Soule, Stevens and Kent, from New England. Genesee, Lacy and Owen. Western, Learner Blackman, Stier, Quinn — James and Isaac — Axley, Young, and Thomas Stillwell. South Carolina, Myers, Lovick Pierce, Daniel Asbury, and Hilliard Judge. Virginia, Jesse Lee, Bruce, Douglass, Lattimore, and John Early. Baltimore, Reed, Wells, Snethen, Enoch George, Shinn, Gruber, Robert R. Roberts, Ryland, Christopher Frye, James and Henry Smith. Philadelphia, Cooper, McClaskey, Thos. F. Sargent, S. G. Roszel, Ware, Sneath, Bartine, and Michael Coate. The whole number was ninety. Asbury and McKendree presided. The former had a letter, which he received from Dr. Coke, read, and Bangs reports from memory, as it was not officially recognized so as to be among the Conference papers, that he advised the brethren he was about to visit the East Indies and sent his unabated love to them. It was his last communication to friends in America, and his last ocean trip with his missionary preachers. McKendree, without having consulted his colleague, read an address or message to the Conference in the nature of an Episcopal report which Bangs gives in full. No sooner had he finished than Asbury arose and said to McKendree, "This is a new thing. I never did business in this way, and why is this new thing introduced?" McKendree replied, "You are our father we are your sons; you never have had need of it. I am only a brother and have need of it." Asbury said no more, but sat [3] down with a smile on his face. The good Bishop in this gave a characteristic exhibition of an old man inflexibly settled in his opinions and habits. And in this also McKendree by his independence even of Asbury, though thoroughly under his influence now for twenty years, shows how inconsequent is the reasoning that his views of the unbearable nature of Episcopal prerogatives, rung out by him with a clarion voice in the Conference of 1792, could have been a mere echo of O'Kelly's
views. Such apologies for his after tergiversation are a reflection upon his whole character. It would be more to the credit of all concerned if <strong>Methodist</strong> historians were to pass this episode in his career in silence. This very address gives proof of the even balance of his sinewy mind: "I consider myself justly accountable, not for the system of government, but for my administration, and ought, therefore, to be ready to answer in General Conference for my past conduct, and be willing to receive information and advice to perfect future operations. I wish this body to exercise their rights in these [4] respects." No wonder Asbury was amazed at his junior Bishop. For the last time Asbury intimated his desire to be relieved, as "he had thoughts of going to Europe." It was rather an amiable weakness and quite excusable as such. It has referred to a committee with the usual result: complimentary resolutions, and then Asbury graciously yields. The presiding elder question, as Asbury informs, occupied two whole days. In addition to Lee, [5] Snethen, and Shinn, Stevens adds, Cooper, Garrettson, Ware, Phoebus and Hunt as in the affirmative, the bishops being known as profoundly opposed to it." When it came to vote it was defeated but by three. The brains of the Conference evidently did not regard the question as settled by the constitutional provisions of 1808. Asbury, however, planted himself upon this ground, but whether he took the cue from Soule, or Soule in 1820 from Asbury's Journal, July, 1811, cannot be determined. He had just met the New York Conference and says: "It is said the wise men of York Conference have discovered that it will be far better to elect the presiding elder in conference and give them the power of stationing the preachers. I suppose we shall hear more of this." He did hear more of it then, and six months later. He adds in connection with the New York Conference this pronounced opinion, "If the preachers take any specific power, right, or privilege from the bishops which the General Conference may have given them, it is clear that they dissolve the whole contract." Put this in juxtaposition with the section of 1808, "They shall not change or alter any part or rule of our government so as to do away episcopacy, or to destroy the plan of our itinerant general superintendency," and you have his meaning. Soule as found was the author of it, and in 1820 he claimed to be the interpreter of it, and overthrew the General Conference, on that issue. Daniel Hitt, the Book Agent, and not a member of the Conference, was elected secretary, thereby establishing a precedent in that regard. Two years before Asbury had organized the Genesee Conference. His authority was questioned, but this General Conference approved and its delegates were admitted. The liberalizing trend of this Conference had one result: "It was ordered that the stewards should no longer be appointed by the preacher in charge, but be nominated by him and appointed by the quarterly Conference." The docile laymen of the Church caught eagerly even at straws — this was nothing but a straw. The temperance question was at a low ebb officially. Axley made repeated attempts to have passed a rule: "No stationed or local preacher shall retail spirituous or malt liquors without forfeiting his ministerial character among us." At the third effort he was defeated. David Young moved that "the Conference inquire into the nature and moral tendency of slavery." It was laid on the table. Zealots of today and forty years past may denounce this as cowardice, but three years before even Asbury, traveling in and holding the Virginia Conference, puts these moralizings into his Journal: "We are defrauded of great numbers by the pains that are taken to keep the blacks from us; the masters are afraid of the influence of our principles. Would not an amelioration in the condition and treatment of slaves have produced more practical good to the poor Africans than an attempt at their emancipation? The state of society unhappily does not admit of this: besides, the blacks are deprived of the means of instruction. . . . What is the personal liberty
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WESLEYAN HERITAGE Library M. E. Chu
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METHODIST REFORM Edward J. Drinkhou
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world over; as well as for contrast
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No pretension is made to literary s
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considered — The first missionary
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CHAPTER 19 1779-1781 — The "regul
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Was it mailed before or after he he
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the Methodist Societies, though thr
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The period from 1784 to 1792 will b
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ENDNOTES 1 Otherwise called the Pol
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His private Journal, which came int
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with the hope that, whenever such a
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ENDNOTES 1 Whitehead's "Life of the
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His father's health failing in 1734
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The period from 1739 to 1744 was a
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1 "Mutual Rights," Vol. 1. No. 21,
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places. Stevens says the third Conf
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were necessary for an enduring orga
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chapel seats. Breaking bread in the
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severely, but not unjustly. Preachi
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ut for the children, the boys only
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leadership of the most self-asserti
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deliverance from a "Methodist curat
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sit apart, which had been violated
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1 Tyerman's "Life,'' Vol. III. p. 1
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a deed of this kind, that I have go
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arguments, except as it relates to
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as, it was, no doubt, sincere. The
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ordained Henry Moore and Thomas Ran
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Church. Upon this the meeting was a
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society in Plymouth. He was a man,
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nothing else save the Arminian Maga
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no longer." He was seriously sick d
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eached 2828. The membership was 76,
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* See Appendix to Dr. Kewley's "Inq
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He said soon after, "I will get up,
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short, and the design itself was sp
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week of Wesley's death he wrote: "M
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stewards, the admission and expulsi
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wrote like a mountain torrent. Stro
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present purpose reads: "But when on
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y the calendar, must be used wherev
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presidency the Conference would not
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1 Asbury's " Journal," Vol. II. p.1
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HISTORY OF METHODIST REFORM Synopti
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Commentary is an imperishable monum
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parent bodies will the mission of t
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ENDNOTES 1 She was a Friend, but he
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constantly devising new plans for i
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urst out, and one Daniel Shubetham
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insulted the representatives of the
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courtesy due him, was thought too p
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like Wesley, betrayed his ignorance
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delicate woman, died and was buried
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1 "History of Methodism," Vol. III.
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The respective theories are working
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or usages which had been most assai
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the ministry, its devotion and libe
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It is necessary to retrace steps to
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to interfere with the internal affa
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showed, in feasting at high dinners
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ENDNOTE 1 The plan has since been a
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into evil ways. Barbara Heck kept a
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which was the vogue of a large numb
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attended the ministry of both, conv
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thing which I seek, a circulation o
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ENDNOTES 1 Bangs' "History of the M
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13 Atkinson's "Methodism in America
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Philadelphia, George Shadford (to c
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Lednum has preserved the name of Jo
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y Methodists as a constant prayerfu
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the episcopal form of church govern
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1784, and he had regular work. He r
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of our national independence, who b
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strength of Methodism was in Maryla
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1 Lee's "History," p.56. ENDNOTES 2
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and their children, and they procee
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to men whose opinions disagreed wit
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Why do the printed Minutes take no
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ENDNOTES 1 Stevens says, "During th
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of our divisions; it was transcribe
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Mr. Wesley generally held a Confere
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under the necessity of abiding by i
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the Methodists. At twenty years of
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His references to the Conference of
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landly said, 'He is hard on us.' As
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and good sense so far predominated
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on so new a plan, he afterward susp
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of it are in the closing suggestion
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employing the terms "superintendent
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to be a mere formality, likely to r
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If any one will point out a more ra
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monotony, the "Pastorals" of Virgil
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ace, Eclipse is first, and that put
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next day, Sabbath, he reached, with
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esumed his labors, and died in Phil
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[6] is the material point. There is
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emarkable when it is considered tha
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our societies in the United States,
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eady to break with Wesley at any op
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ENDNOTES 1 The reader is apprised t
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minutes as printed. To that portion
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steps taken by Mr. Wesley and mysel
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een involuntary, wrested by the ove
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6 Bangs' "History," Vol. I. pp. 165
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see Asbury open a Methodist meeting
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obliged to acknowledge that I acted
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intimates the desire they had of my
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under present circumstances, to gra
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ENDNOTES 1 Dr. Scudder, in his "Ame
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feet in length and 40 feet in bread
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The missionary propagandists must n
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interference was no doubt well know
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it ? Wesley, when he received the a
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9; at Holstein, May 13; at Amelia,
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will determine sufficient in a man
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crosses the mountains — "the firs
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The preachers having had great diff
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Eleven Conferences were appointed f
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But in one point, my dear brother,
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The letter itself now calls for ana
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continued to this day in the Method
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his testimony. Some writer during t
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it. Besides, even allowing that Cok
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1 "Life of Wesley," Vol. II. pp. 25
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segregation complained of, is inten
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Now cull from O'Kelly's "Apology" s
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In his pastoral relation he raised
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Council, is proving too much for ev
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Even so partisan a writer as Rev. D
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of his name in 1786, the fact that
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change of environment enables them
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[9] It will be discovered that ther
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[12] not mailed there, for the bish
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6 In the Dickins minutes of 1795 th
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are men of very considerable abilit
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Wesley's knowledge, and without his
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Wesley, otherwise I shall despair o
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In addition to these letters, the o
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It is noteworthy that neither Bangs
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1 "Defense of the Truth," p.23. END
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turning to Mr. Hutchinson, he said:
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obedience in one over another of hi
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Lee affirms that, during this event
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een received into full connection c
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in a resolution which Lee gives in
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founded 'We are far gone into poper
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subjection the membership. To this
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Page 341 and 342: — he was receiving support from t
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Page 345 and 346: eing a lay-revolt, that preachers w
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Page 353 and 354: ENDNOTES 1 It is a noteworthy fact
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Page 363 and 364: 1 Lee's "History," pp. 194, 195. EN
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Page 369 and 370: of the general conference, and in t
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Page 377 and 378: until finally the illegality of it
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Page 383 and 384: ENDNOTES 1 One was held at Cabbin C
Page 385 and 386: affirmed nor denied the truth of th
Page 387 and 388: 3. Each Annual Conference respectiv
Page 389 and 390: The smoke of the argumentative batt
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Page 395 and 396: ENDNOTES 1 Boehm says there was pre
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Page 399 and 400: to his death a bosom friend and cou
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Page 407 and 408: ENDNOTES 1 November 6, 1820, Kingst
Page 409 and 410: McCormick has written in a legible
Page 411 and 412: as a scandal upon Mr. Wesley, thoug
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Page 415 and 416: liberal principles. To this Griffit
Page 417 and 418: and many others, and uniformly defe
Page 419 and 420: pioneers it may be said that in the
Page 421 and 422: argument against innovation. Tradit
Page 423 and 424: popular Episcopal Church of America
Page 425 and 426: to the joint authorship of the Circ
Page 429 and 430: apparently. Moore's denial was not
Page 431 and 432: y Ralph Spoor, London, etc., page 5
Page 433 and 434: Liverpool I observed that I should,
Page 439 and 440: command, when he told the elders no
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church with true wisdom to combine
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Valentine Lucas, Alexander Clark, A
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General Conference of 1884 the Soci
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The report of the W. F. M. S. to th
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The General Conference of 1888 divi
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successful labors. The Board is reg
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While the various enterprises alrea
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scholars, 63; ordained native preac
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RESUME AND COMPARISON 1896 1897 GAI
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Art. 4th. As all men are essentiall
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Art. 10th. The government of every
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Art. 16th. Any government, that doe
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k. We want the right of peremptory
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