fi-.-ii&mmwii mmmm 1 3Xmi (L17 Cx.a:<t4tt Biialicol In-diivte itt e^>LC Icvawqe,. 1 The date shows when this volume was taken. To renew this book copy the call No. and give to the hbrarian. HOME USE RULES All Books subject to Recall All borrowers must regis- ter in the library to borrow books for home use. All books must be re- turned at end of college year for inspection and repairs. ' Limited books must be re- turned within the four week limit and not renewed. Students must return all books before leaving town. OfHcers should arrange for the return of books wanted during their absence from town. Volumes of periodicals and of pamphlets are held in the library as much as possible. For special pur- poses they are given out fox a limited time. Borrowers should not use their library privileges for the benefit of other persons. Books of 'spedal value and gift books.^hen the giver wishes it, are not allowed to circulate. !^eaders are asked to re- port all cases of books, marked or mutilated.' Do not deface book! by marks and writiac. — 3 1924 oljn 029 471 1( Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029471103 : THE General Conferences OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CPIURCH FROM 1792 TO 1896. PREPARED BY A LITERARY STAFF UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF REV. LEWIS CURTS, D. D., PUBLISHING AGENT OF THE WESTERN METHODIST BOOK CONCERN. (Etnrtnnafi CUETS & JENNINGS. EATON & MAINS. 1900.' A.3?025f coptkight, 1900, Et the 'Wbsteen Methodist Book Conoebh. a; PREFACE. In preparing a history of the General Conference, the greater part of our information nrnst be derived from the Journals of that body. These Journals are of varying full- ness, the earlier ones being extremely meager, and some of them giving but little more than catch-word hints of Confer- ence action, and containing none of the reports or addresses. They were not originally intended for publication, and the Minutes as printed seem to be only the vague notes from which the secretary might prepare—though he did not— full report of the proceediags. The later Journals are full and, since 1848, there has been issued a daily paper, con- taining a verbatim transcript of the debates, addresses, resolu- tions, and reports. These, and other bound volumes, have all been consulted in the preparation of this work, especially in part two. As no copy was ever found of the Journal for 1792, the General Conference of 1892 directed the Publishing Agents to employ some one to reproduce it, as nearly as could be done, from whatever sources of information were accessible. This task was committed to Eev. T. B. ]S"eely, D. D., than whom none is more competent to accomplish it. The result 'iv Preface. of his labors appears in the present volume. This may be accepted as the full Journal of proceedings of that Confer- ence, and it is an important additiori to our Methodist historical literature. The proceedings of all the other General Conferences are given only in abstract. These have been prepared by com- petent writers, employed by the Western Methodist Book Concern, expressly for use in this volume. Only the more important actions are referred to ; but, in the two parts, the chronological and the topical, it is believed that the average student of our Church history will find all that he cares to know about the great Governing Conference. For more minute information as to what was said or suggested, he must examine the Journals themselves, and the files of the Daily Advocate. LEWIS CUETS. Cincinnati, MAbch, 1900. CONTEN^TS. PART I.—CHRONOLOGICAL. TEAK. PBITTOIPAL TOPICS. PAGE, 1792. Establishment of the General Conference.—Schism of James O'Kelly.—Eevision of Discipline, .... 1 1796. Church Polity.—Chartered Fund Established.—Form of Deed for Church Property.—^Local Preachers, ... 51 1800. Presiding Elders.—Slavery.—Ministerial Support, ... 59 1804. Book Concern (Removed to New York) . —Slavery, ... 65 1808. Delegated General Conference.—Restrictive Rules.—Pre- siding Elders, - 70 1812. First Written Episcopal Address (from Bishop McKen- dree) . —Pastoral Address to the Church.—Two Book Agents, , 75 — 1816. Slavery. " Methodist Magazine " Ordered.—Episcopacy, 79 1820. Election of Presiding Elders.—Revision of Hymn Book —Status of Local Preachers.—Book Concern, ... 84 1824. The Presiding Elder Question. — Lay Representation (Refused) 90 1828. The "Radical" Movement.—Presiding Elder Question Settled, 99 1832. Missions.—Canada Claims, 107 1836. Abolitionism, 113 1840. Slavery.— Temperance. —^Woman's Magazine ("Ladies' Repository") Ordered, . 121 V — vi Contents. YEAE. PBINOIPAIi TOPICS. PASB. 1844. Slaveholding in the Ministry. — Plan of Separation Adopted, 128 1848. Plan of Separation Pronounced Void.—Relations of the General Conference to the Church, South. —Temper- ance'. —Revision of Hymn Book, 139 1852. Mission Interests.—Lay Delegation Considered.—Church Sittings . 146 ' 1856. Slavery.—Missionary Bishops.— Lay Delegation, . 151 1860. Slavery.— Lay Delegation (Submitted to Tote of the Church), ' 157 1864. Pastoral Term Extended. —Lay Delegation Approved. —Church Extension.—Slavery, 162 1868. Lay Delegation Question. — Freedmen's Aid Society. Board of Education, 169 1872. Lay Delegates Admitted.—Ecclesiastical Jurisprudence. —Book Concern, , 177 1876. Separate Conferences for Colored Preachers.—Revision of Hymn Book, 188 1880. Ecumenical Conference.—Rights of Women Defined. Use of Tobacco.—Colored Bishops 196 1884. New Church Enterprises.—Marriage and Divorce, . 202 1888. Eligibility of Women as Delegates.—Constitutional Com- mission.—^De^coness Work Authorized, . 208 1892. Young People's Societies (Epworth League). — The Woman Question.—Constitutional Commission Re- port (Indefinitely Postponed), 214 1896. Commission on Organic liam.—Women Delegates.—Con- ference Evangelists.—Deaconesses to be Consecrated, 222 Contents. vii PART II.—TOPICAL. OHAPTim, PAGK. I. The Ministry 233 II. The Ministry (Continued), 250 in. Slavery 271 IV. Slavery (continued), 290 V. Fraternal Eelations, 310 VI. Lay Delegation : Men—^Women, 332 Vn. Church Institutions and Societies, 352 Vm. Church Work in the South 372 IX. The Constitution .390 X. The Constitution (Continued) 407 PART I. CHRONOLOGICAL. The General Conferences. 1792. (BY REV. THOS. B. NEELY, D. D., LL. D.) fT^HE first quadrennial General Conference of the Methodist -*- Episcopal Church in the United States of America met in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, on Thursday, the first day of November, in the year Seventeen Hundred and Ninety-two. This General Conference had been regularly called to meet in Baltimore at that date. Every preacher in full membership in any Annual Conference was entitled to a seat in the General Conference, and the attendance was very general. Bishop Thomas Coke and Bishop Francis Asbury were present, and presided; Dr. Coke, as senior, doubtless presiding at the beginning of the session. On the first day the Conference appointed a committee of the oldest preachers and a few of the younger ministers to prepare business for consideration and action by the Confer- ence. When a majority of the committee agreed upon a proposition, and especially upon any alteration in the form of Discipline, it was to report to the Conference for its decision. Subsequently the membership of the committee was increased. The intention of the Conference in the creation of the com- mittee was to expedite business ; but as after test it was found that it did not prevent or shorten discussions in the Confer- ence, the plan of working through a committee was abandoned, and the committee was discharged. After that, any member of the Conference was at liberty to present directly to the body any matter he might desire. On the first day rules of order were adopted. One rule was as follows: " It shall take two-thirds of all the Conference 1 : , 2 The General Conference. [1792. to make a new rule or abolish an old one; but a majority may alter or amend any rule." One rule as to debate was, " That each person, if he choose, shall have liberty to speak three times on each motion." SECOND DAY—FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2. On the second day of the session, the Rev. James O'Kelly, of Virginia, offered an amendment to the law making it the duty of the Bishop "to fix the appointments of the Preachers for the several circuits," so that preachers might have the right of appeal from the appointment given by the Bishop to the Annual Conference. The amendment was as follows : "After the Bishop appoints the Preachers at Conference to their several circuits, if any one think himself injured by the appointment, he shall have liberty to appeal to the Conference and state his objections; and if the Conference approve his objections, the Bishop shall appoint him to another circuit." The proposed amendment led to a long and animated dis- cussion. As the matter related more to the administration of Bishop Asbury than to that of Bishop Coke, who was fre- quently absent from the country. Bishop Asbury declined to preside, and also absented himself from the session during the pendency of this question, and sent to the Conference the following letter My Dear Brethren,—Let my absence give you no pain—Di'. Coke presides. I am happily excused from assisting to make laws by which myself am to be governed ; I have only to obey and execute. I am happy in the consideration that I never stationed a preacher through enmity or as a punishment. I have acted for the glory of God, the good of the people, and to promote the usefulness of the preachers. Are you sure, that if you please yourselves, that the people will be as fully satisfied? They often say, " Let us have such a preacher;" and sometimes, " We will not have such a preacher—we will sooner pay him to stay at home." Perhaps I must say, " His appeal forced him upon you." I am one—ye are many.