cordingly, by the aid of Dr. Coke and Rev. Mr. Creighton, presbyters of the Church of England, he ordained Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey presbyters for America; after which, he ordained Dr. Coke a superintendent, and sent them out with all proper testimonials of orders and of office.

These good men arrived in New York on the 3d of November, 1784. After consultation with Mr. Asbury, and others, it was agreed to call a Conference of all the preachers, to convene in Baltimore the ensuing Christmas. The time arrived, and sixty of the eighty-three travelling preachers then in the connection, appeared. Dr. Coke presided, assisted by Mr. Asbury, whom Mr. Wesley had appointed joint superintendent. The first act of the Conference was to elect Dr. Coke and Francis Asbury superintendents. This was done to accommodate the scruples of Mr. Asbury, who declined acting on the appointment of Mr. Wesley, without such an election; not that he doubted the authority of Mr. Wesley, but he wished to know that his appointment was approved by the body over which he was to preside. He was then first ordained deacon, afterwards elder, and finally consecrated, by Dr. Coke and others, to the office of superintendent, all according to Mr. Wesley's directions. The Conference then elected twelve others to the order of elder, who were duly consecrated by the imposition of hands.

It was at this Conference that our present articles of religion, and the general system of discipline by which the church has since been governed, were adopted. The prudential arrangements of the church have, of course, experienced various modifications, and prudence will dictate others; but the main features of the discipline agreed upon at that time have been sacredly maintained to the present.

This is a brief outline of the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Till now, like her maternal ancestor on the other side of the Atlantic, she had only been a society, and her members stood connected with the various churches in the country, to suit their respective tastes. The measure gave general satisfaction, both to the ministry and membership, and is susceptible of the strongest defence; but defence is not necessary.

CHAPTER IX.

THE FIRST GENERAL CONFERENCE, WITH NUMEROUS HISTORICAL EVENTS WHICH OCCURRED PREVIOUS TO 1820.

PASSING along to the year 1792, we are attracted by another important event in our history, viz.: the first session of the General Conference. But we must not dismiss this interval of eight years without noting a few particulars. Dr. Coke was in England a part of the time, but always popular and useful. Bishop Asbury traversed the country from end to end, preaching, attending Conferences, and overseeing the work, amid dangers and deaths that few men, and especially men of his office, would have brooked. But he construed his official distinction into a divine call to be more abundant in labors and sufferings for Christ's sake; and to set an example to the flock, especially to the preachers. Therefore he forded rivers, and traversed mountains and swamps, sleeping in the forests, and on miserable beds and floors, that made him sigh for "a clean plank." O, how much is the church indebted to this noble man for his unexampled activity and willing sacrifice for the cause of God at that time! Had an aristocratic, dronish, worldlyminded man happened to have been in that sacred place, American Methodism would have been a different thing from what it is.

These men had only entered upon the duties of their new office, before they projected a literary institution for the

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education of the preachers' sons, and others, which its friends were pleased to call "Cokesbury College." This was located in Abingdon, Maryland; but had been in operation less than ten years, when the nice brick buildings, which cost the bishops immense labor, were burnt to the ground. Dr. Coke now rallied, and having a liberal offer in Baltimore, re-opened the college in a large building in that town, purchased for the purpose. This was also consumed soon after, which led some to believe that God was not pleased with the enterprise.

As we have designated the superintendents by the term bishops, it may be proper to say that the Conference adopted this title in 1787. But they did not change the

Dr. Coke was still just the him to be when he set him

nature or powers of their office. officer that Mr. Wesley ordained apart to the superintendency. Mr. Wesley knew that his proper title was bishop, but he was aware if he called him by that title he would offend the church. Therefore, he preferred the harmless name of superintendent. But the Conference stood in a different relation to the church from what Mr. Wesley did, and saw no good reason why they should not call its officers by their proper titles. Whether it has injured the superintendents, or benefited the Conference, we are unable to determine. Croakers have made. much noise about the matter, but to very little purpose.

The year 1789, in particular, was a memorable year. The itinerant work had become so extended the bishops held eleven Conferences. This multiplication of Conferences brought up another difficulty. No one of them was authorized to make rules binding upon the whole. This suggested the idea of a council, to be composed of the bishops and the presiding elders of all the Conferences. (And, by the way, this is the year that the title of presiding

elder was first used in the Minutes, though the office was created four years before.) The suggestion was adopted, and the council went into operation; but only met twice before it was repudiated, and gave way to a General Conference. Here, also, we find the first mention of a booksteward, John Dickens, whose first work was to print "A. Kempis."

But the matter of principal interest during the whole eight years was the triumphs of divine grace over the sins and prejudices of the people. Revivals were powerful and extensive. The Lord seemed to attend the word with peculiar energy, so that at the Conference in 1792 there were two hundred and sixty-six travelling preachers in the connection, and sixty-five thousand nine-hundred and eighty members, scattered over an immense territory, embracing Nova Scotia and Upper Canada, on the north and east, and the extremes of the settled portions of the south and west.

This General Conference, properly enough called the first, was held in Baltimore, November, 1792. Here the whole economy of the church was reviewed, and such alterations made as the experience of previous years suggested. But one man especially had it in his heart to produce a radical change in the government. We refer to the Rev. James O'Kelley, a very popular preacher, and an old presiding elder, from Virginia. His plan provided that, after the reading of the appointments of the preachers by the bishop, if any one thought himself injured, he might appeal to the Conference, and state his objections, when, if the Conference thought them sufficient, the bishop should change his appointment. It was discussed about three days with great interest, and then rejected by a large majority. This gave Mr. Kelley great offence, and the next morning he resigned his seat. Every thing was done by the Conference to appease