VOLUME 3 — BOOK V — CHAPTER X
GENERAL CONFERENCE OF 1796

The Third General Conference — Coke's Return — Pierre de Pontavice, his Traveling Companion — The Proceedings of the Conference — Definitive Annual Conferences — Chapel Deed — Censorship of the Press — The Methodist Magazine — The Chartered Fund — Local Preachers — Spirituous Liquors — Slavery — Rules for Methodist Seminaries — Marriage with Unbelievers — Address to the British Conference — Asbury and Coke on the Session

The third General Conference [1] was appointed to meet in Baltimore on the 20th of October, 1796. No difficult business, however, was pending, and it need not long delay the chronological course of our narrative. Coke had been in the West Indies, England, Ireland, and Holland, promoting his missions, writing his commentary, and preaching continually. In the latter part of August he embarked for America, accompanied by Pierre de Pontavice, a nobleman of a distinguished house in Brittany, who had been converted from popery through the instrumentality of Methodism, and had become a useful preacher, and a founder of the denomination in France. [2] The bishop brought him out for his Christian companionship, and to acquire, from his conversation, a better use of the French language, for he hoped yet to proclaim the gospel among the French. Though he could not preach in English, Pontavice was useful in the social circles of the American Church. The contemporary records allude to him occasionally with interest.

They arrived in the Chesapeake Bay on the third of October, but were detained there five days by unfavorable winds. On the 18th they reached Baltimore, two days before the Conference opened. [3] Asbury was enjoying the hospitality of Gough, at Perry Hall, but joined his colleague in the city on the 19th, where, he says, about a hundred preachers were in attendance; according to Lee, twenty more arrived later. An address from the British Conference was presented, declaring "that whatever differences may mark other denominations, we are eminently one body," and congratulating the American Church on its "amazing success." The most important business done at this session was the definitive arrangement of the whole Church in six yearly Conferences, to be no longer called "District," but Annual Conferences, namely, the New England, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Virginia, South Carolina, and Western Conferences; [4] the limitation of the attendance of preachers at the sessions to those who were in full connection, and those who were to be received into full connection," "that the congregations might be supplied with preaching" during the sessions by those yet on trial; the adoption of a form of deed for the security of Church real estate, vesting its ownership in the societies, to be held for them by their trustees, but guaranteeing the use of the pulpits to the authorized ministry; the adoption of the rule that a deacon should serve two years before his ordination as an elder, except in missions; the authorization of the Philadelphia Conference to determine, by a two thirds vote, with the concurrence of a bishop, what books should or should not be published by the Book Concern, which was still located in Philadelphia; the authorization of the publication of a monthly periodical, to be called "The Methodist Magazine," the Conference declaring that "the propagation of religious knowledge by means of the press is next in importance to the preaching of the gospel;" the establishment of the "Chartered Fund" for the relief of "distressed traveling preachers, the families of traveling preachers, superannuated and worn out preachers, and the widows and orphans of preachers," an institution which still exists; the enactment of the rule that no local preacher shall receive license to preach till he has been examined and recommended by a quarterly Conference, having been first recommended by the society of which he is a member, and that he shall be eligible to ordination as a deacon four years after the date of his license; also of a rule allowing accused local preachers (who had hitherto been tried as private members) trial by local preachers, or, for want of them, by leaders or exhorters, with the right of appeal to the Annual Conferences. It was also enacted that "if any member of our society retail or give spirituous liquors, and anything disorderly be transacted under his roof on this account, the preacher who has the oversight of the circuit shall proceed against him, as in the case of other immoralities, and the person accused shall be cleared, censured, suspended, or excluded, according to his conduct, as on other charges of immorality."

Though defeated in their original provisions against slavery, the zeal of the ministry, on that question, was still unabated, and the Conference asked the question "What regulations shall be made for the extirpation of the crying evil of African slavery?" And answered, "1. We declare that we are more than ever convinced of the great evil of the African slavery which still exists in these United States, and do most earnestly recommend to the yearly Conferences, quarterly meetings, and to those who have the oversight of districts and circuits, to be exceedingly cautious what persons they admit to official stations in our Church; and, in the case of future admission to official stations, to require such security of those who hold slaves, for the emancipation of them, immediately or gradually, as the laws of the states respectively and the circumstances of the case will admit. And we do fully authorize all the yearly Conferences to make whatever regulations they judge proper, in the present case, respecting the admission of persons to official stations in our Church.

"2. No slave-holder shall be received into society till the preacher who has the oversight of the circuit has spoken to him freely and faithfully on the subject of slavery.

"3. Every member of the society who sells a slave shall immediately, after full proof be excluded [from] the society. And if any member of our society purchase a slave, the ensuing quarterly meeting shall determine on the number of years in which the slave so purchased would work out the price of his purchase. And the person so purchasing shall, immediately after such determination, execute a legal instrument for the manumission of such slave at the expiration of the term determined by the quarterly meeting. And in default of his executing such instrument of manumission, or on his refusal to submit his case to the judgment of the quarterly meeting, such member shall be excluded [from] the society. Provided, also, that in the case of a female slave, it shall be inserted in the aforesaid instrument of manumission, that all her children which shall be born during the years of her servitude shall be free at the following times, namely, every female child at the age of twenty-one, and every male child at the age of twenty-five. Nevertheless if the member of our society, executing the said instrument of manumission, judge it proper, he may fix the times of manumission of the children of the female shaves before mentioned at an earlier age than that which is prescribed above.

"4. The preachers and other members of our society are requested to consider the subject of Negro slavery with deep attention till the ensuing General Conference, and that they impart to the General Conference, through the medium of the yearly Conferences, or otherwise, any important thoughts upon the subject, that the Conference may have full light, in order to take further steps toward the eradicating this enormous evil from that part of the Church of God to which they are united."

The largest space devoted to any one subject in the journal of this session, is that given to education, prescribing minute, though they are entitled "General Rules for the Methodist Seminaries of Learning." Already substantially given in the account of Cokesbury College, they were, nevertheless, adopted and promulgated after the destruction of that establishment, a proof that the Church still persisted in its educational plans. They were ordered to be inserted in the Annual Minutes. As a system they present striking excellences, though marred by some equally striking errors, one of these being the "prohibition of play in the strongest terms;" manual labor and walking being the only permitted recreations; they require also that students shall rise at five o'clock in the morning in winter as well as summer, and without regard to age. Marriage of members with irreligious persons was prohibited, and "even in doubtful cases" the offenders were to "be put back upon trial." An Address to the British Conference was adopted, declaring that "though a vast ocean divides us, we are intimately one with you in spirit, and frequently with much delight remember you in our prayers. We rejoice in your union, and can bless God that we were never more united than at present. A few, indeed, who were as great enemies to the civil government under which they lived as to our discipline, have left us, and we have now not a jarring string among us. God has abundantly owned our feeble labors during this present Conference to the people of Baltimore, and we trust it is an earnest of a glorious gospel-harvest through this continent in the ensuing and future years. At present you have the largest field of action in respect to the number of souls, but we are humbly endeavoring to sow those seeds of grace which may grow up and spread in this immense country, which in ages to come will probably be the habitation of hundreds of millions. We trust we shall never forget your kind advice, but shall always remember that the Methodist societies through the world are eminently called to be one body, and to be actuated by one spirit; and that we have but one faith, one Lord, and one baptism."

It had become evident that Asbury's health was too much impaired to sustain alone the labors of the episcopate; the appointment of another bishop was therefore proposed. A discussion ensued for two days, not without some partisan feeling, [5] on the manner of his appointment; but Coke ended the proceeding, at a critical moment, by giving a written pledge that he would devote himself entirely to their service, as the episcopal colleague of Asbury, and visit the West Indies and France, only when there should be an opening, and he could be spared.

The session continued two weeks. Asbury says of it: "I preached on 'the men of Issachar that knew what Israel ought to do;' and again on 'Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.' There were souls awakened and converted. No angry passions were felt among the preachers. We had a great deal of good and judicious talk. The Conference rose on Thursday, the third of November. What we have done is printed. Bishop Coke was cordially received as my friend and colleague, to be wholly for America, unless a way should be opened to France. At this Conference there was a stroke aimed at the president eldership. I am thankful that our session is over. My soul and body have health, and have hard labor. Brother Whatcoat is going to the south of Virginia, Brother McClaskey is going to New Jersey, Brother Ware to Pennsylvania, and Brother Hutchinson to New York and Connecticut. Very great and good changes have taken place."

Coke says: "All was unity and love. There was not a jarring string among us. For two or three years past we have had a sifting time after the great revivals, with which we were so long and so wonderfully blessed. But in all I saw the hand of Providence. The preachers now seem to have a full view of the Sylla and Charybdis; the rocks and whirlpools, which lie on either hand, and are determined to avoid them. They are like the heart of one man. Surely this sweet and entire concord must be "'very pleasing to the Prince of Peace. It came from him, and to him let all glory be ascribed. Methinks it affords us a prospect of great days to come. At this Conference the Lord gave us signal proofs of his approbation. Every evening he was graciously present; seldom could the congregation break up till near midnight, and seldom were there less than half a dozen brought into the liberty of the children of God. One Sunday morning, when I endeavored to set forth the intercession of Christ, seven were justified under the sermon and the prayers which succeeded it."

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ENDNOTES

1 Properly called the third, though usually the second, as the first, or Christmas session, was in fact a General Conference.

2 See a sketch of Pontavice in "The History of the Religious Movement of the Eighteenth Century, called Methodism," etc., n, 336.

3 Coke's Journals in the Methodist Magazine; London, 1798. The volume of Coke's Journals heretofore cited does not include this voyage, but ends In 1793.

4 The bishop was allowed to hold a Conference in Maine if he should find it expedient.

5 Lee's Life, etc., of Lee, p. 325.

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