1 MINUTES OF A CONFERENCE, &c. 98 Tar-River. T. Anderfon, M. Tracey. 674 97 New-Hope. W. Partridge. 99 Roan-Oak. 100 Cafwell. 101 Bertie. 192. Camden and Banks. T. Bowen, W. Steens. T. Jackson, J. Freeman. Elders. R. Ivey. J. Robertson, J. Steward. P. Bruce. 103 Portsmouth. T. Burns. 104 Brunfwick. P. Cox, J. Gibbons, H. Meritt. S. Pyle, L. Matthews. 105 Suffex. F. Poythrefs. 106 Amelia. E. Ellis, D. Albury. 107 Williamsbury. L. Rofs. 108 Orange. 109 Bedford, W. Dameron, E. Lumfdon. T. Chew. 110 Hanover. A. Hudion." 111 Alleghany, G. Thompson, A. Edwards, M. Lard. 112 Redflone. J. Smith, R. Ayres, S. E. Mattfon. 114 Fairfax. N. Reed. W. Waters, W. Hervey. J. Lee, S. Talbot. R. Whatcoat. 116 Kent. 118 Dover. J.White, W. Léc. I. Ellis, 1. Moore. W. Jeflop, M. Hurley, J. 119 Caroline. Jarrell. 120 Dorfet. S. Dudley, J. Everitt. 128 Somerfet. J. Riggin, J. Merrick. 128 Anname ex. W. Thomas. 123 Northampton. T. Curtis. } J. Haggerty. T. Fofter. 126 Juniata. 124 Philadelphia. H. Ogburn, P. Moriarty, 125 Little York. M. Greentree. C. Boyer. 197 Trenton. R. Sparks, R. Can. 128 Weft Ferfey. J. Brufh, J. Simmons, J. T. Valey. Lurton. J. M'Clafky, E. Cooper. R. Cloud. 131 New-York. J. Dickens. J. Tunnell. 133 Baltimore. 141 Nova Scotia. W. Black, J. Mann. 142 Newfoundland. J. M'Geary. Q. What Houses are to be built this Year? L. R. Cole. J. Baxter. W. Warrener. F. Garretfon. A. One at Glocefter, Froome, Trowbridge, St. Auftle, Probus, Wolverhampton, Alnwick, Glasgow, Kinsale, Caftle bar, Aughrim, Cloughagady, Ballynamallard, Killydart, Armagh, Dungannon, and Portaferry. Q. When and where is the next Conference to be held? A. At Manchester, on the laft Tuesday in July. And all fucceeding Conferences are to be held in the following Order, viz.-ft. in London; 2dly, in Leeds; 3dly, in Bristol; 4thly, in Manchester. Of SEPARATION from the CHURCH. "EV VER fince I returned from America, it has been warmly affirmed, "You feparate from the Church." I would confider, How far, and in what fenfe this Affertion is true. 2. Whether you mean by that Term, the Building fo called, or the Congregation, it is plain I do not feparate from either: for wherever I am, I go to the Church, and join with the Congregation. 3. Yet it is true that I have in fome refpects varied, though not from the Doctrines, yet from the Discipline of the Church of England; although not willingly, but by Conftraint. For inftance above forty years ago I began Preaching in the Fields; and that for two reafons-Firft, I was not fuffered to preach in the Churches: Secondly, No parish Church in London or Westminster could contain the Congregation. 4. About the fame time feveral perfons who were defirous to fave their fouls, prayed me to meet them apart from the great Congregation. Thefe little Companies (Societies they were called) gradually spread through the three kingdoms. And in many places they built Houses in which they met, and wherein I and my Brethren preached. For a few young men, one after another, defired to ferve me, as Sons in the Gospel. 5. Some time after, Mr. Deleznot, a Clergyman, desired me to officiate at his Chapel, in Wapping. There I read prayers, and preached, and administered the Lord's Supper, to a part of the Society. The reft communicated either at St. Paul's, or at their feveral parish Churches. Mean time, I endeavoured to watch over all their fouls, as one that was to give an account; and to affign to each of my Fellow-labourers the part wherein I judged he might be most useful. 6. When these were multiplied, I gave them an invitation to meet me together in my house at London: that we might confider, in what manner we could moft effectually fave cur own fouls, and them that heard us. This we called, a Conference (meaning thereby, the Perfons, not the Converfation they had.) At first I defired all the Preachers to meet me; but afterwards only a felect number. 7. Some years after, we were ftrongly importuned by our Brethren in America, to Go over and help them. Several Preachers willingly offered themfelves for the fervice; and feveral went from time to time. God bleffed their labours in an uncommon manner. Many finners were converted to God and many Societies formed, under the fame Rules as were obferved in England: infomuch, that at prefent the American American Societies contain more than eighteen thousand members. 8. But fince the late revolution in North America, thefe bave been in great diftrefs. The Clergy haying no fuftenance, either from England, or from the American States, have been obliged almost universally to leave the country, and seek their food elfewhere. Hence thofe who had been members of the Church, had none either to adminifter the Lord's Supper, or to baptize their children. They applied to England over and over; but it was to no purpose. Judging this to be a case of real neceffity, I took a ftep, which for peace and quietnefs, I had refrained from taking for many years: I exercifed that power, which I am fully perfuaded the Great Shepherd and Bishop of the Church has given me. I appointed three of our Labourers to go and help them, by, not only preaching the Word of God, but likewife by adminiftering the Lord's Supper and baptizing their children, throughout that vaft tract of land, a thousand miles long, and fome hundreds broad. 9. These are the Steps, which, not of Choice but Neceffity, I have flowly and deliberately taken. If any one is pleased to call this feparating from the Church, he may. But the law of England does not call it fo; nor can any one properly be faid fo to do, unless out of Confcience he refuses to join in the Service, and partake of the Sacraments administered therein. JOHN WESLEY. CAMELFORD, After Dr. Coke's return from America, many of our Friends begged I would confider the cafe of Scotland, where we had been labouring fo many years, and had feen fo little fruit of our labours. Multitudes indeed have fet out well, but they were foon turned out of the way: chiefly by their Minifters either difputing against the Truth, or refufing to admit them to the Lord's Supper, yea or to baptize their children, unless they would would promife to have no fellowship with the Methodists. Many who did fo, foon loft all they had gained, and became more the children of hell than before. To prevent this, I at length confented to take the same step with regard to Scotland, which I had done with regard to America. But this is not a Separation from the Church at all. Not from the Church of Scotland, for we were never connected therewith, any further than we are now: nor from the Church of England; for this is not concerned in the fteps which are taken in Scotland. Whatever then is done either in America or Scotland, is no Separation from the Church of England. I have no thought of this I have many Objections against it. It is a totally different cafe. "But for all this, is it not poffible there may be fuch a Separation after you are dead ?" Undoubtedly it is, But what I faid at our firft Conference above forty years ago, I fay ftill, “I dare not omit doing what good I can while I live, for fear of evils that may follow when I am dead.” Bristol, July 22, 1786. Perhaps there is one part of what I wrote fome time fince which requires a little further explanation. In what cafes do we allow of Service in Church hours? I anfwer, 1. When the Minifter is a notoriously wicked Man. 2. When he preaches Arian, or any equally pernicious Doctrine. 3. When there are not Churches in the town fufficient to contain half the people: and 4. When there is no Church at all within two or three miles. And we advise every one who preaches in the Churchhours to read the Pfalms and Leffons with part of the Church Prayers because we apprehend this will endear the Church Service to our Brethren, who probably would be prejudiced against it, if they heard none but extempory Prayer. LETTERS. |