preachers belonging to the Methodist Episcopal Church, as shall from time to time be duly authorized by the General Conference of the ministers of the Church, or by the annual conferences, to preach and expound God's holy word, to execute the discipline of the Church and to administer the sacraments therein, according to the true meaning and purport of the deed of settlement; that is, the instrument by which the property is conveyed to the trustees.

At this Conference it was thought by many that the number of the bishops should be increased, for the more perfect oversight of the Methodist societies. Dr. Coke had given very little of his time to this work, and he was not naturalized as a citizen. His visits to the conferences were casual and irregular; and when he was present, the responsibility of stationing the preachers on their circuits devolved wholly on Bishop Asbury. For this reason the Conference voted that one more bishop was necessary; but a difficulty arose as to the manner of his appointment. Richard Whatcoat had previously been designated by Mr. Wesley as a joint superintendent with Francis Asbury; but the American preachers had never accepted him as such, nor was Dr. Coke allowed to ordain him. In this emergency, and before the matter was settled, Dr. Coke begged that the business might be laid over half a day. This was accordingly done; and when the Conference again assembled, the Doctor in a written communication offered himself to the American Connexion, if the brethren saw fit to take him, as a permanent superintendent.

The Conference agreed to Dr. Coke's proposal, and concluded, if he tarried with them, that there would be no need of another bishop, and so let the question drop. That the Doctor made this offer in good faith, there can be no doubt; but circumstances abroad prevented his carrying out his design to give his "talents and labors in every respect, without any mental reservation whatsoever, to labor among them, and to assist Bishop Asbury."

Provision was made for the distressed traveling preachers, for their families, and for superannuated and worn-out preachers, and the widows and orphans of deceased preachers, by establishing what is now known as the "Chartered Fund."

The support of the traveling preachers at the best was scanty, for the allowance made to them was only sixty-four dollars a year; and hence in all the early conferences we find so many names enrolled in answer to the question, "Who desist from traveling in connexion with or under the direction of our conference?" or, "Who are under a location through weakness of body or family concerns?" Two years before this Conference twenty-eight preachers are so reported, and in 1795 thirty-two are reported as located. Many of these returned to the traveling ranks when their temporal circumstances improved, or their health was restored.

The Conference elected nine trustees for the fund above named, and authorized them to effect an organization and procure a charter from the legislature of Pennsylvania. They were directed to hold an annual meeting for the transaction of their business in Philadelphia, or at such other place as a majority of them might judge most convenient and proper, and to fix the time thereof. This fund became the means of furnishing relief to many who were otherwise ill supported, and the friends of the Church willingly contributed towards it. Several thousand dollars were in a short time subscribed and paid in, and a few valuable legacies were left to it. During the hundred years of its existence it has accomplished great good; but the fund ought to be many times larger than it is to accomplish fully the end of its organization.

As the Arminian Magazine, two volumes of which were printed in Philadelphia in 1789 and 1790, was discontinued for want of patronage, the Conference felt that there ought to be some method of propagating religious knowledge in print more largely than by books. It therefore recommended that a new monthly periodical be established, to be called The Methodist Magazine, to consist of compilations from the British magazines and of original accounts of the experience of pious persons. In accordance with this recommendation, the Booksteward, John Dickins, began the new publication, and issued two volumes, when the enterprise failed for the same reason as the previous venture had failed. Evidently the time had not come when such a publication could be supported. It certainly was not that our people were less intellectual than at present;

but mail facilities were few and money was scarce, except in the larger towns and in the cities.

In the matter of education great interest was taken. Dr. Coke and Bishop Asbury were both good scholars, the latter carrying with him his Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament, that he might study them at spare moments on his journeys; and almost the first thing they did after Dr. Coke's arrival in America in 1784 was to consult together about the establishment of a school or college for the training of Methodist youth. John Dickins, an Eton scholar, had urged this several years previously. At the Christmas Conference of that year a plan was devised for erecting such a college, and a prospectus was published over the signatures of the two bishops, asking for contributions and gifts towards the object. The school was established at Abingdon, Md., and was known as Cokesbury College, so named after its two founders. A subscription of over one thousand pounds sterling-(money was still reckoned mostly after the English method)—had already been secured. The building was erected of brick on a commanding site, containing six acres of ground, and was one hundred and eight feet in length by forty in breadth from north to south. As soon as the house was in order for the school to begin, even before any of the rooms were finished, a few scholars were collected, and a master provided to teach them. At first the institution was managed by the Conference; but it was afterward incorporated, and trustees appointed to care for it.

The institution was prosperous, and good work was done in it. The rules established by the Conference for its government were of the most ascetic order,-the only recreations allowed the boys being gardening, walking, riding, and bathing under open skies in a convenient pool, but not in the river. They were also allowed to work in a wood-manufacturing shop at carpenter's, joiner's, cabinet-maker's, or turner's business. Their hours of sleeping, eating, worship, study, rest, and reciting were all fixed. With all the restrictions imposed upon them, the boys were cheerful and happy, and benefited by the training they received.

The school continued in operation for ten years, when the

building was unfortunately burned. It had been a source of anxiety and trouble to Bishop Asbury to support it, and though its structure and maintenance had cost ten thousand pounds, the bishop declared that he would not go through the same vexations with regard to it again for that much a year. The work of the Church was felt to be rather the evangelization of the people than the instruction of their youth, though the latter was not neglected because of the misfortune at Cokesbury. Schools were planted in Georgia, Kentucky, and elsewhere, and colleges and universities followed in due time.

With regard to local preachers, it was ordered that no one should receive a license to preach until he had been examined and approved at the quarterly meeting of his circuit. He was also to bring a recommendation from the society of which he was a member, and after he had preached for four years from the time of his receiving license, he was eligible to the office of a deacon. A local preacher employed to fill the place of a traveling preacher was to receive for his service a sum proportionable to the salary of the traveling preacher. If brought to trial for any misdemeanor, heresy, or alleged immorality, he was to be tried by a committee of local preachers; or, for want of local preachers, exhorters or class-leaders. If found guilty by the committee, and in consequence suspended, his case was to be referred to the ensuing quarterly meeting; and if this meeting should deem the said local preacher, deacon, or elder culpable, the next quarterly meeting thereafter was to proceed with his trial, and have authority to clear, censure, suspend, or expel him according to their judgment. In case of condemnation, he was allowed an appeal to the next annual conference. The Conference says in its minutes:

"By this mode of trial, we are desirous of showing the most tender regard towards our local brethren. We are all but men. The best of us may fall into sin, or be drawn into dangerous and pernicious errors, and it is sometimes necessary to stop the plague by an immediate stroke of discipline. But we would not have so important a character as that of one of our local brethren even touched to its disadvantage by only one preacher, who possibly might be younger than the accused. We have therefore provided that a small meeting of respectable persons shall be held before a single step be taken in the business. The trial will then come before the most weighty

assembly in the circuit. We have directed the yearly conference, upon an appeal, to determine upon the merits of the cause, from the memorial of the quarterly meeting, on account of the difficulty, if not the impossibility of bringing the necessary witnesses, perhaps thirty, fifty, or an hundred miles from their home. Nor have we any right or authority to lay such a burden on any of our people. In short, we have done the best we can, according to the nature of the circumstances in which we are placed."

The rule on the subject of marriage was modified, so as not absolutely to prohibit, under penalty of expulsion, any member from marrying a person not awakened, or not a member of the society. If such a person has the form of godliness, and is seeking the power thereof, there is little objection; but if members "marry persons who do not come up to this description, we shall be obliged," says the Conference, "to purge our society of them; and even in a doubtful case, the member of our society shall be put back upon trial."

The Conference adjourned to meet in Baltimore on the 20th of October in the year 1800. The Minutes were printed in the Discipline of 1797, and cover twenty-three pages, 16mo, two of which are occupied by the Pastoral Address..