THE GENERAL CONFERENCES OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH FROM 1792 TO 1896. PREPARED BY A LITERARY STAFF UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF Cincinnati: New York: EATON & MAINS. 10-7-36 PREFACE. IN preparing a history of the General Conference, the greater part of our information must be derived from the Journals of that body. These Journals are of varying fullness, the earlier ones being extremely meager, and some of them giving but little more than catch-word hints of Conference 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-a full report of the proceedings. The later Journals are full; and, since 1848, there has been issued a daily paper, containing a verbatim transcript of the debates, addresses, resolutions, 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 Rev. T. B. Neely, D. D., than whom none is more competent to accomplish it. The result |