The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-23
NJ. E. CHURCH CENSUS.
Nearly 100000 Commandments
in the United States.
HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT.
Waila WalIa County Has More Organi-
cations Than King, but Eing, Of
Course, Has More Members.
Though the Wesleyan movement wa,

1
| ministerial relations with il, serious diff
| ferences arose between the church and the
| Methodists. In 1745 John Wesley wrote
that he was willing TO make any conces-
sion which conscience would permit, in
| order to live in harmony with the clergy
| of the established church, brs he could
not, he said. give up the doctrines he
| was preaching, dissolve the societies,
suppress lay preaching, or cease to preach
| in the open air. For many years he re-
fused to sanction the administration of the
sacraments by any except those who had
| been ordained by bishop in the apostolic
| succession, and he himself hesitated to
| assume authority TO ordain: but the
| bishop of London, having refused to Or
dain ministers for the Methodist societies
| IN America, which were left by the Revo-
| iutionary war without the sacraments,
| Wesley, in 1854, by the imposition
| Of hands, appointed or ordained men and
! gave them authority TO ordain others. He
| ordained Thomas Coke. Ii. D., who was
| alreadya presbyter Of the CHURCH OF Eng
| land, to be superintendent OF the Metho-
| dist societies in America, and set apart for
similar purpose Alexander Mather, who
had not been epfscopally ordained. In
| England, Methodism continued TO be
| non-ecciesiastical religious movement
within the Church OF England till after
| John Wesley's death. March 2. 1871. In
| America the separation took place several
| years previous to that event.
| The pecuilarities of Methodism are:
| % The probationary system, by which
| converts are received for six months or
more on trial; if the test results favorsbly
| they are then taken into full connection"
| and have all the rights and privileges of
| full members. t2) The class meeting.
| The members and probatione9s OF each
| church are divided into companies called
| classes. and meet under the care of
| leader for prayer, testimony. and spiritual
| examination and advice. (3) Cxhorters.
| Members licensed to hold meetings for ex-
| hortation and prayer. a. Local preachers.
| Laymen adjudged TO have gifts graces
and usefulness" sufficient TO Justify the
issuance Of license, subject TO annual
renewal, to preach as occasion offers.
| without giving up their secular business;
| they may also DE ordained as deacons and
| elders. 90 The itinerancy. There are
| rules requiring the bishop or conference
| committee to station the regular minis
| ters every year, and limiting tee pastoral
term TO fixed period. In the English
Wesleyan church 1t is three years: in the
| Methodist Episcopal church in she United
| States it - five years, having been success
| lively advanced from two TO three and from
three to five. 20 Presiding elders. 90
| Bishops.
Though John and Charles Wesley
| crossed the ocean in 1875 and labored in
Georgia, the latter about enc year, the
former two years. the beginnings of
| Methodism in this country are dated from
1766, in New York and Maryland. In that
year Wesleyan local preacher from Ire
land, Philip Embury, gathered few
Methodists in the lower part of New York
for rapIfay WnrShip Pnt.rt
bridge. likewise Wesleyan local preacher
and Irish immigrant, preached 20 a small
number. of people in Frederick county,
Maryland, at about the same time. The
first meetings in New York Wee held in
| Mr.. Embury's house; then. they were
in 176S an edifice was erected at a cost
of $1,000. This was the first Methodist
church in the United States. Its site in
John street is still occupied bya Methodist
church. Capt. Thomas Webb, of the British
army, was an efficient colaborer with Mr.
Embury. Mr.. John Wesley sens over two
missionaries in 1863, Richarl. E3oardman
and Joseph Piimoor, to assist III the work
of establishing Methodism in THIS country.
Seven others subsequently arrived. Two
| became Presbyterlans, and only one, Fran
els AsbuEy, remained through the Rev.
| dictionary war.
The first annual conference WAS held in
| Philadelphia in 1913. Thomas Rankin, one
| OF Wesieys missionaries, presiding. At
| the close of 1854 general conference met
| in Baltimore, December a, and the
| Methodist Episcopal church was formally
| organized. This was in accordance with
| the plan of John Wesley himself The
| societies had increased and the number of
| members had swelled from l. 100 in 1913 to
| 49sS, notwithstanding the adverse in
| huences OF the Revolutionary war; and
| these societies were without an ordained
,iotrx
| the sacraments during tho period
| of the war. the clergy of the
| Church of England, from whora baptism
and the Lords Supper had previously been
| received, having IN many cases left their
| parishes. Representations bein, made TO
! Mr.. Wesley concerning the cosdition of
| the Methodist societies, he set apart Dr.
| Thomas Coke, q presbyter of the Church
| OF England, to be superintendent of the So
| cieties, and sent with him 10 America
| Francis Asbury and two Others. directing
| him to organize the societies int, a sepa-
| rate ecclesiastical body, and 10 have AS
| bury associated with him IN The office of
superintendent.
| When the conference was assembled in
| Baltimore letter from Mr.. Wesley was
read, stating that he had appointed DR..
| Coke and Mr.. Francis Asbury 20 be Joint
| superintendent over our brethren in
| North America. as also Richard Whatcoat
! and Thomas Nasey 10 act as elders among
them by baptlZIng and mInistering the
| Lords supper" that he had prepared a
| liturgy TO be used by the travelling preach
| ers; and that as 'our American brethren
| are now totally disentangled both from
| the state and from the English aie-arcy,"
| he dared not ''entangle them again, either
| with one or with the other. They are now"
| he added. ''at full liberty simply TO follow
! the Scriptures and the Primitive church."
The conference then proceeded TO form
a Methodist Episcopal church. p e!ecting
| both Coke and Asbury Us super ntendents
| or bishops. Asbury was successfully or
| dained deacon, elder and bishoI> The or
der OF worship and Articles OF Religion
prepared by Mr. Wesley were adopted his
rules aud discipline were rev Sc. and &C.
cepted, number Of preachers were or
dained, and the work OF the conference
was completed. The constitution OF the
church IS generally held 10 consist of the
general rules Of conduct prepared by Mr.
| Wesley, the Articles of Religion. and SIX
restrictive rules. limiting the covers of
the general conference, which 3 the su-
preme Legislative body and the nal court.
. he general conference elects bishops, who
hold once for life or during good behavior.
ana who preside over its sessions but
have no vote or veto IN its proceedings.
They are not diocesan. but geaeral and
ltnerant, visiting and presiding over the
annual conferences SUCCESSFULLY. and ay,-
pointing, with the aid and advice OF tie
presiding elders, the preachers to the pas