Evening star., 1901-04-20

THE FIRST GENERAL CONFERENCE
HELD 114ii YEARS YEARS AGO.
Work of Wesley, Coke and Others
Controversy oyet slavery-Pre.i-
dent WashinstOn's Views.

| oSeE SlaFcry-fresl.
| dent Washington's Views.
| May i next will be the one hundred and
| fourteenth anniversary of the holding of
| the first general conference of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church in the United States,
which met in Baltimore. Due celebration
| of the event will take place in most Meth
odist Episcopal churches. This meeting
| took place as the result of a letter from
| John Wesley to Thomas Coke, who was
| the formers representative in America
Mr.. Wesley being still in London, and
which was in these words: Il desire that
you would appoint a general conference
| of all our preachers in the United States.
| to meet at Baltimore on May L. 17S7.'
Some of the events which preceded this
| conference We're: In February, 1874, John
Wesley invited Coke into his private cham
| Der and after some general conversation
| he said in substance that the revolu-
| ton in America had separated the United
| States from the mother country forever,
| and the episcopal establishment was ut
| terly abolished, the societies had been rep
| resented to him in a most deplorable con-
| dition; that an appeal had also been made
| to him in which he was requested to pro-
vide for them some mode of church gov
ernment suited to their exigencies, and
that. having long and seriously resolved
adopt the plan which he was now about to
unfold. AS he had invariably endeavored
| in every step he had taken to keep as
closely to the Bible as possible so on. the
present occasion he hoped he was not
| about to deviate from it; that keeping his
| eye upon the conduct of the primitive
churches in the ages of unadulterated
Christianity, he had much admired the
mode of ordination which the church of
| Alexandria had practiced; that to preserve
| It's purity that church would never suffer
the interference of a foreign bishop in any
| of their ordinations, but that the presby-
| ters of that venerable apostolic church on
| the death of bishop exercised the right
| OF ordaining another from their own body
| by the laying on of their own hands, and
that this practice continued among them
| for 200 years, till the days of Dionysius
| and, finally, that being himself presbyter,
| he wished DR.. Coke to accept ordination
| from his hands and to proceed in that
| character to the continent of America. to
| superintend the societies in the United
States.
Expressed Doubts.
Coke was startled by a measure SO un-
| precedented in modern days. and expressed
doubts to the validity Of Wesley's au-
| thority. In the course Of two months
however, he wrote the latter that his OBJ
| jections were silenced, and at the next
| conference, held in Leeds. 1884, Wesley
| stated his future plans to America.
When the conference ended Wesley went
| TO BrlStOl ana COKE TO LONDON, to make
| arrangements for his departure; but he re-
| ceived a letter from Wesley requesting
him to come at once to Bristol to receive
| greater powers, and to bring with him Mr..
| who had long assisted Wesley in London
and elsewhere. 81. ="
At Bristol, Wesley assisted by Coke and
| Rev. Thomas Creighton ordained Richard
Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey. presbyters
| for America, and ordained Coke as super
| intendent. giving him under his hand and
| seal certificate. Of which the original. in
Wesley's handwriting. is still in existence.
| Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey, sailed in
| September. 1884, from Bristol. England, for
| New York. The voyage of Coke and his
| companions tempestuous. but their
course on shipboard resembled that of
| v esley in his journey to Georgia many
years before. They set apart a given hour
| for morning prayers. which the sailors at
| tended. and on successive Sundays dis
| courses were preached, which the records
| state were listened to with earnest atten-
| ton .,.. - ..
They landed in New York November 3
and repaired to the residence of a trustee
| of the John Street Church. John Dickins,
| the pastor. who had been strenuous in de-
| manding the right to administer the sacra-
| ments, was delighted with the purpose of
| their coming. In a few days Coke went to
Philadelphia, where he was invited to
| preach in the English churches. receiving
| calls, among others, from DIR. White. after
| Church, and also from the governor of the
state, whom Coke described as gentle
manly friend to literature, liberation and
| to vital Christianity
In Delaware Coke was the guest OF Judge
| Bassett. who. though not member of the
| Methodist Society, was erecting chapel at
! his own expense On Sunday. the 14th. at
| Judge BaSSett's. he met Freeborn Garrett
son and repaired to chapel in the midst
| of great forest finding a great concourse
of people. to whom he preached. after
ward administering the supper OF the
| Lord" to more than 800 persons. 1t was a
quarterly meeting and fifteen preachers
We're present.
Freeborn Garrettson was sent like an
| arrow over north and SOUTH" with mes
sengers to right and left to gather all the
preachers in Baltimore on Christmas eve.
Asbury drew up for Coke route Of
| about a thousand miles. to be traversed
| in the six weeks intervening.
! Asbury continued his journeys over the
western shore of Maryland, accompanied
they met Coke and also William Black.
| the founder of Methodism in Nova Scotia.
| who looking for ministerial help for
| that province. They all. with the excep
| tion Of Whatcoat who came three days
| later, arrived at Perry Hall the 11th of
December On Friday, December "a, 1884.
| the guests of Perry Hall rode into Balti-
| more.
First Discipline Adopted.
Garrettson had been so successful in noti-
| flying the preachers of the coming confer
| ence, and Of its purpose. that sixty were
present. The first discipline OF the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church was adopted by this
conference. Soon after the adjournment Of
the conference Asbury pursued his journey
! to Charleston. s. c.. where on Sunday,
| February 81 1855. he heard Jesse Lee
preach the first Methodist sermon delivered
| in that place, with the view Of establish
| ing regular preaching So hopeful was the
| aspect of affairs that Henry Willis was
| stationed there formed
| Coke travelled necessarily. At Abingdon,
| Nd, he gave orders that the materials for
| the erection of college which the late
| conference had decided to establish at that
place be procured at once. He spent ten
| days In Philadelphia, and in New York
| three weeks, preaching, superint ending the