ing alfo the circuits which are fituated on the branches of the Yadkin. 5. The South-Carolina conference, for South-Carolina, Georgia, and the remainder of North-Carolina., 6. The western conference, for the fates of Kentucky and Tenneffee; Provided, That the bifhops fhall have authority to appoint other yearly conferences in the interval of the general conference, if a fufficiency of new circuits be any where formed for that purpose. Queft. 8. How are the districts to be formed? N. B. In cafe that there be no bishop to travel through the diftricts, and exercife the epifcopal office, on account of death, the districts fhall be regulated in every refpect by the yearly conferences and the prefiding elders, till the enfuing general conference, (ordinations only excepted). NOTE S. It is indifpenfably neceffary for every great body of people, whether united by civil or religious bonds, to have among them a felect number, invested with the authority of making regulati ons, for the government of the fociety. It is of fmall importance by what name this felect body is diftinguished. The name which our venerable father in the gofpel, the late Mr. Wesley, preferr ed, in respect to our fociety, was that of Conference, and we have, therefore, continued to ufe it. Indeed the name is perfectly fcriptural. In the Acts of the Apostles we are informed, that Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerufalem to confult the apoftles and elders, in refpect to the difpute concerning circumcifion. But after they had delivered their message, "and declared all things that God had done with them,there rose up certain of the fect of the Pharifees, which believed, faying, that it was needful to circumcife them [the gentiles] and to command them to keep the law of Mofes." See the 15th chapter of the Acts. This very meeting is called, by St Paul, Gal. ii. I-10. a confer ence. "For they who seemed to be fomewhat in conference added nothing to me.' It is impoffible for any difcerning perfon who attentively compares the two chapters together, not to fee that the conference here fpoken of refpected the meeting of the apoftles and elders with Paul and Barnabas, on the above occafion: and St. Paul seems to use the word as if it was well known, and frequently applied to fuch meetings. Our focieties are scattered over a vaft country, extending about 'fourteen hundred miles from north to fouth, and from five to eight hundred from eaft to weft. We could not, therefore, in justice to the work of God, nor from the ftate of our finances, hold our general conferences oftener than once in four years. If they were more frequent, the long abfence of so many minifters from their respective circuits and diftricts, would be an irrepara ble lofs to the focieties and congregations. Nor do we think, that the nature of a religious conftitution renders it neceffary to revife more frequently the regulations by which it is governed. But there are various particulars, which do not come under the name of laws, which require more frequent affemblies or conferences for their confideration. The admiffion of preachers on trial and into full connection, the ordination of elders and deacons, the examination of the characters of the ministers and preachers, and the ftationing of them all, as well as the management of the fund for the fuperannuated preachers, &c. are points of the fir moment, and call for frequent meetings. On this account, the general conference has appointed yearly conferences, divided in the best manner they were able; to be compofed, as far as poffible, of at least one bishop-the prefident elder of each diftrict within the controul of thofe conferences, refpectively- the elders, deacons, and the preachers in full connection. These men, who have been travelling the preceding year among all the focieties in those districts and circuits, refpectively, can give the fulleft, the completeft information on all the subjects which come under the cognizance of the yearly conferences. But it may be asked, Why are not delegates fent to these conferences from each of the circuits? We anfwer, It would utterly deftroy our itinerant plan. They would be concerned chiefly, if not only, for the interests of their own constituents. They could not be expected, from the nature of things, to make the neceffary facrifices, and to enter impartially into the good of the whole. They would neceffarily endeavour to obtain the most able and lively preachers for their refpective circuits, without entering, perhaps at all, into that enlarged, apoftolic fpirit, which would endeavour, whatever might be the facrifice, to make all things tally. The difference of gifts in the minifters, and the oppofing interefts of the delegates, would produce conflicts, of a pernicious tendency; and, in many inftances, improper means would be used for obtaining the defired point. Frequently the delegates, if unfuccefsful in their application for their favourite preacher, would probably make him fecret offers to fettle among them; and if unfuccefsful in every point, and the preacher, ap pointed for them and their conftituents, was not agreeable to their wishes, they might grow indignant, and, through refentment, and by their unfavourable reports, on their return, might cause a feparation from the general body. And those who imagine this to be a mere chimera, fhew, we think, but little knowledge of human nature: they do not confider how easily and powerfully the heated paffions would plead in favour of a fettled ministryhow eafily difappointment and jealousy would present the pureft and most disinterested conduct in the most unfavourable light: to fay nothing of the labour and expence of fuch a plan. Whilft, on the other hand, the prefent members who compofe our conferences, who know not, when they meet, what may be their next sphere of action, and are willing to run any where on the errands of their Lord, are not nearly as much exposed to the temptations mentioned above.* The following portions of the Word of God are pointed in fupport of the itinerant plan for the propagation of the gospel; which plan renders most of the regulations contained in this fec-> tion, effential to the existence of our united fociety: Matt. x. 5 -II. "Thefe twelve [apoftles] Jefus fent forth, and commanded them, faying, Go-to the loft fheep of the house of Ifrael. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. And into whatfoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire," &c. xxii. 8-10. "Then faith he to his fervants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye, therefore, into the high-ways, and as many as ye fball find, bid to the marriage. So thofe fervants went out into the highways," &c. xxviii. 19. "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations," be as extensively useful as poffible. Mark vi. 7-12. "And he calleth unto him the twelve, and began to fend them forth by two and two, and commanded them that they fhould take nothing for their journey, fave a staff only.-And he faid unto them, In what place foever ye enter into an house, there abide, till, ye depart from that place.- And they went out, and preached *We are very far from making these remarks out of any difrefpect to our located brethren. On the contrary, we are very confcious that many of them equal any of us, and perhaps much exceed us in grace and wisdom. We have made thefe obfervations only on account of their located fituation, well knowing that our people would on no occafion choose any for their delegates who were not wife and good men. Such is the nature of man, and perhaps fuch is the duty of man, that be will always prefer the people for whom he acts, and to whom he is refponfible, before all others. We should, probably, act in the fame manner ourselves, if we were delegates for a fingle circuit or district. But that men fhould repent." Luke x. 1-9. -And into "After these things, the Lord appointed other seventy alfo, and fent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. -And into whatfoever boufe ye enter," fays our Lord to them, "firft fay, Peace be to this houfe.whatfoever city ye enter, and they receive you,-fay unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." xiv. 23. "And the Lord faid unto the fervant, Go out into the high-rays and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Acts. viii. 4. "They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." Ver. 40 " Philip-preached in all the cities, till he came to Cefarea." xvi 36. "Paul faid unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord," &c. We have already fhewn, that Timothy and Titus were travelling bifbops. In fhort, every candid perfon, who is thoroughly acquainted with the New Teftament, must allow, that whatever excellencies other plans may have, this is the primitive and apof tolic plan. But we would by no means fpeak with disrespect of the faithful located minifters of any church. We doubt not, but, from the nature and circumstances of things, there must have been many located minifters in the primitive churches: and we must acknowledge, with gratitude to God, that the located brethren in our church are truly useful and of confiderable confequence, in their respective stations. But, on the other hand, we are fo confcious of the vast importance of the travelling plan, that we are determined, through the grace of God, to fupport it to the utmost of our power: nor will any plea which can poffibly be urged, however plausible it may appear, or under whatever pame proposed, induce us to make the leaft facrifice in this refpect, or, by the introduction of any novelty, to run the least hazard of wounding that plan, which God has fo wonderfully owned, and which is fo perfectly consistent with the apostolic and primitive practice. We will now humbly beg leave to drop a few hints (for laws or regulations we have no authority to make) as explanatory of those words in the introduction to this fection, "It is defired, that every perfon fpeak freely whatever is in his heart:" and we propofe them the more readily, as they are extracted from the minutes drawn up by our elder brethren, the members of the British conference : I. Be tender of the character of every brother; but keep at the utmost distance from countenancing fin. 2. Say nothing in the conference but what is ftrictly necessary, and to the point. 3. If accufed by any one, remember recrimination is no acquittance; therefore avoid it. 4. Beware of impatience of contradiction; be firm; but be open to conviction. The caufe is God's, and he needs not the hands of an Uzzah to fupport his ark. The being too tenacious of a point, because you brought it forward, may be only feeding felf. Be quite easy, if a majority decide against you, 5. Ufe no craft or guile to gain any point. Genuine fimpli city will always fupport itself. But there is no need always to fay all you know or think, 6. Beware of too much confidence in your own abilities; and never defpife an opponent. 7. Avoid all lightnefs of fpirit, even what would be innocent any where elfe.- -Thou, God, feeft me. The appointment of the times for holding the yearly conferences muft neceffarily be invested in the bishops, otherwife they cannot poffibly form their plans for travelling through the continent, so that they may be enabled to attend each of the conferences. But the right of fixing the places refts with the conferences. We cannot omit noticing, before we conclude this fection, the ftrict examination which the characters of the preachers pafs through, in the yearly conferences. When that eminent faint of God, and great writer, John Fletcher, was once prefent, in the British conference, at the examination of the characters, he feemed aftonifhed, and expreffed his furprize and approbation in very ftrong terms. The examination is equally ftrict in all the conferences throughout the connection. And we know of ne church where the purity of the morals, the orthodoxy of the doctrines, and the usefulness of the lives and labours of the minifers (for all thefe are included in the examination) are more ftrictly attended to than in ours. In refpect to the divifion of the continent, for the purpose of holding the yearly conferences, we may obferve, that for several years the annual conferences were very fmall, confifting only of the preachers of a fingle district, or of two or three very fmall ones. This was attended with many inconveniences.- 1. There were but few of the fenior preachers, whofe years and experience had matured their judgments, who could be prefent at any one conference. 2. The conferences wanted that dignity which every religious fynod fhould poffefs, and which always accompanies a large affembly of Gofpel minifters. 3. The itinerant plan was exceedingly cramped, from the difficulty of removing preachers from one diftrict to another. All these inconveniences will, we trust, be removed on the prefent plan; and at the fame time the conferences are fo arranged, tha tall the members, respectively, may attend with little difficulty. To all which may be added, that the active, zealous, unmarried preachers, may move on a larger fcale, and preach the ever D |