Twenty years .ago, I sat in a little room in the village of Perry, Wyoming County, N.Y., awaiting the verdict of the Genesee Conference of the M. E. Church, which was to sever me from religious associations which I had formed, as I supposed, for life. I was a Methodist from conviction ; and as a Methodist preacher I had endeavored to do my duty. My ministry had been successful ; and my standing, both among the people, and in the Conference, was all that I could have desired. But issues came up, relating to the nature of the religion which we were to spread, and I felt called upon to take sides with Methodism as we had received it from the fathers with holiness and truth. But the ruling influence was against us, and its leaders were exasperated by their growing unpopularity with the people. While awaiting their decision —a decision which I had no doubt had been predetermined upon before the trial begun, I was troubled most with the reflection that now we should have nothing to do in the blessed cause of God. But immediately I seemed to hear the voice of the Master saying, " I will give you plenty to do." I opened my Bible to these words, which were applied to my heart with all the force of a direct revelation : " Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me : and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth : let them return unto thee ; but return not thou unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced bra­zen wall : and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee : for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD." Jer. xv, 19, 20. These words have given us encouragement and strength ever since.

The next evening, the large Baptist church of the village was opened, and to a crowded, sympathizing audience, the expelled ministers set forth, at length, the issues on which we were thrust out. From that day to this, we have not lacked the sympathy and fellowship of devout people of all denominations.

When the committee of the General Con­ference of 1860, selected to hear our appeal, refused, in utter violation of a plain provision of the Constitution of the M.. E. Church, to entertain it, I said, I APPEAL TO GOD AND TIE PEOPLE. This appeal has been entertained; and, so far as we have the means of knowing, the decision has been favorable. Here we should have let the matter rest, but those opposed to us will not permit it. They have published, and sanctioned the most bare-faced, flagrant falsehoods, which they intend shall pass as a history of the affair. We should be wanting . in our duty to the cause which is dearer to us than life, and to the noble men and women who have given us their confi­dence, if we allowed these falsehoods to pass uncontradicted.

With the doctrines and government of the M. E. Church we have no controversy. For many of its ministers and members we have a sincere respect and affection. But its General Conference, its highest representative body, has committed against us, and others, acts of the greatest injustice. In making this charge we have no resentment to gratify. They meant it for evil God meant it for good.

God has always had a church upon earth. It is one in spirit in outward forms many. An­ciently there was one Israel but twelve tribes. In former years the most bloody persecutions arose from the effort to produce uniformity where God meant there should be only unity. At the present, the most fierce, relentless, big­oted sectarians are those who make it their business to denounce all sects. Reforms in the church have generally been effected by new or­ganizations which have reacted upon the old, and infused into them new life and vigor. The Roman Catholic Church was greatly improved by the formation of Protestant churches. The Established Church of England has been more spiritual in its tone, and more evangelical in its teachings since the days of Wesley and Whitefield. In this country the mouths of Methodist preachers were closed on the subject of slaveholding, until the Wesleyan church was organized. After that event, those who advocated the rights of the slaves were not persecuted, for fear they would join the Wesleyans.

So, the FREE METHODIST CHURCH is exerting a salutary influence upon the parent body.. Doctrines and practices which would scarcely be tolerated when we were thrust out, are becoming popular. The REV. WM. B. OSBORNE, one of the most devoted, self-sacrificing leaders of the Holiness Movement, now of the India Conference, said at one of our camp meetings in New Jersey : " I have come fifty miles to thank the Free Methodists for the pri­vilege I have of preaching holiness in the H. E. Church, unmolested." No notice is taken of ministers in that church who publish in the papers articles which reflect upon the church much more severely than the one did for wri­ting which we were expelled.

The multiplication of sects which do not dif­fer essentially from those already in existence is to be deplored. But the FREE METHODIST CHURCH is not one of this kind. It is the only one with which we are acquainted that requires of every person, who joins it in full connection, to give an affirmative answer to the question, "Have you that perfect love which casteth out fear ? If not, will you diligently seek until you obtain it?" In all its church edifices it is re­quired—not that there be free seats but that all the seats be free. It has a mission from God to hold up the New Testament standard of religion; and to preach the Gospel to the poor. In this work it should not be embarrassed by untrue and slanderous reports as to its origin, in books claiming the dignity of a history, or the arch-dignity of an encyclopedia.

With the leading facts which I narrate in this volume, I was personally acquainted. I have endeavored to state them plainly, in a Christian spirit, and without the slightest exaggeration. I have given proofs which can not be set aside without practically denying the validity of human testimony. But I am conscious of laboring under this great disad­vantage : the action of the Genesee Conference, sustained by the General Conference, was so unjust and unprovoked so contrary to anything which we might look for in a body of respectable men, even though they laid no claim to piety, that the plainest narrative of the events, looks like wild exaggeration. . But I have endeavored to give the simple truth, without the slightest coloring. I have read my manuscript to several intelligent, judicious brethren, familiar with the the facts, and they give it their hearty indorsement.

It is but justice to say, that notwithstanding our position on secret societies, some well known Masons, both in the Conference and out of it, stood by us heartily through the entire 'conflict. They insisted that it was a gross perversion of Masonry, to use it as a means for controlling the affairs of a church.

There are some who judge of actions by the position occupied by those who do them. From .such we do not expect a favorable ver­dict. There are others who feel free to con­demn a wrong, whoever perpetrates it, and we ask the candid attention of these to the follow­ing pages.

B. T. ROBERTS.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., AUGUST 6, 1879.