A HISTORY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
By Nathan Bangs Volume II (Third Revised Edition, Published in 1853) BOOK IV From 1792 to 1812 CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 Methodism won its way; satisfaction in the doings of the conference of 1792; conferences and circuits; efforts to establish district schools; labors of Bishop Asbury; Methodism in New England; preachers withdrawn, dead, and located, numbers, conferences, and circuits; Methodism in the west; affliction and labors of Bishop Asbury; others labor and suffer with him; Methodism in Vermont and Maine; in New Hampshire; days of fasting and thanksgiving; locations and deaths of preachers; number of members and conferences; poisonous effects of infidelity; a fast proclaimed; thanksgiving; numbers; conferences attended by Bishop Asbury; his labor and sufferings; meets the classes in New York; Benjamin Abbott; his labors and their effects; his last public service; his death; his character; death of other preachers; of Judge White; numbers CHAPTER 2 Second General Conference; locations deprecated; chartered fund; church property; manner in, and purposes for which it is held; local preachers, rules for the government of rule respecting the use of ardent spirits; Dr. Coke offers his services to the conference, which were accepted; he returns to Europe; an incident of the voyage; conference adjourns. CHAPTER 3 Conferences and circuits; illness of Bishop Asbury; his labors and sufferings; further sufferings at Tuckehoe, N.Y.; not able to attend conferences, but appoints Jesse Lee in his place; death of preachers, and number in the church; people of color special object of attention; rebuilding of the Light street church; extension of the work in Western New York; numbers; death and character of John Dickins; deaths and locations; revival in Upper Canada;Calvin Wooster; good results of; his labors; others enter into the work; opposition to it; Methodism in Ohio; in Georgia and Mississippi; locations and deaths -- death and character of H. C. Wooster; numbers. CHAPTER 4 Third General Conference. The oldest journal commences here; debility of Bishop Asbury; conference requests a continuance of his services; to which he consents; the case of Dr. Coke considered; conference consents to his temporary residence in Europe; letter of Bishop Asbury to the British Conference; Dr. Coke returns; address of the American to the British Conference; election of Richard Whatcoat to the episcopal office; his labors and character; allowance of preachers; provision for married preachers; boundaries of conferences; the bishops authorized to ordain colored preachers adjournment. CHAPTER 5 Great revivals; in Baltimore, Duck Creek, Eastern Shore of Maryland, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire; Commencement of camp meetings in the west; their good effects great meeting on Desha's Creek; conversion of individuals; opposition to these meetings -- how silenced; number of attendants increase; different denominations unite in them; powerful effects; labors of William McKendree; camp meetings spread other preachers enter into the work; providentially introduced; defence of these meetings; death of preachers, and numbers; labors of Bp. Asbury and Whatcoat; Methodism in N. hampshire and Vermont; in U. Canada; in Charleston, S.C.; deaths of preachers, and numbers; death and character of Mr. Jarratt; conferences; work of God prospers in the west; also in New Jersey; in the District of Columbia and in Vermont; Methodism in Montreal, L. C. and in Upper Canada; labors of the bishops; Baltimore conference; death and character of Bishop Asbury's mother; Methodism in Philadelphia; numbers; conference in Boston; progress of the work by means of camp-meetings in Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, and Georgia; extends to Western New York and Lower Canada; deaths of preacher; comparative view of number in different sections of the country; influence of Methodism on the general state of society. CHAPTER 6 Fourth General Conference; number and names of those Composing it; rules of proceeding and powers of the bishops; trial of a bishop, amendment of one article of faith, and sundry other alterations; addresses of the American to the British conference; boundaries of conferences; adjournment of the General Conference; effects of camp-meetings; influence declines in Kentucky; Springfield presbytery; wild excesses; Methodist adhere to their standards; Cumberland Presbytery; camp-meetings in Ohio; Methodism in Marietta; in the older states; in Illinois and upper Canada; state of things in Detroit; locations, deaths, and numbers, and conferences; general state of the work; death and character of Tobias Gibson; of Nicholas Watters and Wilson Lee; of others; numbers and conference; proposition of Bishop Asbury for a delegated General Conference; rejected by Virginia conferences; Dr. Cooks marriage and proposition to reside in America; Methodism in Louisiana; in Mississippi; in lower Canada, particularly Quebec; French mission; in Massachusetts, and Eastern Shore, Md; Bishop Asbury in the west; in Charleston, S. C.; death and character of Bishop Whatcoat; withdrawings, locations, and expulsions, numbers and conferences; Bishop Asbury's travels and prayers; Methodism in Missouri; in Savannah, Ga; deaths and numbers. CHAPTER 7 General Conference of 1808 -- number of members; the case of Dr. Coke -- his letter to the General Conference; conference dissatisfied with him; his letter to Bishop White; the bishop's answer; remarks on this correspondence; Dr. Coke's explanatory letter; letter to Dr. Coke; resolutions in reference to Dr. Coke; address of the British to the American conference; of the American to the British conference; defence of those measures; measures for a delegated General Conference; Memorial of the New York conference; concurred in by other conferences; referred to a committee; report, and its rejection; a source of grief; second report accepted; well received; election of William McKendree to the episcopal office; sketch of his character and labors; E. Cooper resigns his station as book steward, and J. Wilson and D. Hitt appointed; local deacons, raising supplies, settling disputes, and adjournment of conference; minute respecting Dr. Coke. CHAPTER 8 Extent of the annual conferences; general satisfaction in what had been done; Bishop Asbury relieved in his labors by his new colleague; Bishop McKendree enters upon his work; their manner of traveling; privations and enjoyments; extension of the work in Ohio; singular conversion; progress of the work in New England; revival in the city of New York; locations and deaths of preachers; account of Captain Webb; numbers; Methodism in the west; in Boston; origin of camp meetings; manner in which they are held; Account of one held on Long Island, N.Y.; another in the west; numbers; Genesee conference; Methodism in Cincinnati; in Indiana; revival in New york; locations and deaths of preachers; character of Joseph Everett; of John Wilson; numbers; rumors of war; earthquakes; want of houses of worship; of parsonages; Bishop Asbury in Upper Canada; in the western states; Methodism in Pittsburg; locations and death of preachers; numbers. BOOK V CHAPTER 1 First delegated General Conference; names of its members; rules; address from Bishop McKendree; referred to committees; Bishop Asbury's desire to visit his native land; Genesee and other conferences; ordination of local deacons; rule for settling disputes; how state of itinerant in the M.E.C.; sad effects of this state of things; Lee's History and efforts to obtain a better; church property; provision for worn out preachers, widows, and orphans and for missionary purposes; address of G. C to the members of the church; presiding elder question; history of; arguments for and against the measure; end of the controversy; stationing power; its use. CHAPTER 2 War declared; consequences of this; growing importance of the West; commission from the A. B. C. F. M. sent there; report; Bishop Asbury declines in health; remarks on the war and effects of intoxicating liquors; state of the work; numbers; a distressing times on the fronters; secession of Pliny Brett; general state of things; labors of Bishop Asbury; makes his will; mutual affection and influence of the bishops; numbers; cause of the increase; the war rages; its effects on religion; dangerous illness, and recovery of Bishop Asbury; resumes his travels; his debilitated appearance; death and character of Mr. Otterbein, and others connected with him; death of Dr. Coke; locations; deaths and numbers; Bishop McKendree; conversation of Bishop Asbury with him; the war draws near its termination; locations, deaths and numbers; peace and its consequences; Bishops Asbury and McKendree; locations -- death of Learner Blackman; of Richman Nolley; of other preachers; decline of Bishop Asbury; last entry in his journals, and his last sermon; his death and burial; inscription on his tombstone; his life never written; his character; concluding remarks; Note A.