. The origin and history of the primitive Methodist Church . nocircuit not now in debt shall be allowed to run in debt. The course taken wassuggested by the self-denying ordinance adopted by the Hull preachers in 1822 whenfaced by a circuit deficit, they proposed to forego a portion of their quarters salary,until, by hard work and the blessing of God, there should be an improvement in thecircuit finances. This temporary bye-law was now made a Connexional statute. Itwas found necessary for all preachers to be put on beginning to make proof of theirministry. The regulation worked as was expected
. The origin and history of the primitive Methodist Church . nocircuit not now in debt shall be allowed to run in debt. The course taken wassuggested by the self-denying ordinance adopted by the Hull preachers in 1822 whenfaced by a circuit deficit, they proposed to forego a portion of their quarters salary,until, by hard work and the blessing of God, there should be an improvement in thecircuit finances. This temporary bye-law was now made a Connexional statute. Itwas found necessary for all preachers to be put on beginning to make proof of theirministry. The regulation worked as was expected and desired. In the course of twelvemonths thirty of these runners out made good their name by quitting the new regulation bore hardly for a time upon some of the useful preachers; somuch so, that a Charitable Fund was started in order partially to recoup them for the * For further illustration of this position see the chapter on The Kingdom as Salt, in ChristsKingdom and Church in the Nineteenth Century. V V 2 436 PRIMITIVE METHODIST losses they had sustained. In other ways the bands of discipline were tightened. Thesystem of Circuit and ministers pledges was begun : the creeping into the societies of unprincipled men from other Circuits or Churches wassought to be frustrated : entrance into the ministry wasmore carefully guarded. The action of the Conferenceof 1826 was-a piece of relentless surgery ; but the patientscondition was too serious for mild treatment. By 1828the worst was past, and although the returns showeda decrease of 1907 on the returns of 1824, there was anactual increase of 1610 on the year, and in nine yearsthe membership of the Connexion more than doubleditself, the rather less than 30,000 members of 1827having by 1 836 become 62,306. No wonder that inspiredby the brightened aspect of affairs in 1829, Hugh Bourneshould write:— This was allowed to be the best Con-ference ever held in the Primitive Methodist Connexionh watkins. , . an
Size: 1314px × 1901px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidoriginhistor, bookyear1880
