check upon the general Conference; and some thought that body had unlimited, or sole power over superintendents, preachers, and people;-that power they expected would obtain when a majority could be found of that opinion: and as they believed solepower was with the Elders, (having left Wesley out of the question, and paralyzed Dr. Coke) there was only Francis Asbury in the way of having an episcopacy of straw, which might be used as the household gods of ancient times,-honoured and abused at pleasure; set up and put down as they chose.

But at the general Conference of 1796, (Dr. Coke then present) it was urged, that episcopacy be then strengthened by the addition of another bishop, who might help Francis Asbury, while he lived; and, if he became inefficient, or died, to take his place for though there could be no doubt of Dr. Coke's readiness to come to our help, if the Conference should send for him; yet there were doubts whether the Conference would consent to receive him, after the overtures he had made to Dr. White, bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Pennsylvania. Some said they thought it a wicked attempt; and were not willing to admit that it was for the best, nor to take circumstances into the account. To bring things to an issue, it was moved, that one more be added to the episcopacy.

It was opposed, by way of interrogatories, by one. in favour of parity :-" Are we to have a trinity of British bishops? will it be safe to have many heads to one body?"

This was explained, by saying that it was not expected that there could be more than one head to one body; but, as in all well organized bodies, it was common to have a president and vice-president, -one or more in order and succession-so was the

motion. A reply from the same part of the house was made by way of irony:- "I understand it to be as a father and mother in a family; so that if dady should die, mammy may take his place, and rule the children ?"

From that reply it was easy to be gathered what was to be expected, if the superintendency were to be vacated by death or otherwise. For the Rev. Mr. Lee was a man of weight in Conference; his piety and labours had procured him many friends, an audience in Conference, and among the people.

It was plain that Richard Whatcoat was pointed at in repartee; for, first, he was nominated by the Rev. J. Wesley to be superintendent, some years before. He was the only Englishman eligible for that order, and he was respected by the preachers as much as any man in the Conference.

Of these things Whatcoat appeared not to take the least notice in any way, directly or indirectly. But all the friends to moderate episcopacy perceived what they had to expect; that the decay of Wesleyan episcopacy was inevitable, if something was not done soon. It was resolved by the friends of that order, that the principle should be openly and fairly discussed.

The question before the house was, "If Francis Asbury's seat as superintendent be vacated by death, or otherwise, was Dr. Coke considered, from the authority he had in the Church, as having a right to take the superintendency, in the same manner as it was exercised by Francis Asbury ?"

The argument was supported for the affirmative by adverting to the acknowledgment offered the day before, of having two bishops; for one added to one. would not make a trinity; and that Mr. Whatcoat must have been considered as one, who was to make

up the trinity of British bishops; which was a concession from the opposite side; so the Conference agreed to call him.

Dr. Coke was then asked if he would be ready to come to the United States, and reside in them, if he were called to take the charge as superintendent, so that there might be a succession from Wesley. He agreed to do so (as soon as he should be able to settle his charge in Europe,) with all pleasure and possible despatch, to come and spend his days in America. The reverend superintendent, Asbury, then reached out his right hand, and in a pathetic speech, the purport of which was our enemies said we were divided; but all past grievances were buried; and "friends at first are friends at last, and I hope never to be divided."

The Doctor took his right hand in token of submission, while many present were in tears of joy, to see the happy union in the heads of department, and from a prospect of the Wesleyan episcopacy being like to continue in regular order and succession. This afforded no immediate relief to the superintendent as regarded his labours; for Dr. Coke was engaged in the support of the Indian Missionariesthey and their families were his care, and they looked to him for supplies, so that he could not come to aid the superintendent: but to supply his place, he had pledged himself to come, if called for by the Conference and necessity.

To assist the superintendent, it was thought good that a preacher should travel with him,-to assist him as he should see fit to employ him; but he could not employ him as having power to ordain; and as the Rev. Francis Asbury grew infirm through intense labour and travelling, it became a matter of necessity to have another set apart for the purpose of

ordination, as occasion might demand. Now Whatcoat had been appointed to that order, by Rev. J. Wesley, (as before observed,) and some were of opinion, that his appointment should have been attended to, as the Conference were under obligation to him, at the time of his appointment. This brought him again in nomination by that part of the Conference who thought as the Rev. R. Whatcoat did at the Conference in which the name of Wesley was left off the minutes, and Dr. Coke restricted.

Now one of the leading men of the Conference at that time was the Rev. Jesse Lee, one never very fond of subordination, and much in favour of parity -in verity, no episcopalian, in any significant sense of the word; whereas the Rev. R. Whatcoat was distinguished for submission, and a real follower of Wesley's plan. Time brought them both to be spoken of;-all their excellencies and all their foibles. It was said of Whatcoat, "his passive obedience was the effect of dulness; and his patience and forbearance, the want of understanding or brilliancy of mind." But his heart was fixed; which made him endure, as seeing Him who is invisible; who, when he was reviled, answered not, but committed all to Him who will judge the world in righteousness. His chief care was to do every thing in the name, and to the glory of the root and offspring of David.

He was stationed in the city of New-York, while he was among the Elders, as pastor of the congregation, where he was much beloved and very useful, as many who are now alive, can well remember his doctrine and manner of life; his sermons bore a great likeness to those of the Reformers of the seventeenth century; "His death the ransom for his own Christ in his own: Christ by his own; His life the pattern; His resurrection and ascension, the proof su

preme of our immortality;" the gift of the Holy Spirit, the efficient cause of justification or the new birth,-first, it convincingly persuades us of our own vileness, and of the emptiness of all those things that our desires are so eagerly pursuing: and on the other hand, he clearly represents the great excellency of Christ and his ways; that He is the greatest good we can enjoy, and that there is no other way of enjoying Him, but by living and serving Him;-to do this, he makes use of moral persuasion, working upon our reason by cogent and persuasive arguments; and by diffusing such a heavenly sweetness through the heart, as to make it disrelish all those fulsome delights of sin, that would separate us from that infinite good with which sinful pleasures can hold no comparison; so that finding more true delight in God and his ways-more charming and alluring joys than ever before, we are carried forth to them by an altogether free and amorous motion; and this it does by the real and immediate efficacy of the Holy Spirit of God on the will itself: and this operation of the Spirit upon the will is so consistent with the relative liberty of the will, that it would be pain and torment to the soul to be removed from that God whom its understanding apprehends, and its will clasps as its chief and only good; so there are both a moral sensation and a real determination of the will in the work of regeneration; God really terminates it by the efficacious touch of his own grace, whereby he powerfully turns the heart and inclination to Himself; which before stood to sin and vanity: and that this might be no infringement upon the will's prerogative in acting freely,-at the same time He morally persuades it, representing Himself as the best and most satisfying object for all its inclinations to centre in. The excellency of divine grace and the liberty