This exercise of
brotherly love is enjoined by Christ and His Apostles. I urged this duty
on the church to which I belonged. I preached and published a sermon on
the subject, and circulated a number of tracts on the same point,
published by others.
2. The travelling preachers had a Fund, called the Beneficent Fund, for
the support of superannuated preachers and preachers' widows. Some of
the rules of this fund seemed to me to be anti-christian, and I labored
to get them altered. I also recommended that there should be a fund for
worn-out and needy local preachers.
3. Members of the churches mingled with drunkards, profligates, and
infidels, in benefit societies, and many other associations. This seemed
to me to be very objectionable, and plainly unscriptural, and I
recommended that they should come out from such societies, and form
associations for good objects among themselves.
4. Wesley had provided cheap books and pamphlets for his societies, and
I urged the Conference to do the same for ours. I wrote letters to the
Annual Committee, the representatives of the Connexion, showing that
books published at eight or ten shillings a volume, could be supplied at
one or one and sixpence. I reminded them of the fact that the Book-room
had abundance of spare capital which might be profitably used in such a
work, and I pointed out the advantages likely to result from the
encouragement of thoughtful and studious habits among the people.
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