Copy of an ADDRESS from the TRUSTEES of the Bristol
Methodist Chapels, to the CONFERENCE,
at Leeds in July 1793.
Dear Brethren,
AS the refult of the Diflrift Meeting, held here in Oflober laft, muft come before the Conference, permit lis
to lay before you our reprefentation and views of that bufinefs, as we are not allowed to appear there in
perfon.
The Briftol fociety is one of the oldeft in the Methodift conne&ion. Some of its firft members are ftiil living
amongft us, and many can teftifv the peaceable difpofition, the regularity, and confiftency, with which we have
gone on (in connexion with the Church oj England) from the beginning to Mr. Wefley's death.—And we conceive
there was no juft. reafon to break in upon that harmony and regularity, but to carry a certain point which has been
the fource of much uneafinefs in many other places.
The Preachers at the Manchejler Conference, the year in which Mr. W. died,-
the Plan which Mr. IVeJley left at his death"
engaged to follow stRicTly
That Plan, we conceive, is principally laid down in the. large Minutes of the Conference, and in the Rules of
our Society.
In the Minutes are thefe words,—" What was God's defign ir raifmg up the Preachers called Methodifts ?"
" A, Not to form a new Sect, but to reform the Nation, particularly the Church,—and to fpread fcriptural
" holinefs over the land.
" How fhould an AJJiJlant be qualifedfor his Charge ?
" A By walking clofely with God ;—by loving the Church of England., and refolving not to feparate from i G—
" Exhort all that were brought up in the Church to continue tferfn. Set them the example yourfelf and carefully
" avoid whatever has a 1 endency to feparate them from the khurch."
And the Rules of our Society declare,—" We are of no Party-fwe wifh to fpread fcriptural religion amongft peo-
" pie of every denomination—leaving every one to hold his ohn opinion and to follow his own mode of worfhip."
We conceive thefe Min utes and Rules are equally binding on Preachers and People.
We joined the fociety under the faith of thefe declarations m|ny years ago. We continued under the repeated
renewals of the fame, even to the death of the Rev. Mr. Wefley's;—and fince that the Conference have folemnly
engaged—" strictly to follow thefame plan."
But we apprehend the opening a Chapel here in Church houf!f,As a contradidion of thefe declarations and en¬
gagements as far as they refped us, and more particularly fo the giving public notice in our Preaching-Houfes of the
fervice there, and inviting the people to take tickets. By which condufil our Places of Worfhip are made the means
of influencing the people to diffent, For all that regularly attend that Chapel mufl leave their former Places of Wor-
fhip ;—and this is in fa£l making a separate Party.
And notwithftanding the conference determined that the Ordinances of the Lord's Supper, &c. fhould not be given
tilts vear hv the Wxl y«inlr«l»ln n*M» '1 (\szsex. ^—'A*—it,—Lopa ho tl o L, ^ tVfr.
Bradburn has repeatedly and very injudicioufly publicly declared ^hat he intends to do it next year, and has already
buried the dead, and baptized the children.
If the Conference chufe to make a feparate Party, let them openly and honeftly avow it, that the people
may know what they have to do. We fhall be forry whenever that event takes place, but we are prepared
to meet it, being determined to keep in the good old way.—Mid we know there are thoufands of the like mind,
to whom we will give all the fupport in our power, whether Preachers or Hearers, that they may continue in the
original Methodifl connedion without feparating from the Communky in which they were brought up, or be under
the temptation of forming a new Sect, and " dwindling away into a dry, dull, feparate party —which Mr. W.
has foretold will be the neceffary confequence.
We have already feen two of our Preachers (Mr. Bradburn and Mr, Thomas Roberts) meanly defcend to put on
the clerical drefs of the Church of England, (namely the furplice, gown, and band)-4-The legal right of which we
do not difpute ; but we think they would have been as much justified in putting on the Pope's mitre, or the robes*
of the Loid High Chancellor of England.
This unbecoming condufl .''which we ohjefted to as highly improper previous to the tranfaftion) occafioned our
firft Addrefs to the People. We conceived it our duty to caution them againft being led into bye-paths, and to pub¬
licly bear ourteftimony againft thofe proceedings, the noife of which had fpread throughout the city, and brought
upon us much'cenfure and reproach.
On which Mr. B. publifhed his moft violent Reply, frought with mifreprefentatipns, and affertions not founded
in fad. And very illiberally abufed us from the pulpit in various places, in a manner highly inconfiftent with the
fpirit of a gofpel Minifter.
This behaviour occafioned our fecond Addrefs,—both which we have here inclofed.
Mr B. then (finding his ground not very tenable) removed the caufe from before the Public, and appealed to a
Diflrid Meeting of the Preachers. We alio defired to attend this Meeting, being ready to fupport our caufe before
any tribunal either public or private.
Whilft we keep on the old broad bottom, and advert to our firft principles of being no Party—but doing general
good to perfons of all denominations—leaving every one to hold his own opinion and to follow his own mode of wor¬
fhip—the work of God, we apprehend will profper, and the Preachers will be received with open arms ; but as
foon as we become a Party, our former fincerity will be juftly queftioned, and the Public will behold us in a very
different point of view.
For, Brethren, this is our opinion, fo much as YOU depart from the old Plan, fo much you will cut up Methodifm
by the roots, and (hut the door againft that body of people from whom a vaft majority ; of all our Societies have been
compofed. For depend upon it, the Members of the Church of England will not in future join you to be made
Diffenters !—And then what becomes of this great work of God !
We affure you, we feel ourfelves concerned in its fuccefs. And we have no objeft. in view but the permanent
eftablilhment of old Methodifm. For we are fure it is the caufe of God, thoufands of witnefles have teftified it with
their lateft breath,—amongft whom have been fome of our dearefl and well-beloved friends; and we feel it our duty
and are determined, God being our Helper, to tranfmit the benefits which we and fo many others have received, as
much unimpaired as poffible to pofterity.
( 2 )
You will permit us now to lay before you an Abftraft of our Deeds of Truft.
ABSTRACT from BROADMEAD DEED.
" The Trufiees are to nominate and appoint monthly or oftener, at their difcretion, one or more fit perfons to
preach and expound God's holy Word—(Morning and Evening)—in the fame manner, as near as may be, as God's
" holy Word is now preached and expounded there."
From GUINEA-STREET DEED.
" The Trufiees to nomimate and appoint monthly or oftener, at their difcretion, one or more fit perfons to preach
" and expound God's holyWord—four times a week—namely, Wednefdays and Fridays, at fuch times as the fruf-
" tees .(hall approve—and twice every Sunday—(Morning and Evening]—at fuch hours as may not interfere with. the.
" fervice in the Farijh Church
When the above Abftrafts are compared with the decifion of the Diftrift Meeting, (who had the Deeds laid be¬
fore them'i it will firike every impartial perfon, that the ftretch of power aimed at by the Preachers there, is fuch
as there is no precedent for either in Church or State in this Nation, T he Preachers, and Leaders of their own
chufing ! and the Preachers, and Stewards of their ownchufng! (that is in fa&,—the Preachers on i y)a»e tc have
the whole management of both the fpirituai airdTm|fr?^Ycroncerns, (of both our perfons and property: —but the Truf-
trees, who are legally invefied with the power, (and in general the principal refident inhabitants of every place)
are not allowed any authority to interfere therein! So that according to this procedure, the refolutions of a Dillrift
Meeting can invalidate and fet afide the ftatute law of the land, and render void the moft facred obligations between
Man and Man, if they fhould perchance to militate againft their ajfumption of the fupreme power.
Another inftance alfo of the partiality of this Diftri£l Meeting is, That the perfon who had been the principal
occafion of the difturbance amongft us, and whofe conduft they could in no wife individually juftify—they
pafe.d over—and artfully fupported a charge againft his accufers of informality in their proceedings ;—by which
manoeuvre they paffed judgment on the aggrieved inftead of the aggrejfor.
And we muft farther obferve here, that before Mr. Bradburn came amongft us, we were an united people, as will
appear by our inclofed Addreftes of July 1791 and 1792, which were fent to the Conference, though not then ie-
ceived. But as they are now exhibited in evidence to fubftantiate a material faft, they will not come improperly
before you. And we are forry to fay, Mr. Bradburn has done that here which we find he did at Mancheftei. Bir¬
mingham, &c. he has divided the people and fcattered the congregations, and if a fpeedy remedy is not applied,
the Methodift caufe will be foon ruined in this place.
The people of Briftol are a peaceable and loyal people, and much attached both to Church and State, which they
confider muft ftand or fall together. Therefore they will not bear to hear any Methodift Preacher abufe the Bifhoj s
and Clergy, of which there has been too much this year in the pulpit fiom Mr. Bradburn, and who when he gave
public notice of his burying the dead, and baptizing the children, afked the people " Whether they would go to
" their own Preachers, or take their children to. a limb of the Devil to be fprinkled !''—And though many of the
Minifters in this city are men of refpeftable characters and real piety, yet he has been very frequently preaching
againjl the Clergy ; in order, as we fuppofe to prejudice the minds of the people, and induce them to embrace the
Methodifl Ordination Plan, (which we well remember he formerly ridiculed and defpifed.) A plan whtch we con¬
fider as totally fubverfive of the Methodift caufe, and if perfifted in will ultimately ruin it.—It may ferve to aggran-
dize fome men, but it will leffen others. It will make that diftinftion between one Preacher and another which
has hitherto been unknown in the connexion, and^ be produftive of many evils. It will create anunofiues and
divifions amongft the peonle. bring forward two cantendingmrtiesT and break the bonds of union which, are fo
effential to the prosperity of all rehgiousYocie:;es.Tv"
Dear Brethren,—the circumftances which we ha ve laid before you demand your moft ferious confideration. We
wifh perfeftly to concur with the Conference, in confirming their choice of Preachers, and in doing every thing in
our power to fupport the caufe of old Methodijm. But we cannot as honeft and confcientious men, countenance
thofe Preachers amongft you that aft as Disss^!|ting Ministers, who adminifler the Lord's Jupper, baptize,
bury the dead, and preach in Church hours. It is wbat we have no need oj^ here; we have plenty of Churches and
Clergy to go to, whom we think it our duty to {yfport, and we do not cnufe to be drawn away by any allurements
whatever. And befides, it was the money collected from the Members of the Church of England which raifed our
Preaching-Houfes, and we muft and will keep them for their ufe.
We hope, therefore, you will fend us fuch Preachers as love the Church, the King, and Conftitution, and are
partial to the good old way; we will engage to provide for them comfortably, and we know the work of God will
profper in their hands :—But we defire to have nothing to do with the Advocates for the Ordination Plan j nor
with the Contentious; nor thofe who jpeak evil of Dignities ; and we particularly objeft to Mr. Bradburn.
HENRY DURBIN.
WILLIAM GREEN.
WILLIAM PINE.
THOMAS ROBERTS.
EDWARD STOCK.
NATHANIEL GIFFORD.
WILLIAM BULGIN.
JOHN CURTIS.
DANIEL LANE.
July 26, 1793. • DANIEL WAIT, Junr.