Some of these may appear to be minute matters; but they are not without interest as indicative of the defects of Methodists in the days of Wesley. There is reason to believe, though the fact is not recorded in the minutes, that the Church question was again discussed at the conference of 1780. Hence the following letter, written to Miss Bosanquet. “BRISTOL, _August 5, 1780_. “MY DEAR SISTER,--I snatch time from the conference to write two or three lines. I am glad you have begun a prayer-meeting at Hunslet, and doubt not it will be productive of much good. Hitherto, we have had a blessed conference. The case of the Church we shall fully consider by-and-by; and, I believe, we shall agree that none who leave the Church shall remain with us. “I am, my dear sister, yours most affectionately, “JOHN WESLEY.”[363] Charles Wesley was present, and was far from satisfied. He purposed to attend no more of these annual synods, and wrote as follows: “Why should I longer, Lord, contend, My last important moments spend In buffeting the air? In warning those who will not see, But rest in blind security, And rush into the snare? Prophet of ills, why should I live, Or, by my sad forebodings, grieve Whom I can serve no more? I only can their loss bewail, Till life’s exhausted sorrows fail, And the last pang is o’er.”[364] Poor Charles, alarmed lest the Methodists should leave the Church, retired from the conference to weep and die; John to rejoice and work. Conference statistics have not been given annually; but the following figures will show the progress made during the decade of years ending at the conference of 1780. +----------+-----------+------------+----------+-------------+ | | Circuits. | Itinerant | Members. | Kingswood | | | | Preachers. | | Collection. | | +-----------+------------+----------+-------------+ | 1770 | 50 | 123 | 29,406 | £218 4 5 | | 1780 | 64 | 171 | 43,830 | £402 1 9 | | +-----------+------------+----------+-------------+ | Increase | 14 | 48 | 14,424 | £183 17 4 | +----------+-----------+------------+----------+-------------+ To these numbers, however, must be added the Methodists in the West Indies, and also 20 circuits, 42 itinerant preachers, and 8504 members of society in America.[365]