The former volume deals chiefly with the conditions that seemed to make the formation of the Free Methodist Church necessary, and with its final organization. The history of its development is also begun in Volume l., but, with the exception of two or three Conferences, the development of the Church is contained in Volume II.

It is perhaps due to the author, as also to the reader, to state that the last chapter of the present volume is substantially a reprint from an article which the author contributed to the Semi-centennial number of the Free Methodist published August 9, 1910. It has been slightly rearranged, but to all intents and purposes contains the same subject matter. Acknowledgment is hereby made to the Publisher for his consent to use it here.

Another statement which should be made is that it has been the author's aim to bring the present work down to July, 1915; and, in doing this, he has necessarily had to deal with current history, especially in the present volume, to an extent that gives little perspective to the work. Hence he adopts the following language of Abel Stevens, LL. D., as presented in the preface to Volume III. of his "History of Methodism:"

"In one respect I have submitted reluctantly, and necessarily, to much self-restraint in the preparation of the present volume. Not a few actors in its scenes still live, and some of them are among my most estimable personal friends. To give to their services the particular record and to themselves the characterization which have been given in the volume not only to their predecessors, but to some of their contemporary, but deceased fellow laborers, would be impossible without the risk of much in delicacy toward themselves and their families, and of contradictory opinions among their ecclesiastical associates, especially in matters of controversy now happily at rest.

* * * I have studied to give a sufficient account of the times and events in which they have shared, while refraining as much as possible from merely personal details. It has been found necessary, indeed, that my rule in this respect should be nearly absolute, and even the names of many such men will be found unmentioned."

It is to be hoped that the reasonableness of this decision will be apparent to all.