September 3, 1780 — to John Wesley
VIRGINIA
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 43
This letter to John Wesley is most important because it is the earliest extant letter to Wesley. However, it is clear from this that three other letters had been written in six months, and certainly he had written some before that. On September 3 and 4 he was at the home of Mr. Johnson in southern Virginia. On Sunday, the third, he refers to the day as the ninth anniversary of his sailing from Bristol to America. Evidently the other letters referred to the controversy over the ordinances. (See Journal, I.) This had been settled for the time being. However, there were some reactions in Virginia from M’Robert and Jarratt.
VIRGINIA
September 3, 1780
[TO JOHN WESLEY]
Rev. and very dear Sir:
This is the fourth letter I have written to you within the space of six months, not without some doubt whether either will reach you. Since my last I have been travelling through the circuits in Virginia & North Carolina and according to my abilities have been confirming the souls of them which have believed, that they may walk by the same rule, and mind the same thing. That violence for assistants introducing the ordinances is much cooled, but yet I must say our people are under great disadvantages,1 tho not such as will vindicate an alternation of old Methodism and weak laymen acting as ministers. I think the want of opportunity suspends the force of duty to receive the Lord’s supper. And it appears more and more plain to me that I ought to continue in the station of a preacher because God called me to and blessed me in this way, and not move one step forward or backward. I am oft time faint in body and mind, yet pursuing. The climate, seasons and entertainment of this country make some difference with regard to my health, but still I keep God’s glory in view and am ready to say all shall be alike to me if in my Lord I can live and die. I have been much blest in my own soul, for this six months past, nor could I have thought it possible for my frame to have stood such labours that I trust have not and will not be in vain in the Lord.
Many in the North and some in the South are daily coming home to God, and believers grow in grace, and that greatly under temptation and trials, this shall comfort us concerning our trial and sorrow. If we had an itinerant clergyman all our wants of ordinances would be supplied, but such a clergyman is a miracle; we have had but two in an age, yourself and Mr. Whitefield; the latter has left the world without a successor so I fear will the former. I hope, dear sir, if ever there should be peace between Britain and America, if you should live to see that blessed period, nothing will prevent your coming and laying your bones in America as dear Mr. Whitefield has done. Be assured the people of God in America are dear to me. With them I have laboured much and long and hope with some success. The very afflictions and sufferings I have had among them endear them to me, strange as it may appear, and bind me to the continent. You have enclosed a bill and a letter to the society as the first and best return I could make. It will take me sometime to collect, sell and realize the books, as some are very unsaleable; others sold in times past and now to be paid for in currency; but be that as it may it shall be your loss. If Mr. Magaw’s bill is answered be pleased to pay or order the sum of ten pounds to my trusty tried friend and dear brother Shadford2 as a discharge of part of the trust and care of the books and clothing left in my hands. To my Father or Mother, if in time, ten pounds, one and 7 1/2, as some small atonement for my neglect of personal and filial duty, and God is my witness. I constantly and faithfully remember them at the Throne of Grace, that nothing but the work of God that is clearer to me than life, and all things, persons and places, keeps me from them and you. May I print any of your books?3 We are in great want. If ever the way should be open to send books, I would have none sent but the sermons in sets, old and new Testament notes—pocket volumes in sets, yours and Mr. Fletchers4 Appeals and the Checks, the journals, in sets; as to the Plain Accounts and Rules, these may be printed here, and Hymn book. The last assortment was huddled and improper.
I hope you will let my parents know when you hear from me. I am yours in due respect and such bonds as death can only break. I want your friendly advice and shall receive it in love, both for myself and others while FRANCIS ASBURY
N.B. I have sent the account at large of all you have here. Mr. Rankin’s account will prove it just. Inclose and direct your letters to either W. Gressett Davis in Petersburg, Virginia, merchant, or to Mr. Jesse Hollingsworth of Baltimore in Maryland, merchant. You may address them to the care of Mr. Thomas Shore, merchant, in Saint Estalia—— Randolph-Macon College Library in Virginia.
However, the letter is a copy by W.G. Davis of Petersburg, Virginia, as shown on the letter. Copy also in the University of Virginia Library
Notes (4)
- See the following excerpts from correspondence between M’Robert and Devereux Jarratt in Virginia. PROVIDENCE July 13, 1780 [To the Rev. Mr. Devereux Jarratt] Rev. and Dear Brother, The methodists are a designing people, void of the generous and catholic spirit of the gospel—and so entirely under the influence of Pope John—and countenance so many illiterate creatures void of all prudence and discretion that I have no expectation of any good and lasting effects from their misguided zeal. Their professed adherence to the church is amazingly preposterous and disingenuous, and nothing but policy either in England or here. Your most affectionate brother, Archibald M’Robert The Life of the Reverend Devereux Jarratt, 149 BATH [Parish, Va.] August 2, 1780 [The Rev. Archibald M’Robert] Rev. and Dear Brother, I observe what you say with respect to the methodists, and concur with you in opinion, with regard to the countenance given by them to ignorant and indiscreet men to be public preachers, &c. And to this I impute not a little of that contempt, which is cast on the institutions of religion at present. I believe Mr. Wesley to be a wise and good man, and think his plan of methodism well devised for the promotion of vital piety. But surely his preachers in Europe are not such lame hands, as those among us.—You think their profest adherence to the church amazingly preposterous and disingenuous, —I have thought there were methodists sincerely attached to the church: but from some late movements, there is too much reason to call the sincerity of their profession of adherence into questionffb*—I shall never forget these movements. I am your most affectionate brother, D. Jarratt? ffb* What I refer to is Philip Gatch, &c. who undertook to be priests. P.S. When I wrote this letter to Mr. M’Robert, I still thought there were some methodists sincerely attached to the church: for they still continued to profess themselves to be so, and I could not be so censorious as to harbour a suspicion, that men, who made such high pretensions to religion, could be so disingenuous as to profess to be, what they in heart were not.—But it appears, from what has since happened, that Mr. M’Robert’s judgment of them was more accurate than mine.—How to reconcile such palpable insincerity to Christianity, I know not, nor shall I attempt it: and yet I cannot but hope that a number of them are good men, notwithstanding Mr. M’Robert, perhaps, very justly attributed their professed adherence to the church to nothing but policy. I feel myself disposed to put the most favourable construction on all their movements, which the nature of things will bear. Mr. Asbury is certainly the most indefatigable man in his travels and variety of labours, of any I am acquainted with: and though his strong passion for superiority and thirst for domination may contribute not a little to this, yet I hope, he is chiefly influenced by more laudable motives. However if I err in this, I have this satisfaction, that it is an error founded in charity. I am yours most respectfully, D. Jarratt The Life of the Reverend Devereux Jarratt, 156-59 ↩
- George Shadford, the preacher who had been the flaming evangelist of the awakening in Virginia on the Brunswick Circuit, had returned to England, as did Thomas Rankin. In the Minutes of 1779, Section 12, is “Ought not brother Asbury to act as General Assistant in America? Answer—He ought: 1st on account of his age: 2nd because originally appointed by Mr. Wesley: 3rd being joined with Messrs. Rankin and Shadford, by express order from Mr. Wesley.” ↩
- Asbury is referring in this letter to the controversy over the printing and sale of Wesley’s books. Robert Williams, the preacher, had some printed without Wesley’s approval. The Minutes of 1773 say “None of the preachers in America to re-print any of Mr. Wesley’s books, without his authority (when it can be gotten) and the consent of their brethren, and Robert Williams to sell the books he has already printed, but to print no more unless under the above restrictions.” Williams soon died in Virginia, and Asbury had to settle his accounts. ↩
- The Rev. John Fletcher, the theologian of early Methodism. ↩