Undated — to the Ministers and Members of The Methodist Episcopal Church
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 64
This letter served as a preface to the book that Asbury edited and had printed. There is no date. In the letter to Ezekiel Cooper of December 31, 1801, Asbury refers to books he had published. This was probably one of those. It was called The Causes, Evils and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions. ——[1785]1
[TO THE MINISTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH]
Dear Brethren:
In the course of my reading, some years ago, I met with an old book, written by a worthy pastor in the church, Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs, on Heart Divisions, the Evil of our Times. Feeling at that time the pain of a partial separation in spirit and practice from some who were as my brethren and sons in the gospel, that book proved as a balm and a blessing to my soul. I saw so clearly the evil consequences of a division, and how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity, that I began to abridge my obsolete, but valuable book,2 and earnestly wished, prayed, and strove for unanimity.
Soon after, I met with another old book, entitled The Cure of Church Divisions; writen by that venerable servant of God, the John Wesley of his day, in wisdom, affection, zeal, and a pacific spirit; I mean, Mr. Richard Baxter, of precious memory. Being highly pleased with his evangelical sentiments, I concluded to make an extract from both, not doubting but it might be of great service to the church of Christ.
And now I recommend it to all ministers of the gospel, and professing Christians of every denomination, into whose hands it may come, beseeching them to read it carefully, and with much prayer, that they may cultivate a spirit of unity and brotherly love.
I remain, dear brethren, your servant for Christ’s sake, FRANCIS ASBURY
The Causes, Evils, and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions, Nashville Public Library
Notes (2)
- Not certain as to date. Glendinning refers to it in 1794; therefore, it was written before that date. ↩
- A note to “A Sermon on the Unity of the Christian Church” by William Glendinning in 1794 says, “Soon after I had written this Sermon, there fell into my hands a small treatise on the Causes, Evils and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions, extracted from the writings of two great divines of the last century, and published by Mr. Francis Asbury, and by him earnestly recommended to the Methodists. In which recommendation I most heartily concur, with this difference only—that whereas he recommends it to the Methodists in particular, I would, with equal warmth, recommend it to all professing Christians of every denomination. And especially would I wish every reader to pay a particular regard to what is contained in the fifth Direction, which begins in Page 90, and concludes in Page 106. Here he will meet with the same sentiment, I have just touched on, treated more fully—and which gave rise to this Note in the margin.” (See also references in Asbury’s Journal, November 11, 1780; October 27, 1781; November 16, 1782.) The book was not included in the list of books published from 1790-94 (Phoebus, Beams of Light, 263) and therefore was earlier. There was a great interest in publishing books after the conference of 1784. (See Phoebus.) ↩