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Asbury’s letters and related documents · Record 123

Undated — The American Address to the Members of The British Conference

Signed in the source: Francis Asbury; Richard Whatcoat.

ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 234

Notes (3)
  1. (See letter, November 1, 1796, and British Conference reply; also reply of Virginia Conference through Asbury, November 29, 1797, pending a General Conference.) Coke arrived in England in the summer of 1798, and he tested the idea he had that the Bishop of London might be persuaded to ordain some Methodist preachers to administer the sacraments to the Methodist societies. He failed. On returning to America in 1799, Coke carried with him “The Address of the British Conference to the General Conference in America,” a portion of which follows: “As we are informed by Dr. Coke, that your General Conference is to be held on the 10th of next May, we embrace the present opportunity, while assembled in Conference, to express to you the unabated esteem and affection we bear towards you.… “There is one particular, which we wish especially to lay before you. We are perfectly acquainted with the solemn engagements which Dr. Coke entered into with you, at your last General Conference. And yet we are satisfied that the work of God, and the good of the church, considered at large, call for his continuance in Europe. The West India Missions have flourished under his superintendence, beyond our most sanguine expectations. Above eleven thousand have been added to the church of God among the poor negroes, in that part of the world. But there is no person at present to fill his place, and raise the necessary supplies. We, indeed, help him in a degree; but are satisfied that the work of God in those islands would receive essential injury, on his secession from it. In Ireland, also, his assistance is peculiarly wanted. Military law has been established in that kingdom: but, through the Doctor’s influence with the Government, protections have been obtained for the preachers in every necessary case; and, by this means, the brethren in that kingdom have been enabled to proceed on the itinerant plan, no one making them afraid. A Mission, also of the most hazardous, but of a very important nature, has been established in that kingdom. God has been pleased to raise three zealous men who preach in the Irish language, who have been commissioned, by the Conference, to travel through the land, preaching the Gospel to the native Irish. But the attempt would have been highly imprudent, if the Doctor had not procured for them general protections from the Government, addressed to all the Civil and Military Officers in the kingdom: and we may add, that the raising of the supplies for this new work entirely depends upon the Doctor. “These reasons, beloved brethren, we think, strongly call upon you not to insist, at present, on the Doctor’s fulfilling his engagements. We have left it to his discretion, either to send or deliver this letter to you. But if he visit you at your General Conference, we earnestly desire his return, believing it will be for the glory of God. And, if at any future time we have cause to think that the scale is turned in your favour, we shall not object to his devoting the remnant of his life to the work of God among our American brethren. “You will rejoice to hear that our Conference, which concludes with voting this Address, has, on the whole been the best we ever had since the decease of our venerable Father in Christ, the Rev. John Wesley. “Signed, in behalf and by order of the Conference, “Samuel Bradburn, President. Manchester, August 12, 1799.” (For this conference Coke was the secretary, taking over during Bradburn’s year of office as president. Hence the lack of a secretarial signature.) (Frank Baker.) ↩
  2. Strangely, the American address was not considered until the conference of 1803, and a reply was drafted for the following General Conference—”The Address of the British Conference to the General Conference of the Methodists in America.” The address asked once more that Coke, who was preparing to leave for America, should return after the conference, although the sentence was added: “We do most sensibly feel what you say concerning our dear friend and brother Mr. Asbury; and, for your sakes, we anxiously desire his preservation among you, which we pray you may long enjoy.” The address was dated “Manchester, August 5, 1803” and signed by the president, Joseph Bradford. At this conference, as at the preceding two and the succeeding one, Thomas Coke was again secretary and therefore did not sign the address which concerned his own position so closely. (Frank Baker.) ↩
  3. That neither Coke nor the English Conference really expected him to return to America before the General Conference of 1804 is shown by Coke’s letter to James Moore, February 28, 1801. The same letter reveals his obviously genuine desire to stay in America. After recounting some of his success in Ireland, he goes on: “But I am yours. In America only I consider myself at home. I have been kept abroad for several years past by the will of God. However, I shall endeavour to wind everything round, so that, if the Lord will but suffer me, I may close my career among you. Hitherto I have been kept from residing among you by the will of Heaven. But I do assure you it would be my supreme earthly delight, if I know my own heart, to hide myself in your woods, and labour and dwell among you. “I intend to set off for America, the Lord preserving my health in any tolerable degree, next August or September, two years.… I shall, God willing, make a point of finishing (that is, printing off) my Commentary on the Old Testament by next August two years.… I shall also have the Commentary on the New Testament… ready in manuscript for the press by that time; and if Divine Providence do not again shut up my way from finally residing among you, I shall print the Commentary on the New Testament in America.” (Christian Miscellany, 1847, 217- 18.) (Frank Baker.) ↩

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