June 8, 1801 — to the Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.

According to the letter of June 11, 1801, to Thomas Haskins, this address was sent to Haskins. Whatcoat and Asbury were appointed by the annual conference to write an address to the church. It may be that another letter was sent to Haskins along with this; but if so, it has not come to light. The succeeding letters to Thomas Haskins throw considerable light on this address. Whether the difficulty was largely between the stationed preachers and those who had been active in the ministry and were now attached to St. George’s is not clear; but Asbury felt that the preachers, stationed, connectional, and local, could have solved the trouble. Ezekiel Cooper gives his side of the story in his Journal. He says it was a division between the rich and the poor, and he sided with the poor. Samuel Coate was pastor for the one year, 1801. It seems that Ezekiel Cooper, the Book Agent, and Thomas Haskins, former traveling preacher and now grocer in Philadelphia, were at odds. Asbury says in the letter of July 10 that if union could take place between Brothers Swain, Coate, Haskins, Green, Cavender, and Cooper, “our trouble would soon be at an end.”

PHILADELPHIA, PA.

June 8, 1801

TO THE MEMBERS OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL

CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA.¹

BRETHREN, dearly beloved in the Lord, grace, mercy, and peace, be multiplied to you, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Annual Conference, which sat in this city during the last week, having had a view of the existing difficulties among you,² came to a solution— That as the Conference had never before been called upon in such a case or cases, and as their interference therein, might be setting a precedent, pregnant with evil consequences to the Church at large, therefore it should be recommended to you all, to resume the tone of harmony and love. We were appointed by the Conference to address you upon this occasion- Therefore,

We address you by request of the Conference, and in the name and authority of our Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles—”Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but Until seventy times seven. “Therefore is the Kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

“But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormenters, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” Matthew 18:15-35.

“But if ye bite or devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Galatians 5:15, 22-26. “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one law-giver, who is able to save, and to destroy: Who art thou that judgest another?” James 4:11, 12.

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.” Galatians 6:1-5 vsr.

“Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile and hypocrisies, and as new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” 1 Peter 2:1, 2.

We lament that there has been a division of sentiment, either among preachers or members; But as all men do not see alike, in matters of church discipline, we beseech you brethren, not to suffer a difference in opinion or views, to alienate your affections from your brethren, the church, or the cause of God.

If you regard the authority or desire of the Conference, you are most earnestly entreated, on principles of love, to let every matter of dispute or complaint die and be buried. Moreover, if you wish to see or have the Conference among you in the future, you must add to your benevolent liberality³ (for which we, in behalf of ourselves and the Conference, do thank you, collectively and individually, who have communicated to our wants) the more benevolent and soul-cheering feast of love and union among yourselves: which we hope, in future, to find existing in the society. Furthermore, if you calculate⁴ on any great advantage or benefit, to yourselves or others, from a station of preachers in the city, you must live in the exercise of prayer, and peace. How can you expect your preachers to live and labour among you in the fire of contention, and always to be wading through the waters of strife?

We respect you, as one of the most ancient societies of our connection, in the United States, and most earnestly wish and pray, that your unity, faith, love, and brotherly kindness, might be spoken of throughout the world. We are greatly concerned and very solicitous, to have peace and unity re-established among you. The Conference consider each society as standing in its own accountability, as standeth every quarterly meeting conference, every yearly conference, and the general conference, according to the rules of discipline to govern them: and as the general conference has given no authority to the yearly conference to correct the real or supposed abuses of the quarterly meetings in the exercise of those duties referred to them by the discipline, and as they have heard the complaints against their own members, it is all they are authorised to do. The Conference have acted according to the best of their judgment, in thus recommending and entreating of you to unite in love and peace.

But if, after all we can say or do for you on this occasion, any of you⁵ should so far yield to temptation, as to withdraw from us, or leave the society, we hope to find you in the congregation. We are grieved at the idea of giving any of you up, or of losing you. We have done what we conceived to be for the best. If any of you leave us, we will follow you with our prayers, with our tears, our pity, and exhortations—we will follow you as the scattered sheep of our flock.

We advise, and enjoin it on all your present preachers and ministers,⁶ carefully to avoid all pulpit reflections, and to visit generally from house to house, both rich and poor, and not to have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect to persons; and also, to use all healing and conciliatory methods, consistent with real piety and good discipline. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Philippians 4:8, 9. “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 13:11, 14.

Brethren, dearly beloved in the Lord,

We are, in the bonds of a peaceable gospel, yours affectionately, Signed in behalf of the Committee,

RICHARD WHATCOAT

FRANCIS ASBURY

Taken from a photograph of a printed copy of the address in St. George’s Church, Philadelphia