July 10, 1801 — to Thomas Haskins
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 269
This is another in the series of letters to Haskins. It reveals how bad the division was at St. George’s. Asbury felt that the preachers were involved and that Haskins was himself a big factor in bringing harmony. It is disappointing that there are not other letters extant to throw further light on what happened. PHILADELPHIA, PA.
July 10, 1801
[TO THOMAS HASKINS]1
Oh my much loved Son:
How long is this war to continue between the house of David and the house of Saul? Will it not be bitterness in the end? Now the anguish of my foot is removed and I am able to set it to the ground with a little more ease, I want to see what can be done for peace. Why cannot Brother Cooper2 and you talk together, like Christians, men, and ministers, and men of sense, and citizens? Oh that we could have a little close conference between the stationed preachers and you that have been in travelling connection and see if we cannot understand each other.
There, if few of you were united you might by power of God shake the city. I am fully persuaded that it is to you, and of you our separate brethren hope, and boast. Would you return they would in time. I am almost confident, if there was union to take place and a close fellowship to take place between Brother Swain, Coate,3 Haskins, Green, Cavender, and Cooper; our troubles would be soon at an end. Little did I ever think that one of my dear children would rise up against me. If I am bereaved of my children I am bereaved! till I am better persuaded I shall think from what I have heard, and seen, that it lies with Brother Cavender4 and you, and oh my dear, think of the consequences of misguiding souls; it [has] always been my fear and care, to do as little harm as possibly I could, knowing it is what little good I have ever done, or can do.
If you have not fellowship with individuals in the society, you will have some with the body. Your way is open to retreat with honor, now do it, lest the door should be shut. You owe it to the body of Methodists through the continent and may plead that you cannot leave them, nay I know not but you owe it to me! I hope to be at Ebenezer in the afternoon on Sabbath Day, there I hope to see you and others if you will not come to St. George’s. This is but the beginning of a long talk up on paper, while I stay, which may be a week longer by necessity of my God.
Yours as ever
F. ASBURY
The Historical Society of the Philadelphia Conference and Old St. George’s Methodist Church, Philadelphia
Notes (4)
- See letters to Haskins, pp. 137, 210, 211. ↩
- Ezekiel Cooper was Book Agent. He indicated that he had sided against the Haskins faction. ↩
- Coate was pastor in 1801. Haskins and Cooper had been in the traveling connection. Lemuel Green and Charles Cavender were two of the preachers in Philadelphia in 1799. Richard Swain had been across the river in New Jersey. (See G.A. Phoebus, Beams of Light on Early Methodism in America, ch. xiv.) ↩
- It is hard to tell whether the chief trouble was between Cooper and Haskins or Haskins and Cavender. ↩