January 21, 1804 — to Daniel Hitt

The Journal records that Asbury came to Mr. Rembert’s on Black River on Monday, the sixteenth of January. On Saturday, the twentieth, and Sunday, the twenty-first, he preached at Rembert’s Chapel. A large part of the letter is taken up with a discussion of what to do about Bishop Coke.

BLACK RIVER, S.C.

January 21, 1804

[TO DANIEL HITT]¹

My dear Daniel:

By the Grace of God: God is good, is gracious to me. I passed with great ease the Alps of America: and had to drop down upon the headwaters of Seleuda; and made my way to Charleston, and spent one week in our own house.² Here Mr. Brazer, only surviving minister of Mr. Hammett’s³ fraternity, has had conversation with me and Bishop Coke about giving up the whole concern to us. At present we preach in Georgetown and Charleston House, formerly called Mr. Hammett’s. We have the only possession of Georgetown House.

From Charleston I made my way to Augusta. Overseer Mead⁴ took care to keep me hard at it in Georgia in the penance houses in the course of last month. I have returned to answer my letters from the North; and then to proceed to Georgetown, Wilmington, Newbern, Washington, [N.C.], Tarborough, Norfolk, and on to the Virginia Conference. We have had some remarkable seasons of grace; rather, I may say, “they,” our brethren, have, in Georgia, South and North Carolina, and old Virginia, as you have doubtless heard, from the latter. It is said one hundred souls were converted at a meeting in Brunswick,⁵ exclusive of Negroes. Bishop Coke, after intending to the North, made a sudden tack, and came to meet me at the South Conference in Augusta. He is now in Charleston, and will set off, the last of this month, on a tour to Boston and the towns in the way, and return to the General Conference. It appears to me that he cannot well be spared from the Irish and English Connection, without irreparable damage; and I suppose he is better fitted for the whirl of public life than to be hidden in our woods. If I must bear the burden now laid upon me, I can call forth men of our own to help me, in or out of conference, men that know men and things by long experience.

Our printing work, as to new publications, will be checked; but if the preachers choose to risk their credit, and reputation, and interest, they may print small matters. I judge it will be best to give the special charge of printing to the Baltimore Conference, and the same to the New York Conference; and let these two Conferences give special direction to the agent what books to print annually, and allow a commission for the work. I believe all the Doctor wants is to keep his name amongst us; and truly he has crossed the sea often enough to purchase this, and sent thousands to serve us. But I am in delicate circumstances to meddle any way. The British brethren may wish a bond of union, and they may object as much to keeping the Doctor’s name in the Minute arrangement as we, while he is absent for half a year with us. In short, my enemies have charged me with rejecting Mr. Wesley, and all blame would revolve upon me if any thing in the Doctor’s case was to take place; and yet, if I was to say much, I should be censured as one of the trinity of British Bishops.

If I was to advocate his liberty to be in England, it would be said I wanted to reign alone, and was jealous of a competitor, when every man of information must know that no man need be elated with the honor, if he does his part in the work of a Bishop in America. You will think of these things.—

As ever, thine,

F. ASBURY

P.S. I should be glad of some brief, correct account of the work in America. I will send my Extracts of Letters⁶ to be printed in the Arminian Magazine in Europe. The Baptists and Presbyterians publish plentifully. It will be best for us not to strive, nor cry, or cause our voices to be heard! our increase will be known, and our success will be seen enough to raise envy.

The Quarterly Review of the M.E. Church, South, XV, (1861) 157, 158