Undated — A Letter of Thomas Coke to the New York Conference

A LETTER OF THOMAS COKE TO THE NEW YORK

CONFERENCE

Thomas Coke wrote several letters to the brethren in America. This letter followed the circular letter of June 1, 1805, in which he offered his services to America. Coke is again presenting to the brethren his case for coming to America.

Without question Coke had a side to his case. Duren in his Francis Asbury has probably put the whole matter as well as anyone: “It is needless to say that Asbury’s course cannot be defended on other than practical grounds. Bishop Coke was a bishop and equal in technical authority with Asbury…He was on solid ground in the complaint which he registered against Asbury and the American Conference; as a bishop he did not receive the consideration to which he was entitled. But Asbury’s course was determined here, as in everything else, by practical rather than ecclesiastical and technical considerations. Dr. Coke lacked adaptation for the American episcopacy, and Asbury had no intention of allowing a disturbing factor to impede the progress of the cause of Christ and the Methodist Church. He was out for an end which was not to be defeated by conventional consideration.”¹

Coke wrote another letter on January 6, 1807, which is almost like this, to the Philadelphia Conference. This is extant in the Philadelphia Historical Society at St. George’s Church. He had also written a similar letter to the Baltimore Conference before writing to the Philadelphia Conference, but this letter has not come to light.

FALMOUTH

COUNTY OF CORNWALL,

ENGLAND

January 6, 1806

My very dear Brethren:

I have received your official Letter, and sit down to vindicate myself, as I value your esteem very much. But it will be almost impossible for me to do so to your full satisfaction, unless you give me credit concerning my motives—concerning the movements of my heart, as far as I am acquainted with them, and the views and intentions of my mind.

I then in the first place, declare to you, that I have a strong and unfeigned love towards you all, and that the interests of the cause of God among us in the United States of America, cleave very closely to my heart, and are a subject of my daily prayers.

In the second place, I highly venerate Bishop Asbury, and consider him as a Second Father instrumentally of the work among us in the United States. (Excuse me for using the word us, for I still consider myself as one of you.) I must therefore beg (and I claim it from your candor) that nothing I shall say in my own defence, may be considered as in the least degree as disrespectful to him; as I consider him as acting according to the will of the General Conference in every thing which relates to me, as well as in all his Episcopal labors. I now proceed to my vindication.

About ten or eleven years ago, the General Conference voted that the Episcopacy needed to be strengthened. The debate was remarkably solemn and affecting; and I was moved by my ardent love of the work, to offer myself to you as a Coadjutor with Bishop Asbury, for the strengthening of the Episcopacy. Many were the prayers put up, and many and solemn were the reciprocal engagements entered into at that time.

Either that day or the next, Bishop Asbury proposed to me a plan of operations—I was to visit Albany, Vermont, and the whole of the New England States, as far as our work then extended in those parts, taking Philadelphia, New York, and, if I pleased, the Peninsula, in my way, and to meet Bishop Asbury in the Spring in some part of New England. I was astonished. I did not see in this plan anything which related in the least degree to my being a Coadjutor in the Episcopacy, or serving to strengthen it; though it was for that purpose, as the primary point, that it was thought eligible by the General Conference that I should reside for life in America. Bishop Asbury was to hold the three Southern Conferences entirely by himself; and I was to spend my whole time merely as a Preacher; and on a plan, upon which I should spend the chief part of my time in preaching to very few. The Northern States would be covered with snow. I should have Mountains of snow to ride over, only preach in general (a few Towns excepted) to the Family where I was, and a few of their neighbours. When Bishop Asbury retired, I fell on my face before God, and said, “O my God, what have I done?” Some of the Presiding Elders came to me afterwards to form my Plan, and I was still more convinced, that, according to the whole plan, I was to be nothing but a mere Preacher. However, I was solemnly engaged; and though you had not yet in any degree complied with your part of the engagement, I was determined to move on, even in that small sphere of usefulness. But a short time before the General Conference broke up, came the Minutes of the British Conference, appointing me to preside in Ireland the ensuing year. This was done after I sailed for America. I had promised the Irish Conference, when I was at that Conference, that if I was so appointed, I would be with them, God willing. This point I laid immediately before the General Conference, and they unanimously judged that I ought to fulfill my engagement with the Irish Brethren. I then proposed to Bishop Asbury to accompany him to the three Southern Conferences, and to sail for Ireland from Charleston. We accordingly went together; but to my astonishment I was not consulted in the least degree imaginable concerning the station of a single Preacher. I did not expect or wish to be any thing more than a Chamber-Council, the ultimate decision in every thing still to remain with Bishop Asbury. In short, I neither said nor did any thing during the whole tour, which had any usefulness attending it, as far as I can judge, but preach.

When I went to Europe, I fulfilled my engagements in Ireland, and took a solemn leave of every Society in my tour, and of the Irish Preachers in their Conference. The British Conference being held in about a fortnight afterwards, I went to that Conference to take my final leave of the British Brethren. Four times they brought my case before them, before they could prevail on me to take over an address from them for my return to Europe till the next General American Conference. But I informed them of the solemnity of my engagements in the fullest manner. I then returned to the States: but the length of the voyage, my capture by the French, &c. put it out of my power to visit more than two of the Conferences. Indeed, I visited but one—the Virginia Conference. Bishop Asbury and the Members of that Conference were unanimously of opinion, that I might return to Europe till the General Conference and that the General Conference, in the circumstances in which I was placed, would not disapprove of my conduct. Still to my astonishment I was not consulted in the least degree whatever concerning the station of a single Preacher, & had nothing I know of peculiarly useful to do, but to preach. But what astonished me, I think I may say, almost above expression, was the following mysterious circumstance—Bishop Asbury was at that time so weak in body, that he could not reach Charleston in time to attend the Southern Conference, & therefore did not go. I offered my service, as it would have been equally the same for me to have sailed from Charleston as from New York. But he refused me, & appointed Brother Jackson to station the Preachers, & Brother Jesse Lee to sit as Moderator in the Conference. I knew not how to account for this in any manner consistently with your most solemn engagements at the General Conference.

The next General Conference came. I confess to you, my dear respected Brethren, I was afraid, considering all the circumstances already mentioned, that if you kept me with you, you would render me comparatively useless. I therefore previously accepted of the address of the British Conference concerning me, but was determined to submit to the vote of the General Conference. When I came, the General Conference after two days’ consideration allowed me to return, principally on account of the Irish Mission. But I was surprised—I was astonished that you entered into no explanation concerning our reciprocal engagements: for during my whole stay at this time, I was not even consulted in the least degree on any thing belonging to the Episcopacy. I did indeed lay hands on a few who were ordained, & that was every thing.

When I last returned to America, I did expect from Bishop Asbury’s letters, as well as from letters written by several of the Preachers, that you really had entered into my case, & did intend to employ me in some manner as a Bishop, so that I should have the opportunity of giving my judgment freely on all Episcopal matters. Under this impression I settled all my little affairs in England, & took with me nineteen chests, boxes, & trunks, containing all my papers, most important books, &c. (besides the copies of my Commentary which were packed in other cases) leaving only behind me that part of my Library which I should not immediately want, & which might be sent after me on my order; & also those copies of my Commentary which I was in hopes my British & Irish Brethren would sell for me. I had at the British Conference which was held just previous to my sailing, various severe struggles in my mind, whether I should take my solemn final farewell of my European Brethren or not. I did repeatedly give them strong reason to doubt whether they should ever see me again, & was faithful in repeating to them the solemn engagements I was under to you. But I accepted of their address as far as it concerned me merely from the uncertainty which still remained, whether you intended to employ me in America in any other way in reality than as a mere Preacher: and on no other ground could I have accepted of the address as an honest Man, though I greatly love & respect my European Brethren. However, when I arrived at Petersburgh in Virginia, I made up my mind to stay with you, & had formed a Plan of visiting the North, & returning time enough of course to be at the General Conference. But, when I was at Brother Ellis’s near Richmond, a thought struck me with amazing power, “You should go to Georgia, to meet Bishop Asbury at the Georgia Conference.” The impression made on my mind by this thought, completely robbed me of a night’s rest. In two days I set off for Georgia. But how amazed I was to find, that every thing was in the same situation—that so far from my having any opportunity of strengthening the Episcopacy, according to your solemn engagements at the General Conference, when you accepted me as one of your Bishops, I was not to be consulted on the station of a single Preacher: nay, when I asked for a copy of the Stations of the Preachers at the close of the Georgia Conference, which was granted to every Travelling Preacher present, I was refused. I then saw the will of God concerning me—that I ought not to labour in America, unless the General Conference would consent to comply in some degree with its engagements. I did not want to station the Preachers as Bishop Asbury does. Nothing should be done to grieve that venerable Man: but I approve of the stationing the Preachers by a Committee at each Annual Conference with the Bishops at the head of it. But every Bishop ought to have a right of giving his judgment on every point, or he is but the shadow of a Bishop. When Bishop Asbury & I arrived at Columbia, I opened my whole mind to him. I laid before him my situation in Europe—that I had there the superintendency of all the Missions—of the Missionaries in Ireland, Wales, the West Indies, Novia Scotia & New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. I have a Committee to assist me in the management of those Missions, for which I bless God. Every year I preside at the Irish Conference, & the Preachers are stationed by myself and a Committee of nine who are the Representatives of the Districts; only the Plan is afterwards brought before the Conference for their approbation. In England, I am always either the Secretary or President of the meeting of Representatives of Districts, who station the Preachers, and my judgment has considerable regard paid to it; as also in the Conference, when the Plan is brought before them for their consideration: and in all these instances the Lord is pleased to render me useful. In Europe, I have incomparably more time for Literary matters than I could have in the United States. In respect to Preaching, I can preach in the year to three or four times the number of People I could preach to in the United States in the same time, from the compactness of the Circuits, and the crowded state of the Inhabitants. Now for me, I urged, to spend my life in America for nothing but merely to preach, would be to sacrifice so much of my usefulness, that it could not be agreeable to the will of God. Bishop Asbury acknowledged the force of my arguments; & requested me to visit New England before the General Conference, which I accordingly did, though, I candidly confess, with much secret reluctance of mind; as I should lose the opportunity of seeing my Brethren at the Virginia and Alexandria Conferences, which, as I had come to the South, I sincerely desired to do; & should also be obliged to travel very much indeed in the Mail-Coaches with very disagreeable company in order to accomplish the Plan, & thereby preach much seldomer than otherwise I should have done: but I complied without making the least objection. Perhaps, dear respected Brethren, you will now ask me, “Why did you offer yourself to us?” I answer, “It was your unanimous vote at the General Conference, that the Episcopacy needed to be strengthened.” I had been consecrated by our venerable Father in the Gospel, the late Mr. Wesley, a Bishop particularly for America. I had been the means of establishing your present form of Church-Government, which in a general view, (tho’ it will admit of improvements,) I prefer to any other, I consider your union as of infinite importance to the continuation of the present revival. Your continent includes about a third part of the Land of the World. When fully cultivated & peopled, it will contain & support, perhaps, a thousand millions of Inhabitants, most of whom, I expect, will speak the English language. To preserve, therefore, your union that the work of God may progress with the progress of population, & at last leaven the whole Continent, lies very near my heart. I know that I am perfectly unworthy of the honour of merely preaching in all your Pulpits; but it is my duty to meet the calls of God, however unworthy I may be. If you consider my living & labouring among you, will help to preserve this union, I shall think it the highest honour & happiness of my life so to do.

My precious Wife can travel under the Divine blessing five thousand miles a year, and I can travel ten thousand. But considering the circumstances before mentioned, it is my duty to have some explanation from you, before I come. I cannot come to you as a mere Preacher. As to my Circular Letter I recall it entirely, acknowledging that I laid down conditions which were not included in our reciprocal engagements. But I did not see things when I wrote it, as I do now. I hardly knew what to write, circumstanced as I was in respect to you: and you surely, my respected Brethren, must be conscious that an explanation of some kind is really necessary. Am I to come to you in any sense as a Bishop, & in what sense? I don’t wish to act, if I come, but in perfect subordination to the General Conference, but yet still as a Bishop, & having a right to give my judgment in all Episcopal matters, unless I render myself unworthy of the Office. Do write to me, my dear Brethren, as soon as you have received this Letter. Send me Duplicates; one by the British Packet from New York, paying the postage to New York; otherwise it will not be sent off; and another by the first merchant ship; in which case, I believe I shall hear from you before the next British Conference sits, which I particularly desire to do. And now I leave this whole business in the hands of God & you. Pray for us. To God’s most holy keeping I commit you. May your blessed work flourish more & more; & your own hearts be ever full of Divine love.

I am, my very dear Friends, & Brethren,

Yours very affectionately & faithfully,

THOMAS COKE

Drew University Library