September 15, 1809 — to William Mckendree

It is evident from the contents of the letter that Asbury is upset by some of the brethren, especially by James Smith. Smith held some of the prominent appointments and was a leader among the

reformers who started the Methodist Protestant Church. However, he died in 1827 before the Methodist Protestant Church was organized. Asbury associates him with the other disturbers from O’Kelly on down.

PELHAMS, OHIO

September 15, 1809

[TO WILLIAM MCKENDREE]¹

Francis Asbury’s advice submitted to the united and better judgment of the President Bishop, and Ohio Annual Conference.

1—the spirit of error, superstition and schism is rising and spreading in the west, when it is dying in the east. Would it not be well to appoint a committee to answer Mr. James Smith² completely, once for all, and those of the same party. Suppose to print it in Cincinnati and appoint some person to correct the press.

2. Make an apology, we are not on equal ground to bring railing accusations, hearsays, or write, by—that we cannot follow Mr. O’Kelly,³ from first to last, the progress of his opinions and party, neither Mr. Elias Smith,⁴ that has sent his abuse and false reports to the Gospel Herald. Neither are we at liberty to retail truth upon Mr. William Guirey,⁵ neither Mr. William Hammett⁶ or perhaps, we might dig up something bad as sheep or hog stealing, either to trace or tell all we know of persons that have separated from and spoken perverse things of us, to draw disciples after them.

3. Be careful to take correct testimony from all persons accused, written by their own hands, day and year and month!

4. The conference doings of B. Burke, Blair,⁷ our troubles show there must have been eavesdropping and that we were wise, to admit none but such as we know are parties concerned because we may see when they will be offended, and leave us. They would clown and misrepresent many things to our disadvantage and tell them to the world and send their books about the continent to people, that must receive their testimony, true or false, because they can receive no other, men that have left us, men we have expelled, our bitterest enemies.

5. As to sovereign majesty bishop, pope, we do not play with titles and names.

6. As to politicks, it is a delicate subject. The Methodist individually, by individuals, have been insulted but not as a body, they are better known and have better confidence from the Government. We do not believe till better informed that there is a travelling or local preacher among the 3000, but embraces conscientiously the 23 articles of our religion, but it is the common cry, mad dog, popery; popery, the keys. Politicks, enemies to the American Government, even of men, that estimate it above every other Government, but this is not strange when this reproach has fallen upon some faithful continental officers, that passed all the toil of eight years continental Revolutionary War.

7. His mistakes⁸ in his not being permitted to come into conference to plead his own cause or bring his witnesses did appear at the conference.

8. Anything severe or that cannot be vindicated in any person in dealing with him concede, say perhaps this might have been done better or we wish it had been done better, or it might have been done better.

9. Of his ordination and examination, let Brother Quinn⁹ and Finley¹⁰ give testimony. If he did not submit to a growth in grace and salvation from all sin, as taught by John Wesley, even if men are justified and sanctified at once.

10. Of his ordination, if he was not asked all the questions proper in ordination and if he did not answer those questions and if the bishop had not the form of Discipline in his hand which he always attendeth to, and if Smith did not design to make out, the bishop wished to give J. Smith a dispensation from the letter of ordination and not give him the whole of the questions, and answers in deacons order, that punctuality is always observed that it is not the bishop’s manner to depart from rule and order and letter.

11. Tell him that if we have mistaken his meaning, his written statement gave us room to believe that he believeth in infant purity directly opposed to Watts, Wesley, Fletcher and all gospel divines, that we believe he denieth the doctrine of original sin and the depravity of the human minds and souls of infants and he must maintain infant purity, that he has refined upon Fletcher till he is carried from Calvinism to Arianism and has mistaken Fletcher.

12. Ask him what the Methodists have done for him and what he was before he knew them. Ask him if his divine portrait of a Christian will justify his saying or writing so much evil of some good men —— and if we are to judge —— of his piety, by his practice, if he has not written by guess, by hearsay. Is that according to Scriptures any more than speaking evil, and above all evil speaking, printed falsehood (evil speaking) is the most dangerous, it is by this thousands will be misled, writing and speaking evil of us and that to our bitterest enemies, and suppose the general or state governments, should take up our preachers and raise a general persecution. One that has left them says they are enemies to America, he passes for a wise goodman and shows his innocency; and their guilt. Let men take care how they alarm. We arm the civil government against the church or state or preachers of the gospel. Be sure to get their correct testimony in certificates, be correct in printing, he or his printer has blundered greatly, be very particular once for all, a complete answer only, let all our preachers travelling and local subscribe for me and sell them generally and stop the triumph. Conclude he and his church will be nonentities, no body, no party, must conclude J. Smith is one of the un-accountables of the unaccountables as all heretics and schismatics generally are, they dash at the most sacred truths, holiest characters and say [they] are not in sport. Let [it] be urged he denieth the doctrine of original sin that cannot be generated, it is the transgression of the law in adults. The transgressor must know the law and wilfully act the transgressor, the law is a transcript of the divine nature, the image of him that is invisible and will oppose sin in the root but to suppose that infants have no sinful nature or anything to do with sin, will they know the law and wilfully commit sin, is like Baptist logic (that) infants cannot repent and believe, infants are not fit subjects of baptism, indeed I think preachers and writers have spoke and wrote. We know by Scripture inference, infants are subjects of baptism, we know by pure revelation infants have been subjects of heavenly glory and it would seem that infants martyred by Pharaoh and Herod might shine among the martyred saints and Christians. But that infants are justified, regenerated and sanctified as adults, I doubt if Scripture will bear us out. I perceive J. Smith wished to save his own bacon and writing and railing against government, he should be suspected of opposing all government, human and divine.

All men of sense know that our church government was founded before the Federal Government¹¹ and state rights in that x [cross] system, so that whether they designed it or not they copied our government as far as humans could follow or ought to follow a divine government, all offices being elective except offices of special trust and confidence as presiding elders and bishops. To submit the reelection of bishops once in 4 or 6 years, would they subvert the divine, we [do] not reelect an elder or deacon local or travelling unless they forfeit the right by immorality and are suspended or expelled. I think a master reputation may be made that will make them appear very small in their own eyes, great as they are in their own.

We grant our Presbyterian brethren, they freely confessed they were mistaken when certain documents were given. But what to those that have to do with men, that know nothing about writing controversy, that will not ask fair questions or give an answer, that cannot understand an argument, admit no Scripture but the Bible and that when it condemns their system and conduct. We see the cloven foot, what high praises, Mr. Smith giveth to each of the preachers, whilst he bitterly reflected upon others. We shall do well to observe that the levelling system, it goeth directly against the order and government of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the whole Patriarchal church government when these ancient saints were prophet, priest and king, each in his order—nay the order of the church in the wilderness by Moses, in the house of Aaron, then the 3rd order by Solomon when the temple was built. 4th. The order of Christ in his ministry and church. The complete order of the apostles in the Acts and the Epistles, to Timothy and Titus, apostolic men.

The apostle did not say the old Testament and the apostles are sufficient. They wrote forms of discipline for separate churches when cases of order and discipline called for such. These levellers say the scriptures are sufficient, granted, but in mass the Holy Word gives many changes in doctrine, we only select from Scripture for doctrine, and for discipline in epitome or very small selections. If these levellers were consistent why not only the Scriptures, and quit preaching or any comment at all. How shall we try a man’s doctrine but by a standard, so his spirit and temper, his word and practice. If any man appeals from the Scripture where shall we follow him, where shall we find him, how shall we judge him, [support] his cause against our conduct dealing with him, shall not we appeal to Scripture against his conduct toward us, by the same rule. Mr. Smith from his own account has been tried and tenderly dealt with by Elder Gruber¹² [?] once at quarter meeting, then by conference, and the bishop at his ordination and lastly by the quarter meeting at which he was expelled and 5th, he did, Mr. Smith did not come to his grand court of appeal where justice would have been done, all valid testing would have been admitted for and against him and he would without doubt have been proved in judgment of Scripture an heretick by denying the foundation doctrine of the Scriptural original sin and held as such by all the ancient and present churches in the whole earth. As a schismatic by attempting a division in the ministry and membership of the church to which he belonged and with [?] great policy and address, now ask is this the kindness to thy friends, fathers and brethren. Then ask is this doing as you would wish to be done by. Then ask if you believe either the Methodist church to be corrupt in doctrine and discipline and administration as your book represents, do you wish to be a minister or member in it. Are we not in a free country, what right have you or any man to preach by the hour and speak and write by the day against us and put a weapon into the hands of wicked men and all that hate us to beat us. We will be pleased no doubt to hear it told, the Baptist and other denominations read your book, pleased that you have found out the Methodists and come forth like an honest man, and expose them and give suitable warning to the churches, and the states to take care: that there are men of desperate minds, enemies to all churches, but their own, enemies to the American Government; the best upon earth. But let it be told that Mr. Smith, order or no order, church or no church, he is drawing away disciples from the Methodist but he is no party man. Oh, yes Brutus is an honorable man and so they are all, when they revile the mother that has born¹³ them—Yea when the lame are turned out of the way—who was it that brought this hand upon her, Jesus was agonizing and sweating in dust and [blood] in the hour of darkness, the midnight of suffering, who brought this band here, it was Judas! What Judas, Judas, the steward, the leader, the local preacher, for money, small sum, 30 pieces of silver, yet Judas was an honorable man or how could he be taken notice by honorable men. Judas was an honorable man. If men would leave the Methodists like men, not to say like Christian members and not preach so violently, and not write so bitterly against the people. But we cannot form peace, not truce with such men. This is the way Satan leads these men to keep up their credits, they lose as Methodists, when they withdraw from our union and set up for themselves. These dwellers rail out against Kings, why not against the president of the United States that in his election right professes kingly and imperial powers and with his Senate can form treaties of peace, or make war. With these levellers all the historical information of the primitive churches for 4000 or 5000 years standeth for nothing and Scripture on that subject is a blank. It is an open attack upon every reformed church upon articles and confessions of faith and on Convocations, General Assemblies, Synods, all associations or meetings of ministry of every order. They are not fifth monarchy men that would not set up the kingdom of Christ but anarchy men. Let every man and—do what is right in his own eyes, and if called to an account let him appeal from the judgment of any man or men to his own; plead Scripture corrupted, teach heresies, new and old errors, wolves in sheep’s clothing and wolves in wolves’ clothing.¹⁴

Methodist Historical Collection, Ohio Wesleyan University Library