April 5, 1813 — to the Ministers and Preachers Late In Connection With the Rev. John Wesley;

When Asbury addresses a letter to the British Conference, he always uses a more stilted style than in his normal writing. He has been interested in paying a visit to England. It is remarkable that he never went back. However, the fact that he did not shows his great devotion to his work in America.

LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA

April 5, 1813

TO THE MINISTERS AND PREACHERS LATE IN

CONNECTION WITH THE REV. JOHN WESLEY;

Assembled in Conference in Great Britain, we send greeting. Dear beloved in the Lord, Fathers and Brethren in the Ministry of the Gospel of the Grace of God:

A few days past, your generous invitation came to light;¹ your brother feeleth the honor, the pleasure, the unmerited respect you have paid to his wishes, to see your divine body of ministers, your order, the stedfastness of your faith in Christ, your zeal to spread the written and preached² Gospel thro’ Europe, Asia, Africa and the Isles of the Sea, prison-ships and prison-houses.³ You are not to be informed of the sacred obligations of your writer to the American Methodists, and inhabitants of the whole earth. He had hop’d the sea should grow calm from shore to shore; that he might be accompanied with two younger men in the ministry; to have sail’d in May, landed at his native shore in June, passed or employed about three months and returned. We have not used lightness that ill becomes one in the 8th month of the 68th year of his age, and 53rd year of his ministry, travelling and local, in Europe and America.

If the thought of visiting Europe is thought to be in the birth of a second childhood, you will find a mantle! Indeed it appeared like the birth of my first childhood in coming to the continent. I shall look forward to the years of 1814, 1815. It may be thought a forlorn hope; so it may, come or stay; if your friend is bound to attempt in the unevenness of this continent, with all the inclement changes to ride 5,000 miles in 8 months, and meet ten conferences as one of the Superintendents; and add to this, subject to periodical lameness every year, and to be handed [carried] into congregations, houses and ferry-boats; to visit conferences with crutches and staves.

When I wrote to my friends Roberts⁴ and Coke, of my intention to visit the spot that gave me breath, I fondly hoped our General Conference would have seen their way opened to have elected one or two Superintendents. In this we were disappointed. Be assured, we feel ourselves unworthy to address you as at the first; and knowing the readiness of our beloved brethren as above, we signified our wishes. You will believe, should a visit be made, it will be to give and receive spiritual information, in mutual love. You improve as we in popularity, in building houses; may the spiritual building grow more and more, and may we always leave room for the poor. The year 1813 promises to be wonderfully great in numbers; in five conferences we have an increase of more than 31000 members; but it is properly 1812, as we meet two conferences in the fall, and one in every month till July. Our increase was so much the more extraordinary, by the absence of 80 preachers at General Conference, some two, others three, and five months from their work.

Dear Brethren the Days of Visitation are come! Your writer feels his task in addressing you but he hopes great and good minds will be candid in his cause. He hath written briefly, his beloved Coke will explain; but he corrects himself; you are men of minds. His body, soul and spirit, his heart, his thoughts, his pen, shall express his gratitude for your favor to one you have never seen, but is most affectionately yours in Jesus, FRANCIS ASBURY

Lamplough Collection of British Conference. Transcribed by Frank Baker