A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org
A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org
We agreed, that if any European Methodist preachers should come over recommended by Mr. Wesley, and would be subject to the American conference, preach the Methodist doctrine, keep the circuits they were appointed to, and be subject to Francis Asbury as general assistant, while he stands approved by Mr. Wesley and the conference, we will receive them; but if they walk contrary to the above directions, no appointment shall prevent them from being excluded from our connection. There was a plan laid also for keeping four fast days in the year in each circuit; and the preachers were directed to write on each Class-paper, "The first Friday after every quarterly meeting is to be observed as a day of fasting and prayer." It was a custom among the Methodists formerly, to observe all Fridays in the year as days of fasting or abstinence; but this custom is not strictly attended to by our societies at present. We had a gracious revival of religion this year in many of the frontier circuits, and the way was opening fast for us to enlarge our borders, and to spread the gospel through various places where we had never been before. The call of the people was great, for more laborers to be sent into the harvest. Note-Here end the minutes that were formerly taken and kept in manuscript, and not printed until 1795. After this all our annual minutes were printed every year. In the following part of this history, the printed minutes will be attended to as they came out year after year. ------------------------------------------------ ENDNOTES 1 Mr. Jarratt was one of the most pious clergymen that I was acquainted with, and his attachment to the Methodists was very great, and never abated until the Methodists broke off from the Church of England in 1784, and formed themselves into a regular church His mind then began to be somewhat turned against them and in some cases he showed too much warmth in his opposition. But through the greater part of his life, he was a man of great calmness, and of a candid and liberal Sentiment towards other denominations. He died in peace on the 30th of January 1801, in the 69th year of his age. Mr. John Coleman once a traveling Methodist preacher, but now a minister of the Protestant Episcopal Church, published in 1806, a book called Jarratt's Life: and if what he published be true, and Mr. Jarratt did write the letters just as they are published, they show that he was more severe in his spirit against the Methodists, than they who knew him ever thought him to be. The book, as far as it speaks of the Methodists, does no credit to the writer or publisher of it. If Mr. Jarratt had been living when the book was printed, I am persuaded he would never have consented for the private letters to have been published. 2 Mr. Coleman published Garrat's Life.
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE METHODISTS By Jesse Lee CHAPTER 5 From the first general Conference in 1784, to the end of the year 1786. The Methodists had until this time one form both of worship and discipline in every part of the world; but the independence of these United States of America, confirmed by the peace of 1783, occasioned an extraordinary change in this respect. During the war our societies were deprived of the ordinances of baptism, and the Lord's supper: for the ministers of the church of England had mostly left their parishes: some of them were silenced, others left off preaching, because they could not procure a maintenance by it; and many more went into the British dominions. From the time of the peace no ecclesiastical authority of any kind was either exercised or claimed by any person or persons whatsoever. In this situation, we desired Mr. Wesley's advice and assistance; and as he observes, "his scruples being at an end, he conceived himself at perfect liberty to exercise that right which he doubted not God had given him." At the British conference held at Leeds in July 1784, Mr. Wesley declared his intention of sending Dr. Coke and some other preachers to America. Mr. Richard Whatcoat, and Mr. Thomas Vasey offered themselves as missionaries for that purpose, and were accepted. But before they sailed, Mr. Wesley wrote to Dr. Coke then in London, desiring him to meet him in Bristol, to receive fuller powers; and to bring the Rev. Mr. Creighton with him. The Dr. and Mr. Creighton accordingly met him in Bristol; where Mr. Wesley with the assistance of Dr. Coke, and Mr. Creighton, ordained Richard Whatcoat and Mr. Thomas Vasey, presbyters for America: and, did afterwards ordain Dr. Coke a superintendent, giving him letters of ordination, under his hand and seal. Previous to this Dr. Coke had been ordained a presbyter by a bishop of the church of England. Dr. Coke, with Messrs. Whatcoat and Vasey sailed for America, in the month of September, and landed at New York on the third day of November. By these preachers, Mr. Wesley wrote a letter to us in America, to be printed and circulated among us; the following is the letter. Bristol, September 10, 1784. To Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury, and our brethren in North America. "1. By a very uncommon train of providences, many of the provinces of North America are totally disjoined from the British empire, and erected into Independent States. The English government has no authority over them either civil or ecclesiastical, any more than over the states of Holland. A civil
- Page 5 and 6: CHAPTER 9 From the beginning of the
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- Page 41 and 42: and Amelia, in Virginia. Both of th
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- Page 49 and 50: It was also advised, that the preac
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A SHORT HISTORY<br />
OF THE<br />
METHODISTS<br />
By<br />
Jesse Lee<br />
CHAPTER 5<br />
From the first general Conference in 1784,<br />
to the end of the year 1786.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Methodists</strong> had until this time one form both of worship and discipline in every part of the<br />
world; but the independence of these United States of America, confirmed by the peace of 1783,<br />
occasioned an extraordinary change in this respect. During the war our societies were deprived of<br />
the ordinances of baptism, and the Lord's supper: for the ministers of the church of England had<br />
mostly left their parishes: some of them were silenced, others left off preaching, because they could<br />
not procure a maintenance by it; and many more went into the British dominions. From the time of<br />
the peace no ecclesiastical authority of any kind was either exercised or claimed by any person or<br />
persons whatsoever. In this situation, we desired Mr. Wesley's advice and assistance; and as he<br />
observes, "his scruples being at an end, he conceived himself at perfect liberty to exercise that right<br />
which he doubted not God had given him."<br />
At the British conference held at Leeds in July 1784, Mr. Wesley declared his intention of sending<br />
Dr. Coke and some other preachers to America. Mr. Richard Whatcoat, and Mr. Thomas Vasey<br />
offered themselves as missionaries for that purpose, and were accepted. But before they sailed, Mr.<br />
Wesley wrote to Dr. Coke then in London, desiring him to meet him in Bristol, to receive fuller<br />
powers; and to bring the Rev. Mr. Creighton with him. <strong>The</strong> Dr. and Mr. Creighton accordingly met<br />
him in Bristol; where Mr. Wesley with the assistance of Dr. Coke, and Mr. Creighton, ordained<br />
Richard Whatcoat and Mr. Thomas Vasey, presbyters for America: and, did afterwards ordain Dr.<br />
Coke a superintendent, giving him letters of ordination, under his hand and seal. Previous to this Dr.<br />
Coke had been ordained a presbyter by a bishop of the church of England.<br />
Dr. Coke, with Messrs. Whatcoat and Vasey sailed for America, in the month of September, and<br />
landed at New York on the third day of November.<br />
By these preachers, Mr. Wesley wrote a letter to us in America, to be printed and circulated<br />
among us; the following is the letter.<br />
Bristol, September 10, 1784.<br />
To Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury, and our brethren in North America.<br />
"1. By a very uncommon train of providences, many of the provinces of North America are totally<br />
disjoined from the British empire, and erected into Independent States. <strong>The</strong> English government has<br />
no authority over them either civil or ecclesiastical, any more than over the states of Holland. A civil
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