History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

METHODIST REFORM
Edward J. Drinkhouse, M.D., D.D.
Volume I
CHAPTER 20
Asbury as his own physician — Variant opinions held by him of O'Kelly — Wesley did not
recommission Asbury until 1784 — Heroic preachers of the time — Second Asbury conference at
Judge White's, 1781 — Lee's account of it, and Baltimore Conferences of 1781-82 — O'Kelly's
account of the tergiversation of Dickins — Muzzling of the Virginia preachers, and extirpation of
their liberal polity — Jarratt helps his plans — Asbury's methods with Wesley — Lambert, Wyatt,
Bruce, Everett, Moriarty, Hickson, Easter, the Abbott of the South; McKendree and George among
his converts.
Before resuming the thread of this History let note be made of some incidental matters, and an
embalmment of heroic names attached to this period. A few quotations from Asbury's Journal for
1780 will disclose his methods and convictions. November, 1779, he writes: "Began this morning
to read books on the practice of physic: I want to help the bodies and souls of men." He was led to
this course by his own physical ailments and the few physicians in the country. His bane was bilious
complaints, quinsy, and, later, from so much exposure, rheumatism. It was not a fortunate thing,
however, that he read medicine, for it will ever remain true that the man who is his own physician
has a fool for a patient. He carried a lancet, and his saddle-pockets were crammed with pills and
potions and plasters. Almost to the day of his death, thirty-five years later, his Journal is punctuated
with bleedings and blisterings and black draughts and hierapicra. He dosed himself without mercy,
and the marvel is that, between the drugs he took, the bleedings he inflicted on himself, and the
diseases he struggled with, that he held out to seventy years. It was his way, however, of keeping
himself well, though a lifelong invalid. In March, 1780, he writes, "I have been collecting all the
minutes of our Conferences in America to assist me in a brief history of the Methodists; and an
account of our principles." Again, a month later, "I was employed in writing a short history of the
Methodists." But with this the subject is no more mentioned, — he abandoned the task, and there
was no history until Jesse Lee issued his in 1810.
On his return ride to Maryland from Manakintown he writes, May 17, "I read and transcribed
some of Potter's church government; and must prefer the Episcopal mode of church government to
the Presbyterian." Two days afterward he writes, "I read and transcribed some of Potter's church
government until ten o clock." The reader will remember an earlier reference to this saturation of his
whole nature with High Church, apostolical succession arguments and sentiments. He not only read
it into his memory, but he wrote it in, and probably conned it over as he rode along. To the same
purpose, about the same time "I advised our friends to attend the Episcopal Church, that prejudice
might be removed; then their people will attend us. If I could stay, some would attend." In June he
writes, "Brother Dickins drew the subscription for a Kingswood school in America; this was what
came out, a college in the subscription printed by Dr. Coke." This reference to Cokesbury College
must have been inserted when he revised his Journal by association of ideas. What it shows,
however, is that brother Dickins having been "labored with" by Asbury after the Manakintown
Conference is now, and to the close of his career remained, a faithful adherent of his countryman.