History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

METHODIST REFORM
Edward J. Drinkhouse, M.D., D.D.
Volume I
CHAPTER 28
Asbury's attempt to be ubiquitous as well as omnipotent ecclesiastically; Snethen's reflections —
Meets Coke near Charleston, S. C.; they hold Conferences — Received, 1789, Wesley's "bitter pill";
history of it traced and demonstration made that it was the letter of September 20, 1788 — This letter
given and analyzed with strange disclosures in a catenation of proofs never before brought together
— Asbury and Coke traveling together — Unwarranted changes in the early minutes; motives for
them — "Order" of Methodist Bishops instituted by Asbury and Coke with Wesley at the head; Dr.
Emory's quibble — Division of 1844 foretold by Snethen and McCaine — General Conference of
1854 squelched the Bishop "Order" — The predicate confirmed by British historians; Wesley no
party to the business at any time, and his tearful regrets over the ordinations of 1784 proved.
Asbury is in Philadelphia the first Sabbath after the Conference of 1788 in Baltimore, and holds
a Conference with a few, and then is on to New York where he holds another. Backward he turns,
suffering in body from ill health, superinducing depression of spirits and distraction of mind from
the pressure upon him of so vast a work, specially the debts and complications at Cokesbury. It never
seems to occur to him to relegate part of his authority to another, and with it a part of his burden. Lee
was stationed in Baltimore 1787-88, and was exhibiting all the qualities of leadership; and so was
Wesley's appointee, Whatcoat, non-concurred in by the Conference; not to mention the fiery O'Kelly
in the south, bold and masterful, whom Asbury handled cautiously, or leaving him to his own way,
and so excited the jealousy of the other Elders. Under human limitation he would be ubiquitous as
well as omnipotent, and he wore himself out in the effort to be such. Snethen's deliverances meet you
at every turn as the phases of the Asburyan plan develop. "Mr. Asbury, I know, was as sincere as he
was indefatigable in his endeavors to make the hierarchy independent of the people; but he was my
father, and we agreed to disagree. It was always a mystery to me, how a man of his great reading, and
penetrating views of men and things, could so entirely lose sight of the danger of an unbalanced
government. Of the ability of Mr. Wesley to govern, no one has a more exalted opinion than myself;
but who will say that his system was the best that could have been devised? Mr. Locke understood
the science of government much better than Mr. Wesley: though the latter had the benefit of the
writings of the former. Upon the maxim, 'necessity is the mother of invention,' it might be argued
that men of the greatest talents for governing would be less apt to invent or make discoveries in the
science than others of fewer resources in themselves. I can never be brought to believe that it argues
any extraordinary sagacity in men to take for themselves and their successors as much power to do
good as is possible, without any regard to the power which it would give them to do evil. Nothing
is more evident than that this latter object never entered into the plans of our predecessors. To this
day it makes no part of our discipline. Traveling preachers have no check from anybody but
themselves." Again, "No period of the same duration in the history of any Church exhibits such a
jumble of powers as ours did from 1784 to 1792."
In November, 1788, Asbury is down upon the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He is harassed with
thoughts of fire at the college. He visits it and finds that a report to that effect is true: "an attempt had