History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

he believed that his leaving the Conference was more out of fear of being brought to trial than on
account of the appeal. But so it was, Mr. James O'Kelly never more united with the Methodists."
How insidiously insinuating! Lee does not furnish the name of this scandalizing preacher. Yet it
seems he had not before heard of O'Kelly's grave heresies. As put by his traducer one is at a loss to
find it except by the art of the disingenuous — the trick of those
"Who can sever and divide,
A hair 'twixt north and northwest side."
But this paragraph from Lee has wrought great mischief to O'Kelly personally, and to the
denomination he fathered and left behind him to this day. Lee speaks of him as "the old man."
Stevens is led to reproduce the heresy motive, and to speak of him disparagingly. His excuse may
be that he had nothing to guide him but Lee, and the old saw accounts for the bias he exhibits,
followed by other historians of Methodism, that "when the wish is father to the thought, we are apt
to draw upon our imagination for the facts." He says, "He was now a veteran, broken with age, an
Irishman of fiery temperament, and, as usual with such temperaments, his conscience was weak and
easily swayed by his prejudices; weak to yield to them, but strong to defend them." The truth is, that
he was now only about fifty-eight years of age, and able to walk twelve miles with saddlebags and
other impedimenta; and such was his vitality that he lived to be ninety-two years old. As to the
heresy, the grain of truth in it shall be sifted out of the bushel of doctrinal slander.
Secession pure and simple is rarely justified and as rarely succeeds. This was a case of secession
pure and simple. So soon as O'Kelly's letter was received by the Conference, Asbury set Coke in
motion to conciliate him if possible. He knew his worth and foresaw that it meant a heavy collateral
loss, and he also knew his power, and that to cope with him challenged a giant's strength. O'Kelly
tells how he was invited to an interview with Coke in private, how obsequious he was, and asked
"pardon ten thousand times." He inquired then of O'Kelly on what terms he would return, and he
answered, "Only let an injured man have an appeal." Then Coke gave the final word, "That cannot
be granted." Let it be here observed that no one honestly desiring to know the truth of history as to
these things will fail not to read only, but to allow full credit of general truthfulness to O'Kelly in his
elaborate exposures in his "Apology." The temptation is strong to quote largely from it as offsetting
the text of most historians who have taken pains to garner all the fragments of testimony of the
opposite complexion, but forbearance will be exercised as this History is meant to observe the
golden mean of extremes. His story, rigidly condensed, is that he left as Lee informs, accompanied
by Rice Haggard, John Robinson, John Allen, William McKendree, and, perhaps, a few others, who
subsequently helped him though they did not secede at this time, among them Hope Hull and Philip
Bruce. He admits that he knew not what to do, except that he intended to keep on preaching; "but
I have no intention of a separate party." Reaching home, in a few days messengers came to him from
Asbury, expressing his sorrow at his departure; that he was his "right eye, right hand, and right foot."
He promised him free access to the Methodist pulpits and £40 a year, because "I had suffered so
much for the cause of truth and liberty." The former he says he accepted, but not the latter. Some
time afterward he was sent a present of £10 by Asbury which, on the advice of friends, he received,
and gave it the same day in part pay for a saddle-horse. "After these things I was met by one of their
elders, who blamed me for leading the people into the nature of church government; whereas they
had no business with such knowledge." The fact that he accepted the £10 was soon used against him