History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

of the general conference, and in this state of uncanceled suspension his promise remained until his
[4]
eyes were closed in death." Coke remained in England after the last visit to America already noted
until his return at Asbury's solicitation to attend the General Conference in May, 1800, in Baltimore.
One difference between him and Asbury was that the latter was a crowned authority over his
brethren and dictated accordingly, while the former exercised the authority without being crowned.
He could not help meddling. An instance was his unauthorized correspondence with the Bishop of
London on March 29, 1799, proposing a union of the Wesleyan Societies with the Church of
England. It was repelled by the Bishop, and Coke was scarified for it by the Conference. At the
General Conference of 1800 he was a welcome guest and participant. Asbury showed him every
deference consistent with his own grasp of the keys. He preached the ordination sermon, and was
otherwise honored. Asbury says "two days were spent in considering about Doctor Coke's return to
Europe." He makes no further mention of him for this visit to America. It will be inferentially seen
presently that the cordiality between them was again shadowed. The final answer of the Conference
to the British brethren for Dr. Coke's services Drew gives in full the gist of it is: "We have, therefore,
in compliance with your request, lent the doctor to you for a season, to return to us as soon as he
conveniently can, but at the farthest by the meeting of our next General Conference." Signed, Francis
Asbury, Richard Whatcoat.
Somehow they had reached the conclusion that they could spare him for four years. Coke
observed it all, and he made a hasty retreat to the West Indies on his missionary work for the
Wesleyan Conference. He returned to England and established the Welsh missions, and was
unremitting in labors until the autumn of 1803, when he again visited America. It was unsolicited
and apparently unexpected. Asbury says, December 26, 1803: "To my surprise I find Bishop Coke
is in Augusta [Ga.] before me. I have received letters of consequence from the North." Coke had also
his American correspondents. There were ambitious schemers, plotters, and counter-plotters among
the leaders, and the bishopric was the shuttlecock these battledores kept whizzing in the air. In fact,
Asbury had ceased to have personal use for Bishop Coke. Whatcoat had been named coadjutor, and
he had other traveling companions. He must make some disposition of Bishop Coke. "I gave Bishop
Coke a plan for a journey as far as Boston, before the General Conference." It was sent to him in a
letter, Drew says, under date of November 23, 1803, and addressed to him at Light Street church,
Baltimore, and points out a track of nearly five thousand miles in length, a tour which would take
him about nine mouths to accomplish. As the date of this letter was a month before Asbury found
him with surprise in Augusta, Ga., before him, he must have known of Coke's coming and waylaid
him with this letter. Drew says, "Whether he acceded to the proposal is to the writer of these pages
very uncertain." Alexander McCaine says of Coke's trip from Baltimore to Augusta: "The writer was
fleeing by the advice of his physicians, from the rigors of a northern winter to the South, there he fell
in with Dr. Coke and traveled with him to Augusta," was a member of the General Conference the
ensuing May, in Baltimore, and makes this significant mention: "And he is no less certain that he
was applied to, by one in authority, in a matter relating to Dr. Coke, which no man living knows
but himself; but as he has no document to prove the fact, the secret shall go down with him to the
grave." [5]
Asbury and McCaine were bosom friends; it shall be duly proved that no man in the connection
had more of his confidence and affection. And while there can be little doubt that the "matter relating
to Dr. Coke" was one of the esoteric schemes of the bishopric, the writer will not attempt to surmise