History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

METHODIST REFORM
Edward J. Drinkhouse, M.D., D.D.
Volume I
CHAPTER 7
Wesley at eighty — The Birstal matter again — Wesley jealous of his authority — 1784, the
"climacteric year of Methodism" because of the ordinations and separation — Coke's assumptions
of authority — Sunday-schools and Wesley — "The People called Methodists " — Coke and the
Deed of Declaration — Tyerman on the Legal Hundred — Two objections to the Deed — Review
of its provisions — Asbury and the ordinations — Fletcher no party to it — Coke's letter and its
over-persuasion — Subsequent ordinations by Wesley — Tyerman on Wesley's inconsistency, viz,
ordaining and yet a Churchman — The "Sunday Service for the American Methodists."
1783, and Wesley at eighty years of age. He had more invitations now to preach in National
churches than he could accept. A wonderful change in forty years, yet, from the point of view of the
clergy, the fact that he and his were not exscinded is a striking proof of the conservative character
of that Church, imitated by its congener, the Protestant Episcopal Church of North America. He was
as ardent a Churchman as ever. He was taken dangerously ill in March, and on convalescing wrote
a most tender letter to Hester Ann Rodgers, rehearsing a dream he had of his own funeral. Yet on
June 11, he set out for Holland, with companions, taking as interpreter, Jonathan Ferguson, son of
a preacher who had removed to Holland. He returned to London July 4. The fortieth Conference
began July 29. The Birstal matter led to the following minute: "What can be done to get all our
preaching houses settled on the Conference plan? Let Dr. Coke visit the societies throughout
England as far as is necessary to the accomplishment of this end." So strong was the sense of the
injustice of this plan that the recalcitrants were not confined to Birstal. Kingswood school was also
giving trouble. The membership of the societies was 45,955, not including 13,740 in America, and
near 2000 in Antigua, West Indies. William Black was also laboring successfully in Nova Scotia.
At this Conference Wesley was again taken seriously ill, but, after eighteen days of suspense he
recovered, and was soon active as ever, keeping in touch with every interest, and guarding his
authoritative control of preachers and societies as though dissolution and disaster impended should
he relax in the slightest minutia of discipline. The mind was autocratic, and the danger was in his
mind. It was, indeed, the only safeguard in such an anomalous and unbalanced government. Since
the plan for transmitting his authority of 1770-75 had overpassed, the same subject was now the
burden of his thoughts. He continued to write and publish, the Arminian Magazine, the medium for
the sermons which he now matured.
1784 has been denominated by Whitehead "the grand climacteric year of Methodism." He refers
to the ordinations by Wesley and the Deed of Declaration. In this sense his characterization is just.
A stanch advocate of its "original constitution," as he calls it, adhesion to the National Church, in
the forlorn hope that reform of it could still be secured from within, he saw in the ordinations and
the Deed of Declaration inevitable separation after Wesley's decease. He also saw the factions into
which the Conference was dividing in a strife for leadership, and no provision being made for a
popular or people's check upon these factions, he prophesied corruption, and final dissolution of the
societies. Right in the abstract, he proved to be wrong in the concrete, inasmuch as he took no