History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

that being received into full membership by the Conference, and appointed by them to administer
the ordinances, should be considered a sufficient ordination, without the imposition of hands." [12]
The vote was eighty-six to forty-eight in favor, so at one fell swoop they wiped out the fictions of
Churchism. The spirit of the Conference was excellent, and more unanimity than ever before since
Wesley's departure was exhibited. Kilham, who had been sent to Scotland the previous year, did not
attend the session, but so soon as he heard of its action he issued other circulars, "detesting some of
the steps that had been taken respecting the sacraments." But he was also engaged in a noble fight
against horse-racing and theaters, so that his time and attention were divided. Pawson, the President
who had been ordained by Wesley for Scotland, as has been seen, and put on bands and gowns while
ministering, recoiled from the radical steps of the Conference, and led a party of which Coke and
Mather and others of their way of thinking were confederate. In the latter part of the year he wrote,
"At present we really have no government," and proposed a revamp of Wesley's plan, as Pawson
construed it. The gist of it he set forth in these words: "In order therefore to preserve all that was
valuable in the Church of England among the Methodists, he ordained Mr. Mather and Dr. Coke
bishops. These he undoubtedly designed should ordain others. Mr. Mather told us so at the
Manchester Conference, but we did not then understand him. I see no way of coming to any good
settlement, but on the plan I mentioned before. I sincerely wish that Dr. Coke and Mr. Mather may
be allowed to be what they are — bishops. We must have ordination among us at any rate." [13]
Dr. Coke had in the meantime made another tour upon the American continent and looked after
his missionary interests in the West Indies. He returned again to England in June, 1793. Once more
on British soil, he conferred with his friends, and now reappears as the "little magician." The
suggestions of Pawson, Stevens concedes, "probably originated with Coke." He farther informs that:
"Mather, Taylor, Pawson, Bradburn, Rodgers, Moore, Adam Clarke, and Coke met for consultation
on the subject at Lichfield, a town in which there were no Methodists, and where they supposed their
interview would not be attended with any excitement. Coke addressed them on the agitated state of
the Connection, and the perils which menaced it; he referred to the success of Methodism in the New
World under its Episcopal organization, and the relief which Wesley's establishment there of this
form of government had given to a similar controversy. He offered ordination to the brethren who
were present . . . Most of the meeting approved his proposition; but Moore, who had been ordained
by Wesley, very wisely suggested that they should confine their proceedings to the discussion of its
practicability, and defer its decision to the next Conference. He, however, pronounced the measure
a scriptural and suitable expedient for the government of any Christian Church. Mather concurred
with Moore. They adjourned after adopting a series of resolutions, which were to be submitted with
[14]
all their signatures to the Annual Conference." A parenthetic interrogation is inserted by the writer
in this statement at one point in bar of its truth. Tyerman says of this critical episode in English
Methodism "In 1794" (neither Stevens nor Tyerman gives the precise date, but the Pawson letter was
written "in the latter part of 1793," and the Lichfield meeting no doubt took place early in 1794, and
so the events dovetail) "he (Coke) secretly summoned a meeting at Lichfield of the most influential
of the English preachers, and passed a resolution that the Conference should appoint an order of
bishops to ordain deacons and elders, he himself of course expecting to be a member of the prelatical
[15]
brotherhood." Drew, Coke's biographer, makes no mention of this transaction; possibly Coke
thought it discreet not to leave any note of it among his posthumous papers. It recalls the vaticination
of that far-seeing and character-reading man of God, Charles Wesley. August 14, 1785, he wrote his
brother one of his most beseeching letters against ordination. The paragraph most pertinent to the