LETTER 1.

[Reprinted from a tract written by Dr. George Peck, a distinguished Methodist preacher, and published by the Tract Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at the Conference Office, No. 200 Mulberry street, New York.]

To all to whom these presents shall come, John Wesley, late fellow of Lincoln College in Oxford, presbyter of the Church of England, sendeth greeting:

Whereas many of the people in the southern provinces of North America, who desire to continue under my care, and still adhere to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, are greatly distressed for want of ministers to ad minister the sacraments of baptism, and the Lord's supper, according to the usage of the same Church: and whereas there does not appear to be any other way of supplying them with ministers

Know all men, that I John Wesley, think myself to be providentially called at this time, to set apart some persons for the work of the ministry in America. And therefore, under the protection of Almighty God, and with a single eye to his glory I have this day set apart as a superintendent, by the imposition of my hands, and prayer, (being assisted by other ordained ministers,) Thomas Coke, doctor of civil law, a Presbyter of the Church of England, and a man whom I judge to be well qualified for that great work. And I do hereby, recommend him to all whom it may concern, as a fit person to preside over the flock of Christ. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four. JOHN WESLEY.

Note-It would seem from the above letter, that Mr. Wesley had at this date no formed idea of founding a new Church. He speaks of persons, who desired to continue under his care, and adhere to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England. This is very different from a separate Church; it is only a Society within the Church, such as the English Methodists then were, to be under Mr. Wesley's care, and superintended by Dr. Coke as his substitute. He sets apart Dr. Coke, as a superintendent. He does not use the word Bishop, the technical term for one of that order of ministers, who have

the power of ordination, but the word superintendent. This last word is derived from Latin words having the same meaning, as the Greek words from which "Bishop" is derived, but which, (the Latin words,) had never been used with reference to the ordaining office. The word "superintendent" had been so used for a short time in Scotland; but then for the purpose of distinguishing those who bore it, from Bishops; and in modern usage it was well known as an English word to signify any one who observes or oversees any work. There seems also to be room for a remark, that Mr. Wesley, was a little hasty when he, thought, himself" providentially called at that time to set apart some persons for the work of the ministry in America," because "there did not appear to be any other way of supplying them with ministers." On the seventy-third day from the date of this letter, an American was consecrated in Scotland, by the Bishops of the Church in that country, a Bishop for Connecticut; in less than two years and a half two others were consecrated for Pennsylvania and New York; and in little more than six years a fourth for Virginia; the three last by the English Bishops. The successors and spiritual de. scendants of these four, deriving their authority from the Blessed Redeemer, through the imposition of their hands, has now multiplied to twenty-two, with a prospect of further increase; and their authority is acknowledged by more than eleven hundred clergy who derive their ordination from them and their predecessors. It is sometimes best not to be too sure that we see the designs of Providence throughout. God's ways are not as our ways, nor His thoughts as our thoughts. Moreover if Mr. Wesley, had authority to ordain as a Presbyter so also had upwards of one hundred Presbyters on the spot, who could have done all that he did.

LETTER II.

[Reprinted from the same.]

Bristol, September 10, 1784.

To Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury, and our

America :

brethren in North

By a very uncommon train of providences many of the provinces of North America are totally disjoined from the mother country, and erected into independent states. The English government, has no power over them either civil or ecclesiastical, any more than over the states of Holland. A civil authority is exercised over them, partly by the congress, partly by the provincial assemblies. But no one either exercises or claims any ecclesiastical authority at all. In this peculiar situation some thousands of the inhabitants of those states desire my advice, and in compliance with their desire I have drawn up a little sketch.

Lord King's account of the primitive church convinced me many years ago, that Bishops and Presbyters are the same order, and consequently have the same right to ordain. For many years I have been importuned, from time to time, to exercise this right, by ordaining part of our travelling preachers. But I have still refused: not only for peace sake but because I was determined, as little as possible to violate the established order of the national Church, to which I belonged.

But the case is widely different between England and North America. Here there are Bishops who have a legal jurisdiction. In America there are none, neither any parish ministers: so that for some hundreds of miles, together there is none either to baptize or administer the Lord's supper. Here, therefore, my scruples are at an end; and I conceive myself at full liberty, as I violate no order, and invade no man's right by appointing and sending laborers into the harvest.

I have accordingly appointed Dr. Coke and Mr. Francis Asbury to be joint superintendents, over our brethren in North America; as also Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey to act as elders among them, by baptizing and administering the Lord's supper. And I have prepared a liturgy little differing from that of the Church of England, (I think the best con

stituted national church in the world,) which I advise all the travelling preachers to use on the Lord's day in all the congregations, reading the litany only on Wednesdays and Fridays, and praying extempore on all other days. I also advise the elders to administer the Supper of the Lord on every Lord's day.

If any one will point out a more rational and Scriptural way of feeding and guiding these poor sheep in the wilderness, I will gladly embrace it. At present I cannot see any better method than that I have taken.

It has indeed been proposed to desire the English bishops to ordain part of our preachers for America. But to this I object, 1. I desired the bishop of London to ordain one, but could not prevail. 2. If they consented, we know the slowness of their proceedings: but the matter admits of no delay. 3. If they would ordain them now, they would expect to govern them. And how grievously would this entangle us! 4. As our American brethren are now totally disentangled, both from the state and the English hierarchy, we dare not entangle them again, either with the one or the other. They are now at full liberty, simply to follow the Scriptures and the primitive churches. And we judge it best, that they should stand fast in that liberty wherewith God has so strange. ly made them free.

JOHN WESLEY.

Note This letter seems to be intended as a sort of explana tion of the transaction which is formally certified in the former. It would not appear that Mr. Wesley, after all attached much importance to that transaction, or considered the " setting apart" of Dr. Coke as an ordination, for he says, that he has appointed Mr. Coke and Mr. Francis Asbury, to be "joint superintendents," yet he had not laid hands on Mr. Asbury, who then pretended to be nothing more than a lay Preacher, and who was some time after ordained Deacon, by Dr. Coke. Dr. Peck, asserts that Mr. Wesley, in this letter uses the word appoint in the sense of ordain, but if so it is very strange that Mr. Asbury, was ordained afterwards; and at any rate it seems strange that a Bishop, as the Methodists now suppose Dr. Coke to have been, after the imposition of Mr. Wesley's hands, should be a joint superintendent with a mere layman, if any thing more was meant by superintendent than Mr. Wesley's agent.

Lord King had convinced Mr. Wesley, that Bishops and Presbyters were the same order, and consequently had the same right to ordain. Dr. Coke was a Presbyter of the Church of England, and therefore, according to Lord King, a BishopWhat further power could he acquire by an ordination by Mr. Wesley, also a Presbyter of the same Church? his equal in Church authority, however much his superior in the Methodist connexion or in any other point of view. What is the meaning of one Presbyter appointing another Presbyter superintendent? Is it not plain that it is an appointment by Mr. Wesley, the chief superintendent of all the Methodists in the world, of superintendents for the American Methodists? What a strange proceeding is it if superintendent means Bishop, and Bishop and Presbyter are the same thing, and the parties are both already Presbyters, and consequently superintendents and Bishops? And here I would remark upon the singular expression "recommend," in the last paragraph of the first letter, which seems to disclaim any power to appoint a person "to preside over the flock of Christ."

To proceed with another remark on the second paragraph of the second letter, Mr. Wesley there states that he had always refused to exercise his alleged right of ordaining; some other persons having said the same thing, are alleged to have broken the ninth commandment, by Dr. Peck, who produces a certificate of ordination of a Mr. Moore, dated five years after the period we are now considering, as a proof of their guilt. This seems a little harsh, for up to this period the persons in question had Mr. Wesley's own authority for what they said, and might well be supposed ignorant that in his extreme old age he had departed from the principle, which in this letter, he asserts had influenced his conduct with respect to the English preachers.

It farther appears by the letter upon which we are observing that he, Mr. Wesley, had appointed Messrs. Whatcoat and Vasey "to act as Elders among them (the American Methodists) by baptizing and administering the Lord's Supper." It is to be supposed that he, Dr. Coke and Mr. Creighton, ordained them in pursuance of the power of ordination which they, as Presbyters had, according to Lord King's principles. The three gentlemen, Dr. Coke and Messrs. W. and V. then came to America, and with the assistance of Mr. Otterbine, a minister of the German Reformed Church, ordained Mr. Asbury, first deacon,

See Mr. Wesley's letter, page 9.