The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-12-06

perpetuated aud which had been perpet
uated by the apostles, in unJrohen sue,
cession, for seventeen hundred years, he
utterly denied. 81 know it." he says,
to be a fable which no man ever did or
can prove" He often referred to the
example of the church at Alexandria,
which, at the death of its Bishop, made
new bishops by ordination by its presley
tiers or elders, and here, so far as they
were OF any service to the thousands of
devoted christians in America who were
spiritually starving for the sacramento of
the church, the whole bench of bishops
in England might as well have been
sleeping their last sleep in the crypts of
her cathedrals. Desiring to keep him
self within the letter as well as the spirit
of the Church of England he had ap-
piled to the Bishop of London for ordi-
nation Of single preacher for America,
who might travel among his people and
administer the sacraments, but this and
various other like requests being refus-
ed, after much hesitation and the most
prayerful consideration, he determined
to use the perogative, which he felt and
knew that as presbyter of the Church
of England he possessed. Accordingly,
says Southey, his careful but certainly
not partial historian, she summoned DR..
Coke to Bristol and Mr.. Creighton with
him. With their assistance he ordained
Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey
presbyters fer America, and afterwards
he ordained DR.. Coke (who was already
presbyter) superintendent, this being
but another word for bishop"
Strange to say Stevens in his history
of Methodism does not print the letter of
authority which Wesley gave to Coke,
and thinking that in this centennial year
you might like to hear the full text of
that letter read it to you from South
ey's life of Wesley:
"To all to whom these presents shall
come. John Wesley, late Fellow of Lin
coin College. in Oxford, Presbyter of the
Church of England, sendeth greeting
Whereas many of the people in the south
ern provinces of North America, who
desire to continue under my care, and
still adhere to the doctrine and teaching
of the Church Of England, are greatly
distressed for want of ministers to adj
minister the sacraments of Baptism and
the Lords 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 |, John Wesley, think my
self 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 AL
mighty God, and with single eye to His
glory, have this day set apart, as Su-
perintendent, by the imposition of my
hands and prayer (being assisted by 9TH
or ordained ministers), Thomas Coke,
Doctor of Civil Law, a Presbyter of the
Church of England, and a man whom l
judge to be well qualified for that great
work: and I do hereby recommend him,
to all whom it may concern. as fit per-
son to preside over the flock of Christ
In testimony whereof, | 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"
You will note how fully he keeps with
in the authority of the Alexandrian
Church, assisted of other ordained min
isters." Coke at once sailed for America
accompanied by his two presbyters What
coat and Massey: Soon after his arrival
he met Asbury, and they determined to
convoke conference at Baltimore De-
cember 24th 1874, and there sixty out of
the eighty-one preachers then travelling
in America, met and ordained Francis
Asbury Deacon on the 25th, Elder on
the Goth, and then on the 9th Bishop of
the Methodist Episcopal Church. The
truth of history compels us to admit that
Wesley did not approve of the term
Bishop, and that he wrote to Asbury
strongly rem onstrating against his as
sumption of this title, but the same truth
of history makes it clear beyond shad-
ow of doubt, not only that he never ut
tered one word or syllable against his
exercise of all the functions of the office
of Bishop, but that he appointed him
and directed his ordination, with the one
single purpose and object that he should
exercise full Episcopal authority. 1t is
against this point that the enemies of
our church have made their fiercest as
saults, and even members of our own
communion, without giving careful con-
sideration to the real facts of the case,
have hastily condemned the Episcopal
form of church government, and impaired
their usefulness by attaching themselves
to other organizations. Wesley's disap-
proval and remonstrance were not doubts
as to the right to use tie term Bishop.
He was ripe scholar as well as thor
oughly accomplished churchman, and
he knew that in the vocabulary of both
scholars and churchmen Superintendent
was, as Southey says, synonymous with
Bishop. He searched the annals of the
church to prove that there was no higher
order than elder, priest or presbyter, that
the Bishopric was only an office and when
necessity required the Bishop might,
with entire conformity to church author,
ity, be selected by the Elders from theil
own number aud ordained by theil
hands. That he did doubt the propriety
of using the term Bishops is certainly
true, he feared that tie men in assum-
ing the little IN ght be led to adopt the
habits and modes of lie of many of the
Bishops of that day. He knew that
what the church in America needed was
not prelate clad in Episcopal robes, in
habiting au Episcopal palace, and living
in elegant luxury, but superintendent
with headquarters in the saddle, who
while he exercised all the powers and
functions of Episcopacy-ordaining Dea
cons, Elders and other Bishops, as occa
| sion required, should also, in the words
| of Coke in his ordination address.
Follow after righteousness, goodness
| patience and meekness. Be an example
to the believers in word. in conversation,
in charity, in spirit, in faith in purity