The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-26
EYES OF MILLIONS.
Continued from Eighth Page.)

church. Ihere are Two principles of
universal law and of common sense
which should not be overlooked. One
IS that what a man does through an
other he does himself, and another is.
that the ratification of an unauthor-
i2ad act by an agent makes the act
that of the principal as completely so
as if the agent had been originally and
specially instructed to do the act by
the principal.
His Right to OFdain.
.,othing that he ever did or said
IAN have the evidential value so far as
this question is concerned, as the or
dination of Coke and of Whatcoat and
Massey and his letter of Sept. 10, 1884.
addressed ITO DR.. Coke, Mr.. Asbury
and our brethren in North America
Wesley was then 81 years Of age The
course adopted by him was with the
utmost elaboration. 1t was not ascrib-
able to the indiscretion of youth. It
cannot be explained upon the theory
of the approach of senility His mind
was clear and vigorous to the last days
of his life.
1t was not a new idea with him. this
right TO ordain He had believed in it
for nearly forty years. perhaps long
er. This letter is formal and authori-
rative. 1t may be called "ex-cathedra."
Unless assured that he was the ac-
knowledged head of the brethren ad-
dressed, and of their organizations, it
would be the veriest and most trans
parent assumption and audacity There
was no thought at the time in the
mind of any one that he was taking
the slightest liberty. On the contrary
the communication was received and
needed by the Methodists of America
as loyalty as any intense churchman
would listen to a pastoral letter from
his bishop l quote the letter in full:
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 authority 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 &C.
cesiastical authority at ALL In this
peculiar situation, some thousands of
the inhabitants of these states desire
my advice, and, in compliance with
their desire, l have drawn up little
sketch.
Lord Kings account of the Prim-
tive Church convinced me, many years
ago, that bishops and presbyters are
the same right to ordain. For many
years / have been importuned, from
time to time, to exercise this right,
by ordaining part of our travelling
preachers. But 1 have still refused;
not only for peace sake. but because
| was determined, as little as possible,
to violate the established order of the
national church to which / belonged
But the case is widely different be-
tween England and North America.
Here there are bishops, who Have a
legal jurisdiction; in America, there ere
none neither any parish minister; so
that for some hundreds of miles to-
gether, there is none either to baptize,
or to administer the Lords supper.
Here, therefore, my scruples are at
an end; and / conceive myself at full
liberty, as I violate no order and in
wade no mans rights, by appointing
and sending labourers- into the har-
vest.
81 have accordingly appointed DR..
Coke and Mr.. Francis Asbury to. be
joint superintendent over our breth-
rem in North America; as also Richard
Whatcoat and Thomas eVasey, ITO act
as elders among them, by bapttzing
and administering, the Lords supper.
And l have prepared a liturgy, little
differing from that of the Church of
England q think the best constituted
national church in the WORLD when
| advise all the travelling preachers to
use on the Lords day, in all the con
gregations, reading the litany only on
Wednesdays and Fridays, and praying
extempore on all other days. l also
advise the elders to administer the
supper of the Lord, on every Lord s
day.
IF any one will point out more
rational and scriptural way Of feeding
and guiding these poor sheep IN Inc
wilderness, l will gladly embrace IL.
At present 1 cannot see any better
method than that / have taken.
1T has, indeed, been proposed TO
desire the English bishops to ordain
part of our preachers for America.
But to this 1 object. First, ! desired
the Bishop of London to ordain one,
but could not prevail, Second, II Ihey
consented we know the SloWness OF
their proceedings; but the matter ad-
mts of no delay. Third, If they would
ordain them now, they would expect 10
govern them; and how previously
would this entangle us. Fourth as our
American brethren are now totally as
entangled, both from the state and the
English hierarchy, we dare not en-
tangle them again, either with the ore
or the other They are now at full
liberty, simply to follow the scriptures
and the Primitive Church. And we
Judge it best that they should stand
fast in that liberty, wherewith Goa
has so strangely set them free
For Sake of Peace.
Mote the reasons given for not ex-
ercising the right to ordain in England
not only for peace sake but because
1 was determined as little as possible
to violate the established order OF tIie
National Church to which l belonged.
Loyalty to the government, to which the
Church was a part, there being a UNI
ion of church and state, was involved
in a separation from the Nauonai
Church, and this union and TINS prlh-
ciple had no bearing upon the SITUATION
in America Loyalty with me is an
essential branch of religion, he salu
upon another occasion.
He expresses in this letter, as
clearly as language can, the fact tnat
the Church of England had no Jurls-
diction over the American Church' tndt
the American brethren were totally
separate from the English church anu
must take their place as separate
church, working out their own destlIly'
The step was taken, too, in compliance
with a request of the American Meth-
odists. Most of the clergy of the
Church of England had gone to Eng
land during the struggle for America"
Independence. The Methodists de-
lnanded that they should have thelr
own ministers and that the sacraments
should be administered by them III
their own churches. With COKE anu
this letter Wesley sent a printed ~.
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