244 LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE [1/84 



Asbury; as also a book entitled, "The Sunday Service of the Metho- 

 dists:" that we were happy to find from these publications that the 

 people called Methodists were hereafter to use the same liturgy that we 

 make use of, to adhere to the same articles, and to keep up the same three 

 orders of the clergy ; that these circumstances had induced us to hope, 

 that the breach which had so long subsisted in our Church might at 

 length, in America at least, be happily closed : that we could not think 

 so unfavorably of the gentlemen who were at the head of that society, 

 as to suppose they could persist in separating from us, merely for the 

 sake of separating; or cherish in tlieir breasts so unkind a spirit, as 

 would not suffer them even in doing of the very same things that we do, 

 to have any satisfaction without doing them in a different manner; with 

 such variations in point of form and other circumstances, as may create 

 an invidious distinction where there is no real difference: that the plan 

 of Church government which we had instituted in this State, was a very 

 simple, and, as we trusted, a very rational plan : that it was to be exer- 

 cised by a convention consisting of an equal number of laity and clergy; 

 and having for their president a bishop elected by the whole body of 

 the clergy : that this bishop was to differ from a common presbyter in 

 nothing else than in the right of presiding in the Convention, of or- 

 daining ministers, and administering confirmation after baptism to as 

 many as desired it : that such an episcopacy, at the same time that it 

 possessed all the powers requisite for spiritual purposes, would not upon 

 any occasion or to any person be either dangerous or burdensome. It 

 could not be said to cntatigle men more than Mr. Wesley's episcopacy 

 C7itangled them. AVhat occasion then could there be for a separation 

 from us on the score of government ? And as to articles of faith and 

 form of worship, they already agreed with us. If it would not be so 

 grateful to them to have their preachers ordained by a presbyter taken 

 from among us and consecrated a bishop, what hindered but that Dr. 

 Coke might be so consecrated ? We could see no impropriety in having 

 two bishops in one State, one of which might always be elected from 

 among the people called Methodists, so long as that distinction should 

 be kept up among us. 



To all this Dr. Coke made the following reply: That indeed he scarce 

 knew what answer to give us; as such an address had neither been fore- 

 seen nor expected : that any propositions, however, that we should 

 think proper to make on the subject he could transmit to Mr. Wesley. 

 Perhaps we were strangers to their itinerant and circuitous maxims: that 

 it was not proposed that any of their ministers should ever have a fixed 

 residence : and that for his own part he was inclined to think that our 

 two churches might not improperly be compared to a couple of earthen 

 basins set afloat in a current of water, which, so long as they should 

 continue to float in two parallel lines, would float securely: but the mo- 

 ment they began to converge were in danger of destroying each other. 



