In South Carolina. 139 



fcant towns, and his labors were abundantly successful. 

 He received letters from Mr. Wesley, October 10, 1772, 

 appointing him general assistant for the societies in 

 America, with powers to be exercised under the direc- 

 tion of Mr. Wesley himself. 



Mr. Wesley desired, indeed, to visit America in 

 person, that he might understand the true state of 

 things for himself, and thereby be made competent to 

 act with the more discretion and efficiency; but, by 

 letters dated March 2, 1773, he informed Mr. Asbury 

 ''that the time for his visiting America is not yet, be- 

 ing detained by the building of a new chapel." He, 

 however, sent over Thomas Rankin and George Shad- 

 ford to strengthen the hands of the ministers in Amer- 

 ica. They arrived at Philadelphia, June 3, 1773. Mr. 

 Wesley had not been perfectly satisfied with the con- 

 duct of all the preachers in America in respect of the 

 administration of the sacraments, and having the full- 

 est confidence in Mr. Rankin, who was known to pos- 

 sess peculiar gifts for governing the Church, and who 

 was Mr. Asbury's senior by several years, he appointed 

 him general assistant for the societies in America — • 

 an office the duties of which he zealously discharged, 

 and secured the object for which he was appointed; 

 although, in doing this, he evinced too much austerity 

 to allow of his being popular. His arrival was a source 

 of great comfort to Mr. Asbury, who, after hearing 

 him preach a discourse from Revelation iii. 8, ex- 

 pressed the opinion that perhaps he would not be 

 admired as a preacher, but as a disciplinarian he 

 believed he would be qualified for the place assigned 

 him. The great principles that governed the societies 

 in England were enforced here, and in particular the 

 preachers were prohibited from administering the sac- 



