Home > Discover > John Wesley papers &

Circular letter from John Wesley to "Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury, and our Brethren in North America," Bristol

Wesley, John, 1703-1791

A circular letter from John Wesley to Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury, and the North American Methodists addressing the issue of church leadership and appointing Dr. Coke and Francis Asbury, along with Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey, as leaders of the Methodists in North America.

Date Created
1784-09-10
Subject - Topic/Names
Church leadership, Methodism, Ordination, Coke, Thomas, 1747-1814, Asbury, Francis, 1745-1816, Whatcoat, Richard, 1736-1806, Vasey, Thomas
Subject - Geographic
United States, North America
Subject - Time Period
Eighteenth century
Rights Statement
Emory University does not control copyright for this work.  This online edition is made available for individual viewing and reference for educational purposes only, such as personal study, preparation for teaching, and research.  Your reproduction, distribution, public display or other re-use of any content beyond a fair use as codified in section 107 of US Copyright Law or other applicable privilege is at your own risk.  It is your sole responsibility to investigate the copyright status of a work and obtain permission when needed.
IN COPYRIGHT
thick arrow pointing downward Download Item

Primary Repository ID

P-MSS153_B004_F028_I001

System of Record ID

300000473780

Legacy Identifier

291923

Title

Circular letter from John Wesley to "Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury, and our Brethren in North America," Bristol

Date Created

September 10, 1784

Description

A circular letter from John Wesley to Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury, and the North American Methodists addressing the issue of church leadership and appointing Dr. Coke and Francis Asbury, along with Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey, as leaders of the Methodists in North America.

Creator

Wesley, John, 1703-1791

Primary Language

English

Subject - Topic/Names

Church leadership
Methodism
Ordination
Coke, Thomas, 1747-1814
Asbury, Francis, 1745-1816
Whatcoat, Richard, 1736-1806
Vasey, Thomas

Subject - Geographic

United States
North America

Subject - Time Period

Eighteenth century

Extent/Dimensions

24.6 x 27.7 cm

Content Type

Text

Content Genre

circulars (fliers)

Related Material

Manuscript Collection No. 153

Source

John Wesley papers

Sublocation

Box 4, Folder 28

Local Call Number

MSS 153

Rights Statement

Emory University does not control copyright for this work.  This online edition is made available for individual viewing and reference for educational purposes only, such as personal study, preparation for teaching, and research.  Your reproduction, distribution, public display or other re-use of any content beyond a fair use as codified in section 107 of US Copyright Law or other applicable privilege is at your own risk.  It is your sole responsibility to investigate the copyright status of a work and obtain permission when needed.
IN COPYRIGHT

Institution

Emory University

Holding Repository

Pitts Theology Library

Sort Date

1784
a set of punctuation braces Download Metadata
Collection

John Wesley papers

The collection includes three of John Wesley's diaries. The original 1736 diary documents part of his trip to Georgia (1735-1738) with his brother Charles, and is written partially in the cipher they sometimes used in their letters. The other two diaries are photocopies of the 1735 and 1737 volumes held by Methodist Archives in London (which has since been transferred to the University of Manchester). The collection also contains correspondence of John Wesley pertaining to church business and theology, including correspondence with prominent Methodists and family members. Letters and manuscripts which are in print are noted in the container list at the relevant item. "Telford" refers to John Telford (ed.), The Letters of the Rev. John Wesley (8 vols; London: The Epworth Press, 1831). "Wesley Works" refers to Frank Baker and Richard Heitzenrater (eds.), The Bicentennial Edition of the Works of John Wesley (35 vols; Nashville: Abindgon Press, 1976- ). Other materials in the collection relate to John Wesley's life and ministry. This includes an affidavit against John Wesley by Captain Robert Williams. The affidavit concerns Wesley's failed romantic relationship with Sophia Hopkey during the time he was in Georgia and describes his repeated attempts to meet with her in private after her marriage to William Williamson. As a result of his actions, Wesley was tried by a grand jury, indicted, and released on bail. Before the trial was held, Wesley left Savannah "in a clandestine manner" and returned to England. Included is a pasted-in print copy of the excerpt from Wesley's diary that is a response to Captain Williams' statement and a handwritten copy of a letter written by Wesley to Williams. Other items in this series include an autobiographical sketch by Thomas Hanby, which contains John Wesley's manuscript corrections and John Wesley's epitaph on Dr. Dodd. The last item is an undated fragment consisting of a list of thirty-eight names and the church offenses they committed, including drunkenness, gaming, racing, dancing, railing, and scolding. The number of those expelled is totaled at the bottom.

Browse Collection