REV. THOMAS COKE, LL.D.
Thomas Coke was born at Brecon, in Wales, on the 9th of September, 1747. His father was an eminent surgeon, and magistrate in Brecon, and gave his only child, Thomas, such an education as would qualify him for usefulness in after life. His mother was a Methodist, and died a member of the Wesleyan Society in Bristol. At a proper age, Thomas was placed under the charge of the Rev.
Mr. Griffiths, master of the college school in Brecon, and at the age of sixteen, was entered at the University of Oxford as a gentleman commoner of Jesus College.
While at the University, his mind was poisoned with the principles of infidelity. These principles were easily instilled in to his youthful mind by the artifice and sophistry of his fellow students, many of whom were openly avowed infidels. The religious principles of Thomas, being thus tainted, very soon produced a pernicious influence upon his daily practice. The company into which he was thrown, led him into scenes of dissipation and vice, at which his yet moral feelings often revolted, and had it not been for the loud upbraidings of his conscience, he would have fallen an easy prey to the natural passions of a depraved heart. But although by the influence of an enlightened mind, he was kept from the commission of the grosser crimes in which his associates greedily indulged, he yielded himself at once to the fashionable vices and follies which even the reputed virtue of the age did not hesitate to allow.
Young Coke, however, was far from being happy. Having sacrificed his religious principles upon the altar of infidelity, and having found the follies and sins of fashionable life insufficient to satisfy the longing desires of an immortal mind, he was illy [sic] at ease, and sighed in solitude for that peace of mind, which he had in some measure frequently enjoyed, but to which he was now an entire stranger. In this sorrowful state of mind, he paid a visit to a popular clergyman of the establishment in Wales. On Sunday the minister preached an able sermon on the more important doctrines of the Gospel, which served to convince his guest of the falsity of his skeptical principles, and the truthfulness of that system of faith which he had discarded. He began toward the close of the sermon, to resolve on an abandonment of his infidel sentiments, and on a return to the path of truth and virtue. On returning from church, while the heart of young Coke glowed with gratitude to the clergyman for his able defense of Christianity, and while he was proceeding to state the exercises of his own mind, and his desire to return to the path of duty, what was his astonishment when his reverend friend darkly smiled at his simplicity, and bluntly and frankly informed him that he himself was not a believer in Christianity, and that he did not believe a word of what he had been preaching!
As might have been expected, young Coke was exceedingly disgusted at such perfidy of conduct on the part of a professed minister of Jesus Christ, and yet, who was a frankly avowed infidel.
Thomas, however, at this early age, was too much of a logician to lay the blame of his misconduct at the door of Christianity. He saw at once, that it was infidelity in disguise — a wolf in sheep's clothing — Satan clothed in garments of light. He returned to Oxford with the fixed determination
of either openly avowing the principles of infidelity, or taking such steps as should convince him of the truth of Christianity. To live "halting between two opinions," was to him, as it is to all others who attempt it, a life of misery. Providentially falling in with Bishop Sherlock's discourses and dissertations in favor of the Christian religion, he read them carefully, and meditated upon them prayerfully, and by the blessing of God was again confirmed in the truths of Christianity. Again was Coke a Christian in theory, and h is conversion thus far, resulted in his total abandonment of his infidel associates, and of their wicked practices.
At the age of twenty-one, Mr. Coke was chosen common councilman of the borough of Brecon, and at the age of twenty-five, was elected chief magistrate or mayor of the corporation, which important office he filled with great acceptability. The important station thus filled by him, bought him in contact with those who were possessed of much authority, both in civil and ecclesiastical affairs, and as Mr. Coke had now fully made up his mind to enter into orders, he was flattered by his influential friends to expect preferment in the Church. A prebend in the Cathedral of Worcester was held out to him, and other promises given of an exalted station in the Church, when he should enter into orders.
In June, 1775, he took his degree of Doctor of Civil Laws at the University, and having received ordination, he obtained a curacy in South Petherton, in Somersetshire. Although still a stranger to vital godliness, he entered on his new field of labor with an intense desire to be useful to his parishioners. This desire manifested itself in his animated manner, his burning zeal, and tender expostulations which were connected with all his pulpit performances. The result of such a kind of preaching, as they had before been unaccustomed to, served soon to enlarge his congregation to such an event, that the church became too small for their accommodation. He therefore applied to the parish vestry to have a gallery built at the expense of the parish. His application, however, was unsuccessful, and he accordingly employed workmen, and built a large and handsome gallery at his own expense. This liberality on his part, was a matter of surprise to the honest farmers of his parish, who had never before seen things done in "that fashion," while a few of the more knowing ones, suspected him to be tainted with Methodism.
Up to this time, however, he had had no intercourse whatever with the Methodists either as individuals or as a society, but shortly after this, Dr. Coke was visited by Mr. Maxfield, one of Mr.
Wesley's preachers. The subject of their conversation during this first interview was the nature and necessity of the New Birth, the Witness of the Spirit, &c., which doctrines, although somewhat novel to Dr. Coke, commended themselves to his attention and candid inquiry. By subsequent interviews his mind became more and more enlightened, his doubts began to leave him, and in due season he became a sincere seeker of personal salvation. He accordingly availed himself of the knowledge to be derived from reading books which treated on the subjects of his inquiry. Among other works which fell into his hands, were "Fletcher's Appeal" and his "Checks to Antinomianism," and were the means of bringing him among the despised people called Methodists.
An incident is related as taking place about this time which is worthy of being noticed. A certain Mr. Hull, a pious Calvinistic dissenting minister, hearing something of Dr. Coke's state of mind and wishing to assist him in his inquiries after truth, proposed having an interview with the Doctor; but such were the prejudices of the latter in reference to all who dissented from the Established Church,
that he declined receiving a visit from Mr. Hull, neither would he go and visit the latter. A meeting, however, subsequently took place on neutral ground, when the doctor became convinced that piety and intelligence could exist out of the establishment. Mr. Hull appears to have been as sincerely desirous of knowing the truth, as was the Doctor himself. On one occasion while preaching to his congregation from the text, "Of a truth, I perceive God is no respecter of persons," &c., he pledged himself to show the harmony existing between the Scriptures and the system of doctrine called Calvinism. But before he had advanced far in his discourse, he perceived that instead of there being a harmony existing between the two, there was in fact a perfect discordancy. He became embarrassed and bewildered, and was at length obliged to dismiss his congregation without having fulfilled his pledge. After due reflection and prayer he saw his error, and on the following Sabbath renounced his Calvinism, and preached the doctrine of God's impartial love to all mankind; and God set his seal to his ministry, by giving him great success among the people.
While on a visit to a family in Devonshire, the Doctor learned that there was a poor laborer employed by the family who was a Methodist, and the leader of a small class. Soon the Doctor found him out, and after conversing freely on the subject of experimental religion, they had a season of prayer together. There was such a union of feeling between the learned Doctor of Laws and the poor laboring peasant, that the former ever after wanted to know more of the Methodists. Soon after his return to his parish, while preaching on the greatness of redeeming love, it pleased the God of grace to speak unutterable peace to his soul, so that his heart was "full of glory and of God."
He soon announced the fact of his conversion from the pulpit, and laying aside his carefully prepared manuscripts, he began to preach extempore. His exhortations were powerful his reproofs were cutting to the conscience of the sinner; and his general earnestness of manner began to give great offense, so much so indeed, that the parish was in a complete uproar — an uproar as great as if their minister had committed the crime of murder, and much more so than if he had been found overtaken in drunkenness, or had committed some other venial crime. Not only did the people of his own parish conspire against him, but the neighboring clergy who were rebuked by his zeal and labors, joined with his parishioners in raising the storm of opposition. At length, charges of irregularity, &c., were formally preferred against him to his bishop, but the bishop took no notice of the affair. Another application was made to the Bishop of Bath and Wells, with no better success.
His enemies at length applied to the rector to remove him from the parish; and on a certain Sabbath, without having given the Doctor any previous notice whatever of the intended dismissal, he was to the great satisfaction of his enemies, publicly discharged from the office of curate; and to add to his disgrace if possible, his foes caused the parish-bells to chime him out of doors.
The fact of his dismissal gave the Doctor very little uneasiness, but the manner of the same caused him some sorrow, especially as the precipitancy of the measure prevented his preaching a farewell discourse to the people. His friends advised him on the two following Sabbaths, to place himself at the church doors as the congregation was coming out, and preach to those who were willing to hear him. He did so, and was permitted to preach without molestation to both friends and foes. On giving out an appointment for the next Sabbath at the same place, his enemies became perfectly exasperated, and threatened to stone him if he made the attempt. The attempt, however, was made with full success, not withstanding the precaution of his enemies in having collected together a large pile of stones to throw at the Doctor. Among his friends present were a young gentleman and his
sister, who, when the Doctor began to preach, placed themselves on either side of him, while others of his friends and the lovers of religious liberty rallied round him so closely, that it became a matter of prudent calculation among his foes, who should "cast the first stone." The result was, that he finished his discourse without any interruption whatever.
As Dr. Coke was now released from his parish on account of his Methodism, he was at liberty to form a connection with Mr. Wesley, which he did in 1776. At the Conference of 1778, he was stationed in London, where his popularity was very great, and his congregation was exceedingly large. In 1780, the Doctor received no particular circuit, but traveled from this time forward while in England all over the connection according to the directions of Mr. Wesley. In the course of his travels he visited his former parish, but such in the meantime had been the change of public sentiment in relation to him, that those who a few years before had chimed him out of his church, now rung him in, and thus in part atoned for their former error and prejudice.
Mr. Wesley's celebrated deed of Declaration was mostly drawn up by Dr. Coke, in 1783, and during the previous year the Doctor had been commissioned by Mr. Wesley to hold the first Irish Conference, which he did greatly to the satisfaction of the preachers over whom he presided. This post of honor, he also filled for nearly thirty years, an evidence of the high estimation in which he was held by Mr. Wesley, the English Conference, and the Irish brethren.
In the year 1784, Mr. Wesley with the most parental regard for his Societies in America, saw fit to empower Dr. Coke to proceed to that distant field of labor, and organize such Societies into an independent Methodist Church. Methodism had been introduced into America, in the year 1766, by the preaching of Philip Embury, an Irish emigrant. After that period, it had increased to such an extent, as to require many preachers, some of whom were sent from England from time to time as missionaries, by Mr. Wesley. In the year 1776, American Independence was declared by the Continental Congress, and all connection between Church and State in America ceased, properly speaking, from this period. Hitherto the Societies in the colonies had been considered by the Father of Methodism, and by the preachers generally, as Societies simply, and as being merely an appendage, or addition to the Church of England. During the war, however, the most of the Episcopal Clergy, had forsaken their flocks, and on political grounds had returned to England. As the Methodist preachers were unordained, themselves and flocks looked exclusively to the Episcopal Clergy, for the sacramental ordinances; and as the most of the Clergy had left as above described, the consequence was, that the Methodists for seven or eight years, were deprived of these ordinances almost entirely. Petitions were frequently sent to Mr. Wesley for relief, and at the close of the war, as the ecclesiastical, as well as the civil relation of the colonies was now completely severed between them and Great Britain, it became necessary for Mr. Wesley to provide for his "sheep in the wilderness."
Accordingly, after due consultation with several eminent divines in England, and being convinced that the high Church claim of uninterrupted succession was a mere chimera of the brain, and that he himself was as much a bishop in the proper sense of that term, as any man in England, Mr. Wesley on the 2d day of September, 1784, set apart by the imposition of hands, and prayer, Dr. Coke as a superintendent or bishop of the Societies in America. He also commissioned him to organize in due form an Episcopal Church, preferring as he did, this form of Church government, to every other. He
also instructed him to set apart Francis Asbury as joint Superintendent of the Church. After receiving ordination, Dr. Coke sailed for America, and arrived in New York, on the 3d of November — following. He proceeded with the approbation of the preachers, to call an extraordinary session of the Conference to meet in Baltimore on the 25th day of December of the same year. In obedience to this call, a large majority of the preachers met on the day appointed, at which time, the Doctor explained the steps taken by Mr. Wesley for their relief. The Conference then resolved itself into the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States of America, and as the Doctor was unwilling to serve as their bishop — although set apart to the office by Mr. Wesley himself — unless the Conference would elect him by their own suffrages to that office, they proceeded to elect him to the said office, and in further accordance with the expressed wishes of Mr. Wesley, to elect Francis Asbury to the same office as joint Superintendent, the latter being publicly and solemnly ordained by Bishop Coke. The preachers who were present, and who were eligible, were ordained deacons of the Church, and authorized to baptize and celebrate marriage, and a few of the senior ones, were ordained elders. After these transactions the Conference adjourned, the preachers returning to their respective fields of labor, and meeting everywhere with the congratulations of the people in view of their new position as a distinct ecclesiastical body.
The lapse of nearly seventy years since the organization of the church [Gorrie writing in 1853], has proved the far-seeing wisdom of Mr. Wesley, and the deep penetration of Dr. Coke, in providing for the future well-being of the infant American Societies, which have since become the most numerous Protestant people, both as it respects members and adherents, that exists on the American continent.
Immediately after the adjournment of the General Conference of 1784, Bishop Coke took his leave of Baltimore and began a course of extensive travel through the United States, visiting the Societies and being everywhere received as the messenger of God. He also in connection with Bishop Asbury, collected funds for the establishment of a Methodist College near Baltimore. This edifice, however, a few years subsequently fell a prey to the ravages of fire, and although another suitable building was afterwards procured in the city of Baltimore, that, like the former, was consumed by fire.
Having discharged the duty assigned him by Mr. Wesley, in the organization of the church, and having made proper provision for its government, and believing that his services were not immediately called for in America, on the 3d of June, 1785, he bade a partial farewell to the American church, and returned to England. After having reached the shores of his native land, he commenced traveling through different parts of the kingdom, visiting Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle of Man, and everywhere endeavoring to awaken an interest in behalf of the American church, as also, in behalf of the Methodists of Nova Scotia.
On the 24th of September, 1786, he again set sail for America, intending to stop at Halifax by the way, and establish a mission in that place. But his voyage on this occasion was attended by many dangers and disasters, so much so that he did not reach Halifax at all. For the first five days after his embarkation, the ship made no progress in consequence of head winds. On the 28th of September, they were nearly run down by another vessel. On the 30th, they were forced to take shelter in the harbor of St. Helena, where they remained for some days, and it was not until the 14th of October
