Letter

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 133 PLP 28/10/3
  • Former Reference
      GB 135 PLP 28/10/3
  • Dates of Creation
      12 Jan 1799
  • Physical Description
      1 item

Scope and Content

Copy letter from Jersey to Ezekiel Cooper in the United States, re Coke's successful efforts to halt the persecution of Methodists on Jersey, and his activities in Ireland during the recent rebellion helping local preachers to allay government suspicion of the Connexion. He intends to visit Ireland again in the Spring, before attending the English Conference in July, and leaving for New York in September.

Coke criticizes the lack of a married ministry in America, and expresses his hope that the General Conference will address the problem.

Reference is made to the loss of 5,000 people to the newly formed Methodist New Connexion — `as troublesome a set of people, that ever plagued a Church of Christ', and the death of Alexander Kilham is described. Coke estimates that 7,000 new converts have joined the Wesleyans since the schism. Coke describes the difficulties of raising money for the West Indian Mission because of the cost of erecting chapels to replace those lost to the Methodist New Connexion. Twelve new missionaries have been sent to the West Indies in the last eleven months, and he estimates the cost of the year's work at £2,400.

[Original at the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.]