More from the Methodist Museum

No that’s not Mr. Depp’s father, that’s Capt. Thomas Webb, a fire-brand Methodist preacher, known for his apocalyptic flourish. He is one of the many colorful characters whose memorabilia is to be found in the Methodist museum in Baltimore in Lovely Lane Chapel.

Here we have Robert Strawbridge’s portable pulpit. He was one of the more famous, and independent minded Methodist preachers in Asbury’s day, who kept serving communion without Asbury’s permission or ordination. That didn’t go down so well with ‘the apostle of American Methodism’.

There is also an altar where a much more recent Methodist saint, E. Stanley Jones, gave his life to Christ in a Baltimore Church. He of course is well know for his Asbury College and missionary work in India connections.

Here below is Thomas Coke’s original hymnal for American Methodists.

And here is a letter of Thomas Coke (remembering that he and Wesley were the original two Methodists appointed by Wesley to evangelize America). And here is Coke’s Bible…

In the 19th century, the required reading for Methodist preachers, besides Wesley’s Notes on the NT and his sermons was Richard Watson’s Institutes, a response to Calvinism of equal merit in various of its volumes. Here is an original set of them (which I am fortunate enough to have one of as well). Watson also wrote the best life of John Wesley in the early 19th century as well.

With the enormous success of the Methodism evangelistic work, a certain hagiography grew up about John and Charles and led to memorabilia being created such as the porcelain busts you see below, and the drawing of the original Holy Club at Oxford…