COKE, THOMAS (1747-1814). The first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He wa_s born at Brecon, Wales; was educated at Ox ford, and took orders in the Church of England in 1770. About 1772 he was converted. and showed great fervor; in 1770 he met Wesley for the first time, and after that began open-air preaching. Tn consequence of his revivalism. lie was dismissed from his curacy of South Pettier ton, and attached himself to the Methodist So ciety. In 1782 he was appointed president of the Irish Conference, and two years later he was made superintendent for America. \ vith power to confer ordination, by the laying on of hands ad ministered by John Wesley and two other clergy men of the Church of England. Charles Wes ley, who had not been aware of the ceremony, and heartily disapproved of it. wrote the well known epigram: so easily are bishops made By man's or woman's whim; Wesley his hands on Coke h,cth laid, But who laid hands ou him.' In 1787, both Coke and Asbury, whom Coke had ordained, assumed the title of bishop. much to John Wesley's displeasure. They trav eled together aniong the various conferences until the middle of 1785, when Coke returned to England. He made in all nine visits to America, and spent the rest of his life in active mission ary work, in personal visitation in the l'Hited Kingdom and in America, and in the encourage ment of enterprises for the Christianizing of Asia and Africa. After Wesley's death Coke was
secretary of the British Conference. and, with Asbury, he edited The Doetrine find Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America (1787). In 1813 he applied unsuccessfully to Lord Liverpool and William Wilberforce to be appointed bishop for India. He was Consumed with a desire to spread Christianity in India. and as the Government was unfavorable to missions by Dissenters there. he believed he could work more etTeetively in connection with the Church of England.to whieh,like many _Methodist ministers, he himself belonged; but when he went, he repre sented the Conference. In the same year (1813) he sailed for Ceylon. lint died of apoplexy on the voy age, Slay 3. 1814. He was of a very energetic dispo sition, and of remarkable executive abilities. lie had the advantage of considerable personal means, which he spent freely in the cause. Among his works are a Life of John Wesley (1792) : a com mentary on the Scriptures ( 6 ; History of the West Indies (3 vols.. 1808-11). For his life, eonsult Etheridge (London. 1860).