Coke - Sermons - 1784

The Voice of the Revival — Early Methodist Sermons and Tracts (1784–1793)
Rare miscellaneous volume of Methodist pamphlets from the late 18th century, bound in contemporary binding shortly after the death of John Wesley. This collection, probably assembled for private use, represents a firsthand document of the religious fervor that accompanied the expansion of the Methodist movement in England between London, Liverpool, Bristol, and Macclesfield. It contains texts by central authors in Wesleyan preaching — Thomas Coke, Thomas Taylor, and Bishop Hopkins — printed between 1784 and 1793 by publishers associated with the Methodist Connexion, such as G. Paramore, Elizabeth Johnson, and Edward Bailey.
Market value
The miscellaneous Methodist volumes from this period, containing original tracts and first or second editions of sermons, are rarely found on the market. Individual editions of Coke and Taylor typically range from €350 to €500 each, while contemporaneous collections bound in a single volume—especially if they include multiple typographical sites and authors from the Wesleyan circuit—reach values between €600 and €900, depending on completeness and condition. Similar copies appear in British antiquarian catalogs and occasionally in auctions of 18th-century Protestant religious books.

Physical description and condition
Full leather binding, worn contemporary leather, darkened cuts, visible ancient stitching. The interior is darkened and fragile but legible; some pages are detached or trimmed. Contains eight booklets, each with its own frontispiece. Pages: 24; 88; 24; 12; 64; 2nn; 100; (4). Poor condition, sold 'as is,' not subject to return. However, a very interesting and fascinating copy. In old books, with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description.

Full title and author
The Substance of a Sermon. John Wesley by Rev. T. Coke, LL.D. London, G. Paramore, 1791.
The Catechism of the Waldenses and Albigenses. Bristol, Eliz Johnson, 1793.
A sermon preached at Liverpool. Thomas Taylor. Liverpool, E. Johnson, 1792.
A Short Manual for the Christian Sabbath. S.L.
The Hypocrite, or Self Deceiver. Thomas Taylor. Macclesfield, Edward Bailey, 1793.
Fifteen Sermons. Thomas Taylor. S.L.
A Short Exposition of the Ten Commandments. Bishop Hopkins. London, J. Paramore, 1784.

Context and Significance
The volume reflects the extraordinary editorial vitality of early English Methodism in the years immediately following John Wesley's death (1791). The initiative of the printers Paramore, Johnson, and Bailey responded to the growing demand for sermons and moral tracts from the faithful, who constituted the spiritual network of the Protestant revival. The cities of London, Bristol, and Liverpool were key centers of Methodist printing, while Macclesfield — with Edward Bailey — became a rare provincial hub capable of supporting the dissemination of doctrine. The inclusion of the Catechism of the Waldenses and Albigenses ideally links Wesleyan mission to the tradition of pre-Lutheran reform movements, interpreting the historical continuity of the evangelical faith as a thread connecting medieval heresy to the modern Reformation. The devotional and militant tone of the pamphlets, the preaching on the 'Christian Sabbath,' and the condemnation of the 'Self Deceiver' reflect the moral language typical of Methodist preaching during the transition between the 18th and 19th centuries.

Biography of the Authors
Thomas Coke (1747–1814) was one of John Wesley's main collaborators and the first missionary Methodist bishop. Ordained in 1784, he organized the American Methodist Church and promoted the international spread of the movement.
Thomas Taylor (1738–1816), a Methodist minister himself, preached in England and Ireland, distinguishing himself for his doctrinal rigor and for a widespread production of sermons in provincial print shops.
Ezekiel Hopkins (1633–1690), Anglican bishop of Londonderry, is remembered for his Expositions on the Ten Commandments, a key reference text for seventeenth-century moral preaching, widely reprinted within the Methodist community.

Printing history and circulation
The Methodist leaflets by Paramore and Johnson were distributed through the Methodist Book Room, the official publishing channel founded by Wesley in London. After 1791, production decentralized to cities like Bristol and Liverpool, where independent printers continued to produce low-cost tracts and sermons. Edward Bailey's activity at Jordangate (Macclesfield) is documented between 1792 and 1795, with religious titles and catechisms; his contribution represents one of the earliest examples of Methodist printing outside major urban centers. The second editions of Coke and Taylor were reprinted for home reading and itinerant preaching.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
British Library, English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC nos. T173890, T175465, T189201).
Green, V.H.H., The Young Mr. Wesley and the Oxford Methodists, 1961.
Rack, H.D., Reasonable Enthusiast: John Wesley and the Rise of Methodism, 1989.
Walton, R., The Methodist Tract Society and Its Publications, 1780–1830, London, 1974.
Cambridge University Library, Catalogue of Wesleyana and General Theological Pamphlets, 1800–1850.