based a new method of religion, new material practices, and new institutional forms. Vicki Tolar Collins makes a distinction between Wesley's Methodism and post-Wesley Methodism: “as long as John Wesley was alive to protect the women preachers and control the men who opposed them, Methodist women were allowed to speak in public; after Wesley’s death the preaching women were silenced […].” Methodism was a rhetorically based movement—converts were won through itinerant's emotional sermons and a barrage of printed narratives; Wesley enjoyed and respected women and believed that they should have a place within Methodist rhetoric. Women were encouraged to voice their opinion publicly; many women led Methodist groups; a few Methodist women interpreted the Bible themselves and preached. Women preachers did face criticism, but with the support of their leader, they became more active and visible in the 1770s and 1780s. The Character and Death, contextualized After Wesley died, preaching women were silenced under the new authority of a group of men. Under this new institutional strategy, Hester Ann Rogers was subsequently idealized and promoted as a nonpreaching woman and model Methodist. Hester Ann Rogers did not preach, but she did lead classes and pray publicly—two unproblematic activities. Wesley had intended Rogers' book to be an exemplary female account of “Christian perfection” or union with God in the mist of life rather than at the moment of death; Wesley considered that Hester Ann Rogers was one of the few people to have achieved this state. Rogers' original A Short Account was focused purely on her daily dealings with God and she barely mentioned her marriage, children, or leadership of Methodist groups. The group of post-Wesley authorities, with their new agenda, accreted texts to Roger's original work which would highlight her non-preaching religiousness and expand on her maternal and wifely role. Thomas Coke's sermon, The Character and Death, plays directly into this role. In one passage, Coke notes that her maternal care and affection shone equally bright. Though she devoted much of her time to religious duties in public and private, yet nothing seemed to be left undone which could maker her children comfortable and happy. She even prevented all their wants; and was equally, nay, if it were possible, more attentive to Mr. Roger’s children by his former wife, than to her own. Coke also uses one of Rogers' unpublished journal entries to cite her experience with childbirth. Vicki Collins