It seems likely that this was not the only concern regarding the pair. Bourne's association with the American evangelist Lorenzo Dow would have put him in a dim light with Wesleyan leaders. The Wesleyan leadership's hostility to Dow is demonstrated by a threat Dow received from prominent Wesleyan Thomas Coke (twice president of the Conference, in 1797 and 1805) on Dow's arrival in London around 1799. Coke threatened to "write to Lord Castlereagh to inform him who and what you are, that we disown you... then you'll be arrested and committed to prison".