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* * * * * * *
A HISTORY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
By Nathan Bangs
Volume III
From The Year 1816 To The Year 1828
* * * * * * *
Digital Edition 04/10/96
By Holiness Data Ministry
* * * * * * *
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! and thy tabernacles, O Israel! -- NUMBERS
xxiv, 5.
Behold I send an Angel before thee -- beware of him, and obey his voice; provoke
him not. -- If thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak, then I
will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries. --
EXODUS xxiii, 20-22.
New-York:
Published By G. Lane & P P. Sandford,
For The Methodist Episcopal Church, At The Conference Office,
200 Mulberry-street.
J. Collord, Printer.
1841
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1840, by T. Mason & G. Lane,
in the clerk's. office of the Southern District of New-York.
* * * * * * *
NOTICE TO THE READER
The favorable manner in which the first and second volumes of this History have
been received, induces me to add a third, in the hope that it may increase the
stock of useful information in reference to the work which God has wrought in
this country by the instrumentality of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In the conclusion of the second volume it was remarked, that it was my
intention, when the History was commenced, to bring it down near to the present
time, in two volumes; but, as I proceeded in the work, it was found
impracticable to fulfill this intention, without such an abridgment as would
either compel me to omit some important transactions and edifying incidents, or
so to shorten them as to render them uninstructive and uninteresting. I was
therefore compelled, contrary to my first design, to close the second volume in
the year 1816.
That this alteration in the plan at first contemplated has been generally
approved of, I have evidence from numerous testimonies. Indeed, the greatest
fault I have heard, from those who are disposed to judge charitably of my work,
has been, that it is not sufficiently particular, or that its details are not as
numerous as is desired. This defect, however, if it be one, I am unable to
remedy, as I have, with but few exceptions, wrought up all the materials within
my reach, unless I were injudiciously to encumber the volume with irrelevant
matter.
The present volume, however, I consider rich in matter, particularly in relation
to the doings of the General Conference, and to the enlargement of our work by
means of our Missionary Society, and other auxiliary appliances. And I have
endeavored to give such a detailed account of the origin, character, and
progress of this society as will, if the history be continued on the same plan,
supersede the necessity of a separate history of that institution. Indeed, this
society, together with the tract, Sunday school, and education causes, is so
interwoven in our general plan of operations, that a history of our Church would
be quite imperfect which did not embrace a narrative of these things.
It being desirable to have the alphabetical list of preachers unbroken, it has
been thought advisable to transfer that list from the third to the fourth
volume; and the more so as that volume is sufficiently large without it,
containing, as it does, upward of four hundred pages.
In adverting to this list I consider it proper to mention the following facts,
as furnishing good reasons for an apology for any errors which have been or may
be detected, in the spelling of names, dates, or otherwise.
1. In regard to the orthography [ spelling -- DVM] of proper names I have, found
insuperable difficulties. The same name I have in frequent instances found
differently spelled in the printed Minutes even for the same year -- one way
perhaps when admitted on trial, and another in the stations -- and then the next
year differently from either of the two. In this confusion who is to decide
which is right. It is true that some names, particularly those found in the
sacred Scriptures, though these are by no means uniformly alike in their
orthography in the Old and New Testaments, owing to the different usages of the
Hebrew and Greek languages -- and in the Greek and Latin classics, have a fixed
orthography; but in most instances proper names are spelled as whim or fancy
would dictate, some families, even of their own accord, either dropping or
adding a letter or letters. And this confusion and difficulty exist in a
peculiar degree in the United States, made up, as the citizens are, from almost
every nation under heaven, and therefore having names, the orthography of which
is peculiar to the several nations from which they came, or to the ancestors
from whom they have descended. If any one can unravel this tangled skein, and
teach us how to spell every proper name correctly, he will perform a task for
which I confess myself inadequate. Or if any one will take the Minutes of our
conferences and decide which of the varying orthographies of some names is the
correct one, he shall receive my thanks, and will merit the thanks of all
concerned. But as the secretaries of the annual conferences, editors, and
printers were not able to control this perplexing business at the times the
Minutes were prepared and printed, I hope to be pardoned if I should fail to
make every thing of this sort entirely accurate.
2. But this is by no means the most serious difficulty which I have had to
encounter. In several instances I have found preachers returned located, and in
three instances expelled, *[1] who were never admitted into full connection.
Such names I have generally omitted altogether, as I have taken no account of
mere probationers in the traveling ministry.
3. In numerous instances I have found that certain preachers were located,
readmitted, and then located again, twice, thrice, and even four times. In such
cases I have, as far as I could ascertain the fact, fixed the date of their
location the last time mentioned, with a view to give them credit for at least
all the years they may have traveled. On this account, those who may compare the
list in this volume -- which has been thoroughly revised -- with the one
appended to the second, will find that several who were recorded as located
before, or in the year 1816, are herein returned as having located at a later
date, because they re-entered the traveling ministry, continued for a shorter or
longer time, and then located again.
4. In a few instances persons have been expelled by an annual conference, and
afterward, on an appeal, restored by the General Conference. This may have led
to some errors in these returns, though I trust but few.
5. In some instances preachers were continued on trial for more than two years
and not adverting to that fact while preparing the list for the former volume,
and taking their names as they stand recorded in answer to the question, "Who
are admitted into full connection?" such were returned as received a year later
than was actually the case. So far as this fact has been ascertained, the
correction has been made in the present list.
6. In many cases it has been difficult to ascertain the precise year in which a
preacher died. In the body of the History I have, in recording deaths, generally
followed the order of the Minutes, and recorded them as having died in the
course of the preceding year; but in the alphabetical list I have endeavored to
ascertain the year in which each preacher died. As, however, some of the records
are indefinite in this particular, I have been guided by the most probable
conjecture. There are, however, I believe, but few cases of this character.
When the reader duly considers these perplexing discrepancies and defects, he
will be prepared to make some allowance for the unavoidable errors which grow
out of them; and the more so, when he considers that this History has been
written by a hand equally fallible as those which prepared the authorized
records.
Some unintentional omissions of names in the former volume are supplied in this;
and if others should be detected, as doubtless they will be, the correction will
be made with the more pleasure, because it will add to the perfection of the
work. The reader may rest assured, however, that no pains have been spared by
either the author or printer to make every thing as accurate as possible; and
hence, if errors are detected, he must attribute them to a want of ability,
under the circumstances, to avoid them.
To God, -- who alone is absolutely perfect, but whose boundless mercy inclines
him to pardon the aberrations of his creatures, for the sake of his Son Jesus
Christ, be ascribed the honor and glory for what he has done for this branch of
his Church.
N. Bangs
New York, Jan. 1, 1840.
* * * * * * *
CONTENTS
NOTICE TO THE READER
PART 20
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 3
Difference between Wesley and Whitefield; its consequences; Fletcher and his
writings; Wesleyan missionaries in America -- their manner of preaching; provoke
opposition; how defended; Hopkinsianism; this changed the points of controversy;
public debate and its results; charitable society for the education of pious
young men; its address; examined by Mr. Garrettson; its opinions startle the
community; its general views; its political tendency; Connecticut changes its
charter; religious liberty obtained; numbers; secession of Richard Allen;
organizes a church; General Conference of 1816 -- its members; Bishop
McKendree's address; delegates from British conference, affairs of Canada;
letter from mission committee of London; report of General Conference on Canada
affairs; letter addressed to the committee in London; report of the episcopal
committee, and election of Enoch George and Robert L. Roberts to the episcopal
office; report of the committee of ways and means; support and improvement of
the ministry; committee of safety; on local preachers; provision for the married
bishops; book agents; adjournment of Conference.
PART 21
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 4
Conferences and manner of attending them; Tract Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church; beneficial results; general work; character and death of Jesse
Lee; character and death of Mr. Shadford; numbers; Methodist Magazine commenced;
Asbury College; revivals in the Baltimore, New York, add New England
conferences; in Upper Canada; camp meetings again in Kentucky; general
superintendence; its effects; Bishop McKendree labors and suffers; locations and
deaths of preachers and number of members; diminution of colored members, and
its causes; origin of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
in 1819; first constitution, officers and managers; their address; circular;
auxiliary societies; Bishop McKendree's views; Missionary Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in the city of Philadelphia; secession of colored
members in New York; their present state and prospects; locations and deaths of
preachers; numbers.
PART 22
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 5
General Conference of 1820. Names and number of delegates; opening of conference
by Bishop McKendree, and address of the bishops; provision for Bishop McKendree;
cause of education; report of committee commending the establishment of
seminaries of learning; opposition to this cause; Canada affairs; letter from
London; address to the Wesleyan Methodist conference; its answer; resolutions of
the British conference on Canada affairs; instructions from our bishops; to the
brethren in Lower Canada; result of these proceedings; improved edition of the
Hymn Book; Tune Book; revised; building churches; new regulation respecting
local preachers; did not work well; finally abrogated; report on missions;
revised constitution; rule for conducting appeals; a branch of the Book Concern
established at Cincinnati.
PART 23
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 6
Twelve conferences and two effective bishops; state of things in Louisiana;
French mission unsuccessful; Indian missions; number and general description of
the condition and character of the Indians; Wyandot Indians; John Steward goes
among them; his reception; effects of his labors; speeches of chiefs;
transactions at the Ohio conference; secession in the city of New York; its
causes and effects; numbers return to the church they had left; Missionary
Society prospers; its effects in some portions of New England; Methodism in
Bristol R. I.; in Provincetown, Mass., and Chillicothe, Ohio; locations, deaths,
and numbers; Wyandot mission; Creek mission; camp meetings in South Carolina and
Tennessee; work of God in Carter's Valley and Pittsburgh; in North Carolina; in
Alabama; character and death of S. Parker; numbers; Asbury mission; its progress
and disastrous results; Mohawk mission; Cherokee mission; domestic missions in
Upper Canada; general work -- in Brooklyn, L. I., Amenia and Tolland; in Upper
Canada district; in Smyrna Delaware; Surry county, Virginia; Scioto, Ohio, and
Northumberland district; Hudson River district; New York, and New Rochelle;
controversial preaching; Wesleyan Seminary; locations, deaths, and numbers; work
of God prospers; Missionary Society aided by the labors of John Summerfield; his
address to the Young Men's Missionary Society; Potawattomy mission; Methodism in
Jackson's Purchase; in Michigan; in Florida; in Cumberland and St. Louis;
aboriginal missions prosperous; Bishop McKendree's visit among the Wyandots; G.
R. Jones's letter; J. B. Finley's travels, interesting account of Honnes;
mission in the city of New York; on Long Island; in New Brunswick; work of God
on Baltimore district; Augusta College; character and death of Dr. Chandler; of
John Steward; numbers.
PART 24
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 7
General Conference of 1824. Names and number of delegates; delegates from the
Wesleyan Methodist conference; address of said conference; of Mr. Reece;
bishops' communication to the conference; report of the committee on lay
delegation; on education; Missionary Society; American Colonization Society; on
slavery; on the episcopacy; election and consecration of Joshua Soule and Elijah
Hedding to the episcopal office; Canada affairs; report of the committee on the
itinerancy; address to the Wesleyan Methodist conference.
PART 25
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 8
Wyandot mission visited by Bishops McKendree and Soule; Methodism in
Newburyport, Gloucester, and Piscataquis; general work; Cazenovia Seminary;
locations and deaths of preachers; character of Peyton Anderson; numbers; Indian
missions -- Peter Jones and others brought to God; Methodism in New Orleans;
Mobile and Pensacola; in Tallahassee and Early; in the Highlands and Hampshire;
in Chillicothe; in Genesee, Bridgetown, Newark, and Coeyman's; in Albany,
Champlain, and New Haven districts; church building; revivals in Susquehannah
and Black River districts, and in Baltimore; Mariners' Church, New York; general
work prosperous; death and character of William Beauchamp; death and character
of William Ross; numbers; aboriginal missions prosper; Methodism in Florida,
Alabama, and Upper Canada; revivals in Virginia and Maryland; Wilbraham Academy
and Madison College; Christian Advocate begun, Sept. 9, 1826; death and
character of John Summerfield; of Daniel Asbury; of Daniel Hitt; of Joseph Toy;
of John P. Finley; numbers; origin of the Sunday School Union of the Methodist
Episcopal Church; address; its character and success; Cherokee mission;
Mississauga; character and death of Between-the-logs; Richmond mission;
Methodism in New York city; in New Haven; Maine Wesleyan Seminary; locations and
deaths; character and death of Philip Bruce; of Freeborn Garrettson; of James
Smith; of Seth Crowell; numbers.
PART 26
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 9
General Conference of 1828. Names and number of bishops and delegates; address
of the bishops; appeal of Joshua Randell; vindication of Bishop Hedding, Canada
affairs; resolutions of conference in reference to them; important principle
explained; no precedent for a similar proceeding in the United States; how an
annual conference may be disowned; precedents for ordaining a bishop for Canada;
historical sketch of the "Reformers"; Dr. Bond's Appeal; Defense of our Fathers;
trials in Baltimore; similar proceedings in other places; mistake corrected; the
"Reformers" organize and memorialize the General Conference; report of the
conference on said memorial; our people unfavorable to "reform"; effects of the
secession -- increase of membership; proceedings of "Reformers"; "The Methodist
Protestant Church formed -- its character; agitations continue; finally cease;
review of the whole affair; cause of missions, education, and colonization;
election of book agents and editors, and provision for the appointment of
trustees; address to the Wesleyan Methodist conference; close of the volume.
* * * * * * *
THE DIGITAL PARTS OF ALL FOUR VOLUMES
(Correletated With The Author's Divisions)
* * *
VOLUME I
PART 1 = Volume I, Book I, Chapter 1
PART 2 = Volume I, Book I, Chapter 2
PART 3 = Volume I, Book I, Chapter 3
PART 4 = Volume I, Book II, Chapter 1
PART 5 = Volume I, Book II, Chapter 2
PART 6 = Volume I, Book II, Chapter 3
PART 7 = Volume I, Book III, Chapter 1
PART 8 = Volume I, Book III, Chapter 2
PART 9 = Volume I, Book III, Chapter 3
* * *
VOLUME II
PART 10 = Volume II, Book IV, Chapter 1
PART 11 = Volume II, Book IV, Chapter 2
PART 12 = Volume II, Book IV, Chapter 3
PART 13 = Volume II, Book IV, Chapter 4
PART 14 = Volume II, Book IV, Chapter 5
PART 15 = Volume II, Book IV, Chapter 6
PART 16 = Volume II, Book IV, Chapter 7
PART 17 = Volume II, Book IV, Chapter 8
PART 18 = Volume II, Book V, Chapter 1
PART 19 = Volume II, Book V, Chapter 2
* * *
VOLUME III
PART 20 = Volume III, Book V, Chapter 3
PART 21 = Volume III, Book V, Chapter 4
PART 22 = Volume III, Book V, Chapter 5
PART 23 = Volume III, Book V, Chapter 6
PART 24 = Volume III, Book V, Chapter 7
PART 25 = Volume III, Book V, Chapter 8
PART 26 = Volume III, Book V, Chapter 9
* * *
VOLUME IV
PART 27 = Volume IV, Book V, Chapter 10
PART 28 = Volume IV, Book V, Chapter 11
PART 29 = Volume IV, Book V, Chapter 12
PART 30 = Volume IV, Book V, Chapter 13
PART 31 = Volume IV, Book V, Chapter 14
PART 32 = Volume IV, Book V, Chapter 15
PART 33 = Volume IV, Book V, Chapter 16
* * * * * * *
PART 20
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 3
(From The Year 1816 To The Year 1828)
From the Death of Bishop Asbury to the Close of the General Conference of 1816
In the closing part of the last volume an incidental allusion was made to a
controversy which arose in this country between us and other denominations, but
more particularly the Calvinists.
It is well known that not long after Mr. Wesley began his career of usefulness,
he was joined by Mr. Whitefield, whose stirring eloquence in the pulpits of the
Establishment created a great sensation among both clergy and people, and drew
such multitudes to hear him, that he ventured, in imitation of his Divine
Master, into the fields, where he proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation to
listening thousands. Wesley soon followed the example, and great was the effect
produced by their joint exertions in this novel way of preaching Christ and him
crucified.
Unhappily, to human appearance, a difference arose between these two great and
good men. Whitefield, being much opposed and persecuted by the lukewarm clergy
of the Establishment, gradually contracted an intimacy with the Dissenters, and,
on his coming to America, became acquainted with the pious and talented Edwards
-- afterward president of Princeton College -- then settled at Northampton,
Massachusetts. Finding among these people more of the appearance of evangelical
doctrine, and of experimental and practical piety, than with those of the
Establishment, Whitefield soon drank in their doctrine of predestination and its
correlatives, eternal election and final perseverance. This led to a controversy
between him and Wesley, which eventuated in a partial separation -- a separation
in their respective fields of labor and sentiment, though not in heart and
affection -- for they always esteemed each other highly as devoted Christian
ministers. This took place in the year 1741, Whitefield rallying under the
banner of Calvinistic decrees, patronized by Lady Huntingdon, and supported by
many of what were called the evangelical clergy of the Establishment in England,
and by the most zealous of the Presbyterians and Congregationalists of America
-- while Wesley and his brother Charles hoisted the flag of Arminius, fortifying
themselves with the standards of their own church, and defending themselves by
direct appeals to the Holy Scriptures and the dictates of common sense and sound
reason. This brought on a protracted warfare between the parties, both from the
pulpit and the press, during which the doctrines and measures of Mr. Wesley
passed through the severest ordeal of critical investigation, and most
heart-searching appeals to Scripture and reason.
This brought the vicar of Madeley, the pious and peace-loving Fletcher, from his
retreat in the obscure parish where he had chosen to labor for the salvation of
souls, and obliged him, quite contrary to his pacific disposition, to buckle on
the armor of a polemic, in which he acquitted himself with singular success. He,
indeed, seemed to be providentially raised up for the crisis, and he entered the
arena of controversy fully furnished by sound and various learning, by deep and
genuine piety, by meekness, patience, and love, and by a power of comprehension
and nice discrimination, which peculiarly fitted him to sustain with dignity,
firmness, and success, the high and holy cause he was called to defend. It is
not saying too much to affirm, that he vanquished all his antagonists, cleared
the field of controversy of the thorns and briers of error, and at the same time
maintained the spirit and temper of the Christian, while he powerfully wielded
the sword of truth, and brought the warfare to a successful issue, sustaining
through the entire conflict the character of an able divine, a sound moralist, a
consistent minister of Jesus Christ, and an acute and conclusive reasoner.
Though assailed often by bitter railing and biting sarcasm, he maintained the
gravity of the minister of Christ and the meekness of the consistent Christian.
If at any time he turned the weapon of irony upon his antagonists -- as he
sometimes did with most powerful effect -- it was divested of the venom of
bitterness, and dipped in the sweet waters of brotherly love. His masterly
defenses of Wesleyan theology remain unanswered, and, it is believed,
unanswerable, and will long remain as a monument of his piety, of his devotion
to the cause of truth, as well as a lofty beacon to apprise future mariners who
may embark upon the rough sea of controversy, of the dangerous shoals and rocks
upon which so many heedless men have been wrecked -- at the same time distinctly
and accurately marking the channel of truth through which the spiritual ark may
be safely guided to the harbor of eternal repose.
Armed with the panoply thus furnished them, the Wesleyan missionaries who first
visited our shores were prepared to promulgate and defend the doctrines and to
enforce the discipline of their founder. As before said, however, they mainly
insisted on experimental and practical godliness, urging upon all, high and low,
rich and poor, the necessity of a change of heart, -- such a change as should be
productive of a reformation of life and conduct, in order to insure everlasting
salvation. Instead of exhausting their strength in controversial preaching on
those debatable points about which they differed from Calvinists, Unitarians,
Arians, and Universalists, they generally contented themselves with a plain and
unvarnished statement of their doctrinal views, with urging upon the people
experimental and practical religion, and with defending themselves when assailed
by others. This defense, however, often became necessary, more especially in the
northern and eastern states, where the people were more accustomed to a critical
examination of doctrinal points, and questions of doubtful disputation.
For some time, however, the number of Methodists in this country was so
inconsiderable, that other denominations affected to treat them with silent
contempt; and if occasionally they condescended to notice them at all, it was
more in the way of caricature and misrepresentation than by sober argument, or
an attempt at a fair and direct refutation of their doctrine and usages. The
High Churchman would sneer at our ordination, and, wrapping himself in the cloak
of apostolical succession, with an air of assumed dignity, prate about "John
Wesley's lay bishops," as though these jokes were sufficient to put us out of
countenance. Others, panoplied in the stern decrees of Calvin, and priding
themselves in their exclusive orthodoxy, would tantalize us with "salvation by
the merit of good works, the omnipotency of free-will, and the unsoundness of
our doctrine of justification;" while some would smile at "baby baptism," as an
affront offered to the Deity, and an innovation upon apostolic usage. These all
united to ridicule our itinerant plan of preaching the gospel, as a novelty
which must soon come to an end; and, to give point and poignancy to their
sarcasms, our itinerant preachers were called "circuit-riders," as if to ride a
circuit were their distinguishing badge, not caring to inform the people whether
as preachers or itinerant physicians.
These reproaches were borne with as much patience as possible, and our ministers
continued to deserve them more and more by persevering in their peculiar work,
and by endeavoring to prove their falsity by a faithful exhibition of the true
doctrines of their church, and also to refute the slanderous representations of
their mode of life and manner of preaching, by the exemplariness of their
conduct. To those who became intimately acquainted with them from personal
intercourse, they commended themselves for the depth and uniformity of their
piety, as well as by the soundness of their doctrine and the laboriousness of
their lives. In all such a confidence was inspired in the strictness of their
integrity, as well as in the wisdom of their plans of doing good to the souls
and bodies of men.
But, as before said, these controversies and modes of defense were confined
chiefly to the pulpit, and to a republication of a few of Wesley's and
Fletcher's doctrinal and practical tracts and sermons, the reading of which was
confined mostly to our own societies and their immediate friends.; we had no
writers of note on this side the Atlantic, and no periodical through which we
could speak to the public ear; for, as I have before remarked, after the
discontinuance of the Arminian Magazine, in 1790 -- two volumes only having been
published -- with the exception of a few straggling pamphlets, which scarcely
survived the day of their birth, our press was as silent as the grave in respect
to uttering a sentiment from an American author, and the Magazine was not
resumed until the year 1818, and even then, as its respected editor announced,
with much fear and trembling for its success.
Yet, as the Methodists increased in number and respectability, and their
influence upon the public mind was proportionately augmented, other
denominations began to awake from their slumber, to look about them for other
means than those heretofore used for offensive warfare, as well as to defend
themselves against the inroads which Methodism was making upon their
congregations, and the impression it produced upon the public mind. For these
"circuit-riders" were no idle shepherds. They not only rode circuits, but they
"went everywhere preaching the kingdom of God," breaking over parish lines,
entering into every open door, and with a loud, distinct voice, proclaiming to
all they could prevail on to hear them, that they must "fear God and give glory
to his name." Hence the opposition to our distinctive doctrines and modes of
procedure became more serious and systematical; our opponents began to feel the
necessity of meeting us in the field of argument with more fairness; and instead
of drawing ridiculous caricatures for the amusement of themselves and their
readers, to state our doctrines as we hold them. This, we say, became necessary,
for the eyes of the public were becoming somewhat enlightened in respect to what
Wesleyan Methodists really believed and taught, and were thence led to hear, and
read, and compare for themselves. The consequence was, that the offensive
features of Calvinism were becoming more and more repulsive, and the creed by
which its nominal followers were distinguished underwent some modifications,
better suited, as was thought, to the temper of the times. Thus, instead of
ascribing the final destinies of mankind to an omnipotent decree, the subtle
distinction was introduced between the natural and moral abilities of men,
making the latter the only potent barrier to the sinner's salvation. This
theory, which for some time was confined to comparatively few, seems to have
been an improvement upon President Edwards's system "On the Will," and was
invented by Dr. Hopkins, of Newport, R. I., and thenceforth called, by way of
distinction, Hopkinsianism. This, it was thought by many, would enable them to
meet and obviate the objections which were brought against the doctrine of
unconditional election and reprobation, by placing the criminality of all sinful
actions in the perversity of the human will, called "moral inability,"
especially as they contended that the sinner possessed a "natural ability" to do
all which God required. Hence the doctrine of eternal decrees, as taught by John
Calvin, though still held in theory, was studiously kept out of sight by those
who embraced these new views, and the theory of "natural ability and moral
inability" was substituted in its place.
This subtle theory, however, by no means answered the proposed end. The
Methodists still insisted that this "natural ability," however potent, could
never overcome the efficient operation of an immutable decree, which had fixed
the destinies of all mankind before the worlds were made -- nor would the moral
ability or inability alter that which had been made unalterable by the eternal
fiat [determination -- DVM] of the Almighty.
These conflicting theories somewhat changed the points of controversy between
the Calvinists and Arminians. While Wesley and Fletcher were compelled, from
their position, to meet their antagonists on the old points of controversy which
had been mooted in the Protestant world from the days of John Calvin, his system
had now assumed, under the improving hands of some of his most distinguished
followers, so many new traits, that new arguments of defense were called for by
the advocates of universal atonement and conditional salvation. Under these
circumstances, many, on both sides of these controverted points, thought it
their duty to enter the field of theological discussion. This they did with all
the ardor of new recruits. And among those who distinguished themselves in
conducting this theological warfare, might be mentioned men who had grown gray
in the cause of Christ, as well as others of younger years, whose youthful
temperament may have betrayed them into a harshness of expression, on some
occasions, incompatible with the meekness and soberness of the Christian
minister -- faults of human beings, for which the Christian system alone
provides an adequate atonement and mode of forgiveness.
At length circumstances led the author of this History into a public debate with
a Presbyterian minister, which was held in the town of Durham, N.Y., May 10,
1810. The discussion involved the "Five Points," so long mooted by Calvinists
and Arminians, and some of the other subjects of dispute already indicated. Not
long after, the pastor of the congregation in whose church the debate was
conducted, the Rev. Ralph Williston, published a volume of sermons, in which he
entered into a discussion of the topics which had been the subjects of
controversy in the public debate, and concluded the whole with an examination
into the character of "Satan's ministers," in which it was broadly insinuated
that our ministers, on several accounts, might be classed under that
denomination. As it was thought by many that these sermons gave a distorted view
of some of our doctrines, and must exert an injurious influence upon our
ministry, a reply was published in 1815, in six letters addressed to the author
of the sermons, in which an attempt was made to rectify his mistakes, to refute
his arguments in favor of the Calvinistic and Hopkinsian theory, and to
vindicate the doctrines and ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Some
portions of these letters were severely animadverted upon by the Rev. Mr.
Haskil, of Vermont, to which an answer was published in a small book, called
"Predestination Examined." Soon after, Mr. Williston sent out a second volume,
in reply to the "Errors of Hopkinsianism," the title of the book containing the
letters addressed to that gentleman, called "A Vindication of some of the
essential Doctrines of the Reformation." This attempt to identify the
peculiarities of Hopkinsianism with the essential doctrines of the reformers,
called forth "The Reformer Reformed," the title being suggested by the
impression, that if the Reformation carried with it errors of such a pernicious
consequence, as it was believed must flow from the doctrine of an efficient
operation of universal and immutable decrees, the Reformation itself needed
reforming -- a sentiment not retracted on more mature consideration.
It by no means becomes me to express an opinion of the character or results of
this protracted discussion, though I may be allowed to indulge a hope that it
had its use in bringing our doctrines more prominently before the public, in
rectifying some erroneous impressions respecting our ministry and usages, and in
awakening public attention to the precise points of difference between us and
our Calvinistic brethren. The subject, however, has been thus introduced here,
because these things belong properly to the history of the times, and also to
show the position we occupied in the ecclesiastical affairs of the country, as
well as the duties which seemed to devolve on us to defend, as far as we were
able, our doctrines and usages from all unjust imputations. It will be found in
the sequel that we were called upon to sustain an arduous conflict with our
brethren of other denominations, as well as with some of our own household, who,
for various reasons, "went out from us," in order to rescue our ministry from
reproach, and our doctrines, government, and usages from the numerous objections
which were preferred against them.
Another thing tended about this time to direct our attention to the general
state of the religious affairs in our country. Allusion has already been made to
the "Charitable Society for the Education of pious Young Men for the Ministry of
the Gospel," and of the commission which was sent to explore the western
country, and to report the religious state of things in that portion of our
republic.
To awaken public attention to the necessity and importance of sustaining this
society, Dr. Lyman Beecher, in behalf of the society, issued an address to the
churches, calling on them for pecuniary aid, to support and educate indigent
pious young men for the ministry, assigning, among other reasons, the peculiar
fitness of such young men, from their more hardy character and habits of life,
to enter upon this rugged field of labor. To make the deeper and more powerful
impression upon the Christian community in favor of the object proposed, the
address went into a statistical account of the religious state of the several
portions of our country, and concluded by a most rousing appeal to the
sympathies and liberality of the people in behalf of the Education Society. In
describing the moral and spiritual desolation of these United States, the
address disclosed the astounding fact, that, in addition to those already in the
services of the sanctuary, there were wanting "five thousand competent
ministers," to supply the entire population of our country with the word and
ordinances of the gospel.
At the announcement of this fact, the Christian community awoke as from a deep
slumber. They began to look around them for the data on which this calculation
was founded. On examination, it was ascertained that the address assumed the
necessity of one minister to every one thousand souls -- that, as there were at
time eight millions of inhabitants in the United States and territories, and as
there were, says the address, only three thousand educated ministers in the
land, there remained five millions of the inhabitants destitute of a competent
ministry. This was an alarming conclusion.
Among others who published strictures on this strange production, the late Rev.
Freeborn Garrettson wrote a small pamphlet, in which he showed the effect which
the statements set forth in the address must have upon other denominations. He,
as well as others who examined the statistics of Dr. Beecher, concluded that he
meant to exclude all other ministers than those of the Calvinistic order from
being "competent" to the work in which they were engaged; for, on a very
moderate calculation, there were even then more than three thousand ministers
belonging to the Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, and Congregational churches; and
it is believed that among the Baptist, Lutheran, Protestant, and Methodist
Episcopal Churches, without saying any thing of the minor sects, there were more
than five thousand ministers, many of whom would by no means suffer from a
comparison with their brethren of the other denominations; hence, allowing the
accuracy of this calculation, there was at that very time more than one minister
for every one thousand human souls; the irresistible conclusion therefore was,
that the address excluded from the catalogue of competent ministers all except
those who belonged to one or the other of the Calvinistic churches above named.
And this conclusion is strengthened by the fact, that the address dwelt so
emphatically upon the necessity of "an educated ministry" as being essential to
the efficient discharge of its duties, as it is well known that most of the
other churches, however highly they might appreciate human learning, do not
consider it an essential prerequisite to a gospel ministry.
Such a disclosure of opinions, so deeply implicating the character and
competency of so many ministers, many of whom had furnished the most irrefutable
evidence of their efficiency in spreading the doctrines of God our Saviour,
taken in connection with the report from the commission sent to explore our
western country, might well alarm the apprehensions of all concerned; and hence
a deep tone of dissatisfaction was heard throughout the churches, and a general
burst of indignation against the assumptions of the address was simultaneously
expressed by the several denominations who felt that their ministry were
proscribed by its unwarrantable conclusions. The zeal, too, with which the
address urged its claims upon the churches more immediately interested in its
objects, showed that a mighty effort was making to carry into practical effect
its comprehensive plans. As an evidence of this take the following extract:--
"To produce such a combination and such an effort, the wretched state of our
country must be made known. The information contained in this address may with
propriety, it is believed, be communicated on the sabbath to all our worshipping
assemblies, and the investigation commenced in it be continued, until a regular
and minute account be given of the religious state of our land. The newspaper,
the tract, and magazine must disclose to our slumbering countrymen their danger.
The press must groan in the communication of our wretchedness; and from every
pulpit in our land the trumpet must sound long and loud. The nation must be
awakened to save itself by its own energies, or we are undone."
We have no right, nor have we any wish, to decide upon the character of men's
motives, any further than their words and actions proclaim it. And allowing that
the end proposed by the gentlemen who wrote and sanctioned this address was
purely the salvation of souls from sin, and the salvation of our country from
its ruinous consequences, the means used were highly laudable, and the stirring
language of the address, a fair sample of which is found in the preceding
extract, was admirably calculated to arouse the slumbering energies of the
church to a zealous activity in the cause of reform. Yet it could not but seem
somewhat strange to us, that they should not have awakened to this all-important
subject until just then -- at a time too when other denominations, and
particularly the Methodists, had been blessed with the most extensive revivals
of religion which had been witnessed in any age or land since the apostolic
days. This is fully attested by the preceding volume of this History. Were the
authors of this address ignorant of these facts? We had reason to believe that
it was a knowledge of them which aroused their dormant energies, and led them
just then to put forth their strength to counteract the growing influence of
Methodism. For it was to the western country chiefly, and in the southern
states, that this society were about to direct their efforts to supply the lack
of ministerial service. And it was in the west more especially that our ministry
had been so abundantly blessed. It was here, where the inhabitants from the
older states and from Europe were pouring in with unparalleled rapidity, that,
through the agency of camp meetings, and a general itinerant ministry, Methodism
had already wrought wonders, and was still going forward, keeping pace with the
extension of the settlements, and bowing the hearts of sinners to the yoke of
Jesus Christ. Had we not, therefore, reason to suspect that our ministry
especially were denounced as incompetent, and that the fear was the country
would become deluged with the bitter waters issuing from the corrupt fountain of
Methodism! Whether true or false, such was the impression, and therefore, in
conjunction with others who felt themselves deeply implicated by the assumptions
of this remarkable address, we felt ourselves authorized to enter our protest
against its doctrines, and to furnish the people with an antidote to its
injurious insinuations. This, as I have before said, was done by Mr. Garrettson;
and the following extract from his pamphlet will show the successful manner in
which he exposed and refuted the erroneous calculations of the address.
Addressing himself directly to Dr. Beecher, he thus shows the fallacy of his
arguments:--
"You have placed your church in Connecticut on the highest scale among the
several states in the Union. You have given a short history of it, and have, in
your way, prostrated the southern part of our country. Probably you are a native
of Connecticut; I was born in Maryland; and as you have, among other southern
states, undertaken to degrade the religious character of the people of this
state, I am willing to compare them with those of your state. I am well
acquainted with about every part of both; and as you have fixed your eye on the
Congregational Church in Connecticut, I shall fix mine on the Methodist
Episcopal Church in Maryland.
"You say that you have upward of 200 congregations, averaging 50 members each,
making about 10,000 church members. I have looked over our church records, and
find that we have in Maryland *[2] more than 25,000 church members, who have the
pure word of God preached, and the sacraments duly administered."
It was, moreover, the opinion of many, that the address had a political object
in view. This opinion was founded on the following extract, taken in connection
with the conclusion which seems to be warranted from the general tenor of the
address, that ministers of other denominations were proscribed as being
incompetent. After speaking of the defective character of the general
government, on account of its not containing adequate provisions for its own
permanency, the address adds
"A remedy must be applied to this vital defect of our national organization. But
what shall that remedy be? There can be but one. The consolidation of the state
governments would be a despotism. But the prevalence of pious, intelligent,
enterprising ministers through the nation, at the ratio of one for a thousand,
would establish schools, and academies, and colleges, and habits and
institutions of homogeneous influence. These would produce a sameness of views,
and feelings, and interests, which would lay the foundation of our empire on a
rock. Religion is the central attraction which must supply the deficiency of
political affinity and interest. Religion is the bond of charity, which in
storms must undergird the skip."
We accord to the soundness of these sentiments, provided they apply to
Christianity as a system of universal good-will to men, and as designed and
calculated to connect the hearts of all together in one common brotherhood, and
finally to produce, by its action on the heart and conduct, a conformity to its
holy precepts. But the general contents and manifest tendency of the address
seemed to forbid such a construction, and to place its authors in the position
of strong sectarists, who were laboring to build up a particular denomination at
the expense of all the rest. This "homogeneous influence" -- this "sameness of
views, and feelings, and interests," were to be produced by the multiplication
of "educated and competent ministers," who should be trained up in the school of
this society, who should receive their lessons of instruction from Andover, and
thence go out clothed with authority to propagate Calvinism, whether under the
form of the Old or New School Divinity, whether in the guise of Congregational
or Presbyterian theology; while it appeared manifest that all others were
proscribed as heterodox and incompetent, and therefore could not contribute to
throw around the national ship, in time of a tempest, the strong cords of pure
religion, and thus save the nation for a political wreck.
We do not indeed say that this was the real design of the authors of this
address; but if it were not, it was most unhappily worded, and should have been
either corrected or disavowed, neither of which, so far as is known to the
present writer, has ever been done, although I believe that the inferences which
were drawn from it, and the general indignation it produced in a great portion
of the religious community, caused its authors to withdraw it from circulation.
*[3]
Thus much I have thought it a duty to say in respect to this controversy,
because of its immediate bearing on the interests of our Church, and its more
remote tendency upon its future history. It certainly tended to keep alive the
fire of contention between us and the Calvinistic churches, and thus to widen
the breach already existing between the two great families, the Calvinists and
Arminians.
There was another event of general interest which occurred this year, and which
had a favorable bearing upon our affairs, particularly in the state of
Connecticut. In this state the original charter, which was received from the
king of England on the first settlement of the country, had been the only
constitution the state had possessed up to the time of which we now speak. It is
well known that in the early settlement of that colony, provision was made by
law that no person should vote at an election, or hold a civil office, unless he
were a member of the church. This severe and impolitic law was afterward so far
relaxed as to allow those who joined the "half-way covenant," in order to obtain
Christian baptism for their children, to be eligible to civil offices, and to
exercise the right of suffrage. Still, however, the law was exclusive in its
demands, making it essential, in order to possess civil rights, to be either in
the "half-way covenant," that is, members of the Congregational society, or
otherwise to become full members of that church. By these civil regulations the
Congregationalists were established by law, and were supported by a regular tax,
while other sects were held under civil disabilities, being obliged, in addition
to supporting themselves, to contribute their quota for the maintenance of the
established clergy, at the same time that they were disfranchised from the
privileges of freemen, by an exclusion from all offices of trust and profit. Nor
could the clergy of the Dissenters perform the rites of matrimony even for
members of their own congregations.
These severe and unjust regulations were so far modified from time to time as to
allow those who belonged to dissentient sects the privilege of depositing a
certificate in the town clerk's office of their having separated themselves from
the "standing order," and they were thereby exempted from paying ministerial tax
for the maintenance of the established clergy. They were also entitled to hold
offices in the state, and to vote at the elections.
Such was the general state of things in Connecticut, when some circumstances
happened which resulted in the overthrow of this legal hierarchy, and placed all
the religious sects upon an equal standing, both in civil and religious affairs.
During the war of 1812-1815, the militia of that state were called out, by order
of the general government, to defend the people against the apprehended
depredations of the enemy. The authorities of the state, however, refused to let
their militia serve under United States' officers, but they were marshaled under
those appointed by the state. The consequence was, that the general government
refused to pay the expense of the campaign. After the restoration of peace, the
state of Connecticut petitioned Congress to refund the amount which the state
had expended in paying for the services of the militia during the late war, a
part of which was granted by the general government, and paid into the treasury
of the state. The legislature of Connecticut, with a view to conciliate all
parties, resolved that the money thus refunded should be divided among the
several religious denominations, which was accordingly done; but, in the
estimation of the Protestant and Methodist Episcopalians and Baptists, the
division was so unequal, such an undue proportion being given to the
Congregationalists, that they took offense, some of them refusing to receive
what was awarded to them, and all united to protest against the proceedings as
illiberal, unequal, and unjust. This led to a union of effort between the
dissatisfied denominations against the standing order; and, seizing upon the
occasion as an auspicious moment to assert their rights, they succeeded in
calling a state convention, by which the old charter of Charles II was
abrogated, a bill of rights promulgated, and a new constitution framed and
adopted, which abolished church taxes and exclusive privileges, and put all
sects upon an equality in respect to civil and religious rights; and thus they
enfranchised the proscribed portion of the community, making all alike dependent
on the voluntary principle for the support of the clergy and other incidents of
divine worship.
This result was hailed as an auspicious period by the friends of equal rights,
both in and out of the churches, as it did away the odious distinction between
the privileged order, who had been so long established by law, and the various
sects which had sprung up in the state, some of whom were nearly as numerous as
were the Congregationalists themselves, and, when united with the others, formed
a decided majority.
This was breaking the last link of legal tyranny in religious matters in our
country -- with the exception, perhaps, of some of its relics which are dangling
upon the civil code of Massachusetts -- by proclaiming to all the rights of
conscience, according to the laws of nature, of God, and the fundamental
principles of our national constitution.
Having noticed these matters, because they had and still have a bearing upon our
history, I shall now proceed in the narration of the affairs of our Church in
their regular order.
The death of Bishop Asbury, as related in the preceding chapter, left us with
only one superintendent, Bishop McKendree, and he was in a very delicate state
of health. He continued, however, to discharge his official duties, and was much
supported in his labors by the good countenance of his brethren in the ministry
and membership.
The number of Church members for 1816 shows that the increase was small, as the
country had not yet fully recovered from the shock it had received from the late
war, nor was the spirit of revival and reformation in that holy and vigorous
exercise, by which it had shown itself at some former periods. Indeed, a
disputatious spirit, in respect to some points of church government, engrossed
too much of the time and attention of many, it is to be feared, to the neglect
of the "weightier matters of the law, judgment, justice, and the love of God."
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 171,931; Last Year:167,978; Increase:
3,953 -- Colored This Year: 42,304; Last Year: 43,187; Decrease: 883 -- Total
This Year: 214,235; Last Year: 211,165 -- Increase: 3,070 -- Preachers This
Year: 695; Last Year: 704; Decrease: 9.
It will be perceived from the above that there was a decrease of nearly nine
hundred colored members. This was owing to a defection among the colored people
in the city of Philadelphia, by which upward of one thousand in that city
withdrew from our Church and set up for themselves, with Richard Allen, a
colored local preacher and elder in the Methodist Episcopal Church -- at their
head.
We have already had occasion to notice the labors of the Methodist ministry in
behalf of the colored population of our country, both free and enslaved. Many
thousands had become members of the Church, and were in general orderly and
exemplary in their conduct; and some of those who were free had acquired wealth
and respectability in the community. Among these converted Negroes a
considerable number, possessing gifts for the edification of their brethren, had
received license to preach, and several had been ordained deacons, and a few to
the office of local elders.
Among the latter was Richard Allen, of Philadelphia. By habits of industry and
economy, though born a slave in one of the southern states, he had not only
procured his freedman, but acquired considerable wealth, and, since he had
exercised the office of a preacher and an elder, obtained great influence over
his brethren in the Church. By his assistance, and the assistance of their white
brethren, they had built them a decent house of worship, and were regularly
organized into a Christian church, according to our disciplinary regulations,
and were put under the pastoral oversight of a white elder, stationed by the
bishop presiding in the Philadelphia conference.
Under this state of things all seemed to go on well and prosperously. Mutual
affection and confidence between the white and colored congregations, not in
that city only, but also in most of the populous cities and villages in the
Union, promised the most happy results of their united endeavors to promote
their temporal and spiritual welfare. This harmony, however, was, by some
untoward circumstances, interrupted. Mutual distrust and dissatisfaction
succeeded, until finally Allen, and those who had been brought under his
influence, separated themselves from the Methodist Episcopal Church. This
occurred in the month of April, 1816.
At the secession they organized themselves into an independent body, under the
title of the "African Methodist Episcopal Church," adopting our doctrines as
their standards, and, as far as their circumstances would seem to allow, our
form of discipline for their government. At their first General Conference, held
in April of this year, Richard Allen was elected to the office of a bishop, and
was consecrated by prayer and the imposition of the hands of five colored local
elders, one of whom, Absalom Jones, was a priest of the Protestant Episcopal
Church. Though the circumstances which led to this secession produced some
exasperation of spirit on both sides, at the time, yet it is stated by one of
their first ministers, that they have prospered considerably in various parts of
the country. At their conference in 1828, one of their elders, Morris Brown, was
elected and ordained a joint superintendent with Richard Allen; and after the
death of the latter, in 1836, Edward Watters was set apart with the usual forms
of consecration, as a joint superintendent with Mr. Brown.
Whether they are better or worse off than they would have been had they remained
in connection with the Church and ministry to which they were indebted for their
spiritual and ecclesiastical existence, is more than we have the means of
knowing. Be this as it may, the secession created for the time considerable
uneasiness among our colored congregations in New York city and some other
places, which resulted in their separation also, although they did not all
arrange themselves under the banners of Allen. They adopted the itinerant mode
of preaching, and have spread themselves in different parts of Pennsylvania, New
York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware states, though it is believed that
their congregations, out of the city of Philadelphia, are generally small, and
not very influential. There are also some in the western states, and a few in
Upper Canada. The exact number belonging to this party I have not been able to
ascertain.
In the more southern states, the "Allenites," as they were called, by way of
distinction, could make no favorable impression, as their preachers were not
recognized by the laws of the states, and the slave population who were members
of our Church had the character of our white ministry pledged as a guarantee for
their good behavior.
General Conference of 1816
This conference assembled in the city of Baltimore, on the first day of May of
this year, and was composed of the following delegates: --
New York Conference: William Anson, Nathan Bangs, Laban Clark, Samuel Draper,
Nathan Emory, Freeborn Garrettson, Aaron Hunt, Samuel Merwin, Daniel Ostrander,
William Phoebus, Peter P. Sandford, Eben Smith, Henry Stead, Thomas Ware,
Ebenezer Washburn, Elijah Woolsey.
New England Conference: Oliver Beale, Elijah Hedding, Asa Kent, David Kilborn,
Joseph A. Merrill, Philip Munger, George Pickering, Martin Ruter, Solomon Sias,
Joshua Soule, Charles Virgin, Eleazar Wells.
Genesee Conference: Dan Barnes, William Case, Abner Chase, George Gary, Charles
Giles, George Harman, Chandley Lambert, Seth Mattison, Isaac Puffer, Henry Ryan
Ohio Conference: Charles Holliday, Benjamin Lakin, Marcus Lindsay, Samuel
Parker, Isaac Quinn, James Quinn, John Sale, David Young, Jacob Young,
Tennessee Conference: James Axley, Peter Cartwright, Thomas L. Douglass, Samuel
Sellers, Jesse Walker.
South Carolina Conference: Daniel Asbury, Henry Bass, Solomon Bryan, Samuel
Dunwody, John B. Glenn, Hilliard Judge, William M. Kennedy, Thomas Mason, Lewis
Myers, James Norton, Anthony Senter, Alexander Talley, Joseph Tarpley, Reuban
Tucker.
Virginia Conference: John C. Ballew, Philip Bruce, Thomas Burge, Edward Cannon,
Matthew M. Dance, Ethelbert Drake, Cannellum H. Hines, William Jean, Thomas
Moore, Minton Thrift.
Baltimore Conference: Thomas Burch, Christopher Frye, Enoch George, Alfred
Griffith, Jacob Grober, Andrew Hemphill, Hamilton Jefferson, Nelson Reed,
Stephen G. Roszel, William Ryland, Asa Shin, Henry Smith, Beverly Waugh, Joshua
Wells.
Philadelphia Conference: William Bishop, Henry Boehm, John Emory, Sylvester
Hill, Stephen Martindale, Lawrence McCombs, Robert Roberts, Solomon Sharp, John
Sharpley, Asa Smith, Joseph Totten, John Walker, George Woolley.
The first thing which arrested the attention of all, and which seemed to spread
a melancholy gloom over the house, was the absence of our venerated senior
bishop, whose death and character I have recorded in the preceding volume.
After making preparations for the removal of his remains from the place of their
first sepulcher, his valedictory address was read to the conference, which
appeared to have been left in an unfinished state, containing merely the heads
of what he would probably have drawn out at greater length, had his declining
health permitted. It shows, however, the same intense and enlarged desire for
the permanency and prosperity of the Church by which he had so long been
characterized, expressed in his usually sententious [pithy, concise, moralizing
-- DVM] style, and concluded with an earnest exhortation to the conference to
hold fast the doctrines and discipline under the influence of which they had
been hitherto bound together, blessed, and prospered.
After the conference was organized, by the appointment of a secretary, and
attending to the usual preliminary business, Bishop McKendree, who, by the death
of Bishop Asbury, was the only surviving superintendent, delivered to the
conference an address -- a copy of which I have not been able to find in the
general state of the work, and the necessity of adding strength to the
episcopacy. He also made such suggestions as he thought fit in respect to future
movements for the general peace and prosperity of our extended work. This
address, and Bishop Asbury's valedictory, were referred to appropriate
committees, the reports of which will be noticed in due time.
The Rev. Messrs. Black and Bennett, of Nova Scotia, attended this conference as
delegates from the British conference, in order to adjust, if possible, certain
difficulties which had arisen in Canada, particularly in the lower province, out
of what had taken place during the late war. As this sanguinary conflict had
occasioned a temporary separation between us and the brethren in that country,
the societies in Montreal and Quebec had petitioned the mission committee in
London to supply them with preachers, and their petition had been granted and
preachers sent. This occasioned some uneasiness in the minds of our preachers in
that country, and led to unhappy collisions between the two bodies of
Methodists, which resulted finally in the separation of the Methodists in those
provinces from the jurisdiction of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and their
union with the Wesleyan Methodists in England.
Some correspondence had taken place between our bishops and the Wesleyan
Methodist conference, in relation to this unhappy affair; and at this General
Conference the following letter was received from the missionary committee of
London, and submitted to the conference, in connection with communications from
the Rev. Messrs. Black and Bennett, in behalf of the British connection, and
Rev. Messrs. Ryan and Case, in behalf of the brethren in Canada. The letter,
which follows, it appears, was addressed to Bishop Asbury, in answer to one they
had received from him. It is as follows:--
"New Chapel, City Road, London, Feb. 7, 1816
"Very Dear Sir:-- It is by the particular request of the last British conference
that we, as members of the missionary committee, address you, and our brethren
in the United States, whom we very highly esteem as fellow-citizens of the
saints, and fellow-laborers in the vineyard of our common Lord; most fervently
wishing that peace, righteousness, and joy in the Holy Ghost may abound in you
and by you, to the praise of God and the glory of his grace.
"On reading your last very kind and affectionate letter, we sympathized with
you, knowing how much it must have affected your mind, after being favored with
so much spiritual prosperity, to have to lament a 'decrease of members in your
societies;' but we trust, since it hath pleased Divine Providence to cause the
terrors of war to cease, and to restore the invaluable blessing of peace between
the two countries, that by this time you hail the dawn of a more auspicious day,
and see the returning glory of the Lord revealed, and the quickening power of
the Spirit diffusing its reviving influence, and that the voice of joy and
rejoicing is heard in the congregations of the righteous, 'Glory to God in the
highest, peace upon earth, and good-will toward men.' Our united prayer and
supplication for you is, 'O Lord, we beseech, O Lord, we beseech, send now
prosperity!'
It is with gratitude to the Lord of all that we can say, he is still extending
his kingdom among us, by the instrumentality of the preached word; and his
servants have had much consolation in their labors, by seeing sinners powerfully
convinced of sin, penitents born of God, and believers sanctified by the Spirit.
God has lately been reviving his work in various places, particularly in the
city of Bristol, at Salisbury, &c.: in the former place several hundreds have
been brought to the knowledge of God their Saviour. We can assure you we love
this 'good, old-fashioned religion,' of a deep conviction for sin, a clear sense
of justification by faith, and entire sanctification of the soul from all moral
pollution, as well, if not better than ever. Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us, and does even now bless us, with
these spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: and we ever pray
with increasing desire, 'Thy kingdom come.'
"Our blessed Lord has greatly favored us with success in our missionary efforts,
particularly in our new stations in the eastern world, Ceylon, &c., though this
has been attended with its afflictive circumstances. Since the death of our
venerable, highly esteemed, and much lamented friend and brother, Dr. Coke, our
beloved brother Ault has been removed from a sphere of useful labor to his great
reward. The other brethren are still preserved in their useful labors. A
Buddhist priest of considerable learning has been converted to Christianity, and
is now engaged in translating the Scriptures into two of the native languages.
Several Moormen or Mohammedans have also received the truth, and are becoming
useful preachers of the word of life; and thousands of the poor heathen flock to
hear the joyful tidings of the gospel. Our missionaries have begun to build a
large chapel, house, school, printing-office, &c., at Columbo, and have received
the liberal support of the inhabitants. These buildings are to cost seven
thousand dollars, six thousand of which have been already subscribed by the
inhabitants. We have lately sent five more missionaries to that quarter of the
globe, and one more is shortly to sail for Bombay. Thus the Lord is enlarging
his kingdom, 'even from the rivers to the ends of the earth.'
"We rejoice in the ardent Christian affection you express toward your brethren
in this country; and be assured they entertain the same lively feelings and
sentiments of brotherly love toward you and your fellow-laborers in the Lord;
and should we be favored with a visit from you or them, it would give us
inexpressible pleasure to give you the right hand of fellowship, and every
expression of our sincere Christian regard.
"To preserve a mutual good understanding, and the unity of the Spirit, and, as
far as possible, a co-operation in promoting the good work of the Lord, we feel
it our duty to state to you a subject of local difference, which to us has been
painful, and which we feel a delicacy in stating, but to which we are compelled
from the necessity of the case, that the word of the Lord be not hindered. In
consequence of application being made to the British conference from the society
at Montreal, a missionary was sent to that place, and received as the messenger
of the gospel of peace; but we are sorry to learn that some misunderstanding has
taken place between brothers Strong and Williams, our missionaries, and brother
Ryan, your presiding elder for Lower Canada. From the former we have received a
statement of their proceedings, and from the latter a letter of complaint. We
have also received a letter from brother Bennett, the chairman of the Nova
Scotia district, who has visited Montreal, &c., and reported to us his
proceedings.
"Upon a review of the whole, and from the most serious and deliberate
consideration we are led to conclude that, considering the relative situation of
the inhabitants of Montreal and of Canada to this country, and particularly as a
principal part of the people appear to be in favor of our missionaries, it would
be for their peace and comfort, and the furtherance of the gospel, for our
brethren to occupy those stations, especially the former, and to which we
conceive we have a claim, as a considerable part of the money for building the
chapel and house was raised in this country. We trust our American brethren will
see the propriety of complying with our wishes with respect to those places; not
to mention their political relation to this country, which, however, is not of
little importance, for we are conscious that their general habits and prejudices
are in favor of English preachers, being more congenial to their views and
feelings, which should certainly be consulted, and will tend to facilitate the
success of the gospel, and their spiritual prosperity. As your and our object is
mutually to diffuse the knowledge of him whose kingdom is not of this world, and
by every possible means to promote the immortal interests of men, let us not
contend -- we have one Master, even Christ -- but give place to each other, that
the word of the Lord may have free course, run, and be glorified. We cannot but
hope, that from the contiguity of the labors of the brethren belonging to the
two conferences, the spirit of unity and love will be promoted, and by this
measure a more perfect reciprocal intercourse established. As you have kindly
invited our esteemed brethren, Messrs. Black and Bennett, to take a seat in your
conference, we have directed them to pay you a visit at Baltimore for this
purpose, and to amicably arrange and settle this business, whom we trust you
will receive as our representatives and as brethren.
"Praying that our mutual love may abound yet more and more, and that we may ever
enjoy and rejoice in each other's prosperity, till the whole earth is filled
with the glory of God, we remain your truly affectionate brethren in Christ
Jesus.
(Signed for and in behalf of the committee.)
"James Wood, Treasurer,
Joseph Benson,
James Buckley, Secretary."
This letter, together with the written and verbal communications from the
brethren above mentioned, was referred to a committee, and the following report,
which was concurred in by the conference, will show the result of their
labors:--
"The committee appointed by the General Conference to confer with Messrs. Black
and Bennett, delegates appointed by the London Methodist Missionary Society to
represent the British connection to this conference, and, if possible, to make
an amicable adjustment of certain differences between our Church and the British
connection, relative to Upper and Lower Canada, beg leave to submit the
following report, viz.:--
"1. Your committee have had several friendly interviews with the above-mentioned
delegates on those subjects, and they are happy to state that there appears to
be an earnest desire to have all existing difficulties terminated to the peace
and mutual satisfaction of both parties, and to perpetuate the Christian union
and good understanding which have hitherto existed.
"2. It appears from written communications, as well as from verbal testimony,
that unhappy dissensions have taken place in Montreal between certain
missionaries sent (at the request of a few official members of the society in
that place, in time of the last war) by the London Missionary Society, and some
American preachers, which have terminated in the division of that society.
"3. Although the late hostilities between the two countries separated, for some
time, those provinces from the immediate superintendency of the Methodist
Episcopal Church in America, yet all the circuits (except Quebec) were as
regularly supplied as circumstances would admit of with American preachers.
"4. It furthermore appears, from written and verbal communications, that it is
the desire of the great majority of the people in Upper and Lower Canada to be
supplied, as heretofore, with preachers from the United States.
"5. In the two provinces there are twelve circuits and one station, (Montreal,)
which have eleven meeting-houses, which have been hitherto supplied by American
preachers.
"These things being duly considered, together with the contiguity of those
provinces to the western and northern parts of the United States, your committee
respectfully submit the following resolutions: --
"Resolved by the delegates of the Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, in General Conference assembled,
"1. That we cannot, consistently with our duty to the societies of our charge in
the Canadas, give up any part of them, or any of our chapels in those provinces,
to the superintendence of the British connection.
"2. That a respectful letter be addressed to the London Methodist Missionary
Society, explaining the reasons for the above resolution."
A letter was accordingly addressed to the missionary committee of London,
explanatory of the reasons which led to the conclusions stated in the above
report, and requesting that the preachers of each connection might be permitted
to occupy in peace their respective fields of labor; but, whatever might have
been the pacific disposition of the two bodies of Methodists in Great Britain
and the United States, and however sincere and ardent their desire for mutual
good understanding and brotherly affection, there were local feelings existing
in the societies in some places, particularly in Montreal and Kingston, which
could not be so easily satisfied; hence the society in the former place remained
in a divided state, one party being supplied from England, and the other from
the United States: and thus Judah continued to vex Ephraim, until, after a lapse
of some years, an amicable arrangement was made between the British and American
connection.
It was beyond all controversy that the present state of the work required an
additional number of bishops. Accordingly the committee on the episcopacy
reported as follows in reference to this subject, which was concurred in by the
conference:--
"1. It is the opinion of your committee that the state of the superintendency,
in consequence of the ever to be lamented death of our venerable father, Bishop
Asbury, and the impaired state of the health of Bishop McKendree, and the
increasing extent of the work, is such as require immediate and adequate
strengthening;" and hence they recommended that two additional bishops be
elected and consecrated."
On May 14, Enoch George and Robert Richford Roberts were elected by ballot, the
former having fifty-seven and the latter fifty-five votes out of one hundred and
six that were cast. They were accordingly consecrated in due form, and, after
the adjournment of conference, entered upon their peculiar work with zeal and
energy.
The effect of the numerous locations on the ministry, and the want of more
efficient means for its intellectual improvement, induced this conference to
appoint a committee to take these subjects into consideration, and, if
practicable, provide an adequate remedy. And as the report of this committee,
and the action of the conference thereon, had a very important bearing upon
these interests, the report, as it was adopted by the conference, is given
entire.
"The committee of ways and means, appointed to provide a more ample support of
the ministry among us, to prevent locations, and the admission of improper
persons into the itinerancy, have taken the subjects committed to them under
serious consideration. They have found, with serious concern and deep regret,
that, in the present state of things, there exist many evils, which threaten to
undermine that system of itinerating preaching which, under the blessing of God,
has been so successful in spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"1. The small pittance allowed to our preachers, and, in many places, the
inefficient means used to insure even that, we conceive to be one reason why so
many of our useful ministers are induced to locate. Groaning under the pressure
of poverty now, and looking forward to a superannuated state, without adequate
means afforded them for a comfortable support in the decline of life, they sink
under the melancholy prospect, and reluctantly retire from the field, that they
may provide a morsel of bread for themselves, their wives, and children.
"2. The many locations, from these and other causes, have a manifest tendency to
weaken and embarrass the itinerancy, by obliging us to fill up the vacancies
with persons not competent to the work assigned them, and to commit the
administration, in some of its important branches, to the hands of young and
inexperienced men.
"3. To the same causes we may attribute the many partial locations, that is,
families of traveling preachers which are immovably fixed. Their scanty
allowance furnishes an excuse (whether justifiable or not, your committee
presume not to determine) for combining farming, mercantile business, &c., with
the ministration of God's word. This practice, in the opinion of your committee,
exceedingly embarrasses the general superintendency, in the frequent changes
which, in the discharge of its duty, are unavoidable. In consequence of this,
either those whose families are thus located must be subject to distant removals
from their families, or others must be exposed to the inconvenience of frequent
and distant removals, to make way for those who are in this partially located
state.
"4. We perceive a manifest defect among us, occasioned in some measure by the
multiplicity of locations, in regard to ministerial qualifications. Although a
collegiate education is not, by your committee, deemed essential to a gospel
ministry, yet it appears absolutely necessary for every minister of the gospel
to study to show himself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed. Every one, therefore, who would be useful as a minister in the Church,
should, to a sincere piety and laudable zeal for the salvation of souls, add an
ardent desire for useful knowledge; -- he should strive by every lawful means to
imbue his mind with every science which is intimately connected with the
doctrine of salvation by Jesus Christ, and which will enable him to understand
and illustrate the sacred Scriptures. But the early departure of many from the
work of the ministry among us, of those whose piety, zeal, talent, and mental
improvement justified the expectation of their extensive usefulness in the
Church, and the manifest indifference of some who remain with us to this
important branch of ministerial duty, thus stripping the Church of some of its
brightest ornaments, not only exposes her nakedness, but loudly calls for the
prompt and vigorous interference of the General Conference. To obviate these
evils, and to secure to the Church a succession of holy, zealous, and useful
ministers, becomes at this time, in the humble opinion of your committee, the
imperious duty of this conference. To accomplish these very desirable objects,
your committee beg leave to recommend the following resolutions, viz.:
"Resolved. 1. That it shall be the duty of the presiding elders and preachers to
use their influence to carry the rule of Discipline relating to building and
renting houses for accommodation of preachers and families into effect. In order
to this, each quarterly meeting conference shall appoint a committee, (unless
other measures have been adopted,) who, with the aid and advice of the preachers
and presiding elder, shall devise such means as may seem fit to raise moneys for
that purpose. And we furthermore recommend to each annual conference to make
special inquiry of its members respecting this part of their duty.
"2. That those preachers who refuse to occupy the houses which may be provided
for them on the stations and circuits where they are from time to time
appointed, shall be allowed nothing for house-rent, nor receive anything more
than their simple quarterage for themselves, wives, and children, and their
traveling expenses. Nevertheless, this rule shall not apply to those preachers
whose families are either established within the bounds of their circuits or
stations, or are so situated that, in the judgment of the stewards, or the
above-mentioned committee, it is not necessary for the benefit of the circuit to
remove them.
"3. That that part of the Discipline which relates to the temporal economy of
our Church be so altered as to make the annual allowance of preachers one
hundred dollars, and that of their wives and widows one hundred dollars.
"4. That there be a committee appointed by the quarterly meeting conference of
every circuit and station, consisting of members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, whose duty it shall be to make an estimate of the amount necessary to
furnish fuel and table expenses of the family or families of the preachers
stationed with them, and that the stewards shall provide, by such means as they
shall devise, to meet such expenses, in money or otherwise; -- provided that the
quarterly allowance of the preachers shall first be paid by the stewards.
"5. That there be a meeting in every district of one steward from each station
and circuit, to be selected from among the stewards by the quarterly conference,
whose duty it shall be, by and with the advice of the presiding elders who shall
preside in such meeting, to take into consideration the general state of the
district in regard to temporalities, and to furnish a house and provision for
the presiding elders' families, in conformity to the first and fourth
resolutions of this report.
"In order more effectually to provide for the distressed traveling,
superannuated, and supernumerary preachers, their wives, widows, and children,
your committee earnestly recommend,
"6. That each annual conference, in such way and manner as they may think
proper, raise a fund for these purposes, according to the 6th article of the 5th
section of the temporal economy of our Church.
"Thinking the Discipline sufficiently explicit on those points which relate to
the Christian experience, practice, &c., of preachers, your committee deem it
needless to add any thing on these subjects. But they beg leave to recommend,
"7. That it be the duty of the bishop or bishops, or a committee which they may
appoint in each annual conference, to point out a course of reading and study
proper to be pursued by candidates for the ministry; and the presiding elders,
whenever a person is presented as a candidate for the ministry, shall direct him
to those studies which have been thus recommended. And before any such candidate
shall be received into full connection, he shall give satisfactory evidence
respecting his knowledge of those particular subjects which have been
recommended to his consideration."
The adoption of this report, it is believed, had a salutary influence upon the
ministry and membership, by exciting a spirit of liberality, and leading to a
more vigorous action in respect to acquiring a greater amount of ministerial
qualification.
From that time forth a regular course of study has been prescribed by the
bishops for those on trial in the annual conferences, to which the candidates
must attend, and give satisfactory evidence of their attainments, especially in
theological science, before they can be admitted into full membership as
itinerant ministers. Though the course of study at first was very limited in
some of the conferences, and the examinations comparatively superficial, it has
been gradually enlarged and improved, so much so as to require a great compass
of knowledge to be able to pass an approved examination. Still there is much
wanting to give that thorough training which is most desirable for the full and
profitable development of the mental powers, and their energetic application in
the field of usefulness.
A committee of safety was also appointed, who reported that doctrines in some
instances adverse to the standards of our Church were insinuating themselves
among us -- that the building churches with pews to rent or sell was gaining an
ascendency in some places, and that the rules on dress and the manner of
ministerial support were but negligently enforced: whereupon the following
resolutions were adopted:--
"1. Resolved by the delegates of the annual conferences in General Conference
assembled, That the General Conference do earnestly recommend the
superintendents to make the most careful inquiry in all the annual conferences,
in order to ascertain whether any doctrines are embraced or preached contrary to
our established Articles of Faith; and to use their influence to prevent the
existence and circulation of all such doctrines.
"2. Resolved, &c., That it be specially recommended to all the presiding elders
and stationed and circuit preachers to take particular care that all our houses
of worship be secured on the principles of our deed of settlement, in the form
of Discipline.
"3. Resolved, &c., That the manner of building houses of religious worship with
pews is contrary to the rules of our economy, and inconsistent with the
interests of our societies.
"4. Resolved, &c., That it is the opinion of this conference that the practice
of assessing and collecting taxes by civil law for the support of the ministers
of the gospel is contrary to the temporal economy of our Church, and
inconsistent with apostolic example; that it goes to impede the progress of
experimental religion and destroy the itinerant plan. And the superintendents
with all the annual conferences are hereby desired to take such measures as in
their judgment will most effectually cure such an evil.
"5. Resolved, &c., That the superintendents, together with all the presiding
elders and assistant preachers, be, and hereby are, earnestly requested to carry
into effect, in their several charges, our rules on dress, family worship,
love-feasts, class and society meetings.
"6. Resolved, &c., That no preacher having the charge of a circuit shall be
allowed to divide or in any way to lessen the circuit, without the consent and
advice of the presiding elder.
"7. Resolved, &c., That it be, and hereby is, recommended to the bishops and
presiding elders, in the general and particular oversight of their charges, to
guard against such divisions and reductions of districts and circuits, as in
their judgment may be inconsistent with the temporal and spiritual interests of
our societies, and the preservation of the energies of our itinerant system."
No part of this report was incorporated in the Discipline, but it was ordered
that it should be recorded on the journals of the several annual conferences,
and, so far as relates to the building of churches with slips to rent or sell,
it has remained a dead letter in many parts of our work. The practice of renting
pews at that time was limited to a few places, but it has since extended more
and more through the eastern and some of the more northern conferences, the
people pleading the necessity of the case for a departure in this respect from
the primitive usage of Methodism.
It may be regretted that the state of society requires us to relinquish the mode
of building churches with free seats; but as it is not pretended to be in itself
sinful to rent or sell the seats, the expediency of the measure must be
determined by the probable utility in any given place of resorting to this
method of providing houses of worship. And when the question is put, "Shall we
have such a house or none?" as is the case in many parts of our country, it is
believed that hesitancy should be at an end, and that we should be guilty of a
dereliction of duty were we to refuse to avail ourselves of this means to
provide homes in which we may preach the gospel to sinners.
It is, however, admitted, that houses with free seats, when they can be built
and paid for, and the people induced to occupy them, are to be preferred; but if
otherwise, it appears like an inexcusable pertinacity in so cleaving to a usage
not expressly enjoined in Scripture, as to refuse to preach the gospel and
administer the ordinances in a house of worship merely because the seats are
rented.
Sundry memorials from local preachers were presented to this General Conference,
praying for an enlargement of their privileges: 1. To have a representation in
the councils of the Church: 2. Be permitted a share in the administration of the
discipline; and, 3. To stipulate with the people who might wish for their
services for a certain amount of salary. The committee appointed to take these
memorials into consideration reported as follows:--
"Your committee are of opinion that the first request is inconsistent with the
constitution of the General Conference; -- that the second is inexpedient; --
that as to the third, provision is already made for the relief of local
preachers in certain cases, and it is the opinion of the committee that this
General Conference ought not to make any further provision, except as is
hereinafter recommended.
"From an attentive inquiry into the state of the local preachers in all parts of
our vast continent, we are happy to be able to say, that the great body of that
very respectable and useful class of our brethren are, in our judgment, the firm
friends and supporters of our doctrines, discipline, and Church government; and
that by far the greater part of them would be much grieved at any radical
changes in our present regulations. But upon examining those parts of our
Discipline which respect local preachers, your committee beg leave to recommend
the following amendments."
On this recommendation the section relating to local preachers was so altered as
to read as follows:--
"Before any person shall be licensed to preach as a local preacher among us, he
shall bring a recommendation from the society or class of which he is a member,
and be personally examined before the quarterly meeting conference by the
presiding elder, or, in his absence, by the preacher having the charge, touching
his acquaintance with the doctrines of our Church, to which he shall declare his
assent, together with his gifts and grace for preaching; and if he be approved
by the quarterly meeting conference in these respects, and they believe he will
be generally acceptable and useful as a preacher, he shall then receive a
license, signed by the presiding elder, or, in his absence, by the preacher
having charge, which license it shall be the duty of such local preacher to have
annually renewed."
After a few other verbal alterations, the section provided as follows:--
"Whenever a local preacher shall remove from one circuit to another, he shall
procure from the presiding elder of the district, or the preacher having the
charge of the circuit, a certificate of his official standing in the Church at
the time of his removal, without which he shall not be received as a local
preacher in another place."
The following item respecting the manner in which exhorters should receive
authority to exercise their gifts was ordered to be inserted in the Discipline,
and was so done accordingly. The preacher in charge, among other duties, was to
have authority:--
"To license such persons as he may judge proper to officiate as exhorters in the
Church, provided no person shall be licensed without the consent of a leaders'
meeting, or of the class of which he is a member, where no leaders' meeting is
held; and the exhorters so authorized shall be subject to the annual examination
of character in the quarterly meeting conference, and have their license
annually renewed by the presiding elder, or the preacher having the charge, if
approved of by the quarterly meeting conference."
That part of the Discipline which relates to circuit stewards was so amended as
to make them responsible to the quarterly meeting conference "for the faithful
performance of their duties."
Hitherto it had been the duty of an annual conference, if it had any surplus
money on hand after paying its own claimants, to send it to the next conference.
This regulation was so altered at this conference as to make it the duty of the
annual conference to "send such surplus forward to that conference they judge to
be most necessitous."
As the two bishops who had been elected and consecrated at this conference were
men of families, and as no provision had been made in the Discipline for the
support of such families, it was ordered that the "book agents, in conjunction
with the book committee New York, be authorized to estimate the sum to defray
the necessary expenses of the bishops' families, for which they shall be
authorized to draw on the editor and general book steward."
Joshua Soule and Thomas Mason were elected book agents, and the conference
renewed the order for the publication of the Methodist Magazine, in monthly
numbers of forty octavo pages each, and required each annual conference to
appoint a committee of three to receive and forward communications, and
otherwise to furnish materials for the work. The Magazine, however, was not
commenced till 1818, and the appointment of these committees answered no
valuable purpose, as but little aid was afforded by them to the editors.
These include all the acts of this conference worthy of public record, or which
went to affect the general administration. On the 24th of May the business
closed by adjournment, to meet again in the city of Baltimore, May 1, 1820.
* * * * * * *
PART 21
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 4
(From The Year 1816 To The Year 1828)
From the Close of the General Conference of 1816 to the Commencement of the
General Conference of 1820
1817
There were, by an act of the foregoing General Conference, two new conferences,
namely Mississippi and Missouri, added to the number, making in all eleven
annual conferences to be attended by the three bishops. Though some had
contended that it would be most convenient to divide the episcopal supervision
so as to apportion a specified district of country to each bishop, yet the
majority thought it most advisable to leave these things to be regulated by the
bishops themselves, as they might judge most convenient for an efficient
oversight of the whole work; and they concluded that this object could be
accomplished most easily and energetically by an interchange of labors, so that
each bishop should visit all the conferences at least once in the four years.
This, it was contended, would best answer the character of a general itinerating
superintendency, prevent local interests and jealousies from springing up, and
tend most effectually to preserve that homogeneousness of character and
reciprocity of brotherly feeling by which Methodism had been and should be ever
distinguished. The bishops accordingly commenced their labors on this plan, and,
as far as health and other existing circumstances would allow, steadily pursued
it until the close of their quadrennial term.
The "Tract Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church" was formed this year, by
some members of our Church, with a view to furnish the poorer class of the
community with religious reading. It is true that a small society, managed by a
few pious and benevolent females, had been formed a short time previously, but
its operations were extremely limited. The society now formed took a wider
range, and commenced publishing its tracts and distributing them with spirit and
energy. It has gone on from that time to the present, increasing the number and
variety of its tracts, and enlarging the sphere of its operations; and has done
much good by diffusing abroad the truths of the gospel, by issuing doctrinal,
experimental, and practical illustrations of the Holy Scriptures.
This method of scattering among the great mass of the people, in the cheapest
possible form, and in a small compass, religious knowledge, was begun by Mr.
Wesley at an early period of his ministry, and was one of the means to which he
resorted to effect the reformation and salvation of the world. Under date of
Dec. 18, 1745, he says: "We had within a short time given away some thousands of
little tracts among the common people. And it pleased God hereby to provoke
others to jealousy. Insomuch that the lord mayor had ordered a large quantity of
papers, dissuading from cursing and swearing, to be printed and distributed to
the trainband. And this day An Earnest Appeal to Repentance was given at every
church door, in or near London, to every person who came out; and one left at
the house of every householder who was absent from church. I doubt not but God
gave a blessing therewith." Here was an example for the distribution of tracts
long before any tract society existed either in Great Britain or America; and
Mr. Wesley continued the practice from that time forward with unexampled
diligence, furnishing those who were willing to aid him in this good method of
"sowing the seed of the kingdom" with short and pithy tracts, such as "A Word to
the Drunkard," "A Word to the Swearer," to the "Smuggler," to the
"Sabbath-breaker," &c., &c., for gratuitous distribution.
This method, so admirably adapted to bring religious instruction within the
reach of all classes of men, but more especially the poor, and those who have
little time and less inclination to read, was afterward adopted by Miss Hannah
More [sic], by which she contributed much to check the progress of infidelity,
which about that time threatened to deluge the land. Following these examples,
others had resorted to the same means for diffusing religious truth more
effectually among the people, both in Europe and America. And, as we have before
seen, Bishop Asbury had done much by his individual exertions in the same way.
From a knowledge of the good effects resulting from this practice at the time of
which we now speak, a combination of effort was made by forming the Tract
Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which has resulted most beneficially
to the best interests of mankind. After a few years of experiment, the whole
concern, by an amicable arrangement, was transferred to the book agency, and
thenceforward it has been conducted as a part and parcel of that establishment.
The records within my reach do not enable me to notice any particular
enlargement of the work in the new countries, nor special revivals in other
places. There was, however, a gradual increase in many places, and an extension
of the circuits in others, as may be seen by an inspection of the numbers in
Church fellowship.
Fifty-two preachers located this year, fourteen were returned supernumerary,
thirty-eight superannuated, two had been expelled, one withdrawn, and five had
died.
Among those who had entered their rest the past year was the Rev. Jesse Lee. He
was born in Prince George's county, in the state of Virginia, in 1758. His
parents were respectable, and they gave him that sort of education which it was
common in those days to bestow on boys not destined for any learned profession.
In the fifteenth year of his age he was happily brought to the knowledge of the
truth, and made a partaker of the pardoning mercy of God. In the year 1783, one
year before the organization of our Church, he entered the traveling ministry,
and continued in it with great zeal and much success till his death, which
happened on the 12th of August, 1816.
As the preceding pages of this History have recorded much respecting his early
labors in the cause of Christ, particularly in New England, it is not necessary
to recapitulate them in this place. The last station he filled was Annapolis,
the metropolis of Maryland. While here he attended a camp meeting near
Hillsborough, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where he preached twice with
great acceptance and power; and in the evening of the day on which he preached
his last sermon he was seized with a chill and fever, from which he never
recovered. During this time he frequently expressed himself in terms of unshaken
confidence in his God, and on one occasion shouted aloud, Glory! Glory! Glory!
Hallelujah! Jesus reigns!"
On the same evening he spoke for nearly twenty minutes with great deliberation,
requesting, among other things, that a letter should be written to his brother,
to let him know that he died happy in the Lord, and also that he was fully
satisfied with the kind treatment he had received from brother Sellers, at whose
house he died.
It seems that there had existed between Jesse Lee and Bishop McKendree some
difficulty, by which a degree of alienation of affection had taken place, much
to the grief of their mutual friends. Before, however, the former closed his
eyes in death, he said to a friend of both, "Give my respects to Bishop
McKendree, and tell him that I die in love with all the preachers; that I love
him; and that he lives in my heart." With these sentiments of brotherly love in
his heart, and a consciousness of the peace of God overflowing his soul, this
veteran of the cross and minister of Christ fell asleep in Jesus, at about half
past seven o'clock in the evening of the twelfth of September, 1816, aged
fifty-eight years, having been in the itinerant ministry about thirty-three
years.
When Jesse Lee joined the Methodists they were few in number, much despised and
persecuted, and had therefore to contend with many sorts of opposition. Yet in
the midst of these things he boldly espoused the cause, and early displayed that
independence of mind for which he was ever afterward characterized. That same
love of Christ which was shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Spirit at his
conversion, impelled him forward in the path of duty as a minister of Jesus
Christ, and enabled him to bear up under the various sorts of reproach which
were usually cast upon Methodist preachers in those days, and to persevere
through all in the discharge of his high duties as an ambassador of God.
We do not, indeed, rank him among ministers of the most eminent talents as a
preacher. His education was limited, his reading confined to a small circle of
authors, and his mind was left principally to its own resources in handling the
subjects which came up for investigation. Yet his talents were respectable, and
his burning zeal in the cause of Christ compensated, in some measure at least,
for the lack of those expanded views which might have been acquired by a more
extended and critical knowledge of literature and science. But being possessed
of strong common sense, of a ready wit, and sound understanding, and being
brought, by his extensive travels, into contact with various classes of men, of
different views and habits, he treasured up from his daily experience and
observation much useful knowledge, of which he could avail himself in time of
need, in defense of the truths he preached, and the plans of procedure he had
adopted. This also gave him a deep insight into the human character, and
qualified him to adapt himself with admirable facility to the variety of
exigencies which arose before him.
His preaching was chiefly of an experimental and practical character; and had he
not sometimes lowered the dignity of the pulpit by facetious sayings, more
calculated to "court a grin, or woo a smile," than they were to inspire respect
"for that holy place, the pulpit," he might be more safely held up for the
imitation of others. Though we by no means condemn an innocent sally of wit, nor
that satire which dresses up vice and folly in their own native deformity, yet,
whenever either of these is so far indulged as to leave the mind barren, or to
divert the soul from the spirit of devotion, it evinces the necessity of laying
a restraint upon this witty disposition of the mind, and of making it bow to the
more sober dictates of manly truth and logical argument.
It has also been objected to Mr. Lee, that he evinced an ambitious mind; and his
disappointment at not being elected a bishop at the time Richard Whatcoat was
chosen to that office has been adduced as an evidence that he was ambitious of
office. That he had reason to expect such an appointment must be granted. That
Bishop Asbury had designated him, at one time, as a proper person for that
office, is equally manifest. And hence, that he suffered some degree of
mortification at his non-election, it is reasonable to suppose; and that this
might have created some uneasiness in his mind, and have biased his judgment and
feelings toward those who were preferred before him, is not at all unlikely. But
these things by no means prove the existence of an unholy ambition, or an
improper thirst for human fame. A man may be very improperly deprived of his
rights by the unjust imputations of others, by intrigue, jealousy, and a mean
compliance with the dictates of the spirit of rivalry. Without, however,
pretending to decide whether or not Jesse Lee should have been elected to the
office of a bishop, he may have thought himself justly entitled to that
distinction, and hence, from a simple desire to be more extensively useful, he
might have desired it without subjecting himself to the charge of indulging in a
criminal ambition. That he was ambitious to do good on the most extensive scale
is manifest from the whole tenor of his conduct, from the sacrifices he made in
the cause of Christ, and the manner in which he employed his time and talents.
But whatever defects the keen eye of criticism may have discovered in his
character or conduct, they must be ranked among those venial faults which are
common to human beings -- defects of the head, not of the heart; of education,
and not from moral or intellectual obliquity. The integrity of his heart, the
uprightness of his deportment, and his indefatigable labors in the best of all
causes, effectually shield him from all imputations of moral delinquency, and
place him high on the pedestal of honor among his brethren of that age of
Methodism.
He, indeed, opened the way for the introduction of Methodism in many new places,
in doing which he had to contend with a variety of difficulties of a peculiar
character; and the firm and prudent manner in which he encountered and overcame
those difficulties evinced at once his moral courage, the purity of his motives,
and the strength of his understanding. In New England especially, where the
people were generally well instructed on religious subjects, and where he
frequently came in contact with ministers of other denominations whose doctrinal
views differed, in some important points, from his own, he was called upon to
exercise all his ingenuity and patience in defending himself against his
assailants, and in planting the standard of Methodism in that land of the
pilgrims. And this was one of the best schools in which a minister could be
educated. Coming in collision with error in all its various hues, with folly and
vice in all the shapes they generally assume, whether in open profanity, or of a
secret, disguised infidelity, hypocrisy, and "cunning craftiness," a minister
must be armed at all points to be able effectually to ward off the attacks of
his opponents, to unmask the hypocrite, to detect the sophistry of infidelity,
and to establish the truth upon a firm foundation. Yet this was the work which
Jesse Lee, and others engaged with him in that day, had to perform. He stood
alone against a host. He manfully fought the battles of the Lord, and came off
"more than a conqueror." Hence his name is remembered with gratitude and
veneration by the men of that generation, who bore witness to his self-denying
zeal and persevering efforts to do them good.
His preaching was not distinguished by profound depth of thought, by a regular
chain of argumentation, or by any sudden flights of oratory, but by a gentle
flow of language, by apposite appeals to Scripture, by apt illustrations from
experience and observation, and often by anecdotes which he had treasured up
from his extensive travels and social intercourse with mankind. He generally
addressed himself to the heart, and sought to effect a reformation there,
knowing full well that a reformation of life would necessarily follow: and he
won the affections of the sinner to Jesus Christ by the power of truth addressed
to him in the persuasive language of the gospel, rather than by awakening his
fears by the terrors of the law.
There was an engaging variety in his sermons. Having surveyed, as far as he was
able, the whole field of theological truth, he was qualified to present it in
all its various aspects, without tiring the hearer with a dull monotony of the
same thing over and over again. As a writer, Jesse Lee is more distinguished for
his industry in collating and his fidelity in recording facts, than he is for
the chasteness and elegance of his style. There is, however, a pleasing
simplicity in the plain and unvarnished manner in which his history is composed,
far more to be commended than that labored and pompous style of writing with
which some authors endeavor to decorate their pages. Jesse Lee was the first
historian of American Methodism. As such, he deserves the thanks of the Church
for the faithful and accurate manner in which he has recorded the events of his
day, though it is evident that his judgment was biased, in some instances,
either by personal prejudice, or by too great a tenacity for his own peculiar
views. It must be confessed, too, that his history is wanting in the variety of
incident and copiousness of detail which are essential to excite interest and to
satisfy the desire of those readers who wish for full information respecting the
character, doings, and progress of this branch of the church of Christ.
His personal appearance was respectable and commanding; his countenance
intelligent, and marked with that shrewdness by which he was peculiarly
distinguished and often a pleasant smile played upon his lips, which gave an air
of cheerfulness to his conversation with his friends. As he advanced in life he
became quite corpulent, so much so that it seemed a labor for him either to walk
or ride. This, however, did not arise from a luxurious mode of living, for he
was exceedingly temperate in his habits, as well as plain in his manners and
dress.
Such was Jesse Lee, as nearly as I am able to describe him. If the portraiture
be faulty, it must be attributed to want of skill in the painter, and not
fidelity in the heart or hand which guided the pencil. As such he stands
enrolled among those early Methodist preachers who contributed by their deep
piety, their sacrifices, and labors, to lay the foundation of that
superstructure which has since arisen in such beauty and grandeur in this
western world. And having "finished his course, and kept the faith," he is now
reaping the reward of his sacrifices and toils in the world of glory
everlasting.
Samuel Waggoner, Peter Wyatt, John Van Schoick, and Stephen Richmond had also
filled up the measure of their days in usefulness, and gone to their home in
peace.
It seems proper to record here the death of another eminent servant of God who
had exchanged worlds during the past year, namely, the Rev. George Shadford. As
he had devoted several years to the service of his Master in America, justice
requires that some notice should be taken of him in the history of our Zion.
He was born near Lincolnshire, at a place called Slotter, in England, January
19,1739. He was educated in the principles of the Established Church; was early
taught by his parents to read the Holy Scriptures, the necessity of prayer, us
well as to repeat his catechism; and at a suitable age was confirmed by the
bishop, and received the sacrament of the Lord's supper. Though he was thus
taught the form of godliness, he remained unchanged in heart until he was in his
twenty-fourth year, when, after various struggles against sin and error, he was
brought into gospel liberty by the instrumentality of the Methodist ministry. He
was soon after led forth into the ministry of the word, and in 1768 joined the
itinerant ministry under the direction of Mr. Wesley. It soon appeared, by the
blessed effects of his ministrations, that a dispensation of the gospel had been
committed to him. After continuing in this work for about four years, during
which time God had given him the most indubitable marks of his approbation,
hearing Captain Webb speak of the state of things in America, and the great want
of preachers, Mr. Shadford offered his services for this new field of labor. His
offer being accepted by Mr. Wesley, in company with Mr. Thomas Rankin, on Good
Friday, he set sail for America, and after a voyage of eight weeks safely landed
in Philadelphia, where he was most cordially received by the people. He
immediately entered upon his work, and God attended his word with his blessing.
He visited Trenton and various parts of New Jersey, and then came to New York.
In all these places God gave him seals to his ministry.
When he was about leaving the city of Philadelphia the following remarkable
circumstance happened, which is related in his own words: --
"When I went," said he, "to the inn where my horse was, and had just entered
into the yard, I observed a man fixing his eyes upon me, and looking earnestly,
until he seemed ashamed, and blushed very much. At length he came up to me, and
abruptly said, 'Sir, I saw you in a 'dream last night. When I saw your back as
you came into the yard I thought it was you; but now that I see your face, I am
sure that you are the person. I have been wandering up and down till now,
seeking you.' 'Saw me in a dream,' said I, 'what do you mean?' 'Sir,' said he,
'I did, I am sure I did: and yet I never saw you with my bodily eyes before.
Yesterday in the afternoon I left this city and went as far as Schuylkill river,
intending to cross it, but began to be uneasy, and could not go over it; I
therefore returned to this place, and last night, in my sleep, saw you stand
before me; when a person from another world bade me seek for you until I found
you, and said you would tell me what I must do to be saved. He said also that
one particular mark by which I might know you was, that you preached in the
streets and lanes of the city.' Having spoken this, he immediately asked, 'Pray,
sir, are not you a minister?' I said, 'Yes, I am a preacher of the gospel; and
it is true that I preach in the streets and lanes of the city, which no other
preacher in Philadelphia does. I preach also every Sunday morning, at nine
o'clock, in Newmarket.' I then asked him to step across the way to a friend's
house, where I asked him from whence he came. He answered, 'From the Jerseys.' I
asked whether he had any family; he said, 'Yes, a wife and children.' I asked
where he was going; he said he did not know. I likewise asked, 'Does your wife
know where you are?' He said, 'No; the only reason why I left home was, I had
been very uneasy and unhappy for half a year past, and could rest no longer, but
came to Philadelphia."
"I replied, 'I first advise you to go back to your wife and children, and take
care of them, by obeying God in the order of his providence. It is unnatural,'
said I, 'to leave them in this manner; for even the birds of the air provide for
their young. Secondly, you say you are unhappy; therefore the thing you want is
religion; the love of God, and of all mankind; righteousness, peace, and joy in
the Holy Ghost. When this takes possession of your heart, so as to destroy your
evil tempers, and root out the love of the world, anger, pride, self-will, and
unbelief, then you will be happy. The way to obtain this is, you must forsake
all your sins, and heartily believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you return to
the Jerseys, go to hear the Methodist preachers constantly, and pray to the Lord
to bless the word; and if you heartily embrace it you will become a happy man.'
"While I was exhorting him tears ran plentifully from his eyes. We then kneeled
down to pray, and I was enabled to plead and intercede with much earnestness for
his soul. When we arose from our knees I shook him by the hand: he wept much,
and had a broken heart; but did not know how to part with me. He then set out to
go to his wife in the Jerseys, and I saw him no more; but I trust I shall meet
him in heaven."
Of his subsequent labors in America, and the great success which attended his
preaching, the reader will find an ample account in the first volume of this
History, book ii, chapter 1. The following incident is related as the effect of
his labors while in Virginia. Concerning the new converts who were brought to
the knowledge of the truth during that great and glorious work, Mr. Shadford
says:--
"Among these was a dancing-master, who came first to hear on a week-day, dressed
in scarlet; and came several miles again on Sunday, dressed in green. After
preaching he spoke to me, and asked if I could come to that part where he lived
some day in the week. I told him I could not, as I was engaged every day. I saw
him again at preaching that week, and another man of his profession. When I was
going to preach one morning, a friend said to me, 'Mr. Shadford, you spoiled a
fine dancing-master last week. He was so cut under preaching, and feels such a
load of sin upon his conscience, that he moves very heavily; nay, he cannot
shake his heels at all. He had a profitable school, but hath given it up, and is
determined to dance no more. He intends now to teach reading, writing, and
arithmetic.' I said, 'It is very well; what is his name?' He said, 'He is called
Madcap!' I said, 'A very proper name for a dancing-master;' but I found this was
only a nickname, for his real name was Metcalf. He began to teach school, joined
our society, found the guilt and load of his sin removed from his conscience,
and the pardoning love of God shed abroad in his heart. He lived six or seven
years after, and died a great witness for God, having been one of the most
devoted men in our connection."
In 1778 Mr. Shadford, not willing to throw off his allegiance to the British
government, and not being permitted to remain here in peace without taking the
oath required by the law of the state of Maryland, to be an obedient citizen of
this country, took his departure for England. After his return he continued with
great diligence in the work of an itinerant minister, being everywhere received
as a messenger of God, until, worn down with labor and weakened by disease, he
was compelled, in 1791, to take a supernumerary relation. He did not, however,
bury himself in obscurity, or lead a life of useless inactivity, but persevered
in his work as his strength would permit the remainder of his days. His
biographer gives the following account of his last hours, which is an
instructive comment upon a life of piety and devotion to God:--
"On Monday, February 28, Mr. Shadford dined with his affectionate friend Mr.
Blunt, in company with his brethren. He then appeared in tolerable health, and
ate a hearty dinner. In the course of the week he felt indisposed, from a
complication of diseases. He was under no apprehension at this time that his
departure was so near, as he had frequently felt similar affections, and, by
timely applications to his medical friend Mr. Bush, had been relieved. On
Friday, March 1, he with some difficulty met his class, and afterward said it
was impressed on his mind he should never meet it more. On the Saturday
afternoon I called to inquire about his health, when he said, with unusual
fervor,
'To patient faith the prize is sure;
And all that to the end endure
The cross, shall wear the crown.'
His mind seemed fully occupied with the great and interesting realities of
eternity, and he had no greater pleasure than in meditating and talking of the
redeeming love of God. On the Lord's day morning, March 10, before I went to the
chapel I called to see him and found he had slept most of the night; from this
we flattered ourselves the complaint had taken a favorable turn, and were in
hopes of his recovery. But when the doctor called he said the disease was fast
approaching to a crisis, and it was impossible for him to recover. Upon this
information Mr. Shadford broke out into a rapture, and exclaimed, 'Glory be to
God!' Upon the subject of his acceptance with God, and assurance of eternal
glory, he had not the shadow of a doubt. While he lay in view of an eternal
world, and was asked if all was clear before him, he replied, 'I bless God, it
is;' and added, 'Victory! victory! through the blood of the Lamb!' When Mrs.
Shadford was sitting by him, he repeated, 'What surprise! what surprise!' I
suppose he was reflecting upon his deliverance from a corruptible body, and his
entrance into the presence of his God and Saviour, where every scene surpasses
all imagination, and the boldest fancy returns wearied and unsatisfied in its
loftiest flights.
Two friends, who were anxious for his recovery, called upon him, and when they
inquired how he was, he replied, 'I am going to my Father's house, and find
religion to be an angel in death.' A pious lady, in the course of the day, was
particularly desirous of seeing him, and she asked him to pray for her: he
inquired, 'What shall I pray for?' She said, 'That I may meet you in heaven, to
cast my blood-bought crown at the feet of my Redeemer:' he said, with great
energy, 'The prize is sure.' His pious sayings were numerous, and will long live
in the recollection of many; but a collection of them all would swell this
article beyond due limits. His last words were, 'I'll praise, I'll praise, I'll
praise;' and a little after he fell asleep in Jesus, on March 11,1816, in the
78th year of his age."
The following remarks upon his character are as just as they are true:
"For nearly fifty-four years Mr. Shadford had enjoyed a sense of the divine
favor. His conduct and conversation sufficiently evinced the truth of his
profession. For many years he had professed to enjoy that perfect love which
excludes all slavish fear; and if Christian tempers and a holy walk are proofs
of it, his claims were legitimate. Maintaining an humble dependence upon the
merits of the Redeemer, he steered clear of both Pharisaism and Antinomianism:
his faith worked by love. Truly happy himself, there was nothing forbidding in
his countenance, sour in his manners, or severe in his observations. His company
was always agreeable, and his conversation profitable. If there was any thing
stern in his behavior, it was assumed, to silence calumniators and religious
gossips. In short, he was a man of prayer, and a man of God.
"His abilities as a preacher were not above mediocrity; yet he was a very useful
laborer in the vineyard of the Lord. In illustrating the doctrines of the gospel
he was simple, plain, and clear. His discourses, though not labored, were
methodical, full of Scriptural phraseology, delivered with pathos, and
accompanied with the blessing of God. He did not perplex his hearers with
abstruse reasoning and metaphysical distinctions, but aimed to feed them with
the bread of life; and instead of sending them to a dictionary for an
explanation of a difficult word, he pointed them to the Lamb of God which taketh
away the sin of the world.
"Mr. Shadford was free and generous. His little annual income, managed with a
strict regard to economy, supplied his wants, and left a portion for the poor
and needy. In visiting the sick, while he assisted them by his prayers and
advice, he cheerfully administered to their wants. He spent no idle time in
needless visits or unmeaning chit-chat; and though many of his kind friends in
Frome would have considered it a high favor if he could have been prevailed upon
to partake of their bounty, yet he always declined it, except once a week, at
the hospitable table of his generous friend Mr. Blunt, where he generally met
the preachers with some part of their families. He loved his brethren in the
ministry; and, like an old Soldier who had survived many a campaign, he felt a
plea-sure in retracing the work of God, in which he had been engaged for more
than half a century. He claimed it as a right, and deemed it a privilege, to
have the preachers to take tea with him every Saturday afternoon. There was
nothing sordid in his disposition, and, as far as I could ever observe,
covetousness formed no part of his character. He considered the rule of his
Saviour as having a peculiar claim upon his attention: 'Lay up for yourselves
treasure in heaven.'
"His patience and resignation to the will of God were such, that he has left few
superiors in those passive graces. Some years since he lost his eyesight, and
continued in this state of affliction for several years; but instead of
murmuring at this dispensation of Providence, he bore it with Christian
fortitude. This did not altogether prevent his usefulness; for though the sphere
of his action was circumscribed by it, he could still pray with the afflicted,
converse with the pious, and meet several classes in the week. In this state he
was advised to submit to an operation for the recovery of his sight. The trial
proved successful; and when the surgeon said, 'Sir, now you will have the
pleasure of seeing to use your knife and fork,' Mr. Shadford feelingly replied,
'Doctor, I shall have a greater pleasure; that of seeing to read my Bible.' This
luxury he enjoyed; for when he was permitted to use his eyesight, the first
thing he did was to read the word of life for three hours, reading and weeping
with inexpressible joy. During the whole of his last short illness he betrayed
no symptoms of uneasiness, but cheerfully submitted to the will of God. Through
the last few years of his life he glided smoothly down the stream of time. The
assiduous attention of Mrs. Shadford to all his wants, her sympathy in the
moments of his pain, and unwearied attempts, either to prevent his sufferings or
lessen their force, greatly tended to soften them down. She has lost a pious and
an affectionate husband, and the Methodist Society in Frome one of its best
members."
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 181,442; Last Year: 171,931; Increase:
9,511 -- Colored This Year: 43,411; Last Year: 42,302; Increase: 1,107 -- Total
This Year: 224,853; Last Year: 214,235 -- Increase: 10,618 -- Preachers This
Year: 716; Last Year: 695; Increase: 21.
This year marks a favorable epoch in the history of our Church, by the
recommencement of the Methodist Magazine, the first number of which was
published by J. Soule and T. Mason, in January, 1818. As has already been
remarked, the General Conference of 1812 ordered the resumption of this work,
but the order was never executed. The order was renewed in 1816, yet from some
cause it was not recommenced until this year. Its appearance, even at this late
period, was hailed, by the friends of literature and religion, as the harbinger
of brighter days to our Zion, as it promised to become a medium of information
and instruction to our people generally, and a permanent record of those facts
and incidents which might throw light upon our history in a future day.
As the issuing of this work was entering on an untrodden path by those who were
to guide its course and watch over its destinies, it is no wonder that its
editor, the Rev. Joshua Soule, felt some anxiety for its success, and a
trembling sense of the responsibilities he was about to assume. These he
expressed, in the preface to the first number, in the following language:--
"In publishing this periodical, the editors feel all those sensibilities which
arise from a conviction that its merits are to be tested under the inspection of
an enlightened community. The care and labor inseparable from the agency of the
Book Concern forbid our devoting as much time and application to the selection
and arrangement of materials for publication in the Magazine as its nature and
importance demand. But notwithstanding these embarrassments exist, we trust the
work will be found both useful and entertaining to the real friends of Zion."
The design of the work, and the manner in which it was proposed to carry it into
execution, were thus announced:--
"The great design of this publication is to circulate religious knowledge, a
design which embraces the highest interests of rational existence, as the sum of
individual and social happiness increases in a scale of proportion with the
increase of spiritual light and information.
"In the execution of this design the strictest care will be taken to guard the
purity and simplicity of the doctrines of the gospel against the innovations of
superstition on the one hand, and of false philosophy on the other.
"In admitting controversial subjects into this work, the heat of party zeal and
personal crimination will be carefully avoided."
As before said, the appearance of this work gave great satisfaction to the most
enlightened and intelligent friends of our communion, and hence a commendable
zeal was exemplified in procuring subscribers, that it might have as wide a
circulation as possible among the people of our charge; and I believe that not
less than ten thousand were procured the first year, though its circulation in
subsequent years did not answer the expectations raised by this promising
commencement.
An effort was made last year to resuscitate the cause of education among us. Dr.
Samuel K. Jennings, aided by several benevolent and public spirited individuals
in the city of Baltimore, laid the foundation of a literary institution,
denominated the Asbury College; and it into operation under apparently favorable
auspices, an account of which was published in the March number of the Methodist
Magazine for this year. With this account, however, the friends of education,
who estimated things as they are, were not much gratified, as it seemed to
promise more than could be rationally expected, and was rather calculated to
blazon forth the attainments of the professors than to enlighten the public by a
sober statement of facts.
It continued for a short time, and then, greatly to the disappointment and
mortification of its friends, went down as suddenly as it had come up, and
Asbury College lives only in the recollection of those who rejoiced over its
rise and mourned over its fall -- a fatality which had hitherto attended all
attempts to establish literary institutions among us.
This year was distinguished by some powerful revivals of religion. In the city
of Baltimore the Rev. Stephen G. Roszel gives an account of one of the most
extensive and encouraging revivals ever beheld in that city. It was preceded by
observing days of fasting and prayer, and began at Fell's Point, whence it
spread throughout the entire city, in the progress of which nearly one thousand
souls were brought into church fellowship. The subjects of this great work were
from twelve to eighty and even ninety years of age, many of whom were heads of
families, of respectable standing and influence in society, and others in the
bloom of life, young men and maidens of promising talents, who became pillars in
the Church. The work entered the penitentiary, and quite a number of the
convicts became subjects of the grace of life. Such was the impression made upon
the public mind by this powerful reformation, that even those who were not its
immediate subjects were awed into silent submission, being constrained to
acknowledge the hand of God.
In many other places also, in the bounds of the New York and New England
conferences, there were gracious outpourings of the Spirit of God, and great was
the rejoicing of happy believers over the conversion of penitent sinners.
Southold, on Long Island, and some circuits within the bounds of the Kennebec
district, in Maine, and other places which might be named, were favored with
manifestations of the power and grace of God in the awakening and conversion of
sinners.
In Upper Canada, particularly on the Augusta, Bay of Quinte, Hallowell, and
Niagara circuits, there was a great ingathering of souls into the fold of
Christ, among whom were several Roman Catholics, and eight persons who were over
sixty years of age.
This work commenced at an annual conference held at Elizabethtown in June, 1817,
the first ever held in that province, and thence spread in a glorious manner
through the above-mentioned circuits, bowing the hearts of hundreds, young and
old, and in some instances whole families, to the yoke of Jesus Christ. During
the progress of this great work about one thousand souls were brought from
darkness to light, and added to the Church.
We have heretofore seen that camp meetings, by reason of the irregularities
which brought them into discredit, gradually declined in Kentucky, and were
indeed generally abandoned for several years, especially in the central part of
the state. Their usefulness, however, in other parts of the country, induced
some of the friends of the cause to make an effort to introduce them again into
the interior of Kentucky. The Rev. Le Roy Cole, who joined the traveling
ministry as early as 1777, had located and moved into Clarke county, Ky.; but,
being much devoted to the work of God, he had entered the itinerancy, and was
again zealously engaged in promoting revivals. This year he appointed a camp
meeting in the neighborhood of Cynthiana, in Harrison county. For the first and
second days every thing tended to discourage them -- the rain descended in
torrents, and a company of rude young men came on the ground, with bottles of
whisky in their pockets, evidently determined on mischief. The friends of
religion, however, persevered in their work, and on Saturday night there was a
mighty display of the convincing power of God. Those very young men, who came
for sport, became much alarmed; some, throwing away their whisky bottles, fell
upon their knees in prayer, while others ran into the woods, to escape, if
possible, from their fears; but even here their cries for mercy testified to the
deep anguish of their souls. This was the commencement of a great revival of
religion in that part of the country, which eventuated in the conversion of
about four hundred souls in Cynthiana and its vicinity, under the ministry of
Absalom Hunt, Le Roy Cole, and others, who assisted them in their work. From
this the reformation afterward spread its hallowing influence in various
directions through the country, and camp-meetings regained their lost character
in that part of Kentucky. It is, indeed, said, that during this great and good
work several traveling preachers were raised up, who have since distinguished
themselves for usefulness in the Church.
The general superintendency of the Church, as has been seen in the account given
of the General Conference of 1816, was now committed to three hands, all of whom
entered upon their work with commendable zeal and diligence, traveling through
the length and breadth of their charge, alternately changing with each other, so
that each could pass through his great circuit at least once in four years.
Bishop McKendree, however, enjoyed but a feeble state of health, and could not,
therefore, render that efficient service which was desirable. But his colleagues
were comparatively young and vigorous, their labors incessant, and their
services highly appreciated by the Church generally.
Of the living it would be unseemly to speak in terms of fulsome flattery, while
of the dead they may be told without the fear of censure for either praise or
dispraise. Of Bishop McKendree we have already spoken, while giving an account
of his election to office. Bishop George was a man singularly devoted to God, of
great natural eloquence, and his preaching was "in the demonstration of the
Spirit and power;" and wherever he went he diffused the spirit of piety and of
Christian and ministerial zeal among preachers and people. And it is enough to
say that his colleague, Bishop Roberts, gave equal evidence of his strong
attachment to the cause he had espoused, and general satisfaction to his
brethren by the manner in which he discharged his duties. In the hands of such
men the government was administered with fidelity, the conferences attended with
punctuality, and the union, peace, and prosperity of the Church generally
secured and promoted.
But though the health of Bishop McKendree was delicate, he was enabled to move
around among the churches, and to discharge a portion of the duties of the
superintendency. This year he traveled through the southern and western states,
extending his visits to Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, and Missouri, in
which he passed through several tribes of Indians. Though his bodily infirmities
were such that his friends had to assist him in mounting and dismounting his
horse, yet his zeal for God and perishing souls impelled him forward, and
enabled him to triumph over all the difficulties of his journey, and to perform,
with such assistance as he could procure, the duties of his office. Such,
however, was his feebleness when he came to the Tennessee conference, that he
had to be taken from his bed and supported by two preachers while he performed
the ordination services, which he did on the camp ground where the exercises
were held on the sabbath. The rest of his journey was pursued in a like state of
feebleness and pain, and his sufferings were heightened by his being obliged to
lodge in the woods eight or ten nights while passing through the Choctaw and
Chickasaw nations of Indians. In these labors he was borne up by a consciousness
of the divine approbation, and cheered by the good countenance and affectionate
attentions of his brethren and friends.
Fifty were located, seventeen returned supernumerary, thirty-eight
superannuated, and five, namely, William Patridge, Anthony Senter, Henry
Padgett, Hezekiah Harryman, and Gad Smith, had died in peace. A strong testimony
in favor of all these is left on record; but the last mentioned, Gad Smith, was
one of the most devoted, diligence, and useful young ministers I ever knew. His
race was short, but it was attended with most evident marks of the divine favor.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 190,447; Last Year: 181,442; Increase:
9,035 -- Colored This Year: 39,150; Last Year: 43,411; Decrease: 4,261 -- Total
This Year: 229,627; Last Year: 224,853 -- Increase: 4,774 -- Preachers This
Year: 748; Last Year: 716; Increase: 32.
The reader will perceive that while there was an increase of white members
amounting to 9,035, there was a decrease of 4,261 of the colored members,
reducing the actual increase to 4,774.
This diminution in the number of colored communicants was owing to the influence
of the Allenite secession, before mentioned, which had now spread into the city
of New York and some other places, exciting quite a spirit of dissatisfaction in
the minds of many of this class of our membership. Indeed, a desire to become
independent of the white preachers had manifested itself for some time among a
portion of our colored congregations, not because they were oppressed, -- for
our services had been rendered mostly gratuitous, the entire colored
congregation in the city of New York not paying more, at any time, than two
hundred dollars a year for the support of the ministry, -- but chiefly from a
disposition to manage their own affairs in their own way, without check or
control from their white brethren, pleading that they had piety and talent among
themselves sufficient to guide them in their counsels, to supply their pulpits,
and to exercise the discipline of the Church. It is not known, however, that
they departed in any degree from the, doctrines which they had received, or from
the General Rules of the United Societies. In this respect, therefore, they
remained Methodists still, while they declared themselves independent in regard
to a general control over their societies and church property.
1819
This year was distinguished for the origin and commencement of the Missionary
society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
It is true that Methodism had been justly considered missionary in its character
from its beginning. Among all modern missionaries, John Wesley was the greatest,
the most evangelical, laborious, and successful. The method which he adopted and
pursued to the end of his most useful life included in it all the elements of a
missionary society, missionary plans, and operations. And the manner in which
our Church was organized in this country partook of the like missionary
character. The first Wesleyan ministers who came to this country were
missionaries, in the proper sense of that word; and it was by carrying out the
spirit and plans which they adopted, itinerating as extensively as possible
through the country, that the gospel took such a rapid spread through the
instrumentality of their successors.
Yet, on the increase of our work, bringing the circuits, districts, and
conferences into a more regular and compact order, it was found that it was
losing somewhat of its missionary character, and therefore needed, that it might
take a still wider range of usefulness, something by which a more expansive
field of labor might be occupied. This could be done only by grafting upon the
original stock the branch of a missionary society, subject to such regulations
as should bring it strictly within the control of the general superintendency.
It was found also that there were many parts of our country, both in the old and
new settlements, where the people were either too poor or too indifferent about
their eternal interests to grant any thing like a competent support to those who
might be sent to preach the gospel to them. With these difficulties we had long
contended, and many of our preachers had suffered all sorts of hardships in
conveying to the people in these circumstances the glad tidings of salvation.
But as they had succeeded in raising up societies, many of which had become
comparatively wealthy, it was thought to be nothing more than a duty which the
Church owed to God and to mankind, that its members should contribute a portion
of their earthly substance to aid in supplying the spiritual wants of those
destitute places. Under these impressions it was concluded that if a united and
systematic plan could be devised to call forth the ability and liberality of the
Church, that amount of human suffering arising from pecuniary embarrassments
might be greatly diminished, the gospel be more extensively spread among the
poor and the destitute, and those men of God who were willing to devote their
energies to this noble enterprise be relieved from the anxieties arising from
present or prospective want and suffering. These thoughts had long occupied the
minds of some of the most enlightened and warm-hearted ministers and members of
our Church.
This subject accordingly became the topic of conversation among several
individuals in the city of New York in the beginning of this year, some for and
some against the measure. At length, at a meeting of preacher's stationed in New
York, and the book agents, the Rev. Laban Clark presented a resolution in favor
of forming a Bible and missionary society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At
this time the following preachers were present, namely, Freeborn Garrettson,
Joshua Soule, Samuel Merwin, Nathan Bangs, Laban Clark, Thomas Mason, Seth
Crowell, Samuel Howe, and Thomas Thorp. After a free interchange of thoughts on
the subject the resolution was adopted, and Freeborn Garrettson, Laban Clark,
and Nathan Bangs were appointed a committee to prepare a constitution to be
submitted at a subsequent meeting of the above-mentioned preachers. This
committee, on coming together, agreed that each member should draft a
constitution, and at a subsequent meeting the one should be adopted which might
appear the most suitable. On comparing these drafts, the one prepared by the
present writer was preferred, and at a full meeting of the preachers before
mentioned, after undergoing some verbal alterations, was unanimously concurred
in, and ordered to be submitted to a public meeting of all the members and
friends of the Church who might choose to attend the call, in the Forsyth Street
church, on the evening of April 5, 1819. This was accordingly done, when Nathan
Bangs was called to the chair. Addresses were delivered by the Chair, by
Freeborn Garrettson, Joshua Soule, and some others, when, on motion of Joshua
Soule, seconded by Freeborn Garrettson, the constitution which had been prepared
was adopted. It is as follows:--
"CONSTITUTION
"Article I. This association shall be denominated The Missionary and Bible
Society of The Methodist Episcopal Church in America; the object of which is, to
supply the destitute with Bibles gratuitously, to afford a cheap supply to those
who may have the means of purchasing, and to enable the several annual
conferences more effectually to extend their missionary labors throughout the
United States and elsewhere.
"Art. II. The business of this society shall be conducted by a president,
thirteen vice presidents, clerk, recording and corresponding secretary,
treasurer, and thirty-two managers, all of whom shall be members of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. The president, first two vice presidents, clerk,
secretaries, treasurer, and the thirty-two managers, shall be elected by the
society annually; and each annual conference shall have the privilege of
appointing one vice president from its own body.
"Art. III. Fifteen members at all meetings of the board of managers, and thirty
at all meetings of the society, shall be a quorum.
"Art. IV. The board shall have authority to make by-laws for regulating its own
proceedings, fill up vacancies that may occur during the year, and shall present
a statement of its transactions and funds to the society at its annual meeting;
and also lay before the General Conference a report of its transactions for the
four preceding years, and state of its funds.
"Art. V. Ordained ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, whether traveling
or local, being members of the society, shall be ex officio members of the board
of managers, and be entitled to vote in all meetings of the board.
"Art. VI Auxiliary societies, embracing the same objects, shall be supplied with
Bibles and Testaments at cost, provided such societies shall agree, after
supplying their own districts with Bibles, to place their surplus moneys at the
disposal of this society.
"Art. VII. Each subscriber paying two dollars annually shall be a member; and
the payment of twenty dollars at one time shall constitute a member for life.
"Art. VIII. Each member shall be entitled, under the direction of the board of
managers, to purchase Bibles and Testaments at the society's prices, which shall
be as low as possible.
"Art. IX. The annual meeting of the society shall be held on the third Monday in
April.
"Art. X. The president, vice presidents, clerk, secretaries, and treasurer, for
the time being, shall be ex officio members of the board of managers.
"Art. XI. At all meetings of the society and of the board, the president, or, in
his absence, the vice president first on the list then present, and in the
absence of all the vice presidents, such member as shall be appointed by the
meeting for that purpose, shall preside.
"Art. XII. The minutes of each meeting shall be signed by the chairman.
"Art. XIII. This constitution shall be submitted to the next General Conference,
and, if the objects of the society be approved by them, they shall have
authority to insert such article or articles as they may judge proper, for the
purpose of establishing the society wherever the Book Concern may be located;
and also for the equitable and equal application of its funds for the
accomplishment of the objects herein expressed, and for the purpose of
depositing its funds with the agents of the Book Concern, and of having their
aid in printing, purchasing, and distributing Bibles and Testaments: Provided
always, That the revenue of the society shall never be used or appropriated
otherwise than for the printing, purchasing, and distributing Bibles and
Testaments under the direction of the managers; and for the support of
missionaries who may act under the direction of the bishops and conferences of
the Methodist Episcopal Church.
"Art. XIV. This constitution, being submitted and approved according to the
provisions of the preceding article, shall not be altered but by the General
Conference, on the recommendation of the board of managers."
After receiving subscribers to the constitution, the following officers and
managers were elected:--
"Rev. William McKendree, President.
Enoch George, 1st Vice President.
Robert R. Roberts, 2d Vice President.
N. Bangs, New York conference, 3d Vice-President.
Mr. Francis Hall, Cler.
Daniel Ayres, Recording Secretary.
Rev. Thomas Mason, Corresponding Secretary.
Joshua Soule, Treasurer.
"Managers. -- Joseph Smith, Robert Mathison, Joseph Sandford, George Suckley,
Samuel L. Waldo, Stephen Dando, Samuel B. Harper, Lancaster S. Burling, William
Duval, Paul Hick, John Westfield, Thomas Roby, Benjamin Disbrow, James B.
Gascoigne, William A. Mercein, Philip I. Arcularius, James B. Oakley, George
Caines, Dr. Seaman, Dr. Gregory, John Boyd, M. H. Smith, Nathaniel Jarvis,
Robert Snow, Andrew Mercein, Joseph Moser, John Paradise, William Myers, William
B. Skidmore, Nicholas Schureman, James Woods, Abraham Paul."
Having thus formed the society, and created a board of officers and managers,
the next question was, how we might best enlist the feelings and engage the
co-operation of our brethren and friends generally in this important cause. To
do this the more effectually, at the first meeting of the managers the following
address and circular, prepared by the author, who had been appointed for that
purpose, were adopted, and ordered to be printed and circulated, both in
pamphlet form and in the Methodist Magazine.
"ADDRESS
Of the Missionary and Bible Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America
At a time when the Christian world is alive to every sentiment of humanity, and
awake to the temporal and spiritual wants of men, every effort directed to the
accomplishment of the grand climax of human felicity will, by the philanthropic
mind, be viewed with pleasure and delight.
"It is the peculiar office of Christianity to inspire in the breasts of its
votaries an ardent desire for the happiness of man. Expanding the soul with the
purest benevolence, wherever its influence is felt it expels that selfishness
which is fed and strengthened by avarice. And this divine principle, occupying
the heart, prompts its possessor to the selection of the most suitable means to
accomplish the object of his desire. Ever active, and directing his activity to
exalt the glory of God, and to effect the present and future happiness of man,
whenever suitable means are presented they are applied with assiduity, and with
certain hope of success.
"Such, we trust, are the objects of the patrons of this society. Beholding with
pleasure the extensive diffusion of Scriptural knowledge, through the medium of
missionary, Bible, and tract societies, and believing that more efficient means
to extend the Redeemer's kingdom were within their power, the members of the
Missionary and Bible Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America have
agreed to unite their strength for the purpose of contributing their mite toward
sending the messengers of peace to gather in the lost sheep of the house of
Israel.
"In presenting their institution to their brethren and to the Christian public,
they deem it expedient to explain, in a few words, their ultimate design:-- it
is, as expressed in the first article of the constitution, To enable the several
annual conferences more effectually to extend their missionary labors throughout
the United States and elsewhere; to afford a cheap supply of Bibles and
Testaments to those who may have the means of purchasing; and to supply the
destitute gratis.
"The primary intention, therefore, of this institution is an extended operation
of the great missionary system, the success of which has been witnessed among us
for so many years; and the Bible is only so far associated with it as to be made
subservient to the main design. That this ought to be the leading design of
every association which has for its final object the diffusion of Christianity,
will appear evident to those who consider, that it has been the invariable
method of God to bring mankind to the knowledge of the truth by means of a
living ministry. The Bible is the infallible judge to which the living messenger
appeals for the correctness of his message; but it is the word of truth,
addressed by the ambassador of Christ to the understandings and consciences of
men, that generally lays open the nakedness of the human heart, and brings the
guilty sinner to Jesus Christ. Send, therefore, the living messenger of God,
with the Bible in his hands, and let that finally decide the controversy between
the sinner and the truths delivered. This method, we believe, will be the most
effectual to convey the glad tidings of salvation to those who are perishing for
lack of knowledge.
Moreover, as it is the design of this society to extend itself, if possible, by
means of auxiliary societies, throughout the United States, and to engage
especially the co-operation of all the annual conferences, provision is made in
the constitution for the formation of auxiliary societies, and a circular
addressed to them on the subject; and as none are so competent to take an
impartial and comprehensive view of the various parts of our extensive continent
as the General Conference, in which is concentrated the episcopal authority and
the general oversight of the whole Church; and as it would, in our opinion, very
much facilitate the operations, and greatly contribute to accomplish the
benevolent objects of the society, to unite in some measure its counsels and
operations with the book agency; we have provided for the attainment of these
objects, by ceding to the General Conference a power of inserting such articles
for these purposes as they may judge proper, as well as for the equitable
apportionment of the funds of the society among the several annual conferences.
As our ultimate object is the general good of mankind, by the extensive
diffusion of experimental and practice godliness, we are principally solicitous
to raise an adequate supply for such men of God as may volunteer their services
in the cause of Christ, leaving to the episcopacy the selection of the men, as
well as the place of their destination. We take the liberty of observing,
however, that our views are not restricted to our own nation or color; we hope
the aborigines of our country, the Spaniards of South America, the French of
Louisiana and Canada, and every other people who are destitute of the invaluable
blessings of the gospel, as far as our means may admit, will be comprehended in
the field of the labors of our zealous missionaries. To accomplish so great and
so glorious an object, time, union, liberality, patience, and perseverance are
all necessary. And we hope to exhibit, in our future exertions, evidence of our
zeal in providing pecuniary aid to the extent of our power, and in our fervent
prayers and earnest wishes for the success of our institution.
"With an object of such magnitude and importance before us, we think we cannot
appeal in vain to the liberality of our brethren and friends for their hearty
cooperation.
"When we review our ministry from the commencement of our existence as a
separate communion, and mark its successful progress, we are constrained to say,
What hath God wrought!
"Contending with numerous impediments, they have persevered with great success
in extending the triumphs of the cross among mankind. We ourselves are, we
humbly trust, the trophies of this ministry. By the blessing of God upon their
labors, it was this same ministry, crossing the 'watery world' in the character
of missionaries, that gave the first impetus to that mighty exertion in the
Christian cause, by which the present generation in this western world is
distinguished. And shall we be wanting in our efforts to send this 'gospel of
the kingdom' to our fellow-men, millions of whom are yet dwelling in darkness
and in the shadow of death?
"Arise, brethren, in the majesty of your strength: in the name of Immanuel, God
with us, go forward: concentrate your force in this society; and, by a united
exertion, help to people the regions of perennial happiness, by contributing to
send the word of life to the destitute inhabitants of our fallen world. What
heart can remain unmoved, what hand unemployed, when called to action in a cause
so important, so interesting, so sacred! Let but the friends of Zion give half
as much for the support of missionaries, and for the distribution of the word of
life, as the intemperate do to gratify and pamper their appetites, and there
shall be no lack.
"Although the constitution which accompanies this address requires the payment
of two dollars annually to constitute a member, and the payment of twenty
dollars at one time to constitute a member for life, yet this does not exclude
donations to any amount, great or small. Remember, the mite of the poor widow
was not only accepted, but her liberality was highly applauded by her Lord,
because she put in all her living. 'It is accepted according to what a man hath,
and not according to what he hath not.' And if every one will become a cheerful
giver, 'according to the ability which God giveth,' we shall soon witness the
rising glory of the Church; 'the solitary places shall be glad for them' -- the
messengers of Zion -- 'and the wilderness shall blossom as the rose;' the pagan
nations, which inhabit the wilds of America, and the desolate inhabitants of our
new states and territories, shall hail the effects of your bounty; -- nations
unborn shall rise up and call you blessed. Let, then, all hearts be warm, and
all hands active, until the 'ends of the earth see the salvation of our God.' "
"CIRCULAR
"The managers of the Missionary and Bible Society of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in America beg leave to present to the several annual conferences, and
through them to the members of our Church generally, a copy of their address and
constitution, with an earnest solicitation that efficient means may be adopted
to establish societies auxiliary to this.
"Having long been convinced of the necessity of some institution, by which
pecuniary aid could be afforded to enable the conferences to carry on their
missionary labors on a more extended plan, the object of their desire is at
length so far accomplished in the formation of this society, the real and
professed object of which is, to extend the influence of divine truth, by means
of those missionaries who may, from time to time, be approved and employed by
the bishops and conferences for that purpose.
"You are referred to the preceding address for more particular information of
our views, and the reasons for some of the articles of the constitution. Any
amendments which may be suggested by either of the annual conferences can be
forwarded to the managers, and, if deemed expedient, the General Conference,
agreeably to the provisions of the last article of the constitution, can adopt
them.
"You are likewise presented with the draught of a constitution deemed suitable
for auxiliary societies, leaving it to you to make such alterations as local
circumstances may seem to require. This is done with a view to produce as much
uniformity in the operations of the various auxiliaries as circumstances will
admit.
"The managers beg leave to suggest the propriety of forming one society only
auxiliary to this, in each conference, to be located in the most populous town
or city within the bounds of the conference, such as Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Charleston, Boston, &c., &c., and that the other societies which may be formed
within the limits of each conference become branches of that. This method, it is
thought, will greatly facilitate the operations of the society, and produce
greater energy in the execution of its benevolent designs, than it would to make
every subordinate society immediately auxiliary to the parent society. And if
the several annual conferences unite their counsels, and recommend the subject
to the people of their charge, with practical zeal and energy, it is believed
that auxiliary and branch societies may be established in every City and circuit
throughout our extensive work.
"According to a recent report of the 'General Wesleyan Methodist Missionary
Society,' now in successful operation in England, our brethren in Europe, during
the last year, have raised upward of eighty thousand dollars for the support of
domestic and foreign missionaries! Through this generous pecuniary aid they now
employ one hundred and three missionaries. How much, therefore, may we do, if
efficient means are used to combine our strength!
"The object contemplated by this society, the managers think, is of sufficient
importance and utility to recommend itself to every considerate and pious mind;
and therefore they need say no more, than to add their prayers, and request
yours, that we may all be guided by the wisdom that cometh from above in all our
attempts to promote peace on earth and good-will among men.
"Signed by order of the board of managers,
N. Bangs, Chairman.
New York, April 21, 1819.
"P.S. As soon as any auxiliary society is formed, it is requested that official
notice thereof be forwarded to our corresponding secretary, Rev. Thomas Mason,
No. 41 John Street, New York."
Soon after the society was thus organized, our plans and proceedings were
submitted to the Baltimore conference by the Rev. Joshua Soule; and it was no
small encouragement to be assured that the brethren of that conference most
heartily approved of our objects, and passed spirited resolutions to carry our
plans into effect. The Virginia, New York, and New England conferences passed
similar resolutions, recommending the society to the patronage and support of
the people of their charge.
The first auxiliary society was the Female Missionary Society of New York, which
was organized in July, 1819. Then followed the Young Men's of New York,
Courtlandt, Stamford, Genesee conference, the Domestic Missionary Society of
Boston, and Columbia, of South Carolina, all which became auxiliary in the
course of the year. These movements were sources of much comfort, and greatly
encouraged the officers and managers to persevere in the work they had so
happily begun.
Soon after our organization a letter was addressed, by order of the managers, to
Bishop McKendree, stating to him the plan and objects of the society, and
requesting his opinion respecting the practicability and the most suitable means
of sending the gospel to the French of Louisiana, and to the destitute
inhabitants of Florida. The following is an extract from the bishop's answer
"Your plan meets my views of preaching the gospel to every creature better than
any one I have yet seen.
"1. Because that body of missionaries whom you intend to employ have mutually
agreed to renounce ease and worldly interest, and devote their time, their
talents, and their labors. They know no geographical boundaries; but, like the
gospel which they preach, embrace the poor as well as the rich of every nation
and condition of men; and in order to perpetuate the blessings of the gospel to
all classes of men, they voluntarily subject themselves to a system of rules and
regulations calculated to promote so desirable an end, and labor for the
reformation and happiness of mankind, which is the ultimate design of the
gospel.
2. It promises that pecuniary aid, for want of which we have had the
mortification of seeing many well-devised plans frustrated, and many hopeful
prospects fade away.
"You are sufficiently acquainted with the state of things in Canada, Florida,
the state of Louisiana, and the Missouri territory form our western frontiers,
and furnish a large field for missionary enterprise. In these bounds there are
many French, some of them friendly to our views of religion. Believing that it
would be productive of much good, we have long wished for, and frequently
endeavored to procure, ministers who would be itinerant ministers indeed, to
send to our western frontiers to preach to their inhabitants in French; but we
have been hitherto disappointed."
About the same time that this society was established in the city of New York,
the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church within the bounds of
the Philadelphia conference was formed; and though it has never thought it best
to become auxiliary, it has pursued the even tenor of its way from that time to
this, appropriating its funds for the promotion of the same benevolent objects,
and has done much in furtherance of the cause of missions.
While these efforts were making to enlarge the sphere of our operations by means
of missionary institutions and labors, the work in general, on the circuits and
stations, was in a state of prosperity, as may be seen by reference to the
number of Church members. In the Scioto and Ohio districts, in Chillicothe,
Ohio, and in Schenectady, New York, and some other places, there were
encouraging revivals of religion. There was, however, a very considerable
secession among the colored people in the city of New York.
We have already seen that the secession of Allen and his party created much
uneasiness in the minds of the colored members of our Church, both in
Philadelphia and New York, and that quite a number, particularly in the other
city, were induced to join the disaffected party. Allen had succeeded also in
establishing a small congregation in the city of New York, over which he had
ordained a preacher by the name of Miller, *[4] who had been for several years a
local preacher in our Church.
There were in this city, altogether; about one thousand colored people attached
to our Church, among whom were several local preachers of piety and talent.
These had heretofore been under the pastoral oversight of a white elder,
stationed by the bishop, who administered to them the ordinances, exercised
discipline, held love-feasts, and generally preached to them once every
sabbath-the other appointments being filled by their own local preachers. For
this service the trustees of the white churches thought it no more than just
that the colored congregation should pay something toward the support of the
preacher who had charge of them. This became one source of complaint, while
others thought it was degrading to them to be in any way dependent upon white
men for the administration of the ordinances and the government of the Church.
Accordingly symptoms of dissatisfaction had shown themselves for several years
on these and collateral subjects; and though various attempts had been made to
remove their grounds of complaint, they had proved unavailing; this year,
therefore, they declared themselves independent.
They did not, however, connect themselves with the Allenites. As they had
succeeded in building them a commodious house of worship in Church Street, had
several local preachers and some elders among themselves, and not having full
confidence in Allen and his partisans, they saw fit to organize themselves into
an independent body, called the African Methodist Episcopal Church, under the
government of elders of their own choosing, altering our Discipline so far as to
make it conform to their peculiar organization, electing annually one of their
elders as a general superintendent, without, however, setting him apart to that
office by prayer and imposition of hands. With these exceptions, it is believed
that they retain the doctrines and discipline of the Church they have left,
having their annual and quarterly conferences, class meeting, love-feasts, and
sacramental services, as provided for in our Discipline.
One principal reason assigned by themselves for this separate organization was,
that colored preachers were not recognized by our conferences as traveling
preachers; and, therefore, however much a local preacher might labor in word and
doctrine for the benefit of his colored brethren, he could neither exercise the
functions of pastor in the governmental department, nor receive a pecuniary
support for his services. To remedy this inconvenience, and remove the
disability under which they labored in this respect, they withdrew from our
pastoral oversight, established a conference of their own, and commenced the
itinerant mode of preaching the gospel.
By this secession we lost fourteen colored local preachers, and nine hundred and
twenty-nine private members, including class leaders, exhorters, and stewards.
But though they thus "went out from us," they have never, I believe, manifested
any rancorous or bitter spirit toward their old friends, but have cultivated a
feeling of friendship and brotherly affection; and there is reason to believe
that, though they may not have prospered in the same ratio in which they did
before their separation, they have retained their piety and zeal, and have
managed their affairs in an orderly manner.
It is now (1839) twenty years since the secession took place, and the degree of
their prosperity may be estimated from the following statement of their number
of circuits and stations, preachers and members, taken from their minutes for
1839.
Circuits 21; preachers 32; members 2,608. These circuits and stations are found
in the states of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and
Massachusetts. In the City of New York, where the secession originated, they
have a membership of 1,325, making an increase of 396 in twenty years, which is
by no means in a ratio with their increase while they remained under the care of
their white brethren. In the city of Boston, however, their success has been
greater in proportion. In 1819 they had only 33; but now, in 1839, they have
126.
They will not allow any slaveholder to become or remain a member of their
church.
As the Methodist Episcopal Church never derived any temporal emolument from
them, so we have sustained no other damage by the secession than what may arise
from missing the opportunity of doing them all the good in our power as their
pastors. And if a desire for independence on their part has deprived us of this
opportunity, having done what we could as Christian ministers to prevent the
rupture, I trust we shall be absolved from all blame, be the consequences what
they may. We cannot do otherwise than wish them all spiritual and temporal
blessings in Christ Jesus. Though formally separated from us in name, we still
love them as our spiritual children, and stand ready to aid them, as far as we
may, in extending the Redeemer's kingdom among men.
Forty-seven preachers located this year, fifteen were returned supernumerary,
thirty-six superannuated, two were expelled, and nine had finished their work
and gone to their reward. These latter were, Fletcher Harris, Thomas Lucas,
Joseph Stone, John Wesley Bond, Joseph Totten, Daniel Moore, Thomas Thorp,
Stephen Jacob, Jason Walker.
Joseph Totten had long been a faithful laborer in his Lord's vineyard, having
entered the traveling ministry in 1792, and continued steadfast in his work
until death signed his release.
Thomas Thorp was young in the ministry, but was a man of precocious genius,
possessing a remarkable aptitude for the acquirement of knowledge, and for
imparting it to others.
John Wesley Bond was for several years the traveling companion of Bishop Asbury
during the close of his days, and attended him with the fidelity and affection
of a son, was with him in his last sickness and death, watching his parting
breath, while the bishop leaned his dying head upon his arm. Of his excellent
spirit, his integrity, and faithful services, particularly toward him as his
traveling companion, Bishop Asbury bears an ample testimony. He ended his days
in peace and triumph.
The others enumerated were faithful in their calling and happy in their death.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year:201,750; Last Year: 190,477; Increase:
11,273 -- Colored This Year: 39,174; Last Year: 39,150; Increase: 24 -- Total
This Year: 240,924; Last Year: 229,627 -- Increase: 11,297 -- Preachers This
Year: 812; Last Year: 748; Increase: 64.
The secession of the colored people in the city of New York, amounting to about
nine hundred, accounts for the small increase of that class to the membership;
while the general increase shows the happy results of the work among the white
population.
1820
Previously to the session of the General Conference, May 1 of this year, the
Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, Virginia, Baltimore, and
Philadelphia Conferences held their sessions and elected their delegates -- the
New York, New England, and Genesee conferences, having held theirs after the
session of the General Conference, elected their delegates the year before.
The reports from various parts of the work this year were highly favorable, the
increase to the membership being nearly twenty thousand. The establishment of
the Tract and Missionary Societies, and the publication of the Methodist
Magazine, added a fresh stimulant to preachers and people, and tended much to
enlarge the field of labor, as well as to encourage the hearts of those who were
panting for the salvation of the world.
But, before giving a detailed account of these things, we shall notice the
doings of the General Conference.
* * * * * * *
PART 22
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 5
(From The Year 1816 To The Year 1828)
The General Conference of 1820
This conference assembled in the city of Baltimore, May 1, 1820, and was
composed of the following delegates:--
New York Conference: Nathan Bangs, Samuel Draper, Freeborn Garrettson, Samuel
Merwin, Daniel Ostrander, Phineas Rice, Marvin Richardson, Peter P. Sandford,
Eben Smith, Joshua Soule, Henry Stead,Ebenezer Washburn, Elijah Woolsey.
New England Conference: Oliver Beal, Daniel Fillmore, Elijah Hedding, David
Kilbourn, Joseph A. Merrill, Timothy Merritt, Erastus Otis, George Pickering,
Main Ruter, Solomon Sias.
Genesee Conference: William Case, Israel Chamberlin, Abner Chase, Charles Giles,
Loring Grant, Marmaduke Pearce, Henry Ryan.
Ohio Conference: John Collins, Alexander Cummins, William Dixon, James B.
Finley, Walter Griffith, James Quinn, Jonathan Stamper, Jacob Young.
Missouri Conference: John Scripps, Samuel H. Thompson, Jesse Walker.
Mississippi Conference: Thomas Griffin, John Lane.
Tennessee Conference: William Adams, James Anley, Peter Cartwright, Jesse
Cunningham, Charles Holliday, Marcus Lindsey.
South Carolina Conference: James Andrew, Daniel Asbury, William Capers, Samuel
Dunwody, Samuel K. Hodges, William M. Kennedy, Lewis Myers, James Norton, Joseph
Travis.
Virginia Conference: Peyton Anderson, Edward Cannon, William Compton, Matthew M.
Dance, Ethelbert Drake, Daniel Hall, James Patterson, John Weaver.
Baltimore Conference: Thomas Burch, John Emory, Lewis R. Fechtig, Joseph Frye,
Alfred Griffith, James McCann, Nelson Reed, Stephen G. Roszel, Beverly Waugh.
Philadelphia Conference: James Bateman, Ezekiel Cooper, Joseph Lybrand, Stephen
Martindale, Lawrence McCombs, Andrew Monroe, Gerard Morgan, James Ridgway,
William Ryland, Solomon Sharpe, James Smith, Thomas Ware, Joshua Wells, George
Woolley.
Bishops McKendree, George, and Roberts were present, and the conference was
opened by Bishop McKendree by reading a portion of the word of God, singing, and
prayer; and he then informed the conference that, in consequence of ill health,
he should not be able to discharge the duties of the chair, but should avail
himself of every opportunity which his health might permit to assist his
colleagues in guiding the counsels of the conference. I regret that I am not
able to find a copy of the written address which he afterward presented,
containing recommendations of such subjects as he considered worthy the
attention of the conference. From the character and duties of the committees,
however, it appears that the address referred to the state of the episcopacy, --
the local preachers, -- to the instruction of children -- to the condition of
the slaves, -- to the cause of missions -- to the use of spirituous liquors, --
to the condition of our houses of worship, and to the boundaries of the annual
conferences -- all which were referred to appropriate committees.
Bishops George and Roberts, in a verbal communication, called the attention of
the conference to the state of things in Canada, and to the subject of locating
traveling preachers without their consent, which were referred to committees.
The following is an extract from the report of the committee on the
episcopacy:--
After approving of the manner in which the bishops had discharged their onerous
duties during the past four years, the committee add --
"In relation to strengthening the episcopacy, they have regarded with deep and
affectionate concern the declining health and strength of our senior
superintendent. Worn down by long, extensive, and faithful labors in the service
of God and the Church, your committee feel a solicitude, which they doubt not is
equally felt by the conference, that every practicable provision may be made for
his relief and comfort, hoping that by a prudent relaxation from labor for a
time, the Church may yet be blessed with the benefit of his very desirable
services and counsel."
Whereupon the following resolutions were submitted by the committee and
concurred in by the conference:--
"1. That it is the wish and desire of this General Conference that Bishop
McKendree, during his afflictions and debility, should travel in such
directions, or remain in such places, as he may judge most conducive to his own
health and comfort, and that he be accordingly, at the close of the conference,
respectfully and affectionately requested so to do.
"2. That, whenever Bishop McKendree shall think himself able, it is the desire
of this conference that he should continue, so far as his health will permit,
the exercise of his episcopal functions and superintending care.
3. That the committee appointed by the last General Conference, to make
provision for the families of the bishops, are hereby continued, and that the
same committee be directed to take into consideration the present state of
Bishop McKendree's health, and to provide for defraying any extra expenses
which, in their judgment, his afflictions may make requisite."
This affectionate regard of the conference for the bishop was a source of great
consolation to him, and counterbalanced, in some measure at least, the mental
anxieties he suffered at this conference, in consequence of the conflicting
opinions respecting the manner in which the presiding elders should be
appointed, and in what their duties should consist. But as all these things,
together with the election and resignation of another bishop, have been fully
detailed in vol. ii, page 330 [separate pages not transcribed into the
electronic text -- DVM], I shall add nothing more in reference to them here,
only to say, that Bishop McKendree expressed his high gratification for the
respect and sympathy thus manifested toward him by the conference in his
afflictions, and for the confidence reposed in the integrity with which he had
administered the government of the Church.
We have before remarked that the cause of education had been abandoned by our
Church since the destruction of Cokesbury College the second time by fire, and
that the consequences of this long neglect of so important a cause began to bear
injuriously upon the character and prosperity of the Church. This had been
painfully felt and feelingly expressed by some of the most enlightened members
of our Church, both ministers and people, and some incipient steps had been
taken by the New England and New York conferences to remedy the evil. In 1817 an
academy had been established in Newmarket, N.H., under the patronage of the New
England conference, and another in the city of New York in 1819, under the
patronage of the New York conference. Wishing to secure also the patronage of
the General Conference, as far as might be consistent, and likewise to awaken a
spirit favorable to the cause of education generally, the friends of these
institutions presented to this General Conference their respective constitutions
and plans of procedure, praying that the bishops might be authorized to appoint
principals from among the traveling preachers for a longer space than two years.
This authority was granted, and the whole subject was referred to a committee,
the report of which, in the following words, was adopted by the conference:--
"The committee appointed to take into consideration the propriety of
recommending to the annual conferences the establishment of seminaries of
learning, having had the subject under deliberation, beg leave to submit the
following report:--
"Your committee regret the want of time, as well as talent, to take that
extended and comprehensive view of the subject which its importance demands; but
it is cause of greater regret still, considering the rapid improvement of
society in almost every science, and the extension of our Church through the
propagation of those divine principles which we consider so unspeakably
precious, that this subject has not sooner claimed the attention of the General
Conference.
"Almost all seminaries of learning in our country, of much celebrity, are under
the control of Calvinistic or of Hopkinsian principles, or otherwise are managed
by men denying the fundamental doctrines of the gospel. If any of our people,
therefore, wish to give their sons or daughters a finished education, they are
under the necessity of resigning them to the management of those institutions
which are more or less hostile to our views of the grand doctrines of
Christianity.
"Another capital defect in most seminaries of learning, your committee presume
to think, is, that experimental and practical godliness is considered only of
secondary importance; whereas, in the opinion of your committee, this ought to
form the most prominent feature in every literary institution. Religion and
learning should mutually assist each other, and thus connect the happiness of
both worlds together.
"On account, however, of the different usages which prevail in the several
sections of our widely extended country, originating from state regulations,
&c., your committee think it impossible for the General Conference to adopt a
system of regulations on this subject uniformly the same for each annual
conference. But that each conference should exert itself to adopt some method
for such advantages to the rising generation as may be had from literary
institutions which combine religion and learning together, it is thought, there
can be no doubt.
"Your committee rejoice in being able to say, that two of your annual
conferences, namely, New England and New York, have established seminaries,
which, in a good degree, answer the description your committee would recommend.
These institutions afford an encouraging prospect of usefulness. Your committee
therefore recommend the adoption of the following resolutions, viz.:
"1. Resolved, by the delegates of the annual conferences in General Conference
assembled, that it be, and it is hereby, recommended to all the annual
conferences to establish, as soon as practicable, literary institutions, under
their own control, in such way and manner as they may think proper.
"2. Resolved, &c., That it be the special duty of the episcopacy to use their
influence to carry the above resolution into effect, by recommending the subject
to each annual conference.
"3. Resolved, &c., That the following amendment to the second answer of the
third question of the fourth section of the first chapter of the Discipline be
adopted, viz.: after the word preachers, let there be added, And the presidents,
principals, or teachers of seminaries of learning, which are or may be under our
superintendence.
"4. Resolved, &c., That the principals of the Wesleyan Academy and Wesleyan
Seminary be requested to forward a copy of their constitutions to each of the
annual conferences.
"5. Resolved, &c., That a copy of this report be recorded on the journals of the
several annual conferences."
The adoption of this report by the General Conference, no doubt, tended greatly
to subserve the cause of education, and to diffuse among us more generally than
heretofore a desire to avail ourselves of the advantages to be derived from
literary and scientific improvement.
That opposition should be manifested to these efforts to raise the standard of
education, by any of the disciples of the illustrious Wesley, whose profound
learning added so much splendor to his character as an evangelical minister, may
seem strange to some. This, however, was the fact; and their unreasonable
opposition, exemplified in a variety of ways, tended not a little to paralyze,
for a season, the efforts of those who had enlisted in this cause; while the
apathy of others retarded its progress, and made its final success somewhat
uncertain. And it has not been without much labor and persevering industry that
this opposition has been measurably overcome, and the dormant energies of the
Church awakened and excited to action in favor of this noble enterprise. Its
onward march, however, has been hailed with no less delight by its friends than
deprecated by its enemies, while its success thus far has added greatly to the
character which Methodism was acquiring in the public estimation. All we now
want, to place our literary institutions on a permanent foundation, and make
them eminently useful, is the simultaneous and general effort of the members and
friends of the Church to contribute liberally for their support and endowment.
It has been seen in a preceding chapter that difficulties had arisen in Canada,
growing chiefly out of the state of things which had been brought on by the war
of 1812. In compliance with the request of the brethren in Quebec, and some
members of the church in Montre, the British conference had supplied these
places with missionaries; and through the solicitations of some individuals in
Upper Canada missionaries had also been sent into that province, where our
preachers had long labored with great success, amid many privations and
sufferings, and were still working to the satisfaction of the great majority of
the people.
This state of things had been productive of much irritation among the societies
in Upper Canada, protesting conflicting views and interests mutually injurious,
and of course tending to impede the progress of pure religion.
At this General Conference the subject came up for consideration, by numerous
memorials and petitions from the several circuits in Upper Canada, protesting
against the interference of the British missionaries, and praying that they
might still be supplied with the ministry and ordinances of religion by the
American conference. After a due consideration of the subject, the following
resolutions were adopted:--
"1. Resolved, by the delegates of the annual conferences in General Conference
assembled, That it is the duty of the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church
to continue their episcopal charge over our societies in the Canadas, all except
Quebec.
"2. Resolved, &c., That the following address be sent to our brethren in
Canada:--
"Dear Brethren:-- We have received and read with deep interest the affectionate
memorials and addresses from the several circuits in the provinces of Canada, in
which you have expressed your strong attachment to us, and your ardent desire
for the continuance of our ministerial care over you. We most cordially
reciprocate the sentiments of brotherly affection and Christian attachment you
have expressed, and pledge ourselves to use our best endeavors for your
spiritual and eternal interest.
"We sincerely deprecate those evils of which you complain, and which have grown
out of the conduct of the missionaries sent by the British conference to labor
in Canada. Confiding, however, in the integrity of that conference, and
believing they have been misled by partial and erroneous statements, sent by
interested persons in Canada, we still hope that the existing embarrassments
will be removed, and that an amicable adjustment of this unhappy affair may be
brought about.
"We can assure you that no means which, in our opinion, will be likely to
produce this desirable result, shall be left untried.
"That you may be convinced that we have neither been inattentive to your
interests nor unmindful of the respect due to our British brethren, we beg leave
to lay before you a brief statement of what has been done in reference to this
subject.
"It is doubtless well known to you that your case was fully laid before us at
our last session in this city, and impartially considered in the presence of
brothers Black and Bennett, who were sent as representatives by the British
conference; and after hearing all that could be said on both sides of the
question, it was resolved most expedient, among other reasons because we
understood it was your earnest desire, to continue, as we had done heretofore,
our ministerial labors among you. That the British conference might be fully
apprised of the course we had taken, an address was sent to them, stating the
reasons which had directed our decision in relation to Canada, and requesting
that some arrangements might be made for an amicable adjustment of the existing
difficulties. To this Communication we have received no direct answer.
"Similar communications have been since sent, by Bishops McKendree and George.
The letter sent by Bishop George contained a full development of the affairs of
Canada; but neither has an answer to this been received. As some of the circuits
have petitioned to have a separate annual conference in Canada, this subject has
been considered, and it is thought to be inexpedient for the present, because,
among other reasons, it might prevent that interchange of preachers, so very
desirable, and so essential to your prosperity.
"After assuring you of our unabated attachment to you as a branch of the Church
over which we are called, in the providence of God, to extend our oversight, and
of our determination, at your earliest request, as well as from a consciousness
of imperious duty, to continue to afford you all the ministerial aid in our
power, we exhort you to steadfastness in the faith, to unity and love, and to
perseverance in all holy obedience.
"3. Resolved, &c., That the following note be inserted in the Discipline, under
the twenty-third article of our Church, viz.: 'As far as it respects civil
affairs we believe it the duty of Christians, and especially all Christian
ministers, to be subject to the supreme authority of the country where they may
reside, and to use all laudable means to enjoin obedience to the powers that le:
and therefore it is expected that all our preachers and people who may be under
the British or any other government will behave themselves as peaceable and
orderly subjects.'
"4. Resolved, by the delegates of the annual conferences in General Conference
assembled, That this conference address the British conference on the subject of
a mutual exchange of delegates, as representatives of the one conference to the
other."
The first resolution was afterward so modified as to authorize the delegate who
might be sent to England to allow the whole of the lower province to be given up
to the British connection: and then the following was added:--
"5. That the episcopacy be requested, if practicable, to send a delegate to the
British conference at their next session in July, or at any time thereafter, and
furnish him with the requisite instructions, and also to draw on the Book
Concern for the amount necessary to defray the expense.
"6. Resolved, &c., That the episcopacy, by and with the advice and consent of
the Genesee conference, if they judge it expedient, previous to the sitting of
the next General Conference, shall have authority to establish an annual
conference in Canada."
The Rev. J. Emory was appointed delegate, who, in addition to an adjustment of
the existing difficulties in Canada, was instructed to Convey to that body the
affectionate attachment of the American conference to their British brethren,
and to request a regular interchange of delegates from one connection to the
other, at such times as might be mutually satisfactory. As an assurance,
however, that there existed a disposition, on the part of the missionary
Committee in London, to remove all just cause of complaint, and to prevent any
improper interference of their missionaries in the houses and places occupied by
our preachers in Upper Canada, the following document had been received by
Bishop McKendree and submitted to the General Conference:--
"Wesleyan Mission House, 77 Hatton Garden,
London, 25th February, 1819
"Dear Sir:-- We transmit for your information the following resolutions, lately
entered into by the committee of the General Wesleyan Missionary Society in
London, relative to the British missionaries in Canada, and which resolutions
have been transmitted to those missionaries.
"Resolved, 1. That it be recommended to the brethren in Canada to preach in a
chapel which is now jointly occupied by the American brethren, and, for the sake
of peace, to pursue their labor separately, and not to continue their labors in
any station previously occupied by the American brethren, except when the
population is so large, or so scattered, that it is evident a very considerable
part of them must be neglected.
"Resolved, 2. That they are to act under the general instruction of the
committee of June 26, 1818, viz.:
"1. That it be communicated to the missionaries there that the conference and
the committee never intended that the missionaries sent out by them should
invade the societies raised up by the preachers appointed by the American
conference, and to divide them; but that they should communicate the benefits of
the Christian ministry to those parts of the country where the inhabitants are
destitute of them, and to labor in those towns and villages where the population
is so large that the addition of their labors to those of other ministers is
demanded by the moral necessities of the people.
"The foregoing resolutions will, we hope, satisfy yourself and the American
conference that the British conference and the missionary committee in London
feel sorry that any interference should have ever taken place between your
missionaries and those sent by the British conference, who most earnestly wish
that their missionaries may labor in harmony with all good men.
"'Praying that Christian kindness and good-will may prevail and abound, we are,
dear sir, with Christian affection, your obedient servants,
"Jabez Bunting,
Richard Watson,
Jos. Taylor,
General Secretaries."
Though the final result of this negotiation could not be known until some time
after the adjournment of the conference, yet it seems most proper to finish the
account of it in this place. And it is recorded with the more pleasure, because
it evinces the disposition and determination, on the part of both the English
and American conferences, not to allow the collisions which had unhappily
occurred in Canada between individual preachers of the two connections to
interrupt their harmony, or to weaken the strength of their friendship and
fraternal regards.
Mr. Emory bore with him to the British conference the following address:--
"Baltimore, May 27, 1820
"The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States
of America, to the British conference of ministers and preachers, late in
connection with the Rev. John Wesley.
"Reverend and Dear Brethren:-- Grace, mercy, and peace be multiplied to you, and
to the Israel of God under your charge, both at home and in foreign countries.
With a sincere and earnest desire to establish and preserve the most perfect
harmony and peace with you, our elder brethren, we have adopted measures for
opening such friendly intercourse as will, we devoutly pray, tend to the
accomplishment of this desirable end.
"Situated so remotely from each other, and under different forms of civil
government, it is believed that no mode of correspondence will so effectually
unite the European and American Methodists as an interchange of delegates from
our respective conferences.
We are encouraged to hope that such correspondence will be acceptable to you,
from the consideration of the visit of Messrs. Black and Bennett, at our last
session, and from the friendly opinion of our dear brother, the Rev. William
Black, who has been with us during our present sitting in this city.
"Should such a friendly intercourse be approved, we shall receive with
cordiality your representative at our succeeding sessions, and, with the most
sincere friendship and affection, reciprocate the visit.
"The prosperity of your missions, both at home and in foreign countries, is
matter of praise and thanksgiving to the great Head of the church; and our
unceasing prayer is, that they still may increase more and more.
"The last four years have been distinguished by no ordinary success within the
field of our labor: our borders have been greatly enlarged, and the wilderness
has budded and blossomed as the rose. The last year especially has been attended
with an abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the increase of our numbers
has exceeded that of any former year.
"The field of missionary labors is opening and extending before us, and the
Divine Providence appears to be preparing the way for the conversion of the
Indian tribes on this vast continent.
"The bearer, the Rev. John Emory, has been appointed our delegate to your body,
and will be able to give you a more particular account of the work under our
charge, and especially of our commencement and progress in the missionary cause.
"Most earnestly praying that the Methodists may be identified in their doctrine,
experience, and practice, in every part of the world, and that the Father of
lights may pour upon you and upon us the Spirit of grace, and preserve us in the
unity of faith, and in the fellowship and peace of his Son Jesus Christ, we
remain, reverend and dear brethren, yours in the gospel of our common Lord.
"Signed by order and in behalf of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
Enoch George, President,
Alexander McCaine, Secretary."
To this address the following answer was sent, together with the resolutions in
relation to the existing difficulties in Canada:--
"To the General Superintendents of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United
States of America
"Dear Brethren:-- We inclose to your care the resolutions passed by the
conference after the letters addressed to us by the American General Conference,
and delivered by the Rev. John Emory, had been read and considered.
"In addition to the expression of our sentiments contained in those resolutions,
on the renewal of intercourse between the two conferences, we are directed to
request you to convey to your next General Conference our Warmest thanks for
those declarations o unabated brotherly affection toward us and the connection
which your letters contain, and for the appointment of Mr. Emory as your
representative.
"In him we have recognized the purity of your doctrine and the fervor and
simplicity of your piety. We have received him, not as a stranger, but as a
'brother beloved.' Our hearts are as his heart; and it will be remembered as one
of the most pleasing circumstances Connected with the conference held in this
town, that our personal intercourse with you was here restored, and that this
'work of love' was committed to so able and excellent a brother, whose public
ministrations and addresses in our conference have been equally gratifying and
instructive to us and to our people.
"From the statements made by Mr. Emory as to the progress of the work of God in
the United States, we have received the greatest satisfaction. We offered our
united thanksgivings to God that the doctrines of primitive Methodism, the
preaching of which God has so eminently owned in the salvation of men and the
edification of believers, are not only continued among you in their purity, but
have been so widely extended by your great and persevering efforts; and that the
same holy discipline, in all its essential parts, continues, wherever you form
societies, to guard and confirm the work which God has made to prosper in your
hands.
"For the state of our affairs in Great Britain and Ireland, and in our
missionary stations, we refer you to Mr. Emory, who, as health would allow, has
attended our sittings, and to those publications with which, before his
departure, we shall be happy to furnish him, to be laid before you.
"You will see that we have had to rejoice with you in the great extension of the
work of God into the various parts of the British empire, and that the
institutions of Methodism, which we have proved to be so well adapted to promote
and to preserve true religion, are known and valued in every quarter of the
globe. May we, with you, be the honored instruments of turning the disobedient
to the wisdom of the just in every place, and of hastening the universal kingdom
of our Lord.
"The resolutions on the disputes in the Canadas were adopted after a calm and
patient consideration of the case, in which we were greatly assisted by Mr.
Emory. We hope that they will lead to a full adjustment of those disputes, and
that the affection which exists between the two connections generally will
extend itself to the brethren and societies in the Canadas. This is the
disposition which we shall earnestly inculcate upon those under our care in
those provinces, and we have full confidence that the same care will be taken by
you to extinguish every feeling contrary to love among those over whom you have
control and influence.
"With earnest prayers for you, dear and honored brethren, in particular, on whom
devolve the general direction of the affairs of the great body of Methodists in
the western world, and labors so severe, but so glorious, -- that you may be
filled with wisdom for counsel, and strength to fulfill the duties of your great
office; -- and also praying that all your churches may have rest, and, walking
in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, be abundantly
multiplied, we are, dear brethren, yours most affectionately in Christ Jesus,
"Jabez Bunting, President,
George Marsden, Secretary.
Liverpool, August, 1820."
"Resolutions of the British Conference on American Affairs
"l. That the conference embraces with pleasure this opportunity of recognizing
that principle which, it is hoped, will be permanently maintained, that the
Wesleyan Methodists are one in every part of the world.
"2. That the British conference has frequently rejoiced in the very favorable
account which they have received, year after year, of the great and glorious
work which God is graciously carrying on in the United States of America; but
that it is with peculiar pleasure that they receive a representative from the
General Conference in America. The statement given by our beloved brother, Mr.
Emory, of the present state of Methodism in America, has been received with much
joy; and the conference also expresses its high satisfaction, not only in the
declaration, but in the proof, of the love of our American brethren in fully
opening the way for a brotherly intercourse between the European and the
American societies.
"3. The conference particularly rejoices in the zeal which is manifested by our
American brethren in carrying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Indian
tribes, and in the success which God has already given to their labors in that
natural and moral wilderness; and hopes that the time is drawing near when the
aborigines of that vast continent shall become the mild and gentle followers of
our gracious Redeemer.
"4. That it is the earnest wish of this conference that the kind and friendly
intercourse which is now opened between the British and the American conference
should be continued; and that, prior to the time of holding the next General
Conference in America, the British conference will appoint one or more of their
body to visit our brethren in America, to be present at their General
Conference.
"5. That a letter shall be sent to the American brethren, containing these
resolutions, and strongly expressing our high approbation of the selection of
our highly esteemed brother, Mr. Emory, as their representative to our
conference, and of our earnest desire and prayer that, in the spirit of
Christian love, we may ever be one in Christ Jesus.
"6. That there shall be a regular exchange of Minutes, magazines, missionary
reports and notices, and all new original works, published by the European and
American Methodists, from their respective book rooms.
"On the subject of the unpleasant circumstances which have occurred in the
Canadas between the American preachers and our missionaries, referred to the
conference by the missionary committee in London, with their opinion that Upper
Canada shall be left in possession of the American brethren, and that our
missionary exertions shall be confined to the lower province, this committee
recommend to the conference the adoption of the following principles and
arrangements
"1. That, as the American Methodists and ourselves are but one body, it would be
inconsistent with our unity, and dangerous to that affection which ought to
characterize us in every place, to have different societies and congregations in
the same towns and villages, or to allow of any intrusion on either side into
each other's labors.
"2. That this principle shall be the rule by which the disputes now existing in
the Canadas, between our missionaries, shall be terminated.
"3. That the simplest and most effectual manner of carrying this rule into
effect appears to us to be, to accede to the suggestion of the American
conference, that the American brethren shall have the occupation of Upper
Canada, and the British missionaries that of Lower Canada, allowing sufficient
time for carrying this arrangement into effect, with all possible tenderness to
existing prejudices and conflicting interests on both sides; the arrangement to
be Completed within a period to be fixed as early as possible by the missionary
committee. But should insuperable difficulties occur in the attempt to execute
this plan, (which, however, we do not anticipate,) either party shall be at
liberty to propose any other mode of accommodation which shall assume as its
basis the great principle laid down in the first of these resolutions, and which
we are of opinion should be held most sacred in every part of the world.
"4. That if hereafter it shall appear to any of our brethren there, either
British missionaries or American preachers, that any place on either side the
boundary line, now mentioned, needs religious help, and presents a favorable
opportunity for usefulness, the case shall be referred by the Canada district
meeting to the General Conference, or by that body to the Canada district; and
if either shall formally decline to supply the place on their own side the
boundary, then the other shall be at liberty to supply the said place, without
being deemed to have violated the terms of this friendly compact.
"5. And it shall be explicitly understood in this arrangement, that each party
shall be bound to supply with preachers all those stations and their
dependencies which shall be relinquished by each of the connections, that no
place on either side shall sustain any loss of the ordinances of religion in
consequence of this arrangement.
"6. That the missionary committee be directed to address a letter to the private
and official members, trustees, &c., under the care of our missionaries in Upper
Canada, informing them of the judgment of the conference, and affectionately and
earnestly advising them to put themselves and their chapels under the pastoral
care of the American preachers, with the suggestion of such considerations, to
incline them to it, as the Committee may judge most proper.
"7. That the bishops of the American connection shall direct a similar letter to
the private and official members, trustees, &c., under the care of the American
preachers in the province of Lower Canada, requesting them to put themselves and
their chapels under the care of the British missionaries."
The instructions to the missionaries, sent out in pursuance of the above
arrangement, are so replete with Christian urbanity and kindness, and so fully
exemplified the spirit by which all Christian associations should be actuated in
their intercourse with each other, that I am persuaded the reader will be
gratified with their perusal They are as follows:--
"Copy of a letter of instructions from the Missionary Committee in London, to
the Rev. Messrs. R. Williams and the other British missionaries in the provinces
of Canada."
"Dear Brothers:-- Herewith we transmit you a copy of resolutions, passed at our
late conference, on the subject of the disputes which have unhappily existed
between our American brethren and us, relative to our missions in Canada.
"The preceding resolutions are general, and refer to the renewal of the
intercourse, by personal deputation, between the American and British
conferences, by the visit of Mr. Emory. We have given you the resolutions in
full, that you may see that we have recognized the principle that the Methodist
body is ONE throughout the world, and that therefore its members are bound to
cordial affection and brotherly union.
"The resolutions of the committee, passed some time ago, and forwarded for your
guidance, prohibiting any interference with the work of the American brethren,
would show you that the existence of collisions between us and them gave us
serious concern, and that the Committee were anxious to remove, as far as they,
at that time, were acquainted with the circumstances, every occasion of dispute.
"Certainly the case of Montreal chapel was one which we could never justify to
our minds, and the committee have in many instances had but a partial knowledge
of the real religious wants of the upper province, and of its means of supply.
The only reason we could have for increasing the number of missionaries in that
province was, the presumption of a strong necessity, arising out of the
destitute condition of the inhabitants, the total want, or too great distance of
ministers.
"On no other ground could we apply money raised for missionary purposes for the
supply of preachers to Upper Canada. The information we have had for two years
past has all served to show that the number of preachers employed there by the
American brethren was greater than we had at first supposed, and was constantly
increasing.
"To us, therefore, it now appears, that though there may be places in that
province which are not visited, they are within the range, or constantly coming
within the range, of the extended American itinerancy; and that Upper Canada
does not present to our efforts a ground so fully and decidedly missionary as
the lower province, where much less help exists, and a great part of the
population is involved in popish superstition.
"We know that political reasons exist in many minds for supplying even Upper
Canada, as far as possible, with British missionaries; and however natural this
feeling may be to Englishmen, and even praiseworthy, when not carried too far,
it will be obvious to you that this is a ground on which, as a missionary
society, and especially as a society under the direction of a committee which
recognizes as brethren, and one with itself, the American Methodists, we cannot
act.
"1. Because, as a missionary society, we cannot lay it town as a principle that
those whose object is to convert the world shall be prevented from seeking and
saving souls under a foreign government, for we do not thus regulate our own
efforts.
"2. To act on this principle would be to cast an odium upon our American
brethren, as though they did not conduct themselves peaceably under the British
government, which is, we believe, contrary to the fact.
"3. That if any particular exceptions to this Christian and submissive conduct
were, on their part, to occur, we have not the least right to interfere, unless,
indeed, the Americas conference obviously neglected to enforce upon the
offending parties its own discipline. Upon any political feeling which may
exist, either in your minds or in the minds of a party in any place, we cannot
therefore proceed. Our objects are purely spiritual, and our American brethren
and ourselves are one body of Christians, sprung a common stock, holding the
same doctrines, enforcing the same discipline, and striving in common to spread
the light of true religion through the world.
"In conformity with these views, we have long thought it a reproach, and doing
more injury, by disturbing the harmony of the two connections, than could be
counterbalanced by any local good, that the same city or town should see two
congregations, and two societies, and two preachers, professing the same form of
Christianity, and yet thus proclaiming themselves rivals to each other, and, in
some instances, invading each other's societies and chapels, and thus producing
party feelings. The purposes of each, we are ready to allow, have been good,
though mistaken; and we rather blame ourselves for not having obtained more
accurate information on some particulars, that intimate any dissatisfaction with
the missionaries la the Canadas, with whose zeal and labors we have much reason
to be satisfied.
"A part of the evil has also arisen from the want of personal communication, by
deputation, between the two conferences, now happily established. These
considerations had long and seriously occupied our minds before the arrival of
Mr. Emory, charged by the General American Conference to bring these matters
under our consideration. The committee, previous to the conference, went with
him fully into the discussion of the disputes in the Canadas, and recommended
those principles of adjustment which the conference, after they had been
referred to a special committee during the time of its sitting, adopted, and
which we now transmit to all the brethren in the Canada station.
"You will consider these resolutions as the fruit of a very ample inquiry, and
of serious deliberation.
"None of the principles here adopted by us do indeed go farther than to prevent
interference with each other's labors among the American and British
missionaries, and the setting up of 'altar against altar' in the same city,
town, or village; but, knowing that circumstances of irritation exist, and that
too near a proximity might, through the infirmity of human nature, lead to a
violation of that union which the conference has deemed a matter of paramount:
importance to maintain, we have thought it best to adopt a geographical division
of the labor of each, and that the upper province should be left to the American
brethren and the lower to you. The reasons for this are, --
"1. That the upper province is so adequately supplied by the American conference
as not to present that pressing ease of necessity which will justify our
expending our funds upon it.
"2. That Mr. Emory has engaged that its full supply by American preachers shall
be, as far as possible, attended to.
"3. That this measure at once terminates the dispute as to Montreal.
"4. That it will prevent collision without sacrifice of public good.
"5. That Lower Canada demands our efforts rather than Upper, as being more
destitute, and the labors of the brethren there being more truly missionary.
"A transfer of societies and places of preaching will of course follow. Our
societies in Upper Canada are to be put under the care of the American brethren;
theirs in the lower province under yours.
"It is clear that this, under all circumstances, will require prudent and wise
management, and we depend upon you to carry the arrangement into effect in the
same spirit of kindness and temper in which the question has been determined by
the conference and Mr. Emory.
"Feel that you are one with your American brethren, embarked in the same great
cause, and eminently of the same religious family, and the little difficulties
of arrangement will be easily surmounted; and if any warm spirits (which is
probable) rise up to trouble you, remember that you are to act upon the great
principle sanctioned by the conference, and not upon local prejudices. The same
advices Mr. Emory has pledged himself shall be given to the American preachers,
and you will each endeavor to transfer the same spirit into the societies
respectively. When the preachers recognize each other as brethren, the people
will naturally fall under the influence of the same feeling.
"We have appointed our respected brethren, Messrs. Williams and Hick, who are to
choose as an associate a third preacher in full connection, to meet an equal
number of preachers to be appointed by the American bishop, who shall agree upon
the time in which the chapels and societies shall be mutually transferred, and
the arrangements of the conference be carried into effect. The place of the
meeting they are to fix for their mutual convenience, but the meeting is to be
held as early as possible after the receipt of the instructions of the
committee, that the report of the final adjustment of the affair may appear in
your next district minutes.
"We conclude with our best wishes for your personal happiness and usefulness.
May you ever go forth in the 'fulness of the blessing of the gospel of peace,'
and be made the honored instruments of winning many souls to the knowledge and
obedience of the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"We are, dear brother, yours very affectionately,
"Jos. Taylor,
Richard Watson,
Secretaries.
" Wesleyan Mission House,
77 Hatton Garden; 23d August, 1820."
As it was agreed that our bishops should send similar instructions to those
brethren to whom the carrying the above resolutions into practical effect should
be committed, the following communication was sent to the Rev. William Case:--
"Alexandria, (D. C.,) Oct. 16, 1820.
"Dear Brother:-- I transmit you herewith a Copy of the resolutions of the late
British conference, received through brother Emory, our representative to that
body, on the subjects embraced in his mission; and also of the instructions of
the missionary committee in London to the Rev. Messrs. R. Williams and the other
British missionaries in the provinces of Canada, predicated on those
resolutions.
"From these documents you will perceive that the desire of our General
Conference, both for the establishment of a personal intercourse by deputation
between the two connections, and for the amicable adjustment of the afflicting
differences in the Canadas, has been happily accomplished. Indeed it appears,
not only from those papers, but from the communications of our representative,
that this desire was met, both by, the British conference and the missionary
committee, with a promptness and brotherly affection which we should take equal
pleasure in acknowledging and reciprocating.
"This it now devolves upon me (my colleagues being necessarily at a great
distance, in the discharge of their official duties in the south and west) to
enjoin it upon you to do; and to promote the same spirit of kindness toward our
British brethren, among all the preachers, traveling and local, and all the
official and private members within your district, to the utmost extent of your
power.
"To remove the prejudices and allay the unpleasant excitements existing will, no
doubt, require much prudent care. But in this 'labor of love' I expect in you a
ready mind. Let the difficulties you may meet with only stimulate you to the
exertion of your best and most persevering efforts in this behalf. Remember,
'Blessed are the peacemakers.' 'Seek peace, then, and ensue it.' If it even seem
to flee from you, follow it: 'Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace
of God; lest any root of bitterness, springing up, trouble you, and thereby many
be deified.'
"In the present state of things, (your acquaintance with which renders detail
unnecessary,) we have thought it best to agree to a division of our field of
labors in the Canadas by the provincial line. In the expediency of this measure
you will see that the missionary committee in London and the British conference
have concurred; so that our labors there are to be confined, in future, to the
upper province, and those of the British missionaries to the lower.
"A transfer of societies and places of preaching will of course follow. Our
societies in Lower Canada are to be put under the care of our British brethren,
and theirs, in the upper province, under ours.
"For the execution of these arrangements I have appointed brother Ryan and
yourself, with authority to associate with you a third preacher in full
connection, to meet the Rev. Messrs. R. Williams and Hick, appointed by the
missionary committee, and such other preacher as they may associate with them.
The time and place of meeting you will agree on with them, for your mutual
convenience. The missionary committee have instructed their agents that the
meeting is to be held as early as possible after the receipt of the instructions
of the committee, that the report of the final adjustment of the affair may
appear in the next district minutes. In this we concur. You will, therefore,
immediately on the reception of these instructions, in conjunction with brother
Ryan and your associate, correspond with the Rev. Messrs. Williams and Hick and
their associate on the subject; and fail not to use every means in your power
for the prompt execution of the arrangements in the best faith, and in the most
harmonious and affectionate manner. In the language of the missionary committee
we cordially unite to say, 'Feel that you are one with your' British 'brethren,
embarked in the same great cause, and eminently of the same religious family,
and the little difficulties of arrangement will be easily surmounted; and if any
warm spirits rise up to trouble you, remember that you are to act on the great
principles now sanctioned and avowed by the two Connections, and not upon local
prejudices.' If each endeavor to transfuse this spirit into the societies
respectively, the people will much more easily be brought under the influence of
the same feeling, when it shall be found to possess and actuate the preachers.
In any event, let there be no deficiency on your part in spirit, word, or deed.
We commit to you a sacred work, which you are bound to perform, not only as to
the matter, but in the manner, in the temper, in which, as these instructions
are intended to show you, we ourselves would perform it, could we be present.
Attend strictly to this, that we may have joy and consolation in your love, the
bowels of the saints being refreshed by you; and forward to us, as early as
possible, regular and full copies of all your correspondence and proceedings in
this business.
"Should it be found practicable to complete the arrangements previously to the
next Genesee annual conference, you will of course take care to provide for the
supply of those circuits, societies, and places of preaching in the upper
province which may be transferred to us by our British brethren, as they are to
provide for those which are to be simultaneously transferred to them in the
lower province. You will also take care, from time to time, to extend supplies
to any remaining places which may be found destitute in the upper province, as
far as possible.
"There are several circuits, I believe, in Lower Canada, attached to the New
York and New England conferences. These are included in the arrangement. You
will therefore forward a copy of these instructions to each of the presiding
elders within whose districts those circuits are embraced, and request them to
be prepared to cooperate with you in the final execution of the business, and to
report the same at their ensuing annual conferences respectively.
"The missionary committee in London having kindly furnished us with a copy of
their instructions, we shall transmit a copy of these I now send you to them.
You will also show them, when you meet, to the Rev. Messrs. Williams and Hick
and their associate, and, if they desire it, give them a copy, that you may go
on in this good work as we have happily begun, with that frankness and kindness
which become brethren in such a cause.
"By the sixth resolution of the British conference on the Canadian business, it
is provided that the missionary committee be directed to address a letter to the
private and official members, trustees, &c., under the care of the missionaries
in Upper Canada, informing them of the judgment of the Conference, and
affectionately and earnestly advising them to put themselves and their chapels
under the pastoral care of the American preachers, with the suggestion of such
considerations to incline them to it as the committee may judge most proper. And
by the seventh resolution it is provided that we shall address a similar letter
to the private and official members, trustees, &c., under our care. I
accordingly inclose a letter which you will use for this purpose, after you have
met with Messrs. Williams and Hick, &c., and agreed with them on the time of
making the transfer of the societies, chapels, &c., but not to be used before.
At the same time, after this meeting and agreement, you will also forward a copy
of this letter to each of the presiding elders in the New York and New England
conferences whose districts embrace circuits in Lower Canada, to be used by
them.
"Confiding in your faithful discharge of the several trusts committed to you, I
commend you to the Lord, and remain, dear brother, yours in love.
"Wm. McKendree."
The following was also addressed to the brethren therein mentioned in Lower
Canada:--
"To the private and official members, trustees, &c., of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in Lower Canada
"Very Dear Brethren:-- You are aware that, for several years past, very
unpleasant collisions have occurred in various parts both of the upper and lower
provinces, between the British missionaries and some of our brethren. This has
been a source of great affliction to us, and has led to the adoption of various
and successive measures for the correction of the evil.
"Our late General Conference, being earnestly desirous of restoring the amicable
relations of the two connections, authorized the deputation of a representative
to the British conference for this purpose. One was accordingly sent. And, after
a deliberate investigation, it has been mutually thought best, for the sake of
peace and love, under all the circumstances of the case, to divide our labors in
the Canadas in such a manner as to guard effectually against all collisions in
future.
"With this view, it has been agreed that our British brethren shall supply the
lower province and our preachers the upper; yet so that no circuits or societies
on either side shall be left destitute by the other. This has been sacredly
attended to, and mutual pledges for the performance of it have been passed. It
now becomes our duty, therefore, to inform you of this agreement, and to advise
you, in the most affectionate and earnest manner, to put yourselves and your
chapels under the care of our British brethren, as their societies and chapels
in the upper province will be put under ours.
"This communication to you, we confess, is not made without pain; not from any
want of affection for our British brethren, but from the recollection of those
tender and endearing ties which have bound us to you. But a necessity is laid
upon us. It is a peace-offering. No other consideration could have induced us to
consent to the measure. Forgive, therefore, our seeming to give you up. We do
not give you up in heart, in affection, in kind regard, in prayers.
"The British and American connections have now mutually recognized each other as
one body of Christians, sprung from a common stock, holding the same doctrines,
of the same religious family, and striving in common to speed the light of true
religion through the world; and they have agreed to keep up a regular
intercourse by deputation, in future, for the maintenance of this brotherly
union.
"Let any past differences, therefore, be forgotten. Let them be buried for ever.
Confirm your love toward our British brethren, and receive them as ourselves; --
not as strangers, but as brothers beloved. By this shall all men know that we
are Christ's disciples, if we love one another. Love is of God, and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. May the God of love and peace
be with you, and crown you with the blessedness of contributing with us to heal
the wounds of the Church, and to establish that 'fellowship of the Spirit' which
shall enable us to say, 'Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to
dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that
ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his
garments. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountain
of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.'
"For any farther information that you may desire I refer you to the presiding
elder, to whom it is given in charge to make this communication to you; and
remain, dear brethren, with the same affection for you, in the bonds of the
gospel of peace, and the best wishes and prayers for your happiness and
salvation,
"Wm. McKendree.
"Alexandria, (D. C.,) October 16, 1820."
These proceedings gave general satisfaction, and tended not a little to allay
the uneasiness which had resulted from the collisions of individuals in the two
provinces, as well as to soften the asperities of those who had suffered the
heat of party zeal to carry them beyond the bounds of Christian moderation. This
result also shows how little the individual and local interests of a few affect
those whose position gives them a commanding and impartial view of the whole
ground of controversy, and who consequently feel for the whole as for every
part, and for every part as for the whole. And it is no small commendation of
the Christian spirit by which each of the contracting parties was actuated, to
find them thus ready to sacrifice individual and local interests for the sake of
binding the entire Methodist family together in one great brotherhood.
An improved edition of our Hymn Book was ordered by this General Conference to
be printed by the book agents. The first hymn book printed in this country for
the use of the members and friends of our Church was small, containing, to be
sure, a choice selection, but not a sufficient variety of hymns to suit the
different states of the human heart, and the several subjects which might be
introduced into the pulpit, and other exercises of social worship and private
devotion. This had been remedied, as was supposed, by adding, in 1808, a second
book, consisting chiefly of hymns taken from the original hymns of John and
Charles Wesley; but, unhappily, those who made this selection had taken the
liberty to alter many of the hymns, by leaving out parts of stanzas, altering
words, shortening or lengthening hymns, without much judgment or taste. By this
injudicious method the poetry was often marred, and the sentiment changed much
for the worse.
These things led the New York conference, at its session in 1819, to request the
book committee in New York, in conjunction with the book agents, to prepare a
revised edition of our Hymn Book, to be presented to this General Conference,
which was done accordingly. The conference approved of the copy, and ordered it
to be printed. The following extract from the preface will show the extent of
and reasons for the alterations:--
"The Hymn Book heretofore in use among us has been thought by many to be
defective, partly on account of the mutilated state of some of the hymns, and
partly because of its being divided into two books. To remedy these
inconveniences, measures have been adopted to prepare a revised edition of our
Hymn Book, such a one as should exclude the defects and retain the excellences
of the one heretofore published.
"The greater part of the hymns contained in the former edition are retained in
this, and several from Wesleys' and Coke's collections, not before published in
this country, are added. The principal improvements which have been made consist
in restoring those which had been altered, as is believed, for the worse, to
their original state, as they came from the poetical pen of the Wesleys; for the
following hymns were, except a few which have been taken from other authors,
composed by the Rev. John and Charles Wesley -- names that will ever be held
dear and in high estimation by every lover of sacred poetry."
This edition of the Hymn Book has been in use ever since, unaltered, except the
addition of the names of the tunes at the head of each hymn, and, in 1836, of a
supplement, which was prepared in conformity to the recommendation of the
General Conference of 1832. Up to this time our people had not been furnished
with a tune book suited to the various meters of our most excellent hymns. This
General Conference ordered the editors to adopt such measures as they might
judge most fit to supply this deficiency; and they accordingly, soon after the
adjournment of conference, appointed a committee of competent persons to make a
selection of such tunes as were needed to enable our congregations to use, in
their devotional exercises, any and every hymn in the published collection they
might choose, without being compelled to omit, for the want of a suitable tune,
those particular meters especially, which are among the most experimental,
spiritual, and poetical in the book. The following preface to this collection of
tunes will show the reasons for and the manner in which the work was
accomplished:--
"Singing forms such an interesting and important branch of divine service, that
every effort to improve the science of sacred music should meet with
corresponding encouragement. Nothing tends more, when rightly performed, to
elevate the mind, and tune it to the strains of pure devotion. Hence the high
estimation in which it has been constantly held by the Christian church. Indeed,
every considerable revival of true godliness has been attended, not only with
the cultivation and enlargement of knowledge in general, but of sacred poetry
and music in particular. Singing and making melody in the heart to the Lord is
the natural result of having the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the
Holy Spirit. The melodious notes of many voices, harmoniously uniting to sound
the praises of God, cannot but inspire the heart of the Christian to devotion,
and elevate the affections to things spiritual and divine. Who, then, can be
uninterested in the improvement of a science so beneficial to the church of God!
What hear t that has ever vibrated to the inspiring sounds of sacred and vocal
music, but must exult in every attempt that is made to cultivate and diffuse the
knowledge of this useful auxiliary in spreading the knowledge of God our
Saviour!
"Though the Methodist Episcopal Church has never been insensible to the
advantages resulting from the knowledge and practice of vocal music, having
always used it perhaps more than most other denominations of Christians -- in
public assemblies and private associations; yet a suitable tune book, adapted to
the various hymns and meters of its Hymn Book, has long been a desideratum in
its spiritual economy. Several efforts, indeed, have been made, by individuals,
to supply this deficiency. The subject was brought before the General Conference
at its last session; and it was finally referred to the discretion of the book
agents.
"Believing such a collection of tunes, as should be suited to the various meters
and subjects of our hymns, would be highly advantageous to the members and
friends of our Church, soon after the conference closed its session, the agents
adopted measures to accomplish this very desirable object. For this purpose a
committee, consisting of members of our Church, was appointed, who, besides
their competency to this undertaking, felt a deep interest in the reputation and
utility of this very important part of divine service. They were requested, in
conformity as nearly as practicable to the requisition of our Discipline, to
make a selection of tunes from authors of approved merit, keeping in view the
various sections of our widely extended connection, that the peculiarity of
taste, in the choice of tunes, might, as far as possible, be gratified. They
entered upon their labor with cheerfulness, and persevered with conscientious
care and diligence until they brought their work to a close: and the tunes
comprised in the following selection will evince the result of their exertions,
and their communication to the agents, with which we close this preface, will
explain the manner in which they executed the trust confided to them.
"'Dear Brethren:-- Your Committee, whose task it has been, by your request, to
compile a book of tunes for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church, report:
That they have been fully aware of the extreme difficulty of making such a
collection of tunes as should in all respects be accommodated either to the
fancy or taste of every section of our widely extended connection. In the use of
any particular style of tunes, so much generally depends upon education, local
feelings, or mental constitution, that, except with those who are skilled in the
science of music, the choice of a tune is seldom Caused by a discovery of its
intrinsic worth, or its adaptation to the solemnities of Christian worship. Your
committee, therefore, will neither be surprised nor disappointed if their
selection, in coming before the public, meet with some of those discouragements
which have attended works of a similar nature.
"'Your committee, however, have not been regardless of the partialities of our
societies in different parts of the Union. They have availed themselves of
standard works which have obtained celebrity in the eastern and southern states,
as well as those that are in general use among us. The best European authors
have also been consulted. Books edited by members of our Church, or with a
design to suit our Hymn Book, have received particular attention. They have
neglected no means of ascertaining the wishes of our friends, and of
accommodating, as far as possible, their plan to those wishes.
"'It may be proper to suggest that the primary object of your committee has
been, not to prepare a collection of tunes for social circles or singing
associations, (though they hope the work will not be unacceptable even in this
light,) but, according to your own directions, for the use of worshipping
congregations. They have therefore, in the first place, carefully avoided the
choice of all such tunes as, from the intricacy or unsuitableness of their
style, are incapable of being easily learned by ordinary congregations; for one
of the most important objects of public singing is lost when every tuneful voice
in the house of God cannot join in the solemn exercise.
"'Secondly, In cordial approbation of that clause of our Discipline which
disapproves of fugue tunes, they have (with the exception of a very few, the use
of which has been established by general practice) passed by those distinguished
by that peculiarity.
"'Thirdly, In order to assist leaders of singing, they have carefully affixed
over each hymn in the new Hymn Book the name of such tune as, in their opinion,
is suitable to that hymn.
"'Your committee have thought proper to insert brief instructions in the
rudiments of music, which will be found of great utility where the work is
introduced into singing schools.
"'Thus, after the labor of nearly a twelvemonth [a quaint term for "year" --
DVM], your committee have the pleasure of delivering into your hands the result
of their joint exertions: they are happy in having this opportunity of
contributing their part toward the improvement of one of the most delightful, as
well as one of the most devotional parts of divine worship. Uninfluenced by the
expectation or desire of any pecuniary recompense, they only wish as a reward
for their labors the approbation of their brethren, beloved in Christ, who
compose the general and annual conferences, and that of the membership of the
Methodist Church. We have long needed a work which might be considered as a
standard of music for our connection in America. That which your committee
present to you is an attempt for this, according to the best of their judgment.
"'Finally, praying that the blessing of Heaven may accompany their efforts, they
would subjoin the language of our bishops as a just expression of their own
sentiments: "We exhort all to sing with the Spirit and with the understanding
also; and thus may the high praises of God be set up from east to west, from
north to south; and we shall be happily instrumental in leading the devotion of
thousands, and shall rejoice to join them in time and eternity." -- All which is
respectfully submitted.
" 'New York, October 23, 1821.' "
This book continued in use until 1832, when a revised edition of these tunes was
published, in obedience to the orders of the General Conference. In 1836,
believing that a greater variety of tunes was needed to meet the wants of our
growing Church, better suited to the various tastes and peculiar habits of the
several sections of our country, our book agents and editors adopted the very
judicious course of selecting a committee composed of a member from Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, who prepared the edition now in use, and
which, I believe, gives general satisfaction.
With a view to prevent, as far as practicable, our people from running
heedlessly into debt in procuring houses of worship, to secure them permanently
for the use of the ministers and members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in
the places where they should be built, as well as to check the practice of
selling or renting the slips, the following resolutions were adopted, and
ordered to be incorporated in the Discipline, in answer to the question, "Is any
thing advisable in regard to building?"
"1. That from this date no house of worship under our charge shall be built, or
the building commenced, until the site or ground on which such house or houses
are to be located is secured to the church as our deed of settlement directs,
and said deed is legally executed.
"2. That from and after this date no house of worship under our charge shall be
commenced until three-fourths of the money necessary to complete the building be
in hand or subscribed. The estimate of the sum necessary for the whole expense
of said house or houses to be made by a judicious committee, to consist of at
least three members of our Church, to be chosen by the quarterly meeting
conference of the circuit or station in which such house or houses are designed
to be built.
"3. That it be made the duty of each presiding elder and preacher in charge to
make proper inquiry in their districts, circuits, and stations respecting the
title we have to our houses of worship; and in all cases where a title is found
deficient, to adopt the most judicious and prudent measures to have them secured
as directed in our deed of settlement, and whenever a vacancy is found in the
trusteeship to have it filled, as directed in the Discipline.
"4. That the practice of building houses with pews, and the renting and selling
said pews, is contrary to our economy, and that it be the duty of the several
annual conferences to use their influence to prevent such houses from being
built in future, and, as far as possible, to make those free which have already
been built with pews.
"5. That in future we will admit of no charter, deed, or conveyance for any
house to be used by us as a house of worship, unless it be provided in such
charter, deed, or conveyance that the trustees of said house shall at all times
permit such ministers. and preachers, belonging to the Methodist Episcopal
Church, as shall from time to time be duly authorized by the General Conference
of said Church, or by the annual conference, to preach and expound Gods holy
word, and to execute the rules and discipline of the Church, and to administer
the sacraments therein, according to the true meaning and purport of our deed of
settlement."
The rule in reference to the preliminary steps to be taken in regard to
procuring funds for building churches has been but little heeded, our people
thinking, probably, that they understand this matter better than the General
Conference, and hence, in many instances, debts have been contracted to such an
amount as to render the situation of the trustees extremely embarrassing, if not
indeed almost ruinous. Nor has all that has been said and done to prevent the
renting or selling of slips checked the practice, for it has gone on steadily
increasing among us in most of the northern conferences. It would seem, however,
that the advocates for the exclusive free seat system were determined at this
conference to make a strong effort to annihilate the practice; for in the first
answer to the above question, which until now read, "Let all our churches be
built plain and decent," were added the words, "and with free seats." This
amendment, however, was not carried without great opposition from those
delegates who felt the necessity, either to have no houses at all, or to permit
them to be built with a view to rent or sell the seats.
A very important alteration was made at this conference in respect to local
preachers. Until now they had been identified with the quarterly meeting
conferences, had received their license to preach on the recommendation of this
meeting, and were amenable to it for their moral, Christian, and official
conduct, with the privilege of an appeal to an annual conference in case they
had been censured, suspended, or expelled by the quarterly conference. A little
uneasiness had been manifested at times, by some of the local preachers, because
they thought they had been abridged of some of their rights, in not being
permitted to be examined, licensed, and tried by their peers exclusively. To
remove the cause of their dissatisfaction by granting the privilege of
transacting the business which related to themselves exclusively, this General
Conference created a District Conference," to be composed of "all the local
preachers in the" (presiding elder's) "district who shall have been licensed two
years." Of this meeting the presiding elder of the district, or, in his absence,
such person as the district meeting might elect for the purpose, was to be
president. This conference was authorized to grant licenses to proper persons to
preach as local preachers, to renew their licenses, to recommend to annual
conferences suitable persons for deacon's or elder's orders in the local
ministry, for admission on trial in an annual conference, to try, suspend,
expel, or acquit such local preachers as might be accused; but it could not
license any man to preach unless he were recommended by a quarterly meeting
conference: in fact, all the powers formerly belonging to the quarterly
conference, which related to local preachers, except simply the privilege of
recommending the candidates to the office of local preachers, were transferred
to this district conference.
As was foreseen by some who were opposed to this startling innovation upon a
long established usage, this conference by no means worked well. Many of the
local preachers themselves were much dissatisfied with it, and hence, in various
parts of the country, it was difficult to convene a sufficient number to do
business; while in others, where they were most active in procuring the passage
of the law creating and defining the powers of this conference, a spirit of
insubordination, incompatible with the rights and privileges of the itinerancy,
began to manifest itself; and there can be no doubt that this injudicious
measure, which had been presented to and carried through the conference with
some precipitancy, tended to foment that spirit of radicalism which ended in the
secession of the party who styled themselves "Reformers," and who have since
organized under the name of the "Protestant Methodist Church."
In consequence of witnessing these effects of the present organization, the
powers of the district conferences were from time to time somewhat abridged,
replacing in the quarterly meeting conference the power of transacting the
affairs relating to local preachers, where and when the district conference did
not assemble, until finally, in 1836, the district conference was dissolved, and
its rights, powers, and privileges reverted back to the quarterly meeting
conference, where they have been and are now exercised, to the general
satisfaction of all concerned.
As the constitution of our Missionary Society contemplated the co-operation of
the General Conference, having given authority to that body to incorporate an
article for the appointment of missionaries, and for regulating the manner in
which the funds for their support should be drawn, the subject came up for
consideration before this General Conference, and its deliberations resulted in
the adoption of the following report, which was drawn up, I believe, by the late
Bishop Emory:--
"Your committee regard the Christian ministry as peculiarly a missionary
ministry. 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,'
is the very foundation of its authority, and develops its character
simultaneously with its origin.
"The success which attended the itinerant and missionary labors of the first
heralds of salvation farther establishes the correctness of this view, and
demonstrates the divine sanction of this method of spreading the gospel.
"In process of time, however, the missionary spirit declined, and the spirit of
genuine Christianity with it. Then it pleased the Lord to raise up the Messrs.
Wesleys, Whitefield, and others, through whose itinerant and missionary labors a
great revival of vital piety was commenced, the progress and extent of which, at
present, your committee cannot but regard as cause of unbounded thankfulness and
pleasure.
"The missions of Boardman and Pilmoor, of Wright, of Asbury, and others, are
events in our history not soon to be forgotten. A grateful people feel their
happy influence and hold their memory dear, and generations yet unborn will rise
up and call them blessed.
"Can we, then, be listless to the cause of missions, We cannot. Methodism itself
is a missionary system. Yield the missionary spirit, and you yield the very
lifeblood of the cause.
"In missionary efforts our British brethren are before us. We congratulate them
on their zeal and their success. But your committee beg leave to entreat this
conference to emulate their example. The time, indeed, may not yet be come in
which we should send our missionaries beyond seas. Our own continent presents to
us fields sufficiently vast, which are opening before us, and whitening to the
harvest. These, it is probable, will demand all the laborers and all the means
which we can command at present.
"You will permit your committee to mention some of those missionary grounds
which may have a peculiar claim to your first attentions. They are the Canadas,
the Floridas, the state of Louisiana, the territories of Arkansas and Missouri,
our western frontiers generally, having regard to those who use the French,
Spanish, or other foreign languages, as well as to those who use the English;
together with any destitute places in the interior in which circuits may not yet
have been formed, and where it may be judged important to have efficient
missions.
"In a particular manner the committee solicit the attention of the Conference to
the condition of the aborigines of our Country, the Indian tribes. American
Christians are certainly under peculiar obligations to impart to them the
blessings of Civilization and Christian light. That there is no just cause to
despair of success, through grace, in this charitable and pious undertaking, is
demonstrated by the fact that there are already gathered into Church fellowship
about sixty members of the Wyandot tribe, in the state of Ohio; and that a
successful mission, under our direction, is now in operation among them. Why
might not similar success attend other missions among other tribes? Is the
Lord's arm shortened that he cannot save our brothers of the forest? or is his
ear heavy that he will not hear in their behalf?
"The government of the United States has manifested a disposition toward the
Indians which may contribute much, not only to their civilization, but to their
evangelization. Ten thousand dollars annually have been appropriated by congress
for the establishment of schools among them. By this act it is required that the
plan of education embrace, for the boys, in addition to reading, writing, and
arithmetic, the practical knowledge of agriculture, and of such of the mechanic
arts as are suited to the condition of the Indians; and for the girls, spinning,
weaving, and sewing. This your committee consider a very judicious regulation,
and perfectly compatible with the duties of missionaries, if men of families who
might be established among them, as teachers in those schools, while their wives
would assist in the instruction of the girls in their appropriate departments.
The civilization of the Indians will promote their evangelization.
Indeed, your committee are decidedly of opinion, that it is the rising
generation among the Indians to whom your attention should be chiefly directed;
and that the institution of schools among them, on the government plan, and
under the government patronage, should be your first care. It will be necessary,
at the same time, in the appointment of teachers to select suitable persons,
with a view to the ulterior object of Christian instruction, both to the youth
and the adult; which object, it is evident, will be greatly promoted by means of
a common language; by the influence which a teacher will have over the youth;
and by the free access which will be gained, through them, to their parents and
friends. This is the course which has been pursued by our missionary brethren of
the British connection in the island of Ceylon, and, your committee believe,
with great success.
"Several denominations have already availed themselves of the proffered aid of
government above mentioned, and have flourishing schools, of a missionary
character, now in operation among different tribes.
"The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions have an establishment
of this kind on the Chickamaugah, in the Cherokee country, and another among the
Choctaws. At the first are about one hundred Indian Children, and at the second
from forty to sixty. This board have also directed their attention to the
country west of the Mississippi, and an establishment similar to those above
named is already in a state of forwardness there. Besides these, branches are
organized in different parts of the Cherokee and Choctaw Countries; and measures
are in operation to establish two other principal schools, one for the benefit
of the Creeks and the other for the Chickasaws.
"The Baptist society have a school in Kentucky, at the Great Crossings, to which
fifteen or twenty Indian children have been sent from the Indian country: and
they are about to organize a school at the Valley Towns, in the Cherokee
country.
"At Spring-place, in the Cherokee nation, there has been a school for fourteen
years, under the care of the Moravians, which is said to have been productive of
much good.
"The United Foreign Missionary Society of New York are about organizing a school
west of the Mississippi, and also for the benefit of the emigrant Cherokees. It
is supposed they will go into operation in the course of this spring and summer.
"Your committee had felicitated themselves on the pleasing and inviting openings
for such institutions which had appeared, particularly among the Wyandots; of
which tribe many, through the instrumentality of our missions, have already been
turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. But while
we have been delaying, others have stepped in. The agent of that tribe has
informed a member of your committee that he has written to the secretary of war
to place the proportion of the ten thousand dollars per annum, allowed by
congress, which may be allotted to that agency, at the disposal of the committee
of Friends on Indian concerns, in this city; and they have it in contemplation
to open three schools, the ensuing summer, in the said agency.
"Your committee hope not to be understood as expressing any regret at the zeal
of other denominations in so good a cause. Far from it. The mention of this is
intended rather to provoke ourselves to love and to good works. There yet is
room.
"From the above sketch it will be seen how the spirit of missions is diffusing
itself in our country. It ought to be cherished and rightly directed. If we do
not cherish it, others will. It is of God, and will prevail.
"Indeed, many of the Indians themselves, bordering on our improved settlements,
are roused to a sense of their deplorable condition. With outstretched arms they
cry to us, and say, 'Come and help us!' Your Committee believe it a call of
Providence, which should be obeyed.
With these views they submit the following resolutions, viz.:--
"Resolved, by the delegates of the annual conferences in General Conference
assembled,
"1. That this Conference do highly approve of the institution of the Missionary
Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the City of New York, and, on the
recommendation of the managers thereof; do agree to and adopt its constitution.
"2. That it be, and hereby is, earnestly recommended to all the annual
conferences to take such measures as they may deem most advisable for the
establishment of branch societies, auxiliary to the parent Methodist Missionary
Society at New York, in all convenient and practicable places within their
bounds; and that it be the duty of the general superintendents to communicate
this recommendation to the said conferences, and to use their best endeavors and
influence to have it carried into speedy and general effect.
"3. That this conference do fully approve of the plan of education for the
civilization of the Indians, required by a circular, in conformity with an act
of congress, issued from the department of war, by the Hon. J. C. Calhoun, on
the 3d of September, 1819, and by a supplement thereto, issued from the
department on the 29th of February last; and that they do hereby authorize the
general superintendents of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and any others who,
under their direction, may be engaged in establishing, organizing, or conducting
such school or schools, to act in conformity therewith.
"4. That the superintendents be, and hereby are, requested to, keep in view the
selection of a suitable missionary station westwardly or southwestwardly --
where a person may be appointed, as soon as they may deem it expedient, to have
charge of the missions which are or may be in that direction, in the absence of
the general superintendents.
"5. That a more particular and regular attention ought to be paid to the
instruction of the destitute souls in our cities, towns, and country places; and
that the same be and is hereby earnestly urged on all our preachers who may be
appointed to such places respectively; and more especially in stations where
such instructions may be given with the greatest regularity and effect: in which
good cause the said preachers are advised and requested, by all prudent and
affectionate means, to engage, as far as possible, the aid of our brethren the
local preachers.
"6. That this conference do highly approve of the pious zeal which caused the
institution of the Mite Society of Philadelphia, for promoting domestic and
foreign missions; that the thanks of this conference be, and hereby are,
rendered to the said society for the same, and for their friendly address to
this conference on the subject; but that, having adopted a modified constitution
of a missionary society, to be established in New York, from the objects of
which the publishing of Bibles has been separated, for the reasons contained in
the said address from Philadelphia, and also on the recommendation of the
society in New York, and contemplating very important advantages from having the
parent missionary society located where the Book Concern is conducted, so that
the editor and general book steward for the time being may always be treasurer
thereof, this General Conference do respectfully and affectionately recommend to
the society in Philadelphia to become auxiliary to that in New York.
"All which is respectfully submitted.
"Wm. Ryland, Chairman.
"Baltimore, May 15, 1820."
It will be perceived from the sixth resolution of this report that our brethren
in Philadelphia had also presented an address to the conference, in reference to
their missionary society, and likewise the reasons for the preference given to
the one which originated in the city of New York; the chief of which was, that
the location of the parent society might be in the same place with the Book
Concern, as it was expected that these two institutions would greatly aid and
mutually support each other, and experience has proved that the expectation was
well founded.
At the formation of this society it was intended to print and circulate Bibles
and Testaments gratuitously, in connection with spreading the gospel by means of
missionary labors; and hence it was called the "Missionary and Bible Society of
the Methodist Episcopal Church;" but being convinced, upon more mature
reflection, that the American Bible Society, which was now in successful
operation, was fully adequate to the task of supplying the community with the
sacred Scriptures, the society recommended to the General Conference to strike
the word Bible from the title, that it might confine its efforts exclusively to
missionary labors, and so more effectually fulfill the primary design of its
organization. This was accordingly done, and the word "America" was also
stricken out, as this was unnecessary to designate the character of the society,
there being no other missionary society of the "Methodist Episcopal Church" in
existence.
As the original constitution of this society has been altered from time to time
by the General Conference, on the recommendation of the board of managers, that
the reader may see at once how the affairs of the society are conducted, and for
what ends, I will insert the constitution as it now stands, (1839,) without
referring to the minutiae of those amendments by which it has been brought to
its present improved character. It is as follows:--
"REVISED CONSTITUTION
Of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church
"Art. 1. This association, denominated 'The Missionary Society of The Methodist
Episcopal Church,' is established for the express purpose of enabling the
several annual conferences more effectually to extend their missionary labors
throughout the United States and elsewhere; and also to assist in the support
and promotion of missionary schools and missions in our own and in foreign
countries.
"Art: 2. The payment of two dollars annually shall constitute a member; the
payment of twenty dollars at one time a member for life.
"Art. 3. The officers of this society shall consist of a president, vice
presidents, clerk, treasurer, and assistant treasurer, who, together with
thirty-two managers, shall form a board for the transaction of business. They
shall all be members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he annually elected
by the society. Each annual conference shall have also the privilege of
appointing one vice president from its own body.
"Art. 4. There shall also be a resident corresponding secretary appointed by the
General Conference, whose salary shall be fixed and paid by the board of
managers, who shall be exclusively employed in conducting the correspondence of
the society, and, under the direction of the board, in promoting its general
interests, by traveling or otherwise. With the approbation of the managers, he
may employ such assistance, from time to time, as may be judged necessary for
the interests of the cause; the compensation for which shall be fixed by the
board. He shall be, ex officio, a member of the board of managers. Should his
office become vacant by death, resignation, or otherwise, the board shall have
power to provide for the duties of the office until the next session of the New
York conference, which, with the concurrence of the presiding bishop, shall fill
the vacancy until the ensuing General Conference.
"Art. 5. The board shall have authority to make by laws for regulating its own
proceedings, to appropriate money to defray incidental expenses, and to print
books at our own press, for the benefit of Indian and other foreign missions,
fill up vacancies that may occur during the year, and shall present a statement
of its transactions and funds to the society, at its annual meeting, and also
shall lay before the General Conference a report of its transactions for the
four preceding years, and the state of its funds.
"Art. 6. Ordained ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, whether traveling
or local, being members of this society, shall be, ex officio, members of the
board of managers.
"Art. 7. The annual meeting, for the election officers and managers, shall be
held on the third Monday in April, in the city of New York.
"Art. 8. At all meetings of the society and of the board, the president, or, in
his absence, the vice president first on the list then present, and in the
absence of all the vice presidents, a member appointed by the meeting for that
purpose, shall preside.
"Art. 9. Twenty-five members, at all meetings of the society, and thirteen at
all meetings of the board of managers, shall be a quorum.
"Art. 10. The minutes of each meeting shall be signed by the chairman.
"Art. 11. It is recommended, that within the bounds of each annual conference
there be established a conference missionary society, auxiliary to this
institution, with branches, under such regulations as the conferences shall
respectively prescribe. Each conference, or other auxiliary society, shall
annually transmit to the corresponding secretary of this society a copy of its
annual report, embracing the operations of its branches, and shall also notify
the treasurer of the amount collected in aid of the missionary cause, which
amount shall be subject to the order of the treasurer of the parent society, as
provided for in the thirteenth article.
"Art. 12. Any auxiliary or branch society may appropriate any part or the whole
of its funds to any one individual mission, or more, under the care of this
society, which special appropriation shall be publicly acknowledged by the
board: but in the event that more funds be raised for any individual mission
than is necessary for its support, the surplus shall go into the general
treasury of the parent society, to be appropriated as the constitution directs.
"Art. 13. The treasurer of this society, under the direction of the board of
managers, shall give information to the bishops annually, or oftener, if the
board judge it expedient, of the state of the funds, and the sums which may be
drawn by them for the missionary purposes contemplated by this constitution:
agreeably to which information the bishops shall have authority to draw upon the
treasurer for any sum within the amount designated, which the missionary
committee of the annual conferences respectively shall judge necessary for the
support of the missions and of the mission schools under their care; provided
always, that the sums so allowed for the support of a missionary shall not
exceed the usual allowance of other itinerant preachers. The bishops shall
always promptly notify the treasurer of all drafts made by them, and shall
require regular quarterly communications to be made by each of the missionaries
*[5] to the corresponding secretary of the society, giving information of the
state and prospects of the several missions in which they are employed. No one
shall be acknowledged a missionary, or receive support out of the funds of this
society, who has not some definite field assigned to him, or who could not be an
effective laborer on a circuit.
"Art. 14. Whenever a foreign mission is to be established, either among the
aborigines of our country or elsewhere, it shall be the duty of the bishop
making such appointment immediately to notify the treasurer of the missionary
society of the place, the number of missionaries to be employed, together with
the probable amount necessary for the support of any such mission; which
information shall be laid before the managers of the society; and they shall
make an appropriation according to their judgment, from year to year, of the
amount called for to sustain and prosecute the mission or missions designated;
for which amount the missionary, or the superintendent of the mission or
missions, shall have authority to draw on the treasurer of the society, in
quarterly or half-yearly installments.
"Art. 15. In all cases oft he appointment of a missionary, the name of such
missionary, and the district in which he is to labor, together with the probable
expenses of the mission, shall be communicated by the bishop or the mission
committee of each annual conference to the treasury of this society; that a
proper record of the same may be preserved.
"Art. 16. This constitution shall not be altered but by the General Conference,
upon the recommendation of the board of managers."
It was ordered that five hundred copies of the report on missions together with
the amended constitution, should be immediately printed, that the delegates
might furnish themselves with copies to carry to their respective districts and
circuits.
These doings of the conference in relation to the Missionary Society exerted a
most favorable influence upon the cause, and tended mightily to remove the
unfounded objections which had existed in some minds against this organization.
Having witnessed much confusion in the conference when appeals from the lower
tribunals had been presented, the following clause was added to the Discipline,
with a view to regulate the manner in which appeals should be hereafter
conducted
"In all the above-mentioned cases it shall be the duty of the secretary of the
annual conference to keep regular minutes of the trial, including all the
questions proposed to the witnesses, and their answers, together with the crime
with which the accused is charged, the specification or specifications, and also
preserve all the documents relating to the case, which minutes and documents
only, in case of an appeal from the decision of an annual conference, shall be
presented to the General Conference, in evidence on the case. And in all cases
when an appeal is made, and admitted by the General Conference, the appellant
shall either state personally or by his representative (who shall be a member of
the conference) the grounds of his appeal, showing cause why he appeals, and he
shall be allowed to make his defense without interruption. After which the
representatives of the annual conference, from whose decision the appeal is
made, shall be permitted to respond in presence of the appellant, who shall have
the privilege of replying to such representatives, which shall close the
pleadings on both sides. This done, the appellant shall withdraw, and the
conference shall decide. And after such form of trial and expulsion, the person
so expelled shall have no privileges of society or sacraments in our Church,
without confession, contrition, and proper trial."
These are all the acts and doings of this conference worthy of record, except
what has been heretofore noticed concerning the election and duties of presiding
elders, and the resolutions regarding the Book Concern and slavery, which will
be noted in another place. It may be proper, however, to add, that Nathan Bangs
was elected principal, and Thomas Mason assistant agent and editor of the Book
Concern; and as this conference resolved to establish a branch at Cincinnati,
Martin Ruter was appointed to its agency.
The conference adjourned May the 27th, to meet again in the city of Baltimore,
May 1, 1824.
The conflicting opinions in relation to the presiding elder question, on
slavery, and concerning renting pews in churches, and some other matters, had
elicited considerable debate, and sometimes, as is usual on such occasions, not
of the most hallowed and conciliatory character, by which means the feelings of
some of the members were somewhat chafed, and they went home under a state of
mind not the most friendly one toward another. Time for calm deliberation,
however, and the mutual interchange of sentiments and feelings in their
respective annual conferences, gradually wore away this momentary irritation,
and restored them to that fervor of spirit and devotion to the cause of God by
which they had been heretofore distinguished.
* * * * * * *
PART 23
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 6
(From The Year 1816 To The Year 1828)
From the Close of the General Conference of 1820 to the Beginning of the General
Conference of 1824
According to the decision of the late General Conference, there was an
additional annual conference created this year called Kentucky making in all
twelve. This conference, it was stated, "shall include the Kentucky, Salt River,
Green River, and Cumberland districts, and that part of the state of Virginia
included in the Green Brier and Monroe circuits, heretofore belonging to the
Baltimore conference, and the Kenawa and Middle Island circuits, heretofore
belonging to the Ohio conference."
This division of labor into twelve annual conferences gave to each effective
bishop -- for, as Bishop McKendree had been released from effective labor in
consequence of his debility, there were but two -- six conferences to attend,
which, in the extension of the work, particularly in the west and southwest,
made their labors extremely arduous. They, however, entered upon their work with
diligence and zeal; and although Bishop McKendree was not required to perform
effective service, yet he attended as many of the conferences as his strength
would allow, and was particularly useful in the missionary department of the
work, in which be took a deep and lively interest.
Notwithstanding what had been done to supply the destitute portions of our
country with the word and ordinances of Christianity, there were yet many parts
unprovided for, particularly in the southwestern states and territories. The
state of Louisiana, which contained at this time not less than 220,000
inhabitants, about one fourth of whom were slaves, was almost entirely destitute
of evangelical instruction. About three fourths of the population were French
Roman Catholics, but few of whom could either speak or understand the English
language, and the greater proportion of these had never heard a Protestant
minister.
In this large territory there was a presiding elder's district, including only
two circuits, called Attakapas and Washataw, in which there were one hundred and
fifty-one white and fifty-eight colored members, under the charge of three
preachers, including the presiding elder. How inadequate they were all to meet
the spiritual wants of the people, may be inferred from the fact, that one of
these preachers traveled not less than five hundred and eighty miles every five
weeks, in order to preach to as many of the people in their scattered
settlements as he possibly could. In this state of things the few whose hearts
the Lord had touched sent up a loud and urgent call to the rulers of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and made their earnest appeals to the managers of
our Missionary Society for ministerial help. After consulting with Bishop
McKendree in reference to the best manner of answering these earnest appeals,
the managers selected a young preacher of promising talents, Ebenezer Brown, who
was approved of and appointed by Bishop George, and, with a view to qualify
himself for his work, he entered upon the study of the French language. He went
finally to his field of labor, but the enterprise proved a failure. Such were
the prejudices of the French population, fomented as they were by priestly
influence, that the missionary could gain no access to the people; and hence,
after spending some time in preaching to an English congregation in New Orleans,
he returned to the New York conference, in which he continued until he located.
But though these efforts to send the gospel in that direction, like many others
of a similar character which had been made to benefit the Catholic population,
were unsuccessful, the prospects in other places, particularly among the
aborigines of our country, were more flattering. These long neglected people,
the original lords of the soil, began to attract the attention of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and by one of those singular providences which so strikingly
indicate the wisdom and power of God in selecting the means for the
accomplishment of his purposes of mercy, a work of grace had been commenced
among the Wyandot Indians in Upper Sandusky, in the state of Ohio.
That the reader may duly estimate the difficulties with which the missionaries
had to contend, in their efforts to convert these savages to the Christian
faith, it is necessary that he should know something of their superstitions,
customs, and manner of living, as well as the great diversity of languages which
are spoken by the several tribes.
Within the bounds of the United States and territories there were remaining,
according to the most accurate estimate which could he made of all the numerous
tribes which once inhabited this land, only about one hundred and thirty
thousand; and there were supposed to be in the Canadas, chiefly of the Chippeway
[sic], Mohawk, and Missisauga tribes, about fifty thousand more. Such inroads
had disease, wars, and intemperance made upon this once numerous and powerful
people, the aboriginal lords of the soil, that these several tribes of Indians
were but fragments of what they once were, scattered about in small insulated
groups, some of them half civilized, and many melted down to mere handfuls in
comparison to their former numbers.
These one hundred and thirty thousand were divided into not less than sixty-five
different tribes, speaking almost as many languages, some reduced to as few as
thirty in a tribe, while the largest number did not exceed thirty thousand in
any one tribe. What a difficulty does this single circumstance present in the
way of their conversion! And how hopeless must their case have appeared to all
who looked at them merely with the eye of human reason! But the faith of the
Christian surveyed them with very different feelings, and prompted him to adopt
measures for their melioration and salvation.
Though each tribe may have some religious notions and customs, as well as modes
of life, peculiar to itself, yet in the general outline of heathen superstitions
and manner of savage life they all agree; and hence a general description of
these things may answer the purpose of conveying an accurate idea of their
character and religious and social condition.
Though most of them believe in one supremely good Spirit, whom they call
Ke-Sha-Muneto, yet as they think he is goodness itself, they conclude he can do
no evil, and therefore they neither fear nor offer to him any propitiatory
sacrifice. To the evil spirit, who is called Manche-Muneto, they offer
sacrifices, as an object of fear and dread, that they may appease his wrath.
In addition to these two great and powerful beings, they believe in the
existence of a multitude of subordinate deities, who are distinguished by the
simple name of Muneto. These are, like the gods of the ancient heathen, local
deities, who have their abodes in caves of the earth, in great waterfalls, in
large and dangerous rivers and lakes, which, together with whatever natural
phenomenon is calculated to inspire the mind with awe and dread, are under the
control of these inferior and local deities. To the care of these subordinate
gods the souls and bodies of individuals are committed, and it is a subject of
much solicitude for each person to ascertain to which of the Munetos his
destinies are to be consigned, that he may render to it the proper homage. For
the purpose of acquiring this knowledge they go through a most painful process
of fasting and other bodily austerities for several days in succession, and when
reduced by this means to great physical weakness, they become perturbed in
sleep, and the thoughts which flit through their minds in that state are
interpreted in such way as to lead them to infer that either a bear, a deer, a
snake, or some other animal is to be the representative of their guardian
Muneto; and thenceforward the animal selected by the individual becomes the
object of his superstitious reverence through all the vicissitudes of his future
roving life. *[6]
But they have also their priests, who hold a preternatural intercourse with the
invisible world, and interpret the will of the gods unto the people. These are
called Paw-waws, or Conjurors. These profess to hold a correspondence with
invisible and absent spirits, whether dead or alive, and teach the deluded
people to believe that they can inflict punishment upon their enemies, even
though at a great distance from them -- that they can, by their conjurations,
cure diseases, expel witches and wizards, and control the power of evil spirits.
These conjurors have their medicine-bags, with which they perform a variety of
antic tricks, beating their tum-tum, a sort of drum, and singing their
monotonous tunes over the sick, attempting by this means to drive away the evil
spirit and restore the patient to health; but they more frequently increase the
sufferings or hasten the dissolution of the diseased person than effect his
cure.
In addition to these ordinary priests there is another order of a peculiar
character, -- whose business is to guard the "Council Fire." This is kept by
each tribe in a place selected for that purpose, where an altar, something in
the form of a rude oven, is erected, and here the eternal fire, as it is called,
is kept perpetually burning. That it may not be extinguished or desecrated by
rude or vulgar hands, four persons, two males and two females, husbands and
their wives, are appointed as its guardians. The wives are required to cook and
do the domestic work, while their husbands, who are destined more especially to
the sacred duty of guarding the council fire, are likewise engaged in hunting
and providing all needful things for the household. These four persons are
relieved from all secular cares, that they may the more entirely devote
themselves to the holy trust confided to them. In this priesthood a perpetual
succession is kept up by the appointment of the head chief and his spouse, the
former selecting the husband and the latter the wife of the survivor. And so
sacred is the duty of guarding the eternal fire considered, that death is
inflicted as a punishment upon him who violates his trust. *[7]
The custom of ridding themselves of the encumbrance of the aged and infirm, by
putting an end to their life, is continued among these heathen with all its
shocking barbarities. The following, as corroborative of the truth of this, is
related on the authority of the Rev. William Case, whose labors among the
Indians of Upper Canada, and intimate acquaintance with their customs, entitle
him not only to credit, but also to the thanks of the whole Christian community.
He says: "Many years since an aged respectable gentleman, being at the head of
the Bay of Quinte, found an assemblage of Indians. On inquiring the cause, he
was informed that they had assembled to perform one of their ceremonies. Out of
respect to our informant they permitted him to witness the scene. They were
ranged in Indian file, at the head of which was an aged man, and next to him a
lad, his son, with a hatchet in his hand. They all moved slowly until they
arrived at a place nearly dry in the ground. Here they halted. The old man
kneeled down. The son stood for a moment, and then deliberately stepped up and
struck the tomahawk into his father's head. He fell under the stroke, was
buried, and the ceremony ended by drinking freely of ardent spirits." In
justification of this inhuman conduct, they alleged that this was not a
punishment for any crime, but merely because the old man could no longer follow
them in their wanderings. So powerfully does the selfish principle predominate
over filial love and obedience.
But these superstitions are not the worst things with which the Christian
missionary has to contend. Had these heathen been left in their native
condition, their conversion to Christianity might be effected with much more
ease. It is, indeed, lamentable to reflect, that their proximity to the white
population, and their intermingling with them for purposes of traffic, instead
of bettering their condition, have made it far worse, and furnished them with an
argument against Christianity of peculiar point and force. I allude to the
introduction of ardent spirits by mercenary traders, to the custom of profane
swearing, to gambling, and to those diseases to which they were heretofore
strangers. These things have debased their minds, corrupted their morals,
impoverished their tribes, thinned their ranks, and hardened them against the
truths of the gospel. And this is the more to be lamented, because these evils
have been superinduced by those who have called themselves Christians, and
professed to enjoy the advantages of civilization. In consequence of these
things, the semi-civilized Indians, who skirt our settlements, and have
intermingled with their white neighbors, are the worst, to whom the appellation
of "miserable, half-starved Indians" most appropriately belongs to those in the
interior, far removed from civilized life, being much more industrious, better
clad, enjoy better health, and are more easily reached by gospel truth.
This state of things renders it imperative for the missionary, on his first
introduction to these semi-barbarians, to remove the objections to Christianity
arising from the corrupting example of those professed Christians who have
cheated them, made them drunk with "fire waters," and turned the edge of the
sword against them, until they have been compelled to seek a shelter from the
hot pursuit of their enemies by plunging farther and farther into the trackless
wilderness -- by leaving their paternal inheritances, and taking up their abodes
amidst bears and wolves, and other wild beasts of the forests. To do this -- to
meet and obviate their objections arising out of this inhuman treatment, by
distinguishing between a cause and its professed advocates, between nominal and
real Christians, and by discriminating between pure Christianity and that
corrupted form of it which has been made to accommodate itself to the debased
passions of men -- to do this effectually and satisfactorily to the inquisitive
mind of an Indian requires no little ingenuity and patient perseverance. And yet
it must be done before an entrance can he gained to his heart by the truth. He
must be convinced that the missionary is honest in his purpose, and then the
latter must adapt himself, in his mode of instruction, to the condition, the
intellect, and the moral habits of his pupil.
Such were the difficulties existing among the Indian tribes to whom the gospel
was sent by the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church about this
time; and yet it met with a success unparalleled among Indian missions.
The Wyandot Indians, among whom the reformation commenced, called by the French
Hurons, were once a powerful nation, the most ancient settlers and proprietors
of the country on both sides of the Detroit river, extending northwest as far as
Mackinaw. By frequent wars, however, and the destructive influence of those
vices contracted by their contiguity to the white population, they had now
become greatly reduced in number and influence, and were at this time settled on
a reservation of land in Upper Sandusky.
This reservation was about nineteen miles in length from east to west, and
twelve in breadth from north to south, containing in all nearly one hundred and
fifty thousand acres of land. This tract, through which the Sandusky river winds
its way, together with five miles square at the Big Spring, includes all the
soil remaining to this once numerous and powerful tribe, whose dominion had
extended, in their more palmy days, over such a vast region of country. Their
chief settlement, where the mission was commenced, and the mission premises have
been established, is about four hundred and seventy miles north of Columbus, the
capital of the state of Ohio.
As early as the year 1816, John Steward, a free man of color, born and raised in
Powhatan county, in the State of Virginia, visited these people in the character
of a Christian teacher. Having been brought to the "knowledge of the truth as it
is in Jesus," and become a member of our Church, it was deeply impressed upon
his mind that it was his duty to travel somewhere northwest in search of some of
the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." So strong were his convictions on this
subject that he could have no rest in his spirit until he yielded obedience to
what he considered the call of God. Unauthorized by any church, and in
opposition to the advice of many of his friends, Steward took his departure from
his "home and kindred," and continued his course until he arrived at Pipe Town,
on the Sandusky river, where a tribe of the Delaware Indians dwelt. After
holding a conference with these friendly Indians, and, through an interpreter,
delivering to them a discourse on the subject of religion, impelled on by h is
first impressions, the next morning he bade them an affectionate adieu, and
pursued his journey toward Upper Sandusky, and soon arrived at the house of Mr.
Walker, United States sub-agent, to whom Steward related his Christian
experience, and the reasons which had induced him to come among them. Being
finally satisfied that he was actuated by pure motives, Mr. and Mrs. Walker,
both of whom could speak the Wyandot language, encouraged and assisted him much
in his work. His first sermon was delivered to one old Indian woman. But
recollecting that his Lord and Master had preached successfully to the woman of
Samaria alone, Steward preached as faithfully to her as if there had been
hundreds present. At his next appointment, "on the morrow," he had the
satisfaction to find added to his congregation an old man. To these he addressed
himself with such effect that they both were soon converted to the Christian
faith.
In this small way, and by these comparatively inefficient means, the work of
reformation began among these people in the month of November, 1816, and by the
faithful labors of Steward, assisted occasionally by some local preachers, who
took an interest in their spiritual welfare, before any regular missionary was
pointed to take charge of them, a large society of converted natives had been
formed, all zealous for the salvation of their heathen brethren. Among these
were several influential chiefs of the nation, Between-the-logs, Mononcue,
Hicks, and Scuteash, together with two of the interpreters, Pointer and
Armstrong; the first of whom, Between-the-logs, was one of the chief counselors
of the nation, a man of vigorous intellect, who soon became an eloquent advocate
for the Christian cause; nor was Mononcue much inferior to him in mental
strength and useful labors.
In 1819, the very year in which the Missionary Society was formed -- a
coincidence not unworthy of notice -- this mission was taken under the
superintendence of the Ohio conference, which held its session that year in
Cincinnati, August the 7th, and the Rev. James B. Finley, who was appointed to
the Lebanon district, took the Wyandot mission under his care. At a quarterly
meeting, held in November of this year, on Mad river circuit, forty-two miles
from Upper Sandusky, about sixty of these native converts were present, among
whom were the four chiefs above mentioned and the two interpreters. And that the
reader may judge for himself in respect to the genuineness of the work which had
been wrought in the hearts and lives of these people, I will insert the
following account of the manner in which some of them related their Christian
experience. Between-the-logs arose first in the love-feast, and lifting his eyes
to heaven, streaming with tears of penitence and gratitude, said:--
"'My dear brethren, I am happy this morning that the Great Spirit has permitted
us to assemble here for so good a purpose as to worship him, and to strengthen
the cords of love and friendship. This is the first meeting of the kind which
has been held for us, and now, my dear brethren, I am happy that we, who have
been so long time apart, and enemies to one another, are come together as
brothers, at which our Great Father is well pleased. For my part, I have been a
very wicked man, and have committed many great sins against the Good Spirit, was
addicted to drinking whisky and many evils: but I thank my good God that I am
yet alive, and that he has most perfectly opened my eyes by his ministers and
the good book to see these evils, and has given me help to forsake them and turn
away from them. Now I feel peace in my heart with God and all men; but I feel
just like a little child beginning to walk; sometimes very weak, and almost
ready to give up; then I pray, and my Great Father hears me, and gives me the
blessing; then I feel strong and happy; then I walk again; so sometimes up and
sometimes down. I want you all to pray for me, that I may never sin any more,
but always live happy and die happy. Then I shall meet you all in our Great
Father's house above, and be happy for ever.' This speech was attended with
great power to the hearts of the people.
"The next who arose was Hicks, who had become a most temperate and zealous
advocate for the Christian religion. His speech was not interpreted entire; but
after expressing his gratitude to God for what he then felt, and hoped to enjoy,
he exhorted his Indian brethren to be much engaged for a blessing, and enforced
his exhortation in the following manner:-- 'When I was a boy, my parents used to
send me on errands, and sometimes I saw so many new things to attract my
attention, I would say, By and by I will ask, until I would forget what I was
sent for, and have to go home without it. So it may be with you. You have come
here to get a blessing, but if you do not ask for it you will have to go home
without it, and the wicked Indians will laugh at you for coming so far for
nothing. Now seek, now ask, and if you get the blessing you will be happy, and
go home light, and then be strong to resist evil and to do good.' He concluded
by imploring a blessing upon his brethren.
"Scuteash next arose, and, with a smiling and serene countenance, said, 'I have
been a great sinner, and such a drunkard as made me commit many great sins, and
the Great Spirit was very mad with me, so that in here -- pointing to his breast
-- 'always sick -- no sleep -- no eat -- walk -- walk--drink whisky. Then I pray
to the Great Spirit to help me to quit getting drunk, and to forgive me all my
sins; and God did do something for me -- I do not know from whence it comes nor
where it goes, but it came all over me'--Here he cried out, 'Waugh! Waugh!' as
if shocked with electricity -- 'Now me no more sick. Me sleep, eat, and no more
get drunk -- no more drink whisky -- no more bad man. Me cry -- me meet you all
in our Great Father's house, and be happy for ever.'
At the conclusion of the love-feast there were not less than three hundred white
people assembled from the neighboring frontier settlements, to whom Mr. Finley
preached with great effect. The manifest attention in the appearance and general
deportment of the Indian converts, together with the preaching, had a most
salutary effect upon the audience.
"The next evening, at the earnest request of the natives, the meeting was
resumed. After an exhortation from Mr. Finley, Mononcue arose and exhorted his
brethren to look for the blessing they sought now. He then addressed the white
brethren as follows:--
"'Fathers and brethren, I am happy this night before the Great Spirit that made
all men, both red, white, and black, that he has favored us with good weather
for our meeting, and brought us together that we may help one another to get
good and do good. The Great Spirit has taught you and us both in one thing, that
we should love one another, and fear and obey him. Us Indians he has taught by
his Spirit; and you, white men, he has taught by your good book, which is all
one. But your book teaches you, and us by you, more plainly than we were taught
before, what is for our good. To be sure we served our Great Father sincerely,
(before we were told by the good book the way,) by our feasts, rattles, and
sacrifices, and dances, which we now see were not all right. Now some of our
nation are trying to do better; but we have many hindrances, some of which I
mean to tell. The white men tell us they love us, and we believe some do, and
wish us well; but a great many do not, for they will bring us whisky, which has
been the ruin of our people. I can compare whisky to nothing but the devil; for
it brings with it all kinds of evil -- it destroys our happiness; it makes
Indians poor; strips our squaws and children of their clothes and food; makes us
lie, steal, and kill one another. All these and many other evils it brings among
us; therefore you ought not to bring it among us. Now you white people make it,
you know its strength and use, Indians do not. Now this whisky is a curse to
yourselves why not quit making it? This is one argument used by wicked Indians
against the good book; If it is so good; why do not white men all do good?
Another hindrance is, white men cheat Indians, take away their money and skins
for nothing. Now you tell us your good book forbids all this; why not then do
what it tells you? then Indians do right too. Again, you say our Great Father
loves all men, white, black, and red men, that do right; then why do you look at
Indians as below you, and treat them as if they were not brothers? Does your
good book tell you so? I am sure it does not. Now, brothers, let us all do
right; then our Great Father will be pleased, and will make us happy in this
world, and when we die then we shall all live together in his house above, and
always be happy.' "
At the Ohio conference, which was held this year, 1820, in Chillicothe, the
chiefs of the Wyandots presented a petition to the conference for a regular
missionary to be appointed over them. It will doubtless be both pleasing and
edifying to the reader to know the orderly method by which the whole affair of
preparing and presenting this petition was conducted, as it will show that these
people were governed by the principles of democracy in coming to a final
determination of any important question, while the executive authority was
confided to their chief men. The following is Mr. Finley's' account of this
transaction:--
"Sunday, 16th July, in the Wyandot council house, Upper Sandusky, at the close
of public worship, was my last address to the Wyandots by the interpreter. 'My
friends, and you chiefs and speakers in particular, I have one word more to say;
I expect to meet our good old chiefs and fathers in the church at Chillicothe
before I come to see you again, and they will ask me how you come on in serving
the Lord, and if you want them to keep sending you preachers any longer, to tell
you the good word, or if you have any choice in preachers to come and teach
you.'
"The answer. -- 'Our chiefs are not all here, and we must have all our chiefs
and queens together, and they must all speak their minds, and then we will let
the old father know.'
"They appointed to meet me at Negro town on Wednesday evening, on my return from
Seneca town; and, having returned, found them assembled and prepared to answer.
On entering in among them a seat was set in the midst of the room, and I
requested to take the seat, which I declined; but took my seat in their circle
against the wall, and directed the interpreter to take the middle seat, which
was done. After a short silence I spoke. 'Dear friends and brothers, I am
thankful to find you all here, and am now prepared to hear your answer.'
"Mononcue, chairman and speaker for them all, answered:--
" 'We let our old father know that we have put the question round which was
proposed on Sunday evening in the council house, and our queens give their
answer first, saying,
" 'We thank the old father for coming to see us so often, and speaking the good
word to us, and we want him to keep coming and never forsake us; and we let him
know that we love this religion too well to give it up while we live, for we
think it will go bad with our people if they quit this religion; and we want our
good brother Steward to stay always among us, and our brother Jonathan too, and
to help us along as they have done. Next we let the old father know what our
head chiefs and the others have to say. They are willing that the gospel word
should be continued among them, and they will try to do good themselves and help
others to do so too; but as for the other things that are mentioned, they say,
We give it all over to our speakers; just what they say we agree to; they know
better about these things than we do, and they may let the old father know their
mind.'
"The speakers reply for themselves:--
" 'We thank the fathers in conference for sending us preachers to help our
brother Steward, and we desire the old father to keep coming at least another
year when his year is out; and we want our brother Armstrong to come as often as
he can, and our brothers Steward and Jonathan to stay among us and help us as
they have done; and we hope our good fathers will not give us up because so many
of our people are wicked and do wrong, for we believe some white men are wicked
yet, that had the good word preached to them longer than our people; and our
great heavenly Father has had long patience with us all; and we let the old
father know that we, the speakers, will not give over speaking and telling our
people to live in the right way; and if any of us do wrong we will still try to
help him right, and let none go wrong; and we will try to make our head chiefs
and all our people better, and we are one in voice with our queens, and we all
join in giving thanks to our good fathers that care for our souls, and are
willing to help our people; and we want them all to pray for us, and we will
pray for them, and we hope our great heavenly Father will bless us all, and this
is the last.' "
Their request was granted, and Moses Hinkle, senior, was appointed a missionary
to Upper Sandusky. Being aided and encouraged by so many influential chiefs, and
others of the tribe who had embraced the Christian faith, the missionary entered
upon his work with a fair prospect of success; nor was he disappointed in his
expectations, though it required much labor and skill to bring them into gospel
order, according to our disciplinary regulations.
While these prospects were looming up before us in this and some other places,
the Church in the city of New York was convulsed by an eruption which had been
secretly working, and sometimes venting itself in low murmurings and disputings,
for a considerable time before it broke forth in the manner now to be described.
It would doubtless be tedious, and probably uninteresting to the reader, for me
to enter into a minute detail of all the circumstances which led finally to a
secession of a traveling preacher and upward of three hundred members, including
three trustees and quite a number of class-leaders.
In contests of this character there is generally more or less of blame on both
sides in respect to the manner in which the controversy is conducted, while only
one can be right in regard to the main principle contended for, or as it
respects the measures and things to be sustained or sacrificed. And that in the
discussions which arose on the present occasion there were hasty expressions and
precipitate measures on the one side as well as the other, I have good reason to
know, while I am equally well convinced that the seceders themselves had no just
cause for their complaints, and the means which they employed to accomplish
their ends.
The origin of the difficulty may be traced to the rebuilding of John Street
church, in the year 1817, although long prior to this there had appeared a
jealousy between the uptown and downtown people, and more particularly between
the east and west portions of the city. But the manner in which this church was
re-edified, being a little more neat and costly than the other churches in the
city, furnished a plausible opportunity, for those who seemed to want one, to
censure the conduct of the trustees and those preachers who favored their plan
of building, and thus the spirit of discontent among the members of the Church
was much increased. Unhappily for the peace of the Church, the malcontents were
strengthened in their opposition at the first by at least one preacher, who made
no secret of his dissatisfaction at the measures which had been pursued in
relation to the John Street church, and other matters connected with the
administration of discipline.
These things continued to distract the councils of the Church, and to disturb
its peace and harmony more and more, until the session of the New York
conference in 1820, when the conference adopted measures to remove, if possible,
the source of the difficulties, by advising our people to petition the state
legislature for such an act of incorporation as should "recognize the
peculiarities of our form of church government," and thereby protect the
administrators of discipline in their ecclesiastical rights and privileges.
Though the conference meant nothing more than the removal of legal barriers,
which they then thought existed, out of the way, yet the dissatisfied party
seized hold of this circumstance with peculiar avidity, and made it subserve
their purposes by raising the cry of "legal establishment," an "attempt to
coerce the people by civil laws," &c., &c. Though all this was but idle gossip,
yet it had its effect in raising a prejudice in the minds of many sincere
members of our Church, and induced them to believe that their preachers were
adopting measures to enslave them, or to deprive them of their just rights and
privileges.
It is believed that the measures of the conference, though well meant, were
unnecessary, even for the attainment of the end proposed, as subsequent
experience has proved that the constitutions, both of the general and state
governments, amply secure to all denominations the full enjoyment of all their
peculiarities, and the free and unrestrained exercise of their disciplinary
regulations, provided they behave as peaceable citizens, and do not infract any
law of the land. This principle has been settled by the highest tribunals of
justice, and therefore no special act is necessary to remove any legal barrier
out of the way of the exercise of discipline, provided as above, because all
such barriers, did they exist, are unconstitutional, and are therefore null and
void.
But this act of the New York conference, perfectly innocent in itself, and which
was never carried into effect, furnished a plausible pretext to the discontented
party, and was used with admirable effect in raising a prejudice against the
constituted authorities of the Church. It finally ended, as before remarked, in
the secession of a preacher, William M. Stillwell, and about three hundred
members of the Church, some of whom were men of long standing and considerable
influence. They formed themselves into an independent congregation, adopting the
substance of our general rules for their government, and our doctrines as
articles of faith, professing at the same time an attachment to the itinerating
mode of spreading the gospel, and, drawing others after them in some portions of
the country, formed an annual conference, made up chiefly -- for I believe no
traveling preacher joined them except Stillwell -- of local preachers, and those
who had been exhorters in our Church. Their itinerancy, however; was of short
duration, for those who seceded in the city of New York soon settled down upon
the Congregational plan of church government, allowing even the females a voice
in all matters of administration.
As it will not be necessary to advert to these things again, except
incidentally, it is proper to remark here, that most of those who left us at
that time have since returned to the church of their first love. Having
sufficiently tested the quality of the "new wine" to find it unsavory, and
becoming restive under their new regimen, they made application to be restored
to the privilege of drinking again the "old wine," and to the government from
which they had expatriated themselves. Some afterward joined the "Reformer,"
improperly so called, and a few only of those who seceded remain attached to
Stillwell. Two out of the three trustees who left us, most of the class-leaders,
together with their members, have been, at their own request, restored to their
former fellowship, in a way equally satisfactory to all concerned. Mr.
Stillwell, however, remains over a congregation, made up chiefly of those who
have been gathered in since the secession, and, so far as they may promote "the
common salvation," we wish them success.
Notwithstanding these difficulties occurred in the city of New York and a few
other places which were affected by these movements, by which many a sincere
heart was made to palpitate with sorrow, and some of our ministers to suffer a
temporary reproach, the work of God was generally prosperous, and great peace
reigned among those who remained unmoved in the city of New York.
It was no small satisfaction to the projectors and friends of our Missionary
Society to find that their labors were duly appreciated by their brethren, and
that the spirit of missions was gradually diffusing itself throughout our ranks,
exerting in its course a hallowing influence in the Church, and calling forth a
spirit of liberality highly creditable to all concerned. Many of the annual
conferences formed themselves into auxiliary societies, and adopted energetic
measures to establish branches throughout their bounds, with a view to supply
the pecuniary means needful to support those men of God who volunteered their
services for the salvation of men. Numerous testimonies in favor of these
measures, sent to the managers to cheer them on the way, might easily be
adduced; but I shall content myself with inserting the following from the Rev.
Thomas L. Douglass, of the Tennessee conference:--
"The plan," he remarks, "proposed in the Address of the Missionary Society of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, places things on very advantageous ground. The
men to be aided and sanctioned as missionaries are to be approved by our annual
conferences, and to act under the direction of our bishops. Men who, renouncing
ease and worldly prospects, devoted to God and his Church, and qualified for the
divine work in which they are engaged, will spread the word of life; and by
uniting precept with example they will plant the standard of Immanuel, and
diffuse light to thousands in regions where darkness now reigns. O! could our
venerable father, Bishop Asbury, the apostle of America, have witnessed such a
plan matured and carried into operation by his sons in the gospel, his great
soul must have felt such rapture, that, like Simeon, he would have exclaimed,
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace! Admirable system! The
strength of Jehovah must be felt by the powers of darkness in the operation of
such a plan.
"I think the publication of the Methodist Magazine and the establishment of the
Missionary Society, both engrafted on the old itinerant missionary plan, are
calculated to impart such energy and spirit to the whole connection, that we
shall not only keep up the life and power of religion where it is already
planted, but renewed exertion and unequaled success, since the apostolic age, in
saving souls from death, will be the resulting consequences.
"Nashville is certainly the most central as well as the most populous town
within the limits of this conference, and therefore ought to be the place for
the location of an auxiliary society, which I shall use my endeavors to
establish as soon as possible."
Events have verified the truth of these anticipations respecting the blessed
results of this society. An enlightened zeal distinguished the conduct of those
who entered the most heartily into the missionary work, and the spirit of
revival pervaded many portions of the Church during this and succeeding years.
An auxiliary missionary society had been formed in Lynn, Mass., and the Rev. J.
A. Merrill, who was appointed by the bishop as a missionary in the bounds of the
New England conference, went to the upper Coos, along the upper waters of the
Connecticut river, a tract of country almost entirely destitute of the gospel.
God accompanied his labors with the energies of the Holy Spirit, so that many
sinners were awakened and brought to the knowledge of the truth. He extended his
labors into Vermont, some parts of New Hampshire, and Maine, and everywhere
found a people eager to hear the word. The following extract from one of his
letters will show the extent and effect of his labors:--
"Since my last communication I have made two visits into the upper Coos country,
and am happy to state that the prospect still brightens. In Lunenburgh there is
a gracious work of religion. I have attended a number of meetings in that place,
and the power of God was evidently manifested among the people. The tears and
sighs of mourners clearly discovered that the word was not delivered in vain. At
one time nearly the whole assembly rose and requested prayers, and after the
congregation was dismissed a number of mourning and weeping souls tarried, and
still desired we should pray for them. They readily prostrated themselves at the
foot of the cross, while our prayers were offered to God in their behalf.
Several have professed faith in the Lord Jesus, and others are still struggling
for deliverance.
"There is a good work in the Congregational society in this town. At a meeting
not long since, the preacher, after giving an invitation to the people to rise
to be prayed for, and counting forty, urged the importance of their kneeling,
from the example of Christ and the apostles; he then kneeled, and was joined in
this Scriptural and rational act by nearly all the congregation.
"About one hundred have been added to the societies on Stratford circuit since
the last conference, and perhaps more than that number on Landaff circuit.
"I have made a tour of about five weeks into Maine; preached in the towns of
Shelbourn, Rumford, Bethel, Livermore, Augusta, Sidney, Gardner, Litchfield, and
Vienna. In some of these towns I preached four and five times, and have reason
to think the labor will not be lost. The prospect in several towns is good; --
in Vienna about sixty have experienced religion of late, and the attention in
most of these places is considerable.
"You observe in your letter that several wished to know how many miles I have
traveled and how many sermons I have preached since my appointment. I am not
much in favor of this practice, generally; but as it is the wish of my friends,
and has been a practice among missionaries, I shall here state, for the
satisfaction of the society, that I have visited and preached in seventy towns,
traveled three thousand six hundred and seventy miles, (in about eight months,)
and preached two hundred and forty sermons; but how many families I have visited
I cannot tell."
In the town of Bristol, R. I., there was a gracious work of God. The following
particulars respecting the commencement and progress of Methodism in this place
will doubtless be interesting to the reader. About the year 1791 a sea captain,
a citizen of Bristol, was brought to the saving knowledge of the truth under
Methodist preaching in the city of New York. On his return to his native place
he made known to some of his neighbors what God had done for his soul. Though
many who heard these things treated them with contempt, others believed his
testimony and received it with joy. Being encouraged by these, the captain,
whose heart burned with love to the souls of his fellowmen, invited the
Methodist preachers to visit Bristol; and though much opposition was manifested
by some, yet others received the word with joyful and believing hearts, and a
society was soon formed, consisting of eighteen persons. This was the beginning
of Methodism in that place, and the society gradually increased in numbers and
strength, so that in 1805 they were enabled to build a commodious house of
worship. In 1812, under a powerful revival of religion, about one hundred were
added to their number. This year, 1820, they were favored with another
outpouring of the Spirit, during which not less than one hundred and fifty gave
evidence of a work of regenerating grace, so that the whole number of Church
members was four hundred and eight, including twenty-two colored.
In Provincetown, Massachusetts, also, there was a remarkable work of God; -- so
powerful was it in its effects, and so rapid in its progress, that it changed
the entire moral aspect of the place. As this work began while many of the men
were absent at sea -- the inhabitants living chiefly by fishing -- on their
return they were astonished at the change which had taken place; but they soon
became convinced that it was the power of God which had produced the
reformation, and they also were soon made "partakers of like precious faith,"
whole families rejoicing together "for the consolation." About one hundred and
forty in this little town were brought to God during this revival.
Chillicothe, Ohio, was also favored with manifest displays of the power and
grace of God. In 1819 there had been a revival here which eventuated in the
addition of three hundred and twenty to the Church. This year the work continued
with increasing power, and, among others, the man who had been employed in
finishing their house of worship, together with all his family, and all the
hands employed on the house, were made partakers of the grace of life.
Many other places, too numerous to mention, were blessed with revivals, so that
it may be said the Church very generally was in a prosperous condition.
Thirty-five preachers were located this year, fifteen were returned
supernumerary, and forty-two superannuated, and three had been expelled. Two,
John T. Brame and George Burnet, had died in the Lord.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 219,332; Last Year: 201,750; Increase:
17,582 -- Colored This Year: 40,558; Last Year: 39,174; Increase: 1,384 -- Total
This Year: 259,890 *[8]; Last Year: 240,924 -- Increase: 18,966 -- Preachers
This Year: 896; Last Year: 812; Increase: 84.
1821
The mission which had been commenced among the Wyandots continued to prosper,
and the reports of its success had a most happy influence on the cause of
religion generally. This year the Rev. James B. Finley was appointed to the
superintendence of this mission. In addition to preaching the gospel to the
adult Indians, he was instructed to establish a school for the education of the
children, both in letters and in domestic economy -- to teach the boys the art
of agriculture, and the girls to sew, spin, and knit, and all the duties of the
household.
It is a coincidence worthy of notice, that about the time this good work
commenced among the natives of our forests, the government of the United States
made an appropriation of ten thousand dollars annually for the support of native
schools, in which it was ordered that the children should he taught the arts of
civilized life, as well as to read, write, and keep accounts. This annuity was
to be divided among the several schools which might be established among the
aboriginal tribes by missionary societies, and the Wyandot school received its
quota. To accomplish his object Mr. Finley commenced building a house, which
might serve the double purpose of a house of worship and for teaching the
children, and likewise inclosed a large farm, the land having been granted by
the chiefs to the mission, on which he labored with his own hands, for the
purpose of setting an example to the Indians, that they might habituate
themselves to an agricultural life. These movements had a salutary effect upon
their physical and moral condition.
The converted natives were formed into classes, and the chiefs who embraced
Christianity were appointed leaders. At the first offer that was made to receive
them into class twenty-three came forward, with tears of mingled sorrow and joy,
desiring to become members of the Christian church, while others stood trembling
and weeping, crying aloud, "O, Shasus, Ta-men-tare!" that is, "O, Jesus, take
pity on us!" In this way the good work went on during the year.
With a view to send the gospel to the Creek Indians, who inhabited a tract of
country lying within the bounds of the states of Georgia and Alabama, then under
the chieftainship of McIntosh, the celebrated half-breed warrior, the Rev.
William Capers undertook a tour through the state of Georgia, to ascertain the
feelings of its citizens toward an attempt to establish a mission among that
tribe of Indians. He was favorably received by the people generally, and the
proposed mission was viewed with a friendly eye. He visited and preached in the
most populous towns and villages in the state, and made collections for the
support of the contemplated mission, which was begun the succeeding year.
The feelings of the managers of the Missionary Society, in view of what God had
already done through their instrumentality, may be seen by the following extract
from their third annual report:--
"It is now only about three years since this society commenced its operations.
Combining so large a field of labor, and comprehending in its plans so large a
circle, as the whole of the Methodist conferences in the United States, it was
but reasonable to expect that its progress would be slow; but it has been sure.
Time and patient perseverance are necessary to set so many wheels in motion, to
communicate life and vigor to each, and so to direct the movements of the whole
as to produce a simultaneous and harmonious co-operation. But, blessed be the
God of missions! the God of Wesley and Whitefield -- those eminent missionaries
of the old world -- who inspired them with sufficient energy to set the mighty
machine in motion -- of Asbury and Coke, who gave it such an impulse in the new
world -- blessed be his holy name for ever, that he hath so far given success to
the experiment. Already the impulse is felt more or less strongly from the
center to the circumference of our connection. The mustard-seed first s own
about three years since has taken deep root, has extended its branches, and many
are reposing under their shadow. Young branches are shooting forth in various
directions, and, instead of exhausting the strength of the parent stock, are
daily adding to its growth and stability. As you have already heard, the heathen
tribes of our wilderness are partaking of its fruits.
"The time, indeed, is not far distant, when every man who shall have engaged in
this godlike enterprise will esteem it as the happiest period of his existence,
the highest honor ever conferred upon him, when he embarked in the cause of
missions. The loiterers, those who have looked on with cold indifference, and
with envious eye have waited the doubtful result, will stand abashed, filled
with confusion at their own supineness; and will, if their zeal for God be not
quite extinguished, petition the privilege to redeem their lost time, by being
permitted, at last, to participate in the grand work of conquering the world by
the power of truth."
The work of God was generally prosperous throughout the bounds of the several
annual conferences, notwithstanding a spirit of disaffection was manifesting
itself in some places among a few restless spirits. Through the agency of camp
meetings in some parts of South Carolina much good was done, and a new circuit
which was formed in the neighborhood of Bush river was blessed with an
encouraging revival, under the labors of R. L. Edwards. An effort was also made
to carry the gospel into a new field in the southwest, in what was called
Jackson's Purchase, which embraced portions of the states of Kentucky and
Tennessee, and Lewis Garrett and Hezekiah Holland were appointed to this
service. That they were successful in their labors is evident from the fact,
that there were returned on the Minutes for 1822 one hundred and forty-two
whites and thirteen colored.
In the Nashville district also, through the agency of camp meetings, there were
extensive revivals of religion throughout nearly all the circuits within the
district, so much so that the net increase, after deducting expulsions, deaths,
and removals, was one thousand three hundred and five members. The writer of
this account, the Rev. Thomas L. Douglass, thus concludes his remarks:--
"The character of this revival is the least mixed with what are called
irregularities or extravagances of any that I ever saw. We have had nothing of
what is called the jerks, or dance, among us. The work of conviction in the
hearts of sinners has been regular, powerful, and deep; their conversion, or
deliverance from sin and guilt, clear and bright; and their rejoicings
Scriptural and rational. I think fully half of those who have been the subjects
of the work are young men, and heads of families; many of them among the most
respectable in the country, men of education, men of talents. We anticipate help
and usefulness from some of them in the Lord's vineyard. Upon the whole, it is
the greatest work, the most blessed revival, I ever saw. The whole country, in
some places, seems like bowing to our Immanuel; religion meets with very little
that can be called opposition; and many who neither profess nor appear to have
any desire to get religion themselves, manifest an uncommon degree of solicitude
that others should obtain it, and express a high satisfaction at seeing the work
prosper. May the Lord continue to pour out his Spirit, and may the hallowed fire
spread, until all the inhabitants of the earth shall rejoice in his salvation!
To God be all the glory! Pray for us, dear brethren, that this year may be as
the past, and much more abundantly. We look for it and expect it. The district
is well supplied with preachers, men of talents, men of zeal, and in the spirit
of the work. May the Lord bless their labors!"
In Carter's Valley circuit, Holston conference, there were added, during a
revival that year, not less than three hundred to the Church.
In Pittsburgh, Pa., the work of reformation had been going forward without
interruption for about eighteen months, during which time not less than five
hundred had been added to the Church, of whom about two hundred and sixty had
been received in the course of six months. The writer of this account of the
work of God in Pittsburgh, the Rev. Samuel Davis, who was at that time stationed
there, closes his narrative in following words:--
"To those who have been conversant with the history of Methodism in this place
from its rise, and who, with lively interest, have marked its progress down to
the present, the retrospect must afford matter for the liveliest feelings of
gratitude to God. Yea, when they look back but a few years, and compare what
they then were with what they are now, their souls, in pleasing astonishment,
must cry out, 'What hath the Lord wrought!' When they consider that, about ten
or twelve years ago, an apartment in a private house was sufficient to contain
the society, and all who chose to assemble with them to hear the word preached;
and that now that little society has swelled to a church of near seven hundred
members, possessing two meeting-houses, (one of which is large,) which are well
filled, on sabbath evenings especially, with serious and attentive hearers -- a
review of these circumstances constrains them to acknowledge that it is indeed
'the Lord's doings, and marvelous in their eyes,' -- 'that they who were not a
people should become the people of the Lord.' 'The Lord reigneth! Let the earth
rejoice.'"
In some portions of North Carolina the camp meetings were rendered a great
blessing to the people. In the town of Hillsborough, where the Methodists had
been but little known, having only two Church members in the place, there was a
society of forty raised up as the fruit of one of these meetings, and they
immediately adopted measures for erecting a house of worship, much to the
gratification of the people of Hillsborough. Other places shared largely in the
blessed effects of these revivals, and upward of three hundred were added to the
several societies in that region of country, besides a number who connected
themselves with other denominations.
In the more northern conferences also the work of God was prosperous. In the New
Hampshire district, in New Haven, Conn., Providence, R. I., New London district,
Wellfleet, New Windsor, and Rhinebeck circuits, the Lord poured out his Spirit,
and blessed the labor of his servants in the conversion of many sinners and the
sanctification of believers.
In 1819 Alabama was admitted as a state into the American confederacy. It had
been filling up, like the other territories in the west and southwest, with
inhabitants from Europe and the older states in the Union, most of whom were
destitute of the ordinances of Christianity. Into this country the Methodist
itinerants had penetrated, and succeeded in forming circuits and establishing
societies among the scattered population. This year, as the following account
will show, there were encouraging revivals of religion in many places in that
part of the country. The presiding elder, the Rev. Thomas Griffin, writes as
follows:--
"At a camp meeting held on the 6th of July last, on Pearl river, a few miles
from Monticello, the congregation was large and attentive, many were awakened to
a sense of their need of Christ, and five or six gave evidence of a change of
heart.
"On the 20th we held another meeting on the river Chickasawhay, about fifty
miles from the town of Mobile, where we have a large, flourishing society. There
were two traveling and four local preachers, and one Presbyterian minister at
this meeting. On Friday and Saturday the Lord favored us with a solemn sense of
his presence. Sinners were struck with awe, and stood with respectful silence,
while believers rejoiced in God their Saviour. On sabbath we administered the
Lord's supper. All were solemn as night. The word of God was heard with great
attention, and I believe much good was done. About ten professed justifying
grace.
"On the 27th of July we held another meeting, about thirty miles from St.
Stephen's, near the Tombeckbee and Alabama rivers. Though the principal part of
the people were irreligious, yet they behaved with great order and decorum, and
five or six professed to be converted.
"On the 2d of August we commenced a camp meeting on the banks of the Alabama
river, thirty miles below the town of Cahawba the seat of government for this
state. From the paucity of the inhabitants, and the affliction many were
suffering from a prevailing fever, there were not many that attended this
meeting. Some disorder was witnessed; but He that commanded the boisterous winds
to be still appeared in our behalf, and before the exercises closed some were
brought, as we have reason to believe, to the knowledge of the truth.
"August 10th another meeting began, thirty miles above Cahawba, on the bank of
the above-mentioned river. A numerous concourse of people attended, and much
good was done. On Tuesday morning I requested all who had obtained an evidence
of their conversion to God to come forward to the altar, when thirty-seven
presented themselves. The last two meetings were held in a forest, and the
Indians were fishing in the river while we were preaching and praying; the bears
were ravaging the cornfields, and the wolf and tiger were howling and screaming
in the very woods in the neighborhood of our meeting.
"These accounts may seem unimportant to those who are accustomed to more
numerous congregations, and who have the privilege of assembling in convenient
houses; but to us, who are struggling with many difficulties in this newly
settled country, it is highly gratifying, and fills us with a pleasing hope of
yet seeing the desert blossom as the rose."
Fifty preachers were located this year, twenty-two returned supernumerary,
fifty-five superannuated, and five expelled. Three, Daniel Ireland, William M.
Stillwell, and William Barton, had withdrawn, the last of whom joined the
Protestant Episcopal Church. Six, namely, Samuel Parker, Charles Dickinson,
Archibald Robinson, John Robertson, Richard Emory, and Apheus Davis, had
finished their course in peace.
Samuel Parker was eminently useful in his day and generation. He was a native of
New Jersey, born in 1774, of poor parents. At the age of fourteen he was brought
from darkness to light, and became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1805 he entered the traveling ministry, and was appointed to labor in the
western country. It soon appeared that God was with him. By his deep devotion to
the work of God, and his eminent talents as a preacher of righteousness, he
acquired the confidence of his brethren, and commanded the respect of the
community generally. In 1815 he was appointed the presiding elder of the Miami
district, and from thence, in the next year, was transferred to the Kentucky
district, in which he continued four years. In this station he was greatly
blessed in his labors, during which time he was married to Miss Oletha Tilton.
Being called by the bishop to fill an important post in the bounds of the
Mississippi conference, though his health was evidently declining, he consented
to be transferred to that more distant field of labor. He soon, however, sunk
under the influence of disease, and on the 20th of December, 1819, he died in
peace.
The Rev. Samuel Parker was a man of deep experience, of fervent piety, of stern
integrity, and possessed talents of the most useful character as a minister of
Jesus Christ. His method of preaching was well calculated to soothe the mind of
the believer by the sweet and rich promises of the gospel, as well as to inspire
hope and faith in the broken-hearted, penitent sinner. And his general
deportment as a Christian minister, among his brethren and the people of his
charge, inspired such confidence in his wisdom and the purity of his motives as
gave him a powerful influence over others, and he exerted it at all times for
their present and future welfare. Had he lived to "threescore years and ten," no
doubt he would have ranked among the first ministers in the Methodist Episcopal
Church; but that God who "seeth the end from the beginning" saw fit to call him
in the prime of life from the militant to the church triumphant, where he rests
from his labors, and his works do follow him.
Of the others whose death is recorded, it is said that they also filled up the
measure of their days in usefulness, and ended their lives in the full hope of
the gospel.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 239,087; Last Year: 219,332; Increase:
19,755 -- Colored This Year: 42,059; Last Year: 40,558; Increase: 1,501 -- Total
This Year: 281,146; Last Year: 259,890 -- Increase: 21,256 -- Preachers This
Year: 977; Last Year: 896; Increase: 81.
1822
This year two more Indian missions were commenced, one among the Mohawks in
Upper Canada, and the other among the Creeks, called the Asbury mission. As the
latter, after much expense and labor, failed in the accomplishment of its
objects, perhaps it may be as well to give the history of its commencement,
progress, and termination, once for all, in this place.
As before stated, the charge of this mission was confided, by Bishop McKendree,
to the Rev. William Capers, of the South Carolina conference. After traveling
extensively through the state of Georgia, endeavoring to awaken the missionary
spirit, and collect funds to defray the expense for an outfit of the mission, in
the month of August of this year, in company with Colonel Richard Blount, a
pious and intelligent member of our Church, he arrived at the Creek agency, on
Flint river. After witnessing some debasing scenes of amusement among the
females, and one of those Indian plays which was conducted with a rude display
of Indian dexterity, and daring feats of ferocious gallantry, he obtained an
introduction to General McIntosh, the principal man of the nation. As an
instance of the lordly bearing of this chief, who prided himself for having
fought the battles of his country, as a general in the ranks of the Indian
allies, under the command of the hero of New Orleans, *[9] may be mentioned his
refusing to converse with Mr. Capers, though he perfectly understood the English
language, only through the medium of an interpreter, assuming, in the mean time,
all the etiquette of a stately prince in the reception of an ambassador.
The interview resulted in an agreement between the parties for the establishment
of a mission, with liberty to use so much land only as should be found necessary
to raise provision for the mission family, and for building the needful houses;
and the Rev. Isaac Hill, an old, tried, experienced minister was appointed in
charge of the mission. But notwithstanding the favorable beginning of this
laudable attempt to convey the blessings of the gospel to these heathen, so long
neglected by the Christian church, difficulties of a formidable character soon
made their appearance. Some of the chiefs, who were not present at the council
when the above agreement was ratified, raised objections against the enterprise,
and thus created so many jarring sentiments in the nation, that for a time it
was doubted, among the friends of the cause, whether it was best to continue the
effort. It was, however, continued. A school was opened for the instruction of
the children, but the missionary was forbidden, through the influence of the
opposing chiefs, to preach the gospel to the adult Indians. It was also strongly
suspected that the United States agent lent the weight of his influence against
the prosecution of the mission, though an investigation of his conduct resulted
in his justification by the government of the United States. And the following
extract from the letter of instructions which was sent to the Indian agent will
show that the officers of the government took a lively interest in the objects
of this mission. The secretary of war, the Honorable John C. Calhoun, after
expressing his regret that any difficulties should have arisen between the
missionaries and Colonel Crowell, the Indian agent, expresses himself in the
following language:--
"The president takes a deep interest in the success of every effort, the object
of which is to improve the condition of the Indians, and desires that every aid
be furnished by the Indian agents in advancing so important an object; and he
trusts that your conduct will be such as to avoid the possibility of complaint
on the part of those who are engaged in this benevolent work.
"You will give a decided countenance and support to the Methodist mission, as
well as to any other society that may choose to direct its efforts to improve
the condition of the Creek Indians. It is not conceived that they can have any
just cause of apprehension against the privilege of preaching the gospel among
them; and you will use a decided influence with them to reconcile them to its
exercise on the part of the mission. The department feels confident that, by
proper efforts on your part, you may secure to the mission the right of
preaching among the Indians, which is deemed to be so essentially connected with
the objects of the society."
Notwithstanding this favorable regard toward the mission by the government of
the United States, and the persevering efforts of the missionaries themselves,
the mission was destined to undergo a sad declension in its affairs, and, after
lingering for a while, was finally abandoned in despair. In addition to the
barriers thrown in the way of the missionaries by the hostile chiefs and their
partisans, were the troubles arising out of the treaty made by McIntosh and his
party, by which the lands included in the chartered limits of Georgia were ceded
to the United States, for the benefit of the state of Georgia, for the
consideration of the sum of four hundred thousand dollars. This gave great
offense to the majority of the nation, who affirmed that McIntosh and those who
acted with him executed this treaty contrary to a law which had been promulgated
in the public square, and they arose against him with violence, and massacred
him and some others under circumstances of great barbarity. This threw the
nation into great confusion, and exerted a most deleterious influence upon the
interests of the mission.
The school, however, was continued under all these discouragements, and by the
judicious manner in which it was conducted, and the manifest improvement of the
children, both in letters and religion, it acquired the confidence and respect
of all who made it an object of inquiry. And the restraints against preaching
the gospel being removed in 1826, owing, in a great measure, to the interference
in behalf of the mission by the United States government, the mission presented
a more flattering prospect, so that in 1829 there were reported seventy-one
Church members at the Asbury station, namely, two whites, twenty-four Indians,
and forty-five colored; and the school consisted of fifty scholars. Under this
state of things the friends of the cause fondly anticipated a final triumph over
infidelity and heathen superstition among this nation of Indians. But, alas! how
often are all human expectations blasted!
Such were the difficulties thrown in the way of this mission, that in 1830 it
was entirely abandoned. Their confirmed habits of intemperance, their
predilection for savage life, the persevering opposition of most of the chiefs
to the self-denying doctrines of the gospel, together with their proximity to
dissipated whites, whose interest was promoted by furnishing the Indians with
means of intoxication, combined, with the troubles arising out of the murder of
McIntosh and others, to paralyze the efforts of the missionaries and their
friends, and they were reluctantly compelled to abandon the enterprise in
despair. The labor, however, was not lost; lasting impressions were made upon
some minds; and some who were removed to the west have been gathered into the
fold of Christ, and others, who have been since that time converted to the
Christian faith, have traced their first impressions to the instructions of
"father Hill" and his pious associates.
Another aboriginal mission was commenced this year. This was among the Mohawks
of Upper Canada. They had been partially civilized, and imperfectly instructed
in the Christian religion; and yet their moral and religious state was very far
from being improved.
They were settled principally on an Indian reservation of land, sixty miles in
length and twelve in breadth, on each side of the Grand river. At the head of
this tribe was the celebrated Mohawk chief, Colonel Brant, whose name carried
such terror into our frontier settlements during the revolutionary war. Soon
after the termination of this severe struggle, chiefly through his solicitation,
the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge adopted measures to furnish
these people with Christian instruction. A missionary was sent to preach to
them, and the Gospel of St. Mark and the Prayer Book were translated into the
Mohawk language, the former by Colonel Brant himself. But little permanent good,
however, resulted from these efforts. Instead of producing any radical change in
the heart and life of the people, they were merely initiated into an observance
of the external rites and ceremonies of the church, while, like all other tribes
who had mingled with the unconverted whites, they had become addicted to
intemperance and its kindred vices.
In this state they were when visited by a Methodist missionary this year. It is
true, that from the time the Methodist itinerants first visited that country,
they were in the habit of preaching occasionally to these people, but with
little apparent effect. As early as the year 1801 an Indian youth was baptized
at a quarterly meeting held at the house of Mr. Jones, the father of Peter
Jones, whose conversion and labors will be hereafter noticed; and it is
remembered well that when Mr. Joseph Sawyer, the administrator of the ordinance,
concluded the ceremony by prayer, he prayed most fervently that this youth might
be the first-fruits of a harvest of souls from among these natives. The wife of
Mr. Jones also, who was a Mohawk princess, was baptized about the same time, and
received into the Church with her husband. These were all the aboriginal
conversions known to the writer before the reformation of which we now speak
commenced.
The mission was begun under the patronage of the Genesee conference, to which
Upper Canada was then attached, and Alvin Torry was appointed to its charge. The
following extracts of letters received from brother Case will fully explain the
manner in which this good work began and was carried forward:--
"When I visited and preached to these Indians last June, I found several under
awakenings; for they had heard occasionally a sermon from brothers Whitehead,
Storey, and Matthews; and had for some time been in the habit of coming together
at the house of T. D. to hear prayers in the Mohawk. Several manifested much
concern, and appeared very desirous of the prayers and advice of the pious.
These, with two youths who had lately received religious impressions at the
Ancaster camp meeting, I formed into a society, giving charge of the society to
brother S. Crawford. His account of the progress of the revival during my
absence to conference I here insert, from his letter to me. We must beg some
indulgence for being particular, considering that the subjects of this work are
the first-fruits unto Christ, and that this revival may be seen in the native
simplicity of these artless Indians. Brother C.'s account is as follows:--
" 'During your absence to the conference I have continued to meet with our red
brethren every week, giving them public discourses, as well as answering their
anxious inquiries concerning the things of God. The Lord has indeed been
gracious to this people, pouring out his Holy Spirit on our assemblies, and
thereby giving the spirit of penitence, of prayer, and of praise. About the
first who appeared deeply concerned for their souls were two women. One of them
had, about fourteen years ago, known the way of the Lord, and had belonged to
our society in the Allegheny. Having been a long time without the means of
grace, she had lost her comforts and her zeal for God; but now, being again
stirred up to return to the Lord, she became useful to others of her sex who
were inquiring for the way of life. The other was a woman of moral deportment,
and of respectable standing among her nation, but of great and painful
afflictions: by a series of family trials she had been borne down with
overwhelming sorrows. To this daughter of affliction the other woman gave
religious counsel, urging that if she would give her heart to the Lord he would
give comfort to her mind, as well as direct and support her in her worldly
troubles. She listened to these things with much concern, and as she went to the
spring for water she turned aside several times to pray. At length, under a
sense of her unworthiness and sinfulness, she sunk to the earth, and was
helpless for some time. When she recovered strength she came into her house, and
calling her children around her, they all kneeled down to pray. While at prayer
a weight of power came on them -- the daughter of fifteen cried aloud for mercy,
and the mother again sunk to the floor. The daughter soon found peace, and
praised the Lord. While the mother was yet mourning and praying, the youngest
daughter, not yet four years of age, first kneeled by her mother, praying: then
coming to her sister, she says, "Onetye ragh a gwogh nos ha ragh ge hea steage?
Onetye ragh a gwogh nos ha ragh ge hea steage?" that is, "Why don't you send for
the minister? why don't you send for the minister?" showing thereby a religious
concern and intelligence remarkable for one of her age. The mother soon after
obtained peace. She with her children are now a happy family, walking in the
enjoyment of the Holy Comforter. Thus did the Lord bring these sincere inquirers
to the knowledge of himself, while they were alone, calling on his name.
" 'Another instance of extraordinary blessing among this people was on sabbath,
the 27th of July last, when one of our brethren came to hold meeting with them.
During singing and prayer there was such melting of heart and fervency
throughout the assembly; -- some trembled and wept, others sunk to the floor,
and there was a great cry for mercy through the congregation. Some cried in
Messessaugah, "Chemenito! Kitta maugesse, chemuche nene," &c.; that is, "Great
good Spirit! I am poor and evil," &c. Others in Mohawk prayed, "O Sayaner,
souahhaah sadoeyn Roewaye Jesus Christ, Tandakweanderhek;" that is, "O Lord, the
only begotten Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us!" Others were encouraging the
penitents to cast their burdens on the Lord. Others again were rejoicing over
their converted neighbors. In this manner the meeting continued throughout the
day. While these exercises were going on a little girl ran home to call her
mother, who came directly over to the meeting. On entering the room where the
people were praying she was smitten with conviction, and fell down crying for
mercy. While in this distress her husband was troubled lest his wife should die,
but was happily disappointed when, a few hours after, her sorrows were turned
into joy, and she arose praising the Lord. From this time the husband set out to
serve the Lord, and the next day he also found peace to his soul, as I will
hereafter relate. During the day several found the Saviour's love, and retired
with great peace and comfort; while others, with heavy hearts, wept and prayed
as they returned comfortless to their habitations. The next day I visited them,
when they welcomed me with much affection, declaring what peace and happiness
they felt since their late conversion. A number soon came together, among whom
was the Indian who, the day before, was so concerned for his wife. His
convictions for sin appeared deep, and his mind was in much distress. We joined
in prayer for him; when I had closed, an Indian woman prayed in Mohawk. While
she was with great earnestness presenting to the Lord the case of this
broken-hearted sinner, the Lord set his soul at liberty. Himself and family have
since appeared much devoted to the service of the Lord. The next morning,
assisted by an interpreter, I again preached to the Indians. After the meeting,
observing a man leaning over the fence weeping, I invited him to a neighboring
thicket, where I sung and prayed with him. I then called on him to pray; he
began, but cried aloud for mercy with much contrition of spirit; but his tone
was soon changed from prayer to praise. The work is spreading into a number of
families. Sometimes the parents, sometimes the children, are first brought under
concern. Without delay they fly to God by prayer, and generally they do not long
mourn before their souls are set at liberty. The change which has taken place
among this people appears very great, and, I doubt not, will do honor to the
cause of religion, and thereby glorify God, who has promised to give the
Gentiles for the inheritance of his Son.'
"On my return from conference I called and preached to the Mohawks, and have it
on my plan to continue to attend to them in my regular route. After having
explained the rules of society to them, twenty were admitted as members of
society. It was a season of refreshing to us all. On the 28th of September I
again preached to them. The crowd was now such that they could not all get into
the house. Their usual attention and fervor were apparent, and near the
conclusion of the discourse the hearts of many were affected, and they praised
the Lord for his power and goodness. In meeting them in class they appeared to
be progressing finely, advancing in the knowledge and love of God. Several who
had been under awakening, having now returned from their hunting, requested to
be received, and were admitted into the society. The society now consists of
twenty-nine members, three of whom are white persons. We have also a sabbath
school of Indian children, consisting of about twenty, who are learning to read.
Some young men have kindly offered their services to instruct them. This good
work is about fifty miles from the mouth of the Grand river, about six miles
from the Mohawk village, and four miles north of the great road leading from
Ancaster to Longpoint. About twelve miles from the mouth of the Grand river
another gracious work is commenced, among both Indians and whites. *[10] About
twelve have found peace to their souls, among whom are four of the Delaware
tribe. This awakening first took place in the mind of a white man -- a notorious
sinner. It was in time of preaching that the power of God arrested him. He wept
and trembled like Belteshazzar. After meeting he came to me, saying, 'I don't
know what is the matter with me. I never felt so before: I believe I am a great
sinner, but I wish to do better: what shall I do to be saved?' I told him the
Spirit of the Lord was upon him, to convince him of sin, and he must repent and
turn to God. There is evidently a great change in this man, who we hope may be
an honor to the cause of religion in this wicked part of the reservation. The
awakening is prevailing in several families. We have twelve in society here. In
the townships of Rainham and Walpole there are still good appearances. Indeed,
at most of my appointments we have the presence and blessing of the Lord; so
that our missionary friends will have no occasion to repent the prayers they
have offered, the money they have expended, and the tears they have shed in
behalf of the once miserable and forsaken sinners, but now happy and blessed
converts, on the Grand river. Much labor is now necessary, and I would gladly
have assistance; but my health is good, and I would not increase expenses. In
weariness my mind is comforted, and my soul is delighted in feeding these hungry
natives with the provisions of the gospel. O, I could endure hunger, or sit down
thankfully to their humble fare, or lie down in Indian wigwams all my life, to
be employed in such a work as this, and especially if favored with such
consolations as at times I have enjoyed since I commenced my labors in this
mission. I hope for ever to be grateful for His mercy in thus blessing his word
for the conversion of these poor perishing sinners. Dear sir, a letter of
instruction and counsel would be thankfully received. I hope I have an interest
in the prayers of my brethren. Farewell. Very affectionately yours in the gospel
of Christ."
"Letter from the Rev. William Case, dated Niagara, U. C.,
October 7, 1823
"In my letter of the 27th of August I mentioned that an awakening had taken
place among the Indians on the Grand river, and promised a more particular
account of this work after my next visit among them. But as brother Torry has
sent you a pretty full account, a few remarks will suffice. On the 24th of
September, in company with a religious friend, we passed into the woods, and
arrived at the Indian dwellings about nine o'clock in the morning, a time at
which they generally hold their morning devotions. We were received with cordial
kindness, and the shell was blown as a call to assemble for religious service.
Soon the people, parents and children, were seen in all directions repairing to
the house of prayer. When they arrived they took their seats with great
solemnity, observing a profound silence till the service commenced. Having
understood that they were in the habit of singing in the Mohawk, I requested
them to sing in their usual manner, which they did melodiously. The following
verse is taken from the hymn, and the translation into English is annexed:--
'O sa ya' ner Tak gwogh sni ye nough
Ne na yonk high sweagh se,
Ne o ni a yak hi sea ny,
Sa ya' ner tea hegh sm 'yeh.'
'Enlighten our dark souls, till they
Thy sacred love embrace:
Assist our minds (by nature frail)
With thy celestial grace.'
"After the sermon several addressed the assembly in the Mohawk, and the meeting
was concluded by prayer from one of the Indians in his native tongue. The use of
ardent spirits appears to be entirely laid aside, while the duties of religion
are punctually and daily observed. The hour of prayer is sounded by the blowing
of the shell, when they attend for their morning meetings with the regularity of
their morning meals. The Indians here are very desirous of obtaining education
for their children, and they are making such efforts as their low circumstances
will allow: for this purpose a schoolhouse is commenced: a sabbath school is now
in operation, where about twenty children are taught the rudiments of reading,
and we are not without hope of seeing a day school established for the ensuing
winter. Certainly this mission has been attended with the divine blessing beyond
every expectation. It was not at first commenced with the professed design of
converting the natives, (though they were had in view,) but for the benefit of
the white inhabitants scattered over the Indian lands. The merciful Lord,
however, has been pleased to endow the mission with abundant grace, and the
friends of missions may now renew their songs of gratitude and joy over thirty
more converted natives of the forest, together with an equal number of converts
among the white population."
The Cherokee mission was also commenced this year. The Cherokee Indians
inhabited a tract of country included in the states of Georgia and North
Carolina on the east, Alabama on the west, and that part of Tennessee lying
south of Hiwassee and Tennessee rivers, comprising not less than ten millions of
acres. These natives had been partially civilized; some of them had become
wealthy, possessing domestic cattle in abundance, and were thriving
agriculturists. White people had settled among them, intermarriages had taken
place, so that there were many half-breeds of respectable standing and
character, who could speak both the English and Cherokee languages, and many of
the children were well educated. And had they been left undisturbed in their
possessions, they doubtless would have risen into a wealthy, intelligent,
religious, and respectable community.
The American Board of Missions commenced a mission among these people as early
as 1817, which has been much assisted in its funds by the government of the
United States, and has, no doubt, exerted a salutary influence on the Indian
character.
It was in the spring of this year, at the request of a native Cherokee, by the
name of Richard Riley, that the Rev. Richard Neeley, of the Tennessee
conference, visited the nation, and preached in the house of Mr. Riley. In the
course of the summer, being assisted by the Rev. Robert Boyd, Mr. Neeley formed
a society of thirty-three members, and Richard Riley was appointed a
class-leader. At a quarterly meeting which was held there a short time after, by
the Rev. William McMahon, presiding elder of Huntsville district, the power of
God was displayed in a most signal manner, during which several of the natives
found peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus, and became members of the
Church. In December following the Rev. Andrew J. Crawford, who had been
appointed to the charge of this mission, arrived there, and met a council
composed of the principal men of the nation, who approved of the mission, and,
with their consent, a school was commenced on the 30th of that month. This was
the beginning of the good work which terminated in the conversion of many of the
Cherokees to the faith of Christianity. In reporting the state of this mission
to the Tennessee conference, in 1822, the committee use the following
language:--
"Your committee look upon these openings of Divine Providence as special and
loud calls to our conference, our superintendents, our ministers, and members in
general, to unite their zeal and exertions, to afford this destitute people the
means of salvation. O, brethren! come up to the help of the Lord against the
mighty. What has God already wrought, and how plain and simple the means by
which he has performed the mighty work! Only consider, but two years ago a
Methodist preacher had never preached in this part of the Cherokee nation. Our
worthy and pious friend, Mr. Riley, as has been stated, invited brothers Neeley
and Boyd to cross the Tennessee river and preach at his house, and these zealous
and pious young men, who had just been called, like Elisha, from the plow to the
pulpit, embraced the invitation, and flew upon the wings of love to plant the
gospel among the Indians, believing that a Methodist preacher is never out of
his way when he is searching for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and
bringing sinners home to God. Robert Boyd is no more! he is gone to his reward;
but he lives in the hearts of these pious Indians, and never, no, never, while
their memory is left them, will they cease to remember Robert Boyd.
"We now have one hundred and eight regular members of society in this part of
the nation, and a number of the children can read the word of God, and some of
them can write a tolerably good hand; and the whole amount of moneys expended
does not exceed two hundred dollars. Indeed, your committee are of opinion, that
a great parade about missionary establishments, and the expenditure of many
thousands of dollars to give the heathen science and occupation, without
religion, is of but little advantage to them. For, after all their acquirements,
they are still savages, unless their hearts be changed by the grace of God and
the power of the gospel; but this blessed gospel, which is the power of God to
the salvation of all that believe, whenever and wherever its divine influences
are implanted in the heart by the efficient operations of the Holy Ghost, makes
man a new creature, and fits him for his place in society."
The success which attended these efforts among the aborigines of our country
acted as a divine charm upon the members of the Church generally, and
contributed not a little to diffuse the spirit of revival, and to excite a
generous liberality throughout our entire borders. It tended also to silence the
objections of those who had doubted the expediency of forming the society, or of
the feasibility of reclaiming the wandering savages of our wildernesses from
their heathenish superstitions and vicious habits.
Besides these Indian missions, others were undertaken for the benefit of the
destitute parts of the white settlements. Last year the Rev. Fitch Reed, of the
Genesee conference, was appointed to York, (now Toronto,) in Upper Canada, with
Rev. Kenneth M. K. Smith as his helper. Their mission extended into the
settlements in the neighborhood of Toronto, which, at that time, were new, poor,
and destitute of the gospel. Some idea may be formed of the difficulties with
which they had to contend in traveling through particular parts of the country,
from the fact that brother Smith, who devoted himself chiefly to the back
settlements, was in the habit of carrying an ax with him, so that when he came
to a stream of water that he could not ford, (which was frequently the case,) he
felled a tree across it, on which he passed over. In some instances, it is
stated, where the trees stood opposite to each other on the banks of the creek,
and formed a junction at the top, he would climb one tree and descend another,
and thus pass on to his appointments among this scattered population. Their
labors were blessed, and a foundation was laid for the establishment of
societies which have subsequently much prospered.
When they first went among the people they found them engrossed in the cares of
the world, desecrating the sabbath for purposes of amusement, idle recreation,
or secular labor; and some who had once professed religion had cast off the fear
of God, and were immersed in the pleasures of sin. It was not long, however,
before the word took such effect that the houses were crowded with attentive
hearers. The sabbath especially, instead of being devoted to profane revelry,
was spent in religious devotion, and many were inquiring what they should do to
be saved. The result was, that this year, 1822, there were returned on the
Minutes in this mission one hundred and four; thirty-four in York, and seventy
in the new settlements.
To aid the missionaries in their work, the American Bible Society made a
generous donation of Bibles and testaments for gratuitous distribution among the
poor in that district of country.
Many parts of our general work were blessed with revivals of the work of God.
Among others, the following may be mentioned:-- Brooklyn, Long Island, was
powerfully visited with the refreshing influences of the Spirit, under the
labors of the Rev. Lewis Pease. This work commenced at a camp meeting held at
Musquito Cove, Long Island, and was productive of the conversion and addition to
the Church in that place of not less than one hundred souls. Several towns on
the Amenia circuit were visited by powerful revivals, which terminated in the
conversion of about two hundred souls, one hundred and seventy of whom joined
our Church, and the rest were divided between the Presbyterians and Baptists.
Among these converts, several, at a place called Oblong, had been Universalists.
Being convinced of the excellence of the power of religion, they cast away their
dependence upon a mere speculative belief in Christianity, and yielded to be
saved now, by "grace, through faith."
A work of God also prevailed on the Tolland circuit, New England conference,
which eventuated in the conversion of about two hundred and fifty, of almost all
ages, and of both sexes. At a camp meeting held at East Hartford, which was
numerously attended, there were manifest displays of the power and grace of God
in the awakening and conversion of souls. The fruits of this revival were
divided among the Methodists, Congregationalists, and Baptists, about one
hundred being added to the Methodist Church. *[11]
The Upper Canada district, then under the charge of the Rev. William Case, is
thus described by him:--
"Blessed be the Lord, we are prospering finely in this country. Our
congregations, sabbath schools, missionary collections, a church-building
spirit, as well as conversions, and order and harmony in the societies, all
demonstrate the rising strength of Zion in these parts. There are now finishing
or commencing twenty churches in this upper half of the province. We have more
than forty sabbath schools, and one thousand scholars. These nurseries of virtue
and religious information promise much to the prosperity of the rising
generation, both in a civil and religious point of view. A great and happy
improvement is visible since the close of the late war, which, in many places,
by the confusion and calamities it introduced, had broken down the barriers of
vice. Churches are crowded with listening hearers. Youth and children, instead
of wandering in the fields, or loitering in the streets, are in many places
thronging to the schools, with their books in their hands, and learning to read
the book of God. One man, who has a large family of children, a few days since
observed to me that, 'since sabbath schools began, he had had no trouble in the
government of his family.' "
On the Smyrna circuit, Delaware, there was an outpouring of the Spirit, which
resulted in the conversion of many souls; one hundred and twenty were connected
with our Church, forty of whom were colored people. Heretofore this revival the
colored members of the Church had been much divided in spirit, by the efforts of
the Allenites to form a party; but this good work had the happy effect of
uniting them more closely together, and of cementing their union with the Church
which had nursed them from their infancy.
In Surry county, in Virginia, through the agency of camp meetings and other
means of grace, about three hundred souls were brought to the knowledge of God
by faith in Jesus Christ, and the general impression made on the public mind was
most favorable to the cause of truth and love. In Lynchburg also, in this state,
there were added to the Church upward of one hundred members, as the result of a
revival in that place.
At a camp meeting held in the Scioto district, Ohio, the work of God prevailed
powerfully, and from thence spread in different directions through the country.
This meeting, which was under the superintendence of the Rev. G. R. Jones, was
attended by about sixty of the converted Indians of the Wyandots, among whom
were several of the chiefs who had embraced Christianity. These spoke in a most
feeling manner of the work of God in their own hearts, and among the people of
their nation, while tears of grateful joy bespoke the interest which the
congregation felt in their spiritual and eternal welfare.
On the Northumberland district, under the charge of the Rev. H. Smith, by means
of various camp meetings which were held in the several circuits, not less than
two hundred souls were brought to God, while a conviction of the necessity of
being reconciled to him through faith in his Son spread extensively among the
people in that region of country.
The Hudson river district, New York conference, through a similar agency, shared
largely in the good work this year.
The New Rochelle circuit, New York, was blessed with a great revival of
religion, under the labors of the Rev. Elijah Woolsey and his colleagues. White
Plains, Rye, Sawpit, and New Rochelle all shared in the benefits of this
glorious work: and so earnest were many to attend the meetings, with a view to
seek the salvation of their souls, that some came from ten to twelve miles, and
many such returned rejoicing in God their Saviour. In consequence of this work,
the net increase in this circuit among the whites was one hundred and nine.
*[12]
In Washington city, D. C., God poured out his Spirit in a remarkable manner, in
answer to the prayers of his people. During this work, in little more than two
months, one hundred and fifty-eight were received into the Church as
probationers.
There was also a good work in the city of New York, about three hundred being
added to the Church. This was encouraging to those who had mourned over the
departure of so many two years before.
I have before remarked, that during this period of our history we were called
upon to sustain a new warfare to defend ourselves against the assaults of our
opponents. Whether it was from jealousy of our rising prosperity, or from a real
belief that our doctrines were dangerous to the souls of men, other
denominations, more particularly the Calvinists, seemed to rally to the charge
against our ministry, the economy of our Church, and our modes of carrying on
the work of God. Hence a spirit of controversy was infused into the sermons
which were delivered by our preachers, much more than formerly, the necessity
for which was urged from witnessing new modes of attack. Indeed, a new system of
divinity was rising into notice, differing in some respects from the Calvinism
of former days, in which a universal atonement was recognized in connection with
the doctrine of eternal and universal decrees, the force of which, however, it
was attempted to avoid by inculcating the doctrine of a "natural ability and a
moral inability." By the use of this subtle distinction, and the doctrine of
universal atonement, keeping out of view the old doctrine of universal decrees,
some were induced to believe that the difference between this new divinity and
Methodism was but slight, and therefore they might, so far as these doctrines
were concerned, embrace one as well as the other. Our preachers felt it to be
their duty to unravel the sophistry of these arguments, by showing that, so long
as that doctrine of universal decrees, which involved the notion of
unconditional election and reprobation, was held fast, the two Systems were at
variance, and could never be made to harmonize.
We were also frequently denounced as Arminians. And Arminians were represented
as denying the doctrine of human depravity, of regeneration by the efficient
grace of God, and the necessity of divine aid in working out and securing our
eternal salvation. As this was a most unjust imputation, we felt called upon to
make a full and fair statement of our doctrinal views, and to defend ourselves
against such manifest perversions of our real, published, and acknowledged
sentiments. In doing this, though there may have been occasional exhibitions of
heat on both sides, and a controversial spirit indulged, in some instances, to
too great an extent, yet truth was elicited, and our doctrines and usages became
better understood, and more highly and generally appreciated by the community.
With a view to secure a more commodious and permanent location for the Wesleyan
seminary in the city of New York, a site was this year procured in Crosby
Street, by leasing three lots of ground, on which the trustees erected a brick
building, sixty-five feet in length and forty in breadth, the upper part of
which was occupied as a place of worship. Here a male and female academy was
kept until the premises were purchased by the agents of the Book Concern, in the
year 1824, when another building was procured in Mott Street. The academy at the
White Plains grew out of the one first commenced in the city of New York; and
when the property of the latter was disposed of; after discharging the debts of
the institution, the balance was given to the White Plains academy, which has
continued to the present time.
Though the Wesleyan seminary did not fully answer the benevolent designs of its
original founders, it is believed that its establishment gave an impulse to the
cause of education which has gone on increasing in power and influence to the
present day.
Thirty-seven preachers were this year located, twenty-four returned
supernumerary, and seventy-one superannuated, and four had died, namely,
Hamilton Jefferson, Edward Orem, William Early, and John Pitts, each of whom
died in the full assurance of faith.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 252,645; Last Year: 239,087; Increase:
13,558 -- Colored This Year: 44,377; Last Year: 42,059; Increase: 2,318 -- Total
This Year: 297,022; Last Year: 281,146 -- Increase: 15,876 *[13] -- Preachers
This Year: 1,106; Last Year: 977; Increase: 129.
It will be perceived that there was a more than usual increase to the number of
traveling preachers, owing to a diminution in the number of locations, and a
proportionate increase to the list of superannuated preachers. This was probably
owing to the better provision which began to be made, in consequence of the
regulations of the General Conference of 1816, for the support of the families
of preachers, and the furnishing parsonages for their accommodation. This last
remedy, however, was but partially provided as yet, though the work was happily
begun, and has been gradually going forward to the present time.
1823
The work of God this year was steadily advancing within the bounds of the
several annual conferences. Some of the circuits in the older parts of the work,
in consequence of the increase of members and societies, were much contracted,
and the number of stations was necessarily multiplied. In this manner the work
was becoming more and more compact, pastoral labor more easily and punctually
performed, and the local interests of each society more minutely attended to.
Still, new circuits were formed in the frontier settlements, new missions
opened, and some villages and neighborhoods not before occupied by our ministry,
through the aid of the Missionary Society, were supplied with the word and
ordinances of God. These I shall endeavor to notice, so far as authentic
documents and other sources of information will enable me to do it correctly.
The Missionary Society, having been recognized by the General Conference, was
now considered as an integral part of the general plan of carrying on the work
of God, and was becoming more and more identified with the other institutions of
the Church. Its blessed results, also, which were seen and felt, more especially
among the wandering savages of our country, entwined it around the affections of
our people, and called forth their liberality for its support.
The cause of missions was also much aided about this time by the eloquent
appeals of the Rev. John Summerfield, a young minister who came over from
Ireland and joined the New York conference in 1821. He had attracted much
attention since his arrival among us by the sweet and melting strains of his
pulpit oratory, and as he entered into the spirit of our Missionary Society with
great zeal and energy, he contributed much to the diffusion of its benevolent
principles among the people at large. While stationed in the city of New York,
in 1822, where he drew vast multitudes to listen to the accents of redeeming
love, which fell from his lips in the purest strains of gospel eloquence, he
adopted the practice of delivering lectures to the children at stated times, at
which he made collections to aid the Missionary Society. And the hearty and
efficient manner in which he espoused this noble enterprise of the Young Men's
Missionary Society of New York to elect him as their president. His zeal in the
cause of God, and the popularity of his talents for addressing public assemblies
on anniversary occasions, induced so many applications from the benevolent and
charitable societies for his services, to which he yielded with perhaps too
great a readiness for his strength, that he found himself wearing out by the
intensity of his labors. This induced him, by the advice of his physicians and
friends, to make a voyage to France for the benefit of his health. While there
he sent the following address to the society of which he was the president, and
which, as a sample of the writer's manner of communicating his thoughts, and an
evidence of the ardor with which he entered into, this subject, I think worthy
of preservation. It is as follows:--
"Marseilles, February 20, 1823
"My Dear Brethren:-- You are too well acquainted with the circumstances which
prevent my filling the chair upon this pleasurable occasion, to require that I
should dwell upon them; indeed, it would be irrelevant to those important
objects which have assembled you together: not private sympathies, but the
public good, will be your present theme; and in this I realize my full share of
joy with you, for although in a far distant land, and that a land of strangers,
my affections point to those 'whom I love in the truth,' and with whom I glory
to be in any wise associated in carrying on the cause of our common Lord.
"Upon the occasion of an anniversary like yours, exhortation to renewed zeal
might be deemed impertinent; the pulse of every heart beats too high on such an
occasion to anticipate any decay in your future exertions. This is rather a of
congratulation and rejoicing; and in commencing another year of labor and
reward, I devoutly implore for you a continuance of that grace which has enabled
you to remain 'steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.'
"In common with all who love the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, I rejoice
at witnessing that increase of missionary zeal and missionary means which the
past year lays open, not only in your auxiliary and its parent society, but
among other denominations of the Christian church; in this 'you also joy and
rejoice with me,' for 'whether Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, all are ours;' -- so
that in whatever part of the vineyard the work is wrought, we view it not as the
work of man, but as it is in truth, the work of God;' for 'neither is he that
planteth any thing, neither he that watereth: it is God that giveth the
increase.' We may collect from different funds, but we bring to the same
exchequer; and have no greater joy than in the accumulation of the revenue of
that relative glory of the divine character which redounds from the salvation of
men, 'through Christ Jesus, unto the glory and praise of God the Father.'
"But, abstracted from general views of the mighty work of missions, I regard the
branch to which you are attached with peculiar pleasure on this occasion. You
know that, from the beginning of our existence in the religious world, Methodism
has always been a 'history of missions;' its venerable founder, considering that
this was the first character of the Christian church, and believing it would be
the last, even at that day when 'many shall run to and fro, and knowledge be
increased,' wisely instituted a ministry which should be a standing monument of
what God could do by this means. 'And what has God wrought? Some there are, whom
the frost of many winters has not chilled to death, to whom our father's words
may still be spoken,
'Saw ye not the cloud arise?
Little as a human hand'
"Its present state we ourselves have lived to see:
'Now it spreads along the skies --
Hangs o'er all the thirsty land!
When he first the work begun,
Small and feeble was his day;
Now the word doth swiftly run,
Now it wins its widening way!
More and more it spreads and grows;
Ever mighty to prevail,
Sin's strong holds it now o'erthrows,
Shakes the trembling gates of hell!'
"Indeed, there are seasons wherein the overwhelming influence of these
reflections so rests upon the mind, that unless we heard the warning voice,
'What doest thou here, Elijah?' we should stand at the base of this mighty
structure, and wholly spend our time for naught, in admiring the symmetry and
proportion of all its parts, beholding 'what manner of stones and buildings are
here!' But, thus warned, we too 'arise and build.' Thus 'instead of the fathers
are the children, and the children's children shall yet add thereto, till the
topstone be raised, shouting, Grace, grace unto it!'
"My dear brethren, if there is a scene within the universe of God calculated to
lift our minds to heaven; if there is a scene calculated to bring down the
heavenly host to earth, it is that which portrays in anticipation the final
triumph of the 'gospel of the grace of God.' Yes, the gospel must ultimately and
universally triumph! Well may we exclaim, What an object is this! It is the
fairest scene that the pencil of heaven, dipped in the colors of its own
rainbow, can delineate; and even the great voice issuing from the eternal throne
can utter nothing more exhilarating and sublime than the consummation of this
event, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men!' Yes, my brethren,
'Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Does his successive courses run.'
"The glow which pervaded the apostle's mighty mind did not cause his pen to
aberrate; the spirit of inspiration sat upon him when he declared that Jesus
'must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet.' That day will come! Do
we expect to swell the number who shall grace his triumph? Do we burn with
seraphic ardor to be among his train 'when he shall be revealed from heaven with
power and great glory?' Then 'gird up the loins of your mind; be sober, and hope
to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ!' Wherefore 'comfort one another with these words,' for truly 'it
is with the same comfort wherewith I myself am comforted of God.'
"You, my dear brethren of this auxiliary, who are the managers of its concerns,
I hail. I am also one of you. 'I write unto you, young men, because ye are
strong, and the word of God abideth in you.' Early separated from the world, and
ardently employed in seeking the interests of 'a better country, that is, a
heavenly, God is not ashamed to be called your God, for he has prepared for you
a city.' 'Walk therefore by the same rule, mind the same thing.' 'Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world.' 'Set your affections on things
above, and not on things upon the earth.' Soon you shall hear it sounded,
'Because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee' ruler over
many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!'
"The friends and subscribers of this auxiliary are entitled to your thanks; they
have merited them will; by means of the numerous little streams which have been
directed to our reservoir by the friends of missions, our 'water-pots,' if not
always full, have never become dry. On this occasion, however, you look to have
them 'filled even to the brim;' and may He who can convert our base material to
subserve his glorious purpose of saving men, 'draw forth' therefrom that 'wine
of the kingdom which cheers the heart of God and man.'
"I remain, my dear brethren, your fellow-laborer and servant,
J. Summerfield."
A mission was commenced this year among the Pottawatamy Indians, a small tribe
settled in the neighborhood of Fort Clark, on the Fox river, in the state of
Illinois, and the Rev. Jesse Walker was appointed to prosecute its objects.
But though he succeeded, after much toil and expense, in establishing a school
and conciliating the friendship of some of the adult Indians, yet the missionary
was compelled, after seven years of hard labor, to abandon the enterprise as
hopeless. Their strong attachments to savage life, and incurable suspicions of
white men, together with their final determination to remove west, frustrated
the benevolent attempts to introduce the gospel and the arts of civilized life
among them.
A fragment of the Wyandot tribe of Indians was settled in Upper Canada, on the
banks of the river Carnard. These were first visited by Mr. Finley, and were
afterward transferred to the care of Mr. Case, to whom the superintendence of
all the aboriginal missions in that province was committed. About twenty of
these Indians embraced the Christian faith, and became members of our Church.
In the bounds of the Tennessee conference there was a missionary district
formed, embracing that part of Jackson's Purchase that lies in the states of
Tennessee and Kentucky, which was committed to the charge of the Rev. Lewis
Garrett. This was a new country, rapidly filling up with inhabitants, and there
were no less than nine preachers appointed to supply them with the means of
salvation. As before remarked, Mr. Garrett was first appointed a missionary to
this region of country, which contained not less than ten thousand square miles,
in 1820, and he succeeded in forming a four weeks' circuit, in which he was
assisted, by the appointment of the presiding elder, by Andrew J. Crawford. And
so successful had they been in 1821, that in 1822 there were returned on the
Minutes of the conference one hundred and fifty-five members, thirteen of whom
were colored people. The inhabitants generally received the messengers of the
gospel with joyful hearts, opening their doors and making them welcome, and also
contributing, according to their scanty means, for their support, for as yet the
Missionary Society was able to appropriate but little for the furtherance of
domestic missions.
These men of God, though they had to contend with poverty, bad roads, and to
preach in log huts, or under the foliage of the native trees, penetrated into
every part of the country where settlements had been formed, and succeeded in
establishing several circuits, in which they returned for the Minutes of 1823
one thousand one hundred and twenty-six members, one hundred and one of whom
were colored, chiefly slaves.
This year the gospel was more extensively introduced into the territory of
Michigan, which was erected into an independent state and received into the
Union in the year 1836.
This country was originally settled by the French, who sent Catholic
missionaries there as early as 1648, and the city of Detroit was founded in
1670, by a few French families. Its growth was slow, but the people gradually
enlarged their borders on each side of the Detroit river, a strait about
twenty-four miles in length, which connects Lakes St. Clair and Erie. In 1763
this country, together with Upper Canada, passed, by the right of conquest, from
the French into the hands of the British, and so remained until the war of the
revolution separated it from the British empire and connected it with the United
States. After this, emigrants from different parts of the Union began to mingle
with the original settlers.
When this country was first visited by a Methodist missionary, in 1804, it was
in a deplorable state as to religion and morals. *[14] In Detroit there was no
preaching except by the French Catholics, and their influence in favor of the
pure morality of the gospel was extremely feeble. The few Protestant emigrants
who had settled in Detroit and some of the adjoining places were entirely
destitute of a ministry of their own order, and were fast assimilating into the
customs and habits of those with whom they associated. And though repeated
efforts had been made, from time to time, to establish Methodism in Detroit,
they must have been attended with but little success, for we find no members
returned on the Minutes of conference for that place until the year 1822, and
then the number was only twenty.
This year, 1823, the Rev. Alfred Brunson was stationed on the Detroit circuit,
which stretched through the country for four hundred miles. This he and his
colleague, the Rev. Samuel Baker, surrounded each once in four weeks, giving the
people a sermon every two weeks; and their labors were so far blessed, that in
1824 the number of Church members had increased to one hundred and sixty-one.
This year a small society was formed at St. Mary's. This was a military post
belonging to the United States, situated on the strait by that name, about
eighty miles in length, and which connects Lakes Superior and Huron, and is
about four hundred miles in a northerly direction from Detroit. The most of this
distance, at that time, was a wilderness, infested with beasts of prey, and
dotted with here and there an Indian village. It was at this place that a few
pious soldiers, who had been converted at Sackett's Harbor, were removed, and,
being almost destitute of every religions privilege, formed themselves into a
class, chose a leader, and met together for mutual edification and comfort,
holding their meetings in the woods until the barracks were erected, when they
were allowed the use of the hospital. They were much assisted by the good
countenance of Lieutenant Becker, a pious member of the Presbyterian Church, to
whom they were attracted by a congeniality of feeling, and they were mutually
refreshed and strengthened in their social meetings. In the course of the winter
their number increased to about fourteen, which much encouraged them to
persevere in their work of faith and labor of love.
This state of things in that part of the country induced Mr. Brunson to call
loudly for help, and this led to the establishment of St. Mary's mission a short
time after.
The territory of Florida had recently been ceded to the United States, as an
indemnity for the spoliations committed upon our commerce by Spanish cruisers;
and as it is the policy of the Methodist Episcopal Church to enter every open
door for the spread of the gospel, a missionary, the Rev. Joshua N. Glenn, was
sent this year to St. Augustine, the oldest town in North America, and capital
of East Florida. Most of the inhabitants of this place and the surrounding
country are of Spanish descent, and members of the Roman Catholic Church. There
were, however, a few Anglo-Americans settled among the Creoles, to whom our
missionary addressed himself in the name of the Lord, and he succeeded in
raising a society of fifty-two members, forty of whom were people of color.
This, however, has been a barren place for the growth of Methodism; for even
now, 1840,) after continued efforts of seventeen years, St. Augustine is
scarcely represented among our stations. This, however, is owing to other causes
than the want of a disposition on the part of the people to receive the gospel.
The late Indian warfare has exerted a most destructive influence upon the
religious state of the population through all that region of country, and more
particularly upon the citizens of St. Augustine, the chief rendezvous of hostile
armies.
Chatahoochee, in the bounds of the Florida territory, was also selected as
missionary ground, and its cultivation was committed to Messrs. John J. Triggs
and John Slade. They entered upon their work with zeal and perseverance; and
notwithstanding the newness of the country, and the scattered state of the
population, there were returned on the Minutes for 1824, as the fruit of their
labor, three hundred and fifty-six members, sixty-four of whom were colored
people.
The Rev. Alexander Talley was appointed a missionary this year to Pensacola,
Mobile, and Blakely. Though no immediate fruit of his labor in these places was
seen, yet he opened the way for the introduction of the gospel into that region
of country, which has since flourished under the labors of those who succeeded
him in his work.
St. Mary's, situated near the mouth of St. Mary's river, in the state of
Georgia, near the frontier of Florida, was visited this year with a revival of
the work of God, under the ministry of the Rev. Elijah Sinclair. Though there
had been in this place once a flourishing society, it had become scattered
abroad, so that when Mr. Sinclair arrived there, in 1822, he could scarcely find
a "place for the sole of his foot;" but he soon obtained favor in the eyes of
the people, and God so blessed his faithful labors, that in 1823 there were
returned forty-one members of the Church; and the good work has gradually
increased from that time to this.
Cumberland mission, in Kentucky, was commenced this year by the Rev. William
Chambers. He so far succeeded in his efforts as to return two hundred and
sixty-one members, two hundred and fifty-one whites and ten colored, in 1824.
In 1821 Methodism was introduced into the town of St. Louis, by the Rev. Jesse
Walker, who went there as a missionary under the direction of the Missouri
conference. St. Louis is the largest town on the west bank of the Mississippi
river, and second to New Orleans in importance as a place for commercial
pursuits. Its original settlers were French Roman Catholics, this being another
in the range of settlements which they established along the course of the
waters from Quebec to New Orleans. It had been, for some time before this,
rising in importance, and increasing in its population by emigrations from
different parts of the United States and from the old world, and was considered
the center of commerce in that part of the country. In this mixed population the
missionary had some prejudices to encounter, and the more so on account of the
indiscreet conduct of some who had represented the citizens of that place to the
eastern churches as being but little removed from barbarians. Mr. Walker,
however, was kindly received by a few, and he gradually gained the confidence of
the community, raised a society of about one hundred members, and succeeded in
building a house of worship thirty-five feet in length and twenty-five in width.
The Rev. Alexander McAlister, in giving an account of this work, adverts to the
Missionary Society in the following words:--
"It is yet in its infancy, but its growing importance portends greater good to
mankind than any institution of the kind hitherto known. I am induced to believe
that there will be both numerous and liberal contributions to support the
institution, since the money so raised is to be deposited in the hands of men
who will, no doubt, distribute it with an economical hand for the support of
those missionaries whose zeal is not a transient blaze, but a constant flame,
consuming vice and iniquity before it, and with a gentle hand leading the
penitent sons and daughters of men up to the throne of grace, where they may
obtain the mercy and salvation of God."
Mr. Walker was reappointed to St. Louis in 1822, at the end of which year there
were returned, including the station and circuit, one hundred and sixty-six
white and forty colored members of the Church. He was succeeded this year by the
Rev. William Beauchamp, whose labors were acceptable and useful, and the cause
has gradually gone forward from that time to this.
The aboriginal missions, which had been begun under such favorable auspices, and
which promised so much good to the wandering tribes of our wildernesses,
continued to prosper this year more than ever. These, together with the
exertions which were made in their behalf, tended powerfully to awaken a deep
and lively interest through the ranks of our Israel in favor of prosecuting the
cause with increasing zeal and energy. The Wyandot mission, which had been
committed to the care of Mr. Finley, was this year visited by Bishop McKendree,
who entered most heartily into the cause of missions, contributing to its
support, and giving, by his example, an impetus to the work in every direction.
And as his testimony is that of an eye-witness, capable of estimating the nature
and importance of the reformation which had been effected among these people,
the reader will be pleased to read it in the bishop's own words. It is as
follows:
"On Saturday, the 21st of June, about ten o'clock in the morning, we arrived
safe, and found the mission family and the school all in good health; but was
much fatigued myself, through affliction and warm weather, which was quite
oppressive to me in crossing over the celebrated Sandusky Plains, through which
the road lies.
"In the afternoon we commenced visiting the schools, and repeated our visits
frequently during the five days which we stayed with them. These visits were
highly gratifying to us, and they afforded us an opportunity of observing the
behavior of the children, both in and out of school, their improvement in
learning, and the whole order and management of the school; together with the
proficiency of the boys in agriculture, and of the girls in the various domestic
arts. They are sewing and spinning handsomely, and would be weaving if they had
looms. The children are cleanly, chaste in their manners, kind to each other,
peaceable and friendly to all. They promptly obey orders, and do their work
cheerfully, without any objection or murmur. They are regular in their
attendance on family devotion and the public worship of God, and sing
delightfully. Their proficiency in learning was gratifying to us, and is well
spoken of by visitors. If they do not sufficiently understand what they read it
is for the want of suitable books, especially a translation of English words,
lessons, hymns, &c., into their own tongue.
"But the change which has been wrought among the adult Indians is wonderful!
This people, 'that walked in darkness, have seen a great light; they that dwelt
in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.' And they
have been 'called from darkness into the marvelous light' of the gospel. To
estimate correctly the conversion of these Indians from heathenish darkness, it
should be remembered that the Friends (or Quakers) were the first to prepare
them in some degree for the introduction of the gospel, by patiently continuing
to counsel them, and to afford them pecuniary aid.
"The first successful missionary that appeared among them was Mr. Steward, a
colored man, and a member of our Church. The state of these Indians is thus
described by him, in a letter to a friend, dated in June last:"
" 'The situation of the Wyandot nation of Indians when I first arrived among
them, near six years ago, may be judged of from their manner of living. Some of
their houses were made of small poles, and covered with bark; others of bark
altogether. Their farms contained from about two acres to less than half an
acre. The women did nearly all the work that was done. They had as many as two
plows in the nation, but these were seldom used. In a word, they were really in
a savage state.'
"But now they are building hewed log houses, with brick chimneys, cultivating
their lands, and successfully adopting the various agricultural arts. They now
manifest a relish for, and begin to enjoy the benefits of civilization; and it
is probable that some of them will this year raise an ample support for their
families, from the produce of their farms.
"There are more than two hundred of them who have renounced heathenism and
embraced the Christian religion, giving unequivocal evidence of their sincerity,
of the reality of a divine change. Our missionaries have taken them under their
pastoral care as probationers for membership in our Church, and are engaged in
instructing them in the doctrine and duties of our holy religion, though the
various duties of the missionaries prevent them from devoting sufficient time
for the instruction of these inquirers after truth. But the Lord hath mercifully
provided helpers, in the conversion of several of The interpreters and a
majority of the chiefs of the nation. The interpreters, feeling themselves the
force of divine truth, and entering more readily into the plan of the gospel,
are much more efficient organs for communicating instruction to the Indians.
Some of these chiefs are men of sound judgment, and strong, penetrating minds;
and having been more particularly instructed, have made great proficiency in the
knowledge of God and of divine truths; and being very zealous, they render
important assistance in the good work. The regularity of conduct, the solemnity
and devotion of this people, in time of divine service, of which I witnessed a
pleasing example, is rarely exceeded in our own worshipping assemblies.
"To the labors and influence of these great men, the chiefs, may also in some
degree be attributed the good conduct of the children in school. Three of the
chiefs officiate in the school as a committee to preserve good order and
obedience among the children. I am told that Between-the-logs, the principal
speaker, has lectured the school children in a very able and impressive manner,
on the design and benefit of the school, attention to their studies, and
obedience to their teachers. This excellent man is also a very zealous and a
useful preacher of righteousness. He has, in conjunction with others of the
tribe, lately visited a neighboring nation, and met with encouragement.
"On the third day after our arrival we dined with Between-the-logs and about
twenty of their principal men, six of whom were chiefs and three interpreters,
and were very agreeably and comfortably entertained. After dinner we were all
comfortably seated, a few of us on benches, the rest on the grass, under a
pleasant grove of shady oaks, and spent about two hours in council. I requested
them to give us their views of the state of the school; to inform us, without
reserve, of any objections they might have to the order and management thereof,
and to suggest any alteration they might wish. I also desired to know how their
nation liked our religion, and how those who had embraced it were prospering.
"Their reply was appropriate, impressive, and dignified, embracing distinctly
every particular inquiry, and in the order they were proposed to them. The
substance of their reply was, that they thought the school was in a good state
and very prosperous; were perfectly satisfied with its order and management,
pleased with the superintendent and teachers, and gratified with the improvement
of the children. It was their anxious wish for its permanence and success. They
gave a pleasing account of those who had embraced religion, as to their moral
conduct and inoffensive behavior, and attention to their religious duties. They
heartily approved of the religion they had embraced, and were highly pleased
with the great and effectual reformation which had taken place among them.
"In the close they expressed the high obligations they were under to all their
kind friends and benefactors, and in a very respectful and feeling manner
thanked their visitors, and the superintendent and teachers, for their kind
attention to themselves and to their children; and concluded with a devout wish
for the prosperity and eternal happiness of them and all their kind friends. It
was an affecting scene, and tears bespoke their sincerity.
"To this school there are Indian children sent from Canada. Others which were
lately sent were detained and taken into another school, at the rapids of
Maumee, under the direction of the Presbyterians. An apology was written by the
superintendent thereof to ours, stating that the detention was made on the
presumption that our school was full, &c.
"When we reflect upon the state of the Wyandots, compared with their former
savage condition, we may surely exclaim, 'What hath God wrought!' 'The parched
ground hath become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; the wilderness
and the solitary place is made glad, and the desert blossoms as the rose.' The
marks of a genuine work of grace among these sons of the forest accord so
perfectly with the history of the great revivals of religion in all ages of the
Church, that no doubt remains of its being the work of God.
"That a great and effectual door is opened on our frontier for the preaching of
the gospel to the Indian nations which border thereon, and that we are
providentially called to the work, I have no doubt. The only question is, Are we
prepared to obey the call? The success of our missionary labors does not depend
on the interference of miraculous power, as in the case of the apostles, but on
the ordinary operations and influences of the Holy Spirit, through the
instrumentality of a gospel ministry, supported by the liberality of a generous
people.
"We have lately received an invitation from a distinguished officer of the
government to extend our missionary labors to a distant nation of Indians. A
gentleman of this state who has visited New Orleans has taken a deep interest in
its favor; and from the great increase of population from other states, and the
great probability of doing good at least among them, he urges another attempt.
And from his influence, his ability, and disposition to minister to its support,
we entertain a hope of success.
"From a general view of our missions, and of what the Lord is doing by us, we
certainly have abundant cause to 'thank God and take courage,' and to persevere
faithfully and diligently in the great work, looking to the great Head of the
Church, that he may bless our labors and crown them with success.
"Yours in the bonds of the gospel of peace."
Nor is the following account less interesting and illustrative of the power of
gospel truth. It is from the pen of the Rev. G. R. Jones, who was present and
witnessed the ceremony which he describes in the following words:--
"At our late Ohio annual conference, held in Urbana, there were several of the
red, and one or two of the colored brethren present, from the Wyandot mission at
Upper San dusky. Several interviews took place between our general
superintendents and them, during the sitting of the conference, at Bishop
McKendree's room, at one of which I was present part of the time.
"A few friends were invited to be present at this interview. As breaking bread
together has been a token of hospitality and friendship among most nations, a
cup of tea was prepared by the family, and at a suitable time they were waited
on with it. Bishop McKendree, without any previous arrangement or design,
appears to have been made a kind of master of ceremonies -- he was waited on
first. The sagacity of the red brethren was quite observable; they kept their
eye on him, and conformed in every particular. Jonathan, a man of color, (who
has served the mission from the beginning as an interpreter, and who, while
engaged in this work, became convinced of sin, and happily converted to God,)
was one of the company; he modestly declined partaking with them, but, being
pressingly solicited by Bishop McKendree, yielded. After the repast was over,
the red brethren joined in singing several hymns in their own tongue, during
which a number in the house within hearing crowded into the room, until there
might have been as many as forty present; Mononcue (a chief) rose, and,
approaching Bishop McKendree respectfully, held out the hand of friendship,
which was cordially received, and a warm embrace took place; this appears to
have taken off all restraint. Between-the-logs (another chief) followed his
example, and they proceeded round to all in the room, while sighs and tears
witnessed the feelings of most who were present; but they were sighs of
gratitude and astonishment, and tears of joy. The spirit of hostile foes in the
field of battle was lost in the spirit of harmony and Christian love, which
appeared to fill the room. I have witnessed few scenes which carried stronger
conviction to my heart of the truth and excellence of the religion of the meek
and humble Jesus. I was ready to cry out and say, 'What hath the Lord wrought!'
"A worthy gentleman, high in office and respectability, had received an
invitation, and was present at the interview. It seems he had imbibed an
opinion, which is perhaps prevalent among politicians, that it is impracticable
to Christianize the aborigines of our country. He was placed in a part of the
room farthest from the door. When the chiefs approached him all his unbelief
appears to have, given way, his arms were open to give the friendly embrace,
while the flowing tear bore witness to a reciprocity of feeling. He was heard to
exclaim, a day or two afterward, 'I am fully converted!' At the close of the
singing by the red brethren Bishop Roberts made a few appropriate remarks, and
we all joined him in singing, at the close of which, from the fulness of his
heart, he offered up a fervent prayer. We again joined in singing, and one of
the chiefs, (Between-the-logs,) being called on, prayed in a very feeling
manner, while every heart appeared to respond the hearty amen! The meeting was
then drawn to a close."
The mission now contained one hundred and fifty four members of the Church and
sixty scholars, who were taught letters and the duties of domestic life.
This year Mr. Finley, in company with some of the converted chiefs and an
interpreter, set off on a visit to the Chippeways, on the Saganaw river, with a
view, if practicable, to establish a mission among them. They at length arrived
at the Wyandot reservation, on the Huron river, where they were cordially
received and entertained by a white man called Honnes, who had lived with the
Indians for many years, having been taken a prisoner when quite a lad. He was
now supposed to be not less than one hundred years of age, could remember
nothing of his parentage, nor of his days previous to his captivity, only that
he was called Honnes. He was now much crippled and nearly blind, but was very
intelligent and communicative. He sat upon a deer-skin, and, through an
interpreter -- for he had lost all knowledge of his vernacular language -- he
addressed our missionaries in the following manner "My children, you are welcome
to my cabin; and I now thank the Great Spirit that he has provided a way for us
to meet together in this world. I thank him for all his mercies to me. He has
fed me all my life. He has saved me in the field of blood, and has lifted up my
head when I have been sick, and, like a kind father, has protected and provided
for me." These affecting remarks from this patriarch of the woods were listened
to with great attention and respect, being interrupted now and then, by those
Indians who were present, by the expression, "tough," which signifies, all true,
and then the pipe of peace was lighted, passed around the company, and returned
to the aged sire. This ceremony being ended, Mr. Finley informed him that,
having often heard of him, he had come some distance out of his way to see him,
and then proceeded to explain to him the gospel of Jesus Christ. The tears which
coursed down his withered cheeks, while he listened with solemn attention to the
words of truth, bespoke the deep feeling of his heart, and the lively interest
which he took in the subject. The discourse being closed, he took Mr. Finley by
the hand, and, calling for blessings on him and his associates, said, "I have
been praying for many years that God might send some light to this nation."
After hearing, the next day, some historical anecdotes of the Wyandots from this
aged man, who had been for so many years shut out from civilized life and
immured in the dungeon of heathenism, Mr. Finley bade him an affectionate adieu,
and continued his journey in search of other lost sheep of the house of Israel.
These men of the woods, however, were not forgotten by the Christian
missionaries, but were sought out and provided with the means of salvation, the
benefits of which some of them received. Of the destiny of Honnes, whose simple
story is so affecting, I have not been informed, but trust the God of all the
families of the earth did not forget him in his lonely retreat, nor refuse his
prayers for more light to the nation. who had adopted him as a brother. He
seemed, indeed, like the Nestor of his tribe, and to be preserved to this good
old age to welcome the harbingers of peace and good-will to the borders of his
land and nation.
For that abandoned class of females who have been seduced from the paths of
virtue by the wiles of the other sex, many efforts had been made by the pious
and benevolent in the city of New York, as well as in other places where this
destructive vice had become so predominant, but without any permanent effect. It
seems, indeed, that among all the vices which infect mankind, this, when its
corrupting sway has been once permitted to gain an ascendency, is the most
inveterate, and of course the most difficult to eradicate. Not, however,
entirely despairing of success in attempting to effect a reformation even among
these unhappy subjects of seduction, a mission was undertaken this year for
their special benefit, and the Rev. Samuel D. Ferguson was appointed to its
charge. Though he labored indefatigably, in conjunction with some local
preachers and exhorters who volunteered their services to aid him, and some good
impressions were made upon a few, yet they were soon effaced, and they were
compelled, after using every exertion to accomplish their object, to abandon
their enterprise in despair; and though subsequent efforts have been more
successful in a few instances in which reformations have been effected, it would
seem that more powerful means must be resorted to before this soul-destroying
vice can be banished from the community.
In consequence of this failure in the primary object of the mission, the
missionary, in the latter part of the year, turned his attention to some
destitute portions in the west sections of Long Island, where he was more
successful. Here he formed a regular circuit, and raised two classes of
fifty-two members, which have continued to flourish, less or more, to the
present time.
As it was one object of our missionary societies to supply destitute places in
the older settlements where the people were either unwilling or unable to
support the institutions of religion, some such were either partially assisted
from their funds or wholly supported for a season, as the case might be. Among
others may be mentioned, as showing the good effects of this policy, the town of
New Brunswick, in the state of New Jersey. This, though an old settled place,
had been a barren soil for Methodism. Our preachers had long preached there
occasionally to a feeble few, but under great discouragements. In 1821 the Rev.
Charles Pittman was sent there as a missionary, under the patronage of the
Philadelphia Conference Missionary Society, and again in 1822. He met with much
opposition, owing to the deep-rooted prejudices cherished against the
peculiarities of Methodism. His congregation was small, not amounting to more
than thirty for some weeks during the first year of his ministry. He and the
little flock, however, persevered in the strength of faith and prayer until a
revival of religion commenced, which terminated in the conversion of quite
number of souls, so that in the month of February of this year they numbered
about one hundred communicants. From that time the work has steadily advanced,
and we have now a flourishing society and a commodious house of worship in that
place.
In many other places, too numerous to mention, the work of God prevailed in the
older circuits and stations. On the New Bedford circuit, Mass., where a good
work had been progressing for some time, in the month of August of this year it
had extended for twenty miles, so that an entire new circuit had been formed,
large enough to employ three preachers.
The camp meetings continued to be held with profit to the souls of the people.
At one held in the Ogeechee district, in the state of Georgia, not less than one
hundred white and upward of forty colored people were made partakers of the
grace of life. At one held in the same place last year a work of God commenced
among the students of Tabernacle Academy, a literary institution under our care,
and the reformation was advancing among the students this year most
encouragingly.
At five camp meetings held in the Baltimore district for this year the Lord
poured out his Spirit, and about one hundred and twenty, white and colored,
professed to find the pearl of great price, among whom were two females, one
eighty and the other sixty years of age. The latter was a Quakeress, whose
charming simplicity of manners and conversation, after her conversion, reminded
one of the primitive days of Christianity. Such evidences of the power of grace
were not unlike the Pentecostal showers of divine mercy, and they tended
mightily to strengthen the faith of God's people, and to baffle the speculations
of an infidel philosophy.
We have already seen that the cause of education began to engage the attention
of some of the annual conferences, and that two academies had been put in
operation. This year I find on the Minutes of the Kentucky conference that John
P. Finley was appointed to the charge of Augusta College, though I believe the
college edifice was not erected until 1825. Our brethren, therefore, west of the
mountains have the honor of founding the first college in the United States
under the patronage of the Methodist Episcopal Church; and I am happy to say
that this institution has gone on prospering, though sometimes depressed from
pecuniary embarrassments, shedding on that region of country the blessings of
science and religion, greatly to the joy of its friends and patrons.
Forty-four preachers were located, forty-seven returned supernumerary, and
fifty-nine superannuated, and nine had died during the past year. These were,
Philip Kennerly, Walter Griffith, John Dix, Samuel Davis, William Wright,
William Ross, Alonson Gord, James Griggs Peal, and William Penn Chandler.
A strong testimony is given in favor of these devoted men of God, that in their
last days they maintained their integrity, triumphing in the hour of
dissolution, and died in hope of the glory of God.
Dr. Chandler *[15] was appointed the presiding elder on the Delaware district in
1801, about the time the camp meetings were introduced into that part of the
country, and his talents were peculiarly adapted to promote their objects. His
zeal in the cause of Christ was ardent, and his talents as a preacher were more
than ordinary, and often the most astonishing effects were produced under his
powerful appeals to the consciences of his hearers. In consequence of his
devotion to the cause, and the character of his talents, he exerted a commanding
influence upon his district, winning the affections and inspiring the confidence
of the people committed to his charge. The ardency of his zeal and intensity of
his labors so exhausted his physical strength that in 1808 he was returned
superannuated. In 1813 he received a location; but his warm attachments to his
brethren in the traveling ministry led him back to the Philadelphia conference
in May, 1822, where he remained in the relation of a superannuated preacher
until his death.
While preaching the gospel of the Son of God in the Ebenezer church, in the city
of Philadelphia, on the first sabbath of May, 1820, he was suddenly prostrated
by a paralytic stroke in his left side. Though he partially recovered from this,
yet while at the island of St. Eustatia, whither he had gone for the benefit of
his health, a second stroke deprived him of the use of his right side also,
which took from him and his friends all hope of his recovery. He returned home,
however, and lingered for about twelve weeks, when he exchanged a world of labor
and suffering for a world of rest and reward. His expressions upon his death-bed
were no less consolatory to his friends than they were satisfactory to himself.
On being told by a friend that it was Sunday, he replied, "Go then to the
meeting, and tell them that I am dying, shouting the praises of God!" Then,
turning to his wife, he said, "My dear Mary, open the window, and let me
proclaim to the people in the streets the goodness of God!"
The following testimony is from an affectionate brother, a physician, who
attended him much in his last sickness:
"I visited Dr. Chandler daily during his last illness, which was of long
continuance. His disease was an almost universal paralysis. The attack had at
first been confined to one side, and after a partial recovery only of that side,
the other became affected in like manner with the first. His mind as well as his
body felt the effects of the disease, which at times caused a considerable
derangement of intellect: but notwithstanding the confusion that was apparent in
his mental operations, his constant theme was his God and the salvation of his
soul; and on these subjects it was truly surprising to hear him converse.
Although Dr. Chandler seemed incapable of rational reflection on other subjects,
yet on that of religion, at intervals; he never conversed with more fluency,
correctness, and feeling at any period of his life. He appeared to be
exceedingly jealous of himself; and occasionally laboring under fear lest he
might have deceived himself; and that he should finally become a cast-away; but
of these apprehensions he was generally relieved whenever we approached a throne
of grace, which we were in the habit of doing on almost every visit. In this
state he remained until within a few days of his death, when the Lord was
graciously pleased, in a most extraordinary manner, to pour out his Spirit upon
his servant; and although his body was fast sinking, his mind, for two days, was
restored to perfect vigor and correctness. During this time he seemed to be in
the borders of the heavenly inheritance. He spoke of the glories, the joys, and
the inhabitants of heaven as though he had been in the midst of them. He
remarked to me, at the time, that he felt that his soul had begun to dissolve
its connection with the body; and that there was a freedom, a clearness, and
ease in its views and operations that was entirely new to him, and that he had
never before formed a conception of -- ' in fact,' said he, 'I know not whether
I am in the body or out of it.' Soon after this he sunk into a stupor, in which
he remained to the last. On the sabbath following his funeral sermon was
preached, by the author of these lines, to a large and deeply affected
congregation, from these fine words of the apostle: 'But I would not have you to
be ignorant, brethren, Concerning them that are asleep, and that ye sorrow not
even as others which have no hope.' "
The account of his death concludes in the following words:--
"As a Christian, and as a Christian minister, W. P. Chandler was a man of no
ordinary grade. In his deportment, dignity and humility, fervor and gentleness,
plainness and brotherly kindness, with uniform piety, were strikingly
exemplified. In the pulpit his soul was in his eloquence, his Saviour was his
theme, and the divine unction that rested upon him, and the evangelical energy
of his sermons, gave a success to his labors that has been exceeded by few. He
studied to show himself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth: and how good a proficient he was in
this study, thousands who were blessed under his ministry can heartily testify,
many of whom are living witnesses of the happy effects of his labors, while he
is now reaping his eternal reward."
Among others who departed to another world this year was John Steward, who first
carried the gospel to the Wyandot Indians. Of his early life we have seen
something in our account of the Wyandot mission. He seems to have been
peculiarly fitted for his work. Sincere, simple-hearted, much devoted to the
cause in which he had engaged, he adapted himself with a ready and willing mind
to the condition and circumstances of those people, won their confidence and
affection by his honest simplicity, and, by the blessing of God on his
exertions, conducted them away from the absurdities of heathenism by the charms
of gospel truth and love.
His entire devotion to the interests of the mission, his intense application to
meet its spiritual wants, and the privations to which he was subjected in his
early residence among them, so wore upon his constitution, that in the course of
this year it became manifest that his health was fast declining, and that the
days of his pilgrimage were near their end.
When so exhausted in his physical powers as to be unable to labor for his
support, his temporal wants were provided for by his friends, about fifty acres
of land, on which was built a cabin for his accommodation, being secured to him
in fee-simple. Here he lived the remainder of his days, and on his demise the
property was inherited by his brother. In this place, loved and honored by those
who had been benefited by his evangelical labors, he lingered along the shores
of mortality until December the 17th, 1823, when he fell asleep in Jesus, in the
thirty-seventh year of his age, and the seventh of his labors in the missionary
field. On his death-bed he gave the most consoling evidence of his faith in
Christ and hope of immortality, exhorting his affectionate wife to faithfulness
to her Lord and Master, and testifying with his latest breath to the goodness of
God.
In the contemplation of such a man, we cannot but admire the wisdom of God in
the selection of means to accomplish his designs of mercy toward the outcasts of
men. Born in humble life, destitute of the advantages of education, unauthorized
and unprotected by any body of Christians when he first entered upon his
enterprise, influenced solely by the impulses of his own mind, produced, as he
believed, and as the event proved, by the dictates of the Holy Spirit, Steward
sets off on an errand of mercy to the meandering savages of the wilderness. Here
he arrives, a stranger among a strange people; and opens his mission by a simple
narration of the experience of divine grace upon his heart, and of the motives
which prompted him to forsake home and kindred, and devote himself to their
spiritual interests, Having gained their attention, he explains to them, in the
simplest language of truth, the fundamental doctrines of Jesus Christ,
contrasting them with the absurdities of heathenism and the inummeries of a
corrupted form of Christianity. *[16] No sooner does the word take effect, than
a violent opposition arises against this humble and unpretending servant of
Jesus Christ, which he meets with Christian courage, and bears with the
fortitude of a well-trained soldier of the cross. By the strength of God resting
upon him, he manfully buffets the storms of persecution which raged around him,
and calmly guides his little bark over the threatening billows until it is
conducted into a harbor of peace and safety. Seeking for the wisdom that cometh
from above, he is enabled to unravel the sophistry of error, to refute the
calumnies of falsehood, to silence the cavilings of captious witlings, and to
establish firmly the truth as it is in Jesus. Did not God "choose the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty?"
Who does not look on with a trembling anxiety for the result, while the umpire
was deliberating upon his fate, at that memorable time when he submitted his
Bible and Hymn Book to the inspection of Mr. Walker, that he might determine
whether or not they were genuine! And who can forbear participating in the
general shout of exultation when the momentous question was decided in his
favor! During these anxious moments the heart of Steward must have beat high
amidst hopes and fears, while the fate of his mission apparently hung poised
upon the decision of a question which involved the dearest interests of the
nation for whose welfare he had risked his all! But the God whom he served
pleaded his cause, silenced the clamor of his enemies, disappointed the
machinations of the wicked, and gave a signal triumph to the virtues of honesty,
simplicity, and godly sincerity. *[17] In this triumph was fulfilled the
inspired and inspiring declaration, "One shall chase a thousand, and two shall
put ten thousand to flight."
In all the subsequent conduct of Steward we behold a combination of those
excellences which the Spirit of God alone can engraft and nourish in the human
heart. "The excellency of the power," therefore, which was conspicuous in the
life and conduct of Steward, reflected the rays of Him who had most evidently
made him "a chosen vessel to bear his name unto the Gentiles" in the American
wilds. Humble and unpretending as he was, his name will ever be associated with
those men of God who had the high honor of first carrying the light of divine
truth to the darkened tribes of our forests. And this record is made as a just
tribute of respect to the memory of one whom God delighted to honor as the
evangelical pioneer to the Methodist Episcopal Church in her career of
usefulness among the long neglected children of our own wide domain.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 267,618; Last Year: 252,645; Increase:
14,973 -- Colored This Year: 44,922; Last Year: 44,377; Increase: 545 -- Total
This Year: 312,540; Last Year: 297,022 -- Increase: 15,518 *[18] -- Preachers
This Year: 1,226; Last Year: 1,106; Increase: 120.
* * * * * * *
PART 24
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 7
(From The Year 1816 To The Year 1828)
General Conference of 1824
This conference assembled, on the first day of May, in the city of Baltimore.
Bishops McKendree, George, and Roberts were present, and the former opened the
conference by reading a portion of the Holy Scriptures, singing, and prayer. The
following delegates presented the certificates of their election by the several
annual conferences:
New York Conference: Nathan Bangs, Laban Clark, Freeborn Garrettson, Samuel
Luckey, Stephen Martindale, Samuel Merwin, Daniel Ostrander, Phineas Rice,
Marvin Richardson, William Ross, Peter P. Sandford, Arnold Scholefield, Eben
Smith, Henry Stead, John B. Stratten, Ebenezer Washburn.
New England Conference: Ebenezer Blake, Wilbur Fisk, John W. Hardy, Elijah
Hedding, Benjamin Hoyt, Edward Hyde, David Kilbourn, John Lindsey, Joseph A.
Merrill, Timothy Merritt, Enoch Mudge, George Pickering, Elisha Streeter,
Eleazar Wells.
Genesee Conference: John P. Alverson, Joseph Baker, Israel Chamberlain, Wyatt
Chamberlain, George W. Densmoor, Loring Grant, James Hall, Gideon Lanning,
Benjamin Paddock, George Peck, Fitch Reed, Isaac B. Smith.
Ohio Conference: Russel Bigelow, Charles Elliott, James B. Finley, Greenbury R.
Jones, James Quinn, Martin Ruter, John Sale, John Strange, Charles Waddel, John
Waterman, John F. Wright, David Young, Jacob Young.
Kentucky Conference: John Brown, Peter Cartwright, Richard Corwine, Charles
Holliday, Marcus Lindsay, George McNelly, Thomas A. Morris, Jonathan Stamper.
Missouri Conference: William Beauchamp, John Scripps, David Sharp, Samuel H.
Thompson, Jesse Walker.
Tennessee Conference: Hartwell H. Brown, Thomas L. Douglass, George Ekin, Joshua
W. Kilpatrick, Thomas Madden, William McMahon, Robert Paine, Thomas Stringfield,
John Tevis.
Mississippi Conference: Daniel De Vinne, Alexander Sale, William Winans.
South Carolina Conference: James O. Andrew, Henry Bass, William Capers, Samuel
Dunwody, Samuel K. Hodges, William Kennedy, Lewis Myers, James Norton, Lovick
Pierce, Nicholas Talley, Joseph Travis.
Virginia Conference: John C. Ballew, William Compton, Benjamin Devaney,
Ethelbert Drake, Henry Holmes, John Lattimore, Caleb Leach, Hezekiah G. Leigh,
Lewis Skidmore.
Baltimore Conference: John Bear, Robert Burch, Christopher Frye, Joseph Frye,
Andrew Hemphill, Daniel Hitt, James McCann, Nelson Reed, Stephen G. Roszel,
Henry Smith, Joshua Soule, John Thomas, Richard Tydings.
Philadelphia Conference: Ezekiel Cooper, Manning Force, Lawrence Lawrenson,
Lawrence McCombs, Jacob Moore, Thomas Neal, Charles Pittman, John Potts, Joseph
Rusling, James Smith, John Smith, Thomas Ware Alvard White.
From the time that Dr. Coke had last visited us, in 1804, no personal
intercourse had been kept up between the European and American connections,
though friendly epistolary salutations had been exchanged. In 1820, as we have
before seen, a delegate, Dr. Emory, had been sent to the Wesleyan conference in
England, and had borne with him a request that a personal intercourse might be
established, at such times as should be mutually agreeable. In conformity to
this request our British brethren sent the Rev. Richard Reece as a
representative to this General Conference, accompanied by the Rev. John Hannah
and his ministerial companion. As these respected brethren had arrived in the
city of New York in the month of March, they had spent the intervening time in
visiting Boston, Lynn, New Haven, Philadelphia, and other places, where they had
endeared themselves to the people by their Christian and ministerial deportment,
as well as by their evangelical labors in the pulpit, and on the platform at
several of our anniversaries.
On the second day of the conference they were introduced by Bishop McKendree,
when Mr. Reece presented the following address from the Wesleyan Methodist
conference, which was read by the secretary, Dr. Emory:--
"To the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church assembled at
Baltimore, in the United States of America
"Dear Brethren:-- The time has arrived which calls us, in pursuance of a
resolution unanimously passed in the conference of 1820, held in Liverpool, to
commission a deputation from our body, to attend your ensuing General
Conference, to convey to you the sentiments of our fraternal regard and
affectionate attachment, and to reciprocate that kind and friendly office which,
on your part, was performed by the visit of one of your esteemed ministers, the
Rev. John Emory.
"The increased interest in your spiritual welfare which the establishment of
this mode of direct and official communication between the two great bodies of
Methodists has naturally excited in us, and reciprocally, we believe, in you, is
to us the first proof of its beneficial tendency, and a cheering indication of
its future advantages. For why should the ocean entirely sever the branches of
the same family, or distance of place, and distant scenes of labor, wholly
prevent that interchange of the sympathies of a special spiritual relationship
which cannot but be felt by those who, under God, owe their origin to the labors
of the same apostolic man, bear testimony to the same great truths before the
world, and whose efforts to spread the savor of the knowledge of Christ, on our
part, through the British empire, and on yours through the population of those
rising states which have derived their language, their science, and their
Protestantism from the same common source, Almighty God has deigned so
abundantly to bless?
"We received with heart-felt joy the messenger of your churches, the Rev. John
Emory, bearing the grateful news of the progress of the work of God in your
societies, and were refreshed by the expressions of your charity. We now commit
the same charge to the faithful and beloved brethren whom we have appointed to
salute you in the Lord, that nothing may be wanting on our part to strengthen
the bond of brotherly love, and to call forth mutual and united prayers for each
other's welfare, by a mutual knowledge of each other's state.
We are on the point of closing the sittings of the present conference; in which
the perfect harmony of the brethren assembled has afforded matter for the most
devout and grateful acknowledgments to God, both as it is the indication and the
result of that entire affection and unity which exist among our Societies
throughout the united kingdom. Through the mercy of God, we have rest on every
side; the discipline we received from our venerable founder is still enforced
with unabated zeal, and, under a conviction of its agreement with the word of
God, cheerfully observed; the value of those apostolic doctrines which
distinguish us in the old and new world was never, we believe, more powerfully
felt among us, and never were they with greater fidelity exhibited in out public
ministry; and, as a crowning blessing, numbers are yearly added to us and to the
Lord, and the light and influence of the gospel are yearly extending, by the
divine blessing upon the labors of the brethren, into the still dark and
uncultivated parts of our beloved country. 'Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake.'
"You will also, dear brethren, partake of our joy in the success with which it
has pleased God to attend the labors of our brethren in our different foreign
missions.
"The leading particulars of their state and prospects you will have learned from
our Magazine and annual reports, and it will therefore suffice to state, that,
in this department of the work of God committed to our charge, upward of one
hundred and fifty of our preachers are employed; and that the zeal and
liberality with which our people and the friends of religion generally
co-operate with us in this hallowed work, answer to every call, and seem only
roused to greater activity and enlargement as the sad condition of the pagan
world is by new developments displayed before them. In the formation of regular
missionary societies in your Church, to promote the universal establishment of
the kingdom of our adorable Saviour, and 'to make all men see what is the
fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in
God,' we have greatly rejoiced; and in those encouraging dawnings of large
success among the aboriginal tribes of your native continent, which have cheered
the early efforts of those devoted men whom you have ordained to this blessed
service. In addition to the doctrines in which we have been instructed, God has
in his mercy given to us, as Methodists, a discipline adapted in a very special
manner to missionary operations, to build up and establish infant religious
societies among heathen, and to call forth in every place a supply of laborers
for extending the work, and enlarging the cultivated field into the untilled and
neglected wilderness. In the spirit of our great founder under God, who regarded
he whole world as his parish, let the Methodists of Great Britain and America
regard the whole world as the field of their evangelical labors; and, mindful of
this our high vocation, let us enter in at every open door, trusting in God to
dispose the hearts of our people to provide the means necessary to carry our
sacred enterprises into effect; striving together in our prayers, that from us
the word of the Lord may 'sound forth to nations and kingdoms of men, of all
colors and climates, now involved in the ignorance and misery of pagan idolatry,
and sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.'
"More fully to declare unto you our state, and to be witnesses of 'the grace of
God in you,' we have appointed, and hereby do accredit as our representative to
your approaching General Conference, the Rev. Richard Reece, late president of
our conference, and have requested the Rev. John Hannah, one of our respected
junior preachers, to accompany him on this service. 'Beloved in the Lord and
approved in Christ,' we commit them to the grace of God and to your brotherly
affection. We earnestly pray that your approaching assembly may be under the
special guidance and benediction of our common Head, and that all your
deliberations may issue in the lasting union and prosperity of your numerous and
widely extended societies; that you may increase in faith and love; and that
your labors may, year after year, continue to enlarge and establish in the
western world the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 'to whom be
glory in the church throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.'
"Signed in behalf of the conference,
"H. Moore, President.
"Sheffield, August 11, 1823."
After the reading of the address, Mr. Reece delivered the following:--
"Mr. President:-- The paper which has just been read is an expression of the
sentiments avowed by the British conference, and in which I heartily concur; --
sentiments of affectionate concern for the prosperity and advantage of our
brethren on this side of the Atlantic. It afforded us much satisfaction to
receive from you, by your excellent deputy, the Rev. John Emory, an overture to
more frequent intercourse and closer fellowship of brotherly love. Wesleyan
Methodism is one everywhere, one in its doctrines, its discipline, its usages.
We believe it to be the purest, simplest, most efficient form of Christianity
that the world has known since the primitive days. Doubtless it is that which
has had the sanction of Almighty God, in its rapid and extended success, beyond
any other in modern times. It commenced, nearly a century ago, in the mother
country, in one of her universities, with a few young men, 'chosen vessels, meet
for the Master's use.' Then it was the 'cloud little as a human hand;' now it
has sp read widely, and is still spreading, over both hemispheres, while its
fertilizing showers are descending upon Europe, America, Africa, and Asia,
producing fruit wherever they fall -- the fruit of knowledge and holiness.
Methodism is our common property. We are alike interested in its preservation
and diffusion. It is a sacred trust committed to us. It is a heavenly treasure
which we have to dispense for the benefit of man. Its spirit is not sectarian,
but catholic, and embraces Christians of every denomination who hold the
essential truths of the gospel, and 'love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.'
Your brethren in England were never more concerned to preach its distinguishing
doctrines of justification by faith, the direct witness of the Spirit in the
hearts of believers, and salvation from all sin in this life, with simplicity,
fidelity, and zeal, than at present; -- never more concerned to enforce its
discipline with firmness and love, and to 'train up' a people in the 'nurture
and admonition of the Lord;' -- never more careful that it do not deteriorate in
their hands, but that it be transmitted, pure and entire, to 'faithful men' who
shall succeed to their labors: .for which purpose they are anxious in their
instruction and strict in their examination of the rising race of preachers,
that these may be sound in the faith and lovers of our discipline. Many of them
are all we can hope, young men whose 'profiting' has 'appeared unto all,' and to
whom we can commit the deposit without anxiety; believing that they will 'obtain
mercy of the Lord to be faithful.'
"The result of this care and pains to preserve a pure and effective ministry has
been and is seen in the blessing of God upon our labors, in an extension of his
work through every part of our country, where 'great and effectual doors' are
opening into new places, and the Lord is 'adding to his church daily such as are
saved.' The members of our society are also improving in personal holiness and
zeal for good works. They are more ready to concur with us in spreading the
gospel abroad among heathen nations, as well as in tightening the 'cords' of our
discipline at home. On the whole, our prospects were never more bright, nor had
we ever more reason to be encouraged.
"My opportunities of intercourse with you since my arrival in this country,
together with the satisfaction I have had in attending two of your annual
conferences, where I met with many of my American brethren, render this one of
the most interesting periods of my life. I have witnessed the disinterested and
laborious zeal which distinguishes your character and conduct. I have seen the
fruit of your labors in the excellent societies in New York, Boston,
Philadelphia, Winchester, and this city. The doctrines and discipline of
Methodism, when rightly applied, do, under the blessing of God, produce a
Scriptural conversion, and form the genuine Christian character everywhere; and
either at home or abroad, I find that a Methodist, who lives according to his
profession, is a 'fellow-heir' of the same ' grace of life.' My prayer is, in
accordance with the prayers of the body whom I represent, that you may go on and
prosper, until, as the honored instruments of God, you have diffused gospel
light and life through e very part of this vast continent, and every class of
its interesting population, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be
everywhere glorified in his disciples. Amen."
After the delivery of these addresses, and adopting rules for the government of
the deliberations of the conference, the following communication was received
from the bishops, and referred to appropriate committees "To the delegates of
the several annual conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in General
Conference assembled.
"Dear Brethren:-- We have thought it advisable, at the opening of this General
Conference, to communicate to you our? views in relation to some of the subjects
which will properly come before you. Assembled as you are from various parts of
the continent, and having been associated with societies of people not entirely
the same in manners and customs, it cannot rationally be expected that your
views On every subject should be uniformly the same. But, after candidly
considering and discussing such points of interest to the Church as may require
your attention and decision, we trust you will be able to unite in such measures
as shall best serve for the prosperity of our Zion and the glory of God.
"During the last four years we have not been favored with extraordinary revivals
of religion, yet the work of God has gradually advanced, and we have had
constant accessions to the Church, both of ministers and members, as well as an
increase of circuits and districts. On the whole, we are happy to say, that
amidst all our difficulties and obstructions, our prospects are encouraging, and
we are permitted to hope that the great Head of the church will prosper our way
and crown our labors with abundant success.
"Your superintendents have endeavored to do what was in their power toward
supplying the annual conferences with their official services, and have in most
instances succeeded; but, owing to a failure of health in some of them, and to
other uncontrollable circumstances, two cases have occurred in which the
conferences were under the necessity of providing for themselves. And as the
present health of your superintendents is more likely to decline than increase,
while their labor will become every year more extensive, the subjects of
administration, and the propriety of increasing the number of superintendents,
will claim your early attention.
"In the progress of this work new doors have been opened for the spread of the
gospel, the borders of our Zion have been enlarged, and the number of circuits
and districts so increased as to render it necessary that there should be some
altercations in the form of the annual conferences. The way seems to be prepared
for dividing some in order to form new ones, and for making some changes in the
boundaries of others, so as to render them more convenient.
"On the subject of Church government some of our friends have entered into
various speculations, and it seems probable that memorials will be laid before
you both from local preachers and private members. In order to give full
satisfaction, as far as possible, on this point, it may be expedient to appoint
a committee of address, to prepare circulars in answer to such memorials as may
be presented.
"In fixing the boundary lines of the annual conferences, it must not be
forgotten that a part of our charge lies in Canada, beyond the limits of the
United States. The situation of our brethren in that remote part of the country
seems to present to view a subject distinct in itself; and the most judicious
measures to secure their prosperity and welfare will claim the exercise of your
united counsel and wisdom.
"The Book Concern, considered in a moral and pecuniary point of view, is an
important establishment in our Church, and will be, if proper exertions should
be made in the circulation of books, not only a source of relief and support to
our itinerant ministry, but a most effectual medium of conveying light and
knowledge to the thousands among whom we labor, and perhaps to multitudes who do
not attend our preaching. If any improvement can be made in its present plan of
operation, so as to render it more extensively useful than it now is, it is
desirable that it should be done.
"In the course of your deliberations, the local district conference, the
financing system, and the proper instruction and education of children, may
require some attention, as well as several other subjects not necessary now to
mention.
"The importance of supporting the plan of an itinerant ministry, and of
maintaining union among ourselves, cannot have escaped your recollection. They
are subjects involving the vital interests of the Church, and our prayer is,
that the wisdom of the Most High may guide us in such a course as shall be
favorable both to the one and to the other."
Among other things which engaged the attention of this conference, was the
subject of a lay delegation. This came up for consideration by the presentation
of a number of memorials and petitions from local preachers and lay members,
praying for the General Conference to grant them "the right," as they termed it,
of a voice in the legislative department of the Church. The committee to whom
these documents were referred presented the following report, which, after an
able and full discussion, was adopted by the conference: "Resolved, by the
delegates of the several annual conferences in General Conference assembled,
"1. That it is inexpedient to recommend a lay delegation.
"2. Resolved, &c. That the following circular be sent in reply to the
petitioners, memorialists, &c.,
"Beloved Brethren:-- Several memorials have been brought up to the General
Conference, proposing to change the present order of our Church government. By
one or more of these it is proposed 'to admit into the annual conferences a lay
delegate from each circuit and station, and into the General Conference an equal
delegation of ministers and lay members:' or, 'to admit a representation of
local preachers and lay members into the General Conference, to be so
apportioned with the itinerant ministry as to secure an equilibrium of influence
in that body:' or, 'that the General Conference call a convention, to consist of
representatives from each annual conference and an equal number of
representatives chosen by the members of each circuit or station, to form a
constitution which shall be binding upon each member of our Church:' or, 'that a
representation of the local preachers and the membership be introduced into the
General Conference,' either by electing delegates separately, or that the
membership be represented by the local ministry, they being elected by the
united suffrage of the local preachers and lay members.
"To these memorials, as well as to others praying the continuance of our
government in its present form, we have given an attentive hearing in full
conference, and, after much reflection, we reply:--
"We are glad to be assured that there exists but one opinion among all our
brethren respecting the importance of our itinerant ministry, and that they who
desire a change, whether of the form of the General Conference alone, or of the
annual conferences also, are moved to solicit it rather by their zeal to support
the itinerancy than for want of attachment to it. They would relieve the
preachers of the delicacy of fixing the amount of their own salaries; and as in
this matter they could act more independently, so they would also provide more
liberally.
"We respectfully acknowledge the candor of brethren, who, although they intimate
that it is unseemly for the preachers to determine their own salaries, yet do
not pretend that their allowance is excessive, or that they claim a right to
demand it. It is true that the deficiency of quarterage is so general, in such
large proportions, that the conference collections and the dividends from the
Book Concern and chartered fund have never been sufficient to supply it; and,
indeed, the conference stewards usually settle with the preachers at a discount
of from thirty to sixty per cent.
"But we presume that these facts have been generally known; so that whatever
injury may be sustained from the scantiness of our support is attributable, not
to the improvidence of the rule which limits the amount, but to some other
cause; and whatever that cause may be, we at least have no information that the
people refuse to contribute because they are not represented. Indeed, it would
grieve us to know this: for even though they should refuse to acknowledge us as
their representatives in the General Conference, they cannot do less for the
love of Christ than they would oblige themselves to do out of love for
authority.
"We rejoice to know that the proposed change is not contemplated as a remedy for
evils which now exist in some infraction of the rights and privileges of the
people, as defined to them by the form of Discipline; but that it is offered,
either in anticipation of the possible existence of such evils, or else on a
supposition of abstract rights, which, in the opinion of some, should form the
basis of our government.
"The rights and privileges of our brethren, as members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, we hold most sacred. We are unconscious of having infringed
them in any instance, nor would we do so. The limitations and restrictions which
describe the extent of our authority in General Conference, and beyond which we
have never acted, vindicate our sincerity in this assertion. By those
'restrictions' it is put out of the power of the General Conference 'to revoke,
alter, or change our articles of religion;' or to revoke or change the general
rules, or 'to do away the privileges of our members of trial before the society
or by a committee, and of an appeal.' The general rules and the articles of
religion form, to every member of our Church distinctively, a constitution, by
which, as Methodists and as Christians, ye do well to be governed; and we,
assembled together to make rules and regulations for the Church, most cheerfully
acknowledge that the restrictions above mentioned are as solemnly binding upon
us as the general rules are upon both us and you individually.
"These restrictions are to you the guarantee of your 'rights and privileges;'
and while we shall be governed by these, as such, we will also regard them as
the pledge of your confidence in us.
"But if by 'rights and privileges' it is intended to signify something foreign
from the institutions of the Church, as we received them from our fathers,
pardon us if we know no such rights -- if we do not comprehend such privileges.
With our brethren everywhere we rejoice, that the institutions of our happy
country are admirably calculated to secure the best ends of civil government.
With their rights, as citizens of these United States, the Church disclaims all
interference; but, that it should be inferred from these what are your rights as
Methodists, seems to us no less surprising than if your Methodism should be made
the criterion of your rights as citizens.
"We believe the proposed change to be inexpedient:
"1. Because it would create a distinction of interests between the itinerancy
and the membership of the Church.
"2. Because it presupposes that either the authority of the General Conference
'to make rules and regulations' for the Church, or the manner in which this
authority has been exercised, is displeasing to the Church, the reverse of which
we believe to be true.
"3. Because it would involve a tedious procedure, inconvenient in itself, and
calculated to agitate the Church to her injury.
"4. Because it would give to those districts which Ire conveniently situated,
and could therefore secure the attendance of their delegates, an undue influence
in the government of the Church.
"With respect to lesser matters mentioned in the memorials, we respectfully
refer you to the revised copy of the Discipline, forthwith to be published."
The subject of education came before this conference with increased weight, and
its importance was duly appreciated. The views of the conference in relation to
this subject may be seen by the following extract from the report of the
committee to whom it had been referred, and which met with the hearty
concurrence of the conference:--
"In considering this subject, your committee have been happy in believing that
no arguments were necessary to impress this conference with a sense of its
importance. The cultivation of the human mind, with a view to prepare it for the
full exercise of its powers, and thereby to render it capable of answering the
noble purposes of Its creation, may be reckoned among the first and greatest
objects of a civilized community. The nature of this work is such that it
requires an early commencement, and hence, in every enlightened nation, the
education of children has been deemed necessary to the well-being of societies
as well as individuals, and Christian people have held it among their most
sacred duties. In the early establishment of Methodism, in the very beginning of
our religious institutions as a Christian denomination, it was recommended to
our people, made the duty of our ministers, and the fruit of it already realized
sufficiently shows its utility.
"Your committee, nevertheless, are fully impressed with the unpleasant fact,
that this subject, so intimately connected with the vital interests of our
Church, and with the salvation of so many thousands of souls, has been, and is
at this moment, much neglected. While we are happy in believing that in many
duties and labors we have done much more than several other denominations, we
think it must be admitted that in the instruction of children some of them have
exceeded us. And unless effectual measures can be adopted for securing proper
attention to the rising generation under our care, we may anticipate unhappy
consequences. The children of our hearers, and especially those of our Church
members who have received baptism at our hands, may be considered as standing in
a relation to us different from that of children in general, and fully entitled
to all the attention from us which their age and situation require. If properly
taught and educated, they will be prepared to become valuable members of our
societies, and heirs of salvation; but, if neglected, we may expect them to
become vessels of wrath, fitted to destruction.
"On the subject of schools and seminaries of learning, your committee have
obtained all the information their limited time and means would allow, and are
of opinion that in this also we are deficient. In 1820 a resolution passed the
General Conference, recommending that each annual conference should establish a
classical seminary within its own boundaries and under its own regulations.
Three or four seminaries have been established in conformity to this resolution,
some of which are in successful operation, and it is, in the opinion of your
committee, desirable that such an institution should flourish under the
patronage of each annual conference in the Union.
"Our Church contains multitudes of young men, not called to the ministry, who
are qualified to teach, and many of whom would be more useful in such employment
than they can be in any other. If these, as well as some of our local preachers,
were made sensible of the good they might do our Church, even as teachers of
schools, it is believed there would be no difficulty in supplying numerous
schools of our country with teachers who would be in favor of the doctrine and
discipline of our Church.
"In closing these remarks, your committee beg leave to offer, for the
consideration of this conference, the following resolutions, namely
"1. That, as far as practicable, it shall be the duty of every preacher of a
circuit or station to obtain the names of the children belonging to his
congregations, to form them into classes, for the purpose of giving them
religious instruction, to instruct them regularly himself, as much as his other
duties will allow, to appoint a suitable leader for each class, who shall
instruct them in his absence, and to leave his successor a correct account of
each class thus formed, with the name of its leader.
"2. That we approve of the resolution, passed in the General Conference of 1820,
on the subject of seminaries of learning, and hereby recommend that each annual
conference not having a seminary of learning use its utmost exertions to effect
such an establishment.
"3. That it shall be the duty of every traveling preacher in our Church to keep
in mind the importance of having suitable teachers employed in the instruction
of the youth of our country, and to use his influence to introduce teachers into
schools whose learning, piety, and religious tenets are such as we could
recommend."
As it was the constitutional duty of the managers of the Missionary Society of
the Methodist Episcopal Church to report the doings of the society for the four
preceding years, and the state of the funds, a report was presented by the
treasurer, in which it appeared that the whole amount collected for missionary
purposes, from the commencement of the society to that time, was $14,716 24«,
and expended during the same period $11,011 40«, leaving a balance of $3,704
83_. This shows the feeble manner in which the society commenced its operations,
and how long it was, notwithstanding the favorable manner in which it had been
received by the annual conferences, before the people generally came fully into
this great and good work.
The managers conclude their report to the conference in the following words:--
"In thus submitting to the General Conference a concise view of the transactions
of the society, the managers cannot but express their gratitude to God for
permitting them to be the humble instruments of aiding, in the management of the
concerns of this society, in any measure, to extend the empire of truth and
righteousness in our world; at the same time pledging themselves that, while the
conference shall continue its operations for the noble purpose of evangelizing
mankind, and of bringing them under the yoke of Jesus Christ, they will use
their best endeavors to promote the same blessed object, by a faithful discharge
of their duties as managers of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
"New York, April 23, 1824."
This report, together with the entire subject relating to missions, was referred
to a committee, whose report, which was concurred in by the conference, was as
follows:--
"The committee view with pleasure the success attending our missionary exertions
for the last four years; and think that we are loudly called upon to make our
acknowledgments to the God of missions, for the special manner in which it has
pleased him to own our efforts.
"We began feeble, but God has strengthened us. We began fearful, but God has
encouraged and assured us. So limited was our knowledge, and so numerous the
claims upon our benevolence, that we scarcely knew to what particular point to
direct our first attention. God, however, we humbly trust, has given a direction
to our labors which has been highly important and beneficial, not only on
account of immediate effects, but because a great and effectual door has been
opened for the further prosecution of our missionary plans.
"By avoiding that prodigality of expenditure so evidently seen in some, and that
partiality of appropriation so manifest in others, and by observing economy and
prudence in the management of our missionary affairs, we cannot fail, under the
continued blessing of God, to succeed in the great work of evangelizing even the
barbarous nations around us.
"While an eye to economy is had in the appropriation of the funds of the
institution, your committee are of opinion that the missions among our Indians
ought to be prosecuted with increased vigor, laying a proper foundation for
facilitating their future conversion in the education of their children; and
that, for every missionary station, men should be selected as missionaries of
hardy constitutions, of enterprising spirit, able and willing to labor, to
sacrifice all for God and his cause.
"But, in the midst of all these labors abroad, we should not forget that much
remains to be done within the bounds of our respective conferences. While Zion
is lengthening her cords and enlarging her borders, she ought also to strengthen
her stakes, otherwise her enlargements will be her weakness. Let all the
intervening sections of our country not inclosed in our fields of labor be
examined, and, if Providence open the way, be occupied. Let missionaries be
appointed, whose duty it shall be, not to wander over a whole conference, nor to
preach generally, if at all, in old societies made ready to their hands, except
in places where societies are very small; but to fix upon certain places still
in the enemy's hands, and where there is rational ground of success, and then,
by siege or assault, as the case may require, carry, in the name of the Lord,
the strong holds of prejudice and sin. When this is done, let it be taken into a
regular circuit, and the missionary be at liberty to pursue a similar course in
other places. In this way, if we are steady and faithful to our purpose, we
shall be enabled, by the divine blessing, ultimately to establish ourselves in
all the sections of our country, until the power of our doctrines and the purity
of our discipline shall renovate every part.
"Your committee take the liberty further to state, that, in their opinion, an
open and candid statement of the condition of the missions will be profitable,
not only as it will convince the public that we mean to act in good faith, but
because the information so communicated, from time to time, will gladden the
hearts of thousands who have contributed, or may by this means be induced to
contribute, to this benevolent object."
The American Colonization Society presented certain documents to the conference,
which were referred to a committee to consider and report thereon, and the
following was concurred in by the conference: --
"That the General Conference are not in possession of sufficient information
relative to said society to render it proper for them, in their official
capacity, to adopt any measures on the subject, farther than to recommend it"
(that is, the colony at Liberia) "to the notice of the proper authorities of the
Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as a suitable field for
sowing the good seed of the kingdom of God. Under this view of the subject, the
committee recommend the adoption of the following resolution, viz.:--
"That it is expedient, whenever the funds of the Missionary Society will justify
the measure, for the episcopal to select and send a missionary or missionaries
to the colony in Africa now establishing under the auspices of the American
Colonization Society."
It would appear from the above report that the American Colonization Society had
not yet sufficiently developed its character and objects to enable the
conference to act intelligibly and safely in furtherance of its views, or fully
to endorse its measures. Its subsequent history, however, has removed the cause
of those doubts which excited this hesitancy, and the conference has since, by
sundry resolutions, entered heartily into the measure of endeavoring to plant a
colony of American freemen of color, with their own consent, on the western
coast of Africa. These things belong more appropriately to another period of our
history, and will therefore be noticed in their proper place.
Various enactments had been passed, from one General Conference to another, with
a view to regulate the practice of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church, an
evil this which it seemed impossible to control, much less to eradicate from the
ranks of our Israel. From the organization of the Church, in 1784, slavery had
been pronounced an evil, and, as before remarked, a variety of expedients had
been resorted to for the purpose of lessening its deleterious tendencies where
it seemed unavoidably to exist, to meliorate the condition of the slave where
his civil bondage could not be removed, and entirely to prevent our preachers
and people from holding slaves at all in those states and territories which
permitted emancipation. Finding, however, that the evil was beyond the control
of ecclesiastical law, as to its eradication from the Church, and wishing to
render the condition of the slave as comfortable as possible, by holding his
master immediately responsible to the proper tribunals of the Church for the
manner in which he treated his slave, as well as to extend to the colored
members of our Church all the privileges compatible with their civil and
ecclesiastical relations, this General Conference so modified the section in the
Discipline on slavery as to read as follows:--
Quest. What shall be done for the extirpation of the evil of slavery?
"Answer. 1. We declare that we are as much as ever convinced of the great evil
of slavery: therefore no slaveholder shall be eligible to any official station
in our Church hereafter, where the laws of the state in which he lives will
admit of emancipation, and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedom.
"2. When any traveling preacher becomes an owner of a slave or slaves, by any
means, he shall forfeit his ministerial character in our Church unless he
execute, if it be practicable, a legal emancipation of such slaves, conformably
to the laws of the state in which he lives.
"3. All our preachers shall prudently enforce upon our members the necessity of
teaching their slaves to read the word of God, and to allow them time to attend
upon the public worship of God on our regular days of divine service.
"4. Our colored preachers and official members shall have all the privileges
which are usual to others in the district and quarterly conferences, where the
usages of the country do not forbid it. And the presiding elder may hold for
them a separate district conference, where the number of colored local preachers
will justify it.
"5. The annual conferences may employ colored preachers to travel and preach
where their services are judged necessary, provided that no one shall be so
employed without having been recommended according to the form of Discipline."
So it remains, unaltered, to the present time.
The following are the resolutions of the committee on the episcopacy, which were
adopted by the conference:--
"1. That we approve generally of the conduct of the superintendents in the
administration of the government for the last four years; and that their zeal
and exertions to promote the cause of God and the interests of the Church, under
the circumstances in which they have been placed, merit the grateful
acknowledgments of the General Conference and of the whole Church.
"2. That Bishop McKendree be, and hereby is, respectfully requested to continue
to afford what aid he can to the episcopacy, consistently with his age and
infirmities, when and where it may best suit his own convenience; and that the
provisions of the last General Conference for meeting his contingent expenses be
continued.
"3. That the episcopacy be strengthened by the election and ordination of two
additional bishops at the present session of the General Conference.
"4. That it is highly expedient for the general superintendents, at every
session of the General Conference, and as far as to them may appear practicable
in the intervals of the sessions, annually to meet in council, to form their
plan of traveling through their charge, whether in a circuit after each other,
or dividing the connection into several episcopal departments, as to them may
appear proper, and most conducive to the general good, and the better to enable
them fully to perform the great work of their administration in the general
superintendency, and to exchange and unite their views upon all affairs
connected with the general interests of the Church.
"5. That the book agents and book committee in New York shall be a committee to
estimate the amount necessary to meet the family expenses of the bishops, which
shall be annually paid by the book agents out of the funds of the Book Concern,
and that the above resolution be incorporated in the Discipline."
In accordance with the third resolution in the above report, the conference
proceeded, on the twenty-sixth day of its session, to ballot for two additional
bishops. There were one hundred and twenty-eight voters present, and on counting
the votes for the first time it appeared that no one had a majority. On the
second balloting the Rev. Joshua Soule had sixty-five, and on the third the Rev.
Elijah Hedding sixty-six, out of one hundred and twenty-eight votes. They were
accordingly declared duly elected, and having signified their acceptance of the
office, they were, after an ordination sermon by Bishop McKendree, at 12 o'clock
on the 27th, consecrated by prayer and imposition of hands, Bishop McKendree
acting as the officiating minister.
The conference passed a resolution authorizing the bishops to appoint a delegate
to visit the Wesleyan Methodist conference at its session in July of 1826. This,
however, was not carried into execution, in consequence of which we had no
representative from England at our conference in 1828.
The affairs of Canada once more engaged the attention of the conference, but
without coming to any conclusion satisfactory to the Canada brethren. A petition
was presented from a portion of the preachers in the upper province, to be set
off as an independent conference, with the privilege of electing a bishop to
reside among them and superintend their affairs. The following resolutions
contain the result of the deliberations upon this subject:--
"1. That there shall be a Canada conference under our superintendency, bounded
by the boundary lines of Upper Canada.
"2. That a circular shall be addressed to our preachers and members included
within the bounds of the Canada conference, expressive of our zeal for their
prosperity, and urging the importance of their maintaining union among
themselves.
"3. That a respectful representation be made to the British conference of those
points in the late agreement between the two connections which have not, on the
part of their missionaries, been fulfilled."
As before said, these measures were by no means satisfactory to those in Upper
Canada who were desirous of having a separate and independent church
organization in that province. Accordingly, on the return of the delegates who
had attended the General Conference, a spirit of dissatisfaction was widely
diffused, *[19] the local preachers were convened, a conference organized, and a
declaration of their grievances, rights, and future mode of operations published
and circulated. All this took place before the Canada annual conference
assembled. On the assembling of the conference, however, in Hallowell, Bishops
George and Hedding being present, mutual explanations made, and pledges given by
the bishops to sanction measures for a separate organization in Canada
hereafter, peace was measurably restored, and all things went on as heretofore.
The constitutional term of the Rev. Thomas Mason, as assistant book agent,
having expired, the Rev. John Emory, D. D., was elected to fill the vacancy, and
Nathan Bangs was reelected as the principal.
It was manifest to all that the increased duties of the preachers, in
consequence of the introduction of sabbath schools, the organization of the
Missionary and Tract Societies, and the increase of members in the larger towns
and villages, rendered it expedient, that every part of the work might be duly
and seasonably performed, that the circuits should be shortened, and that each
thriving village should be privileged with preaching every sabbath, otherwise it
was impossible to establish a permanent congregation, more especially in those
places where other denominations had established congregations and a resident
ministry. It had been long evident to many of our ministers and people, that,
for the want of having a preacher stationed in all important places, we had lost
much of the fruits of our labor, and must, unless an adequate remedy were
provided, continue feeble, if not retrograde from the standing we had already
attained. This subject, it seems, presented itself before the committee on the
itinerancy, together with others which relate to the duties of the pastoral
office; and the following resolutions, concurred in by the conference, will show
the views which were entertained in reference to these matters:--
"1. That the superintending preachers be instructed so to lay out their work
that there may be sufficient time allowed each preacher for the faithful and
extensive discharge of all his pastoral duties, in promoting family religion and
instructing the children.
"2. That all our preachers observe that order of public worship pointed out in
the twenty-third section of our form of Discipline; and that in the
administration of the ordinances, and in the service for the burial of the dead,
they invariably use the form in the Discipline; and in dismissing the
congregation, the apostolic benediction; that they also attend uniformly to the
order prescribed in chapter i, section 24, in regard to singing the praises of
God in our congregations.
"3. That the Lord's prayer be used upon all occasions of public worship, at the
close of the first prayer, and that it be strongly recommended to all our people
to introduce it into their private and family devotions.
"4. That the preachers be particularly examined on these several subjects at
each annual conference."
There were no less than five new conferences created this year, making seventeen
in all.
Before the conference adjourned, which it did on Friday, May 29th, to meet in
the city of Pittsburgh, May 1, 1828, the following address to the Wesleyan
Methodist conference was adopted
"Dear Fathers and Brethren:-- In reciprocating the kind and affectionate
sentiments contained in your communication to us, sent by the hands of those
whom you had chosen to be the messengers of the churches, we feel an
indescribable pleasure. Many are the associations that press upon us, and the
emotions that affect us, in this pleasant interchange of affectionate regards.
We look to England as the. birthplace of that man, who, under the guidance of
Heaven, was the founder of a great and flourishing church. It was there that the
infant societies were nourished, and it was thence that the word of God was sent
forth, even unto us. After we had flourished for some time under your fostering
care, a mysterious chain of providences led to a separation of our societies in
this country from the mother Church. But the scion that was planted here has
been watered and blessed of God; and though probably still inferior in solidity
and strength, yet in the number and extent of its branches, and the abundance of
its fruits, it vies with the parent stock. In this we rejoice, and are grateful
to the great Head of the church, to whom alone the praise belongs. But it
greatly increase our joy to know that our British brethren rejoice with us, and
that the parent Church, with which we hope ever to be identified by the same
holy doctrines and the same salutary discipline, is still flourishing,
increasing, and abounding in every good work.
"For this our increase of consolation we have been greatly indebted to our
justly esteemed brother and father in the Church the Rev. Richard Reece, and to
his associated companion, the Rev. John Hannah, whom you have sent to declare
your state unto us, and the interest you feel in our prosperity. We received
them as your messengers, and as brethren beloved. Their presence with us has
drawn the cords of brotherly love still closer, has seemed to introduce you more
immediately before us; and in all our intercourse with them, both social and
public, we have been made to feel, more sensibly than ever, that in doctrine and
discipline, in experience and practice, and in the great object of evangelizing
the world, the British and American Methodists are ONE. And we devoutly pray
that they may ever so remain.
"We are, with you, dear brethren, endeavoring to maintain the purity of our
doctrines, and are not conscious that we have suffered them in any instance to
be changed or adulterated in our hands. As they are the doctrines which have
proved to so many, both in Europe and America, the power of God unto salvation,
we deem them to be the gospel of God our Saviour; and while he owns them we have
never give them up. With you, too, we prize and practically vindicate the
general rules of our Church, and the pristine institutions and usages of
Methodism. We are also following you, though at an humble distance, in your
missionary exertions. But such is the extent, and increasing extent, of our work
here, that we cannot find means or men for foreign missions. The increase of our
population is perhaps unparalleled, and it is widely scattered over an extensive
continent. To keep pace with it, under such circumstances, requires much labor
and much privation. In addition to this, the Lord, as you have heard, has opened
for us a great and effectual door among the aborigines of our country. These we
dare not neglect. They are our neighbors, and we must minister unto them; they
have been injured, and we must make them reparation; they are savages, and must
be civilized; heathen, and must be converted. All this shall be done if God
permit. We have the work much at heart, and hope and pray for success. In
addition to this, we have entailed upon us, in several of our states, a degraded
and enslaved population, whose situation is making, if possible, a still
stronger claim upon our Christian philanthropy. And, finally, the way seems to
be opening for missionary exertions in Mexico and South America.
"With these fields of labor in the midst of us and round about us, you cannot
expect us to join you in the great and good work in which you are engaged in the
East. Still we hope the tune is not far distant when we shall join hands on the
Asiatic shores of the Pacific Ocean. We are constantly advancing in our labors
toward the West, and you are extending in the East, not only on the continent,
but over the islands of the sea. Is it chimerical then to suppose, that at some
future day we shall have encompassed this earth, and girded it round with
glorious bands of gospel truth? O no; faith says it shall be done. And this
faith is not without works; certainly not on your part, for we hear from you
that you are laboring assiduously in this great cause, imitating the illustrious
example of enterprise and diligence which so eminently marked the great founder
of Methodism. You aim at great things, and you accomplish them, We admire the
exertions of your ministers, and the liberality of your people. In our labors as
ministers we hope we are not far behind you; but, as a people, we do not yet
equal you in active Christian benevolence. In this respect, however, we are
improving. Our people are becoming more alive to the importance of greater and
more systematic exertions in the cause of the Church. And while we are enlarging
our work, and multiplying our numbers, we trust we have not forgotten that the
great design of Methodism, the ultimate end of all its institutions, is to raise
up and preserve, in the midst of a sinful world, a holy people. Without this,
numbers and influence are nothing. We deprecate more than any thing else that
ecclesiastical pride which builds itself up upon the numbers and popularity of
the church, while that church is sinking in the spirit and tone of its divine
life. From such a state of things, we on both sides of the water are doubtless
united in saying, Lord, preserve us; make us holy, and make us instrumental in
spreading holiness throughout the earth.
"We congratulate you, dear fathers and brethren, on the general prosperity that
attends you, both in your labors at home and in your missions abroad; but
especially on account of the perfect harmony which you inform us prevails among
you; and we pray that it may ever continue. Of ourselves, though we are not able
to say quite as much, yet in our present General Conference, which is now nearly
closing, amidst some differences of opinion concerning the modes of
administration, we find that we harmonize in the essential principles of
Methodism. From this we are encouraged to hope, as intimated in his parting
advice to us by your esteemed messenger, the Rev. Mr. Reece, that our minor
differences of opinion on other subjects will soon be swallowed up in our
attachment to the common cause. You too, in former days, have had your
difficulties; but those days have passed by, and peace and union now cheer you
with their benignant rays. And we are hoping that, before we shall have arrived
at your age and maturity as a church, we shall overcome any little difficulties
that may now attend us.
"Brethren, pray for us. And may the God of peace dwell with us, and dwell with
you. Finally, may this great army of the faithful, who in two grand divisions
are now carrying on the warfare in both hemispheres, so acquit themselves in the
church militant below, as ultimately to unite with the church triumphant on
high, where no ocean shall roll between, and no reciprocal messengers of love
shall be needed to recount their victories and triumphs.
"We are, dear fathers and brethren, yours in the bonds of
ministerial labor and Christian love.
"Signed in behalf of the conference,
"Enoch George, President.
"Baltimore, May, 1824."
"NOTE. -- In the address sent to England a few verbal alterations were made,
which should have been inserted in this, but were inadvertently omitted. This,
however, is substantially the same with the one sent."
N. B. The above address was written by the Rev. Wilbur Fisk.
* * * * * * *
PART 25
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 8
(From The Year 1816 To The Year 1828)
From the Close of the General Conference of 1824 to the Commencement of that of
1828
1824
Having, in the preceding chapter, detailed the doings of the General Conference
at its last session, we will now proceed to notice the movements of the Church
in her various departments of labor for the year 1824.
This year the Rev. Charles Elliot was appointed as an assistant to Mr. Finley on
the Wyandot mission. Through their united labors the work of God spread both
among the adults and the children of the school.
The mission was visited this year by Bishops McKendree and Soule, who made a
thorough examination of the premises, the state of the Mission-church, and
school; and the report of their interview with the converted chiefs gave a most
gratifying view of the general aspect of things.
Through the influence of these labors, and that of the missionaries who had the
immediate charge of the establishment, the number of Church members had
increased this year to one hundred and sixty, and the school, now under the care
of William Walker, the subagent, a man fully competent to his work, was in a
prosperous condition. The farm also was improving, and yielding a partial supply
for the consumption of the mission family. And what contributed mightily to the
prosperity and stability of the work, while it gave irrefutable evidence of its
depth and genuineness, spirituous liquors were, by a solemn decree, banished
from the nation. Benevolent individuals, excited by reading the good news of
this great work, as well as auxiliary missionary societies, poured forth their
stores to aid the cause of Indian missions.
The mission among the Mohawks, in Upper Canada, was equally prosperous. The
particulars, however, relating to this and other missions in that province, will
come more properly under subsequent dates.
Since the commencement of the Missionary Society, most of the new ground which
was brought under cultivation was through the medium of missionaries, as well in
the older parts of the country as in the new settlements in the west and
southwest, though in most instances but a partial support was received from the
society.
This year the Rev. George Pickering was sent to form a new circuit in
Newburyport and Gloucester, in Massachusetts, a region of country hitherto
inaccessible to Methodist preachers, except flow and then to a transient
visitor. His labors were accompanied with an outpouring of the divine Spirit,
and about one hundred souls were brought to Christ in the course of the year;
and thus a foundation was laid for continued preaching, the people soon
contributing to their own support.
The Rev. John Lindsey was appointed as a missionary to South Hadley and
Sunderland, Massachusetts, where he labored with such success that the following
year the mission was taken into the regular work.
Piscataquis, in Maine, was occupied as missionary ground by the Rev. Oliver
Beale, and at the end of the second year it was included in the regular work,
with a membership of eighty souls as the fruit of his labors.
The work of God in the various domestic missions mentioned under date of last
year was in delightful progress, and was extending in various directions among
the new and destitute settlements. Nor were the older parts of our work without
the reviving influences of the Spirit of God. In various parts of Delaware
state, in New Jersey, the Susquehannah and Ontario districts, in the bounds of
the Genesee conference, the New Haven and Rhinebeck districts, New York
conference, there were encouraging revivals of the work of God, begun generally
through the agency of camp meetings, and then carried forward by a faithful
attention to the means of grace in the circuits and stations.
In Telfair county, in the state of Georgia, where religion had been at a low ebb
for several years, the work of God commenced at a camp meeting held near the
fork of the Oconee and Oakmulgee rivers, and thence spread in various directions
through the adjacent neighborhoods. The presiding elder, the Rev. John J.
Triggs, relates the following anecdote respecting a Baptist preacher who
attended the meeting and participated in its exercises:-- "In the midst of the
work he arose on the stand, and declared to the congregation that he had no
doubt but this was the work of God; and warned the people, especially professors
of other denominations, of the dangerous consequences of opposing God's work and
of fighting against him. He then told them that he felt as solemn as death, and,
lifting up his eyes and hands toward heaven, prayed God to send holy fire among
the people. An awful solemnity rested on the assembly, and the power of the
Highest overshadowed them. Some fell to the ground, and others cried aloud for
mercy." The meeting resulted in the conversion of thirty-four, and a number
returned to their homes under deep conviction for sin, resolved on a reformation
of heart and life.
The cause of education was daily advancing from one annual conference to
another, and exerting an enlightening influence both on the young and the old.
This year an academy was established in Cazenovia, in the bounds of the Genesee
conference, a portion of our country fast increasing in population, wealth, and
civil and religious enterprise. It was incorporated by the state legislature,
and opened its doors for the education of youth of both sexes; and such has been
its prosperity, that it has continued, enlarging its dimensions and extending
the sphere of its influence, from that day to this, much to the credit of its
founders and patrons, and greatly to the advantage of the rising generation.
This, as well as the others which have been named, was brought strictly under a
religious influence, so that the principles of Christianity might be embodied in
the heart, as far as practicable, simultaneously with the growth of literature
and science. And the pious objects of its patrons have been in a good degree
realized in the conversion, from time to time, of quite a number of the
students.
In proportion to the increase of preachers the number of locations was
diminished, there being this year only forty-eight; whereas, as might be
expected, the number of supernumeraries and superannuated was gradually
increasing in nearly all the annual conferences, there being this year of the
former forty-three, and of the latter sixty-seven. Three had been expelled and
nine had died during the past year. These last were, Charles Trescott, David
Gray, John Wallace, Joseph Kinkaid, Peyton Anderson, Enoch Johnson, Richard
McAllister, Mordecai Barry, Louis R. Fetchtig, and James Akins. It is no slight
evidence of the truth and excellence of the gospel, that it enables its
advocates to die in the full possession of its promised blessings. Of the
above-mentioned brethren it is recorded that, having discharged their Christian
and ministerial duties with fidelity, they all made a peaceful and triumphant
exit from time to eternity, thus sealing the truths they had preached to others
with their own lips in that most trying hour.
Of Peyton Anderson, particularly, excellent things are said. He was born
February 9th, 1795, in Chesterfield county, Virginia. Favored with the
advantages of a good education in his youth, and being brought under the
influence of gospel truth, at an early age he was made a partaker of pardoning
mercy by faith in Jesus Christ. In his nineteenth year he commenced the work of
an itinerant minister, and gave early indications of those talents as a
preacher, and of that zeal in the cause of God, which afterward distinguished
him in his short career of usefulness. In his public exercises, as well as in
his private intercourse, he was remarkable for the seriousness of his manner,
arising, no doubt, from the sincerity of his heart, and his deep devotion to the
cause of God.
He had a discriminating mind, and could therefore easily distinguish between
truth and error, and nicely balance the relative claims of the several objects
which were lawful for mankind to pursue. And his deep solemnity in the pulpit,
his ready command of appropriate language, the fervor of his spirit, and evident
sincerity of purpose, gave an impressiveness to all his discourses, which
fastened the truths he uttered upon the hearts of his hearers. Though
comparatively young in Christian experience and in the ministry of the word, yet
he had learned much in the school of Christ, having passed through some severe
struggles of mind, and wrestled in the strength of mighty faith and prayer
against the violence of temptation, in which he was "more than a conqueror
through Him who had loved him." He was therefore able to administer spiritual
consolation to those who were in trouble, and to admonish such of their danger
who were "wrestling against principalities and powers," as well as to point them
to the only source whence their help was to be derived.
Having drunk deeply at the fountain of divine love, his heart expanded with
benevolent feelings toward mankind generally, for whose salvation he longed and
labored with all diligence. Hence the Missionary Society found in him a warm
friend and zealous advocate, and he was instrumental in promoting its noble
objects by the formation of branch societies, and by stirring up a spirit of
liberality among the people of his charge. And what rendered his precepts more
weighty and influential, they were constantly enforced by his own example, both
as respects the piety of his heart, the uniformity of his life, and the burning
charity with which he exemplified the living principle of his faith.
In his last sickness and death the graces of Christianity shone out with luster,
and eclipsed in his view all the fading glories of this world. While his friends
were standing around his dying bed, and watching with anxious hearts the issue
of his conflict, and beheld the fitful ebbings and flowings of animal life, he
said to them, in the language of faith and hope, "Farewell, brethren. When we
meet again it will be in heaven." He thus ended his mortal career August 27,
1823, in the twenty-ninth year of his age, and tenth of his public ministry.
Thus a bright light in the church militant became extinguished ere it had
attained its meridian splendor. Mysterious are the ways of Providence! Had our
brother Anderson lived to the common age of man, and gone on improving as he had
begun, under the smiles of his heavenly Father, he doubtless would have risen to
eminence in the church of God, and been a great blessing to his fellow-men. But
He who "sees the end from the beginning," and whose "thoughts are not as our
thoughts," in thus fulfilling the original decree denounced upon fallen man, in
calling his servant to his eternal reward in early life, manifested his
sovereign right over the work of his hands, and challenged the pious submission
of his people to the wisdom and goodness of his dispensations.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 280,427; Last Year: 267,618; Increase:
12,809 -- Colored This Year: 48,096; Last Year: 44,922; Increase: 3,174 -- Total
This Year: 328,523; Last Year: 312,540 -- Increase: 15,983 -- Preachers This
Year: 1,272; Last Year: 1,226; Increase: 46.
1825
A work of grace commenced this year among the Mississauga Indians in Upper
Canada. These were among the most degraded of all the Indian tribes in that
country. From their habits of intercourse among the depraved whites, they had
bartered away their land for intoxicating liquor, had debased themselves by
intemperance, and were consequently lazy, idle, poor, and filthy to a most
disgusting degree. They seemed, indeed, to be abandoned to a most cruel fate.
Among others who had embraced the Lord Jesus during the work among the Mohawks
was Peter Jones, a half-breed, his mother being a Mississauga and his father an
Englishman. Mr. Jones, Peter's father, had been the king's surveyor, and his
occupation leading him much among the Indians, during the days of his vanity he
formed an intimacy with two Indian women, the one a Mohawk princess and the
other a Mississauga woman. About the year 1801, Mr. Jones, under the Methodist
ministry, was awakened and converted to God. He then felt it his duty to
repudiate one of his women, and he separated himself from the mother of Peter,
the Mississauga, and married the other, who also embraced religion, and became a
pious member of the Church. Peter followed his mother into the woods, and
remained with his tribe until he was about twelve years of age, when his father
brought him from the wilderness and sent him to an English school. While here,
through the preaching of the gospel, he also was brought from darkness to light;
and, understanding both languages, he was at first employed as an interpreter,
and finally became eminently useful as a minister of the Lord Jesus.
Feeling, after his conversion, for the salvation of his wretched tribe, he
hasted away to them, and told them what great things God had done for his soul.
This had a powerful effect upon their minds, and led them to attend the meetings
on the Grand river.
A relative of Peter Jones, one of their chiefs, while attending these meetings,
was led to the Lord Jesus for salvation, and his family soon followed his steps.
Others followed their example, and, through the pious exertions of this
converted chief and Peter Jones, a reformation was effected this year among
these degraded Mississaugas, of such a character, so thorough and genuine, that
all who beheld it were astonished, and could not but acknowledge the hand of
God. They abandoned the use of intoxicating liquor, forsook their heathenish and
immoral practices, were baptized and received into the communion of the Church,
and demonstrated, by their subsequent conduct, that the work was indeed the work
of God. A white man, who had made his house the resort for drunken whites and
Indians, seeing the visible change in the temper and conduct of these Indians,
could but acknowledge the finger of God, was struck under conviction, became a
sincere convert, banished from his house his drunken companions, became sober
and industrious, and devoted both himself and his house to the service of God.
The whole number converted at this time was fifty-four, seven of whom were
whites.
About the same time that this good work was going on so gloriously among the
Mississaugas, a similar work commenced among a branch of the Delawares and
Chippeways, who were settled at Muncytown, on the river Thames. This work began
through the instrumentality of a Mohawk by the name of Jacob, who had raised
himself to respectability among them by his sober and industrious habits. Until
he heard the truths of the gospel he thought himself a very good and happy man,
and was so considered by his brethren; but when the light of divine truth shone
upon his mind he saw himself a sinner against God, his fancied goodness and
happiness fled, and he rested not until he found peace with God through faith in
the Lord Jesus. No sooner did this great change take place in Jacob's heart than
he went among his brethren, who were wallowing in the mire of iniquity and
heathenish practices, addressing them from one cabin to another, warning them,
in the most affectionate manner, of the danger to which they were exposed, and
beseeching them to be reconciled to God. "The Great Spirit," said he, in
imperfect English, "is angry. You must die. Now consider where the wicked man
must go. We must be born new men. Our heart new. His Spirit make us new heart.
Then, O! much peace, much joy."
Another among the first converts was an Indian of a very different character,
and therefore the change was the more apparent and convincing. He was so given
up to intoxication that he would barter any thing he had for vile whisky. At one
time he offered his bullock for whisky, and, because his neighbors would not
purchase it, in a violent rage he attempted to destroy the creature. At another
time, having sold his clothes from his back for whisky, he stole from his wife
the seed corn she had carefully preserved for planting, and offered it for the
"fire waters," but was prevented from thus robbing his wife of the means of
future subsistence by one of our friends, who purchased it and returned it to
the squaw, upon whose labor in the field the family chiefly depended for bread.
But even this man, vile as he was, who, in his drunken fits, was one of the most
quarrelsome wretches that could haunt a human habitation, became reformed by the
power of the gospel. That his reformation was thorough, was evidenced by the
soberness, piety, and industriousness of his subsequent life. The conversion of
two such men had a most powerful effect upon the whole tribe. Many of them
embraced the gospel, and a school was soon established for the education of
their children and youth.
The labors of Peter Jones were highly useful in conducting these missions. He
interpreted for the missionaries, and often addressed his Indian brethren, from
the fulness of his own heart, with great effect. Many were the objections which
the pagan Indians raised against the gospel, some of them founded in truth, and
some from false representations circulated among them by the enemies of
Christianity. These objections were obviated by distinguishing between real and
nominal Christians, and by showing that the latter disgraced themselves by
abusing the holy doctrines and high privileges to which they were called, and in
which they professed to believe. It was, indeed, painful to be obliged to
concede the fact, that hitherto the Indians had been imposed upon by the
cupidity of white men, under the garb of Christianity; but this conduct was
disclaimed and condemned by the missionaries, and the example of those who now
came among them, and of the new converts, was presented as an ample refutation
of all the slanderous representations of their adversaries. This silenced the
clamor, and gave confidence to the friends of the cause.
Several attempts had been made, but with little success hitherto, to establish
Methodism in the city of New Orleans, a place which needed the reforming
influence of the gospel as much, perhaps, as any on the continent.
This city, which is now equal in importance, in a commercial point of view, to
any in the United States, was first settled by the French, toward the close of
the seventeenth Century, and the Roman Catholic religion was incorporated with
its civil regulations. The progress of the settlement, like all the others in
that region of country, for a number of years was extremely slow, owing to a
variety of causes, but chiefly to the wars between France and Spain, to the
unhealthiness of the climate, and the want of industry and enterprise among the
original settlers. In 1763, that part of Louisiana west of the Mississippi and
Pearl rivers, of which New Orleans was the capital, was ceded to Spain, and so
remained until 1801, when it passed into the hands of the French republic, from
whom it was transferred, in 1804, by purchase, to the United States. At this
time the population, chiefly French Roman Catholics, numbered about twelve
thousand; but from that period the increase of its citizens was much more rapid,
by emigrants from various parts of the Union, so that, at the time of which we
now speak, there were probably not less than forty thousand. These
Anglo-Americans, mingling with the Creoles of the country, gradually introduced
their habits and modes of living, as well as their religious tenets.
But though New Orleans was thus early settled, and possessed so many local
advantages for commerce, as before said, its progress was slow, and the
population were encumbered with all those embarrassments arising out of the
peculiarities of the Roman Catholic religion. In 1815, three years after the
memorable victory of the American army under General Jackson, the City contained
about thirty-six thousand inhabitants, most of whom were descendants of the
French and Spaniards. And until about the year 1820, when a Presbyterian church
was erected, there was no place of worship besides the two Roman Catholic
churches. It is said, indeed, that the sabbath was generally desecrated by
profane sports and plays, the principles of morality exceedingly relaxed, pure
religion little understood, and its precepts less exemplified in practical life.
Among others who were lured to New Orleans for the purposes of traffic from the
other states were some members of our Church, who spent the winter months in the
city, but, on account of the insalubrity of the climate, retreated to their
former places of abode during the heat of summer. These, however, beholding the
degraded state of society, and feeling the deleterious influence of such a
general inattention to religion, called upon the authorities of the Church for
help. Accordingly, in the year 1819, the Rev. Mark Moore was sent to New
Orleans, and he preached, under many discouraging circumstances, to a few in a
room which was hired for that purpose, and some ineffectual efforts were made to
build a church. In 1820 the Rev. John Manifee was sent as a missionary to New
Orleans, and in the same year the place was visited by the Rev. Ebenezer Brown,
who, being disappointed in his attempts to gain access to the French population
in Louisiana, assisted Mr. Manifee in preaching to an English congregation in t
he city. From this time until 1824 New Orleans seems to have been forsaken by
the Methodist preachers thinking probably that it was useless to spend their
strength to so little purpose, for I find no returns of any members of the
Church until the year 1825. In 1824 the Rev. Daniel Hall stands as a missionary
for New Orleans, but the prospect was yet but gloomy.
This year, 1825, the Mississippi district was placed in charge of the Rev.
William Winans, whose eminent talents as a preacher, and indefatigable labors as
a presiding elder in that part of the country, gave a more vigorous impulse to
the work of God; and New Orleans was blessed with the labors of the Rev.
Benjamin Drake, who was instrumental in reviving the hopes of the few pious
souls who prayed and sighed for the salvation of Israel in that place; for we
find that in 1826 there were returned on the Minutes of conference eighty-three
members, twenty-three whites and sixty colored. But still the work of God went
on slowly, the preachers having to contend with a host of opposition from
without and feebleness within the Church, with the unhealthiness of the climate,
and the want of suitable accommodations for holding their meetings. The next
year, however, the society had increased to one hundred in all. From this time
the work has steadily advanced, and they have finally succeeded, by struggling
hard with difficulties of various sorts, in erecting a large and elegant house
of worship, so that in 1835 they numbered six hundred and twenty-five members,
five hundred and seventy of whom were Colored, chiefly, I believe, slaves.
Mobile and Pensacola, about fifty miles apart, the former in Alabama and the
latter in Florida, were supplied last year and this with the preaching of the
gospel. Under the patronage of the Missionary Society, the Rev. Henry P. Cook
was sent to these places. His deep piety and faithful exertions in the cause of
Christ soon gave him a commanding and salutary influence among the people of his
charge.
Since Mobile has been connected with the United States, by the cession of
Louisiana, it has filled up rapidly with inhabitants, has become an incorporated
City, a port of entry, and a place of considerable trade; but, like most of the
towns included in that tract of country, the people generally were quite
neglectful of their spiritual and eternal interests until visited by the
Methodist itinerants. Mr. Cook, however, was cordially received by a few, and he
succeeded in raising a flourishing society, adopted measures for building a
house of worship, which was finally completed, and the society has continued to
flourish to the present time. Nor will the name of Henry P. Cook be soon
forgotten by the inhabitants of Mobile. He fell a martyr to his work in that
place this year, leaving behind him the savor of a good name, and numerous
evidences of his deep devotion to his work, and of his love to the souls of men.
Pensacola was also becoming a town of considerable importance in that part of
Florida, and Mr. Cook was instrumental in raising a small society in that place,
which, however, has fluctuated from time to time, struggling with various
difficulties, until, in the year 1828, they succeeded in building a
meeting-house, in which they assembled for the worship of God.
While attending to these two places, as the principal scene of his labors, in
passing from one to the other, Mr. Cook preached to some scattered inhabitants
along the Escambia river, in West Florida, which was afterward occupied as a
separate mission field.
Tallahassee, in another part of Florida, was also provided with the means of
grace this year. The Rev. John Slade was sent to this region of country as a
missionary, and he succeeded in forming a society of seventy-three members,
sixty whites and thirteen colored.
The Early mission, in a neighboring region of country, was so successfully
cultivated by the Rev. Morgan C. Turrentine, who was sent to form the circuit,
that he returned no less than one hundred and thirty-six members, eighteen of
whom were people of color. This year was the commencement of a work which has
continued to spread in that part of Florida until several circuits have been
formed, on which are large and flourishing societies. Such were the blessed
results of the missionary spirit pervading our ranks at that time, and which has
continued to rise and diffuse its hallowing influences in every direction among
the people.
In addition to those missions which included the more remote settlements in the
exterior parts of our work, it was found, on examination, that there were many
places in the older countries which had been overlooked by all denominations,
being too remote from the center of population for the people to attend the
stated places of worship. Such were the Highland and Hampshire missions, in the
bounds of the New York conference; the former embracing a destitute population
in the midst of the Highlands, a mountainous and rather poor region of country,
about sixty miles north of the city of New York; the latter a district of
country in the northwestern part of Massachusetts. The Rev. John J. Matthias was
this year appointed to labor in the Highlands, and such was the success of his
zealous efforts, that at the end of the first year he returned one hundred and
thirty-four Church members, and at the termination of the second the people
manifested a willingness and an ability to support themselves. It has
accordingly since been included among the regular circuits.
The Rev. Parmele Chamberlin was sent to the Hampshire mission. This was found a
more difficult place to plant the tree of Methodism. Success, however, finally
crowned the persevering efforts of God's servant, so that, at the end of four
years, this was also taken into the regular work.
While the work was thus extending itself in new places, and causing "the
wilderness and solitary places to be glad for" the coming of these heralds of
salvation, the older circuits and stations were blessed with the reviving
influences of God's Spirit. Indeed, it was the vigorous action in the heart of
the body which gave such a lively pulsation to the extremities. And what
contributed not a little to diffuse this healthy action throughout the entire
body was the publication of the Methodist Magazine, now arrived to the eighth
volume, and which conveyed in its monthly numbers the news of what God was doing
for the various tribes of men. Many testimonies to the salutary influence of
this periodical on the interests of religion might be adduced from those
preachers and others who were the most actively engaged in building up the walls
of Zion. From the pages of the volume for this year, it appears evident that God
was pouring out his Spirit on various parts of his vineyard, watering and
reviving the souls of his people, and converting sinners from the error of their
ways.
A glorious work of God commenced in the latter part of last year in Chillicothe,
Ohio, which resulted in an addition to the Church in that place, by the month of
February of this year, of two hundred and twenty-eight members. From the time of
the revival in this town in 1818 and 1819, there had been a diminution in their
number, owing chiefly to removals still farther west; but this gracious work not
only made up their loss, but also added new strength to the society, and
increased their numbers very considerably.
Through the means of camp and quarterly meetings there was a great work of God
on the Ontario district, then under the charge of the Rev. George Lane. This
good work spread through all that region of country, so that the increase of
members on that district for this year was upward of one thousand.
The Genesee district was also visited with showers of divine grace, and most of
the circuits shared in their refreshing influences.
In Bridgetown, New Jersey, where religion had been languishing for some time, a
gracious work of God commenced, which resulted in the conversion of about one
hundred souls, most of whom became members of the Church.
In Newark, New Jersey also, there was a manifest display of the grace of God in
the awakening and conversion of souls, under the labors of the Rev. William
Thacher. It began by urging upon believers the necessity of "going on unto
perfection," or the seeking after holiness of heart and life; and no sooner did
they feel the enlivening influences of the Holy Spirit in their own souls, than
the work spread among the unawakened part of the community, and very soon fifty
souls were added to the Church, and great seriousness rested on the congregation
generally.
On Coeyman's circuit, New York state, there was a general revival of the work of
God. This also commenced among the professors of religion, who were induced to
seek after "perfect love" as the privilege of believers in this life. Having
their own souls baptized from on high, they were fired with a loving zeal for
the salvation of their neighbors; and the consequence was, that one hundred and
seventy were brought to the knowledge of the truth and added to the Church.
In the city of Albany, where Methodism had struggled with many difficulties for
a long time, God poured out his Spirit, and about fifty souls were brought into
the fellowship of the Church.
On the Champlain district, then under the charge of the Rev. Buel Goodsell, the
work of God prevailed very generally among the circuits, and the hopes of God's
people were greatly revived and their hearts strengthened. This good work was
the result of a number of camp meetings which were held in different parts of
the district. These were the means of the conversion of many sinners, and a
general quickening among the professors of religion.
New Haven district also, under the superintendence. of the Rev. Samuel Luckey,
was favored with some revivals, and the state of religion was generally
flourishing through the district.
In this part of the country, as well as in some others, it had been found that
we had labored to little purpose in the cities and principal villages, for want
of convenient houses of worship, and because we had not a preacher constantly
among the people. From these defects in our plans of procedure, our societies in
New Haven, Middletown, and Hartford, and many other places, had been but feeble,
and often the prospects were discouraging. About this time a remedy had been pro
provided in some places, and was providing in others, by erecting churches, and
stationing preachers in those cities and villages where the people were able to
support them. The blessed effects of these movements were soon felt and seen,
though in some instances, in building churches, the people felt themselves
compelled, as they thought, to depart from our general usage, by selling or
renting the slips, as they could not otherwise either build the houses, or
induce the people to attend the preaching -- parents pleading that they wished
to seat their children and members of their household with them in places of
public worship.
Whatever may be said against this policy in other parts of our work, it is
certain that its adoption in many portions of the country in the eastern and
northern states has had a beneficial influence upon the interests of our Church.
By this means the people have been able to meet the expense of sustaining the
worship of God, and also to secure permanent congregations; and the preachers
could more fully and effectually discharge all the duties of pastors, in
overseeing the temporal and spiritual affairs of the Church, such as visiting
from house to house, attending upon the sick, burying the dead, meeting the
classes, and regulating sabbath school, tract, and missionary societies. And who
will say that these things are not as important to the well-being of the Church,
or the prosperity of true religion, as it is "to preach so many sermons?"
A great and glorious work this year prevailed in the Susquehannah district, in
the bounds of the Genesee conference, under the presidency of the Rev. George
Peck. Camp meetings were chiefly instrumental in kindling the sacred flame which
spread among the circuits and stations of this region of country, and many
sinners were happily converted to God, while the holy impulse was felt through
the churches generally.
The Rev. Dan Barnes, in giving an account of the Black river district, in the
same conference, speaks of a great work which commenced at a camp meeting and
thence spread in various directions.
In the city of Baltimore the Rev. Samuel Merwin, who had charge of the church in
that place this year, writes, that mighty works were wrought in the name of the
Lord Jesus. He says that from fifty to one hundred and fifty were crying to God
for mercy in the same meeting, and he presumed that from five hundred to six
hundred were made partakers of pardoning mercy during the progress of the work.
About this time a lively feeling was awakened in the Christian community in
behalf of seamen, a class of men hitherto almost entirely neglected by the
church. Indeed, as early as 1816, a few benevolent individuals in the city of
New York had directed their attention to the condition of this useful class of
men, and they succeeded in forming a society for promoting the gospel among
seamen in the port of New York, consisting of nearly all evangelical
denominations, and its operations are conducted on the most catholic principles.
Its affairs are managed by a board of directors, holding a corporate seal by an
act of the legislature. Being patronized by the Christian public, they
succeeded, in 1819, in purchasing ground and erecting a house of worship in
Roosevelt Street, near the quays on the East river, quite convenient for the
sailors to attend. At the dedication of this house, in accordance with the
catholic principles on which it was built, the three sermons were preached by a
Protestant Episcopalian, a Dutch Reformed, and a Methodist Episcopal minister.
To insure the stated ministry of the word, the Rev. Ward Stafford, a
Presbyterian minister, was first engaged to take charge of the congregation, who
was occasionally assisted by ministers of other denominations.
After he left, the directors obtained a gratuitous supply by inviting ministers
of various denominations, so as to keep up, as far as possible, the
anti-sectarian character of the enterprise, that all might feel an interest in
its promotion. It was soon found, however, that a congregation could not be
collected and retained without the labors of a stated minister. Accordingly, in
1821, they employed the Rev. Henry Chase, at that time a local preacher, and an
assistant teacher in the Wesleyan seminary in the city of New York, to take
charge of a weekly prayer meeting in the church, to distribute tracts among
seamen, to visit their families, and to perform such pastoral duties as might
not interfere with his engagements with the seminary. Being quite successful in
these efforts, at the request of the directors, and in accordance with the
advice of his brethren in the ministry in the city of New York, Mr. Chase
resigned his place as teacher in the Wesleyan seminary, and on the first of
January, 1823, devoted himself entirely to the service of seamen.
In 1825 brother Chase was admitted on trial in the New York conference, and, at
the request of the directors of the seamen's society, was stationed in the
Mariner's church, where, with the exception of eighteen months, when they had a
minister of another denomination, he has continued ever since. In 1825,
perceiving that great good resulted to seamen from his labors, and of those
similarly employed in other places, and feeling the inconvenience of those
changes which ordinarily take place in our Church, the General Conference made
an exception in favor of those preachers who were laboring for the spiritual
good of seamen, allowing the bishop to continue them in the same station for any
length of time. Mr. Chase has accordingly been continued in the Mariner's church
to the present time, as a member and elder in the New York conference, and his
ministrations have been greatly blessed. Hundreds of seamen have been soundly
converted to God, and the church is generally filled with orderly and attentive
hearers every sabbath, and regular prayer meetings are held every week. There
is, indeed, a great improvement in the condition and general conduct of this
useful and suffering class of men.
As the Mariner's church is supported by the several denominations of Christians,
no church organization has taken place there, but those who were brought to the
knowledge of the truth were at liberty to unite with whatever church they
pleased; but I believe most of them have united with the Methodist Episcopal
Church; and their numbers have become so considerable, that they have recently
organized themselves into a church, under the name of the Methodist Episcopal
Seamen's Church in the city of New York, have elected trustees, and are now
(1840) making preparations to erect a house of worship for their accommodation
and that of their seafaring brethren.
Similar efforts have been made in other places, and with equal success, which
will be noticed under their appropriate dates.
On the whole, it would appear, notwithstanding some portions of our Church were
agitated with discussions on the different modes of church government, that
prosperity generally attended the labors of God's servants, and that the spirit
of revival pervaded the ranks of our Israel. Some other churches also caught the
flame in many places, and were therefore making delightful progress in the
advancement of true religion.
Fifty-eight preachers were located this year, fifty-five returned supernumerary,
and eighty-three superannuated; fourteen had died, and three had been expelled.
Among the dead was William Beauchamp, whose eminent talents fitted him for great
usefulness in the church of God. And while the civil historian enriches his
pages with memoirs of statesmen, poets, orators, philosophers, and men of
military renown who have benefited their country, we may be allowed to preserve
a record of those eminent ministers of the sanctuary who, by the depth and ardor
of their piety, their genius, and their eloquence in the pulpit, have
contributed to advance the best interests of their fellow-men. The characters of
such men are a precious legacy which they have bequeathed to the Church, more
valuable, indeed, than silver and gold.
William Beauchamp was born in Kent county, Delaware state, on the 26th day of
April, 1772. He was a descendant of a pious Methodist preacher, who, about the
year 1785, removed to the west and settled on the Monongahela river, and from
thence, in about eight years, on the Little Kenhawa river, Wood county, Va.
Here, in conjunction with Mr. Rees Wolf; another Methodist preacher, he was
instrumental in establishing some Methodist societies. William was a subject of
religious impressions when quite a youth, and at about sixteen years of age he
was made a partaker of justifying faith, and became a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
In 1794 he joined the traveling ministry, and after discharging the duties of an
itinerant preacher with great acceptance and usefulness west of the Allegheny
mountains for three years, he was stationed, in 1797, in the city of New York,
and a few of the people here still remember the able manner in which he
fulfilled the duties of his station. In 1799 he was stationed in Provincetown,
in Massachusetts, and from thence he was removed, in 1800, to the island of
Nantucket.
In this place Methodism was scarcely known at that time. A local preacher by the
name of Cannon had preached there with some success, and hence the conference
was requested to send them a regular preacher, and Mr. Beauchamp was accordingly
sent. Here his piety and talents soon gained him the confidence of the people,
and he was instrumental in raising a society of eighty members, and before he
left the place a large and commodious house of worship was erected. This laid
the foundation of Methodism in the island of Nantucket, which has continued to
enlarge its dimensions from time to time, so much so that the New England
conference has held two of its sessions in that place, the first in 1820, and
the second in 1836.
Unhappily for the Church, whose interests he served, in 1801 Mr. Beauchamp
located. In the same year he was united in matrimony to Mrs. Frances Russell,
the widow of Mr. A. Russell, who had been lost at sea.
Without stopping to notice the intervening periods of his life, it will be
sufficient for the purposes of this short memoir to remark, that he remained in
a located relation to the Church until 1822, when he re-entered the traveling
connection, and continued therein until his death, which happened on the seventh
day of October, 1824, in the fifty-third year of his age.
His piety was unquestionable, and his talents as a minister of Jesus Christ, as
a writer, and as a man of business, were of the first order; and, had he
continued in the itinerant ministry, no doubt he would have arisen to the first
distinction in the Church. During his located relation he removed to the west,
and settled first in his former place of residence, on the Little Kenhawa, and
then, in 1816, in Chillicothe, and finally he took up his residence at Mount
Carmel, Illinois. Of this latter place, he, in conjunction with his friend,
Thomas S. Hinde, was the founder. In all the places where he resided he obtained
the confidence, respect, and affection of the people, and was eminently useful
as a minister of Jesus Christ, as well as a citizen among his neighbors. Indeed,
such is said to have been the confidence of his neighbors in his wisdom and
integrity, that often civil suits were withdrawn from courts of justice and
submitted to his arbitrament. He also infused into the minds of the youth within
the circle of his acquaintance a taste for literary acquirements, both by
example and precept.
During this same period of his life he appeared before the public as a writer,
and in 1811 he published an "Essay on the Truth of the Christian Religion,"
which is said, by those who are capable of judging of its character, to be a
work of sterling merit. In 1816, while residing at Chillicothe, he became the
editor of a monthly periodical, called "The Western Christian Monitor," for
which he furnished some valuable pieces, written with spirit and much critical
acumen. At this time we had no periodical publication; and feeling, in common
with many others, the want of such a medium of instruction, he was led, aided by
some of his literary friends in the west, to undertake this work. For the short
time it existed its circulation was considerable, and its pages were enriched
with articles, both original and selected, which did honor to the head and heart
of its editor. Among others who contributed articles for the Western Christian
Monitor was Thomas S. Hinde, better known under the signature of "Theophilus
Arminius," whose sketches of western Methodism afterward enriched the pages of
the Methodist Magazine, and who became the biographer of his deceased friend,
the Rev. William Beauchamp. The work, however, continued in existence only one
year, but it contained evidence of the piety, industry, and talent of its
editor.
After the commencement of the Methodist Magazine Mr. Beauchamp became an
occasional contributor to that work, and all his pieces bear the stamp of
genius, of an original thinker, and an accurate writer.
Having returned to the ranks of the itinerancy, he again entered upon his work
with all that ardor, and in the display of those ministerial qualifications, by
which he had been before distinguished. In the second year he was appointed a
presiding elder of the Indiana district. While traveling this district he was
seized with a complaint with which he had before been visited, namely, an
affection of the liver. He lingered under the influence of this corroding
disease for about six weeks, during which time he exhibited the patience, faith,
and love of the Christian, and died in the in hope of eternal life.
Mr. Beauchamp was a close, a diligence, and a successful student, though in his
youth he was deprived of the customary advantages of education. While a lad his
father removed to the Monongahela, where schools were not to be found. But as he
had contracted a taste for books before his removal, he surmounted the
difficulties of his situation, procured torch-lights as a substitute for candles
or lamps, and when the labors of the day were finished, and the family retired
to rest, young Beauchamp would prostrate himself upon the floor, and examine his
books by the light of his torch. In this way he treasured up a stock of useful
information, of which he availed himself in after life. He became thoroughly
acquainted with the principles of his vernacular language, studied the Latin and
Greek, and in his riper years mastered the Hebrew tongue. In addition to these
acquirements, he cultivated an acquaintance with some of the sciences, through
the medium of the most accomplished authors. With this taste for literature and
science, it seems strange that he should have neglected the study of history, as
it is stated he did, this being of all others the most important to store the
mind with useful knowledge, and especially for the minister of the gospel.
These qualifications, superadded to the depth and uniformity of his piety, his
love of the Bible, and his acquaintance with its doctrines and precepts, fitted
him in an eminent degree for usefulness in the Church; and had he devoted
himself exclusively to the work of the gospel ministry, as before said, he might
have risen to one of its highest offices: as it was, after his return to the
itinerancy, at the General Conference of 1824, which he attended as a delegate
from the Missouri conference, he was a candidate for the episcopacy, and lacked
only two votes more to insure his election.
His style of preaching was remarkable for its chastity, plainness, and
nervousness. No redundancy of words encumbered his sentences -- no pomposity of
style swelled his periods nor did there appear any effort to produce a momentary
effect for the empty purpose of gaining the shout of applause. His attitude in
the pulpit was solemn, his gestures easy and graceful, his arguments sound and
conclusive, and his positions were all fortified by apposite appeals to the
sacred Scripture. And though he made no artificial efforts at oratorical
display, yet he exhibited the true eloquence of a gospel minister, by making his
language reflect clearly the perceptions of his mind, by pouring the truths of
Christianity upon his audience in the purest strains of a neat and energetic
diction, and by enforcing the whole by the sincerity and earnestness of his
manner. His delivery was deliberate, not loud and boisterous, but clear and
distinct, leaving an impression upon the mind of the hearer that truth and duty
were the object of his pursuit.
His biographer relates the following incident in proof of the power and
conclusiveness of his arguments, when engaged in establishing a controverted
point. His antagonist, who was listening attentively to the discourse, finding
the arguments too powerful for him to answer, rose, apparently with an intention
to leave the house, but was so overcome by the force of truth, and his whole
frame so agitated, that, finding himself staggering, he caught hold of the
railing, reeled, and dropped upon his seat, and there remained, overwhelmed and
confounded, until the sermon was ended; he then silently withdrew, and left Mr.
Beauchamp master of the field.
But he rests from his labors. And whatever of human infirmities he may have
exhibited, they were lost sight of amid the many excellences which adorned his
character, and may therefore be entombed beneath the same turf which hides his
mortal remains in Paoli, until the last trumpet shall awake his sleeping dust to
life and immortality. Acknowledging himself indebted to divine grace for present
peace and future salvation, he hung upon the promises of the gospel for support
and comfort, and finally resigned up his soul to God in the full hope of eternal
life.
Another of the worthies who exchanged the itinerant race for the crown of reward
was William Ross, of the New York conference. Though his race was comparatively
short -- for he died in the thirty-third year of his age -- his course was
steady, and his end glorious.
He was a native of Tyringham, Mass., and was born February 10,1792. In the
seventeenth year of his age he was made a partaker of the justifying grace of
God, became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and, in his twentieth
year, entered the ranks of the itinerancy. In the early periods of his ministry
he labored chiefly in the state of Vermont, where, in consequence of the badness
of the roads and coarseness of the fare, he sometimes suffered many privations,
which gave him an opportunity of trying the strength of his resolutions, of his
faith in Christ, his love to God and the souls of men. The faithfulness with
which he discharged his duties in this rugged field of labor gave him favor in
the eyes of the people, and commended him to the approbation of his brethren in
the ministry.
After traveling various circuits, in which he acquitted himself as an able
minister of the New Testament, in 1821 he was stationed in the city of New York,
where he labored two years with great acceptance. For the last two years of his
ministry he was stationed in Brooklyn, Long Island, where he ended his life and
labors in the full triumph of faith and hope. His last hours, indeed, were a
brilliant comment upon the doctrines he had preached, and tended not a little to
strengthen our faith in the divinity of their origin, and the efficacy of their
application to the heart and conscience.
William Ross is not exhibited as a great man, nor yet as a learned man. He was
neither the one nor the other, in the common acceptation of these terms. But he
was a good man, a good preacher, and a good husband, father, and friend, and he
was thus good because the grace of God in Christ Jesus had made him such. In one
sense, indeed, he was great. He had a clear perception of the plan of redemption
by Christ Jesus, well understood the sacred Scriptures, was indefatigable in his
labors, was an eloquent and successful preacher of righteousness, and
exemplified in his own life those pure precepts of Christianity which he
recommended to others.
The high estimation in which he was held by his brethren, and by the Christian
community generally, may be inferred from his being frequently called, in the
course of his ministrations in New York and Brooklyn, to plead the cause of
Bible, missionary, Sunday school, and tract societies. Here, indeed, he
sometimes spoke with a force and eloquence which astonished and delighted his
friends, while it confounded the enemies of these benevolent exertions for the
salvation of the world.
In the pulpit there was a peculiar solemnity in his manner, and dignity of
expression -- the grave, distinct, sonorous intonations of his voice giving
force and impressiveness to the sentiments he uttered, and reminded the hearer
that he was listening to a messenger who felt the weight and importance of his
message. Being a decided friend to all our benevolent institutions, and
particularly to the missionary and education causes, he often advocated them in
public, and gave them the weight of his influence in his more private
intercourse in the circles in which he moved. Some of his satirical thrusts --
for he sometimes used this dangerous weapon to put error and folly to the blush
-- at ignorance and covetousness, cut with the keener edge because of the
strength and appropriateness with which they were sent by his skillful hand. Nor
was he deterred from exposing these common pests of human society merely because
the wounds which he inflicted upon their votaries made them writhe and groan
under the sensations of pain which they frequently suffered.
He was equally skillful and much more delighted in the pleasing task of
portraying before his audience the glowing beauties of charity, the divine
excellences of the other Christian graces, and the attractive charms with which
Christianity invested him who clothed himself with its rich and lovely livery.
When, therefore, William Ross "occupied that holy place, the pulpit," no one was
disgusted with a repetition of cant and unmeaning -- unmeaning, I mean, to him
who utters them -- phrases, but he listened to the solemn realities of eternity,
which fell from the speaker's lips in accents of deep feeling, in language at
once chaste, plain, and intelligible, uttered in a tone of voice which bespoke a
soul filled with the subject on which he was discoursing.
I have made this short record as due to one who, had he lived and prospered in
his race as he began and ended it, would doubtless have ranked among the first
ministers of our Church. There was, indeed, an amiability of disposition and
courteousness, of demeanor about the movements of William Ross which drew forth
the love of those who knew him, and at the same time a dignity of deportment
which commanded their respect.
There is one fact respecting him, which happened near the close of his life,
that goes most forcibly to set off the beauty and strength of his character.
When it was ascertained by the official members in the city of Brooklyn that he
was to be stationed among them, some of them, perhaps the majority, remonstrated
against the appointment, so strongly indeed that the bishop hesitated about
insisting upon making it. Among others who may have been consulted, the writer's
opinion was asked. The reply was, "Send him; for such is the weight of his
character, the urbanity and meekness of his manners, as well as his talents as a
preacher, that he will soon overcome all opposition, and prove himself worthy of
the affection and confidence of the people;" and then added, "A people who will
reject such a man as William Ross are unworthy of any preacher." This was said
from an intimate acquaintance with the man, and likewise from a knowledge that
the objections to him originated from a prejudice which had no foundation in
truth and reality.
He was sent. It was not three months before every objection against him was
removed, the work of God prospered, the church was filled with hearers, and
never was a man more highly esteemed or affectionately loved than brother Ross
was by the people of Brooklyn. So highly did they estimate his labors among
them, that, immediately after his death, the society contributed about twelve
hundred dollars for the support of his widow and orphan children.
Of the other twelve who had ended their labors during the past year, honorable
mention is made of their fidelity in the cause of God and of their peaceful
death.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 298,658; Last Year: 280,427; Increase:
18,231 -- Colored This Year: 49,537; Last Year: 48,096; Increase: 1,441 -- Total
This Year: 348,195; Last Year: 328,523 -- Increase: 19,672 -- Preachers This
Year: 1,314; Last Year: 1,272; Increase: 42.
1826
The aboriginal missions which had been commenced and prosecuted under such
favorable auspices continued to prosper, and to promise the most happy results.
There was, however, no other aboriginal mission opened this year, and nothing
worthy of special notice which happened among those which had been begun, except
that their continued prosperity still attracted the attention of the Church, and
led to those plans for the evangelization of other tribes which will be noticed
hereafter.
The great change which had been wrought among the Mississauga Indians,
heretofore related, was followed by the most blessed results on other fragments
of the same tribe. An additional number of twenty-two, who professed faith in
Christ, were baptized this year and formed into a class in Bellville, in Upper
Canada. They were placed under the care of two of their principal men, Captain
William Beaver and John Sunday, who had before given evidence of a sound
conversion, and who now acted as class leaders. Nothing could furnish a more
convincing evidence of the thorough change which had been effected in the hearts
of these people, than was evinced by their forsaking entirely their the
heathenish habits, and banishing from among them the use of all intoxicating
liquors, becoming thereby sober and industrious. Infidelity itself was
constrained to bow before the majesty of truth, and to confess, however
reluctantly, that nothing short of divine power could produce a reformation so
thorough and permanent.
Some new missions were commenced this year, embracing parts of Florida and
Alabama, called the Holme's Valley and Pea river missions, and were put under
the charge of the presiding elder of the Tallahassee district, the Rev. George
Evans. These countries were but thinly populated, the settlements sometimes
being from twenty to forty miles distant from each other, separated by a
wilderness. On this account it was difficult to collect congregations, or to
pass from one settlement to another; but, notwithstanding these discouraging
circumstances, the missionaries succeeded in their evangelical efforts in
forming societies, so that, in 1827, there were returned on the Holme's Valley
mission one hundred and two white and thirty-five colored members, and on Pea
river one hundred and four white and twenty-one colored; and the good work thus
begun has steadily gone forward from that time to this, so that Tallahassee has
since become the seat of the Alabama conference.
The Rev. S. Belton was sent to form a circuit in the newly settled townships
between the Mississepa [sic] and Attawa rivers, in Upper Canada, places which
had been seldom if ever visited by any minister of the gospel. The settlements
had been formed chiefly by emigrants from Ireland, who were in very moderate
circumstances, and therefore unable to do much for the support of religious
institutions. They were, however, thankful for the care thus manifested for
their spiritual welfare, generally listened with attention to the word of life,
and did what they could to make the missionary comfortable. That the word took
effect is manifest from the fact that the next year there were returned on the
Minutes two hundred and seven members, and the work has continued to prosper,
under the labors of God's servants, from that to the present time.
There were several refreshing revivals of religion this year in some of the
older circuits, more particularly in the south and west, where the principal
increase of members was found. These revivals were accompanied by the same
evidence of divine power and grace which had attended those heretofore related,
and gave to the friends of religion irrefutable arguments in their favor. At a
camp meeting held on Hanover circuit, in Virginia, there were not less than one
hundred and twenty souls who professed to find the pearl of great price, and the
good work spread with such rapidity that upward of three hundred were brought to
God on this circuit. On the Bottetourt circuit similar results followed two camp
meetings which were held there this year. In Anne Arundel county, Maryland,
there were mighty displays of the power of God. The work commenced at a camp
meeting held at a place called Rattlesnake Springs. It was believed that not
less than two hundred and fifty persons were brought from darkness to light, and
several professed to be filled with "perfect love," while many departed from the
place under deep conviction for sin, and groaning for redemption in the blood of
the Lamb.
Though these and other instances of revival were witnessed during the year, yet
the general increase of Church members was not so great as the year before.
The New England conference had succeeded in establishing an academy within its
bounds, for the education of youth of both sexes, in Wilbraham, Massachusetts,
and the one at Newmarket was merged in this. It was this year put under the
charge of the Rev. Wilbur Fisk, by whose pious and judicious management it
greatly prospered, and was soon filled with students, and has been instrumental
in shedding the lights of literature and religion on the rising generation. Here
young gentlemen are taught all those branches of literature preparatory to an
entrance into college, or upon the active business of life, at the same time
that the principles of the gospel are faithfully inculcated; and the institution
has been frequently favored with gracious outpourings of the Spirit, resulting
in the conversion of many of the students.
The Pittsburgh conference made an attempt to establish a collegiate institution
within its bounds, called Madison College, and the Rev. Henry B. Bascom was
appointed its president. It was located in Uniontown, Fayette county, in the
state of Pennsylvania. It went into operation under favorable auspices, and was
incorporated, in 1827, by the legislature of the state. It did not, however,
long continue. Its endowment was small, and the number of students was by no
means adequate to its support. Hence, though blessed with an able faculty, its
dissolution affords another evidence of the impracticability of sustaining
collegiate institutions without ample endowments. How else can this be done? The
price of tuition is necessarily so low, in the various literary institutions in
our country, that an attempt to raise it sufficiently high to meet the expense
of tuition and other incidental expenses would be to debar all students from an
entrance into their inclosures; and it is equally impossible to sustain them
from the ordinary prices of tuition and board; and hence the absolute necessity
of ample endowments, either from the state, or from the benefactions of
individuals, or by the more sure method of annual collections, in order to keep
them in successful operation. Of this all must be sensible, and therefore all
who feel an interest in the prosperity of these institutions must, if they would
have them permanently established, contribute liberally for their support.
In the month of September this year was commenced the publication of the
Christian Advocate, a weekly periodical, devoted especially to the interests of
the Methodist Episcopal Church and to general intelligence. Periodical
literature had become more and more in demand since the recommencement of the
Methodist Magazine, and weekly religious newspapers were springing into
existence among almost all denominations of Christians; and two, one in Boston,
Mass., and another in Charleston, S. C., were published under the patronage of
their respective conferences, and the friends of the Church very generally
seemed to call for one to be issued from the Book Room. This led to a
consultation among the editors and book committee, together with some of the
annual conferences; the proposition was finally submitted to the New York
conference, at its session in May of this year, and it recommended that measures
be adopted for the publication of such a periodical with all convenient speed.
It is true, some were opposed to the measure, particularly those who were
interested in the success of the papers already in existence, which had now
obtained an extensive circulation, particularly Zion's Herald, the one issued in
Boston. This opposition, however, was overruled, and the first number of the
Christian Advocate was published on the 9th of September, 1826.
The appearance of this weekly sheet, filled, as it was, with useful and
interesting matter, gave great satisfaction to the members and friends of our
Church, and the number of subscribers in a very short time amounted to about
thirty thousand. That it has done much good, and was most opportunely commenced,
has been abundantly demonstrated in every successive year of its circulation,
and by the testimony of thousands of its readers. By this means intelligence is
received from every part of the world, and conveyed, weekly, as from a common
center of information, to its thousands of readers in every comer of the land.
Thus old friends, who may be separated at a distance of thousands of miles, may
hear from each other, interchange sentiments, and, in some sense, converse
together of each other's welfare; and what the Lord is doing in one part of his
vineyard may be known in every other part. This is the advantage which a general
possesses over a local paper. This was extensively felt and appreciated, and
hence its circulation, in the course of one year from its commencement, by far
exceeded every other paper, religious or secular, published in the United
States.
Sixty-three preachers located this year, sixty-six were returned supernumerary,
eighty-six superannuated, two withdrew, and six were expelled; twenty had died.
Among the deaths recorded this year was that of John Summerfield, whose eminent
talents as a preacher gave him a commanding attitude before the community, and
excited a general tone of regret when the news of his death was announced. For a
full account of his life and labors I must refer the reader to his biography,
which was published by his brother-in-law soon after his death. From this it
appears that he was born in the town of Preston, in England, on the 31st of
January, 1795. His father was a local preacher in the Wesleyan Methodist
connection in England, and he educated his son John in those religious
principles which governed his own heart and life. At a suitable age he was put
under the tuition of the Moravian academy at Fairfield, near Manchester, where
he gave early indications of that precocious genius for which he was afterward
so eminently distinguished.
In 1813 the family removed to Ireland, where, at the age of seventeen, young
Summerfield was made a partaker of justifying grace through faith in Jesus
Christ while attending a prayer meeting with some pious Methodist soldiers. He
no sooner tasted that the Lord is gracious than he felt a desire that others
should participate with him in the same inestimable blessing. He accordingly
embraced every opportunity to invite his fellow-sinners to come to the fountain
of salvation, that they might drink of its waters and live for ever. In this way
he continued to exercise his gifts, greatly to the satisfaction of those who
heard him, until 1819, when he was received on trial in the Methodist conference
of Ireland. As it was a time of some trouble among the Methodist societies in
Ireland in those days, and as the fervor of his spirit and powers of pulpit
oratory gave him more than ordinary influence, young as he was, he was selected
to travel extensively through the country, for the purpose of promoting the
general interests of the societies. He continued to travel and preach in
Ireland, making, in the mean time, an occasional visit to England, until 1821,
when his father removed to America, and John accompanied him, and was received
on trial in the New York conference in the spring of 1821. *[20]
His first appearance in public after his arrival in New York was at the
anniversary of the American Bible Society, and his speech on that occasion was
received with great elation, and gave him a most favorable introduction to the
American community. Nor were his labors in the pulpit unappreciated. The houses
were thronged with hearers whenever he preached, and the auditors hung upon his
lips with the most intense interest and delight. Persons of all professions and
of all classes of society were attracted by the fame of his eloquence, and
expressed their admiration of the power with which he enchained them to the
words which dropped from his lips.
Many have inquired in what the secret of this power over the understandings and
attention of the multitude consisted. In whatever else it might have consisted,
it was not in empty declamations, in boisterous harangues, nor yet in any
attempt to overpower and astonish you with sudden bursts of eloquence; nor was
it, I apprehend, in the unusual depth. and profoundness of his researches.
Summerfield was young, was pious, honest, and simple-hearted, was naturally
eloquent, deeply devoted to the cause of God, possessed a great command of
language, and his style of preaching was chaste and classical, flowing from him
with an easy and graceful elocution. This I believe to be the secret of his
power. He had a sound understanding, a warm heart, and a vivid imagination --
had acquired a rich stock of the most useful knowledge and hence, whenever he
spoke in the name of God, he poured forth from a heart overflowing with the
kindliest feelings a stream of evangelical truth, which fell upon the audience
"like dew upon the under herb, and like rain upon the mown grass." A "godly
sincerity" was evidently the pervading principle of his heart, and a tone of
simplicity characterized his style of preaching. When you heard him you were
charmed with the melody of his voice, with the rich flow of his language, with
the pure and evangelical sentiments which he uttered, and with the deep spirit
of piety running through his whole performance. No strained efforts to dazzle
you with wit, or with high-sounding words, with pompous periods, with
far-fetched metaphors, or with sentences swelled and encumbered with an
accumulation of epithets, appeared in any of his discourses or speeches. On the
contrary, you felt that you were listening to a messenger of God, honestly
proclaiming what he believed to be the truth, in language chaste and elegant,
flowing from a heart filled with his subject, breathing good-will to his
audience, and intent only on doing them good. This was John Summerfield in the
pulpit; and his popularity arose from an active zeal, exemplified in his spirit
and words, to promote the best interests of all classes of men by the wisest
possible means.
Nor was his society in the more private circles less attractive and instructive.
On his first appearance among us there was a modesty and diffidence, a meekness
and humility, every way becoming a Christian and a young minister who felt a
proper deference for his seniors. To say that he did not, in some measure at
least, rise in self-confidence with the rising popularity of his character,
would be saying what no one acquainted with human nature could well believe. But
the elevation of his character, as a preacher of the gospel, gave him a
commanding attitude before the community, which he constantly exerted to promote
the highest interests of his fellow-men. He certainly bore his honors with
becoming modesty, and availed himself of his great popularity to advance the
honor of God and the salvation of men. Though the minister of a sect, and
thoroughly imbued with its doctrine and spirit, he was far from being exclusive
in his feelings and views, but displayed that spirit of Catholicism which
enabled him to exert a hallowing influence on all around him. And while he must
have carried about him the common infirmities of our nature, they were but as
occasional spots upon the sun they obscured his luster but, for a moment, and
then his intellectual, moral, and religious excellences shone out with an
increasing and a steady brilliancy:
He most certainly exerted a beneficial influence upon the interests of true
religion. Nor was this influence confined to his own Church. Other
denominations, and particularly the various charitable and religious
associations, availed themselves of his talents to advocate their cause and to
promote their respective objects. And as he was ever ready to comply with their
wishes, as before said, his physical powers were not adequate to the task of
such continued application. The fire which burned within became so intense that
the material vessel was gradually weakened by its consuming flames. He was at
first prostrated by a hemorrhage of the lungs, from which, however, he partially
recovered, so as to be able to appear occasionally in public. But his appearance
was extremely wan and feeble, while his soul still broke forth in those strains
of gospel truth and persuasive eloquence which captivated his hearers and melted
them into tenderness.
It was hoped by his friends that a voyage to Europe might tend to reinvigorate
his enfeebled constitution. He accordingly made a voyage to France, and attended
the anniversary of the Paris Bible Society as a representative of the American
Bible Society, where he delivered one of those addresses for which he was so
peculiarly qualified, as the zealous and able advocate of institutions of
benevolence. This address, which was interpreted by Mr. Wilder, an American
gentleman, and a benevolent Christian, then residing in Paris, was received with
enthusiastic admiration by the audience, and responded to in terms of
affectionate respect and congratulation, expressive of the joy that was felt in
the union of sentiment and effort which mutually pervaded and actuated the Paris
and American Bible Societies.
On his return from his foreign tour he entertained hopes, for a season, that his
health might be restored; but these hopes were soon blasted by the return of his
disease, accompanied by those symptoms which gave sure indications to his
physicians and friends that his dissolution was nigh at hand. After lingering
for a considerable time, frequently suffering exquisitely from the violence of
his disorder, he at last glided sweetly and peacefully into eternity, in the
twenty-eighth year of his age, and the eighth of his public ministry.
During his protracted illness he exhibited the virtues of meekness and patience
in an eminent degree, bowing submissively to the divine mandate, and looking
forward with a lively hope to immortality and eternal life. Though sometimes he
complained of the want of spiritual consolation, and of a feeling of mental
gloom which arose, no doubt, from the nature of his disease yet for most of the
time he manifested an unshaken confidence in his God, and expressed a calm
resignation to his will, mingled with a hope full of immortality. But he rests
from his labors, and his works of faith and labors of love have followed him as
evidences of his fidelity to the cause of God.
Another who fell in the harness this year was an old veteran of the cross of
Christ, whose long services and deep devotion to the cause of God deserve
commemoration.
Daniel Asbury had been in the ministry forty years, during which time he had
given evidence of his warm attachment to the holy cause he had espoused, by the
fidelity with which he had discharged his Christian and ministerial duties. He
was not, indeed, a great preacher, but he was remarkably distinguished for the
meekness of his disposition, for his patience in suffering, and for the
simplicity of his manners. He therefore won the confidence of his brethren as a
man of God, and a most devoted minister of Jesus Christ.
His death was sudden and peaceful. Returning from a walk in the yard, he looked
up toward heaven, with a smile on his countenance, and uttering a few words, he
sunk into the arms of death, in the sixty-fifth year of his age.
Daniel Hitt had also departed to another world in the full hope of eternal life.
He was made a partaker of the grace of pardon in early life, and in 1790 entered
the itinerant ministry. In the first years of his itinerancy he labored much in
the new settlements in Virginia and in the western country, where he won for
himself those laurels which adorn the brow of the faithful, self-denying
minister of Jesus Christ. For several years he was the traveling companion of
Bishop Asbury, who ever treated him as his confidential friend. During these
travels over the continent he became extensively known to a large circle of
friends, who esteemed him highly as a brother, and as an amiable Christian
minister.
In 1808 he was elected as an assistant book agent, in which office he served for
four years, under the supervision of the Rev. John Wilson. At the end of this
term he was elected the principal, in which office he continued to discharge its
duties, according to the best of his ability, to the end of his constitutional
term, in 1816. Though his literary attainments were limited, yet his strict
integrity and great fidelity eminently fitted him for a faithful discharge of
his duties in the high trust confided to him. And the affability of his manners,
the sweetness of his disposition, and his courteous conduct in the social
circle, endeared him to his friends, as a companion in whose society they
delighted to mingle.
In the pulpit he dwelt chiefly upon experimental and practical religion, seldom
entering upon those controverted points which so often involve discussions among
the several denominations of Christians. Here he was solemn and dignified, and
strove to impress upon the minds of all the importance of a practical attention
to the truths which he uttered.
He died of the typhus fever. In his sickness his mind was kept in peace, and he
died in the triumph of faith and love.
Another aged veteran, Joseph Toy, was taken from the walls of our Jerusalem to
his resting place above. He was brought from darkness to light under the
preaching of Captain Webb, who was one of the first Methodist preachers in
America, and was at that time preaching in Burlington, New Jersey. This was in
the year 1770, and Joseph was then in the twenty-second year of his age. After
receiving license to preach, he labored as a local preacher until 1801, when he
entered the itinerancy, in which he continued, faithfully discharging its
duties, to the end of his life.
In 1819, in consequence of debility, he was returned superannuated, and he
settled in the city of Baltimore, where he preached occasionally, and was
beloved and respected by all who knew him. Having filled up the measure of his
days in obedience to the will of God, he died in great peace, on the 28th day of
January, 1826, in the seventy-ninth year of his age.
One of the excellences of brother Toy was the punctuality with which he filled
his engagements. At the age of seventy he was heard to say that for twenty years
he had not disappointed a congregation -- a practice worthy of the imitation of
all. Although, in the latter part of his life, his sight so failed him that it
was difficult for him to walk the streets without help, yet he continued to
preach almost every sabbath, and sometimes twice, and was finally conducted from
the pulpit to his dying bed, on which he manifested a perfect submission to the
divine will, expressing his firm reliance upon the promise of eternal life.
John P. Finley, professor of languages in the Augusta College, Kentucky, had
entered into rest during the past year. Though he was young in the itinerant
ministry, yet he was a man of distinguished worth, and possessed virtues which
may be profitably held up or the imitation of others. The following account is
from the pen of Dr. Bascom, whose intimate knowledge of the subject of his
remarks enabled him to depict the character of brother Finley as it was, and
especially to present those peculiarities by which he was distinguished:--
"John P. Finley was born in North Carolina, June 13th, 1783. From childhood he
was marked as possessing no common share of intellect. He was early placed at
school, and while in his abecedarian [beginning -- DVM] course he evinced an
aptitude to learn that induced his father, a distinguished Presbyterian
clergyman, (who is now, at the age of seventy, a Methodist traveling preacher,)
to give him a classical education. Owing to his habits of industry and
perseverance, he soon acquired a competent knowledge of the sciences, and a
reputable acquaintance with the learned languages. Of the English language he
was a perfect master, and taught its proper use with almost unrivaled success.
From the age of twelve or fourteen years he was often deeply affected with a
sense of sin, and the importance of repentance and faith; but his mind was so
much perplexed with the doctrines of absolute personal predestination, of which
his father was then a strenuous and able assertor, that he came to no decision
on the subject of religious opinions until he reached the years of manhood.
About the age of twenty-one he married, and soon after was brought to the
knowledge of salvation by the remission of his sins. Early after his conversion
he was convinced that a 'dispensation of the gospel' had been committed to him.
He weighed well the impressions and convictions of his mind and heart in
relation to the fearful and responsible business of a Christian minister; but,
when finally and fully convinced of his duty, he did not hesitate. There were,
indeed, many reasons why he should confer with flesh and blood, but with his
characteristic firmness he rejected them all, and took the pulpit, I think, in
1811. At the time of his conversion he resided in Highland county, Ohio. His
ministerial career was commenced during a residence in Union, Greene county,
Ohio, whither he had been called to take charge of a seminary. At the head of
this institution he continued about six years, living and preaching the religion
of Christ in its native simplicity and power.
"From Union he removed to Dayton, distant only about thirty miles, and conducted
an academy in this place for two years. It was here our acquaintance and
intimacy commenced, which ended only with his useful life. He left Dayton,
beloved and regretted of all, and accepted a call to superintend a respectable
seminary in Steubenville, Ohio. In this place he continued not quite two years.
In his ministerial exertions he was 'instant in season and out of season,' and
labored with more than ordinary success. His next remove was to Piqua, Ohio,
where he continued as principal of an academy for four years. In all these
places his pulpit efforts were highly acceptable; his social intercourse
seasoned with dignity and piety, and his residence a blessing to all about him.
From this place he made his last remove to Augusta, Kentucky. Here he taught a
classical school for some time, and was afterward appointed principal of Augusta
College, in which relation. he continued until the time of his death. In these
several places his labors in the pulpit were considerable and extensively
useful. All who knew him esteemed him as a man of talents and irreproachable
Christian character. He was indeed, all in all, one of the most amiable,
guileless men I ever knew: never did I know a man more perfectly under the
influence of moral and religious principle. His uniform course was one of high
and unbending rectitude. One error, as reported in the 'Minutes,' respecting his
conversion, I must beg leave to correct. I do it upon his own authority (when
living) and that of his brother, the Rev. James B. Finley, superintendent of the
Wyandot mission . There is something rather remarkable in the manner in which
these worthy ministers were first brought to reflect with more than ordinary
concern upon their latter end. John and James were amusing themselves in the
forest with their guns; and as John was sitting carelessly upon his horse,
James's gun accidentally went off, and the contents came very near entering
John's head. The brothers were mutually alarmed, humbled, and thankful; they
were more than ever struck with the melancholy truth, that 'in the midst of life
we are in death;' they reflected upon their unpreparedness to meet death and
appear in judgment. Each promised the other he would reform; and the result was,
they were both led to seek religion, as the only preparation for eternity. Both
the brothers agree in stating that this circumstance was the means, in the hand
of God, of their awakening and conversion, as neither of them was in the habit
of attending the preaching of the gospel before the inquietude and alarm created
by this occasion. I have been thus minute in detailing the immediate means of
his conversion, at the request of a surviving brother, in whose estimation the
apparent incompetency of the means magnifies the grace of God in this singular
dispensation of blended mercy and providence.
"John P. Finley was in the ministry about fifteen years. He was ordained deacon
by Bishop Asbury, on the 17th of September, 1815. He received ordination as
elder at the hands of Bishop Roberts, July 2, 1820. At the time of his death he
was a member of the Kentucky annual conference -- actively dividing his time and
energies between the business of collegiate instruction and the labor of the
pulpit.
"As a man, the subject of these recollections was engagingly amiable, ingenuous,
and agreeable; equally removed from affectation and reserve, the circle in which
he moved felt the presence of a friend and the influence of a Christian and
minister.
"As a teacher his excellence was acknowledged by all who were competent to
decide upon his claims; and though he gloried most in being found a pupil in the
school of Christ, yet he was no stranger to the academy and lyceum.
"As a husband, there is one living whose tears have been his eulogy, and to
whom, with his orphan children, friendship inscribes these lines. As a father,
he was worthy of his children, and in pointing them to another and better world
he was always careful to leave the way himself.
"As a friend, he was warm, ardent, and confiding, and not less generous than
constant; his intimate friends, however, were few and well selected.
"As a minister, in the pulpit, he was able, impressive, and overwhelming. The
cross of his redemption was his theme, and in life and death it became to him
the 'emphasis of every joy.' In all these relations knew him well, and can
therefore speak from the confidence of personal knowledge and accredited
information.
"The last time I saw him I preached a sermon, at his request, on the
'Inspiration of the Scriptures.' When I had retired to my room, he called on me,
in company with a friend, and in his usual frank manner embraced me, and
observed, 'H____, I thank you for that sermon, and I expect to repeat my
gratitude in heaven.' Little did I think, at this interview, I was gazing on my
friend for the last time, and that in eighteen months his ripened virtues were
to receive the rewards of the heavenly world! But so it was, and I, less fit to
die, am spared another and another year.
"He died on the 8th of May, 1825, in the forty-second year of his age and
sixteenth of his ministry; and at the same time that his bereaved family wept
upon his grave, the sadness of the Church told that she had lost one of her
brightest ornaments. Just before his triumphant spirit rose to sink and sigh no
more, he was asked how he felt, and what were his prospects upon entering the
dark valley and shadow of death. He replied, in language worthy of immortality,
'Not the shadow of a doubt; I have Christ within, the hope of glory -- that
comprehends all;' and then, with the proto-martyr, he 'fell asleep.'
"Such is a very imperfect sketch of the life, character, and death of John P.
Finley. God grant, reader, that you and I may share the glory that gilded the
last hours of his toil."
Of Nathan Walker, Martin Flint, William Young, Thomas Wright, John White, Henry
P. Cook, Christopher Mooring, David Stevens, Sylvester G. Hill, Ezekiel
Canfield, William S. Pease, Samuel G. Atkins, and Damon Young, who had departed
this life during the past year, it is recorded that they all finished their
course with joy.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 309,550; Last Year: 298,658; Increase:
10,892 -- Colored This Year: 51,334; Last Year: 49,537; Increase: 1,797 -- Total
This Year: 360,884; Last Year: 348,195 -- Increase: 12,689 -- Preachers This
Year: 1,406; Last Year: 1,314; Increase: 92.
1827
This year the "Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church" was formed
in the city of New York. The reader, however, is not to infer from this that the
Methodists now for the first time entered upon the work of Sunday school
instruction. In the first volume of this History we have seen that sabbath
schools were commenced among the Methodists in this country as early as 1790,
but were soon discontinued for want of sufficient encouragement. The origin of
these schools in England is well known; and Mr. Wesley was among the first to
patronize and recommend them to his people, and they soon became very general
throughout his societies.
It was about the year 1816 that the several denominations of evangelical
Christians in this country began to turn their attention to Sunday school
instruction, and the plan of a union was formed for the purpose of harmonizing
their views and concentrating their efforts, under an impression that by these
means more good might be effected to the rising generation than by separate and
denominational action. This resulted in the formation of the "American Sunday
School Union," which was located in the city of Philadelphia, and extended
itself, by means of auxiliaries, all over the United States, embracing all
evangelical denominations, or so many of each as chose to unite with them. Into
this union our people had in some places entered. By the parent society books
were issued, agents employed to travel through the country to promote its
objects, and a weekly periodical commenced, devoted especially to the interests
of sabbath schools.
With this general union, however, all were not satisfied. Most of the Protestant
Episcopalians chose to conduct their schools independently of the American
Union, and many of the Methodists were uneasy under this regulation; and, after
much consultation, it was finally agreed to form a Sunday school society of our
own, under such regulations as should be conformable to our doctrinal and other
peculiarities. The reasons for this measure I cannot express better than in the
following address, which was sent out by the managers immediately after the
formation of the society. It fully unfolds the motives and objects by which its
founders were actuated. It is as follows:--
"In approaching you on the subject to which your attention is now invited, the
managers take the liberty of stating a few things which have dictated the
propriety of forming the society designated by the above constitution. They can
assure you that they have not been led hastily into this measure, but, according
to their best ability, have Carefully weighed every circumstance connected with
it, having deliberately consulted with each other, and with their most aged and
experienced brethren, both preachers and private members of the Church.
"The Methodist Episcopal Church is now composed of nearly four hundred thousand
members, upward of fourteen hundred traveling preachers, and perhaps more than
double that number of local preachers. From the peculiar organization of this
Church, all these are considered as one body, adopting the same doctrines,
discipline, mode of church government, and, the managers would hope, actuated by
the same spirit, under the same great Head of the church, striving to preserve
the 'unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace.' These, together with the
regular attendants on the Methodist ministry, make a population, including
children, of not less than two millions, which are dependent on the
ministrations of our Church.
"Without even insinuating the want of soundness in the cardinal principles of
Christianity, in the major part of other Christian denominations in our country,
calling in question the purity of their motives or ardency of their zeal, the
managers will not conceal the fact, that they give a decided preference to their
own Church, firmly believing its doctrines and discipline, and have witnessed
with unspeakable joy its surprising progress in so short a time, and its
salutary influence on the hearts and lives of so many happy thousands. It is a
truth as evident as the blaze of the sun at mid-day, that the first impetus
which was given to the great work of reformation now going forward in the world,
God gave through the instrumentality of the Wesleys and their coadjutors in the
'ministry of reconciliation.' The introduction into this country of a spiritual
and energetic itinerating ministry, first begun' by those men of God, has
produced results at once astonishing and delightful. Others have caught the
missionary Spirit, and have entered into the work with zeal and success. In
spreading pure religion, the managers wish them all good speed.
"Among other effects of this great work, by which the present age is
distinguished, sabbath school instruction is not the least. The primary object
of the first promoters of this work was to afford elementary instruction to such
poor children as were destitute of common day school education, and at the same
time to give such religions instruction as is suited to the age and capacity of
the children. The utility of this mode of imparting knowledge to the juvenile
mind soon became apparent to all denominations of Christians, and in the large
towns and cities especially they have less or more availed themselves of its
advantages. In the progress of the work, in our country, efforts have been made
to unite all sects and parties in one general society, called 'The American
Sunday School Union Society;' and while many have come into this union, others,
thinking it best to manage their own affairs in their own way, remain in all
insulated state, or have arrayed themselves under the standard of their own
denomination.
"Among others who have hitherto stood alone, there are many belonging to our
Church. Not feeling inclined to connect themselves with the general union, and
finding no center of union in their own Church, they have long felt the
inconvenience of their insulated state. As the Methodist Book Concern is located
in the city of New York, it was natural for them to look to this place for aid.
Accordingly, frequent applications have been made to the agents of that
establishment in reference to this subject. It was at once perceived that this
establishment afforded facilities for printing and circulating books suitable
for Sunday schools, as well as the receiving and sending out, through the medium
of the periodical works printed there, all necessary information in relation to
their institution which could not be obtained elsewhere; and the agents of that
Concern have pledged themselves to the society that Sunday school books shall be
furnished by them as cheap as they can be obtained at any other place.
"These circumstances led to the idea of forming a Sunday School Union for the
Methodist Episcopal Church. But here, at the outset, many difficulties were to
be encountered. Most of those in our Church engaged in Sunday schools in the
city of New York were connected with the general union; and though some things
had recently transpired of which they could not wholly approve, they were
strongly attached to the union, having labored in this work with their brethren
of other denominations with much harmony and Christian feeling; but, after
deliberating with calmness on all the circumstances of the case, the managers
are convinced that duty enjoins it on them, because more good may be ultimately
accomplished, to form a union for the Church of which they are members,
independent of the American Union. Experiment alone will test the correctness of
this opinion.
"It has already been observed, that the primary object of Sunday schools was to
impart elementary instruction, mixed with religious improvement, to those
children who were destitute of the advantages derived from common schools.
Though this original object ought never to be abandoned, yet the general
diffusion of this sort of instruction in our country, through the medium of
common schools, and public and private free schools, renders this object less
essential. Hence religious instruction is the grand and primary object of Sunday
school instruction in our day and among our children. On this account, how, ever
humiliating the fact, a general union of all parties becomes the more difficult.
Whatever may be the intention, each teacher of religion will more or less
inculcate his own peculiar views of Christianity, and thus insensibly create
party feelings and interests. And this difficulty is increased by the practice
recently adopted by the employment of missionaries who are to be supported from
the funds of the general institution. The managers are of the opinion, that the
most likely way for the several denominations to live and labor together in
peace, is for each to conduct its own affairs, and still to hold out the hand of
fellowship to its neighbor. They therefore disclaim all unfriendly feeling
toward others who may be engaged in this good work. They wish them all success
in diffusing moral and religious influence on the minds of youth, and hope
always to be ready to reciprocate any at of kindness which may contribute to
strengthen each other's hands in the work in which they are mutually engaged.
"Having thus explained the views of the society, the managers would now call on
their brethren and friends to unite with them, by establishing, wherever it is
practicable, Sunday school associations auxiliary to this society. To give a
direction to this work, and to produce as much uniformity as local circumstances
will allow, the form of a constitution suitable for auxiliary societies is
herewith submitted.
"One principal reason for locating the parent society in New York, in preference
to any other place, is the facilities afforded by our Book Concern for printing
and circulating books. The agents of that growing establishment hold an
extensive correspondence with every part of our country, and possess the
readiest means of communicating information on every subject connected with
Sunday school instruction, and can supply any auxiliary with books on the
shortest notice and cheapest terms. And it will be perceived, by an article in
the constitution, that by paying three dollars into the funds of the
institution, sending a list of its officers, and a copy of its annual report, an
auxiliary is entitled to purchase books at the reduced prices. A list of the
books, with the prices annexed, will hereafter be furnished through the medium
of the Advocate and Journal.
"That an itinerating ministry possesses advantages peculiar to itself, in
promoting objects of benevolence, will not be, by any, disputed. This, as well
as the manner in which our Book Concern is conducted, supersedes the necessity
and the expense of employing separate agencies in order to carry on the work of
Sunday school instruction. The funds, therefore, which may be raised, can be
appropriated to the purchase of books.
"It will be perceived from the constitution, that it is the design of this
society, by means of auxiliaries, to comprehend every part of our Church in this
great and good cause. The senior bishop is constituted the president, and the
other four bishops are vice presidents; and provision is made for each annual
conference to elect a vice president from its own body; and he board of managers
being located in New York, a center of union is formed for the whole community,
and all being connected with our Book Concern, an easy channel of communication
is opened, by which books may be printed and circulated, and remittances and
information made and received.
"These being the views and objects of the society, the managers think that they
may confidently call on their brethren and friends for their aid and
cooperation. To the ministers of the Church, especially, do they look for an
efficient effort in carrying the benevolent design into practical operation. Let
them think on the numerous children unbosomed in the Church, which they are
appointed to nourish with the sincere milk of the word. These are the lambs of
the flock, which, that they may become the sheep of God's pasture, must be
tenderly nursed. Let them, therefore, be gathered into the fold of sabbath
schools, put under the care of faithful shepherds, who will watch over their
welfare, instill into their minds moral and religious truth, and thus prepare
them, under the influence of divine grace, to become faithful followers of the
chief Shepherd and Bishop of their souls.
"The managers conclude by commending their cause to God and to the prayers of
their brethren, that they may be wisely directed in this arduous enterprise, and
by saying that any suggestion, by which the system may be improved, so as to
accomplish more perfectly the purposes of its organization, will be thankfully
received and duly considered."
The following article in the constitution of the society will show what were its
objects:--
"The objects of this society shall be, to promote the formation and to
concentrate the efforts of sabbath schools connected with the congregations of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and all others that may become auxiliary; to aid
in the instruction of the rising generation, particularly in the knowledge of
the Holy Scriptures, and in the service and worship of God."
Provision was then made for the formation of auxiliary societies, and other
matters usually connected with Sunday school operations, for furnishing books,
funds, &c.
The constitution was adopted and the society formed on the second day of April,
1827, and it commenced its operations under the most favorable auspices. The
measure, indeed, was very generally approved., and hailed with grateful delight
by our brethren and friends throughout the country. It received the sanction of
the several annual conferences, who recommended to the people of their charge to
form auxiliary societies in every circuit and station, and send to the general
depository in New York for their books; and such were the zeal and unanimity
with which they entered into this work, that a the first annual meeting of the
society there were reported 251 auxiliary societies, 1,025 schools, 2,045
superintendents, 10,290 teachers, and 63,240 scholars, besides about 2,000
managers and visitors. Never, therefore, did an institution go into operation
under more favorable circumstances, or was hailed with a more universal joy,
than the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Our separation, however, from the general union, and the establishment of a
distinct organization, provoked no little opposition from some quarters, and led
the managers into an investigation of the origin of Sunday schools, both in
Europe and America, and the facts elicited were spread before the community in
their first annual report. By this it appeared, as before stated, that although
Mr. Raikes might have been the first to organize regular sabbath schools in
England, yet Mr. Wesley was among the first to patronize them, and the very
first to furnish teachers who gave their services gratuitously; that even the
British and Foreign Bible Society originated from the exertions of a Methodist
preacher who had been laboring in the sabbath school cause in Wales; and that in
America they had been taught among the Methodists, amidst storms of reproach and
persecution, long before they were ever thought of by other denominations. These
facts were amply ported by irrefutable testimony, and they therefore served to
put the question at rest respecting the origin and permanent establishment of
sabbath schools in England, and their subsequent progress in this country. *[21]
That the formation of this society has had a most happy effect upon the
interests of the rising generation, particularly those under the influence of
our own denomination, there can be no doubt. As many of our people were not
pleased with the movements of the American Union, and some who were connected
with it felt dissatisfied in that relation, they had not entered so heartily nor
so generally as was desirable into the work of sabbath school instruction; but
now, every objection arising from these sources being removed, a general and
almost simultaneous action in favor of this important cause commenced throughout
our ranks, and it has continued steadily increasing to the present time,
exerting a hallowing influence upon all who come under its control and
direction.
And we rejoice to know that the American Union, as well as those existing
separately among other denominations, has exerted, and is still exerting, a
Similar in influence on all who come within the sphere of its and their
operations. Let them be conducted in the fear of God, under the superintendence
of men and women who enjoy and exemplify experimental and practical godliness,
and they shall form an effectual barrier against the overflowings of infidelity
and its kindred errors and vices, and continue as a lofty beacon to direct the
youthful mind into the channel of gospel truth and holiness. The mere question
of their origin, however honorable it may be to their originator, is lost amidst
the blaze of glory which shall surround the churches by the conscientious labors
of those who have conducted and shall continue to conduct them forward in the
spirit of Him who said, "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them
not, for of such is the kingdom of God," and who "out of the mouths of babes and
sucklings hath perfected praise." The high approbation of God is to be prized
above a thousand wreaths of mere human laurels. The latter will fade and die,
while the former will cause the individual on whom it falls to bloom in immortal
vigor around the throne above. Instead, therefore, of contending about the fact
to whom the honor belongs of beginning this mighty machinery which is performing
such wonders of mercy to the rising generation, let us bless God for raising up
such a man as Raikes, for such a powerful patron as Wesley, and for inspiring so
many of his servants to exert their strength to perpetuate this means of doing
good from one generation to another.
The Cherokee mission, within the bounds of the Tennessee conference, was
extending its influence among that nation with encouraging success. Last year
there were four missionaries appointed to labor here, who formed regular
circuits, and divided the native converts, now consisting of about four hundred,
into classes, and furnished them with the ordinances of the gospel. A native
preacher, by the name of Turtle Fields, had been raised up, who became eminently
useful to his brethren, as he could speak to them in their own language of the
"wonderful works of God."
Though it was the practice of all our missionaries who were sent among the
aboriginal tribes, first of all to preach to them the gospel of Christ, yet when
they had embraced it, and became reformed in heart and life, they generally
forsook their former mode of living, and entered upon the arts of civilized man.
Indeed, this was the secret of our success. Every attempt which had been made to
reform the savages of our wildernesses, by introducing the arts of civilization
first, and by initiating them into the knowledge of letters before they were
converted to Christianity, has failed of success. Instead of pursuing this
round-about method to bring them to the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus
Christ, our missionaries have addressed themselves directly to their hearts,
recited to them the simple narrative of the life, the sufferings, the death, and
the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and impressed upon their minds the grand
truth, that all this was for them, and that, in believing it heartily, even they
should be "saved from their sins." This method, and this only, has taken effect.
A believing knowledge of the love of God in Christ Jesus has melted them into
tenderness; and the light of divine truth, thus shining upon their hearts, has
revealed to them their wretchedness as sinners, and brought them as humble
penitents to the foot of the cross, where they have waited in humble
supplication until Christ made them free. And then, after being thus liberated
from the bondage of sin, and brought into the liberties of the gospel, they have
been conducted with the utmost ease to the practice of the domestic arts, and to
all the usages of civilized life.
This was the case with these converted Cherokees and others. "The traveler,"
says the report of the committee of the Tennessee conference for this year,
"through their settlements, observing cottages erecting, regular towns building,
farms cultivated, the sabbath regularly observed, and almost an entire change in
the character and pursuits of the people, is ready to ask, with surprise, Whence
this change? The answer is, The Lord Jesus, in answer to the prayers of
thousands of his people, is receiving the accomplishment of the promise, I will
give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. Here is a nation at our door, our
neighbors," (once) "remarkable for their ferocity and ignorance, now giving the
most striking evidence of the utility of missionary exertions." Two houses of
worship had been erected, one of which, having been consumed by fire, was
rebuilt this year by the natives themselves, without any expense to the mission.
For the benefit of the youth schools were established, and the children soon
gave evidence of their capacity and willingness to learn, two of whom gave
promise of usefulness as preachers of the gospel to their own nation. These were
placed under the special care of the Rev. William McMahon, the superintendent of
the mission. So evident was the change which had been wrought in the hearts and
lives of these people, that even those who had no interest in the mission were
constrained to acknowledge the hand of God. So rapidly, indeed, did the work
spread, that in 1825 the number of converted natives had increased to eight
hundred, and seven missionaries were employed in that interesting field of
labor, including Turtle Fields, who was now eminently distinguished for his deep
piety, and diligence in promoting the interests of the mission. The white
missionaries were also greatly assisted by another converted Cherokee, a young
man of promising talents and piety, who acted as an interpreter to the circuit
preacher.
A new mission was begun this year among another branch of the Mississaugas, who
resided on Snake and Yellow Head Islands, in Lake Simcoe, Upper Canada. The
whole body of Indians who resided here consisted of six hundred, the largest
body of any who spoke the Chippeway language this side of Lake Huron. Some of
these, hearing a discourse from one of our preachers, became deeply impressed
with the leading truths of Christianity, and expressed an earnest desire to have
a missionary sent to instruct them. Accordingly some benevolent members of our
Church went and established a sabbath school among them. By this simple means
more than forty were reclaimed from their pagan superstitions. Such was the
success of this mission, after being supplied with a regular missionary, that in
1829 there were four hundred and twenty-nine under religious instruction, three
hundred and fifty of whom were orderly members of the Church; one hundred of
their children were taught in two separate schools, by a male and female
teacher. A schoolhouse and parsonage were built on Snake Island, and a
mission-house on Yellow Head Island, and the converts were gradually brought to
attend to agricultural and domestic duties.
The other aboriginal missions, heretofore mentioned, were still improving in
religion and morals, as well as in the arts of civilized life, and great was the
interest manifested by the Christian church in their behalf. This year, however,
the Wyandot mission suffered a great loss in the death of Between-the-logs, one
of their most eminent chiefs, and an eloquent and able advocate of Christianity.
And as he was a chief man among then, and, after his conversion, had exerted a
powerful influence in favor of the mission, it is presumed that the reader will
be pleased with the following particulars of his life and death, which the
author of the History of the Missions under the care of the Methodist Episcopal
Church prepared for and published in that work.
"He was born, it is said, in the neighborhood of Lower Sandusky, about the year
1780. *[22] His father was of the Seneca, and his mother a Wyandot of the Bear
tribe, from whom he derived his name, Between-the-logs, the name which they give
to a bear, signifying to crouch between the logs, because this animal, under
peculiar circumstances, lies down between logs; hence the name Between-the-logs,
a literal translation of the Bear tribe, was a distinctive appellation of the
tribe to which he belonged, and of which he became a chief.
"As he acted a conspicuous part in the nation, and finally became very eminently
useful in the cause of Christianity, the following brief account of his life and
death will doubtless be acceptable to the reader. When about nine years of age
his father and mother separated, and Between-the-logs remained with his father
until the death of the latter, when he returned to his mother among the
Wyandots. Soon after this he joined the Indian warriors who were defeated by
General Wayne. His prompt obedience to the chief, his enterprising disposition,
and the faithful discharge of his duties, called him into public notice, and
finally raised him to be a chief of the nation; and the soundness of his
judgment, his good memory, and his great powers of eloquence, procured for him
the office of chief speaker, and the confidential adviser of the head chief.
"When about twenty-five years of age, he was sent to ascertain the doctrines and
pretensions of a reputed Seneca prophet, whose imposture he soon detected, and
some years after he went on a similar errand to a noted Shawnee prophet, a
brother of the famous Tecumseh, with whom he stayed nearly a year; and being
fully convinced himself, he was enabled to convince others, that their
pretensions to the spirit of prophecy were all a deception.
"At the commencement of hostilities between this country and Great Britain, in
1812, in company with the head chief of the nation, he attended a great council
of the northern Indians, collected to deliberate on the question whether they
should join the British against the Americans. Here, although powerfully
opposed, and even threatened with death if he did not join them,
Between-the-logs utterly refused to take up arms against his American brethren,
and exerted all his powers to dissuade the Wyandots from involving themselves in
this quarrel. Soon after, he and the majority of the warriors belonging to the
Wyandots joined the American standard, and accompanied General Harrison in his
invasion of Upper Canada. At the conclusion of the war he settled with his
brother at Upper Sandusky, and, like most of the savages, indulged himself in
intemperance. In one of his fits of intoxication he unfortunately murdered his
wife; but, on coming to himself, the recollection of this horrid deed made such
an impression on his mind, that he almost entirely abandoned the use of ardent
spirits ever afterward.
"In 1817 Between-the logs had an opportunity of displaying his love of justice
in behalf of his nation. The Wyandots being persuaded by intriguing men to sign
a treaty for the sale of their lands, contrary to his earnest expostulations,
he, in company with some others, undertook a journey to Washington on their own
responsibility, without consulting any one. When introduced to the secretary of
war, the secretary observed to them that he had received no notice of their
coming from any of the government agents. To this Between-the logs replied, with
noble freedom, 'We got up and came of ourselves -- we believed the great road
was free to us.' He plead the cause of the Indians with such forcible eloquence
before the heads of departments at Washington, that they obtained an enlargement
of territory, and an increase of their annuities.
"Of his having embraced the gospel, and the aid he rendered to the missionaries
to extend its influence among his people, an account has already been given. His
understanding being enlightened by divine truth, and his heart moved with
compassion for the salvation of his countrymen, he exerted all his powers to
bring them to the knowledge of the truth; and such was the success of his
efforts, that his brethren gave him license, first to exhort, and then to
preach. Some of his speeches before the Ohio conference, which he attended
several times, did honor equally to his head and heart, and powerfully enlisted
the feelings of the conference in behalf of the mission.
"In the year 1826, he and Mononcue accompanied Mr. Finley on a visit from
Sandusky to New York, where they attended several meetings, and among others the
anniversary of the Female Missionary Society of New York. Here Between-the-logs
spoke with great fire and animation, relating his own experience of divine
things, and gave a brief narrative of the work of God among his people. Though
he addressed the audience through an interpreter who spoke the English language
but imperfectly, yet his speech had a powerful effect upon those who heard him.
His voice was musical, his gestures graceful, significant, and dignified, and
his whole demeanor bespoke a soul full of lofty ideas and full of God. On one
occasion he remarked, that when at home he had been accustomed to be addressed
by his brethren, but that since he had come here he had heard nothing that he
understood, and added, 'I wonder if the people understand one another', for I
see but little effect produced by what is said.' After a few words spoken in
reply to this remark, by way of explanation and apology, he kneeled down and
offered a most fervent prayer to Almighty God. In this journey, as they passed
through the country, they visited Philadelphia, Baltimore, and several of the
intervening villages, and held meetings, and took up collections for the benefit
of the mission. This tended to excite a missionary spirit among the people, and
everywhere Between-the-logs was hailed as a monument of divine mercy and grace,
and as a powerful advocate for the cause of Christianity; and he, together with
those who accompanied him, left a most favorable impression behind them of the
good effects of the gospel on the savage mind and heart.
"It was very evident to all who beheld him that he could not long continue an
inhabitant of this world. Already the consumption was making fearful inroads
upon his constitution, and his continual labors in the gospel contributed to
hasten its progress to its fatal termination. Very soon after his return to his
nation he was confined to his bed. Being asked respecting the foundation of his
hope, he replied, 'It is in the mercy of God in Christ.' 'I asked him,' says Mr.
Gilruth, who was at this time the missionary, 'of his evidence;' he said, 'It is
the comfort of the Spirit.' 'I asked him if he was afraid to die;' he said, 'I
am not.' Are you resigned to go?' He cried, 'I have felt some desires of the
world, but they are all gone, and I now feel willing to die or live, as God sees
best.' The day before he died he was visited by Mr. Finley, to whom he expressed
his unshaken confidence in God, and a firm hope, through Jesus Christ, of
eternal life. He finally died in peace, leaving his nation to mourn the loss of
a chief and a minister of Jesus Christ to whom they felt themselves much
indebted for his many exertions both for their temporal and spiritual
prosperity."
Some new settlements in Upper Canada, which had not hitherto been supplied with
the word of life, were this year visited by the Rev. George Poole, as a
missionary; these formed the Richmond mission; and Mr. Poole succeeded in
procuring twelve preaching places, and two hundred Church members were returned
on the Minutes for the next year.
The work of God in the older circuits and stations was this year very generally
in a prosperous state. Among other places which had been visited with the
reviving influences of God's Spirit, the city of New York shared in a
considerable degree. Last year a new church had been erected in Willett Street,
which was dedicated to the service of Almighty God on May the 7th by Bishop
McKendree, and was now well filled with attentive hearers. The congregation in
this place had been raised chiefly by the labors of local preachers, assisted
occasionally by the preachers stationed in New York, who held their meetings in
a private room, then in a school-room, when in 1819 they occupied a
mission-house in Broome Street, which had been built by the mission board of the
Presbyterian Church, for the purpose of instructing profligate females; but this
plan not succeeding according to the benevolent design of its patrons, the house
was rented to our trustees, and the appointment was taken into the regular plan,
and supplied by the stationed preachers.
God honored this place by giving sanction to the labors of his servants; and in
1823 a gracious work commenced, which had continued with more or less success
until the time of which we now speak. Since the new house had been occupied the
work of formation had much increased, so that about one hundred and twenty bad
been added to the church from the month of June to February. Gracious seasons of
refreshing were also blessing the other churches of the city during the year, so
that about three hundred and sixty were added to the Church, including white and
colored.
It seems that very considerable accessions had been made to the church in the
city of New Haven during the years of 1826 and 1827, under the labors of the
Rev. Heman Bangs; and as this is a very important position in the state of
Connecticut, perhaps a short narrative of the work in this place may not be
unacceptable to the reader. New Haven, indeed, may be considered the Athens of
this part of New England, being delightfully situated at the head of a
convenient harbor, on a sandy plain, just at the termination of those high
bluffs called "East and West Rocks," which rise to the height of about four
hundred feet, from the summit of which the admirer of natural scenery,
beautified by the works of art, may have an extensive and charming view of the
surrounding country, the city, the harbor, and the neighboring villages. Here,
amidst artificial groves, which render New Haven one of the most rural and
pleasant cities on the continent, Yale College rears its stately buildings,
together with churches and other public as well as private edifices.
We have already seen that the Rev. Jesse Lee, as early as 1789, visited this
place; but the first class was formed by the Rev. Daniel Ostrander, who entered
the traveling ministry in 1793, and has continued from that time to this in the
itinerant field. This was in the year 1795; and William Thacher and Pember
Jocelyn were among the first who joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in New
Haven; the former joined the traveling connection in 1797, and has continued a
faithful laborer to this day; and the latter became a local preacher, and
continued, amidst much opposition, in the early days of Methodism, faithful
until death. The first heralds of the cross who visited New Haven found a
resting-place in the house of Mr. Gilbert, who, thou dead, yet speaketh in his
children and grandchildren, who are following the steps of their sire in the way
to heaven, being members of the same Church of which he became an early member
and supporter.
But though Methodism had this early beginning in New Haven, the number of its
disciples was few, and they remained in a feeble state until they were detached
from the circuit and organized as a separate station in 1813, and even for some
years after their increase was but small. In the succeeding year the Rev. Gad
Smith, a young preacher of good talents, remarkable for the purity of his mind,
great simplicity of intention, and fidelity in his work, was stationed in New
Haven, and he brought the members into gospel order, built them up in love, and
laid a foundation for their future prosperity. Such a laborer, indeed, is rarely
found so prudent, so entirely devoted to his work, and so indefatigable in his
endeavors to do good to others. But, notwithstanding his pious labors and
prudent conduct, the society did not rise into much strength until they
succeeded, in 1821 and 1822, by the laudable exertions of the Rev. William
Thacher, in building them a commodious house of worship, which was completed and
dedicated to God in the spring of 1822, near the termination of Mr. Thacher's
labors. During the three years, namely, from 1819 to 1822, the society had
increased from thirty-six whites and thirty-five colored to two hundred whites
and five colored; *[23] and they had steadily persevered, enlarging their
borders and extending their influence, until this year they numbered two hundred
and sixteen whites and two colored. They had been blessed with several powerful
revivals, and a considerable accession of members, but the constant emigration
to the west bad prevented a proportionate increase to their membership.
Revivals of religion were quite prevalent this year in various places; but as I
have heretofore so fully narrated the progress of the work, particularly its
commencement in any given place, it is judged inexpedient to enter into further
details in this place. The results may be seen by a reference to the general
increase.
An academy had been commenced at Readfield, under the patronage of the Maine
conference, with which manual labor was connected, embracing agricultural and
mechanical arts. A benevolent individual consecrated a portion of his wealth,
ten thousand dollars, toward the founding of this institution, and it received
the sanction of the state by an act of incorporation, under the title of "The
Maine Wesleyan Seminary." Here by means of manual labor, the physical as well as
mental and moral powers of the student are trained to industry, and thus that
sickly constitution, so often the effect of severe study in youth, is prevented,
and the "piercing wit and active limb" become mutual aids to each other. In
addition to a thorough English education, a regular classical course is pursued,
by which the student is fitted to enter college, or upon the more active duties
of life.
Sixty-three had located, seventy-seven returned supernumerary, eighty-seven
superannuated, one had withdrawn, and six had been expelled. The following had
died:-- Archibald McElroy, John Walker, James R. Keach, Arthur McClure, Ellison
Taylor, Philip Bruce, James Smith, John Collins, John Creamer, Seth Crowell,
John Shaw, and Freeborn Garrettson.
In writing some of these names, we can hardly avoid the reflection, how fast,
one after another, the aged veterans of Methodism, who saw it in its first
glory, and had contributed so much, by their labors and sacrifices, to lay the
foundation for its future prosperity, were removed from the earthly to the
heavenly tabernacle. Had I the time, how I should delight to linger along their
path, mark their progress, often amidst storms of persecution, tears of sorrow,
mingled indeed with shouts of triumph, while they held up the banner of the
cross to the listening multitudes who hung on their lips for instruction! Those,
indeed, were the chivalrous days of Methodism, when Bruce and Garrettson, often
side by side, and then again in separate and distant fields of action, were
fighting the battles of their Lord, almost single-handed, and crying, with a
loud and distinct voice, to sinners to repent and give glory to God. Such were
the men, and such their work, that their names will be transmitted to posterity,
surrounded with that halo of glory which can be won only by those who have
devoted themselves to so noble a work with such a disinterested zeal as shall
put to silence that caviling criticism which would transmute a human infirmity
into a moral delinquency, and bury real excellence beneath the rubbish of those
imperfections which are inseparable from human beings. For such cavilings we
have no fellowship. But for the stern and uncompromising virtues which adorned
and fortified the souls of those devoted men of God, several of whose names,
accompanied with sketches of their labors and characters, have already been
recorded, who first stood on the walls of our Zion, a veneration is felt which
it is difficult either to repress or express. Who does not feel the kindlings of
gratitude to God for raising up such men, qualifying them for their work,
directing and sustaining them in its performance, and then taking them to their
final reward?
We trace Philip Bruce back to the persecuted Huguenots, whose ancestors fled to
this country to avoid the fury of Louis XIV and his bigoted counselors, who
drove those devoted men from the kingdom merely because they would not bow the
knee to a wafer god, and acknowledge the pope as the infallible head of the
church. His ancestors settled in North Carolina, where Philip was born, *[24]
and in early life, by the assiduity of a pious mother, he was taught the fear of
God, experienced a change of heart, and, with her, connected himself with the
Methodist societies. In 1781, three years before the organization of our Church,
he entered the itinerant field of gospel labor, in which he continued faithful
until the day of his death. For forty-five years did he stand as a sentinel the
walls of our Zion, giving a faithful warning, to all who came within the sound
of his voice, of the dangers of a life of sin, and encouraging those who were
attempting to "flee the wrath to come," to seek for shelter under the wing of
God's mercy. During the whole of this time, some periods of which were seasons
of no little peril and suffering, Philip Bruce kept his eye fixed steadily upon
the "mark of the prize of his high calling," nor deviated from the
straightforward path, until he happily reached the goal for which he run. He
traveled extensively on various circuits, presided over several districts, and
was sometimes spoken of as a suitable person to fill the office of a
superintendent; and wherever he traveled, or whatever station he filled, he won
the confidence of his brethren by the honest purpose of his heart, the
blamelessness of his life, and by the ability and zeal with which he discharged
his high and holy duties.
He was not naturally fluent as a speaker. Considered, therefore, simply as a
pulpit orator, he had many defects, often hesitating, as though he hardly knew
how to give utterance to his thoughts. Yet the evident sincerity of his heart,
manifested by the purity of his life, his knowledge of the sacred Scriptures his
sound understanding, and prudence of conduct, gave weight to his words, and
commanded attention and respect.
If I were to select any traits of character, by which to distinguish him among
others, I should say they were meekness and diffidence. These seemed to shine
through all his actions, to sit prominently on his countenance, and to dictate
and guide him in all he said and did. He thus imbibed the sacred lesson taught
by his Lord and Master, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart."
In his public addresses he was wont to interrupt the regular chain of discourse
by putting up a fervent ejaculation to God for divine aid, and for a blessing
upon his labors -- a practice which was very common among the older Methodist
preachers, arising, no doubt, from a feeling sense of their dependence on God
for help.
The late Dr. William Phoebus, speaking of Philip Bruce, remarked, that once,
while hearing him preach, he began to hesitate, as if at a loss what to say
next, and then broke forth in prayer, and finally said to the people, "I beg of
you to pray for me, for you know that I cannot preach unless assisted from
above." This broke him loose from his embarrassment, and he went on with his
discourse, to the astonishment of all present. At other times there was an air
of pleasantness -- not trifling -- arising, apparently, from the buoyancy of his
spirits, which made him extremely agreeable to those intimately acquainted with
him, but which sometimes presented him unfavorably to others. With him, however,
all was sincerity, aiming constantly to benefit his fellow-men by the best means
he could select.
In 1817, with much reluctance, as though unwilling to acknowledge himself
outdone by any, he took a superannuated relation, and removed soon after to Elk
river, in the state of Tennessee, and spent the remainder of his days there with
his aged mother and his brethren. Ascertaining that it was his intention to move
to that part of the country, his brethren in the Virginia conference, many of
whom had been raised under his fostering care, affectionately and earnestly
requested him to remain among them, which, however, he respectfully declined.
And nothing can more strikingly show the strength of their affection for him,
and evince the high estimation in which he was held, than the fact, that not
long before his death the Virginia conference sent him an invitation to pay them
a friendly visit, that they might once more mingle their prayers and praise
together. This also he declined in the following words:--
"Many affectionate ties bind me to the Virginia conference. Your expressions of
good-will have awakened the tenderest friendships of my soul; but it is very
probable that I shall never see you again; for though in my zeal I sometimes try
to preach, my preaching is like old Priam's dart -- thrown by an arm enfeebled
with age. Indeed, my work is well nigh done, and I am waiting in glorious
expectation for my change to come; for I have not labored and suffered for
naught, nor followed a cunningly devised fable."
Not long after, his expectation, in regard to his departure to another world,
was realized. On the 10th of May, 1826, at the house of his brother, Mr. Joel
Bruce, who lived in the county of Giles, Tennessee, this tried veteran of Christ
died in the triumph of faith, surrounded by his friends, sealing by his dying
testimony the truth and power of that religion which he had recommended to
others for forty-five years.
The name of Freeborn Garrettson is familiar to most of my readers. Of the early
days of his ministry, and of the sufferings he endured in the cause of his
Divine Master, as well as his success in winning souls to Christ, an ample
account has been given in the preceding volumes of this History; and those who
wish to see these things in a more full and minute detain, are referred to his
biography, which has been published and extensively circulated.
He may be said to have been one of the early pioneers of Methodism in this
country, for he joined the itinerant connection in 1775, when only twenty-three
years of age, and was employed for many years in forming new circuits and
districts, in which he was eminently useful. At the time of his admission into
the itinerant ranks, in 1775, the number of preachers was only 19, and members
in the societies 3,145; and at the time of his death, in 1827, these had
increased to 1,642 preachers, and Church members 421,105; and perhaps no
individual preacher contributed more, if indeed as much, to promote this spread
of the work, than the Rev. Freeborn Garrettson. Young, vigorous, unreservedly
devoted to God, and exceedingly zealous for the salvation of souls, wherever he
went he carried the flame of divine love with him, breathing it out in the most
pointed and earnest appeals to the consciences of sinners, and in the soothing
words of promise and encouragement to mourning penitents. Nor was he less
earnest in pressing believers forward in the path of humble obedience, that they
might attain the heights and depths of redeeming love.
From his entrance upon this work until 1784 he traveled extensively through the
states of North and South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland -- his native state --
Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; and in all these states he preached the
word with peculiar success, thousands hanging upon his lips with eager
attention, and hundreds also bearing witness to the truths he delivered by the
reformation which was effected in their hearts and lives through his
instrumentality. And though his enemies thought to confine him in the prisons to
which they committed him "for the testimony of Jesus," they were disappointed in
their expectation by the overruling providence of God, so that even their wrath
"was made to praise him." In those places where he so labored and suffered, the
name of Freeborn Garrettson was long remembered by many of the first generation
of Methodists, associated with the grateful recollection that he was their
spiritual father; and on his subsequent visits, when time had wrinkled his brows
and they had grown old in the service of their Lord and Master, the fires of
their first love were enkindled afresh, and they mingled their songs of
thanksgiving together for the "former and the latter rains" of divine grace. How
sweet were these recollections!
He was one of the little veteran band that so nobly withstood the innovators
upon Wesleyan Methodism in 1778 and 1779, when it required all the united
wisdom, prudence, forbearance, and cautious foresight of Asbury and his
associates, who stood by him, to check the froward zeal of those who would run
before they were sent, to lay on hands suddenly, and to administer the
ordinances without proper authority. He stood firm to his purpose, and assisted
in keeping the ship to her moorings, until the Christmas conference furnished
her with suitable rigging, and set her afloat, properly manned and officered,
with well-authenticated certificates of their character and authority to act as
her commanders and conductors.
Garrettson was also among those memorable men to whom Dr. Coke first unfolded
the plan devised by Wesley for the organization of the Methodist societies in
America into a church. At the request of Asbury and Coke, he "went," says the
latter, "like an arrow," to call the preachers together in the city of Baltimore
on the 25th of December, 1754, where they matured those plans and adopted those
measures which have proved such a lasting blessing to the Methodist community in
this country. In the midst of this assembly, which, though few in numbers, was
composed of some of the choicest spirits of the age, stood Garrettson, young,
ardent, full of zeal for God, and giving his counsel in favor of the system of
rules, orders, and ordinances submitted to them by Coke, under the sanction of
Wesley. With Asbury, Dickens, Reed, Gill, Pedicord, Ware, Tunnell, Phoebus, and
others, of precious memory, fathers in our Israel, he commingled his prayers and
counsels, and thus contributed to lay, deep and wide, the foundation of that
spiritual edifice which, by the blessing of God on their labors, even he lived
to see neared in beauty and glory, and under whose roof many a wanderer has
sought shelter and rest.
He was also the first Methodist preacher in this country who went on a foreign
mission. Having received the order of an elder at the Christmas conference, and
being solicited by Dr. Coke to embark on a mission to Nova Scotia, he cheerfully
relinquished home and kindred, and went to that distant province of the British
empire to carry the glad tidings of salvation to the lost. Here, amid summer's
heat and winter's cold, and sometimes hunger and thirst, be continued about two
years, traveling extensively, preaching the word with diligence, and rejoicing
over penitent sinners who were returning to God; and such was their affection
and respect for his character, that, had they won his consent, they would most
gladly have retained him as their permanent superintendent, and that, too, under
the sanction of both Wesley and Coke.
But his Lord had other work for him to do. Not long after his return from Nova
Scotia, namely, in 1755, Mr. Garrettson penetrated through the country north of
the city of New York, on both sides the Hudson river, where the voice of a
Methodist preacher was never before heard. Here, in the character of a presiding
elder, he gave direction to the labors of several young preachers, who spread
themselves through the country, north and south, reaching even to Vermont,
proclaiming, in all places where they went, the unsearchable riches of Christ.
By these labors a foundation was laid for that work of God in those more
northern states of the confederacy which has since spread so gloriously among
the people.
But we cannot follow him in all his useful movements, from one year to another,
through the different parts of the country. Suffice it to say here, that he
continued with unabated ardor and diligence in his Master's work until the year
1817, when, contrary to his wishes, for he seemed loath to believe himself
unable to perform efficient service, he was returned a supernumerary. This,
however, by no means abridged his labors. Though cut loose from the regular
work, he still pursued the path of usefulness, making occasional excursions east
and west, north and south, exhibiting the same fervor of spirit, the same
breathing after immortality and eternal life, by which he had ever been
characterized.
In 1791 Mr. Garrettson saw fit to exchange the single for a married life, and
his choice fell upon a woman, Miss Catharine Livingston, of Rhinebeck, N.Y., who
was every way fitted, both from education and piety, to assist him in the grand
work in which he had engaged. This also furnished him with means to preach the
gospel without fee or reward, as well as to exhibit the hospitalities of a
liberal mind, and thereby to fulfill the apostolic precept, "For a bishop" (or
elder) "must be given to hospitality." From the time of his settlement at
Rhinebeck, where he located his family, his house and heart were open to receive
and welcome the messengers of God; and around his hospitable board have they
often, from year to year, mingled their friendly souls in conversation, prayer,
and praise; nor could these guests depart without carrying with them grateful
recollections of the gospel simplicity, courtesy, and liberality with which they
had been entertained.
But the time at last arrived when this man of God, one of the patriarchs of
American Methodism, must resign up his breath to God who gave it. In the
seventy-sixth year of his age, and fifty-second of his ministry, he ended his
days in peace, surrounded by his friends, and consoled by the hope of
everlasting life.
In contemplating the character of Mr. Garrettson, we may behold a cluster of
those excellences which dignify and adorn the man and the minister, and which
qualify him for usefulness in the world. But that which eminently distinguished
him, both in public and private, was the simplicity, or singleness of heart,
with which he deported himself on all occasions. This sterling virtue kept him
at an equal distance from the corrodings of jealousy and the repinings of
suspicion. A single desire to know the good and the right way, to walk in it
himself, and induce others to follow his example, most evidently characterized
his mind, and guided him in all his proceedings.
This singleness of heart, which had its seat in pure love to God and man, first
led him forth in search of the lost sheep of the house of Israel, sustained him
under his labors and trials, kept him humble in the midst of his prosperity, and
in seasons of popularity among the friends of the cause in which he was engaged.
No one could be long in his company, nor often hear him preach, without
perceiving this honest simplicity of intention shining out among the other
graces of his mind, guiding and actuating the entire man in all his movements.
And this arose from the purity of his heart and the sanctity of his life. For no
man, I presume to say, ever gave more irrefutable evidence of the holiness of
his heart and the blamelessness of his life, from the time of his entrance on
his Christian course; about fifty-two years of which were spent as a public
ambassador of Christ, than Freeborn Garrettson. What a living and speaking
comment this upon the pure doctrines of Jesus Christ!
His action in the pulpit was not graceful, though it was solemn and impressive.
His sermons were sometimes enlivened by anecdotes of a character calculated to
illustrate the points he was aiming to establish. He was likewise deficient in
systematic arrangement and logical precision. This deficiency, however, was more
than made up by the pointedness of his appeals to the conscience, the aptness of
his illustrations from Scripture, the manner in which he explained and enforced
the depth of Christian experience, and the holy fervor of spirit with which he
delivered himself on all occasions. Like most other extemporaneous speakers, his
mind sometimes seemed barren, and he failed, apparently for want of words, to
express that on which his understanding appeared to be laboring. At other times
his heart appeared full, his mind luminous, and he would pour forth a stream of
gospel truth which abundantly refreshed the souls of God's people with the
"living waters." And although his gesticulations were somewhat awkward, and his
voice at times unmusical, especially when raised to a high key, there was that
in his manner and matter which always rendered his preaching entertaining and
useful; and seldom did the hearer tire under his administration of the word of
life -- point, pathos, and variety generally characterizing all his discourses.
Mr. Garrettson was a great friend to all our institutions, literary and
religious. To the American Bible Society, and to our missionary and tract
societies, he was a liberal contributor and a firm advocate. Nor were the
worn-out preachers, their widows and orphans, forgotten in his benefactions.
When acting in the capacity of a presiding elder, I have known him receive, and
then give away to some poor preacher, his wife, or some dependent widow, his
share of the quarterly allowance, as well as make special efforts among our more
wealthy members and friends to replenish the funds instituted for these needy
and deserving objects.
But he has gone to his reward; and this record is made as a small tribute of
respect to one who is dear in the recollections of many, in whose friendship the
writer had the honor and happiness of sharing, whose example he would remember
to imitate and transmit to others, that they may profit by calling it to
recollection when he who now writes shall mingle his ashes with all that remains
earthly of Garrettson, and his spirit, redeemed and purified by the blood of the
Lamb, shall mingle -- O, may it be so! -- with his around the throne of God for
ever.
Two of the others who had taken their flight to another world deserve a passing
notice.
James Smith, of the Baltimore conference, when he ended his race, was
comparatively young in the ministry. At the age of forty-three or forty-our,
after having discharged the duties of an itinerant minister for twenty-four
years, he departed in great peace of mind, in the city of Baltimore, surrounded
by his Christian friends and brethren.
He was a man of strong powers of mind, of a warm heart, and a cultivated
intellect. His natural vivacity sometimes gave place to deep gloom, which almost
unfitted him for the duties of his station, and made him a little burdensome to
his friends. These temporary depressions of spirit, however, were but occasional
spots which appeared to obscure the brilliancy of a mind well stored with useful
knowledge, and to oppress a heart generally overflowing with the. kindliest
feelings toward his brethren and friends.
As a minister of Jesus Christ, he was a workman that needed not to be ashamed.
He rose with the dignity of the subject which he attempted to explain, and
sometimes spoke with an eloquence, energy, and pathos, which, while it delighted
the hearer, filled him with adoring gratitude to that God who had given his
servant the power thus to persuade sinners to be reconciled to God. He was
therefore powerful in the pulpit, and strenuous in his endeavors to advance the
cause of Jesus Christ.
In the midst of the discussions which arose on the appointment of presiding
elders, and other collateral subjects, which either directly or indirectly grew
out of that, our brother Smith took a deep interest, being an advocate of what
was considered the popular side of that question. Being young, ardent, full of
zeal for any cause he might espouse, he has been heard sometimes on the floor of
the General Conference in such strains of impassioned eloquence, that one would
think it hardly possible to resist the force of his arguments and the directness
of his appeals. But there was a particular excellence which mingled itself with
all these debates. With whatever fervor of spirit, warmth of zeal, or power of
argument he might enter the arena of controversy on these subjects, he always
concluded with an expression of his perfect fellowship for those who dissented
from him, and of his unabated attachment to the rules and constitution of the
Church of his choice. I remember to have heard him on one of these occasions, I
think it was in the year 1816, when, after running through the field of argument
and illustration, to sustain his positions, and to prostrate, if possible, his
antagonists, he concluded with these words:-- "If any man consider me his enemy
because I differ from him in opinion, I want not that man for my friend."
These words, delivered, apparently, with a heart overflowing with feelings of
kindness toward all men, left an impression upon all minds, I should think, if I
may judge others by myself, as favorable to the speaker's heart and affections,
as did his arguments upon those who were most partial to his views. I remember
well that Bishop McKendree, who was pointedly opposed to the theory of brother
Smith, and who had heard some cutting remarks in the course of the speech, a few
minutes only after this peroration was pronounced, took the orator in his arms
in the most affectionate manner, as a token, I supposed, of his fellowship and
kindly feelings.
It was thought, however, by some of his intimate friends, that these
discussions, which were continued in various forms, from one year to another,
until they terminated at the Conference of 1825, so wore upon the nervous system
of Mr. Smith that it accelerated the disease of which he died. His sensitive
mind and warmth of affection led him to espouse any cause in which he engaged
with the enthusiasm of an able advocate, and his delicate nerves vibrated under
the continual irritation produced by coming in constant collision with other
minds equal to his own, and with other arguments with which he found it
difficult to grapple with success. He therefore finally sunk under the pressure
of those causes, which surrounded him, and was consumed by the fires which
burned within him.
But that same talent which qualified him for a powerful debater enabled him to
shine in the pulpit, and to develop the truths of the gospel with clearness and
precision. If there was any fault in the style of his pulpit eloquence, it
consisted in an apparent effort at originality, and a labor after a diction
somewhat pompous, instead of being entirely natural, plain, and pointed. This
caused an occasional obscurity, painful to the hearer, and which prevented the
full flow of truth from entering the understanding and the heart.
It could not be otherwise than that a man thus constituted should be amiable in
his manners. Brother Smith, indeed, possessed the social qualities in a high
degree, and was therefore a pleasant and edifying companion, and warm in his
attachments. And nothing would tend so quickly and so effectually to relieve his
soul from the burden of melancholy to which I have alluded as social
intercourse, when some anecdote happily introduced would drive away the demon of
gloom which occasionally hovered over his mind, and restore him to his wonted
cheerfulness and colloquial vivacity.
There were also a candor and frankness in his disposition and communications
which at once allayed all suspicions of his intentions, and threw him into your
arms "as a brother beloved." No double-meaning phrases, no studied ambiguity,
like the responses of the heathen oracles, which might be susceptible of an
interpretation to suit the occasion, marked and debased the conversation or
conduct of James Smith. When you heard his words you knew his heart. When you
received his declaration you had a pledge of his sentiments in the sincerity and
candor with which he spoke, and therefore always felt yourself safe in his
society, and no less pleased than edified by his conversation.
It is indeed pleasant to linger along the path of such men, and call to our
recollection those excellences which beautified their character, and made them
so estimable in their day and generation. But we must check the current of our
thoughts, and give place to some others equally entitled to notice, while we may
be allowed to anticipate the day when, unencumbered by those infirmities "which
flesh is heir to," kindred spirits shall mingle their songs together around the
throne of God and the Lamb.
Seth Crowell was another who died in the meridian of life, and left behind him
memorials of his fidelity in the cause of God. He entered the traveling ministry
in 1801, and finished his course in the twenty-fifth year of his public labors.
In the early days of his ministry he volunteered his services for Upper Canada,
where he exhibited those talents for preaching, and that ardency of zeal, which
much endeared him to the people in that province; and he left behind him many
witnesses, converted under his preaching, of the power and skill with which he
wielded "the sword of the Spirit." In 1806 and 1807 he was stationed in the city
of New York, under the charge of the Rev. Aaron Hunt. Here a revival of religion
commenced, such, I believe, as had never before been seen or felt in that city,
and brother Crowell was one of the most active instruments by which it was
promoted. It was during this powerful revival that the practice of inviting
penitent sinners to come to the altar for prayers was first introduced. The
honor of doing this, if I am rightly informed, belongs to brother A. Hunt, who
resorted to it to prevent the confusion arising from praying for them in
different parts of the church at the same time.
In the midst of the shakings and tremblings among the congregations during this
great work, Seth Crowell was eminently useful, preaching with the "Holy Ghost
sent down from heaven," beseeching sinners to be reconciled to God, and
accompanying all his efforts with mighty prayer and faith.
But his great exertions and his abstemious manner of living soon made inroads
upon his physical constitution, and this produced often a depression of spirits
which rendered him sometimes quite unhappy. In consequence of these things he
was obliged at times to remit his regular preaching, and seek to recruit his
exhausted strength in a more retired sphere of labor.
When, however, in the vigor of his strength, the warmth of his affections and
his longing desires for the salvation of souls led him forth with great zeal,
both in and out of the pulpit, and he sometimes preached with a power and
eloquence which overwhelmed his congregations "with speechless awe and silent
love." Nor was it mere declamation. His sermons were sometimes deeply
argumentative, and his positions supported by Scripture texts so appositely,
that it amounted to a moral demonstration of their truth; and not infrequently
sinners would be constrained to cry aloud for mercy while he was making his
searching appeals to their consciences.
His preaching was frequently of a controversial character. Against the
peculiarities of Calvinism and Unversalism he bore a strong and pointed
testimony, delighting to exhibit the universal love of God to man on the one
hand, and the great danger of abusing it on the other, by obstinately refusing
to comply with the conditions of the gospel And his sermons on these occasions
were sometimes delivered with great point and power, and could not do otherwise
than offend those who tenaciously held the sentiments which he opposed. That the
indulgence of this spirit of controversy had an unfavorable bearing some times
upon the tranquillity of his mind I think was evident; and hence he affords an
example of the danger to be apprehended from carrying on a theological warfare
on doctrinal points, lest it contract the heart, and degenerate into a querulous
disposition respecting points of more minor importance than those which first
awakened the Spirit of discussion.
This, together with the many bodily infirmities which brother Crowell suffered
toward the close of his life, no doubt, at times, interrupted that sweet flow of
brotherly affection which binds the hearts of brethren together in the bundle of
life, and leads to that reciprocity of those kindlier feelings which render
social intercourse so agreeable and edifying.
He has, however, gone to his rest. He lingered for several months under a slowly
wasting disease, during which patience and resignation were exemplified in an
eminent degree, and his soul was buoyed up with the blissful prospect of
entering into life eternal. He left behind him many warm and admiring friends
who had been profited by his ministry. If he had enemies he forgave them; nor
could they suffer their disaffection to follow him beyond the tomb. The grace of
God in Christ at last gave him a victory over the sting of death, and
transmitted his soul to the regions of the just. And whatever infirmities may
have occasionally eclipsed the glory of his character, human sympathy ceases to
weep over them in view of the many excellences which beautified his mind,
inspired as they were by that grace which carried him through the storms of life
safely to the harbor of eternal rest. Nor will this record be misinterpreted by
those who were acquainted with the intimate relation sometimes subsisting
between the writer and his deceased friend; while to others it is enough to say,
that death not only dissolved all earthly ties, but was also a period of
cementing that union of spirit which, it is humbly hoped, will be more fully
consummated in the kingdom of glory and of God.
Numbers in the Church: Whites This Year: 327,932; Last Year: 309,550; Increase:
18,382 -- Colored This Year: 54,065; Last Year: 51,334; Increase: 2,731 -- Total
This Year: 381,997; Last Year: 360,884 -- Increase: 21,113 -- Preachers This
Year: 1,576; Last Year: 1,406; Increase: 170.
Among the colored members above enumerated are included five hundred and
twenty-three Indians, all in Upper Canada except one; but there were many more
converted Indians than are here reported. It seems that at this time the
conferences were not in the habit generally of returning the number of Indian
converts separately in the Minutes; and as the reports of the Missionary Society
were all consumed in the disastrous fire of the Book Concern in 1836, it is not
now possible to ascertain their exact number at that time.
* * * * * * *
PART 26
Volume III, Book V, Chapter 9
(From The Year 1816 To The Year 1828)
The General Conference of 1828
This conference convened in the city of Pittsburgh, May 1, 1828. Five bishops,
namely, McKendree, George, Roberts, Soule, and Hedding, were present, and the
conference was opened by Bishop McKendree, with reading the Scriptures, singing,
and prayer, after which Dr. Ruter, book agent at Cincinnati, was elected
secretary.
The following is a list of the delegates who composed this conference:--
New York Conference: *[25] Heman Bangs, Nathan Bangs, Thomas Burch, Laban Clark,
John Emory, Buel Goodsell, Samuel Luckey, Stephen Martindale, Daniel Ostrander,
Lewis Pease, Phineas Rice, Marvin Richardson, Peter P. Sandford, Arnold
Scholefield, Tobias Spicer, Henry Stead, John B. Stratten, James Youngs.
New England Conference: John Adams, Lewis Bates, Isaac Bonny, Daniel Dorchester,
Daniel Fillmore, Wilbur Fisk, John Hardy, Benjamin Hoyt, Edward Hyde, John
Lindsey, John Lord, Joseph Merrill, Timothy Merritt, George Pickering, Thomas
Pierce, Jacob Sanborn, Joseph White.
Maine Conference: David Kilbourn, Stephen Lovell, Heman Nickerson, Elisha
Streeter, Eleazar Wells, Ephraim Wiley.
Genesee Conference: Horace Agard, Israel Chamberlain, John Dempster, Isaac
Grant, Loring Grant, James Hall, George Harmon, Jonathan Huestis, Josiah Keyes,
Gideon Lanning, Ralph Lanning, Seth Mattison, Edmond O'Fling, Zechariah Paddock,
Robert Parker, George Peck, Morgan Sherman, Manley Tooker.
Canada Conference: Samuel Belton, Wyatt Chamberlain, John Ryerson, William
Ryerson, William Slater.
Pittsburgh Conference: Henry B. Bascom, Charles Elliott, Thornton Fleming, Henry
Furlong, William Lambdin, Daniel Limerick, James Moore, David Sharp, Asa Shinn,
William Stevens.
Ohio Conference: Russel Bigelow, John Brown, John Collins, Moses Crume, James B.
Finley, Greenbury R. Jones, James Quinn, Leroy Swormstedt, John F. Wright, David
Young, Jacob Young.
Missouri Conference: Jesse Haile, Andrew Monroe.
Illinois Conference: James Armstrong, Peter Cartwright, John Dew, Charles
Holliday, John Strange, Samuel H. Thompson.
Kentucky Conference: William Adams, Peter Akers, Benjamin T. Crouch, George C.
Light, Marcus Lindsey, Henry McDaniel, George W. McNelly, Thomas A. Morris,
Jonathan Stamper, Richard Tidings, John Tivis.
Holston Conference: James Cumming, William S. Manson, Samuel Patton, William
Patton, Elbert F. Sevier, Thomas Stringfield, Thomas Wilkerson.
Tennessee Conference: Joshua Butcher, James Gwin, John Holland, James McFerrin,
William McMahon, Francis A. Owen, Robert Paine, Ashley B. Roszell, Finch P.
Scruggs.
Mississippi Conference: John C. Burruss, Benjamin M. Drake, Thomas Griffin,
Robert L. Kennon, Barnabas Pipkin, William Winans
South Carolina Conference: Robert Adams, James O. Andrew, William Arnold, Henry
Bass, William Capers, Samuel Dunwody, Andrew Hamill, George Hill, Samuel K.
Hodges, William M. Kennedy, Malcom McPherson, Lovick Pierce, Elijah Sinclair.
Virginia Conference: Moses Brock, Joseph Carson, Thomas Crowder, Peter Doub,
John Early, Daniel Hall, Henry Holmes, Caleb Leach, Hezekiah G. Leigh, Lewis
Skidmore.
Baltimore Conference: John Davis, Christopher Frye, Joseph Frye, Job Guest,
James M. Hanson, Andrew Hemphill, Marmaduke Pierce, Nelson Reed, Stephen G.
Roszel, Henry Smith, Beverly Waugh, Joshua Wells.
Philadelphia Conference: Walter Burrows, Ezekiel Cooper, David Daily, Manning
Force, Solomon Higgins, William Leonard, Joseph Lybrand, Lawrence McCombs,
Thomas Neal, Charles Pittman, John Potts, James Smith, John Smith, Lot Warfield,
George Woolley.
After the organization of the conference the following address was received from
the bishops, and referred to appropriate committees:--
"Dear Brethren:-- It is our bounden duty to join in devout and grateful
acknowledgments to the Father of mercies, whose gracious providence has
preserved us in all our ways, and especially through the toils and dangers which
have attended our journey from different and distant parts of the United States
to this place. And while we acknowledge with gratitude the past interpositions
of divine agency, let us unite in humble and fervent prayer for the influence of
the Holy Spirit to guide us in all our deliberations, and to preserve us and the
whole Church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bonds of peace.
"During the last four years it has pleased the great Head of the church to
continue his heavenly benediction on our Zion. The work has been greatly
extended; many new circuits and districts have been formed in different parts of
our vast field of labor; but yet there is room, and pressing calls for much
greater enlargement are constantly made.
"The great and extensive revivals of religion which we have experienced the last
three years through almost every part of the work, furnish additional proof that
God's design in raising up the preachers called Methodists, in America, was to
reform the continent, and 'spread Scripture holiness over these lands.' These
revivals have been the nurseries of the Church and of the ministry.
"Perhaps it deserves to be regarded as an extraordinary interposition of the
divine mercy in behalf of the Church, that the year ending with this date has
been peculiarly distinguished by the abundant outpourings of the Holy Spirit,
and the increase both in the ministry and membership.
"While we are fully persuaded that, under God, our itinerant system has been the
most effectual means of carrying on this great and blessed work, we recommend it
to you to guard against whatever measures may have a tendency to weaken the
energies of this system, or to locality in any department of the traveling
ministry.
"Our missionary work has been greatly increased since the last session of the
General Conference. Many parts of our extensive frontiers and newly acquired
territories have received the gospel of salvation by the labors of missionaries.
The importance and necessity of maintaining this efficient missionary system are
sufficiently demonstrated by the blessed effects which it has produced. vast
regions of country, almost entirely destitute of the gospel ministry, have by
this means, and at a small expense from the missionary funds, been formed into
circuits, and embraced in our regular work.
"Missions have been established in several Indian nations, most of which have
succeeded beyond our highest expectations. And although, in some cases, we have
had much to discourage us, and many difficulties to encounter and overcome in
the prosecution of this work, we consider it of indispensable obligation to
continue our efforts with increasing interest, for the salvation of this forlorn
and afflicted people.
"Our attention has been called to South America, and to the American colony and
surrounding nations in Africa. But hitherto we have not been able to send
missionaries to either place.
"We invite the attention of the General Conference to this important subject.
And while we cannot but regard the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal
Church as a very efficient auxiliary to our itinerant system, and happily
calculated to diffuse the blessings of the gospel among the poor and destitute,
we recommend it as a subject of inquiry whether it be necessary to adopt any
further measures to render this important institution more extensive and
harmonious in its membership, and more abundant and permanent in its resources;
and if any, what measures will be best calculated to promote these desirable
ends.
"Since the last session of this body, the 'Sunday School Union and Tract
Societies of the Methodist Episcopal Church have assumed an important and
interesting character, and appear to promise great and lasting benefits to the
community in general, and to the rising generation in particular. Your wisdom
will dictate wherein it is necessary to give any additional direction and
support to these benevolent and growing institutions.
"As the right of all the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church to trial and
appeal, as prescribed in the form of Discipline, is sacredly secured by the acts
of the General Conference of 1808, it may not be improper to institute an
inquiry, at the present session, whether any rule in the Discipline may be
construed or applied so as to militate against suck acts; and if so, remedy the
evil.
"We invite your attention to a careful examination of the administration of the
government, to see if it has been in accordance with the strictness and purity
of our system.
"Through a combination of circumstances, we have failed to comply with the
instructions of the last General Conference relative to the appointment of a
delegate to the British conference. We deeply regret this failure. And it would
be far more afflictive were we not assured that it has not been occasioned, in
the least degree, by any want of affection and respect for our British brethren,
or any indisposition to continue that medium of intercourse with them. We
therefore recommend it to you to supply our lack of service by appointing, in
such a manner as you shall judge proper, a representative and messenger to visit
the British conference at its next session.
"May the God of peace be with you, and with the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ
committed to your care.
"Yours with affection and esteem in the bonds of the gospel."
There were several important matters which came up for adjudication before this
conference, affecting both the doctrines and government of the Church, as well
as the character of some individuals. The first -- that which affected the
doctrines of the Church -- was presented in an appeal, by the Rev. Joshua
Randell, from a decision of the New England conference, by which he had been
expelled for holding and propagating doctrines inconsistent with our
acknowledged standards
"1. In denying that the transgressions of the law, to which we are personally
responsible, have had any atonement made for them by Christ.
"2. Maintaining that the infinite claims of justice upon the transgressor of the
divine law may, upon the condition of the mere acts of the transgressor himself,
be relinquished and given up, and the transgressor pardoned without an
atonement."
On these two specifications, both of which the defendant acknowledged that he
held, the New England conference had first suspended him, and given him one year
to reflect, and, if convinced of his error, to retract; and then, on finding
that, at the end of the year, he persisted in his belief in these two
propositions, and had endeavored to sustain them, both from the pulpit and the
press, they had expelled him from the Church. From this solemn decision he had
appealed to this General Conference, where he appeared in his own defense, and
was allowed to vindicate his views to his entire satisfaction, it being stated
in the journal of the General Conference that "he considered the case as having
been fairly represented, and that he had nothing in particular to add."
The respondent to Mr. Randell, on behalf of the New England conference, was the
Rev. Wilbur Fisk, whose able argument carried a full conviction to the judgments
of all, with one solitary exception, that the above propositions contained
doctrines adverse to the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and that
the proceedings of the New England conference on the case had been legal and
orderly. After a full, and, as was acknowledged by the defendant himself, an
impartial examination and hearing of the case, the decree of the New England
conference was affirmed by a vote of one hundred and sixty-four out of one
hundred and sixty-five who were present and voted on the question, two members,
at their own request, being excused from voting either way.
It appears that Bishop Hedding had been misrepresented in a paper published by
the Reformers, *[26] called "Mutual Rights." This arose out of an address which
he delivered to the Pittsburgh conference, in Washington, Pa., August 22d, 1826,
on the duty of its members in reference to the discussions with which some
portions of the Church were then much agitated on the subject of a church
reform, then in contemplation by a number of individuals. This address, which
gave offense to those who were in favor of the proposed measures of the
"Reformers," so called, had been reported by one of the members of said
conference, in the "Mutual Rights," and sentiments imputed to Bishop Hedding
which he disavowed, as injurious to his character. He had accordingly written to
the "Mutual Rights," contradicting the slanderous misrepresentation, and
demanding reparation. This not being satisfactorily done by the offending
brother, the bishop felt it to be his duty to present the subject to this
General Conference, and to request that it might be investigated; and hence the
whole affair was referred to the committee on the episcopacy, before whom the
bishop, the writer of the offensive article, and the delegates of the Pittsburgh
conference appeared; and after a full examination of the entire subject, they
came to the following conclusion: That, after an interview with the person who
wrote the article in the "Mutual Rights," and the delegates of the Pittsburgh
conference, in whose presence the bishop had delivered the address respecting
which the offensive article had been written, and hearing all that could be said
by the parties concerned, it was believed that the writer had injuriously
misrepresented Bishop Hedding in what he had published. This the writer himself;
after hearing the explanations of the bishop, frankly acknowledged, and
acquiesced in the decision of the committee respecting its injustice, and the
propriety of making reparation by publishing the report of the committee, which
report concludes in these words:-- "That the address of Bishop Hedding, as
recollected by himself and the delegates of the Pittsburgh annual conference,
not only was not deserving of censure, but such as the circumstances of the case
rendered it his official duty to deliver."
As an act of justice to Bishop Hedding, the entire report, as adopted by the
conference, was published in the Christian Advocate and Journal, and may be seen
in that paper for May 30, 1828.
Another subject of a more general character, and of no little importance, came
up for consideration before this conference. We have already seen that the
Canada brethren had manifested much dissatisfaction on account of the relation
which they sustained to us, and the desire they had manifested at times to
become independent. This desire, however, did not arise out of any
dissatisfaction with the conduct of the brethren in the United States toward
them, but chiefly from the opposition evinced by statesmen in Upper Canada to
their being subject to the control of a foreign ecclesiastical head, over which
the civil authorities of Canada could exercise no jurisdiction; and as most of
the preachers in Canada were formerly from the United States, and all of them
subject to an ecclesiastical jurisdiction in another nation, it was contended by
the Canadian authorities that they had no sufficient guarantee for their
allegiance to the crown of Great Britain, and to the civil regulations of
Canada; and hence the Methodist ministers in Canada had suffered civil
disabilities, and had not been allowed to celebrate the rites of matrimony, not
even for their own members.
These arguments, and others of a similar character, had induced the Canada
conference, which assembled in Hallowell, in 1824, when Bishops George and
Hedding were both with them, to memorialize the several annual conferences in
the United States on the subject of establishing an independent church in Upper
Canada, requesting them to recommend the measure to this General Conference.
Accordingly, the subject came up at this time by a memorial from the Canada
conference, which was presented by its delegates, and referred to a committee.
The deliberations of the conference resulted in the adoption of the following
preamble and report:--
"Whereas the Canada annual conference, situated in the province of Upper Canada,
under a foreign government, have, in their memorial, presented to this
conference the disabilities under which they labor, in consequence of their
union with a foreign ecclesiastical government, and setting forth their desire
to be set off as a separate church establishment: and whereas this General
Conference disclaim all right to exercise ecclesiastical jurisdiction under such
circumstances, except by mutual agreement:--
"1. Resolved, therefore, by the delegates of the annual conferences in General
Conference assembled, that the compact existing between the Canada annual
conference and the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States be, and
hereby is, dissolved by mutual consent.
"2. That our superintendents or superintendent be, and hereby are, respectfully
advised and requested to ordain such person as may be elected by the Canada
conference a superintendent for the Canada connection.
"3. That we do hereby recommend to our brethren in Canada to adopt the form of
government of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States, with such
modifications as their particular relations shall render necessary.
"4. That we do hereby express to our Canada brethren our sincere desire that the
most friendly feeling may exist between them and the connection of the Methodist
Episcopal Church in the United States.
"5. That the claims of the Canada conference on our Book Concern and chartered
fund, and any other claims they may suppose they justly have, shall be left open
for the negotiation and adjustment between the two connections."
It was afterward resolved that the managers of our Missionary Society should be
allowed to appropriate the sum of seven hundred dollars annually for the support
of the Indian missions in Upper Canada.
There is an important principle involved in the above agreement to dissolve the
connection which had so long subsisted between the Methodists in the United
States and Upper Canada, which it seems expedient to explain. When the subject
first came up for consideration it was contended, and the committee to whom it
was first referred so reported, which report was approved of by a vote of the
General Conference, that we had no constitutional right to set off the brethren
in Upper Canada as an independent body, because the terms of the compact by
which we existed as a General Conference made it obligatory on us, as a
delegated body, to preserve the union entire, and not to break up the Church
into separate fragments. Hence, to grant the prayer of the memorialists, by a
solemn act of legislation, would be giving sanction to a principle, and setting
a precedent for future General Conferences, of a dangerous character -- of such
a character as might tend ultimately to the dissolution of the ecclesiastical
body, which would be, in fact and form, contravening the very object for which
we were constituted a delegated conference, this object being a preservation,
and not a destruction or dissolution of the union. These arguments appeared so
forcible to the first committee, and to the conference, that the idea of
granting them a separate organization on the principle of abstract and
independent legislation was abandoned as altogether indefensible, being contrary
to the constitutional compact.
But still feeling a desire to grant, in some way, that which the Canada brethren
so earnestly requested, and for which they pleaded with much zeal, and even with
most pathetic appeals to our sympathies, it was suggested by a very intelligent
member of the General Conference, the late Bishop Emory, that the preachers who
went to Canada from the United States went in the first instance as
missionaries, and that ever afterward, whenever additional help was needed,
Bishop Asbury and his successors asked for volunteers, not claiming the right to
send them, in the same authoritative manner in which they were sent to the
different parts of the United States and territories; hence it followed that the
compact between us and our brethren in Canada was altogether of a voluntary
character -- we had offered them our services, and they had accepted them and
therefore, as the time had arrived when they were no longer willing to receive
or accept of our labors and superintendence, they had a perfect right to request
us to withdraw our services, and we the same right to withhold them.
This presented the subject in a new and very clear light, and it seemed
perfectly compatible with our powers as a delegated conference, and their
privileges as a part of the same body, thus connected by a voluntary and
conditional compact, either expressed or implied, to dissolve the connection
subsisting between us, without any dereliction of duty or forfeiture of
privilege on either part. It was on this principle alone that the above
agreement was based.
It will be perceived, therefore, that this mutual agreement to dissolve the
connection heretofore subsisting between the Methodist Episcopal Church in the
United States and the Canada conference cannot, with justice, be pleaded for
setting off any one conference or any number of annual conferences in the United
States, as their relations to each other and to the General Conference are quite
dissimilar to that which bound the Canada conference to us. The conferences in
the United States are all bound together by one sacred compact, and the severing
any one from the main body would partake of the same suicidal character as to
sever a sound limb from the body. The General Conference has no right, no
authority, thus "to scatter, tear, and slay" the body which they are solemnly
bound to keep together, to nourish, to protect, and to preserve in one
harmonious whole. If an annual conference declare itself independent, out of the
pale of the Methodist Episcopal Church, it is its own act exclusively, and
therefore the responsibility rests upon itself alone, for which the General
Conference cannot be held accountable, because it was not a participant in the
separation. I do not say that the General Conference may not disown an annual
conference, should it become corrupt in doctrine, in moral discipline, or in
religious practice. Should, for instance, an annual conference, by an act of the
majority of its members, abjure any of our essential doctrines, such as the
atonement of Christ, or justification by faith, or should renounce the sacrament
of baptism or the Lord's supper, or strike from its moral code any of the
precepts of morality recognized in our general rules, it might become the duty
of the General Conference to interpose its high authority, and cut off; or at
least to withdraw its fellowship from, the offending members. Yet such an act of
excision, or of disnaturalization, if I may so call it, could be justified only
as a dernier resort, when all other means had failed to reclaim the delinquents
from their wanderings-just as the surgeon's knife is to be withheld until
mortification endangers the life of the patient, when death or amputation
becomes the sole alternative. How else can the Church be preserved-supposing
such a case of delinquency to exist -- from a general putrefaction? For if a
majority of an annual conference become heterodox in doctrine, or morally
corrupt in practice, the minority cannot control them, cannot call them to an
account, condemn, and expel them. And in this case, must the majority of the
annual conferences, and perhaps also a respectable minority of that very annual
conference, be compelled to hold these apostates from truth and righteousness in
the bosom of their fellowship, to treat them in all respects as brethren
beloved, and publicly to recognize them as such in their public and authorized
documents? This would be a hard case indeed! an alternative to which no
ecclesiastical body should be compelled to submit.
These remarks are made to prevent any misconception respecting the principle on
which the above connection was dissolved, and to show that it forms no precedent
for a dissolution of the connection now subsisting between the annual and
General Conferences in the United States. Analogical arguments, to be
conclusive, must be drawn from analogous facts or circumstances, and not from
contrast, or opposing facts or circumstances. And the relation subsisting
between the annual conferences in the United States to each other, and between
them and the General Conference, stands in contrast with the relation which did
subsist between the Canada and the General Conference; and therefore no
analogical argument can be drawn from the mutual agreement by which this
relation was dissolved in favor of dissolving the connection now subsisting
between the annual conferences in the United States, by a solemn act of
legislation on the part of the General Conference, except for the reasons above
assigned; and those reasons, let it be remembered, make the contrast still
greater between the two acts, and justify the difference of the procedure; for
the dissolution of the compact between us and the Canada brethren from the
jurisdiction only, Christian fellowship still subsisting -- while the supposed
act of excision would be a withdrawing of Christian fellowship from the
offending members.
There were also other great principles of ecclesiastical economy involved in the
above resolutions, which it may be well to develop and dwell upon for a moment.
It has been seen that the General Conference authorized our bishops, or any one
of them, to ordain a bishop for Upper Canada. It was also provided that if such
bishop should be so ordained his episcopal jurisdiction should be limited to
Canada -- that he should not be allowed to exercise his functions in the United
States. In favor of both of these positions, namely, the ordaining a bishop for
Canada, and then restricting him in his episcopal functions to that country, or
the not allowing him to exercise them in the United States, the following
precedents were adduced
It was pleaded that the bishops of England ordained bishops for the United
States exclusively: that when Wesley and others ordained Dr. Coke, it was only
for the United States: and hence neither of these functionaries was allowed to
exercise his episcopal powers in Great Britain. Here, then, were precedents,
from our own and another church, both for consecrating men for other countries,
and for restricting them, in the exercise of their official duties, to the
countries for which they were designated in their certificates of ordination. It
was furthermore stated -- and truly too -- that when it was contemplated to
consecrate the late Rev. Freeborn Garrettson a bishop for Nova Scotia and the
West Indies, it was proposed to withhold from him the privilege of being a
bishop, by virtue of that election and consecration, in the United States.
And as to ordaining men for foreign countries, on special occasions, church
history was full of examples, all which might be adduced as sound precedents for
the authority conferred upon our bishops in regard to ordaining a man on whom
the choice of the Canada conference might fall for their superintendent.
There was one other subject disposed of at this conference, more important, in
many respects, than either of those already mentioned, inasmuch as it involved
principles and measures which must, had they been carried into effect, have
produced a radical change in both the legislative and executive departments of
our church government, and were therefore considered revolutionary in their
character and tendency.
That this subject may be placed in such a point of light as to be clearly
understood, it is necessary to enter into some historical details.
We have already seen that there had been considerable uneasiness manifested in
some portions of our Church on the subject of a lay representation in the
General Conference. At first the discussions upon this subject were confined to
private circles, though some of the traveling and more of the local preachers,
as well as a few of the lay members, had been and were now of the opinion that
such a representation ought to be granted. At length, however, those who were
most zealous for this measure commenced a periodical publication, called the
"Wesleyan Repository," in which they began, at first with apparent moderation,
to discuss the principle of lay representation. The headquarters of this
publication, which was commenced in 1820, were Trenton, in the state of New
Jersey; and though its editor was known, the greater portion of its writers
appeared under the mask of fictitious signatures, by which they eluded
individual responsibility. The strictures upon our church government, which
became uncommonly severe, were more calculated to irritate the passions than to
convince the judgment, and they soon degenerated into personal attacks, in which
some of our bishops and chief ministers were dragged before the public in a way
to injure their character, and consequently to circumscribe their usefulness.
And though we had a monthly periodical, it was thought, by the most judicious
among our ministers and people, that its columns ought not to be occupied with
such a thriftless controversy, much less as the writers in the Repository lay
concealed beneath fictitious signatures; and moreover, instead of sober
argument, they frequently resorted to biting sarcasm, to personal criminations,
and to a caricature of some of those institutions which we, as a church, had
long held sacred. Though it was believed that most of the writers in the
Repository were local preachers and laymen, yet it was known that several of the
traveling preachers themselves were favorable to the proposed innovation, and
therefore lent the weight of their influence in its behalf by writing
occasionally for its columns.
With a view to concentrate their strength and harmonize their views as much as
possible, the friends of the innovating measures formed a "Union Society" in the
city of Baltimore, elected officers and a committee of correspondence, inviting
all who were with them in sentiment to form auxiliary societies throughout the
country, that there might be a general cooperation among the advocates of lay
representation.
Things went on in this way until near the meeting of the General Conference in
1824, when the male members of the Church in the city of Baltimore, which had
now become the center of operations for the "Reformers," with a view to allay,
if possible, the heat of party spirit, were called together for the purpose of
attempting to effect a compromise. This effort grew out of the fact that there
were many conflicting opinions among those who were favorable to "reform," and a
strong desire among the warm friends of the Church to avert the calamities of a
separation, which they saw must inevitably result from this feverish excitement,
unless some pacific measures could be adopted to cool it down. In this meeting
it was proposed, as the basis of the compromise, to memorialize the General
Conference on the subject of a lay delegation, provided the question of a right
to such representation were waived, and the privilege should be asked on the
ground of expediency alone. This was assented to by the leading men among the
"Reformers," and a memorial was accordingly prepared in accordance with these
views, the part relating to lay representation being expressed in the following
words
"Under these views we have been led to turn our attention to the subject of a
lay delegation to the General Conference. In presenting this subject to your
consideration, we would waive all that might be urged on the natural or abstract
right of the membership to this privilege. We are content to admit that all
governments, whether civil or ecclesiastical, ought to be founded, not on
considerations growing out of abstract rights, but on expediency, that being
always the right government which best secures the interests of the whole
community. With regard to the expediency of the measure, then, we may urge that
such a delegation would bring into the conference much information with regard
to the temporal affairs of the Church which the ministry cannot well be supposed
to possess. They would feel less delicacy in originating and proposing measures
for the relief of the preachers' families than the preachers themselves, as they
could not be subjected thereby to the imputation of interested motives, and they
would, by being distributed everywhere among the membership, and, by their
personal exertions and influence, the success of such measures. and awaken, more
generally than has hitherto been done, the attention of the Methodist community
to the great interests of the Church.
"We are aware of the constitutional objections to this change in our economy. We
know that you are clearly prohibited, by the very first article of the
constitution under which you act, from adding to the conference any delegation
not provided for in that rule; but we believe that an Opinion expressed by the
conference, and approved by the episcopacy, would induce the annual conferences
to make the necessary alteration in the constitution: and we submit the
consideration of the whole matter to the calm and deliberate attention which we
are persuaded its importance demands, and which we do not doubt it will receive,
determined cheerfully and cordially to submit to your decision."
During the session of the conference in May, 1824, some of the "Reformers,"
becoming dissatisfied with the principles of the compromise, formed a separate
society, and claimed a representation in the General Conference as a natural and
social right, deprecating its rejection by the General Conference as an evidence
of a spiritual despotism utterly unworthy the character of the ministry of Jesus
Christ. To effect their objects with the greater certainty, they immediately
issued proposals for establishing a new periodical, called "Mutual Rights," its
title being well calculated to impress the unwary reader with the erroneous
idea, so much harped upon in those days of agitation, that the "Reformers" were
the exclusive advocates of the "rights" of the lay members of our Church.
The formation of these societies, and the publication of this periodical, in
which most inflammatory declamations were poured forth against our ministry and
established usages, were considered, by the more sober and thinking part of our
community, as incorporating the very schism in the Church which they deprecated
as one of the worst evils with which it could be afflicted, except, indeed, its
inundation by immorality. The fate, however, of those measures, so far as the
General Conference was concerned, has been seen in the account given of the
doings of the General Conference in 1824. The prayer of the memorialists was
rejected, and the ground of right to a lay representation denied.
It is not necessary to trace the history of this unpleasant affair, in all its
minutiae and various ramifications over different parts of the country, from
that time until the secession was fully consummated, and a separate community
established. Suffice it therefore to say, that matters went on from bad to
worse, until it became necessary, in the opinion of those who watched over the
Church in Baltimore, to save it and its institutions from dissolution, to call
the malcontents to an account for their conduct.
At the Baltimore conference, in 1827, the Rev. D. B. Dorsey, who had connected
himself with the "Reformers," was arraigned before his conference for
recommending and circulating the "Mutual Rights;" and during the course of his
trial he avowed such principles, and made such declarations respecting his
independent rights, as could not be approved of by the conference; and they
therefore requested, as the mildest punishment they could inflict, the bishop to
leave him without an appointment for one year. From this decision be took an
appeal to the General Conference; but, instead of waiting patiently until this
ultimate decision could he had, he loudly censured the acts of the Baltimore
conference in reference to his case, through the columns of "Mutual Rights,"
thus appealing from the constituted authorities of the Church to the popular
voice, invoking from this very equivocal tribunal a decision in his favor. All
this had a tendency to widen the breach, and to make a reconciliation the more
hopeless.
One of the leading champions of this "reform" was the Rev. Nicholas Snethen, who
had been a very useful and influential traveling preacher for many years, but
was now located, and lived in the neighborhood of Baltimore. He was recognized
as the writer of several articles, under fictitious signatures, in the "Wesleyan
Repository" and "Mutual Rights," in which severe strictures were made upon our
economy; and now, since action had commenced against the malcontents in the
Baltimore conference, by which it was foreseen that others, implicated in the
same warfare against the authorities and usages of the Church, would be called
to answer for their conduct, Mr. Snethen avowed himself the author of these
pieces, vauntingly placed himself in front of the reforming ranks, shouting,
"Onward! brethren; onward!" pledging himself to suffer or triumph with them-thus
exhibiting a spirit of moral heroism worthy of a better cause, and more
befitting other times than those which called only for a bloodless warfare.
This conduct, however, brought forth a champion from the ranks of the local
preachers, who, as he himself acknowledged, had been friendly to some slight
changes in the structure of our church government, provided such changes should
be thought expedient by the General Conference, and could be effected by pacific
measures, without producing a convulsion in the body. He had long been an
intimate and personal friend of Mr. Snethen, and therefore it was with some
reluctance that he yielded to the paramount duty of sacrificing his personal
friendship for the purpose of defending the "ancient landmarks," and of placing
himself in opposition to the innovations in contemplation by the "Reformers." I
allude to Doctor Thomas E. Bond, of Baltimore. In 1827 he published his "Appeal
to the Methodists, in Opposition to the Changes proposed in their Church
Government," which was prefaced by an epistolary dedication to the Rev. Nicholas
Snethen. This appeared to take Mr. Snethen and his friends by surprise, as they
seemed to expect least of all such an appeal from the source whence it came,
while it acted as a charm upon the minds of those who loved the institutions and
prayed for the perpetual union and prosperity of the Church. The able manner in
which Dr. Bond treated the subject, and refuted the arguments and exposed the
pretensions of the "Reformers," showed that he had thoroughly digested the
questions at issue, had "counted the cost," and was prepared to abide the
results of the contest. Having, therefore, balanced the weight of the arguments
for and against the proposed innovation, and fully made up a judgment in favor
of the Church and its institutions, he wrote from the fullness of his heart, and
the following passage from his "Appeal" will show the confident manner in which
he anticipated the result of this severe and long-protracted struggle. After
giving the outlines of our church government, and the general system of
itinerant operations, he introduces the following spirited remarks
"It is this system of church government, so simple in its structure and
efficient in its operation, so tested by experience and justified by success,
and, withal, so sanctified in the feelings and affections of our people by the
endearing associations with which it stands connected, that we are now called
upon, not to modify, but radically to change; not to mend in some of its less
important details, but to alter in its fundamental principles, and to substitute
for it a speculative scheme of government, inapplicable to our circumstances,
and therefore impossible to be effected; -- a scheme founded on abstract notions
of natural rights, but which none of its advocates have attempted to exhibit in
any visible or tangible shape or form, and therefore they have carefully avoided
the discussion of the parts most important in any system, namely, its
practicability and expediency. Happy for us, the scheme is not new. In Europe it
has had its day of noise and strife, and has ceased to agitate the Church; and
in this country Mr. O'Kelly started it more than thirty years ago, left the
Church, and drew off several of the preachers with him. He lived to see the
ruins of the visionary fabric he had labored to erect, and to mourn over the
desolation which he had brought upon that part of the vineyard, where, as a
Methodist preacher, he so faithfully and usefully labored, but which he had
afterward turned out to be ravaged and destroyed by "republican Methodism." The
formidable phalanx now arrayed against us may, it is feared, do us much harm,
but we will take protection under that strong Arm which has heretofore defended
us. Hitherto our history has shown that the great Head of the church had
appointed us for a special work in his vineyard, and that he superintended and
directed the labor, opening the way before our ministry, qualifying and
sustaining them in their arduous labors, under circumstances which would have
discouraged any but such as were assured of divine support, and who were
prepared to believe in hope against hope. Great conflicts await us, but out of
all the Lord will deliver us: while he is with us, the more we are oppressed,
the more we shall multiply and grow. Let us be faithful to our calling -- let us
watch unto prayer. The present revolutionary scheme of our disaffected members
will share the fate of all the similar projects which have preceded it. Our
children will read of it in history, but, ere they take our places in the
Church, the troubled waters shall have heard the voice of Him who says to the
winds and the waves, Be still, and they obey his voice."
This strong appeal, written throughout with a spirit and a style of argument
which did honor to the head and heart of its author, exerted a most salutary
influence upon all who had not fully committed themselves to the principles and
measures of the "Reformers." While it drew the lines more distinctly which
divided the contending parties, it tended to cement closer together those who
had so long cherished the institutions of Methodism, and to arm them with
weapons of defense. Hitherto there had been some neutralists, who were looking
on, not indeed with cold indifference, but with an anxious suspense, watching
the result of the movements, and weighing the respective arguments, for the
purpose of forming an intelligent decision. These acknowledged themselves much
indebted to Dr. Bond for throwing additional light upon this subject, and thus
saving them from lapsing into the sickly spirit of "reform:" and the Appeal
doubtless had the greater weight for having been issued from the local instead
of the traveling ministry, because it was supposed that the former had
identified themselves more generally than the latter with the reforming party.
In the mean time a pamphlet had been issued, as was erroneously supposed at the
time under the sanction of the Union Society, by Rev. Alexander McCaine, *[27]
in which he attempted to prove that surreptitious means had been used in the
establishment of our Church; that our episcopacy was spurious, gotten up against
the wishes and without the knowledge of Mr. Wesley thus impugning the motives
and impeaching the honesty of such men as Coke, Asbury, Whatcoat, and all those
venerable men who composed the General Conference of 1784, and assisted in the
organization of our Church. This appeared to be the climax of absurdities in the
doings of the adverse party, and to reveal designs upon the integrity and the
very existence of our episcopacy, and all those regulations and usages which
connected themselves with that feature of our Church economy, which could not be
any longer tolerated with impunity. It was therefore thought, by the friends of
order and the advocates of our Church authorities, that the time had fully come
for action -- for such action as should test the solidity of our ecclesiastical
structure, and the permanency of its foundation.
Indeed, these ungenerous attacks upon the best of men, most of whom were now
dead, and therefore could not speak for themselves, aroused the spirits of those
who had hitherto stood aloof from this controversy, and decided some who had
been supposed to be friendly to the spirit of "reform" against the measure,
inasmuch as they judged -- most conclusively, it is thought -- that a cause
which could enlist in its behalf such unjustifiable means of attack and defense,
could not be holy and good. This brought forth the late Bishop Emory, who was at
that time an assistant book agent; and the Defense of our Fathers" proved his
competency to defend those venerable men from the aspersions thrown upon them by
the author of the "History and Mystery of Methodist Episcopacy." This masterly
defense of the men who organized our Church, and of 'he organization itself, its
principles, measures, and results, procured for its author that need of praise
that is justly due to a faithful son of the Church, to an acute and able
reasoner, and to one whose industry in collecting and arranging facts for the
basis of his argumentation evinced the depth and accuracy of his research. This
production was therefore hailed with delight by the friends of the Church, and
tended, with some others of a similar character, published about the same time,
to prove that the theory of the "Reformers" was a visionary scheme, indefensible
by any arguments drawn from Scripture, from the ancient records of the Church,
from the analogy of things, or from any improper means used in either the
organization or naming of the Methodist Episcopal Church. This complete
refutation of the groundless assumptions of Mr. McCaine's book was read with
great avidity, and procured for its author the thanks of all who wished well to
our Zion.
But while these things tended to calm the fears of the timid, to confirm the
wavering in the truth, and to strengthen the hearts of all who had heretofore
reposed in the wisdom and integrity of our fathers in the gospel, they by no
means satisfied those who appeared bent on carrying their measures at all
hazards. On the contrary, their leaders seemed to struggle hard under
disappointment, and to redouble their efforts in rallying their forces, and
preparing them for victory or defeat, whenever the warfare should terminate.
They had heretofore most evidently calculated on carrying with them many who now
took a decided stand against them. This was a source of severe disappointment.
*[28] These showed, when the alternative was presented to their choice, that
they loved Methodism better than its proposed substitute. The former they had
tried, and found savory and healthful; the latter was an untried experiment, and
judging from the fruit it had already produced, that it was not "good to make
one wise, they declined the proffered boon as unworthy of their acceptance.
But, as before remarked, things had arrived at such a crisis in the city of
Baltimore that it became necessary, in the opinion of those to whom the
oversight of the Church was committed, to call some of the most prominent
lenders in the work of "reform" to an account before the proper tribunals. Hence
eleven local preachers and twenty-five lay members were regularly cited to
appear before the preacher in charge of the Baltimore station, the Rev. James M.
Hanson, to answer to the charge of "inveighing against our Discipline,"
"speaking evil of our ministers," and of violating the rule "which prohibits the
members of the Church from doing harm, and requires them to avoid evil of every
kind."
This general charge was amply sustained by a reference to the Constitution of
the Union Society, by numerous quotations from "Mutual Rights," and from other
sources. The delinquents were therefore found guilty, the local preachers were
suspended, and the lay members expelled. While, however, these transactions were
pending, before any decision was had, Dr. Bond once more threw himself in the
gap, and endeavored to avert the suspended blow by acting the part of a mediator
between the parties, and, if possible, thereby to prevent the storm from
bursting on their heads. His efforts, however, were unavailing; the trials
proceeded, and the penalty of the Discipline was finally inflicted, though with
great reluctance, upon all those who had been summoned to trial, with the
exception of two lay members.
One of the specifications which was adduced to sustain the general charge was
their advising and requesting the publication of the "History and Mystery of
Methodist Episcopacy;" but as it was found, on further examination, that its
author alone was responsible for writing and publishing that work, this
specification was withdrawn in reference to all the accused except Alexander
McCaine; and he therefore was summoned before another committee of local
preachers, tried separately, found guilty, and accordingly suspended.
As the district conference of local preachers had been dissolved, the trial of
those who had been suspended by the committee of inquiry was brought before the
quarterly meeting conference of the Baltimore station. But before the trial
proceeded to an issue, Dr. J. C. Green, of Virginia, volunteered his services as
a mediator between the parties, and the trial was postponed for the purpose of
giving ample time to test the result of the negotiation. It was, however,
unavailing, and the trial proceeded, and terminated in finding guilty, and the
consequent expulsion, of the accused local preachers; and as they did not
appeal, as they might, to the annual conference, they were finally considered no
longer members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
To the lay members who had been found guilty before the act of expulsion was
consummated, and with a view, if possible, to save himself and those concerned
from the sad alternative which awaited them, Mr. Hanson sent each of the persons
the following letter:--
"Baltimore, Nov. 23,1827.
"Brother: You are hereby informed that the committee appointed to investigate
the charges and specifications lately preferred against you as a member of the
Union Society, have, by a unanimous decision, found you guilty of said charges,
together with the first and second specifications.
"Most willingly, my brother, would I now dispense with the painful duty which
devolves upon me, could I do so as an honest man, and without abandoning the
interests of the Church. Or had I cause to believe that the course now about to
be pursued would lead you to make suitable reparation to that Church whose
ministers and discipline you have assailed and misrepresented, and to abstain
from the like offenses against the peace and harmony of said Church in future,
it would tend more than any other consideration to diminish the painfulness of
the obligation which my present situation imposes upon me. For, be assured,
whatever my own opinion may be in regard to the course you may have pursued, as
a member of t Union society, I most devoutly wish and pray that you may be led
by the good Spirit of God to take those steps which will leave you still in the
possession of all the rights and privileges of church fellowship.
"You must be considered as the arbiter of your own destiny, my brother, in this
matter. Your brethren of the committee, men who fear God, whose characters stand
fair in the Church, and who have disclaimed all feeling of personal hostility
against you, have pronounced you, as a member of the Union society, guilty of
endeavoring to sow dissensions in the society or Church of which you are a
member, and of speaking evil of the ministers of said Church. To this conclusion
they have been conducted by a careful and patient examination of the documents
put into their hands as evidence in the case. You must, therefore, plainly
perceive, that the only ground on which expulsion from the Church can be avoided
is an abandonment of the Union Society, with assurances that you will give no
aid in future to any publication or measure calculated to cast reproach upon our
ministers, or occasion breach of union among our members.
"Be good enough then, my brother, to answer in writing the following plain and
simple questions:--
"1st. Will you withdraw forthwith from the Union Society?
"2d. Will you in future withhold your aid from such publications and measures as
are calculated to cast reproach upon our ministers, and produce breach of union
among our members?
"Yours, &c. James M. Hanson.
"P.S. Your answer will be expected in the course of four or five days."
After allowing sufficient time for deliberation, and receiving no answer, nor
discovering any symptoms of reconciliation from any quarter, Mr. Hanson was
compelled to the act, so exceedingly painful to an administrator of discipline,
of pronouncing them excommunicated from the Methodist Episcopal Church. Thus was
the separation, so long and so painfully anticipated, notwithstanding all the
means used to prevent it, finally consummated, and the Church left to bleed
under the wounds afflicted upon her by those whom she had once delighted to
honor.
In the mean time similar proceedings were had in other places. We have already
seen that the Union Society of Baltimore recommended that societies of the like
character should be organized wherever a sufficient number 'of persons could be
found friendly to the measures of the "Reformers." This recommendation had been
complied with in a number of places; and wherever these societies existed,
agitations and commotions, similar to those in Baltimore, had been the painful
results. Hence, in the states of Tennessee and North Carolina, several members
of these Union Societies had been tried and expelled from the Church for their
refractory conduct, and for inveighing against the discipline and aspersing the
character of the ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. And in addition to
those eleven local preachers and twenty-two laymen who were expelled in
Baltimore, about fifty females, friends of the excommunicated brethren,
addressed a letter to the ruling preacher, Mr. Hanson, expressing their desire
to withdraw from the Church, which they were permitted to do without further
trial.
It may be necessary here to correct an erroneous opinion, which prevailed to
some extent at the time, respecting the cause of complaint against the
"Reformers," as they chose all along to call themselves.
Whoever will consult the writings of those days, in reference to this subject,
will find complaints, on the part of the "Reformers," that an attempt was made,
by the advocates for the present order of things, to suppress inquiry, to
abridge the freedom of speech and of the press, and that these trials were
instituted, in part at least, as a punishment for exercising this freedom on the
subjects that were then litigated. This was a great mistake. It was for an abuse
of this freedom, for indulging in personal criminations, injurious to individual
character, that the delinquents were tried and finally condemned. This will
appear manifest to every person who will impartially inspect the charges, the
specifications, and the testimony selected from the "Mutual Rights" to support
the accusations, and also from the report of the General Conference on petitions
and memorials. It was, indeed, expressly is avowed at the time by the
prosecutors, and by all who had written on the subject, that they wished to
suppress freedom of inquiry, either in writing or speaking, provided only that
the debaters would confine their discussions to an investigation of facts and
arguments, without impeaching the character and motives of those from whom they
dissented. *[29]
The expelled members in the city of Baltimore immediately formed themselves into
a society, under the tide of "Associated Methodist Reformers;" and in the month
of November, 1827 a convention assembled in that city, composed of ministers and
lay delegates who had been elected by the state conventions and Union Societies.
This convention prepared a memorial to the General Conference. The memorial was
presented, read, and referred to a committee, and the following report, drawn up
by the late Bishop Emory, and unanimously adopted by the conference, will show
the result:
"The committee to whom were referred certain petitions and memorials, for and
against a direct lay and local representation in the General Conference, submit
the following report:--
"Of those which propose this revolution in our economy, that which has been
received from a convention of certain local preachers and lay members, held in
the city of Baltimore in November last, is presumed to embody the general views
-- of those who desire this change, and the chief arguments on which they rely.
In framing a reply, in the midst of the various and pressing business of a
General Conference, it cannot be reasonably expected that we should enter into
minute details. Our remarks, of necessity, must be confined to a few leading
topics, in condensed, yet, we trust, an intelligible form.
"As to the claim of right to the representation contended for, if it be a right
which the claimants are entitled to demand, it must be either a natural or an
acquired right. If a natural right, then, being founded in nature, it must be
common to men, as men. The foundation of rights in ecclesiastical bodies, in our
opinion, rests on a different basis. If it be alleged to be an acquired right,
then it must have been acquired either in consequence of becoming Christians or
of becoming Methodists. if the former, it devolves on the claimants to prove
that this right is conferred by the holy Scriptures, and that they impose on us
the corresponding obligation to grant the claim. That it is not' forbidden' in
the New Testament is not sufficient; for neither is the contrary 'forbidden.' Or
if the latter be alleged, namely, that it has been acquired in consequence of
becoming Methodists, then it must have been either by some conventional compact,
or by some obligatory principle in the economy of Methodism, to which, as then
organized, the claimants voluntarily attached themselves. Neither of these, we
believe, either has been or can be shown. And until one at least of these be
shown, the claim of right, as such, cannot, we think, have been sustained.
"But do the memorialists mean to say that they are entitled to their claim, as a
matter of right, against the judgment and the voice of a confessedly very large
majority of their brethren, both of the ministry traveling and local, and also f
the lay members? or that in these circumstances, on any ground, the claim ought
to be admitted?. We Could not have believed them capable of so Strange a
position, had they not declared the opinion as prevailing among themselves,
'that the extension of the principle of representation to the members and the
local preachers of the Church, by the General Conference, in compliance with a
petition of this kind, at this conjuncture of time, would do more toward
conciliating good feeling, restoring lost confidence among brethren, and
confirming wavering minds, on all sides, than any other measure which can be
adopted.'
"Now we 'speak advisedly' when we say, that, in our judgment, such a measure,
'at this conjuncture of time,' would have a precisely contrary effect. The
ministers assembled in General Conference, coming so recently from all parts of
the great field of our missionary labors, and having had, throughout its whole
extent, free and constant intercourse both with traveling and local preachers,
and also with our lay members, are, certainly, at least as well prepared as the
memorialists could have been to form L correct judgment on this point; and their
calm and deliberate judgment is clearly and unhesitatingly as above-stated. This
we believe, too, to be the true state of the question, after it has been so
zealously discussed, on the side of the memorialists, for now nearly eight
years'; during almost the whole of which time, until very recently, the
discussion has been conducted almost exclusively by their own writers.
"We are aware that it has been assumed, by some at least of those writers, that
this repugnance to the change proposed, on the part of so great a proportion
both of our local preachers and lay members, to say nothing of the itinerant
preachers, is the result of ignorance or want of intellect. This we conceive to
be at least not a very modest assumption. Our opinion, on the contrary, is,
while we freely admit that there are men of respectable information and
intelligence who desire the change, that there are, nevertheless, very many
more, of at least equally respectable information and intelligence, who are
opposed to it, whether on the ground of right, of consistent practicability, or
of utility.
"With regard to our local brethren particularly, it is our decided judgment that
the privileges and advantages in which they have participated, in this country,
have much rather exceeded than fallen short of what was contemplated in their
institution, in the original economy of Methodism, as founded by the venerable
Wesley, either in Europe or in America. We cannot but regret to perceive, that
the addition of privilege to privilege seems only to have had the effect of
exciting some of our brethren to claim still more and more; and now to begin to
demand them as matters of positive and inherent right. We are happy to be able
to say 'some' only of our local brethren; for of the great body, even of
themselves, we believe better things, though we thus speak. If; indeed, our
members generally are tired of our missionary and itinerant system, and wish a
change, then we could not be surprised if they should desire to introduce into
our councils local men, whose views, and feelings, and interests, in the very
nature and necessity of things, could not fail to be more local than those of
itinerant men. And if to so powerful a local influence should be added, as would
be added, the tendencies and temptations to locality which, in despite of all
our better convictions, too often exist among ourselves, from domestic and
personal considerations of a pressing character, we are free to confess our
fears of the dangers to our itinerant economy which, in our opinion, could not
fail, in time, to be the result. Now the preservation of the great itinerant
system, unimpaired, in all its vital energies, we do conscientiously believe to
be essential to the accomplishment of the grand original design of the economy
of Methodism, to spread Scriptural holiness over these and other lands.
"The memorialists, we know, disavow any intention or desire to impair those
energies, or to injure this system. Be it so. They can, however, only speak for
themselves. They know not what may be the views of those who may come after
them. And, in any event, our argument is, that the change proposed would, in its
very nature, and from the inevitable connections of causes and effects, tend,
gradually perhaps, yet not the less uncontrollably, to the results which we have
mentioned.
"We know also that it has been insinuated that we adhere to the continuance of
our present polity from motives of personal interest. For protection against
such unkindness and injustice we rest on the good sense and candor of the
community. It cannot but be well known that our present economy bears with a
peculiar severity upon the personal and domestic comforts of the itinerant
ministry. And even an enemy could scarcely fail to admit that, were we really
ambitious of worldly interest, and of personal ease, and domestic comfort, we
might have the discernment to perceive that the surest way to effect these
objects would be to effect the changes proposed, and thus to prepare the way for
the enjoyment of similar advantages, in these respects, to those now enjoyed by
the settled ministry of other churches. And, indeed, were such a change
effected, and should we even still continue itinerant, considering that, from
the necessity of things, our wealthy and liberal friends would most generally be
selected as delegates, we do not doubt that the change proposed might probably
tend to increase our temporal comforts. We think this the more probable,
because, if such a direct representation of the laity were admitted, their
constituents might ultimately become obliged, by some positive provisions, fully
to make up and pay whatever allowances might be made to the ministry; which
allowances, in this event, might also more properly acquire the nature of a
civil obligation. At present our economy knows no such thing. The great Head of
the church himself has imposed on us the duty of preaching the gospel, of
administering its ordinances, and of maintaining its moral discipline among
those over whom the Holy Ghost, in these respects, has made us overseers. Of
these also, namely, of gospel doctrines, ordinances, and moral discipline, we do
believe that the divinely instituted ministry are the divinely authorized
expounders; and that the duty of maintaining them in their purity, and of not
permitting our ministrations, in these respects, to be authoritatively
controlled by others, does rest upon us with the force of a moral obligation, in
the due discharge of which our consciences are involved. It is on this ground
that we resist the temptations of temporal advantage which the proposed changes
hold out to us.
"On this point we beg, however, that no one may either misunderstand or
misrepresent us. We neither claim nor seek to be 'lords over God's heritage.' In
the sense of this passage, there is but one Lord and one Lawgiver. We arrogate
no authority to enact any laws of our own, either of moral or of civil force.
Our commission is to preach the gospel, and to enforce the moral discipline,
established by the one Lawgiver, by those spiritual powers vested in us, as
subordinate pastors, who watch over souls as they that must give account to the
chief Shepherd. We claim no strictly legislative powers, although we grant that
the terms 'legislature' and 'legislative' have been sometimes used even among
ourselves. In a proper sense, however, they are not strictly applicable to our
General Conference. A mistake on this point has probably been the source of much
erroneous reasoning, and of some consequent dissatisfaction. Did we claim any
authority to enact laws to affect either life or limb, to touch the persons or
to tax the property of our members, they ought, unquestionably, to be directly
represented among us. But they know we do not. We certainly, then, exercise no
civil legislation. As to the moral code, we are subject, equally with
themselves, to one only Lord. We have no power to add to, to take from, to
alter, or to modify a single item of his statutes. Whether laymen or ministers
be the authorized expounders and administrators of those laws, we can
confidently rely on the good Christian sense of the great body of our brethren
to judge. These well know, also, that whatever expositions of them we apply to
others, the same are applied equally to ourselves, and, in some instances, with
peculiar strictness.
"No man is obliged to receive our doctrines merely because we believe and teach
them, nor unless they have his own cordial assent. Neither is any man obliged to
submit himself to what we believe to be the moral discipline of the gospel, and
our duty to enforce, unless he believes it to be so also. In this view, at
least, it cannot require any great share of either intelligence or candor to
perceive some difference between our spiritual and pastoral oversight and the
absolute sway of the ancient 'Druids,' and of the despots of 'Babylon and
Egypt,' and of 'India and Tartary.' The subjects of their lawless power became
so not by choice, but by birth. Neither had they the means, whatever might have
been their desire, of escaping its grasp. Even in more modern days, and under
governments comparatively free, the right of expatriation, without the consent
of the government, has been denied. We do not subscribe to this doctrine, if
applied to either church or state. The right of ecclesiastical expatriation,
from any one branch of the Christian church to any other which may be preferred,
for grave causes, we have never denied. Nor can we keep, nor are we desirous to
keep, any man subject to our authority one moment longer than it is his own
pleasure. We advert to this topic with great reluctance, but the memorialists
compel us. If they will cease to compare us to despots, to whom we bear no
analogy, we shall cease to exhibit the obvious distinction. Till then it is our
duty to repel the imputation, so obstructive of our ministry. Expatriation,
either civil or ecclesiastical, if we may continue this application of the term,
may be painful, and attended with sacrifices. But we should certainly think it
preferable to perpetual internal war. If our brethren can live in peace with us,
in Christian bonds, we shall sincerely rejoice, and be cordially happy in their
society and fellowship. But we entreat them not to keep us embroiled in
perpetual strife. Our united energies are needed for higher and nobler purposes.
"We have been repeatedly told, in effect, that the doctrines, the moral
discipline, and the peculiar Christian privileges of class meetings, love
feasts, &c., in the Methodist Episcopal Church, are approved and esteemed, by
the various memorialists themselves, above those of any other branch of the
Christian church. Does it not then clearly follow, by their own admission, that,
with all the faults of our government, this state of things has been preserved
and maintained under the peculiar administrations of our itinerant system? And
who will undertake to say that, under a gracious Providence, which has thus led
us on, this has not, in a great measure at least, been the result of the
distinctness of our polity from that of most other churches? And who will
undertake to say that, were the changes proposed adopted, we should not
gradually, though at first perhaps almost imperceptibly, begin to go the way of
others? We speak to Methodists. They will judge what we say. The moral results
of our past and present polity have been tried. Its fruits are before us, and
confessed by the world. The experiment proposed, in connection with an
essentially itinerant system, is untried. Its results, at best, must be
problematical; and, in our opinion, there is no prospect of gain that can
justify the hazard.
"With regard to our local brethren particularly, they have themselves explicitly
said, that they 'ask for no distinct representation of the local preachers.' So
far as this question is concerned, therefore, by their own consent, they can
only be regarded as amalgamated with the laity: and our lay brethren, we
apprehend, would not readily consent to its being considered in any other light.
"Were we disposed to retort the insinuation of sinister personal motives, how
easy would it be for us to suggest that some of our local brethren who have
deserted the itinerant field, (perhaps from its toils and privations,) and
others who have never been pleased to leave domestic comforts and temporal
pursuits to encounter its labors and sacrifices, may be so zealous in
accomplishing the proposed change in order to cut up, or to bring down, the
itinerant system to a nearer approximation to their temporal convenience. So
that, in time, they might come, without the sacrifices at present necessary, to
participate both in the pastoral charge, and, alas! in the envied pittance of
those who now devote themselves wholly to the work, and are absolutely dependent
for daily subsistence on the mere voluntary contributions of those whom they
serve: (a check on their power indeed!) Such an imputation would be quite as
kind and as true as many of those which are so liberally heaped on us. This
course of argumentation, however, we deem unworthy of Christian brethren, and
shall leave it for those who think their cause requires it. The man who can
believe, or who can endeavor to persuade others, that we adhere to our present
itinerant system for the sake of personal convenience, ease, or interest, or
with the view of benefiting our posterity more than the posterity of our
brethren, maybe pitied, but he places himself beyond the reach either of
reasoning or of rebuke.
"The memorialists were sensible that 'a plan' of their proposed changes had been
urgently called for, and seem to have been well aware that rational and
conscientious men could not feel free to enter upon so great a revolution, in a
system of such extent and of such connections, without a plan, clearly and
frankly developed, and bearing the marks of having been carefully and
judiciously devised. The memorialists indeed say, that, 'independently of other
considerations,' they were 'disposed to avoid the attempt to form a plan, out of
deference to the General Conference.' It would have been more satisfactory to us
to have known what those 'other considerations' were. From some other
circumstances, we cannot but apprehend that they probably had more influence in
keeping back the expose of 'a plan' than the one mentioned here, of --
'deference to the General Conference.' On our part, we frankly confess ourselves
incompetent to form any satisfactory plan, on any principles which we believe to
be equal and efficient, and consistent with the energies and greatest usefulness
of our extended missionary system. We think it, therefore, unreasonable, at
least, to ask of us to contrive a 'plan.'
"So far as we can judge from any experiment that has been made, in Europe or in
America, we cannot perceive any great advantages which could be promised to the
Church from the proposed change. Nor has the late convention in Baltimore
afforded to our understanding any additional argument for its efficient
practicability. Agreeably to the journal of that convention, one hundred persons
were appointed to attend it, of whom fifty-seven only did attend, namely, from
the state of New York, one; North Carolina, two Ohio, four; District of
Columbia, four; Pennsylvania, seven; Virginia, ten; and Maryland, twenty-nine.
Now that convention had been urgently called, by repeated public advertisements,
and was expected to be held but a few days, to discuss subjects represented as
of great importance and deep interest. Liberal invitations were given, and
comfortable and free accommodations pledged. Yet, notwithstanding the novelty of
the assembly, the pleasantness of the season, and other inviting circumstances,
a very few more than one half of the whole number appointed attended. And had it
required two-thirds of that number to constitute a quorum, as in our General
Conference, after all their labor and expense, no business could have been done,
for there would have been no quorum. Of the number that did attend, too, it will
be perceived that a majority of the whole were from the state of Maryland,
within which the convention was held; and, including the neighboring District of
Columbia, a decisive majority. This exhibits a practical proof that, were a lay
delegation even admitted, the consequence would be, that the extremities of our
Church would not be, in fact, represented at all, but would be subjected to the
overwhelming control of those within the vicinity of the seat of the conference;
a state of things which, we believe, is not desirable. This may serve also,
perhaps, to account, in some measure, for the great zeal which some of our
brethren have exhibited in this cause, particularly in the state of Maryland and
the adjoining district, and in the city of Baltimore, where the General
Conference has usually been held. Were it established that the General
Conference should always be held in St. Louis or New Orleans, or any other
remote part, we cannot but think that the zeal of some, in that case, would
probably be very much abated. Even they would scarcely be willing to travel so
great a distance, at so much expense and loss of time, to remain three or four
weeks at a General Conference.
"In another document, issued by the convention above alluded to, they say, 'We
have been laboring with great attention and perseverance to put the public in
possession of our views as fast as we can.' They have also had in circulation
for many years a monthly periodical publication, for the express purpose of
diffusing their views and advocating their cause, besides the institution of
what have been called Union Societies, and of late a convention. Yet, after all
these exertions, the great body of our ministers, both traveling and local, as
well as of our members, perhaps not much if any short of one hundred to one,
still oppose their wishes. This, as before said, has been assumed to be from
ignorance or want of intellect, or from some worse principle. But we believe it
to be the result of a firm and deliberate attachment to our existing
institutions and economy an attachment which we have the happiness of believing
to be increased, rather than diminished, in proportion to the development of the
details of any plans which the memorialists have yet seen fit to exhibit. We put
it, then, to the good sense, to the Christian candor, and to the calmer and
better feelings of our brethren, whether it be not time to cease to agitate and
disturb the Church with this controversy? -- at least, if it must be continued,
whether it be not time to divest it of that acrimony and virulence which, in too
many instances, we fear, has furnished fit matter for the scoff of the infidel
and the reproach of common enemies? If this state of things be continued, how
can it be said, 'See how these Christians love one another!' It grieves us to
think of it. We weep between the porch and the altar; and our cry is, 'Spare, O
Lord! spare thy people, and give not thine heritage to this reproach.'
"We know that we have been charged with wishing to suppress free inquiry, and
with denying to our ministers and members the liberty of speech and of the
press. Our feelings, under such reiterated and widely circulated charges, would
tempt us to repel them with strong expressions. If reviled, however, we are
resolved not to revile again. But the charge we wholly disavow. Our ministers
and members, of every class, are entitled to the full liberty of speech and of
the press, equally with any other citizens of the United States, subject solely
to the restrictions and responsibilities imposed by the laws of the land, by the
obligations of Christianity, and by the existing regulations under which we are
voluntarily associated, as Methodists and as Methodist ministers. The rule in
our Discipline, 'sec. 7, p.91,' (new edition, p. 88,) of which some of the
memorialists complain, never was intended (and we are not aware that it has at
any time been officially so construed) to suppress such freedom of inquiry, or
to deny such liberty of speech and of the press; provided such inquiry be
conducted, and such liberty be used, in a manner consistent with the
above-mentioned obligations. The design of the rule was to guard the peace and
union of the Church against any mischievous false brethren, who might be
disposed to avail themselves of their place in the bosom of the Church to
endeavors to sow dissensions, by inveighing against our doctrines or discipline,
in the sense of unchristian railing and violence. Any other construction of it
we have never sanctioned, nor will we. In this view of this rule, we cannot
consent to its abolition. On the contrary, we regard it as a Christian and
useful rule, and particularly necessary, at the present time, for the well-being
of the Church. It is aimed against licentiousness, and not against liberty. In
the state, as well as in the church, it is found necessary to subject both
speech and the press to certain legal responsibilities, which undoubtedly
operate as restraints, and tend to guard against licentiousness, by exposing
offenders to penalties corresponding to the extent of their abuse of liberty.
And we confess ourselves among the number of those who, with statesmen and
jurists, as well as divines, maintain that even a despotic government is
preferable to a state of unbridled anarchy.
"By insinuations of the above description, and by others of an analogous
character, attempts have been made to excite against us the jealousy and
suspicion of statesmen and politicians, and of the constituted authorities of
the civil government. This low stratagem we have always regarded as peculiarly
deserving the rebuke of every generous mind, even among our opponents: and we
cannot believe otherwise than that it had its origin either in some distempered
mind or some perverted heart. The memorialists wish the government of the Church
to be assimilated to that of the state. We think, on the other hand, that as
there neither is nor ought to be any connection between church and state, so
neither is there any obligation or necessity to conform the government of the
one to that of the other. That both their origin and their objects differ; and
that to aim at conforming them to each other would be more likely, in the course
of human events, to terminate in their amalgamation, than the course of denying
such analogy, and maintaining the two jurisdictions on their peculiarly
distinctive bases, under regulations adapted to the objects for which they were
severally designed. In the instances of civil and religious despotism alluded to
by the memorialists, as recorded in history, the powers of church and state were
combined, and no means were left to the people of appealing or of escaping from
the one or from the other. The first step toward producing such a state of
things would be to bring ministers of religion and officers of state into a
nearer alliance with each other, and thus gradually to effect an assimilation of
views, and feelings, and interests. The way being thus prepared, politicians and
statesmen might be introduced into our ecclesiastical councils, and, by a
'mutual' combination, aid each other in the accumulation of power and influence.
We do not affirm that any of the memorialists seriously meditate such designs.
But we do say, that, according to our understanding of the natural tendency of
things, the change proposed is just such a one as would be most likely to be
adopted by men of policy for the accomplishment of such an object; and that, in
the present state of the world, nothing would be more impolitic than the
continuance of our present economy with any such ambitious schemes in view as
some, we fear, and must say, have malevolently insinuated.
"With regard to what have been called 'Union Societies,' we consider the
organization of these distinct bodies within the bosom of the Church as the
baneful source of the principal evils which of late have so painfully afflicted
and distracted some portions of our charge. Such associations, within the pale
of the Church, have arrayed and combined all the workings of the spirit of patty
in their most pernicious and destructive forms. They have drawn a line of
separation between those who compose them and their brethren, as organized and
systematic adversaries. They have separated chief friends; they have severed the
most sacred and endearing ties; and have caused and fomented discord and strife
in circles before distinguished for peace and love. And under whatever plausible
pretexts they may have been instituted, the Church generally, we believe, has
regarded them as calculated, if not designed, either to obstruct the due
administration of discipline, by overawing the administration of it, or to
prepare an organized secession, in case they should fail in modeling the Church
according to their wishes. With these associations numbers, we have no doubt,
unwarily became connected at first, from various views, who now feel a
difficulty in disentangling themselves. If, however, the real object of their
original institution was to secure an identity of views in the communications to
be presented to this General Conference, that object having been now
accomplished, we affectionately and respectfully submit it to the peacefully
disposed among our brethren who may yet compose them, whether there can yet be
any remaining obligation to continue in them; and whether, in fact, they ought
not now to be dissolved. In our opinion, considering what have been their past
operation and effects, the general peace of the Church can never be restored and
settled on any firm and lasting basis till this shall be done.
"We might add much more, but the time fails us. We entreat our brethren to be at
peace. It is our earnest and sincere desire. In order to it, on our part, we
have advised, and do hereby advise and exhort all our brethren, and all our
ecclesiastical officers, to cultivate on all occasions the meekness and
gentleness of Christ; and to exercise all the lenity, moderation, and
forbearance which may be consistent with the purity of our institutions, and the
due and firm administration of necessary discipline, the sacrifice of which we
could not but deem too costly, even for peace.
"In conclusion, we say to brethren, 'If there be, therefore, any consolation in
Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels
and mercies, fulfill ye our joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love,
being of one accord, of one mind. Let the peace of God rule in our hearts, to
the which also we are called in one body; and let us be thankful. Whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and any praise, let
us think on these things. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor,
and evil speaking be put away from us, with all malice. And 'nay the God of love
and peace be with us.' "
The following resolutions were adopted also, nearly unanimously:--
"Whereas an unhappy excitement has existed in some parts of our work, in
consequence of the organization of what have been called Union Societies, for
purposes, and under regulations, believed to be inconsistent with the peace and
harmony of the Church; and in relation to the character of much of the matter
contained in a certain periodical publication, called 'Mutual Rights,' in regard
to which certain expulsions from the Church have taken place: and whereas this
General Conference indulges a hope that a mutual desire may exist for
conciliation and peace, and is desirous of leaving open a way for the
accomplishment of so desirable an object, on safe and equitable principles;
therefore, Resolved, &c.,
"1. That in view of the premises, and in the earnest hope that this measure may
tend to promote this object, this General Conference affectionately advises that
no further proceedings may be had, in any part of our work, against any minister
or member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, on account of any past agency or
concern in relation to the above-named periodical, or in relation to any Union
Society as above mentioned.
"2. If any persons, expelled as aforesaid, feel free to concede that
publications have appeared in said 'Mutual Rights,' the nature and character of
which were unjustifiably inflammatory, and do not admit of vindication; and that
others, though for want of proper information, or unintentionally, have yet, in
fact, misrepresented individuals and facts, and that they regret these things:
if it be voluntarily agreed, also, that the Union Societies above alluded to
shall be abolished, and the periodical called 'Mutual Rights' be discontinued at
the close of the Current volume, which shall be completed with due respect to
the conciliatory and pacific design of this arrangement; then this General
Conference does hereby give authority for the restoration to their ministry or
membership respectively, in the Methodist Episcopal Church, of any person or
persons so expelled, as aforesaid; provided this arrangement shall be mutually
assented to by any individual or individuals so expelled, and also by the
quarterly meeting conference, and the minister or preacher having the charge in
any circuit or station within which any such expulsion may have taken place; and
that no such minister or preacher shall be obliged, under this arrangement, to
restore any such individual as leader of any class or classes, unless in his own
discretion he shall judge it proper so to do; and provided also, that it be
further mutually agreed that no other periodical publication, to be devoted to
the same controversy, shall be established on either side; it being expressly
understood, at the same time, that this, if agreed to, will be on the ground,
not of any assumption of right to require this, but of mutual consent, for the
restoration of peace; and that no individual will be hereby precluded from
issuing any publication which he may judge proper, on his own responsibility. It
is further understood, that any individual or individuals who may have withdrawn
from the Methodist Episcopal Church, on account of any proceedings in relation
to the premises, may also be restored, by mutual consent, under this
arrangement, on the same principles as above stated."
This decision, so far as the General Conference was concerned, set the question
at rest, giving all concerned distinctly to understand that such a radical
change in our government could not be allowed, and therefore all efforts
directed to that end were and would be unavailing.
Some have expressed their surprise that the General Conference was so unwilling
to yield to the voice of the people! The answer is, that the voice of the people
was yielded to, so far as it could be heard and understood. It is believed that
nine-tenths of our people throughout the United States, could they have been
heard, were decidedly opposed to the innovations which were urged. They were not
only contented with the present order of things, but they loved their
institutions, venerated their ministers, and were astounded at the bold manner
in which they were both assailed from the pulpit and the press. In resisting,
therefore, the proposed changes, the conference believed it went with, and not
against, the popular voice of the Church; and the result has proved that it was
not in error; for it has been fully sustained in its course by the great body of
preachers and people in all the annual conferences and throughout the entire
Church; and it has, moreover, had the sanction of at least some of the
"Reformers" themselves, who have become convinced that they calculated on a
higher state of individual and social perfection than they have found
attainable, and that it is much easier to shake and uproot established
institutions than it is to raise up and render permanent a new order of things
truth which should teach all revolutionists the necessity of caution and
moderation in their measures.
It will be perceived that one of the resolutions in the above report proposed
terms on which the expelled members might be restored to their former standing
in the Church. It is not known, however, that any of them availed themselves of
this privilege; but, on the contrary, a very considerable number, both in
Baltimore and other places, withdrew from the Church, and put themselves under
the wing of "reform;" while a few, who still proved refractory, in Cincinnati,
Lynchburg, and some other places, were tried and expelled. The exact number lost
to the Church I have not been able to ascertain; but by turning to the Minutes
of our conferences, and comparing the numbers for 1828 with those for 1829, I
find the increase of members to be 29,305, *[30] and of preachers 175; for 1830
the increase of members is 28,257, and of preachers 83. And as this is quite
equal to the usual increase from one year to another, the secession could not
have included a great number of either members or preachers. In the cities of
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati were found the
greatest number of "Reformers." *[31] Here they organized churches and
established congregations in conformity to their improved plan of procedure: but
it is believed that in all these as their influence has been on the wane for
some time, and that, while several have returned to the Church which they had
left, others have become wear and vexed with "reform," being convinced that they
calculated too highly on the perfection of human nature not to be disappointed
in their expectations.
It seems right, therefore, that the reader may have an intelligent view of the
whole matter, that he should be informed what their plans were, that he may
perceive the improvements with which they designed to perfect the system adopted
by the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the month of November of this year the
"Associated Methodist Churches" held a convention in the city of Baltimore, at
which a provisional government was formed until a constitution and book of
discipline could be prepared at a future convention. This convention assembled
in the city of Baltimore on the second day of November, 1830, and was composed
of an equal number of lay and clerical delegates from several parts of the
Union, representing thirteen annual conferences, *[32] and continued its
sessions until the twenty-third of the same month. The convention proceeded to
the adoption of a "constitution," the first article of which fixed the title of
the new "Association" to be "The Methodist Protestant Church," and the whole
community was divided into "districts," "circuits," and "stations;" -- the
"districts," comprising the bounds of an annual conference, to be composed of an
equal number of ordained itinerant ministers and delegates, elected either from
the local preachers or lay members; -- the General Conference was to consist of
an equal number of ministers and laymen, to be elected by the annual
conferences, and must assemble every seventh year for the transaction of
business.
The offices of bishop and presiding elder were abolished, and both the annual
and General Conferences were to elect their presidents by ballot to preside over
their deliberations; and the presidents of annual conferences were also to
travel through their districts, to visit all the circuits and stations, and, as
far as practicable, to be present at quarterly and camp meetings; -- to ordain,
assisted by two or more elders, such as might be duly recommended; to change
preachers in the interval of conference, provided their consent be first
obtained. The chief points, therefore, in which they differ from us are, that
they have abolished episcopacy, and admit laymen to a participation of all the
legislative and judicial departments of the government. Class, society, and
quarterly meetings, annual and General Conferences, and an itinerant ministry,
they have preserved. They also hold fast the fundamental doctrines of our Church
and its moral discipline. The verbal alterations which they have introduced into
some portions of the prayers, moral and prudential regulations, will not, it is
believed, enhance their worth in the estimation of any sober and enlightened
mind. This, however, may be more a matter of taste than of sound verbal
criticism, as it is hardly to be supposed that judicious men would alter "the
form of sound words" merely for the sake of altering.
Though a separate community was thus established, it was a considerable time
before the agitations ceased. It was but natural for those who had withdrawn
from the Church to attempt a justification of themselves fore the public by
assigning reasons for their proceedings, and by an effort to put their
antagonists in the wrong. And as they had a periodical at their. command,
writers were not wanting to volunteer their services in defense of their
measures, and in opposition to what they considered the objectionable features
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. This called for defense on the part of those
more immediately implicated by the writers in "Mutual Rights." And as Baltimore
had been the chief seat of the controversy from the beginning, and as it was
thought not advisable to make the columns of the Christian Advocate and Journal
a medium for conducting the controversy, the brethren in that city established a
weekly paper, called "The Itinerant," which was devoted especially to the
vindication of the government, ministers, and usages of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, containing, in the mean time, animadversions upon the newly constituted
government, and a replication to the arguments of its advocates in its defense.
Many very able pieces appeared from time to time in "The Itinerant," in defense
of the proceedings of the authorities of the Church in the city of Baltimore, of
the General Conference, and those annual conferences which had acted in the
premises. These contributed greatly to settle the questions at issue on a just
and firm basis, and to show that these things were susceptible of a Scriptural
and rational defense.
But the spirit of contention, which had long been impatient of control, at
length became wearied, and the combatants gradually retired from the field of
controversy, the Itinerant was discontinued, and the Christian Advocate and
Journal, which had, indeed, said but little on the subject, proposed a truce,
which seemed to be gladly accepted by the dissentient brethren, and they were
left to try the strength of their newly formed system without further
molestation from their old brethren.
On a review of these things, we find much to humble us, and yet much to excite
our gratitude. In all struggles of this sort the spirits of men are apt to
become less or more exasperated, brotherly love to be diminished, and a strife
for the mastery too often usurps the place of a holy contention "for the faith
once delivered to the saints." That the present discussion partook more or less
of these common defects, on both sides, may be granted, without yielding one
iota of the main principles for which we contend. Indeed, truth itself may
sometimes have cause to blush for the imperfect and often rude manner in which
its disciples attempt to vindicate its injured rights; while error may be
defended by the wily arts of its advocates with an assumed meekness and
forbearance which may smooth over its rough edges by their ingenious sophistry
so effectually as to beguile the simple hearted, until the serpent clasps them
in its deceitful and relentless coils. But extricate yourself from its painful
grasp, expose its serpentine course, and denounce, in just terms of reprobation,
its delusive schemes, and it will throw off its disguise, and pour forth, in
blustering terms, its denunciations against you, with a view to blacken your
character, and render you odious in the estimation of the wise and good. It will
then complain of that very injustice which it attempted to inflict on you, and
will repel all complaints of its own unfairness by a repetition of its offensive
epithets. Truth, however, has no need to resort to finesse, to intrigue, to
epithets of abuse, in its own defense. Though it can never falsify its own
principles, nor yield to the demands of error, either in complaisance to its
antagonists or to soften the tones of honesty and uprightness with which it
utters its sentiments, yet it seeks not to fortify its positions by a resort to
the contemptible arts of sophistry, nor to silence its adversaries by a
substitution of personal abuse for arguments. It expresses itself fearlessly and
honestly, without disguise or apology, leaving the consequences to its sacred
Author.
How far these remarks may apply to those who engaged in the present contest I
pretend not to determine. But whatever may have been the defects in the spirit
and manner in which the controversy was conducted, we rejoice that it has so far
terminated, and that we may now calmly review the past, may apologize for
mistakes, forgive injuries, whether real or imaginary, and exercise a mutual
spirit of forbearance toward each other. For whatever imperfections of human
nature may have been exhibited on either side, we have just cause of
humiliation; and while they teach us the infinite value of the atoning blood to
cover all such aberrations, they furnish lessons of mutual forbearance and
forgiveness.
But while this humbling view of the subject deprives us of all just cause of
boasting, we may, it is thought, perceive much in the result which should excite
our gratitude. To the intelligent friends of our Church organization, of our
established and long continued usages and institutions, it gave an opportunity
of examining their foundation, of testing their soundness and strength, and of
defending them against their assailants. Having proved them susceptible of a
Scriptural and rational vindication; we have reason to believe that they became
not only better understood, but more highly appreciated and sincerely loved.
Experience and practice having furnished us with those weapons of defense to
which we might otherwise have remained strange, we have learned the lessons of
wisdom from the things we have been called to suffer, and an increased
veneration for our cherished institutions has been the beneficial consequence.
Greater peace and harmony within our borders succeeded to the storms of
agitation and division. Our own Church organization and plans of procedure have
been made to appear more excellent from contrasting them with those substituted
by the seceding party; and so far as success may be relied upon as a test of the
goodness and beneficial tendency of any system of operations, we have no
temptation to forsake "the old paths" for the purpose of following in the track
of those who have opened the untrodden way of "reform," or to be shaken by the
strong "protest" they have entered against our peculiar organization and manner
of conducting our affairs.
In narrating the facts in this perplexing case I have aimed at historical truth.
In doing this I may have wounded the feelings of some who were the more
immediate actors in the scenes which have passed before us. This, however, was
very far from my intention. I have, indeed, labored most assiduously to present
the facts in as inoffensive language as possible, consistently with the demands
of impartial history, and therefore hope to escape the censure justly due to
those who willfully pervert the truth or misinterpret its language. No will I
claim for myself any other apology for unintentional errors than fallible
humanity has a right to exact from candid criticism. And now that the struggle
is over, may we all, pursuing our respective modes of doing good, "as far as
possible, live peaceably with all men."
The cause of missions, of education, and of the American Colonization Society,
was duly considered, and highly recommended to the approbation and support of
our people; and the reports and resolutions in reference to these several
subjects no doubt tended much to advance their respective claims upon the public
munificence.
The constitutional term of Nathan Bangs, as editor and general book agent,
having expired, he was elected editor of the Christian Advocate and Journal, and
John Emory was appointed to succeed him in the general editorship and agency,
and Beverly Waugh was elected the assistant of Dr. Emory.
The following provision was made respecting the appointment of trustees:-- When
a new board of trustees is to be created, it shall be done (except in those
states and territories where the statutes provide differently) by the
appointment of the preacher in charge, or by the presiding elder;" -- thus
approving the election of trustees according to the laws of the respective
states and territories, and at the same time providing for the manner in which
they shall be appointed where no such laws exist.
The Rev. William Capers was elected as a delegate to represent us to the
Wesleyan Methodist conference in the succeeding month of July, and he bore with
him the following address:--
"ADDRESS
Of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to the Wesleyan
Methodist Conference.
"Beloved Fathers and Brethren:-- Having, by the mercy of our God, brought the
present session of our General Conference near to a close, we avail ourselves of
this opportunity to convey to you our Christian salutations. Our beloved
brother, the Rev. William Capers, whom we have elected as our representative to
your conference, will more fully explain to you the state of our affairs, the
strong affection we bear to you as our elder brethren, and our fervent desire to
preserve with you the bond of peace and the unity of the Spirit.
"Our present session, though laborious, and involving various and important
points vitally connected with the interests of our Church, and of Christianity
generally, has been marked with general harmony of feeling and mutual good-will;
and we humbly trust it will tend to strengthen the bond of union among
ourselves, more fully to combine our strength, to concentrate and harmonize our
views and affections, and to give a new impulse to the great work in which we
are engaged.
"To stimulate us to diligence in this most sacred of all causes, the bright
example of your persevering efforts in the cause of God is placed before us.
Deriving our doctrines from the same great fountain of truth, the Holy
Scriptures, and admitting the same medium of interpretation, the venerated
Wesley and his coadjutors, and, we humbly hope, pursuing the same great objects,
the present and future salvation of souls, we desire ever to cultivate with you
the closest bond of union and Christian fellowship. Under the influence of these
views and feelings, we have rejoiced in your prosperity, and witnessed with
unmingled pleasure the extension of your work, particularly in your missionary
department.
"With you, also, we have our portion of afflictions. Through the disaffection of
some, and the honest, though, as we think, mistaken zeal of others, in some
parts of our extended work, the harmony of our people has been disturbed, and
principles, to us novel in their character, and deleterious in their influence
on the excellent system we have received from our fathers, have been
industriously circulated. Though we may not flatter ourselves that these unhappy
excitements are fully terminated, yet we presume to hope that the decided and
almost unanimous expression of disapprobation to such proceedings by this
General Conference, and among our preachers and people generally, will greatly
weaken the disaffection, and tend to correct the errors of the wandering, as
well as to confirm and strengthen the hands of all who desire to cleave to the
Lord 'in one faith, one baptism, and one hope of our calling.'
"Since our last session, we have witnessed, with joy and gratitude, an unusual
effusion of the Holy Spirit. Revivals of religion have been numerous and
extensive in almost every part of our continent. Upward of sixty-nine thousand
have been added to our Church during the past four years, and the work is still
extending. Stretching our lines over so large a continent, many parts of our
work, particularly in the new settlements, require great personal sacrifices to
carry to them the blessings of our ministry, and much diligence and patient
perseverance to preserve our beloved people in the unity of the faith. For these
great objects we are not sufficient -- 'our sufficiency is of God.' But having
devoted ourselves exclusively to this work, and confiding in the strength and
goodness of Him whose we are, and whom we profess to serve in the fellowship of
the gospel, we hope not to faint in the day of trial, but to persevere in
conveying the glad tidings of peace to the destitute inhabitants of our land,
until every part of it shall break forth into singing, and hail with joy the
coming of the Lord.
"Cheered with this prospect, we are endeavoring to strengthen each other in the
Lord. And the happy results of our missionary labors, both among the frontier
settlements of our white population and the Indian tribes, particularly the
latter, are pleasing indications of the divine approbation. It does, indeed,
seem as if the set time had come to favor these lost tribes of our wildernesses,
and to bring them into the fold of Christ. These natives, hitherto 'peeled and
scattered,' in the United States and territories, as well as in Upper Canada,
are bowing to the yoke of Christ with astonishing alacrity, and thus giving
evidence that his grace is sufficient to convert even the heart of a savage, and
to transform him to the gentleness of Christ. On this subject, however, we need
not enlarge, but refer you to our periodical works -- the extensive circulation
of which among our people gives increased impulse to the work, carrying
information, cheering and delightful, to many thousands, of the efficacy and
triumph of redeeming mercy -- and to our beloved brother and representative, the
bearer of this address, who will more particularly tell you, 'face to face,' how
much we rejoice to be co-workers with you in the extensive field of labor, and
to witness such evident tokens of the divine goodness to our fallen world.
"Recollecting the Christian deportment, the ministerial gravity and dignity,
and, what is more endearing to us, the brotherly affection of your late delegate
to our conference, the Rev. Richard Reece, and his amiable companion, the Rev.
John Hannah, both of whom have left a sweet savor behind them, we take much
pleasure in giving to you this renewed assurance of our unabated attachment to
those doctrines, and that discipline, by which both you and we are
distinguished; to set our seal to the maxim, that 'the Wesleyan Methodists are
one throughout the world;' and also our desire that the intercourse between us,
by the mutual exchange of delegates, may be kept up and continued; and that, as
a means of our edification and comfort, we shall be happy to receive whomsoever
you may appoint to visit us at our next session.
"With sentiments of unfeigned respect and Christian affection, we are, dear
brethren, one with you in the fellowship of Jesus Christ.
"Signed in behalf of the General Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, held at Pittsburgh, (Pa.,) May, 1828.
"Enoch George, President.
"Martin Ruter, Secretary."
Thus closed the labors of the General Conference of 1828, and here I close the
third volume of this History, with an expression of gratitude to the Author of
all good for sparing my life and health so far to complete my undertaking.
* * * * * * *
ENDNOTES
NOTE TO THE READER ENDNOTE
1 In one instance I found a preacher returned located and expelled in the same
year! In another, located in one year and expelled the next.
PART 20 NOTES
2 Dr. Beecher had represented the state of Maryland as being in a most
deplorable condition. After having said that Virginia, with a population of
974,622, needed 900 ministers in addition to the 60 it already had to make up
the one for every one of the inhabitants, he says, "Of the state of Maryland we
cannot speak particularly. But from general information on the subject, we have
no reason to believe the supply any better than that of Virginia;" that is, as
60 to 900. He must therefore have considered either that the Methodists were not
worthy to be included among Christian ministers and members of the church, or
otherwise greatly depreciated the religious character of the state of Maryland.
3 Dr. Beecher, who wrote the address, in a conversation with the writer of this
History, remarked that he had been misunderstood, and therefore had suffered
much abuse from the public press, on account of the sentiments set forth in the
address. It was asked, "Why, then, do you not explain yourself, and set the
public right?" The reply was, "I cannot do it without making matters worse."
From this it was inferred that he found himself in a dilemma, from which he
could not extricate himself without offending one party or the other. I think
it, however, but justice to say, that he disavowed any intention of producing
any other political influence than what should arise from a religious
purification of the moral atmosphere, so that men should come to the polls under
the restraints of Christian principles and that by an educated ministry he did
not mean a collegiate, but only a theological education.
PART 21 NOTE
4 He afterward left the Allenites and Connected himself with the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, and is now an elder among them.
PART 22 NOTE
5 The spirit of this requirement is complied with by the report of a
superintendent of any missionary district, in which he embraces a general
account of the several missions under his care.
PART 23 NOTES
6 May we not perceive in this system of aboriginal theology a semblance of the
Scriptural account of a good and evil spirit, of holy and unholy angels? And
have they not received it by tradition, obscured from one generation to another,
until it has degenerated into these absurd notions of supreme and subordinate
deities, who preside over their destinies?
7 Here is another relic of the highpriesthood among the Jews, and of the fire of
the sacred altar. Has this been handed down by tradition from their fathers?
8 There is an error in the total number in the printed Minutes of 385, the whole
number there stated being 260,275.
9 McIntosh accompanied General Jackson in his campaign against the Seminole
Indians. In a more private interview with Kennard, another Indian warrior, the
latter related the manner in which the army was arranged at the time the descent
was made. While he adverted to his command in one wing of the army, his eye
sparkled with conscious pride at the recollection of the honor which had been
conferred upon him. "In the middle," said he, was General Jackson on the right,
McIntosh; on the left, me."
This man was sick at the time the talk was had with McIntosh, which, however,
was held near the bed on which he reposed. As Mr. Capers offered a dime to one
of his children, he asked, "Is that little girl big enough to go to school'?" On
being informed she was, he eagerly replied, "I have seven of them; and when you
come back and begin your school I will send four." What a pity that a love of
heathenism should have defeated the benevolent project of teaching these young
immortals letters and the Christian religion! And much more that white men, born
and educated in a Christian land, should have contributed to its defeat!
10 A small settlement of white people on the Indian lands here borders on a
settlement of the Delaware Indians.
11 The Rev. Daniel Dorchester, who was the presiding elder of the district, in
giving an account of this work, relates the following affecting and mournful
incident:-- A young man, about eighteen years of age, who attended the meeting,
was earnestly solicited by some of his young associates, who had recently
embraced the Saviour, to seek the salvation of God. He constantly resisted their
importunities, though they were seconded by preachers and other friends, by
saying, "I will wait till I get home." On his way home he suddenly sprung from
the wagon, and exclaimed, "Mother, I am dying! I am dying! I shall not live an
hour! O that I had sought religion at the camp meeting!" Though a physician was
procured, it was in vain. His flesh soon assumed a purple hue, and the next day,
at about eight o'clock, P. M., he breathed his last.
12 The exact number of conversions was not reported.
13 There is an error in the printed Minutes for this year, there being 700 less
in the increase than what appears in the Minutes.
14 When the writer of this history visited Detroit, in 1804, he obtained an old
building called the "Council House" to preach in. On his second visit, while
preaching in the evening there arose a tremendous storm, accompanied with the
most vivid lightning and awful peals of thunder. He continued his sermon,
however, reminding his hearers that this war in the elements was but a faint
resemblance of that day when "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent beat, the earth also and the works that
are therein shall be burned up." He was afterward informed that some of "the
baser sort" of the young men; after the candles were lighted, deposited some
powder in them at such a distance from the haze that they supposed it would take
fire and explode during the sermon. They were disappointed. The exercises closed
without any explosion, because the candles had not burned down to the powder.
These wags, after all was over, informed their associates of what they had done,
and remarked, that while the peals of thunder were bursting over the house, they
were fearful that the Almighty was about to hurl a bolt at their heads, as a
punishment for their wickedness, and hence they sat trembling for their fate
during the greater part of the sermon.
15 He was educated for a physician.
16 The Wyandots had been taught, to some extent, the religion of the Roman
Catholics.
17 That the reader may understand the force of this allusion, the following
incident is related. As Steward fearlessly denounced the absurdities of the
Romish Church, and appealed to the Bible in support of his affirmations, those
uninformed natives who had been instructed by Roman priests concluded that there
must be a discrepancy between his Bible and the one used by the priests. To
decide this question it was mutually agreed by the parties to submit it to Mr.
Walker, the sub-agent. On a day appointed for the examination, Steward and the
adverse chiefs appeared before the chosen arbiter. A profound silence reigned
among the numerous spectators who had assembled to witness the scene. Mr. Walker
carefully compared the two Bibles, and examined the hymns, each party looking on
with intense anxiety for the result. At length the examination closed, and Mr.
Walker declared to the assembly that the Bible used by Steward was genuine, and
that the hymns breathed the spirit of true religion. During the whole
transaction Steward sat with great tranquillity, eyeing the assembly with an
affectionate solicitude, conscious that innocence and truth would gain the
victory -- and when it was declared, the countenances of the Christian party
beamed with joy, and their souls exulted in God their Saviour -- while their
opposers stood rebuked and confounded.
Though the assembly before whom Steward appeared in Upper Sandusky was less
august and imposing than the one before whom Luther appeared, at the Diet of
Worms, yet the question to be decided at the former was no less momentous to the
interests of Steward and his party than the one which hung suspended during the
admirable address of Luther was to him and his party. While, therefore, we may
contrast in our minds the two personages who had submitted their cause to the
decisions of others, we may not unprofitably compare them as being analogous in
their consequences to their respective nations. Luther, towering above his
fellows in learning, in eloquence, in piety, and in evangelical knowledge, was
pleading the cause of truth before one of the most august assemblies ever
convened to decide the fate of an individual. Steward, unlettered, rude in
speech, limited in knowledge, though humble and devout, was silently looking on
while his fate hung suspended upon the decision of a single man. How striking
the contrast! And yet how analogous the cause and its results Luther, surrounded
by princes, nobles, judges, bishops, and priests, awed by the presence of the
emperor of all Germany and Spain combined, in one of the most magnificent
cathedrals in the kingdom, stood firm in the strength of his God, and fearlessly
advocated his cause in the face of that imposing array of civil and
ecclesiastical authority which was leagued against him. Steward, on the
contrary, accompanied by a few converted Indians, stood in the presence of the
chiefs of the nation, most of whom had declared themselves adverse to his
doctrines and measures, surrounded by an assemblage of rude barbarians in the
rough cabin of an American Indian! Those Germans, however, who had embraced the
principles of the Reformation were not more interested in the fate of Luther,
than the trembling Indians who had embraced Christianity were for the result of
the deliberations of Mr. Walker.
But while Luther and his doctrines were condemned by a decree of the Diet of
Worms, Steward was acquitted by the decision of the umpire to whom the question
had been submitted. Luther, therefore, had to act in opposition to the highest
authority of the empire, with the fulminating sentence of the pope ringing in
his ears, while Steward went forth under the protection of the chief council of
the nation, patronized by the Church of his choice, preaching Jesus and him
crucified. Was not God's hand alike visible in each case? Nor was Steward more
contemptible in the eyes of the pagan chieftains than Luther was in the
estimation of the pope and his obsequious cardinals and bishops. And perhaps the
time may come when the name of John Steward, as humble as were his claims in his
lifetime, shall beheld in as high estimation by the descendants of the converted
Indians, as is that of Martin Luther by the church which bears his name. They
both had faults, because they were both human beings; but let their faults be
buried beneath the same turf which hides their moldering bodies from human view,
while their spirits, alike indebted to the blood of the Lamb for their
deliverance from the slavery of sin, shall shine amidst the heavens for ever and
ever.
18 There is an error in the printed Minutes of not less than 610, there being
that number more in the real increase than is given in the Minutes.
PART 24 NOTE
19 It is probably due to the interests of truth, as well as to the characters of
the living and the dead, to say, that the chief agent of this movement was the
Rev. Henry Ryan, who afterward withdrew from the Church, and attempted to
establish a separate party.
PART 25 NOTES
20 In the reception of Mr. Summerfield the New York conference recognized the
principle, that the regulations of Methodism in one part of the world are to be
respected in every other part. According to a rule of the English and Irish
conferences, a preacher remains on trial four years before he is admitted into
full connection; but in the United States his probation ends with two years,
when he is eligible to be admitted and ordained a deacon. Mr. Summerfield had
traveled three years on trial in the Irish conference, and of course had but one
year more to complete his probation; he was accordingly received by the New York
conference as having but one year more to serve as a preacher on trial. Hence in
1822 he was admitted into full connection and ordained a deacon, according to
the usages of our Church. And in 1824, having served two years as a deacon with
fidelity and success, he was elected and ordained an elder.
21 See Methodist Magazine for 1828, p.349.
22 So it is stated in the published account of his life; but it is believed he
must have been born somewhat earlier.
23 The reason of this decrease of colored members is, that that they had joined
the secession which has been before noticed.
24 It is much regretted that the day and year of his birth, and his age at the
time of his death, are not given in his memoir.
PART 26 NOTES
25 Freeborn Garrettson was elected from this conference, but deceased before the
meeting of the General Conference.
26 This being the name by which those brethren chose to designate themselves, I
have used it as a term of distinction, without allowing that they were in
reality reformers, either in or of the Methodist Episcopal Church. To reform is
to make over; and they seem to have become convinced themselves of the
inappropriateness of the term, by dropping it, and substituting in Its place
Protestant Methodists, implying, that though they could not reform us -- that
is, make us better -- they could at least protest against our peculiarities.
27 The author would gladly draw a veil over this affair, were it consistent with
historic truth; but Mr. McCaine has so linked himself with this controversy that
it is not possible to narrate the facts in the case without an exposure of the
absurdities of his pamphlet; and hence his name is given to the public in
connection with a transaction and as a voucher for declarations which have been
as discreditable and false as they were injurious to the reputation of some of
the purest men the world ever saw.
28 In the second volume of this History I have given an account of the
discussions upon the presiding elder question. There is reason to believe that
the leading men among the "Reformers" calculated largely on the support of many,
if not indeed most of those who favored the election of presiding elders; and it
is probable that some of these would have gone with them had they kept within
the bounds of moderation in their demands. Yet it ought to be remembered that
the two questions had no necessary connection -- that the one did not involve
the other -- and hence it is not surprising that some of the most firm, able,
and successful opposers of this innovation were among those who bad favored the
election of the presiding elders, and making them jointly responsible with the
bishops for the appointments of the preachers.
29 All these matters were set in a just point of light soon after these trials
were closed, in a pamphlet which was published in the early part of the year
1828, entitled "A Narrative and Defense," under the signatures of the
prosecuting committee and the preacher in charge, the Rev. Mr. Hanson This
"Narrative and Defense," being supported by ample documentary testimony, is
entitled to credit; and hence it is from this able defense of the authorities of
the Church, and their proceedings in the cases at issue, that I have drawn the
principal facts contained in the above sketch of this affair. From the
Discipline afterward adopted by the "Reformers" I have taken some facts
respecting their secession and subsequent transactions.
30 This increase appears after deducting the members in the Canada conference,
which were, in 1827, 8,595. Had these been included, the entire increase would
have appeared, as it in reality was, 57,900, and of preachers 275. The reason
why these were not included was, the Canada conference had become independent.
31 Though I have earnestly sought, from various sources, to ascertain the exact
number who were expelled and who seceded from the Church, as well as the numbers
now belonging to the "Methodist Protestant Church," I have not been able to
obtain the information. If any one will furnish me with this very desirable
information, from any authentic source, I will most gladly avail myself of it to
perfect this account in a future edition. However, that the reader may perceive
how far the Church was affected in the above-mentioned cities by the secession,
I have prepared the following tabular view [not tabular in the electronic
edition -- DVM] of the number of white members in each of them from 1827 to
1831, inclusive:
New York -- 1827: 3,219; 1828: 3,416; 1829: 3,473; 1830: 3,866; 1831: 4,889.
Philadelphia -- 1827: 3,633; 1828: 3,882; 1829: 4,440; 1830: 4,678; 1831: 4,859.
Baltimore -- 1827: 3,631; 1828: 3,886; 1829: 4,119; 1830: 4,295; 1831: 5,059.
Pittsburgh -- 1827: 737; 1828: 655; 1829: 676; 1830: 630; 1831: 700.
Cincinnati -- 1827: 901; 1828: 915; 1829: 929; 1830: 1,171; 1831: 1,495.
As the colored members were not much affected either way by these agitations, I
have left them out of the estimate; and it will be seen that there was a gradual
increase in all the above cities from 1827 to 1831, the years in which the
"Methodist Protestants" were maturing their organization, except Pittsburgh, and
the decrease here was only eighty-two in 1828, and forty-six in 1830. The
number, therefore, who left us, instead of being from twenty to thirty thousand,
as was reported at the time, must have been very few, or the rivals and
admittances very considerable; and either alternative shows on which side of the
question at issue the public mind preponderated; and if revivals of religion and
an increase of membership may be relied on as an evidence of the divine
approbation, we have had ample testimony in favor of our proceedings and general
system of operations: we may therefore, with thankfulness, adore the God of our
salvation for his unmerited goodness toward us as a people, even in the midst of
our manifold failures and infirmities.
It is a fact worthy of record, not, indeed, as matter of vain boasting but of
humble gratitude to the Author of all good, that "no weapon" hitherto "formed
against us has prospered" -- nor will it, so long as we cleave unto God with
full purpose of heart; but "if we forsake him he will cast us off for ever," May
we then take heed to our ways, that we sin not with our lips, nor charge God
foolishly in any of our conduct!
32 Some of these conferences must have been very small, for in looking over the
list of delegates I find them in the following proportions -- From Vermont, two;
Massachusetts, two; New York and Canada, one; Genesee, eight; New York, two;
Pennsylvania, twenty-eight; Maryland, twenty-eight; Virginia, twelve; North
Carolina, six; Georgia, four; Alabama, two; Ohio, sixteen; Western Virginia,
two; in all, one hundred and thirteen. But as there were thirty-one absentees,
the convention was composed of eighty-two.
From the above the reader may see in what portions of our country the
"Reformers" were the most numerous. Among those who composed this convention
there were, I believe, but two, the Rev. Messrs. Asa Shinn and George Brown,
both of the Pittsburgh conference, who were traveling preachers at the time they
withdrew from us and joined the "Reformers." The rest among the clerical
delegates were all local preachers, some of whom had once been in the itinerant
ministry, but had located, and two had been expelled. This shows how feeble an
impression had been made on the traveling ministry in favor of "reform."
* * * * * * *
THE END