QfarncU Hmoerattg iCihratg 
 
 THE GIFT OF 
 
 ^^o^.e.v\.v\NAU 
 
marked or mutilated. 
 
 ice books by marks and writing. 
 
 oiin ^ ^924 029 472 135 
 
 Sf.rj.con 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029472135 
 
c/ 
 
 t4^^tAr\^ Uytjiy^OU^ 
 
 ^'^-^C^/^- 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHY 
 
 REV. TOBIAS SPICER; 
 
 CONTAININO 
 
 INCIDENTS AND OBSERVATIONS; 
 
 SOME ACCOUNT 
 
 VISIT TO ENGLAND. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY LANE & SCOTT, 
 
 200 Mulberry-street. 
 
 JOSEPH LONGKING, PKINTEK. 
 
 1852. 
 
 5 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 As an apology for appearing before the public in this manner, 
 it may not be improper to state the fact, that the work here 
 presented was written m compliance with a resolution of the 
 Troy Annual Conference, with which body of ministers the 
 writer is connected. This conference, at its session held in 
 Albany, in 1847, requested the writer "to prepare an Auto- 
 biography for publication, with special reference to his expe- 
 rience, opinions, and observations in relation to Methodism." 
 
 The writer's labors, as will be seen, have been mostly within 
 the bounds of the Troy Conference. Having traveled more or 
 less in almost all the region embraced in this conference, he has 
 been enabled to collect many facts connected with the introduc- 
 tion and progress of Methodism in those parts. Many of the 
 incidents here related have occurred in connection with his own 
 history, and it is hoped that some of them at least may be found 
 interesting and profitable. 
 
 In the opinions and observations here introduced, the writer 
 has not the vanity to think that he has brought out anything 
 new. In giving his views of some matters, he may appear to 
 many of his readers rather too partial to his own particular 
 denomination. To such he would frankly confess, that he is 
 somewhat partial to the system of Methodism, for he really 
 believes that its doctrines and discipline are in accordance with 
 God's word, and are well calculated to do good. Their effects 
 in doing good are already too evident to be denied. 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 But although the writer may be somewhat partial, he is not 
 so bigoted that he cannot see any excellence elsewhere, or that 
 he cannot extend his love and Christian fellowship to other 
 churches. In common with all his Methodist brethren, he 
 believes in free communion with Evangelical Christians of all 
 denominations. 
 
 The writer would here beg pardon of his readers for appear- 
 ing somewhat egotistic in the following pages. This appearance 
 he scarcely knows how to avoid. If a man attempts to write 
 anything concerning himself, it is very difficult to appear other- 
 wise. If he were to use the third person instead of the first, 
 it would make but little difference; — there he is, and there he 
 must be, the hero of his own story. If he were to use the 
 plural pronoun we, instead of the singular I, he would there- 
 by only change the ism from e-gotism to we-gotism, which 
 would make the matter worse ; for he would then present 
 himself to his readers as being somewhat more than an ordi- 
 nary man; — he would rank himself with popes, kings, and 
 editors, which, perhaps, a modest man might not choose to do. 
 
 Although autobiography may seem to imply egotism, it is 
 hoped the reader will find, in the following pages, more account 
 of what others have done than of what the writer himself has 
 done, and that he is more disposed to praise others than him- 
 self. Egotism does not consist in the frequent repetition of 
 the pronoun I, so much as it does in the representation of our- 
 selves as of the greatest importance of any of whom we speak. 
 This is equally egotistic and offensive, whether it is expressed 
 by using the third person, he, or the plural, we. 
 
 If anything has been well done by the writer, or any one 
 else, and if any good results have followed, all praise belongeth 
 to the Lord. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 AUTOBIOGKAPHY. 
 
 P«ge. 
 
 Childeood 9 
 
 Bsiiioious ExPEmsucE, 12 
 
 Cacji 10 Preaob, 15 
 
 Braotjon Circuit 17 
 
 Thotman CiROuiT ; 80 
 
 SABAToaA Circuit, 40 
 
 MONTOOMERT CiROniT, 46 
 
 Troy Station, 66 
 
 Caubridge Cirouii, 60 
 
 New Yoke: Statiok, 67 
 
 NEWBrRGH Station, 71 
 
 AisANY Station 78 
 
 Hartford Station, 83 
 
 New Haten Station, 96 
 
 Champlain District • 100 
 
 Reformers, 108 
 
 Mormons, 110 
 
 Lansinobtjrob and Watebford Hi 
 
VI CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 TbOY CONFEKElrCE ACAOEMT 118 
 
 PiTTSTOWN ClBOUIT 122 
 
 supekitumebabt, 12v 
 
 Trot Distbioi 128 
 
 MiLLERISM, 129 
 
 Wesletans, 132 
 
 Deep Afflictiohs, 134 
 
 StrPEKNrMEIlABT, 136 
 
 General Cokferehoe, 186 
 
 Aebabt, Washington Street, 139 
 
 VISIT TO ENGLAND. 
 
 The Votaob 142 
 
 Portsmouth, 145 
 
 City Koad Chapbi 147 
 
 Bcnnel's FiEiD 149 
 
 House of Commons 149 
 
 House of Lords 160 
 
 WiHBSoR Castle, 152 
 
 Westminster Abbey 155 
 
 Tower of London, 161 
 
 British Museum, 163 
 
 East India Museum 164 
 
 Wesleyan Methodist Conference 165 
 
 Bath, 169 
 
 Evangelical Allunce 170 
 
 Temperance in England 174 
 
 Sabbaths in London 180 
 
 A London Sketch 185 
 
 EngIiAnd, — Farewell, 187 
 
CONTENTS. VII 
 
 P«6e. 
 
 Bin'OBN VOTAOB, 191 
 
 SuPEBNiniEEABT, 196 
 
 PotiLTNET District 200 
 
 The FsEsmiNo Eidersbip, 203 
 
 ScFEBinraiERAKT, 209 
 
 ADDITIONAL REMINISCENCES AND MISCELLANEOUS 
 OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 Easlt Fkejusices aqainst Methodisu, 215 
 
 Key. X GREaoKY 219 
 
 Rev. W. Fisk, 220 
 
 The yfoLS ans Hib£li]7Q, 221 
 
 Balaam SADBZura the Ass, 222 
 
 T. Seeel AtTD H. Weeks 224 
 
 Lorenzo Sow, 227 
 
 Rev. Henry Rtan 231 
 
 The Febseverancg Of Faith 233 
 
 TTnitersausm, 236 
 
 Peactioal Eoonomt 242 
 
 Methodism 247 
 
 Methodist Episcopacy 260 
 
 OcR Apostolic Succession 268 
 
 Government of the M. E. Chcboh, 270 
 
 Methodist Itinerancy 276 
 
 Fredestination 283 
 
 Election and Reprobation 287 
 
 Covenant op Grace 290 
 
THI CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 J.MSOB AKD ESA-V, 295 
 
 Divine SoTEHEaoNTr j, . 298 
 
 0» WiiuNO AND Running 300 
 
 On John xt. 16 302 
 
 EJECTION TO Salvation 303 
 
 Called Accobdinq to God's Pubfose 306 
 
 On Matthew xxi. 9 310 
 
 soistebous fkbaohiha 311 
 
AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 
 
 MY CHILDHOOD. 
 
 Early religious impressions. — Inclined to sceplicism. — A suggestion to parents and 
 
 youtli. 
 
 The first thing which I remember concerning myself, 
 is, that when I was about four years old my parents 
 lived in the town of Kinderhook, Columbia county, New 
 York. My parents have since told me that I was born 
 in that place, November 7, 1788. My father's name was 
 Nathan ; he had thirteen children, of whom I was the 
 youngest. 
 
 During my childhood, I presume, but few things 
 occurred in my history worth being recorded. I doubt 
 not that, like all other children, I gave good evidence 
 that I was a fallen creature. When I was about six 
 years old my father removed to the town of Nassau, 
 about twelve miles east of Albany. Neither my parents 
 nor any of the family, at that time, made any profession 
 of religion. I can very distinctly remember the first reli- 
 gious impression ever made on my mind; I believe it was 
 made by the direct agency of the Holy Spirit. I was 
 about six years of age when this event took place. I 
 was engaged in some childish amusement by the road- 
 side, a few rods from my father's house, when an inquiry 
 
 1* 
 
10 RELIGIOUS IMPRESSIONS. 
 
 ■was suddenly awakened in my mind respecting what 
 would become of me should I die, as did a little child in 
 the neighborhood a short time previous, at whose burial 
 I was present. This thought so troubled me that I lost 
 all relish for my play, and I hastened into the house to 
 inquire of my mother about this matter. My mother, 
 not fully apprehending the meaning of my inquiry, 
 replied by saying, that when I died I should be buried, 
 as was the little child which I had seen buried. But 
 this answer did not satisfy me ; I wanted to know what 
 would then become of me. It was some time before I 
 could make her understand my meaning, for I knew not 
 what language to use respecting myself after I should 
 die, for as yet I had never heard a word said about the 
 soul or a future state. 
 
 At length my mother perceived my meaning; and, 
 although she made no profession of religion, she was a 
 reader of the Bible, and had learned the doctrine of man's 
 immortality, which is brought to light by the gospel, 
 and she had some general idea of the way of salvation. 
 Her answer gave me the first distinct notion that I had 
 a soul that would never die, and that I was accountable 
 to God for all my actions. She first taught me, that, in 
 order to go to heaven when I die, I must become good. 
 From that time ever after I feared God, and often had 
 strong desires to become good. (Whenever I did any- 
 thing which I thought was wrong, I felt condemned and 
 unhappy, for I thought I had displeased Goa . 
 
 It was nearly a year after this before I had ever 
 attended a religious meeting. The first I ever attended 
 was held in a barn. I cannot remember who preached, 
 but I recollect I got some notions of God and rehgion 
 which I never had before; and my desire to be good was 
 much increased. And, although it may seem remark- 
 
UNPROFITABLE BOOKS. 11 
 
 able, and to some, perhaps, incredible, there was then an 
 impression made on my mind, that when I should 
 become a man I should be a preacher. And this impres- 
 sion always remained until I entered the ministry, which 
 was in the twenty-second year of my age. 
 
 I was early taught to read, and had, while quite young, 
 considerable relish for reading. I was, however, some- 
 what unfortunate in the choice of books, for I had no 
 friend who cared for my soul, or who could show me 
 what books were most suitable. Such books as hap- 
 pened to fall in my way were anything but religious. 
 They were generally such as I could borrow. Many of 
 them were very unprofitable, and "even injurious, for 
 many of them were decidedly infidel in their character, 
 and had a tendency to make me sceptical. This was a 
 circumstance in my history which I greatly regret, for 
 it has been the cause of much trouble to my mind, all 
 through the earlier part of my life. Scepticism has 
 been my plague, and would be still, had not my experi- 
 ence taught me some very important facts which I cannot 
 doubt — facts which have confirmed me in the truth. 
 
 In view of the foregoing passage in my history, I 
 would take occasion to admonish parents to be careful 
 to furnish their children when young with suitable food 
 for their minds, and not suffer them to feed on poison, as 
 I did. And I would advise children and youth to be 
 very cautious in the choice of books ; and, especially, I 
 would advise them to avoid all such as treat the Bible 
 and religion with disrespect. Wrong impressions, made 
 in early life, are not easily erased. They often lay the 
 foundation for infidelity or some other soul-destroying 
 error. When I was young there were no Sabbath 
 schools, nor was there such a variety of books suited to 
 instruct the youth, as there is at the present day. 
 
12 RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 
 
 RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE. 
 1803. 
 
 Irreligious youth. — Frequent awakenings. — Determined to seelc religion.— Obtained 
 peace. — Joined the Methodists. 
 
 When I was eleven years old, my father resided in 
 Nassau, about twelve miles east of Albany, and about 
 this time the Methodist preachers began to visit this 
 place. They preached on week days in the school-house 
 where I attended school. The school would continue 
 until near the time for preaching to commence ; then it 
 was dismissed. I generally remained to attend the meet- 
 ing. Although young, the preaching made a powerful 
 j impression on my mind, (j often felt deep conviction for 
 sin, and feared the wrath to comiy? Religion, many 
 times, appeared very lovely, and I often earnestly desired 
 that I might experience it; but no one in my father's 
 family knew how to instruct me, or to encourage me in 
 a religious course. 
 
 As I grew up, my heart increased in wickedness and 
 in the love of sin. I believe, however, that such were 
 my convictions for sin, from time to time, produced by 
 the Holy Spirit applying truth to my conscience, and 
 such my fear of God, that, if I had enjoyed the instruc- 
 tion and example of pious parents, or pious friends, I 
 should have experienced religion sooner tlian I did. But 
 I had none to guide my wandering steps. 
 
 Thus matters passed on, until I was about fifteen 
 years of age, by which time, I am sorry to be obliged to 
 say, I had become a very wicked boy. I disregarded the 
 Sabbath, had but very little relish for attending any 
 place of worship, and was in the habit of using profane 
 language. At this time, I certainly bid fair to become a 
 very careless and wicked man. But it pleased God not 
 
RELIGIOUS EXPEKIENCE. l3 
 
 to give me up to the power of sin and the devil ; but He 
 continued to strive with me by his Holy Spirit. He 
 opened my eyes to see, and my heart to feel, and at 
 length gathered me among His people. This He did 
 in the following manner. 
 
 Sometime in October, 1803, I wandered off one Sab- 
 bath morning into an adjoining grove, for the purpose of 
 gathering nuts, and did not return until nearly noon. 
 When I returned, I found that all the family had gone 
 to church ; and, when I recollected what I had been doing 
 on the Sabbath, I felt guilty before God, and exceedingly 
 unhappy. I felt so wretched that I scarcely knew what 
 to do with myself; but happening to see an old book 
 lying on the floor, I took it up, thinking I would divert 
 my mind by reading. This book happened to be a little 
 volume entitled, " Russell's Seven Sermons." I opened 
 on a sermon, John v. 28, 29 : " The hour is coming in 
 which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice 
 and come forth ; they that have done good unto the resur- 
 rection of life ; and they that have done evil unto the 
 resurrection of damnation." It was a discourse on the 
 " Day of Judgment." I commenced reading, and the 
 Spirit of God powerfully applied truth to my heart. I 
 seemed to see the Judge of all on his great white throne, 
 and the books open before him, and all the human family 
 standing in his presence ; and I seemed to see them 
 divided to the right and to the left of the Judge. I then 
 had such a view of myself as I never had before; I 
 viewed myself as standing on the left hand, waiting to 
 hear my sentence and receive my doom. And for a 
 moment I felt as though the dreadful sentence was really 
 passed on all the guilty multitude, and all were about to 
 be driven from God's presence, and I among the rest. I 
 felt for a moment as though I was actually on my way 
 
14 EELieiOiys EXFURI.ENQE. 
 
 down, toward the everlasting burnings. I stopped read- 
 ing, dropped my book — a shudder ran all through me. 
 I was terribly alarmed in my feeling, and for a little 
 while I was iri a real agony. But in a few moments I 
 recovered myself, and cried out, "O, I am yet out of 
 hell ! " and I fell on my knees and commenced praying 
 aloud : " O God ! have mercy on me ;" and there on my 
 knees, alone, I solemnly promised the Lord I would foT" 
 sake my sin, and never rest until I found his favor. 
 
 From that time the world had lost its charms to me, 
 and I continued to seek the Lord with great earnestness. 
 There was a wonderful change came over my mind ; I 
 endeavored to avoid sin and all wicked company, and I 
 felt a desire to be alone and pray. In this state of mind 
 I remained about three weeks,, before I found any com- 
 fort. Indeed, it was nearly two months before I became 
 fully satisfied that God had forgiven my sins, and that 
 my heart was renewed by the Holy Ghost. 
 
 But before I found peace I felt it to be my duty to 
 unite with Christian people ; and, accordingly, I offered 
 myself to the Methodists, and was admitted on probation 
 as a seeker of religion. Rev. Elias Vanderlip was the 
 preacher in charge, who received me into society, and 
 John Craw was the leader to whose class I was assigned. 
 Both of these blessed men have gone to their reward in 
 heaven. Brother Craw died, I believe, in 1833, and 
 Brother Vanderlip in September, 1848. I always looked 
 upon these men as my best friends on earth ; their 
 memory to this day is very precious. 
 
 When I was admitted among these Christian people, I 
 think I did not seem to promise much to the church ; 
 however, as unpromising as was my case, they received 
 me ; a circumstance which has ever been of great impor- 
 tance to me. My conversion and union with the Metho- 
 
CALL TO PREACH. 15 
 
 dists, I have ever looked upon as the most interesting 
 event of my whole life. They laid the foundation for much 
 comfort which I have enjoyed in religion and among 
 religious people. I am well convinced that the Metho- 
 dists and their peculiar economy were best calculated to 
 do me good. Their prudential regulations and means of 
 grace, such as love-feasts, class-meetings, and prayer- 
 meetings, were well calculated to assist me in carrying 
 out my resolutions which I had formed. And their 
 doctrines were such as I needed to restrain and encour- 
 age me to persevere. Had I been taught the doctrine of 
 predestination and the impossibility of falling from grace, 
 I have great reason to believe that I should soon have 
 made shipwreck of my faith, and have become a cast- 
 away. The latter doctrine would have encouraged me 
 to have let go my hold, and the former would have 
 landed me in Universalism, if not in downright infidel- 
 ity. I have reason to thank God eternally that I was 
 placed under the influence of Methodism, and warm- 
 hearted phristian friends, who loved me and watched 
 over me in my youth. Religion and peculiar circum- 
 stances have effected a great change in my feelings and 
 conduct. 
 
 CALL TO PREACH. 
 
 Impressions of duty. — Revival in school. — Received license to exhort. — Took 
 counsel. 
 
 I have already said, that, at the time when I first heard 
 preaching, an impression was made on my mind that I 
 should preach when I became a man. I will now say 
 that this impression had remained from that time until 
 the time of my conversion, after which it became much 
 more powerful. However, I told no one of it until nearly 
 five years after, and 1 presume that during that time no 
 
16 CALL TO PREACH. 
 
 one entertained such a thought concerning me, for perhaps 
 there was scarce any event that seemed more unhkely. 
 
 At that time I labored under many disadvantages, 
 which it may not be proper or necessary to mention. In 
 the spring of 1808, I took a district school in the town 
 of Chatham, which I continued to teach until the fall of 
 1809. While in this employment my mind became very 
 much stirred up on the subject of duty, and I occasion- 
 ally exhorted and prayed in public, and my brethren, of 
 their own accord, recommended me to the preacher in 
 charge as a suitable person to be licensed to exhort. 
 Accordingly, I obtained license, and used to hold meet- 
 ings in diflferent neighborhoods in the vicinity. 
 
 After having continued about a year and a half in this 
 school, I left the place and took a school in Hillsdale, a 
 town adjoining. Here a blessed revival broke out; it 
 commenced in the school among the children, and 
 resulted in the formation of an excellent Methodist soci- 
 ety in the place. This greatly encouraged me to pursue 
 the course of life to which the impressions of my mind 
 had long inclined me. 
 
 It now seemed my duty to preach, and I thought 
 proper to open my mind freely to the preacher who 
 had the charge of the circuit. Brother Arnold was an 
 aged man and prudent. He gave me his views of a 
 call to the ministry. He said he did not think every 
 good man was called to preach. He thought a person 
 should be deeply impressed in his own mind with a 
 sense of duty ; and he considered the voice of the 
 church as the providential voice of God in this matter. 
 If God had called me to this work, he would somehow 
 open the door for me. This aged brother gave me what 
 I most needed, — suitable instruction in this matter. He 
 neither hurried me forward, nor thrust me back. He 
 
BRANDON CIRCUIT. 17 
 
 advised me to exercise my gift in public by exhortation 
 and prayer, to read my Bible very carefully, and by all 
 possible means to improve my mind and cultivate my 
 heart in deep and ardent piety. He said a preacher who 
 had not a strong religious feeling, would not make out 
 much among the Methodists. 
 
 I endeavored to profit by the instruction and advice 
 given me by this aged minister, and continued to hold 
 meetings in every neighborhood where I was invited, 
 until the ensuing spring, when I obtained a recommend- 
 ation to be admitted into the Travelling Connection. 
 Until this time I had only a license to exhort. Now I 
 had mad« up my mind to give myself up entirely to the 
 work of the ministry. I now gave up my school, took 
 leave of my friends, and set off to attend the session of 
 the New York Conference, which was held in Pittsfield, 
 Mass., May 20, 1810. 
 
 BRANDON CIRCUrr. 
 1810, 1811. 
 
 Joined the Conference. — Appointed on Brandon Circuit. — Travelled and preached fre- 
 quently. — Opposition of Kev. Mr. G. — Sketch of his sermon. — Sketch of Mr. W.'s 
 Sermon. — Results. — Rey. Mr. H.'a remarlcs. — Reply. — Preached in G. — An in- 
 terriew with Rey. Mr. R. — Preached on falling from grace. — Rey. Mr. R.'s oppo- 
 sition. — Made aconfession. — Amorfting interview with Elder R. — Elder Brom- 
 ley. —Kind reproof —Married. — Diopt by rule of Conference. — Redectione on 
 the Bubject. 
 
 At the conference held in Pittsfield, in 1810, I was 
 admitted on trial into the travelling connection, and 
 appointed on Brandon circuit with Rev. Daniel Bromley 
 Brother B. was, at that time, an excellent man and a 
 useful minister ; he was a friend and father to me ; but 
 I am sorry to say that, since then, this brother has 
 missed his way. 
 
 Brandon circuit was, at that time, very large; it 
 
18 BRANDON CIRCUIT. 
 
 embraced no less than thirty-one towns, and thirty regu- 
 lar appointments. If I recollect, we had twenty-three 
 societies. These appointments we each visited once in 
 four weeks, so that they had preaching once a fortnight. 
 In order to attend these appointments, each of us had to 
 ride about /owr hundred miles in four weeks. This was 
 performed on horseback ; and in many places the roads 
 were exceedingly bad, especially in the spring and fall ; 
 and, at that time, our accommodations were not always 
 the most agreeiable. To me it was a year of great toil 
 and labor ; I travelled nearly five thousand miles, and 
 attempted to preach four hundred and nine times. 
 
 It was a year of some interest and of some revival of 
 religion on the circuit. We found our way into several 
 places where hitherto Methodism had been unknown, 
 and, of course, where we were looked upon with a jeal- 
 ous eye, and heard with considerable prejudice. In 
 one place, I had an invitation to preach not far from 
 Rev. Mr. G.'s church. This gave him some offence ; I 
 was looked upon as an intruder into his parish. After I 
 had preached there a few times, he feU it his duty to 
 warn his people against the intruder. This he did by 
 reading a discourse to them on Rom. xvi. 17 : " Now I 
 beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions 
 and offences contrary to the doctrines ye have learned, 
 and avoid them." He reminded them of the doctrines 
 they had learned. These were the doctrines of Calvinism ; 
 these he particularly enumerated, not even omitting that 
 which teaches that God had, from all eternity, unchange- 
 ably decreed whatsoever comes to pass. Then he went 
 on to particularly mark the men who should be avoided. 
 1. They were such as preached contrary to the doc- 
 trines they had learned. 
 . 2. They were such as introduced themselves into 
 
BRANDON CIRCUIT. 19 
 
 places where they already had the stated means of ^race, 
 their only object being to pull down other churches. 
 After he had described the Methodist preachers as well 
 as he knew how, he earnestly exhorted his people to 
 avoid them ; they must not contribute to their support, 
 nor hear them preach, nor receive them into their houses. 
 This discourse gave us occasion for self-defence, and 
 for calling in question the truth of some of the doctrines 
 which his people had learned. It was the occasion of 
 considerable discussion on doctrinal subjects. Some 
 thought it rather strange that the minister who believed 
 that God from all eternity had unchangeably fore- 
 ordained whatsoever comes to pass, should be so dis- 
 pleased when it had come to pass that a Methodist 
 preacher had visited that place, and preached doctrines 
 contrary to what they had learned. Although he did all 
 he could to prevent our preaching, and to keep his peo- 
 ple from hearing us, it was unavailing ; the people would 
 hear and judge for themselves. When he found he could 
 not defend his peculiar doctrines which he and his peo- 
 ple had learned, he called in the aid of a neighboring 
 minister, the Rev. Mr. W. This gentleman undertook 
 to defend the beloved doctrines which the people had 
 learned. He preached from Jer. xlvi. 10 : " My coun- 
 sel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." 
 
 1. He undertook, first, to show that God had from eter- 
 nity decreed whatever comes to pass, and, of course, 
 every event was in exact accordance with God's un- 
 changeable counsel. 
 
 2. That, notwithstanding God had decreed the actions 
 of all men, yet all men were free moral agents, and 
 accountable for what they do as much as though their 
 actions had not been decreed ! When he had estab- 
 lished both these doctrines to his own perfect satisfaction, 
 
20 BR AN0ON CIRCUIT. 
 
 he paused, and, looking around on all the people, he said, 
 " I suppose you will say, ' Now, if you please, reconcile 
 the decrees of God with man's/ree agency.' " He then 
 lifted up both his hands and stood in perfect silence a 
 moment, then solemnly said, " I frankly acknowledge 
 I cannot, — let us pray ;" and so dismissed the people by 
 prayer. 
 
 As strange as it may have seemed to the Rev. Mr. G., 
 even this discourse did not convince the people of the 
 truth of the doctrines they had learned, nor prevent 
 them from hearing us preach. The good man was at 
 length obliged to submit to God's decrees, although he 
 fought them bravely for a long while ; he had to submit 
 to witness a Methodist society formed within his parish, 
 and to lose some of his good members, who became con- 
 vinced of the errors of some of the doctrines they had 
 learned, and of the truth of Methodism. 
 
 In another part of the circuit,'! was invited to preach 
 in a gentleman's house on a week-day evening. Several 
 of the villagers attended^ and among them was the Rev. 
 Mr. H. I endeavored to show the necessity of Chris- 
 tians maintaining their religious character in a world 
 where we were beset by so many evil influences. In 
 order to give any force to sueh an exhortation, I was 
 under the necessity of showing that it was possible to 
 fall from grace. When I had finished, suspecting, from 
 his venerable appearance, that the old gentleman pres- 
 ent was a minister, I gave an opportunity for any to 
 speak who might wish. Upon this, the elder arose and 
 remarked that he disagreed with the young man in the 
 matter of falling from grace. He thought the doctrine 
 which had been taught was very erroneous and danger- 
 ous. It was some apology, however, for the preacher, 
 that he was but a young man, and he presumed that he 
 
BRANDON CIRCUIT. 21 
 
 had not yet formed much acquaintance with his Bible. 
 He would furthermore say that it was a very unnatural 
 doctrine ; the heait of a Christian did not naturally incline 
 to believe it ; but to a simple-hearted Christian it was 
 very revolting. 
 
 To illustrate this last remark, he related the following 
 circumstance : He said that some years ago, among the 
 fruits of the labor of Elder S., a missionary in Canada, 
 was an aged Dutch woman. She experienced a hope, 
 and wished to be baptized and join the church. She 
 was about eighty years old, but had never learned to 
 read ; and until this late time of life she had remained 
 almost entirely thoughtless about religion. She was, 
 therefore, a real child of nature. On examining her for 
 baptism, he inquired of her respecting her experience 
 and doctrinal views ; and among the questions he pro- 
 posed, was whether she believed it was possible to fall 
 from grace. But the doctrine was so unnatural, that 
 she could not understand the question. At length he 
 put it in this form : "Do you think, that, after Christ 
 has gotten one of his elect children away from the devil, 
 the devil can ever get him back again?" To this 
 she replied, " O la, no ! for if the devil is strong enough 
 to get a saint away from Christ, he would have been 
 strong enough to have held on to him in the first place, 
 and not let Christ have taken him away." Upon this, 
 the Rev. gentleman sat down. I then arose and re- 
 marked, that, as to my being but a young man, it was 
 my misfortune and not my fault. I might outgrow it in 
 time. My venerable friend, I suppose, was once but a 
 young man, but he had outgrown this misfortune. As to 
 the aged Dutch woman, to whom allusion had been 
 made, it seems she was very ignorant of the Bible ; and I 
 did not quite agree with my venerable friend, for I did 
 
22 BKANDON CIRCUIT. 
 
 not think her testimony proved the doctrine false or 
 unnatural. Now, I said, I will leave it for these friends 
 present to judge, which knew the most about this sub- 
 ject, and which ought to be believed ; those men who 
 spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, whose 
 words I have quoted, — such men as the prophet Ezekiel, 
 St. Paul, St. Peter, &c., — or this old lady, who could not 
 read the Bible, and who had lived all her days without 
 thinking much about the subject of religion. For my 
 part, I do not think she was a very good theologian, and 
 shall therefore prefer the decision of the sacred writers, 
 although they may have been somewhat younger than 
 this old lady. At this, the old gentleman seemed some- 
 what nettled, and said, " Young man, direct your dis- 
 course to me, if you please, that I may reply." I said, 
 " Sir, I have nothing to say to you, as I cannot hope to 
 convince you, for I am but a young man." So I prayed 
 and dismissed the meeting ; and the reverend gentleman 
 immediately left the room. He did not even bid me 
 good-night. 
 
 It was exceedingly difficult to preach in any place in 
 those days without coming in contact with the views of 
 some of our hearers. The peculiar doctrines of Calvin- 
 ism had been so long inculcated among the people, under 
 the imposing title of " Doctrines of Grace," that many 
 really seemed to think that Methodism was quite a 
 graceless system. In almost every place we had to give 
 account of ourselves to our Oalvinist hearers. 
 
 In the town of G. I preached at a gentleman's house 
 one week-day afternoon, from Phil. i. 6 : " Being confi- 
 dent of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good 
 work in you, will perform it 'until the day of Jesus 
 Christ." Among other things, I remarked that, although 
 the apostle spoke thus confidently of his brethren at Phil- 
 
BRANDON CIRCUIT. 23 
 
 ippi, yet I believed that a good work had been many 
 times begun where it did not issue in full and final sal- 
 vation. The awakening of a sinner was a good work 
 begun ; yet I did not believe that every sinner who had 
 been awakened by the Spirit would be saved. Nor did 
 I believe that, in every case where this good work had 
 been begun, and had been carried on even to conversion, 
 final salvation would necessarily follow, for men may 
 fall from grace. 
 
 It happened that Rev. Mr. R. was present, and, after 
 preaching, he invited me to take tea at his house, which 
 was near by. I consented, and told him I would be there 
 in about an hour. When I arrived, I found he had 
 invited several of his friends to be present, with a view, 
 it seemed, to have a little discussion respecting the dis- 
 course, in which I had crossed his track somewhat. So, 
 after introducing me to his friends, one by one, he drew 
 forward a large rocking-chair, and said, very pleasantly, 
 "Sit down, Mr. Spicer, you must be very much fatigued; 
 you have had a hard task to perform this afternoon. It 
 must, I think, be very hard work when a man is obliged 
 to contradict his text in order to maintain his doctrinal 
 system. St. Paul was persuaded that where God had 
 begun a good work, he would carry it on ; but you are 
 persuaded that God sometimes begins a good work and 
 never finishes it. You must be tired, -so do be seated in 
 this easy-chair, and rest yourself a little." 
 
 So I sat down, while all around were smiling appar- 
 ently at my expense. " Well, sir," said I, "let me give 
 you a text to preach from, to entertain and edify us all. 
 These words, if you please, ' All things are yours.' " So 
 he began by remarking, that all God's promises were 
 ours, if we were good Christians; and all God's provi- 
 dences should be overruled to our good, etc. He gave a 
 
24 BRANDON CIRCUIT. 
 
 very good brief exposition of the text. When he got 
 through, I inquired if my neighbor's horse were not mine, 
 if I am a good Christian. " O, surely not," said he ; "your 
 neighbor's horse is not included in the things to which 
 this alludes." " Why, sir," said I, " my neighbor's horse 
 is a thing, and the text says, ' All things are yours,' " 
 He replied,; " If it is a thing, the text gives you no title 
 to it." " My dear sir," said I, rising from the chair, " do 
 take this seat, for you must be tired. To contradict 
 one's text must be hard work: do sit down and rest 
 yourself a little." Having been met on his own ground, 
 he and his friends smiled, and the conversation turned 
 upon a subject upon which we were all a;greed, and the 
 hour was spent very pleasantly. 
 
 I occasionally preached in the town of Granville, at 
 the house of my brother. He lived in the neighborhood 
 of a Baptist church, and was surrounded by Baptist 
 professors. I do not recollect that there was one Metho- 
 dist in all that part of the town. At this time the state 
 of religion was exceedingly low in the place. I was 
 informed that, the Sabbath before I came /there, only six 
 or eight persons attended church, although it was a very 
 pleasant day. I had, as I thought, reason to fear that 
 their Calvinistic notions respecting falling from grace 
 were working mischief among them ; so I concluded I 
 would preach on the subject of Falling from Grace. 
 
 It was on a week evening; my brother's large 
 kitchen was well filled, and Elder R., their minister, was 
 present. My text was 2 Peter ii. 20 : " For if, after 
 they have escaped the pollution of the world, through the 
 knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they 
 are again- entangled therein and overcome, the latter end 
 is worse with them than the beginning." After showing 
 briefly in what way we might escape the pollution of the 
 
BRANDON CIRCUIT. 25 
 
 world, or, in other words, become converted, I endeavored 
 to prove that it is possible to bapkslide, to be entangled 
 and be overcome again by the pollutions of the world, 
 or in other words to fall from the Divine favor ; and that 
 in such case the latter end would be worse than the 
 beginning ; they would be in danger of perishing forever. 
 I brought forward a large number of proofs and argu- 
 ments, drawn from the Scriptures, to establish these 
 points. When I was through, I asked the Elder if he 
 wished to make any remarks. He arose, and in a very 
 kind and Christian spirit observed that he was very sorry 
 to be obliged to differ from me; that he considered the doc- 
 trine I had preached to be unscriptural and very danger- 
 ous in its tendency. So he took up my arguments, and 
 endeavored to show their fallacy ; and, referring to the 
 passages of Scripture to which I had alluded, gave thera 
 a difierent explanation. After talking about half an 
 hour, trying to repair the mischief which I had done, 
 and expressing his extreme regret that I had introduced 
 this subject,, and inculcated a false and dangerous doc- 
 trine, which he feared would injure the feelings of Chris- 
 tian brethren, he sat down. I then arose and told the 
 people that from what had been said it would appear 
 that I had preached false and dangerous doctrine; and if 
 it were so, I ought to make some apology, or, perhaps, a 
 confession. So I went on to say that some five or six 
 years ago I came to Granville to visit my brother, and 
 it happened at a time when there was a great revival of 
 religion in this place. I recollected that, on the Sabbath 
 which I spent here, I went to church, and although it 
 was in the season of the year when the roads were 
 rather bad, I counted around their church sixty wagons 
 and sleighs. And it was with difiiculty I could get into 
 the house, so as to get a sight of the minister. This 
 
 2 
 
26 BRANDON CIRCUIT- 
 
 same Elder R. preached. Well, how is the state of things 
 now 1 I have been told since I came here, that last Sab- 
 bath this same Elder R. preached in the same pulpit, 
 and had only six or eight hearers ; and I came to the 
 conclusion that the people had become entangled again in 
 the pollutions of the world — had fallen from grace. But 
 it seems that I am under a mistake ; that you are not 
 backslidden, if you do live in the neglect of the public 
 ordinances, if you do live without having prayers in 
 your families, if you do spend the Sabbath in idleness 
 and sleep, and if, occasionally, some of you get angry 
 and use profane language, or are seen lounging around 
 rum-holes and sometimes tippling; you are not fallen 
 from grace, you are God's dear children, you are having 
 a winter season, taking *' deeper root," as your minister 
 expresses it. You are all in the way to heaven. Just then 
 I felt the Elder, who sat by my side, gently pull the 
 skirt of my coat. I turned around, and he said, in a 
 whisger, "I beg of you don't say anything more." I 
 replied, I am making my confession. I am charged with 
 preaching false doctrine, and if it is so, I ought to con- 
 fess my faults. So I went on, until he spoke out and 
 said, " Do stop; you have said enough." So, after hav- 
 ing freed my mind in this way of apology and confession, 
 I ceased, and closed the meeting. 
 
 Next morning, before breakfast. Elder R. came to see 
 me, and was invited to take breakfast with the family. 
 After all had become seated at the table, he very kindly 
 remarked that he was exceedingly sorry I had introduced 
 the subject of falling from grace ; he feared it would do a 
 ■great deal of harm. I asked him what harm it could 
 possibly do ? I remarked that if the people in that place 
 were divided from all eternity into the elect and the 
 reprobates, I could not see what harm my discourse 
 
BRANDON CIRCUIT. 27 
 
 would do. The reprobates could sustain no harm ; for 
 they would not be saved, if I had not preached. And 
 it could not harm the elect ; for, if they could not fall from 
 grace, they would be saved notwithstanding my preach- 
 ing. "Well," said he, "I think it will injure Christians, 
 by leading them awayfrom trusting in God, and lead them 
 into sin." On this, I contrived to turn the conversation 
 to an entirely different subject. In a little while I said, 
 " Elder R., I should like your views on one subject on 
 which I have thought; who do you think will be the 
 most indebted to grace, and be the happiest in heaven, 
 the sinner, who has had much forgiven, or the one who 
 has had only little forgiven ?" " O," said he, " we are told 
 that ' they that have much forgiven will love much.' " 
 "Then you suppose," said I, "that such will be the most 
 happy in heaven?" "Well," said he, "I suppose they 
 will." Upon this, I dropped my loiife and fork, and, 
 lifting up my hands, I exclaimed, "O, Elder R., how 
 comforted I feel in view of toy course last evening! 
 According to your statement, I have led the elect into 
 sin, but they will be brought back again, for they cannot 
 fall from grace, you say, so as to perish ; their sins will 
 all be forgiven, and they will love much, and be happier 
 in heaven. I perceive my preaching will do great 
 good." Elder R. finished his breakfast without referring 
 to the discourse again. 
 
 Brother Bromley, with whom I travelled, was very 
 kind to me, even as a father to his son. He gave me 
 many lessons, which I have remembered, and by which, 
 in many instances, I have endeavored to regulate my 
 conduct. We used to meet each other every fortnight, 
 when I had to take my turn and preach before him, and 
 he would very kindly tell me my faults. I recollect, one 
 time, I was giving an account to him of the various 
 
28 BRANDON CIRCUIT. 
 
 appointments I had attended since we had met, and I said 
 that at such a place I did not preach because there were 
 so few present ; I only prayed with them and dismissed 
 the meeting. He said, " If that is the way you serve the 
 people tvhen they take pains to come to meeting, it will 
 not do for me to give out appointments for you. Did 
 not the few, who did attend, deserve a good sermon as 
 much as though the house had been full ?" I confess I 
 was rather confounded, and made up my mind to do so 
 no more. And I do not recollect that I have ever done 
 the like since. 
 
 Toward the close of the year 1 became convinced that 
 it was not good for a man to be alone. I desired a com- 
 panion and a home. After duly weighing the matter, 
 and taking counsel of my senior brother, I concluded to 
 marry Miss Phebe Jones, then living with her brother in 
 a town adjoining my circuit. We had been acquainted 
 with each other about three years. We were united in 
 marriage some time in March,' in 1811. 
 
 In consequence of taking this step, I was, at the session 
 of the ensuing Conference, discontinued or dropped. This 
 was not becaus& I had violated any divine precept, or 
 any rule of our discipline; but I had violated a rule 
 which had been adopted by the New York Conference 
 some years before, concerning which I had no knowl- 
 edge until it was made to bear upon my case. 
 
 The year following this event, was, of course, a year 
 of deep trials to me ; but I suppose I did not feel quite 
 as bad as I should if I had violated the law of God, 
 and brought disgrace on the church or the ministry. 
 Many sympathized, but none reproached me. The Quar- 
 terly Conference immediately gave me license as a local 
 preacher, and I labored here and there as opportunity 
 offered. During some part of the winter I taught a 
 
BEANDONCIECtilT. 29 
 
 school in the town of Shoreham. I endeavored to study 
 and improve my mind, so that I trust it was not wholly 
 a lost year to me, nor eventually to the church. Prob- 
 ably it was all for the best. 
 
 The resolution of the Conference to which I have 
 alluded, if I recollect, subjected the preacher, who should 
 marry the first year of his probation, to be discontinued ; 
 or, if he married the second year, he should remain on 
 probation a third year. Those who voted for this 
 resolution, I suppose, thought it did not appear well for 
 a man just entering on the work of the ministry, to be 
 seen seeking himself a wif^ immediately ; and that such 
 early marriages would burden the church with families 
 beyond its means to support. The first reason would have 
 had some weight, if the apostle had not long since decided 
 that marriage is honorable in all ; in preachers, I sup- 
 pose, as well as others. From this decision I concluded 
 that a preacher has a right to lead about a sister, a wife, 
 as well as other men, if he shall deem it expedient. And 
 as to burdening the church with a family, there may 
 have been a time when this argument might have had 
 some weight, but I have never seen that time in the 
 Methodist church, and I am sure it does not now exist. 
 If there be any burdens in this matter, the preacher and 
 his family will have their full share in bearing them ; so 
 that the people need not complain. I think, therefore, the 
 preacher must be the best judge of his duty and proper 
 course in this matter. 
 
 It is, no doubt, a matter of prudence, and, indeed, his 
 duty, to consult his senior in office before taking such a 
 step, for the discipline of the church requires it. But I 
 do not think it belongs to the church, or any part of the 
 church, to determine when and who a preacher shall 
 marry, provided his marriage be not with an unbeliever, 
 
30 THTJRMAN CIRCUIT. 
 
 but with all due prudence, and under such circumstances 
 as will probably increase his comfort and usefulness. I 
 think that, in general, preachers can be more useful when 
 married than in a single state. They are certainly less 
 exposed to a certain class of temptations and remarks. 
 It is not their families that make men burdens to the 
 church, but it is generally their own want of talents, 
 activity, and deep and ardent piety. 
 
 On Brandon circuit I found many very kind friends, 
 who received me very cordially into their houses, and 
 wha bore with my deficiencies and inexperience. The 
 names of Young, Smith, Horton, Wheat, Hotchkiss, 
 Jlaton, Lamb, and many more, will long be remembered 
 with pleasure and gratitude. But they are nearly all 
 gone to their graves. However, many of their children 
 and their grand-children are the living witnesses of the 
 truth. In many instances these are among the most 
 pious and active members of our church. 
 
 THDHMAN CmCPIT. 
 
 1812. 
 
 Readmitted, — Travelled Thurmaa Circuit. — Introduction of Methodism. — Messrs. 
 Woodward and Crane. — Rev. R. Jacobs drowned. — Rev. Henry Ryan. — First 
 societies. ~ State of Methodism in 1812. — Inconvenience. — Small support. — La- 
 borious services. — Attachment to Calvinism. — Public interview with a good 
 deacon. — Opposition -of Rev. Mr. A. — Present state of Methodism. 
 
 After having been laid aside one year, as already 
 stated, preaching here and there as a local preacher, I 
 again obtained a recommendation to travel, and at the 
 ensuing Conference I was again admitted on trial, and 
 was appointed on Thurman circuit. This was a two 
 weeks' circuit, and I travelled alone. 
 
 This circuit was in New York State, near the head 
 of the Hudson river, embracing nearly the whole of 
 Warren County. Hudson river here consists of two 
 
THUEMAN CIRCUIT. 31 
 
 branches, and the circuit embraced all the inhabitants in 
 their vicinity. All the territory of country embraced in 
 Warren County was at that time called "Thurman's 
 Patent" 
 
 At that time, Methodism had not been long estab- 
 lished in this region. Messrs. Josiah Woodward and 
 Samuel Crane and their families were the first who 
 joined the Methodists in these parts. Mr. Woodward 
 had removed here from some place in Massachusetts. 
 He had been brought up in the Protestant Episcopal 
 Church, and ever since he had been at the head of a 
 family, he had been in the practice of having prayers in 
 his family ; — that is, of reading a prayer ; — but he has 
 often said to me, that, at that time, he knew nothing 
 about religion, except its external forms. He said that, 
 as he felt no interest in the subject of religion in his 
 heart, the outward forms were sometimes rather irksome 
 to him, especially the constant repetition of his family 
 prayer ; yet, as he knew no better way, he supposed he 
 must continue its repetition. Once, when his minister 
 came to visit him, he opened his mind to him on this 
 subject, telling him how little comfort the repetition of 
 his forms of prayer afibrded, for want of feeling a spirit 
 of prayer. He desired to know how he might improve 
 in this matter. His minister told him he thought, if he 
 would take a glass of wine before he commenced pray- 
 ing, it would greatly assist him in the performance of 
 this duty. What a blind guide ! - It showed how little 
 he knew about religion, or the spirii of prayer. 
 
 When Mr. Woodward removed to this place, he found 
 himself in a neighborhood where scarcely any attention 
 was paid to religion, even to its outward forms. It 
 happened, about this time, that Rev. Richard Jacobs, a 
 local preacher, who resided somewhere in the northern 
 
S2 THH RMAN CI RCUIT. 
 
 part of the State, made an attempt to visit this part of 
 the country, in order to preach to the people. But in 
 crossing the eastern branch of the river, near the outlet 
 of Schroon Lake, he was unfortunately drowned. The 
 news that a Methodist preacher was drowned excited 
 some inquiry what kind of men Methodist preachers 
 were. In answer to this inquiry; Mr. Woodward was 
 told that they were such as were spoken of in the Scrip- 
 tures as "false teachers," ''wolves in sheep's clothing," 
 " who would deceive, if it were possible, the very elect." 
 It was said they denied the decrees of God, and beheved 
 it possible to fall from grace, &c. This strange account 
 of them awoke a strong desire in the inquirers to see a 
 Methodist preacher. 
 
 About this time, Henry Ryan, a Methodist preacher, 
 from Duchess County, New York, came into the neigh- 
 borhood On some business, and put up for a few weeks 
 with Mr. Samuel Crane. By means of his pocket Bible, 
 the family somehow discovered that he was a Methodist 
 preacher, and informed Mr. Woodward that there was a 
 Methodist preacher lodging with them. Immediately, 
 Mr. W. went over to see him, and, after conversing with 
 him awhile, and learning what Methodism really is, he 
 invited him to preach at his house the next Sabbath. 
 To this Mr. Ryan consented, and his preaching brought 
 new things to the ears of the people. 
 
 Mr. Woodward's religious views disposed him rather 
 favorably towards Methodism ; for he already believed 
 in man's free-agency, and in the general atonement. It 
 was the work of the Spirit on the heart, on which he 
 needed instruction, and on this subject he received great 
 light from the teachings of the stranger. 
 
 Mr. Crane had been brought up a Calvinist. He had 
 been taught that God had, from all eternity, unchange- 
 
THURM AN CIRCUIT. .33 
 
 ably foreordained whatsover comes to pass; and that 
 he had eternally elected some men to everlasting life, 
 and reprobated all others to eternal death. And that 
 the number of either the elect or the reprobates could 
 not be increased by any means whatever. But with 
 this teaching he was never fully satisfied. I recollect 
 hearing him say that the minister who was his instruc- 
 tor for many years, would frequently preach these 
 peculiar doctrines of Calvinism in the morning, and in 
 the afternoon would preach to sinners, and tell them 
 they must repent, and that salvation was free for them 
 if they would come to Christ. He would warn and 
 invite sinners with great earnestness and apparent 
 sincerity. 
 
 To Mr. Crane's mind, all this appeared entire incon- 
 sistency. He said that frequently he became exceed- 
 ingly vexed with himself because he could not see the 
 propriety and consistency of such preaching. He sup- 
 posed it must be as the minister said, for he was a good 
 man, and a very learned man ; and of course it must be 
 owing to his own ignorance and dulness that he could 
 not understand it. On one occasion, as he was return- 
 ing home from church, meditating on what he had 
 heard, he became so vexed with himself, on account of 
 his dulness of apprehension, that he suddenly stopped 
 and commenced pounding his head with his fist, for he 
 really thought his stupidity must be owing to his having 
 an uncommonly thick skull. But he found it did no 
 good. He never could succeed to. get the peculiarities 
 of Calvinism into his head so as to reconcile them with 
 common sense. 
 
 When Mr. Crane came to hear Methodism, he found 
 a system that seemed to harmonize with itself, with the 
 Scriptures, with conlmon sense, and with experience. 
 
 3* 
 
34 THURMAN CIRCUIT. 
 
 He obtained such a view of truth as he never had 
 before ; he was therefore ready to embrace it with all his 
 heart. It opened to his understanding new views of the 
 divine government, and of the plan of salvation. 
 
 After Mr. Ryan had preached here a few times, he 
 formed a class, consisting of seven members : — Mr. and 
 Mrs. Woodward, their son David and daughter Rachael; 
 Mr. and Mrs. Crane and their daughter Rebecca. 
 Before leaving the place, Mr. Ryan told them there was 
 to be a quarterly meeting on an adjoining circuit, and 
 advised Brother W. to attend it, and see the presiding 
 Elder of the district, and apply to him to have a regular 
 preacher sent among them. He did so, and Timothy 
 Dewey and Lorenzo Dow were sent among them. 
 Each came once in four weeks, and this place was 
 taken into the adjoining circuit. This was in the year 
 1798. Somewhere about this time a family by the 
 name of Noble, who were Methodists, removed from 
 Ireland and settled in Johnsburgh ; and thus Methodism 
 was introduced into that town. 
 
 In 1810, Thurman's Patent was set off as a two 
 weeks' circuit, and called Thurman Circuit. It has 
 since been divided into four, which are now called 
 Warren, Schroon, Johnsburgh, and Luzerne. 
 
 At the time I travelled here there was only one 
 Methodist meeting-house in all these parts; now, in 
 1850, there are nine. It then embraced a newly-settled 
 country, rough and poor. The accommodations for a 
 preacher's family, and their means of support, were very 
 scanty. The only place I could obtain for a residence 
 consisted of one room, having only one small window. 
 The room was so small that it could contain only our 
 bed, a table, three chairs, one chest, and two trunks. 
 On one side of the fireplace was a little closet, which 
 
THUEMAN CIRCUIT. 35 
 
 contained our table-dishes and some of our provisions. 
 This room served us as our parlor, dining-room, kitchen 
 and bed-room; and it was also my study. But we 
 were not much mortified to appear thus poor, for many 
 of our neighbors around us were poor also, and we 
 appeared as well as a large portion of our brethren on 
 the circuit. 
 
 Although our friends were generally poor on this cir- 
 cuit, they were generally very cordial. There was at 
 that time very little money circulating in these parts. 
 On this account, our contributions consisted principally 
 in such articles of provision as our friends could spaie. 
 All the support I received from the circuit, during the 
 whole year, amounted to only eighty-five dollars; per- 
 haps one half of this was cash. At the ensuing Confer- 
 ence, I received fifteen dollars from the Conference funds, 
 which is all I ever received from that source in my life, 
 although I have been deficient in my claim twenty-seven 
 years out of forty, which I have served the church. 
 Thus it will be perceived that my income, in 1812, was 
 one hundred dollars; and with this sum I contrived to 
 support my family; for, as early in my history as this, I 
 had adopted my " Economical Creed," which has ever 
 since regulated my temporal affairs. The' article in my 
 creed to which I allude, reads thus, " I will live within 
 my income." 
 
 I shall always remember the family of Father Wood- 
 ward. They put themselves to considerable inconven- 
 ience to accommodate us with a room, and would 
 receive nothing for rent. The old people have long 
 since gone to their reward. 
 
 My work on this circuit was very laborious; it 
 extended through ten towns, and I had to preach thir- 
 teen times in two weeks. There were one hundred and 
 
36 THURMANCIKCUIT'. 
 
 seventy-two members in society. I had very frequently 
 to cross the two branches of the Hudson river, over 
 which there was but one bridge. I used generally to 
 ford the river ; but when too high for this, I would get 
 set across in a canoe, and let my horse swim after it. 
 Our preaching places were mostly in private houses, for 
 it was not always that we could get the use of school- 
 houses. 
 
 This part of the country was settled principally by 
 people of intelligence, accustomed to great industry and 
 economy ; and a considerable portion of them were pro- 
 fessors of religion. But Methodism was comparatively 
 new among them. There was a prevailing fondness for 
 Calvinism ; many, however, scarcely knew why, unless it 
 was because it had been believed by their Puritan 
 fathers, and was called the "Doctrines of Grace." It 
 was no uncommon thing for our preachers to have to 
 give an account of themselves and their peculiar doc- 
 trines when they had done preaching. 
 
 On one occasion, in the town of C, after I closed the 
 meeting held in a school-house, an elderly gentleman, a 
 deacon of the church, desired the people to be seated, as 
 he wished to ask the preacher a few questions. So all 
 took theix seats, and he proposed the following question : 
 "Do you, sir, believe that God, from all eternity, knew 
 whatever would come to pass?" To this question, I 
 promptly repUed in the affirmative. "Well," said he, 
 "now I have another question to ask. I want to know 
 why God knew, from all eternity, whatever would come 
 to pass?" I replied, that " he knew it because he was 
 infinitely wise." " O no," said he, " that is not the 
 reason." Then I said, " Will you .please to tell us why 
 he foreknew all things?" "Because," said he, "he 
 had eternally decreed all things that would take place." 
 
THURMANCIRCUIT. 37 
 
 I said, " Do you think, sir, that God decreed those 
 things before he knew them 7 " " Certainly ! " said he ; 
 " or how could he have known they would take place?" 
 " Well," I replied, " if the decree pTeceded his knowl- 
 edge,- his knowledge could not have heen eternal, and 
 the decrees must have been made before God had any 
 knowledge! This is a way I have never thought of 
 before to account for the many wicked and foolish 
 things, which take place among men. I now learn they 
 are the result of God's decrees, which he made before 
 he had any. knowledge." The deacon evidently felt the 
 difficulties of his Calvinistic system, and began to look 
 for his hat, with a view to retire. After getting hold of 
 his hat, he turned around, in evident confusion, and 
 said, " Well, sir, you need not tell me anything about it.. 
 I believe there are no beings in heaven, earth, or hell, 
 but what do the will of God, as he had eternally decreed 
 they should." I replied, " Don't be in haste to go; hear 
 me a moment, I pray you." He stopped, and I 
 remarked, " It would be true that all beings did God's 
 will, if they did what he from all eternity decreed they 
 should do ; for no doubt his decrees and his will harmo- 
 nize. What he has decreed must be according to his 
 good pleasure, and, of course, according to his will. But 
 if this be so, that all beings in earth and in hell, — that 
 is, all men and all devils, — do God's will, then all 
 men and all devils will be saved ; for the Saviour has 
 taught us, that whoso doeth the will of his Father, 
 the same are his mother, sister, and brother, and that 
 they shall be saved. You perceivie, my dear sir, that 
 your system drives you into Universalism." He made 
 no reply, but left the house. The people present all 
 saw, and he evidently /c/:?, the absurdity of this doctrine 
 
38 THURMAN CIKCUIT. 
 
 of eternal decrees. We have now three churches in this 
 town. 
 
 About this time I got an appointment to preach in 
 the town of Bolton. Here I was assailed by Rev. Mr. 
 A., the minister who was settled there. He heard me 
 preach several times ; at length he pitched battle with 
 me. In my discourse, at one time, I had endeavored to 
 make it appear that a sinner could do something before 
 he was converted, for God vouchsafed him help; that 
 God gave him a gracious influence by which he could 
 repent and believe. I insisted that a sinner must do 
 something before he is converted, or he never will be con- 
 verted nor saved, — he must repent. He followed me in 
 some remarks, and took up the statements which I had 
 made, and declared they were " perfect nonsense." He 
 said that no man could do anything towards securing his 
 salvation until converted ; when God had regenerated 
 him, and he had become a new creature, he could repent, 
 and not before, for repentance was. a holy exercise. 
 
 When he had concluded, I gave out an appointment 
 to preach there again in two weeks from that evening. 
 He arose and said that he would preach on the same 
 evening in the same neighborhood. Upon this, I altered 
 my appointment to the afternoon, thinking I would go 
 and hear him, and learn how his doctrine would sound 
 when addressed io unconverted sinners. Accordingly, 
 when the time came, I attended. He took for his text, 
 " This poor man cried unto the Lord, and the Lord heard 
 him, and saved him out of all his troubles." Psa. xxxiv. 
 6. He first showed that the "poor man," here men- 
 tioned, is the sinner. The sinner, he said, is exceedingly 
 poor, being destitute of all goodness, and also of all abil- 
 ity to do anything by way of becoming any better. In 
 the second place, he told us that our salvation is of grace ; 
 
THURMAN CIRCUIT. 39 
 
 the Lord must save us out of our troubles, or we shall 
 never be saved. 
 
 After he had finished his discourse, he prayed and dis- 
 missed the meeting, without asking me to take any part, 
 or seeming to know that I was present. The people, 
 however, all took their seats ; and, after a few moments, 
 I arosBj and asked the minister to be so good as to tell 
 me whether the Lord saved the poor man out of his 
 trouble before he cried to him, or afterward ; and whether, 
 if the poor man had not cried for deliverance, the Lord 
 would have saved him out of his troubles ? He replied 
 that he was not disposed to have any controversy. But 
 I continued to press the question, telling him that as he 
 had entirely overlooked that part of his text which speaks 
 of what the poor man did, I thought it due to his hearers 
 that he should answer. Now, do let us know whether 
 he cried to the Lord before he was saved, or was he 
 saved before he cried 1 Remembering what he had said 
 when I was there two weeks before, and knowing that 
 the people remembered it, he seemed to feel his difficul- 
 ties. But, as I continued to press the question, he was 
 obliged to say something. " Well," said he, " the cry- 
 ing unto the Lord is the act of this salvation ; and, there- 
 fore, is the same thing as being saved." Now I under- 
 stand you, said I ; bat' this answer makes your text 
 appear rather awkward : your text declares the act of 
 crying unto the Lord to be the man's act, something 
 which he did himself, not what the Lord did. Now you 
 say that this act is the salvation ; then this poor man 
 saved himself out of all his troubles ; but your text says, 
 "the Lord saved him." How is this? "Well," said he, 
 "you may cavil as mUch as you please; I have no more 
 to say to you^" So he and his friends coihmenced singing 
 a hymn. But Calvinism gained nothing by this meeting; 
 
40 SARATOGA CI ECUIT. 
 
 some of its friends were rather ashamed of it. In this 
 very neighborhood our people have since built a church, 
 and Methodism has its proper share of influence. 
 
 Methodism had much to contend with in those days 
 all through those parts, and my field of labor was very 
 hard, yet the year passed away quite pleasantly. There 
 was some revival, which resulted in a few conversions. 
 Since those days our societies have prospered throughout 
 all those parts, and Methodism has gotten a firm hold at 
 present on the public sentiment. 
 
 SARATOGA CIRCUIT. 
 1818. 
 
 -Had something ta do ia getting an appointment here. — Good circuit, but poor 
 success. — Sorry for folly. — Rejections. — Reproved two penurious bretliren. — 
 Tendencies of Calvinism. — An interview witli a good deacon. 
 
 At the close of my labors on Thiirman Circuit I took 
 the liberty to converse freely with my presiding Elder, 
 Rev. Peter Moriarty, respecting my situation and wishes. 
 I mentioned to him some of my trials and diflB.culties. 
 1 told him I had a very hard circuitj and hard fare ; 
 that I had not much time to study, very few books, and 
 no means by which to procure any more ; my clothing 
 was poor, and I could not get any better, for the trifle of 
 property I possessed was, at present, unavailable. 1 
 desired he would use his influence to get me appointed 
 the year ensuing to a better circuit. The good old man 
 embraced me in his arms, and talked like a kind father ; 
 he told me he was well satisfied with my labors the past 
 year, and he would see what he could do for me fpr the 
 year ensuing. His kind words greatly comforted and 
 cheered me, and I shall always remember him with good 
 feelings, for he acted and talked like a friend and a 
 father. 
 
SARATOGA CIRCUIT. 41 
 
 At the ensuing Conference I was appointed to Saratoga 
 Circuit. This circuit, at that time, was considered the 
 most desirable circuit in the whole district. It em- 
 braced a very fine tract of country ; including the entire 
 County of Saratoga, consisting of ten or twelve towns. 
 The country was level, having good roads, the inhabit- 
 ants generally somewhat forehanded, and several of our 
 societies were quite strong. 
 
 To this circuit I removed my little family, where I 
 found accommodations and kind friends. I felt quite 
 thankful to God for so pleasant a field of labor, and to 
 my presiding Elder for the interest he had taken in my 
 welfare. But I have the least to say as to my success 
 in the work that y^ar of any year of my itinerant life. 
 I know not that one sinner was converted through my 
 instrumentality. I Imow not that I was the means of 
 doing any good through the whole year, except it may 
 be that I expelled a horse-jockey, who had been a dis- 
 honor to the church for several years. I think I received 
 but one member into the church, and he did not prove 
 any honor to us. One of my successors, who followed 
 me some years after, expelled him. I have no doubt 
 that his expulsion was a greater blessing to the church 
 than his admission. I must say, that, for three months 
 after I first went on to this circuit, I never preached 
 once with any liberty ; and I did not preach ten times 
 during the whole year with any satisfaction to myself 
 or apparent benefit to others. 
 
 Before the year was closed I heartily repented having 
 used any means to get appointed on this circuit, and I 
 made up my mind never to choose for myself again, or 
 desire my presiding Elder to use any influence to get me 
 appointed on a good circuit, while I report myself as 
 effective. And, accordingly, at the next Conference, I 
 
42 SARATOGA CIRCUIT. 
 
 said not a word. to any man where I desired to go; for I 
 can, truly say, I had no desire to go to any particular 
 place ; I was resigned to go anywhere. To this day I 
 am of the opinion that this cutting and carving for good 
 appointments is Wrong. It greatly embarrasses our 
 superintendents in making out the. appointments. Many 
 times men choose places for which they are altogether 
 unsuitable. I believe the Bishops, by means of the infor- 
 mation they may obtain from the presiding Elders, and 
 their own knowledge of us, are better judges of our 
 adaptation to certain places than we are ourselves. We 
 are too much interested in the case to judge correctly in 
 such a matter. When we go where we are appointed, 
 we may regard the hand of the Lord in our appoint- 
 ment, and if we have trials, we can say we did not 
 bring them on ourselves, and can, with greater cpnfir 
 deiice, look to God for help. 
 
 And I think it is equally pernicious in its tendency, 
 for our people to select their preachers. I have known 
 great evils grow out of this practice. Instead of praying 
 to the presiding,.Elders or to the Bishops, our people and 
 preachers had much better pray to God to direct them to 
 arrange the appointments — fitting places to men, and 
 men to places. The practice to which I have alluded 
 of self-seeking, prevails at the present day to quite an 
 alarming degree, and I fear will yet greatly cripple our 
 itinerancy. 
 
 Although the stewards were able to pay all the claims 
 of my colleague and myself, it was not because all the 
 members were liberal, but it was because, first, our 
 claims were very light, not amounting in all to $350, 
 even including my house-rent ; and, secondly, there were 
 a few brethren who were liberal, and were resolved, for 
 the honor of the circuit, to see us paid off. That all 
 
SARATOGA CIRCUIT. 43 
 
 were not liberal I had some reason to believe. I recol- 
 lect two brethren who were forehanded farmers, and 
 were considered by their neighbors as wealthy. One of 
 them told me himself, after harvest, that he had more 
 than a thousand bushels of grain in his barn. This man 
 had paid but sixty-eight cents quarterage for the year, 
 as his leader's class-book proved. As the preachers 
 occasionally lodged at his house when they preached in 
 the neighborhood, he supposed he did his part. I told 
 him, on parting with him at the close of the year, that I 
 had ascertained from his leader how little he had done to 
 support preaching ; and that, if I should be returned to 
 the circuit, I should endeavor to find another place to 
 put up when I came into that society, for I feared he 
 grudged the oats our horses eat. And the last time 
 going round the circuit, I called at the door of the other 
 brother to whom I alluded. He asked me to come in ; but 
 I told him I did not feel free ever to enter his house again ; 
 for I. had once, at his invitation, lodged with him a night, 
 and he had charged me a quarter of a dollar for my 
 entertainment. His leader had told me that usually he 
 gave a dollar a year to support the gospel, but that when 
 a preacher put up with him a night, he always deducted 
 a quarter; and that for this reason lie had paid but three 
 quarters of a dollar this y^ar. Both these brethren 
 appeared somewhat confounded at my plain talk ; but I 
 thought they deserved reproof for their covetousness. I 
 believe it did the first one some good, for I afterwards 
 learned that he gave my successor a bushel of wheat 
 soon after he moved on to the circuit. They have both 
 let go their hold on the world long ago, and gone to their- 
 account. 
 
 Among the different denominations of Christian people 
 in these parts, much good feeling prevailed ; very little 
 
44 SARATOGA CIRCUIT. 
 
 bitterness anct strife was manifested. But the state oi 
 religion was generally very low. Many professors of 
 religion were in a backslidden state. J have no doubt 
 that the peculiarities of Calvinism had their full share ot 
 influence in bringing about this inattention to religion 
 and low state of piety. To tell sinners that all they do 
 is in accordance with God's eternal decrees, is not at all 
 calculated to awaken them ; for they will infer that if 
 their conduct is agreeable to God's decrees, he must be 
 pleased with it, if he made his decrees to suit himself. 
 The doctrine of election and reprobation, as taught in 
 this system, only serves to lull men asleep. They would 
 very naturallyconclude that if they had been eternally 
 elected, they certainly would be saved; they would not 
 miss of heaven. And if they were not of the definite 
 number of the elect, whatever they might do could not 
 secure their salvation. 
 
 Many professors of religion were in a backslidden 
 state, and yet believing they would not fall froih grace 
 because they belonged to the number of the elect whidh 
 could not be diminished. Nothing was more common 
 than to hear professors insisting that they could not fall 
 from grace, and declare that it is utterly impossible for 
 a man to live without sin. ' 
 
 We were often obliged to attack these errors in order 
 to bring men to their senses on the subject of religion. 
 I became acquainted with a good deacon, who invited me 
 home with him. We had much conversation on various 
 doctrines, but especially that of Christian perfection. 
 He seemed almost ready to give up his notions when I 
 left him the next morning. The next time I came 
 around, the old gentleman, after I had concluded the 
 meeting, which was held in a school-house, came for- 
 ward, and in a very friendly manner asked me to accom- 
 
SARATOGA CIRCUIT. 45 
 
 pany him home and lodge at his house. He said, "I 
 want to talk with you a little more about this living 
 without sin." I asked him if he did not think we had 
 all better try to live without sin. " Q, yes," said he, 
 "but we cannot do it, however much we may try." He 
 said that, since I was at his house, he had found a text 
 of Scripture, which perfectly established him in his opin- 
 ion that no man could live a moment without sin. I 
 desired him to show me the text here, and we would 
 talk about it in presence of the people.. "Well," said 
 he, " it is this : ' The heart of man is deceitful above all 
 things, and desperately wicked ; who can know it?'" 
 I said, " Do you suppose that this text-describes the heart 
 of a Christian ? I think this, is not the character of a 
 Christian's heart, but the unrenewed heart of a sinner." 
 "O, no!" said he; "it is the description of the Chris- 
 tian's heart ; at any rate, -it is the description of my 
 heart.". " My dear sir," I said, "do you say that your 
 heart, is deceitful and desperately wicked ? " "Yes," 
 said he, "it is indeed." I then started back a step or 
 two, and said, " Well, sir, if that is the case, I shall 
 not go to your house to-iiight, for you may abuse me 
 and perhaps take my life." "O, no!" said he; "Mr. 
 Spicer, I won't do you any harm." "Ah!" said I, 
 "deacon, I shall not venture it, for you don't know 
 what you will do, for you say you don't know your 
 heart, only that it is deceitful above all things, and des- 
 perately wicked." The -people smiled and dispersed, 
 and the deacon went home alone to ponder on the text, 
 and I trust to try to get a better heart, — 
 
 " A heart in every thought renewed 
 And full of love divine ; 
 Perfect and right and pure and good, 
 A copy, Lord, of thine ! " 
 
46 MONTGOMERY CIRCUIT. 
 
 But I have no doubt the deacon's heart was then much 
 better than his creed. 
 
 I remained but one year on this circuit, and was 
 removed to Montgomery, a circuit adjoining. 
 
 MONTGOMERY CIKCtFIT. 
 
 1814. 
 
 Nothing to do in making this appointment. — Mr., G. Clarlc's family. — Presiding 
 Elder's sudden death. — Influence of preaching. — Palatine. ' — Dutchman's experi* 
 ence. — ^Arminianism. — Outlines of a disdourae.^ Rev. Mr. T. — Strange account 
 of a converted Deist. — Reformed Methodists. 
 
 The Conference was held this year in New York. I 
 was here ordained deacon. I said nothing to any one 
 respecting, my appointment for the ensuing year ; but I 
 committed the matter in prayer to God. When my 
 appointment was announced on Montgomery Circuit, 
 although I knew it was a hard circuitj and had hereto- 
 fore given the preachers a very poor support for their 
 famihes, I rejoiced in my heart. I felt that I had had 
 nothing to do in making the appointment, only to pray 
 about it. I thought the appointment was of God ; and if I 
 got into any trouble during the year, I could look to him 
 with confidence for help, for I should feel that I was in 
 the order of his Providence, and could expect help from 
 above. 
 
 This was a large circuit at that time. It lay along on 
 the north side of the Mohawk River, and extended to 
 the Sacondaga River, and up as far as Lake Pleasant. 
 I think it embraced fourteen towns, in which there were 
 only three Methodist churches. 
 
 My family occupied a single room in the house of Mr. 
 Gardner Clark, in Amsterdam. Mrs. C. had lately 
 joined our society, and Mr. C. had become much awak- 
 ened to the subject of religion. The family of Mr. C. 
 
MONTGOMEKY CIRCUIT. 47 
 
 were all remarkably kind to us; and all the family 
 became religious shortly after we came therfe, and joined 
 our church ; and all of them who are now living liave 
 remained faithful to this day. The widow of the late 
 Dr. Leyings is their second daughter. 
 
 Before our first quarterly meeting was held, our pre- 
 siding Elder, Rev. Peter Moriarty, died very suddenly. 
 He was at his home in Hillsdale, N. Y., and had 
 designed to start early on Saturday morning to attend 
 his quarterly meeting a few miles distant. But on that 
 morning he was found dead in his bed. ^ On the Sabbath 
 following, his body was taken to the quarterly meeting, 
 where his funeral was attended, and he was bUried near 
 the church. In 1850, 1 visited his grave. Brother Mo- 
 riarty was a man of undoubted piety and sterling integ- 
 rity. He was remarkable for decision of character. He 
 had travelled thirty-two years. 
 
 Moses Amadon travelled with me on this circuit. He 
 was a very good and zealous brother, and of a, most 
 amiable disposition. He died a few years after in 
 Christian triumjrfi. 
 
 We were much blessed in our labors during the year. 
 We fdrmed six new societies, and had the pleasure of 
 reporting at the next Conference an increase of some- 
 thing more than one hundred members. It was very 
 interesting to observe what a change the gospel would 
 make in those neighborhoods where we could get the 
 people's attention. In such places, the people, instead of 
 being engaged in visiting, fishing, hunting, or lounging 
 about taverns on the Sabbath, as they had been accus- 
 tomed to do, were seen going to the school-house, or the 
 house of some neighbor, to hear the gospel preached, or 
 to unite in holding a prayer-meeting. Instead of songs 
 of mirth in their dwellings, there were h3rmns of praise ; 
 
48 MONTGOMEKY CIRCUIT. 
 
 and, instead of profane swearing, there was heard the 
 voice of prayer. In sereral places our hearts were 
 greatly cheered in witnessing the outpouring of the Holy 
 Spirits among the people. 
 
 Toward the close of the year, I visited Palatine, a 
 little village up the Mohawk River, some thirty miles 
 from Schenectady. There were at that time no Metho- 
 dists in that place, except an agedjady, who lived with 
 her daughter. The people were mostly of Dutch 
 descent. Their church was about a mile from the vil- 
 lage. I was told there never had been a religious meet- 
 ing held in the village. In the estimation of the people, 
 the church was the only place to worship God ; and, as 
 near as I could learn, their religion was nearly all coniined 
 to the church and to the Sabbath day ; that' they gen- 
 erally laid aside their religion with their Sunday dress. 
 
 I called at the principal tavern in the place and 
 obtained liberty to preach in a ball-room In the evening. 
 I then went nearly all through the village, and, calling 
 at their doors, informed the people that a stranger would 
 preach in the ball-room in the evening. When evening 
 arrived, I went to see what, for a congregation, I had 
 gathered, and found quite a large company, but they 
 seeined exceedingly careless. They could not very well 
 associate religion with a ball-room. They were laugh- 
 ing and talking merrily. 
 
 I commenced singing a very solemn hymn, and when 
 I had finished it I kneeled down and prayed. But 
 during my prayer, I could hear the people whispering 
 and laughing around me. I arose from my knees and 
 commenced relating some incidents of my life in a way 
 rather amusing, until I had gotten their attention. I 
 then read a text from the Bible, and preached. 
 
 After preaching, a man who lived a little out of the 
 
MONTGOMEEYCIRCUIT. 49 
 
 village invited me to go and lodge At his house, and I 
 gladly accepted his invitation. He was a very simple- 
 hearted Dutchman, and I believe was really pious. He 
 related his experience with considerable feeling, which, 
 if his peculiar style of broken English could be pre- 
 served, as it fell from his lips, would be a little amusing 
 as well as instructing. It was somewhat as follows : — 
 
 "I knows noting of de Metodish till two years ago I 
 attend de camp-meetin'. At de camp-meetin' I hears 
 de ministers preach very strong, so as I never hears 
 before.; I feels very bad, and says, ' Well, I must go 
 home ;' and I goes home, but I kept feelin' very bad in 
 my heart. Someting keeps saying to me, ' You are a 
 great sinner, and you must pray;' sol prays to mine 
 God wid all my soul. I says, ' O my God, have mercy 
 on me, and take away dis bad feelin' and make me 
 good.' But I was worse and worse for tree or four days. 
 I could n't eat any ting, and I could n't sleep, and I tinks 
 I was goin' to die; I was a great sinner, and should go 
 to hell. But one day d© Lord speak to me and say, 'I 
 forgive all your sins;' den I feels very happy. After a 
 while, I tinks I would join de church, but der was no 
 Metodish here, so I joins de Luterans^ But some of my 
 bredren are so like de wicked, I caii't take any fun wid 
 em. I should like to be a Metodish." This was the 
 substance of this dear man's experience. Some years 
 after this, there was a Methodist society formed in the 
 place, and ha united with them. I preached here several 
 times, and had reason to believe that some good results 
 followed ; several persons appeared to be awakened. 
 
 At the time I travelled on this circuit, Methodism was 
 not very well utiderstood in these parts. Artninianism 
 was a very offensive term to many people. They sup- 
 posed Arminianism was a graceless system, which a 
 
 3 
 
50 MONTGOMERY CIRCUIT. 
 
 good man could scarcely embrace. I preached one 
 evening, at the house of one of our friends, to a company 
 of twenty or thirty persons, and, after the meeting was 
 closed, the neighbors gathered in little groups around 
 the room, and were conversing on various subjects. One 
 of the brethren, who sat not far from me, inquired of his 
 neighbor, in an under tone, how he liked the sermon 1 
 His neighbor replied, that he perceived the preacher was 
 not an Arminian. I could not well avoid hearing this 
 conversation, and, suspecting that neither of them knew 
 what Armihianism is, I thought I would join in the con- 
 versation. So I addressed- myself to the neighbor, and 
 inquired what he -understood by Arminianism? He 
 replied, that he did not know that he had a right view 
 of it, but he had always supposed the idea of ^rwzdnian- 
 ism was taken from the arm,— at the same time holding 
 up his arm, with his elbow a little bent, and motioning 
 as if he were eagerly gathering in something with his 
 hand, — tarrying the idea that a man's own arm had 
 saved him. I could scarcely refrain from smiling ; but 
 the man appeared so candid I could not laugh at him. 
 I told him, however, his idea was quite incorrect. I then 
 undertook to give him the history of that eminent divine 
 and scholar, James Arminius, and of his theological lec- 
 tures at Leyden, in Germany. I showed him what 
 ■were the "Five Points" on which he and his colleague 
 Gomarus differed. I told him I thought that Armin- 
 ius had the right side of the question; and if Arminian- 
 ism be understood as it is set forth in his own writings, 
 and not as is represented by his enemies, I must confess 
 that I was an Arminian. This conversation arrested the 
 attention of all the company, and the man thanked me 
 and said this information was all perfectly new. I think 
 
MONTGOMERY CIRCUIT. 51 
 
 all who were present learned on this oecasion what they 
 ought long before to have known. 
 
 I had an appointment on a week-day in a place where 
 we had no society, and I took for my text, 2 Thess. ii. 
 13 : " God hath from the beginning chosen you to sal- 
 vation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of 
 the truth." I endeavored to make it appear that this 
 text proved nothing favorable to the doctrine of eternal 
 election. I remarked thal^ those to whom Paul addressed 
 this language, could not have been chosen to salvation 
 from the beginning of eternity.^ for this very good 
 reason, that eternity had no beginning; and that it 
 could not have been from the beginning of tiine, for it 
 is said they "were chosen through sanctification of the 
 Spirit ;" but they had no existence when time first began, 
 and the Spirit could not sanctify them before they had 
 any existence. Nor yet were they chosen from the 
 beginning of their existence, for it is declared they ivere 
 chosen through ■' belief of the truth," and they could not 
 believe the truth when they first began to exist. Chil- 
 dren must, in some measure, understand the truth before 
 they are capable of believing it. 
 
 As their election could not hare been from the begin- 
 ning of eternity, or of time, or of their existence, I 
 inquired what was the beginning to which the apostle 
 alluded 1 And I endeavored to make' it appear that it 
 was the beginning of the preaching of the gospel at 
 Thessalonica. This I made to appear by comparing 
 Acts xvii. 1 — 4 with 1 Thess. i. 4, 5, 9. The apostle, 
 alluding to the history of their conversion, says, " Our 
 gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, 
 and in the Holy Ghost ; having received the word, 
 ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and 
 true God." These passages show when and how they 
 
62 MONTGOMERY CIRCUIT. 
 
 were chosen to salvation. They embraced the gospel 
 from the beginning of its being preached to them. They 
 were saved " by grace through faith." And I told the 
 people that this is the way that men must how be saved, 
 and I exhorted them to make their " calling and election 
 sure." 
 
 When I had finished, Rev. Mr. T. arose and said he 
 differed very much from the gentleman who had 
 addressed them. He believed all who would be saved 
 were eternally elected, neither were any others redeemed 
 by Christ, nor would any others be effectually called but 
 the elect only ; and their number was so definite that it 
 could neither be increased nor diminished. He said he 
 thought" that such preaching as they had just been hear- 
 ing was contrary to the doctrines of grace,, and calcu- 
 lated to mislead the people. I asked him if he thought 
 that all the people in the town of G. were from all eter- 
 nity divided into two classes, elect and reprobate 7 He 
 said he did. I then said, "What is the use of your 
 preaching ? The elect will be saved if you do not preach, 
 and the reprobates will be lost if you do." He replied, 
 that his preaching was the means which God had 
 decreed, by which to bring in the elect. I replied, that 
 I would take the liberty to suggest that the people 
 should test his belief in this doctrine by not raising any 
 more money for his support, and see if he would not 
 break God's decree. The people took the hint, and in 
 less than a year he was seeking a call elsewhere. 
 
 The following circumstance was related to me by a 
 brother, at whose house I put up several times. He 
 was a licensed exhorter, and much esteemed among us. 
 He said that before his conversion he was a deist; that 
 he fell sick, and his physicians gave him up to die; and 
 that both he and his friends believed he did die. He 
 
MONTGOMEKYCIKOUIT. 53 
 
 said he heard his wife exclaim, " Isaac is dying — call 
 father ! " For a moment he lost ?ight of everything 
 around him; and when lie recovered his consciousness 
 he appeared to himself to be out of his body. He saw 
 his wife lay her hand on his face, and heard her say, 
 "He is dead!" 
 
 He immediately found himself rising up from the 
 room, and passing through the ceiling and the roof, and 
 ascending through the air. ^ Then, for the first time, the 
 terrible thought rushed upon him that this was his soul, 
 and that he was going to meet God in judgment. He 
 endeavored to arrest his ascent, but in vain j he con- 
 tinued to ascend with increasing velocity. He saw his 
 neighbors at work in their fields, and beheld all the 
 country around. He cried for help, but none heeded 
 him; he then commenced praying to God for mercy. 
 He became filled with unutterable anguish and horror, 
 still continuing to ascend. At length he wholly lost 
 sight of the earth, and gave himself up for lost, when 
 there appeared to his view something like a human hand 
 above him, that seemed to make a motion for him to go 
 back. Immediately he found that the impelling force 
 which had drawn hini onward had ceased, and he was 
 again sinking toward the earth. He came down to his 
 house, and passing through the roof and ceiling found 
 himself in the room where his body lay, and his friends 
 were standing around it, weeping. For a moment he 
 was insensible, and then he found himself in his body 
 as before. 
 
 This strange circumstance made a powerful impres- 
 sion on him ; he soon recovered from his sickness, and 
 never rested until he had given his heart to God. I 
 make no comment on this strange account. I have no 
 doubt that it seemed all real to him. And who can say 
 
54 MONTGOMEKY CIECUIT. 
 
 it was not? There maybe something like this in the 
 departure of human souls. 
 
 REFORMED METHODISTS. 
 
 The spirit of reform made its appearance among us 
 during this year. It had originated a year or two before 
 in the eastern part of the district. A few brethren, con- 
 sisting principally of local preachers, had associated 
 together for the purpose of reforming what they consid- 
 ered abuses among us. Our church' government was 
 not sufficiently democratic to suit their notions of things. 
 They formed an organization, which they denominated 
 " The Reformed Methodists." Episcopacy was de- 
 nounced as downright tyranny ; the people might choose 
 their preachers, and the members of a class might choose 
 their class-leader. Their class-meetings and love-feasts 
 must all be held with open doors. One of their principal 
 preachers found his way into the western part of this 
 circuit, and succeeded to disaflfect a class-leader and 
 quite a number of his class, who withdrew from us and 
 joined the organization. , 
 
 These republican brethren went on finely for a few 
 months, when they became convinced that republican 
 Methodism was not without some difficulties. In one 
 of their'class-meetings, all the congregation took a notion 
 to claim their undoubted right to stay in class, and 
 accordingly did so. The school-house was full, and the 
 leader commenced inquiring of his members, who were 
 interspersed in the assembly here and there through the 
 house, how they were getting along in their religious 
 course. There was a sister present, who had that morn- 
 ing seen her class-leader gathering maple sap for making 
 sugar ; she thoiight it her duty to reprove him for Sab- 
 bath-breaking. Forgetting that it was her duty to have 
 
MONTGOMERY CIRCUIT. 55 
 
 conversed with him alone, she replied to his inquiry, that 
 she thought she was getting along in religion as well as 
 those did who gathered maple sap on Sunday. This 
 answer so confounded the leader that he could go no 
 further. The class-meeting stopped here amid the laugh 
 of the young people; and some were, by this circum- 
 stance, pretty well convinced that some rules of disci- 
 pline are necessary to keep society together. Republican 
 Methodism soon lost its popularity all through these 
 parts ; and I believe that, at present, it is only known as 
 among the things that were but are not. 
 
 The year I spent on this circuit was one of the most 
 pleasant years of my life. I found very kind friends, 
 whose liberality supplied abundantly all the wants of 
 my family, and greatly endeared them to my affections. 
 I generally enjoyed good liberty in preaching throughout 
 the year. From my experience in connection with this 
 circuit, I became well satisfied that, in general, the less 
 we have to do in choosing our own field of labor, the 
 better it is for us and for the church. I am very confi- 
 dent that if I had chosen my field of labor, it would not 
 have been Montgomery circuit ; -and equally confident, 
 that, if the brethren had chosen their preachers, I should 
 not have been one of them. I believe the appointment 
 was of God, and that God accompanied it with his spe- 
 cial blessing. I was however removed at the end of 
 one year ; but I had no more to do in being sent away, 
 than I had in being sent there. I left it all with God. 
 I was removed to Troy. 
 
56 TROY STATION. 
 
 TROY STATION. 
 1815. 1816. 
 
 Extent of tlie station. — Good revival. — Introduction of Methodism here. — Progrea 
 of Methodism. — Early fSthers. — Rev. Dr Levjnga.^ 
 
 At the Conference of 1815, I was stationed in the city 
 of Troy. This station, at that time, embraced Troy, 
 Lansingburgh, Waterford, Albia, Brunswick and West 
 Troy. Here I was associated with Rev. Ehjah Chiches- 
 ter, a local preacher, who for a number of years had 
 been among our pioneers in the travelling connection, 
 but now located and engaged in mercantile business. I 
 generally preached in Troy, morning and afternoon, and 
 Brother C. in the evening, while I went to Lansingburgh, 
 a distance of three miles. To- thiS' place, I generally 
 went on foot, and frequently returned the same evening. 
 The other places I usually visited on week-day evenings 
 once in two weeks. Our congregations in these places 
 were but small, and our societies quite feeble. 
 
 During my first year in this station, we had a gracious 
 revival in Troy, in which, during seven weeks, more 
 than a hundred members' were added to our society. 
 During th« second year, we had a good revival in Lan- 
 singburgh. When I came to this station there were in 
 all the appointments one hundred and seven members, 
 and when I left it there were two hundred and fifty. 
 
 At that time Troy was but^a Small place compared 
 with what it is at present. Its early inhabitants were 
 generally an enlightened and intelligent class of people, 
 being mostly from the New England States. But owing 
 to their early prejudices in favor of Congregationalism, 
 they were not among the first in these parts to receive 
 and cherish Methodism. There were, as early as in 
 1800, a few individuals who called themselves Metho- 
 
TEOY STATION. 57 
 
 dists ; but some of them did not do themselves nor the 
 cause of religion much honor. 
 
 Somewhere about the year 1804, Mr. John Wright, a 
 member of the Wesleyan Methodists in England, came 
 with his family to reside in Troy. On the next day 
 after his arrival, being Sabbath, he set off to see if he 
 could find any Methodist meeting, or any Methodist 
 family. The first man whom he met, he asked whether 
 there were any Methodists in the place. After pausing 
 awhile, as though he was considering, he replied, — "No; 
 there were some here awhile since, but I believe they 
 have all been sent to State-prison ! " This was rather 
 discouraging to a stranger; however, hoping the man 
 might be under a mistake, he continued his search. It 
 being about the time of day for people to be assembled 
 for worship, he continued his walk until, in passing a 
 dwellingj he heard several voices united in singing. He 
 paused, and soon recognized a Methodist hymn, which 
 was familiar to him in his native land. He went in, and 
 found a few Methodists, gathered at a brother's house, 
 holding a prayer-meeting. All the Methodists in the 
 place had not been sent to the State-prison, nor did they 
 all deserve to be sent there ; for some had kept their gar- 
 ments and their consciences pure, even in Troy. 
 
 Although Methodism had an unfavorable beginning in 
 this place, it has since greatly prospered. The First 
 Methodist Church was erected in State-street, I think, in 
 the year 1807, and, after having been occupied about 
 twenty years, it w^s found quite too small to accommo- 
 date the congregation, and was therefore removed to 
 make way for a larger one. In 1827, a very commodi- 
 ous brick building was erected. I think it was good 
 policy in the society which built the first house, that 
 
 3* 
 
58 TKOy STATION. 
 
 they built within their means, and therefore were not 
 tormented twenty years with a church debt. 
 
 It was but a' few years after this new house was built, 
 when even this house was found to be too small to hold 
 all the people who wished to attend ; it was therefore 
 resolved to build another in the north part of the city. 
 This was soon accomplished by a few enterprising breth- 
 ren, so that now we have a very beautiful house on the 
 east side of North Second-street, in the midst of a dense 
 population, and in a most delightful part of the city. 
 
 And such has been the increase of business and popu- 
 lation in the entire south part of the city, that, a few 
 years since, anew church was erected there on Third- 
 street. And during the years 1S48 and 9, a fourth has 
 been built in quite the eastern part of the city, iri Con- 
 gress-street, on Ida Hill. 
 
 From the foregoing, it will be seen that Methodism is 
 now' regarded as no mean thing in Troy, but that it has 
 a good hold on the community, which it is likely to 
 maintain. In each of those places, which originally 
 belonged to this station at the time I was stationed there, 
 there is now a house of worship belonging to us, and a 
 good society able to maintain a preacher among them. 
 In West Troy they have two churches. 
 
 In Troy, Methodism has kept a steady onward course ; 
 its doctrines and its peculiar economy have become more 
 and more popular, as they have become better under- 
 stood. There is a good deal of Methodism now in sev- 
 eral of the churches of other denominations in this city. 
 
 In this city, God has raised up many excellent men 
 among us, who have labored and sacrificed much to 
 promote Methodism. The names of Wright, Scoby, 
 Foster, Loudon, Andres, Whipple, Clark and Curtis, 
 with many others, will long be remembered. Their 
 
TROY STATION. 59 
 
 names, I trust, will be found in the Lamb's Book of 
 Life, and the Judge will say to each of them, — 
 
 " Well and faithfully done. 
 Enter into my joy, 
 And sit down near my throne." 
 
 Although most of these fathers of Methodism in Troy- 
 have fallen asleep, God has raised up others who are 
 now living; the mantle of the Elijahs has fallen upon 
 them; they are strong in the faith, and abundant in 
 labors. The number of members now belonging to our 
 church in Troy is 859. But it is impossible to- tell the 
 amount of good which Methodism has effected in this 
 city, until it shall be seen in the eternal world. A great 
 number have been awakened among us, who have united 
 with other churches, — a great many have been converted 
 -who have removed to other places ; and a great many, 
 in the course oi fifty years, have gone to their reward. 
 
 Since my acquaintance with Methodism in Troy has 
 commenced, there have been, I have no doubt, not less 
 th&nfivethousandsinnets converted through its instrumen- 
 tality, in that city alone, a large portion of whom, I trust, 
 will reach heaven. What an encouragement is this, 
 both to ministers and private members, not to be weary 
 in well-doing ! , In due season we shall reap, if we faint 
 not. 
 
 The late Dr. N. Levings started out into the ministry 
 from Troy. At the time I was stationed here, he was a 
 young man, an apprentice to the blacksmith's trade. I 
 considered him a very pious young man, and often invited 
 him to accompany me to my week-evening appoint- 
 ments, and set him to exhorting after me. He soon 
 gave evidence to the brethren that God had called him 
 to do something in his vineyard ; and he obtained license 
 
60 CAMBEIDGE CIRCUIT. 
 
 to preach; and not long after the term of his apprentice- 
 ship was expired, he was admitted into the travelUng 
 connection. By dihgent application to study and his 
 appropriate work as a preacher, Brother Levings soon dis- 
 tinguished himself as a minister. He filled some of our 
 most important stations ; and in every place he was very 
 popular and useful. At the time of his death he was 
 Financial Secretary of the American Bible Society. 
 
 CAMBBIDaE CIRCUIT. 
 
 1817,. 1,818., 
 
 Origin of Metliodism — Father Asliton. — Aaligrore burying-ground. — Philip Em- 
 bury. — Mr. Noble's sudden death. — J). Brown's dream and death. — Prejudices. — 
 Influences of Calvinism. — Odd texts. — Queer "preaching. 
 
 After remaining two years in Troy, at the Conference 
 held in Middlebury, Vt., 1817,. I was appointed to travel 
 on Cambridge circuit. This circuit was. situated in 
 Washington county, N. Y., thirty or forty miles north 
 of Troy. It embraced the place called Ashgrove, where 
 a number of Wesleyan brethren from Ireland settled as 
 early as 1787. These brethren applieji to the Conference, 
 which was held at Baltimore in 1788, for a preacher to 
 be sent to labor among them ; and, accordingly, Lemuel 
 Smith was appointed to take charge of them, and form 
 a circuit in that part of the country. This was th« first 
 society of Methodists which was formed north of Dutch- 
 ess county ; and here was erected the first Methodist 
 church that was erected anywhere north of New York 
 city. 
 
 The Ashgrove society was the hive of Methodism, and 
 its common centre, to all this part of the country, for 
 many years. The names of Ashton, Baker, Barber, 
 Empy, Hannah, Nicholson, Fisher, and Armitage, will 
 long be remembered in the history of Methodism in this 
 
CAMBRIDGE CIRCUIT. 61 
 
 place. Their hearts and their hands were open to sus- 
 tain our ministers in the labors and toils of earlier days. 
 
 Father Ashton, especially, was a great friend to the 
 preachers. He had one room in his house fitted up with 
 a bed, a table, chairs, &c., for the special accommodation 
 of the preachers. This room was known far and near 
 by the appellation of the " Preachers' Room." Here the 
 preachers were at home as if the dwelling had been their 
 own. In his last will, he gave a building-lot for a par- 
 sonage and a burying-ground. He also gave the furni- 
 ture of the Preachers' Room, and a cow, for the benefit 
 of thcpreacherg who should- be stationed on the circuit. 
 He also encumbered his estate with a perpetual annuity 
 of ten dollars, to be paid to the oldest single elder of the 
 New York Conference. It would be well if our wealthy 
 friends would more frequently imitate his example, in 
 this kind of liberality. Why should not men who, under 
 God, owe everything they have to the influence of Meth- 
 odisift, oftener remember their obligations when handing 
 over their hoarded wealth to their sons and daughters ? 
 It often happens that men become rich and respectable 
 through the influence of religion, who otherwise would 
 have been poor and despised, whose property falls into 
 the hands of wicked heirs, and is soon squandered. Why 
 not set apart some portion of it to the cause of God while 
 it is in their power ? 
 
 The lot given by Mr. Ashton for a burying-ground, in 
 Ashgrove, contains the remains of several of the early 
 friends of Methodism. It is the resting-place of three of 
 our early preachers — Embury, Noble, and Brown., 
 The most noted of these is Philip Emburi/, whose name 
 is mentioned in the sketch of our history contained in 
 the Book of Discipline. His remains were originally 
 deposited in a burying-ground a few miles north of this. 
 
62 CAMBRIDGE CIRCUIT. 
 
 He was a local preacher from Ireland ; by trade he was 
 a house-carpenter ; and for some time he resided in the 
 city of New York. By means of ihe exhortation of a 
 pious sister, a member of Mr. Wesley's society when in 
 her native land, he was induced to commence preaching, 
 in New York, to a few of his countrymen. He organized 
 the first Methodist society ever formed in the United 
 States, and preached the first sermon. This was in 
 1763; and he preached the first sermon ever preached in 
 a Methodist church in the United States. This was in 
 the church in John street, in New York. He assisted in 
 building this church, and preached the dedication ser- 
 mon, on the 30th day of October, 1768, declaring that 
 the best dedication that a minister could make of a church 
 was to preach a " faithful sermon" in it. His text on 
 this occasion was Hosea x. 12. It is said that his preach- 
 ing was generally very afiecting, and -that he often shed 
 tears. He finished his course in humble obscurity, but 
 in great peace. His grave reminds us of our early history. 
 Rev. Mr. Noble was a local preacher from Ireland ; 
 he was a very holy and zealous man of God, and was 
 remarkable for pressing upon his hearers the necessity of 
 being always ready to die. He had come that day from 
 Warren county to visit his daughter and her family, who 
 lived near Ashgrove. In the evening there was a meet- 
 ing in the school-house near by, which he attended. He 
 appeared to be in usual health, and in a very happy 
 state of mind. He was addressing the people in a httle 
 pulpit which had been fitted up — whether preaching, or 
 exhorting after some one else had preached, I do not 
 recollect ; but he was pressing his usual theme of hoH- 
 7iess, telling the people they must always be ready to die 
 at a moment's warning. And he remarked, that for 
 years he had been constantly le^idy to die any moment 
 
CAMBRIDGE CIRCUIT. 63 
 
 when the Master should call hhn. Just as he littered 
 these words, he paused and sat down, and appeared 
 faint. His friends, perceiving that he was about to fall 
 from his seat, hastened to him, but he spoke no more — 
 he immediately expired. Yes, in a moment he ex- 
 changed the pulpit for a crown. While standing by his 
 grave, I have often thought we should -preach more im- 
 pressively, if we knew that it would be the last time we 
 should ever preach — if we expected that when we left 
 the pulpit we should immediately go to the judgment 
 seat of Christ. Under such circumstances, there would 
 be no trifling calculated to excite mirth, and we should 
 be more- anxious to preach good sermons than great 
 ones — " to win a sinner than to court a smile." 
 
 Rev. D. Brown was appointed to travel on this circuit 
 in 1803. He was said to be a man of deep and ardent 
 piety, and of an excellent spirit, much devoted to the 
 work of the ministry, and quite successful. I was told 
 by a very reputable person, who was well acquainted 
 with him, and, if I remember right, at whose house he 
 died, that, on his way to attend the Conference which 
 was held at Ashgrove, he fell in company with two 
 other preachers, all of whom lodged at a friend's house 
 the night before they arrived at Ashgrove. In the morn- 
 ing they set off together on horseback. Brother Brown 
 was riding between the other two brethren. Said Br. B., 
 " Brethren, I dreamed a very singular dream last night ; I 
 wish you would interpret it." One of them said, " Tell 
 us your dream, brother, and we will interpret it." So 
 he related his dream. As nearly as I can recollect, it 
 was as follows: — He thought he saw a ladder that 
 reached from the earth to heaven : and that he was di- 
 rected to ascend it. He did so ; and, after climbing to an 
 immense height, he thought he came to a transparent 
 
64 CAMBKIDGE CIRCUIT. 
 
 canopy, which seemed to him as though it was perfectly 
 solid, and that he was entirely alone and out of sight of 
 the earth. He had been there but a few moments, when 
 he thought the ladder began to shake as though it was 
 about to fall; this threw him into inconceivable fear. 
 Just at this moment, he thought a door was opened di- 
 rectly over him, and an angel's hand reached down and 
 took hold of him, and gently drew him up. Immedi- 
 ately he found himself, as he supposed, in heaven; he 
 seemed surrounded on every hand by the most astonish- 
 ing glories, such as he had never formed any idea of 
 before. Among the wonderful thingswhich attracted his 
 attention was an immense table, on which was a vast 
 multitude of vessels of a most magnificent appearance ; 
 they were somewhat in the shape of vials, and of the 
 purest white. Their lustre seemed to dazzle his sight. 
 They appeared to be of various sizes ; and in the centre 
 was one that appeared larger than the others. When 
 the angel that accompanied him observed that his atten- 
 tion was directed to this table, he said, " Those you see 
 on this table are John Wesley and his preachers in con- 
 nection with him." At this information, he thought he 
 felt a thrill of joy at finding himself in company with 
 those venerable men. And immediately he awoke. 
 
 After a little pause, one of the preachers said, "Well, 
 brother, I will interpret your dream : you are going to 
 attend Conference, and join Mr. Wesley and his asso- 
 ciates in spreading scriptural holiness through the land." 
 Said the other preacher, "Now, Brother Brown, I will 
 interpret your dream : you will die before long, and go 
 to heaven, and join the company of Mr. Wesley and his 
 preachers there." 
 
 Brother Brown attended Conference, was appointed to 
 travel Cambridge circuit, and died the September fol- 
 
CAMBRIDGE CIRCUIT. 65 
 
 lowing, after fourteen days' sickness. The last words 
 he uttered were, " My anchor is cast within the vail." 
 No doubt the everlasting doors were lifted up to let him 
 into heaven, and he has become united with Mr. Wesley 
 and his preachers in the paradise of God. 
 
 Cambridge circuit was, at the time I travelled it, a 
 very interesting field of labor. I was on it two years. 
 The first year, I travelled with Rev. Friend Draper, and 
 the second year Rev. Sherman Miner was my colleague. 
 We labored in great harmony; Brother Miner was a 
 man of a lovely spirit. But I fear the interests of the 
 church were not much advanced during these two~y€ars. 
 
 There were at that time a great many Scotch people 
 living within the bounds of this charge. These were 
 generally staunch Calvinists,; and in nearly every ap- 
 pointment there was great occasion to enlighten the 
 people on the subject of doctrines; for Calvinism had 
 exerted a deleterious influence. Predestination, the 
 impossibility of falling from grace, and the necessity of 
 living in sin, seemed to be the common sentiments of 
 nearly all who professed religion, in some entire neigh- 
 borhoods. In order to excitea little curiosity, and get the 
 people out to hear, I occasionally preached on some very 
 queer texts, which I would sometimes give out before- 
 hand. In several places this was the only way we could 
 succeed to get the people to hear us. If I gave out a 
 singular text, or an uncommon subject, many would 
 attend. So I would take my text sometimes from the 
 " Confession of Faith" — " God hath for his own glory 
 unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass." 
 And iji some instances I would preach from home-made 
 Scripture, such as, "No man can live without sin," 
 "Whom be loveth he loveth to the end," "Judas was 
 a devil from the beginning," &c. When I could by 
 
66 CAMBRIDGE CIROUIT. 
 
 any means get people's attention, it was not very diffi- 
 cult to make them see the inconsistencies of Calvinism, 
 and the evil tendencies of some of its absurd dogmas. 
 What can have a more evil tendency than to teach men 
 that all the sins they ever committed were decreed eter- 
 nally? How shall men be made to feel that they have 
 done anything wrong, when they have done nothing 
 only what God from all eternity decreed they should do? 
 There is nothing in this doctrine calculated to induce 
 men to serve God ; but much to induce them to sin, and 
 justify them in so doing. 
 
 Some may think the course I sometimes pursued, to 
 get people's attention, was scarcely to be justified, but 
 this, in many places, seemed the only way in which 
 I could succeed. Curiosity with many is more powerful 
 than the love of truth. It moved' Zacchens to leave his 
 business, and run and climb into a sycamore tree to see 
 Jesus, which nothing else could move him to do ; and 
 by this means he became acquainted with Jesus, and 
 salvation came to his house. I had reason to believe 
 that in some instances good results followed these 
 eccentricities. I thereby got the attention of many on 
 whose hearts I trust truth was made to bear. 
 
 This circuit, at the time I travelled it, embraced four- 
 teen ■ towns, having something over twenty regular 
 appointments. These appointments we each visited 
 every four weeks, always preaching three times every 
 Sabbath, and frequently riding ten or twelve miles. 
 Many excellent brethren lived within its bounds. Al- 
 though most of the fathers of Methodism had departed 
 to their rest, the spirit of Methodism still remained 
 among their sons, and it remains until this day. 
 
NEW YOEK STATION. 67 
 
 NEW TOBK STATION. 
 1819 — 1820. 
 
 Associate colleagues. — Schism. — Unpleasant feelings. — Progress of Methodism.- 
 
 In the spring of 1819 I was stationed in the city of 
 New York, where I found myself associated with the 
 following brethren, all older than myself: A. Hunt, S. 
 Merwin, L. Clark, and B. Hibbard. The second year 
 they were A. Hunt, J. Soule, B. Hibbard, and E. Hebard. 
 I now had an opportunity of profiting by the example 
 and experience of older brethren. I received much 
 benefit from their experience, especially in the adminis- 
 tration of discipline. I was made to feel ashamed of 
 many things I had done in this department of duty, 
 especially the manner of doing them. I have ever since 
 regarded it as a misfortune to our church, that there is 
 so often a necessity of putting young men in charge, 
 especially such young men as have not been careful 
 students of our book discipline, and are indiscreet in 
 managing church affairs. 
 
 The preachers belonging to this station usually met 
 every week, to consult about matters relating to the 
 church. On these occasions there were frequent dis- 
 cussions on doctrines^ and manner of preaching, certain 
 rules of discipline, and the proper way of administering 
 them. These meetings' and discussions were to me as 
 the school of the prophets. 
 
 During the second year there was a schism took place 
 in our churches. This was occasioned chiefly by the 
 appointment of a board of stewards. Before this, the 
 board of trustees had taken charge of all moneys collected 
 in the congregatioii: and if the amount was not suffi- 
 cient to pay the salaries of the preachers, and the current 
 
68 NEW YORK STATION. 
 
 .expenses of the church, they would obtain a loan, and 
 thus increase the church debt. In this way matters had 
 gone on until the church had become burdened with an 
 enormous debt, which was constantly accumulating. 
 
 Under these circumstances, it was the opinion of all 
 the preachers, and most of the trustees, that this course 
 was contrary to discipline, and ruinous to our church. 
 It was, therefore, thought best to appoint stewards, accord- 
 ing to discipline, to take the class collections and pay the 
 preachers' support, and let the trustees have charge 
 only of such property as belonged to the church. But 
 this arrangement, although in perfect accordance with 
 our discipline, piet with strong opposition from several of 
 the trustees. They conterided that the laws of the 
 State required trustees to have charge of all church 
 property ; and, therefore, they must receive the class 
 collections and disburse them. But the others contended 
 that the class collections were not church property, but 
 the property of the ministers, raised especially for them, 
 and, therefore, the trustees had nothing to do with 
 them. 
 
 At that time all the societies of the city belonged to 
 one charge, and all the churches were under the control 
 of one board, of trustees. Of course, all the official 
 members met in ope (Quarterly Conference. After a long 
 discussion, the Quarterly Conference decided in favor of 
 a board of stewards being appointed, as the discipline 
 requires. There was an overwhelming majority iii favor 
 of the measure. 
 
 In the course of this discussion it was remarked by 
 some one, in reply to those who contended that the law 
 required the trustees to have control over class collec- 
 tions, as well as all other moneys, that the general law 
 under which the various religious societies were incor- 
 
NEW YORK STATION. 69 
 
 porated was not exactly suited to our economy ; and, there- 
 fore, it might be well to apply to the Legislature for a 
 law which would recognize our pecuUar economy. This 
 remark was immediately seized on by some, and they 
 set about making their brethren believe that the preach- 
 ers were going to take measures to get all church prop- 
 erty into their possession, and under their entire control ; 
 and that, ultimately, they would take all the churches 
 and parsonages away from the people, and convert them 
 to their own uses These strange and unfounded insinu- 
 ations produced considerable influence on many persons. 
 
 Immediately upon the appointment of a board of 
 stewards, some of the trustees, who were class-leaders 
 also, and several other leaders, withdrew from the church. 
 In some instances, nearly all the members of their classes 
 went with them, not because they felt any particular 
 interest in the question at issue, but because they were 
 much attached to their leaders. 
 
 Those who withdrew immediately organized them- 
 selves into an independent society, to be known by 
 the name of " The Methodist Society." They erected 
 a church, and gathered a respectable congregation in 
 Christie street. Mr. Samuel Stillwell, who had been 
 a trustee, a man of considerable influence and wealth, 
 became a principal man in this enterprise. It was prob- 
 ably through his means that his nephew, Rev. William 
 Stillwell, a member of the New York Conference, was 
 chosen to be their preacher ; and on this account they 
 were called by many " StiUwellites." 
 
 This secession made us considerable trouble in New 
 York for a while, inasmuch -as it destroyed brotherly 
 love to some extent. But I believe it was ultimately 
 overruled for good, for it furnished a home for a class of 
 uneasy spirits, who are sometimes found among us, of 
 
70 NEWYORKSTATION. 
 
 ■vdiom the church are glad to be rid, as we can do them 
 no good. But we lost several very valuable members by 
 this schism. However, it was not long before many 
 became convinced that they had been misled, and had 
 erred in leaving us, and returned again to the church. 
 In some instances the leaders and their entire classes 
 came back together. 
 
 ■ Mr. Stillwell remained a number of years in charge of 
 his society and congregation, and in possession of the 
 house in which they worshipped ; but I belie ve_ he has 
 made but little impression on the public mind. Mr. 
 Stillwell and the few societies bearing his name, which 
 were organized here and there, together with their 
 preachers, have become merged with others. They are 
 generally numbered among the things which are past. 
 His society in New York has dwindled down to almost 
 nothing, and he has become almost unknown. It has 
 happened to them as it has usually happened to other 
 societies seceding from our church composed of dis- 
 affected members. A§ far as I have observed, such have 
 not generally prospered for any length of time. Those 
 who have attempted to improve on our economy have 
 usually made a failure. 
 
 Many have complained that our system gives the min- 
 istry too much power ; they want a government which 
 places ministers and members more upon an equality ; 
 something more republican in its character. But 
 when they have tried the experiment they have not 
 generally succeeded to their expectation, for want of 
 energy in their system. When any church undertakes 
 to hold the reins of .government to the exclusion of the 
 ministry, they are not in the order which God. has estab- 
 lished, and therefore cannot prosper. 
 
 After observing the workings of our ecclesiastical sys 
 
NEWBURGH STATION. 71 
 
 tem for nearly half a century, I am firmly established 
 in the opinion that our government is altogether prefer- 
 able to any other. The better it is understood and its 
 practical workings observed, the more it "will be admired. 
 
 When I was stationed in New York, we had only six 
 churches, viz. : John street, Duane, Forsyth, Allen, 
 Bowery, and Greenwich. There were five stationed 
 preachers, and we were assisted by the book agents and 
 local preachers. We each preached but once in -the 
 same church on the same Sabbath, and once in five 
 weeks, on a week evening, in the different churches. 
 
 Methodism has greatly increased in this city since 
 those days. We now have in this city twenty-seven 
 churches, several of which are very large, and we num- 
 ber nearly 8,000 members. 
 
 The two years which I spent in this city were to me 
 very pleasantly and profitably spent. We had a gra- 
 cious revival in the vicinity of John street church, and a 
 considerable increase of membership. How far I was use- 
 ful to the church I know not; but what I could not make 
 out in preaching, I endeavored, in some measure, to make 
 up in pastoral labors. In this way I trust I did, some 
 good. I disposed of a great many of our religious books 
 among the people. However, on leaving this station, I 
 felt, as I generally do on leaving any place where I have 
 labored, that I had been an unprofitable servant. 
 
 NEWBURGH STATION. 
 
 182J, 1822. 
 
 Infidel club. — Retributive providence. — Introduction of Methodism. — Kind friends. 
 — Active brethren. — Remarks on donation visits. 
 
 Newburgh is a very pleasant village. At the time I 
 was stationed here it contained between three and four 
 thousand inhabitants. It hes on the west side of the 
 Hudson, about sixty miles north of New York. 
 
72 NEWBUEGH STATION. 
 
 Formerly there was much infideUty in this place. 
 Many embraced infidel principles, and were not ashamed 
 of infidel practices. Some twenty years before I was 
 stationed here, there had been an association organized, 
 consisting of between thirty and forty persons, for the 
 avowed, purpose of destroying Christianity. They pub- 
 lished a paper, which, if I recollect, was called the Tem- 
 ple of Reason; and they republished several infidel works, 
 such as the writings of Tindal,Taine and Lackington. 
 
 This association was organized by a noted infidel, 
 commonly called Blind Palmer. Many of its members 
 believed it right to regulate their conduct as their pro- 
 pensities and appetites should dictate ; and it is said that 
 these principles were carried into practice by some 
 associated with them. 
 
 They were not content with discussing the principles 
 of Christianity, but they descended to the commission 
 of acts which were impious and blasphemous. They 
 appeaTed to take special ^ains to bring Christianity 
 and its ordinances into contempt. Many things have 
 been related of them, some of which may perhaps have 
 been exaggerated; but I believe none doubted that, on a 
 certain occasion, out of ridicule, they administered what 
 they called the sacrament to a dog ! If they have been 
 misrepresented in other matters, it is an undoubted fact, 
 that, after the Methodists commenced holding meetings 
 in the place, the members of this infidel club were most 
 violently opposed to us," and caused, by their personal 
 opposition and influence, much disturbance in our relig- 
 ious meetings. 
 
 It is very remarkable that the triumph of these wicked 
 men was very short. It is asserted that the man who 
 acted as priest in administering the mock sacrament to 
 the dog, died in about a week after, in a very awful 
 
NEWBURGH STATION. 73 
 
 manner ; and that several others, who were present on 
 that occasion, died suddenly within a few weeks ; three 
 of them were drowned. 
 
 It is said that of those who composed this infidel club, 
 two of them starved to death ; seven were drowned ; 
 eight were shot; five committed suicide; three were 
 killed by accidents ; and that seven have died on the 
 gallows. An intelligent gentleman, who has resided in 
 this place since 1806, told me, in 1851, that he had been 
 acquainted with nearly all the members of this associa- 
 tion, and that he believed at least one fourth of them 
 had committed suicide, either by drunkenness or dissipa- 
 tion, or by directly laying violent hands on themselves. 
 He said one of their number went into a grocery in the 
 village, and, in presence of several of his associates, 
 loaded his gun, put the muzzle of it into his mouth, 
 and, with his toe, pulled the trigger, and thus blew out 
 his brains in their midst. 
 
 I have been credibly informed, by several persons 
 who were acquainted with the circumstances attending 
 those who have died a natural death, that, in every 
 instance, their dying hour presented an unusually awful 
 scene. The last words which some of them uttered 
 were horribly profane. 
 
 And I have been told that all who belonged to this 
 association are now dead, except one; and that only 
 three of them have ever embraced religion, or given any 
 evidence of repentance. It would seem that God had 
 particularly marked these his enemies, who so wickedly 
 reviled Christ. " If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall 
 die in your sins." 
 
 But, notwithstanding the scepticism which had been 
 so early and so vehemently inculcated in this place, the 
 rebukes which God in his providence gave its abettors, 
 
 4 
 
74 NEWBURGH STATION. 
 
 greatly checked its influence. Religion had taken a firm 
 hold on the better part of the community. There were, 
 at the time I was stationed here, five churches in the 
 place, and each supplied with a minister. 
 
 Among the first Methodist preachers who labored here, 
 were Samuel Fowler, L. M'Ooombs, Benj. Abbott, and 
 Ezekiel Cooper. Brother Abbott preached here in 1789; 
 and some time after this, Brother Cooper organized the 
 first class in the place, and Elkanah Foster was the first 
 class-leader. Some years after this, our people built 
 them a little church. But for many years our society 
 remained rather feeble. 
 
 In consequence of the inability of the society to raise 
 my support in the regular and disciplinary way, the 
 stewards resolved to make what they called a " Dona- 
 tion Visit,'' — what has since been generally called a 
 " Donation Party." It was the first, and I may say the 
 only one, I ever had in my whole life. About one hun- 
 dred persons attended, and it resulted in my realizing 
 about eighty dollars, in goods, provisions and cash. I 
 felt very thankful for the friendship they manifested, and 
 for the benefit which resulted ; but I doubted, and still 
 doubt, the expediency of raising the preacher's support, 
 or any part of it, by such, visits. 
 
 1. I think it is a difiicult matter to have such a gen- 
 eral gathering of professors and non-professors, without 
 making it an occasion for a great deal of sport and non- 
 sense, if not real sin. I have witnessed several such 
 occasions since, when my heart has been much pained in 
 observing what was transacted. I have known many 
 preachers deeply afilicted that their house should be 
 made a place of plays and vain amusements for young 
 people. They felt that the dignity of the Christian min- 
 
NEWBURGH STATION. 75 
 
 istry has been thereby really lowered, and religion dis- 
 graced by such transactions under their roof. 
 
 2. There is a great inconsistency in this mode of rais- 
 ing the preacher's support. It is called a donation, for 
 which, of course, the preacher must thank his friends, 
 when, in fact, it is but paying him what is justly his 
 due, and for what he has toiled hard. We had better 
 train our people to feel the obligation binding on them to 
 support their preachers in a disciplinary way ; and if 
 they give him a donation, let it be a donation in fact, and 
 given either out of sympathy on account of his wants, 
 or out of respect to him on account of his diligence and 
 faithfulness as a minister. And let the donation be 
 given in a different manner from these " donation visits," 
 — in a way not to injure his feelings, or make his family 
 unnecessary trouble, or disgrace the cause of religion by 
 being the occasion of sin. When donations are expres- 
 sions of "sympathy toward us in afflictions, or of especial 
 good-will to us, a generous mind knows how to appreci- 
 ate them, and the friendship and benevolence from which 
 they flow. 
 
 3. These donation visits are calculated to prevent our 
 stewards from raising the preachers' support in the reg- 
 ular way. Many of our friends, especially young peo- 
 ple, are fond of all such parties, when fun and nonsense 
 abound. In the absence of balls and .theatrical amuse- 
 nients, such parties are very agreeable ; they answer as 
 substitutes. All such person^ will withhold their means 
 of support until they have this chance of public display 
 and trifling frolic. A dollar donated on such an occa- 
 sion will obtain half its value in food and the other half 
 in fun. The latter will be considered very valuable ; 
 the more so for being enjoyed at the minister's house 
 and under the sanction of the church. 
 
76 NEWBUKGH STATION. 
 
 4. Such donation visits often operate unjustly on some 
 preachers ; they will generally be made only to the peo- 
 ples favorite. His colleague may be the best man of 
 the two, and most deserving ; but, on this very account, 
 perhaps the least popular,, and fares the poorest. By 
 this means, the one is, puffed up with self-conceit, and 
 the other sinks down into dejection and discouragement. 
 
 5. It operates generally to the injury of the cause of 
 God and the prosperity of the church. When our stew- 
 ards and brethren depart from the regular disciplinary 
 way of collecting the support of our preachers, — making 
 the support of the gospel no longer a matter of principle 
 and of duty, but of mere, caprice, depending on circum- 
 stances; when their liberality is permitted to depend on 
 their particular opinion of the preacher they may happen 
 to have, — they place our prpachers under strong temp- 
 tations to be so careful to please, that they may some- 
 times withhold the truth, and preach, only very smooth 
 things. Who -among us will dare, under such circum- 
 stances, to preach the whole truth, and attack men's 
 vices, when such a course may rob them of their bread ? 
 I think preachers ought not to be unnecessarily exposed 
 to such temptations. It has hitherto been the glory of 
 Methodism, that her ministers are bold and independent 
 men, ready to do their duty regardless of consequences; 
 and this is owing, in a great measure, to the peculiar 
 excellence of our economy, and to this may be attrib- 
 uted, in a gres.t measiire, our unparalleled success. 
 
 6. This method of raising a preacher's support is cal- 
 culated to defraud the presiding Elder. According to 
 discipline, the presiding Elder is "to share with the 
 preachers of his district in proportion to what they 
 receive " as quarterage. Now, if the preachers should 
 receive as quarterage only half of their allowance, the 
 
NEWBURGH STATION. 77 
 
 presiding Elder would receive only in that proportion. 
 Although the preachers might receive donations sufficient 
 to make up all their claims, who knows it is so ? What 
 steward would feel at liberty to take a part of his 
 preacher's gratuities and give it to the presiding Elder ? 
 What preacher would he willing to part with a portion 
 of the presents given him, or what presiding Elder 
 would consent to receive one half of his support from 
 donations which had been made to other men ? 
 
 During my two years in Newburgh I enjoyed more 
 leisure for study and the improvement of my own mind 
 than I had ever enjoyed in any place before. I have 
 reason to believe that I had some fruit of my labor in 
 this place. If there were not many converted, I think, 
 however, that the church was somewhat built up, and 
 established in truth and love. Since those days, the 
 society in this place has greatly prospered ; they have 
 built a very commodious church in a central part of the 
 village, and in May, 1851, found themselves able to 
 entertain the New York Conference., I lately visited 
 them, but found nearly every one of my former friends 
 had gone to their rest. ' The names of Foster, Smith, 
 Randall, Handy, and many others, I shall remember with 
 pleasure while I live. 
 
 It is very pleasant, in visiting places where we have 
 labored in former years, to find the children of our old 
 friends walking in the footsteps of their pious parents. 
 But it is painful to see, as we sometimes do, the children 
 growing up wicked, or settled in life and having no 
 other object in view than to become rich : inheriting 
 their father's estate, and having forsaken their father's 
 God, and forgotten their father's friends. There is but 
 poor encouragenjent for parents to lay up property for 
 such children. 
 
78 ALBANY STATION. 
 
 ALBANY STATION. 
 1823, 1824. 
 
 Important, but undesirable station. — A dream. — Some success. — Excellent breth- 
 ren. — Kev. E. Vanderlip. — Division of the Cliurch. -^ Separatists prospered. —A 
 new Society organized. ■ — Church bfirned. — Reorganized in Ferry street. — A So- 
 ciety organized in- the west part. — Church in Division street sold. — New Church 
 in Hudson stteet> — Arbor Hill Church. — Present state of Methodism. — Metho- 
 dism tho means of doing great good. 
 
 At the Oonfetence held in the town of Malta, Saratoga 
 county, 1823, 1 was appointed in Albany. This was a 
 place of considerable importance. It was the seat of the 
 State government, arid At had been heretofore supplied 
 witti some of our strongest men. But not only did its 
 importance render it an undesirable station to me, but 
 the circumstance that within a few years past it had 
 been rather unfortunate in two of its ministers, who had 
 been stationed there, whose alleged conduct had dishon- 
 ored religion, and upon that account it seemed to need 
 special attention, and a man of more talents than I pos- 
 sessed. I am sure I never went to anyplace with so 
 much reluctance as I went to Albany, fearing that I 
 should somehow make a failure. 
 
 The night before I arrived with my family, I lodged 
 at a friend's house and retired to rest very much 
 afflicted in mind, with a sense of the greatness of my 
 responsibility and mjr insufficiency. And I dreamed I was 
 standing in the highway, in" the town of Nassau, on the 
 very spot where the Lord first blessed me with a sense 
 of pardon. I thought I heard a horrid noise, somewhat 
 like that of a whirlwind, carrying everything before it, 
 approaching me. I could see nothing, but stood as one 
 amazed, and cried out, "It is the devil." I thought that 
 suddenly all was silent, but I saw the arms of a man 
 approaching me, holding a large auger at my left breast. 
 
ALBANY STATION. 79 
 
 and commence boring it into my heart. The auger 
 was turned two or three times, when I seemed to hear the 
 bones and sinews crack, and it gave me terrible pain. I 
 cried out, "Lord, help ! " Immediately the motion ceased ; 
 I cried again, and the auger began to unscrew, and my 
 pain was much abated. I repeated the cry the third 
 time, "Lord, help!" and all disappeared, and I awoke. 
 The first thought that struck my mind was respecting 
 my station, and the difficulties I might have there, and 
 I immediately repeated the cry, " Lord, help!" I felt as 
 though I had learned where to look for help in case I 
 should get into trouble in Albany. Many times, during 
 my labors in this station, when I had any difficulties, I 
 thought of my dream, and repeated the cry, " Lord, 
 help ! " 
 
 At that time our people had only one church in the 
 city ; this was in Division street, which had been built 
 about ten years. The first church we had in Albany 
 was situated on North Pearl street, but having become 
 too small, it was disposed of, and a larger one erected in 
 Division street. 
 
 Our society numbered about three hundred members, 
 and our congregation v/as generally quite large. I found 
 the society in a very good state, for my predecessor. Rev. 
 Phineas Rice, was a man of good talents, and an excel- 
 lent disciplinarian and pastor. Many of the members 
 were remarkable for deep and ardent piety. My prede- 
 cessor did what it would be well if every preacher would 
 do for his successor'; he spent a few days and went 
 around with me, and introduced me to some of the prin- 
 cipal brethren and friends. It certainly gives a minister 
 great advantage to become acquainted as soon as may be 
 with the members and people to whom he preaches; 
 
 It is one of my failings, among many others, that I can- 
 
80 ALBANYSTATION. 
 
 not readily recollect names and countenances. I have 
 no doubt, I have been sometimes thought to be stiff and 
 unfriendly in my manner, when my seeming want of 
 cordiality was owing to my not recognizing brethren 
 when I have^met with them. I have sometimes desired 
 the brethren, in society meeting, when I first - came 
 among them, that if they met me in the street or else- 
 where they would speak to me, and if I did not seem to 
 know them, that they would introduce themselves by 
 name, again and again, until I got so that I could recol- 
 lect them. Our economy, embracing such frequent 
 changes of ministers, has this disadvantage, that it keeps 
 us comparatively strangers to many of our members, 
 unless there be special pains taken to remedy it in this 
 way. 
 
 I know not that I was ever associated with a body of 
 official members, in any station, of whom I entertained 
 a higher opinion, or with whom I 'operated more pleas- 
 antly, than with those in Albany. The names of many 
 of them will long be remembered with much pleasure. 
 I have outlived several of those dear brethren, but I 
 hope to unite with them again in the church triumphant. 
 
 Rev. Elias Vanderlip, who admitted me into the 
 church in 1803, was living here. He had been a travel- 
 ling preacher' formerly, but had located. He was a very 
 pleasant and agreeable man. He possessed a good 
 degree of religious feeling, had been very laborious and 
 useful. I always loved him as a father. He lived to be 
 eighty-four years old, and died September 3d, 1848. In 
 his last sickness he enjoyed great peace of mind and tri- 
 umphant joy. He used often to say to his friends, who 
 called to see him, that he was " all packed up and wait- 
 ing to go when the Master should call him." 
 
 While I was in this station we had a blessed work of 
 
ALBANY STATION. 81 
 
 God among us, which resulted in quite an increase of 
 members. We succeeded in . diminishing to quite an 
 extent a heavy church debt, with which the society had 
 long been encumbered. 
 
 A few years after 1 was stationed here, the society got 
 into some difficulty about renting the seats, which 
 resulted in a division. There still remained a consider- 
 able amount of church debt, and a majority of the 
 brethren thought it best to let the seats in order to raise 
 means to clear off the debt ; but some were opposed to it ; 
 they argued that the house had been built for a free 
 house, and that many had contributed to its erection on 
 that very account. They had assisted to build it for the 
 reason that it was the only free church in the city, the 
 only place where the poor could hear the gospel without 
 any expense. They thought there ought to be one free 
 church in such a place as Albany. 
 
 These brethren certainly reasoned with propriety, at 
 least in this case, in favor of free seats ; for it does seem 
 unreasonable that men who had given their money for 
 thg^purpose of building a free house could not have their 
 wishes carried out, but that the seats should now be let, 
 contrary to their wishes, and that, too, by men, many of 
 whom were not among the original contributors. But 
 the majority were in favor of letting the seats, so this 
 measure prevailed. Quite a number immediately with- 
 drew from the congregation, and after occupying a hall 
 in the north part of the city for some time, they pur- 
 chased a large building on North Pearl street, formerly 
 ,use«J as a circus, which they fitted up and made a large 
 and very convenient place of worship. This place has 
 ever since gone by the name of Garretson station, in 
 honor of the venerable Freeborn Garretson. Being situ- 
 ated iu an excellent location, they soon gathered a large 
 
82 ALBANY STATION. 
 
 and respectable congregation. This society has' been 
 greatly prospered, and has exerted an excellent influence. 
 They have been blessed with many excellent brethren to 
 take the lead in their aflairs, and some able and excel- 
 lent ministers for their pastors. For a -while there were 
 considerable unpleasant feelings, but they have long 
 since subsided. 
 
 A few years after this division took place, as the city 
 increased in population, a few brethren united to open a 
 place of worship in the lower part of the city, and a 
 preacher was sent there from Conference. For a while 
 they hired a place ; at. length they built a very neat little 
 church, but not long after, it was consumed by fire. After 
 this they disbanded, and united with the other societies, 
 until another rally was made, a society was again organ- 
 ized, and, by means of a few enterprising brethren, a 
 neat church and parsonage have been erected on Ferry 
 street. This society is at present in quite a prosperous 
 state, and is doing great good. 
 
 About the same time a society was organized in the 
 west part of the city, and a small church was purchased 
 and occupied for several years, when they built a very 
 good and convenient house on Washington street. The 
 building of this house I regard as quite important, but I 
 shall defer saying much about this matter until I come 
 to give some account of my labors in that station. 
 
 Our brethren who occupied 'the old church in Division 
 street, finding they had not sufficient room to accommo- 
 date the congregation, concluded to build a new church. 
 This they completed in 1844. It is situated not far from 
 the old one. It is quite an elegant building, facing two 
 streets, Hudson and Plain. 
 
 During the year ] 844 our preachers commenced regu- 
 lar preaching on Arbor Hill, in the north part of the city, 
 
HA-ETFOKU STATION. 83 
 
 since which they have organized a society there, and 
 put them tip a very convenient church, and prospects are 
 now very fair for doing great good in that part of the 
 city. This enterprise shows what can be done when 
 there are a few real enterprising men to go ahead, and 
 know how to manage pecuniary matters. 
 
 Methodism has been very successful in Albany. They 
 have now five churches, and number eight hundred 
 and eighty members. Besides these a great number 
 have been converted among us who have joined other 
 churches ; many have removed to other places, and many 
 have died in the Lord, and gone to their heavenly rest. 
 I have no doubt several thousands have been converted 
 among us in this city who will reach their heavenly 
 home. 
 
 The two years which I spent in Alljany, were, on the 
 whole, very pleasantly spent. I have some reason to 
 believe my labors were not unprofitable to the church. 
 There are but few now living here who were then mem- 
 bers. I sometimes feel somewhat melancholy when I 
 visit this city, where I see only here and there a person 
 whom I knew in those days. But although the fathers 
 and mothers are gone, many of their children are here to 
 fill their places in the house of God. 
 
 HAETFORD STATION. 
 1825, 1826. 
 
 Introduction of Methodism. — Tiie good deScoH. — A church built, — A rich brother. 
 — A popular preacher. — An unpleasant beginning. — Preach at Windsor. — Trou- 
 ble increases. — The rich brother withdraws. — Popular preacher removes. — Enemy 
 defeated. — Church prospers.^A man of influence converted. 
 
 I was stationed in the city of Hartford, at the Confer- 
 ence held in Troy, 1825. Hartford is one of the capi- 
 tals of the Stat« of Connecticut. It lies on the west 
 
84 HARTFORD STATION. 
 
 bank of Connecticut river, about fifty miles from its 
 mouth, and ninety-three miles south-east from Albany. 
 At that time it contained about eight thousand inhabi- 
 tants. The Congregationalists have always had the 
 greatest influence here of any other denomination, and 
 of all others put together. Until quite lately the place 
 seemed inaccessible to Methodism. The people knew 
 about enough concerning it, to know that its adherents 
 "were very zealous. people, professing to be very religious ; 
 and this was enough to excite in many minds a great 
 prejudice, for it was so difierent from the old-fashioned 
 "way to "whjch they had always been accustomed ; and, 
 upon this account, it was the subject of ridicule with the 
 vulgar. Some six or eight miles from the city, on the 
 east side of the river, where was a small Methodist 
 society, there lived a very good old brother who used to 
 bring in fruit and vegetables to. sell. He was known to 
 be a Methodist, and the boys would, frequently gather 
 around him to make themselves a little sport. Very fre- 
 quently they would sing out, " Hallelujah ! Glory to God, 
 Old Father Spencer!" The old gentleman would pay 
 but little attention to them. He kpew where they must 
 have learned to treat him with rudeness — their parents 
 were most to be blamed. Sometimes he would speak to 
 them very kindly, and say, " Well, children, you have 
 got the words pretty near right, but somehow it does 
 not sound quite right — you pught to give glory to God, 
 but you ought not to do it in sport." 
 
 Until some time in 1820, 1 think, there was no Metho- 
 dist society in Hartford. There had been Methodist 
 preaching now and then, and one or two families who 
 called themselves Methodists and entertained the preach- 
 ers when they called upon them. During this year, 
 Mr. J. N. Maffit got into the court-house, and succeeded 
 
HARTFORD STATION. 85 
 
 in getting quite a congregation, and was the means of a 
 good revival. Shortly after this a society was organized, 
 and regular preaching established. For some time we 
 had no other place for public worship than the court- 
 house ; and we had many prejudices , to contend with. 
 These prejudices were not confined to the wicked and 
 the careless part of community, but were found among 
 the religious. The Congregationalists had long had the 
 ascendency, and were rather jealous of any intrusions. 
 Although they generally believed what is taught in their 
 Articles of Faith, that God had eternally and unchange- 
 ably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass ; yet when 
 they saw that it was likely to come to pass that Metho- 
 dism would be introduced there and get a permanent 
 footing, a society formed, and a church built in their 
 midst, many of them were in great trouble ; they found 
 it very difficult to submit to God's decrees. They could 
 submit to have Sabbath-breaking, profaneness, and 
 drunkenness abound, but this Methodism was a bad 
 concern. The reason of this was, they did not properly 
 understand its character, nor perceive what would be its 
 salutary tendency. 
 
 Our society shortly numbered about a hundred mem- 
 bers, but they were most of them rather poor. Indeed, 
 only one man among them all could be said to be rich. 
 It so happened that among our warmest friends was 
 Deacon -Beckwith, a most excellent man, and deacon of 
 Dr. Hawes' churph. The deacon attended Methodist 
 meetings, and got wonderfully baptized by the Holy 
 Spirit, and was much taken up with our doctrines and 
 manner of preaching. He became much attached to our 
 preachers and members, and at length a constant attend- 
 ant at our meetiilgs, and felt a great interest in our pros- 
 
86 HARTFORD STATION. 
 
 perity and success. He remarked one day to a friend, 
 that his father Ayas a very wi^e and good man in his 
 day, and that he used often to tell him, if he wanted to 
 do any good in the world, he must be sure to do some- 
 thing which was the most unpopular ; and he said he 
 could think of nothing which would be more unpopular 
 than to build a Methodist church in Hartford; he 
 believed, therefore, he should undertake it. He was as 
 good as his word ; he united with our society, and set 
 about this unpopular enterprise. 
 
 Deacon Beckwith had been the city collector for sev- 
 eral years, was well known by all the citizens, and he 
 knew them all, and his character for honesty and integ- 
 rity gave him great influence among them. He did not 
 possess much property, but he was very ingenious, and 
 could turn his hand to almost anything he pleased. 
 Beside obtaining quite an amount of subscription, pro- 
 curing materials, and superintending the whole matter, 
 he laid off his coat and wrought with his hands like a 
 day-laborer. He was generally- the first man on the 
 spot in the. morning and the last who was seen there at 
 night. It was recorded on the records of the trustees 
 that he labored in carrying up the building more than 
 one hundred days. And for all this service" he received 
 no remuneration, only the satisfaction of seeing his 
 enterprise succeed. The enterprise did succeed, as 
 might well be expected when in such hands ; and, by the 
 blessing of God, a good-sized, well-built -brick church 
 and parsonage soon made their appearance in the city 
 of Hartford, and_ the prospects appeared very flattering. 
 
 A society gathered principally in a time of special 
 revival, and by a man more remarkable for calling 
 attention to the subject of religion than for anything else, 
 needed the care of a pastor well qualified to regulate 
 
HARTFORD STATION. 87 
 
 matters and administer wholesomie discipline. In view 
 of this, Rev. Lewis Pease had been appointed there, and 
 labored there with great acceptance and usefulness 
 among the people for two years. He was my immedi- 
 ate predecessor. 
 
 . Our rich brother, to whom I have alluded, was a 
 farmer ; he lived a little distance out of the city. He had 
 entered with all his soul into the eiiterprise, and contrib- 
 uted more money than any other man. He had proba- 
 bly given more than all the members in the place, for I 
 suppose he possessed more property than all. But not 
 being well informed respecting our peculiar economy, it 
 seems that he calculated that, in return for his liberality, 
 he would be entitled to control the affairs of the church 
 to a great extent. Owing to his former habit of think- 
 ing, his views were rather Congregational than Metho- 
 distic. He thought the people had a right to a greater 
 share of influence in the appointment of a preacher 
 among them than was consistent- with our system of 
 itinerancy. He thought the people had a perfect right 
 to choose their preacher, and it was the Bishop's duty to 
 appoint him whom they might choose. But everybody 
 must see, who reflects on the subject a moment, that this 
 will not work at all among us; because the same 
 preacher might be the man chosen by half-a-dozen 
 societies at the same time, and of course it would be 
 impossible for more than one of them to be gratified. A 
 system of itinerancy must have an appointing power, 
 and this pOwer must be in a measure independent ; the 
 man who holds it may listen to representations, and 
 may and ought to take counsel of the presiding Elders 
 of the respective districts ; but he must be uncontrolled 
 except by his own sense of duty and the general good. 
 It so happened that a brother, who had once belonged 
 
88 HAETFORD STATION. 
 
 to the travelling conneQtion, but on account of ill health 
 had located, visited this place and preached a few times 
 during the previous year. He was a man of somewhat 
 popular talents and of winning address. With this, local 
 preacher our rich brother was much delighted, and took 
 a notion that the Bishop qonld send no man: like him. 
 Accordingly, while Brother Pease was absent attending 
 Conference, he made an arrangement with this local 
 preacher to become their pastor. Being one of the 
 trustees, and also a steward, he felt himself authorized 
 to let . this brother occupy the parsonage for a residence 
 for his family, and the lecture-room in the basement of 
 the church for a boarding-school. All this arrangement 
 was made without the consent of either trustees or 
 stewards, and against it the society dared not to object. 
 He no doubt thought he was really promoting the best 
 interests of the church. 
 
 This was the state of things when I was appointed to 
 labor in Hartford. I had not the least knowledge of any 
 of these circumstances until just before I arrived at the 
 place. I lodged, together with my family, the night 
 before I arrived, with a brother, who informed me 
 that I was destined to have trouble, and would need 
 much wisdom and grace to manage matters so as to 
 save the society. 
 
 When I arrived, I inquired for the Methodist parson- 
 age, and, on driving up in front of it, lo ! the reverend 
 gentleman who had taken possession of it stood in the 
 door, and, after the usual salutations, he informed me 
 that arrangements had been made for him to occupy the 
 parsonage, and that it was expected that I and my 
 family should take lodgings at a certain boarding-house. 
 So I bade him a good-day and sought another home. 
 After being here a few days, the first man who called to 
 
HARTFORD STATION. 89 
 
 see me was our rich brother, who it seems had heard of 
 my arrival. He drove up to the door of the house 
 where I lodged and called. I saw him sitting in his 
 wagon, and went out to see him. After introducing him- 
 self to me by name, he informed me he was one of the 
 stewards ; and then said, " Spicer, where are you going 
 to live?" I replied that I did not know; that I pre- 
 sumed some place would be provided ; that I had writ- 
 ten to the presiding Elder on the subject. " Why, good 
 God," said he, " we have got preachi&rs enough now; we 
 don't want you here." I replied, that I was sent there 
 by the proper authorities of the chyrch. "Well," said 
 he, "you had better go to Windsor; we don't want you 
 here ; we are well satisfied with the preacher we have ; 
 he is a good preacher, and you are not going to turn 
 him out of the parsonage ; if you do, I will not contrib- 
 ute one cent toward your support, and I have been in 
 the habit of giving about sixty dollars a year ; if you 
 stay, I will support him and nobody else." " Well," I 
 said, "we will see what is best when the presiding 
 Elder arrives and calls a quarterly Conference." So we 
 parted, he with a rufiied temper, and I with a sorrowful 
 heart. 
 
 In a few days after this, we had a quarterly Confer- 
 ence, and it was decided that the local preacher should 
 preach here every Sabbath evening, and that I should 
 preach morning and aftertioon, and at Windsor, four 
 miles distant, in the evening^Iand that I should occupy 
 the parsonage. When my reverend brother was 
 informed of this decision, he said, as he was employed 
 by the presiding Elder to preach in the evening, he was 
 as much entitled to the use of .the parsonage as I was ; 
 and he should expect the steward to find him another 
 house before he left this. 
 
90 HARTFORD STATION.' 
 
 In the mean time, I searched every part of the city to 
 find a house for myself, but could not. My youngest 
 child was taken quite unwell,, to add to our affliction and 
 try my faith, and a trial it was, for we had only a bed- 
 room at our boarding-house, which made our condition 
 rather uncomfortable, although the family where we 
 lodged was a very pleasant family and did all they 
 could to accommodate us. 
 
 Under these circumstances I knew not what to do. I 
 called again at tlie parsonage, and told my reverend 
 brother my afflicted situation, and aslced him to Spare us 
 one of the rooms in the upper part of the house until 
 different arrangements could be made. He replied that 
 he had no rooms to spare ; that he had a number of 
 boarders, and needed all the rooms he had. I then 
 addressed his wife, who was a most excellent woman. 
 I appealed to her sympathies, telling her how much" my 
 wife's feelings were afflicted ; and here I had better suc- 
 cess. She soon persuaded her husband to consent that 
 I might occupy an upper roonu 
 
 The next day we removed to the parsonage, and the 
 good sister had done more than she had promised; she 
 had cleared two rooms for our accoipmodation. My 
 wife and I concluded to make ourselves contented with 
 our situation, and as pleasant to; our neighbors as we 
 couldj thinking we could endure our difficulties as 
 long as they could theirs. We had gotten possession, 
 and thought it would be best to hold on until forcibly 
 dispossessed. Matters, however, remained in this situa- 
 tion only three weeks ; our rich brother, perceiving how 
 inconvenient was the situation of his favorite preacher, 
 succeeded in obtaining a house for him, and he left us 
 all alone. 
 
 Now the only way to get rid of me was by endeavor- 
 
HARTFORD STATION. 91 
 
 ing to throw me into the shade; so our good brother 
 undertook to outpreach me, and this he easily accom- 
 pUshed. But in addition to this, he assumed, to some 
 extent, the charge of society affairs. Without saying a 
 word to me, he formed the society into bands, and 
 appointed band-leaders, and took the supervision of 
 them himself; he changed the evening of prayer-meet- 
 ing, and appointed a weeldy lecture. For several 
 weeks, matters went on very well, for I let him take his 
 own course. He then called a meeting of the male 
 members, and inquired what they designed to give him 
 for his Sabbath evening services. The "brethren agreed 
 to give him the use of the lecture-room for his school. 
 Finding that he was not gaining ground as fast as he 
 supposed, in a few weeks after he desired me to inform 
 the presiding Elder that he shotild not assist in supplying 
 the appointment any longer. This I immediately did, 
 and he immediately directed me to give up Windsor, 
 and preach three times in future in this place. 
 
 On the next Sabbath, I gave notice that my reverend 
 colleague had declined any further service in that place, 
 and that I should supply the pulpit myself three times 
 each Sabbath, in future. Now the battle was begun. 
 The day following, our rich brother called tp see me, and 
 insisted that I had quite misunderstood my colleague's 
 meaning; — that he would continue to preach, if the 
 people wished him ; but that he would no longer preach 
 under the appointment of the presiding Elder, or in con- 
 nection with me. He desired that next Sabbath I would 
 appoint a meeting of the church and congregation, and 
 let it be decided by a vote who should be their minister, 
 he or I : he said he was very sure the people would vote 
 for him, for he certainly was much the best preacher. 
 
 On the next Sabbath, I privately requested all the 
 
92 HARTFORD STATION. 
 
 official brethren, except our rich brother, to come into 
 my study during the intermission. I then, for the first 
 time, brought all the facts to their view, and told them 
 the request of our rich brother. I informed them that if 
 they wished such a meeting to be caHed, I would call it, 
 and if the brethren saw fit to choose my reverend col- 
 league to be their minister, instead of me, I had no objec- 
 tion. I Avould, in such case, leave them immediately, 
 and take care of myself, and at the next Conference 
 report that they did not wish the Bishop to send them a 
 preacher. To this every brother present replied, "Not 
 so." They said the proper authorities of the church had 
 sent me to them, and they wanted no other man, and 
 would haVe none other, unless he were regularly 
 employed by the presiding Elder. They unanimously 
 declared, that, so long as I would go according to the 
 discipline of the church, they would sustain me. We 
 then commended our cause to God in prayer, and sep- 
 arated. 
 
 As soon as our reverend brother perceived which 
 way the current was running, he Jjiade arrangements to 
 remove; and at the end of about four months from the 
 time that I arrived at the place, he left us to -ourselves. 
 Shortly after this, our rich brother sent us a notice that 
 he had withdrawn. On receiving this intelligence, no 
 one wept. 
 
 But our trouble did not end here. Disappointed ambi- 
 tion had turned into malevolence. Our rich brother, 
 being foiled in his plan to introduce Congregational- 
 ism, resolved to eifect our ruin. He gave us notice that, 
 if I were returned to them another year, he would pros- 
 ecute the trustees, and recover all the money he had 
 paid toward the expenses of the church. However, the 
 official members, and many others, requested that I 
 
HARTFORD STATION. 93 
 
 should be returned; and, accordingly, I was appointed 
 there again the ensuing year. 
 
 As soon as our old friend found I was sent back, he 
 commenced a suit against the trustees, to recover $920, 
 which he said he had paid, and $200 for services rendered 
 in superintending matters while the house was being 
 built. But, fortunately, the property had been regularly 
 deeded to the M. E. Church, as the discipline directs, 
 and in conformity to the statute law. And the trustees 
 having been careful and correct in all their movements, 
 we had nothing to fear. The records of their doings, 
 and the conditions of all, their subscriptions, clearly 
 showed, that all who had contributed had totally alien- 
 ated all they had given to build a hoiise of public wor- 
 ship, on which they could have no claim,, except the 
 privilege of worshipping in it according to the usages 
 of the Methodist Episcopal Church. And the records 
 showed that it was not our rich brother who had super- 
 intended its erection, but the good deacon to whom we 
 were under so many obligations. 
 
 When the, suit was called before the county court, he 
 thought proper to throw it into the superior court. 
 Three eminent lawyers were engaged on both sides. 
 But when his counsel came to understand all the facts 
 in the case, they advised him to withdraw the suit. 
 This he did, and paid the cost. 
 
 I was mercifully sustained in these trying circum- 
 stances, and the society prospered. Public sentiment 
 was in our favor, and God was on our side. I was 
 obliged to make some pecuniary sacrifice ; the expense 
 in supporting my family during the two years was about 
 two hundred dollars more than I received from the soci- 
 ety. But I never sacrificed anything more cheerfully. 
 I verily believe the Lord has restored it to me since then 
 at least four-fold. 
 
94 HARTFORD STATION. 
 
 During the two years of this .warfare we made con- 
 siderable improvement on the church and parsonage. 
 Several hundred dollars were raised toward liquidating 
 the debt; and, what was still better, we had a gracious 
 revival of religion among us. One man of influence and 
 wealth was converted, and united .with us, which more 
 than made up the loss of our rich brother who had left us. 
 
 This man for some time had been quite a constant 
 hearer: he -had been rather sceptical, but had been for 
 some time much interested in our meetings. He was to 
 me a kind of thermometer ; when I perceived that I had 
 interested him in ray discourse, I always felt encour- 
 aged. 
 
 On the morning of the first of January, in my second 
 year among them, when he awoke, a new train of 
 thought was awakened. He recollected that he was 
 just fifty years old that day, and that, during all the 
 time he had lived on the earth, he had not taken one 
 step toward securing his salvation.^ He resolved, before 
 he arose from his bed, that he would now set out to live 
 differently. He determined to begin by calling his family 
 together before they ate their breakfast, and read to them 
 a chapter in the Bible. But he thought, When I have, 
 done this, what then shall I do? Soon after he had 
 arisen and dressed himself, his little daughter came in, 
 to call him to breakfast. As he entered the room where 
 the breakfast was prepared, he requested his eldest 
 daughter to bring him the Bible. The daughter and all 
 the family were surprised at this request, and thought, 
 What now? what can all this mean ? While the family 
 were thinking. What now? he kept thinking. What 
 then? He could hardly think of praying in his family. 
 He began to read ; and, as he approached the end of the 
 chapter, the inquiry, What then? became so powerful 
 
HARTFORD STATION. 95 
 
 that his feehngs overcame him, and he burst into tears, 
 and laid down the Bible. His wife, who was a member 
 of our church, said. to him, "What is the matter?" 
 " Oh ! " said he, "I am a sinner." His voice was choked 
 with grief, and he could say no more. The family were 
 all melted into tears, and no breakfast was eaten that 
 morning. A little messenger was sent to the parsonage. 
 The lad said his father wished to see me at their house 
 immediately, and I hastened to obey the summons, 
 thinking as I went. What noio ? what can all this mean 7 
 
 When I arrived, the family were all sitting in the par- 
 lor, in entire silence. All seemed as solemn as if attend- 
 ing a funeral. Mr. H. sat with his head bowed down, 
 looking very sad, as though in great affliction : all 
 appeared as if they had been weeping. I bade them 
 good morning, and inquired what was the matter; 
 whether he was sick. He bursjt into tears, and said, 
 "Sly heart is sick; \ am sick of sin." I replied, "If 
 that is your difficulty, I know of a physician who can 
 perfectly cure you.'^" So I told him of Jesus, the good 
 physician and the balm of Gilead. I told him of Christ's 
 atoning sacrifice, and of his ability, willingness and 
 readiness to save him. . After conversing a while, we 
 united in prayer. AH the family were on their knees. 
 Although he did not find comfort to his soul immedi- 
 ately, it was not many days before he was brought 
 into liberty. The good Physician healed his wounded 
 heart. 
 
 This man became a deeply pious man : he was 
 tender-hearted and child-like. For several years he 
 was a class-leader in the church, and exerted a blessed 
 influence in society around him. After six or seven 
 years he departed this life in great peace. ' His memory 
 is very precious among his brethren, to this day. 
 
96 NEW HAVEN STATION. 
 
 I regard his conversion as a seal to my ministry in 
 Hartford. Can any one wonder that I do not regret 
 being stationed in that place, or that I tooli joyfully the 
 spoiling of my goods? I saw my labors blessed of God, 
 and the cause of Methodism triumph. This was enough 
 to compensate me for all my trials and all my sacrifices. 
 We have now (1851) in this place two churches and 
 three hundred and twenty members. 
 
 NEW HAVEN STATION. 
 1«27, 1828. 
 
 Rev. Jesae Lee. — Introduction of Methodiam. — The family of Gilberts blessed and 
 made a blessing. — Great opposition. — Useful preachers. — Success of Methodism. 
 
 New Haven is a very pleasant city in Connecticut. 
 It is situated at the head of a bay which opens four miles 
 into the land from Long Island Sound. Its streets are 
 wide, and their intersections are rectangular. It is the 
 seat of Yale College, which was founded in 1700. The 
 city contained, at the time I was stationed there, some- 
 thing over ten thousand inhabitants^ 
 
 Methodism was first introduced into New Haven by 
 Rev. Jesse Lee. He came into this place a stranger, and 
 by some means obtained liberty to preach in the court- 
 house. The president of the college and many of the 
 students came out to hear him. This was on Sunday, 
 five o'clock, June 21, 1789. After preaching Jiere a few 
 times, a gentleman, by the name of Isaac Gilbert, Esq., 
 went to hear him preach, and was so Well pleased with 
 his doctrine and manner of preaching, that he invited 
 him to come home and lodge with him. Mr. Lee 
 accepted the invitation, and, as he entered the door of 
 Mr. Gilbert's house, he stopped and lifted up his hands, 
 and, in a very solemn manner, said, "Peace be to this 
 
NEW HAVKN STATION. 97 
 
 house." Ever after this, Mr. G.'s house was a home for 
 the Methodist preachers, and, truly, "peace" came to it. 
 Mr. G. became the father of a numerous family, and 
 prosperity has ever attended them, and a large part of 
 them have become religious. Mr. G. was yet living 
 when I was stationed there, and I found on the church 
 record the names of no less than hoenty-seven who were 
 connected with his family; several of them belonged to 
 the third generation. Of these, one has since become a 
 travelling preacher.. 
 
 The First Methodist society was formed in this city, 
 by Rev. Daniel Ostrander, in 1795. After this, they had 
 regular preaching once in two weeks, on week-day even- 
 ings. For several years the society remained quite 
 small, and its members were most of them poor. In 
 1800, they obtained an old building formerly occupied 
 by the Sandemanians, which answered for a place of 
 worship for a while. After this they had preaching on 
 Sabbath, once in two weeks. 
 
 Methodism, not being well understood in those days, 
 was by many, greatly despised. By many, its, friends 
 were looked upon as not worthy of any respect. Their 
 doctrinal views gave offence to many of the religious, 
 and their plain preaching gave offence , to many of 
 the vicious. Many of the latter seemed to think it no 
 harm to disturb their meetings. Some wicked fellows 
 of the baser sort threatened to pull down our house of 
 worship, and actually commenced putting their threats 
 into execution. Several of them got into the house one 
 night, and commenced cutting down the pulpit and 
 breaking the seats. But a few of our brethren, getting 
 timely notice of their design, rushed in upon them, and, 
 by means of such weapons as they could get hold of, 
 they drove them out of the house. The civil authorities 
 
 5 
 
98 NEW HAVEN STATION. 
 
 interfered in our behalf, and we were afterwards pro- 
 tected from violence. 
 
 In 1807, a new church was erected on Temple street, 
 but the society remained quite small; so that, in 1814, we 
 numbered only about sixty members. But during the 
 year 1821, there was a glorious work of God ; and such 
 was the increase of our church and congregation, that it 
 was found necessary to build a larger church. This 
 work was soon accomplished. It Avas erected in the 
 north-west corner of the public square, — a brick- build- 
 ing sixty-eight by eighty feet, having a basement. 
 Methodism here, as elsewhere, has shown itself possessed 
 of a vitality which can overpower ail opposition. 
 
 When I came to this station, I found about two hun- 
 dred and seventeen members, and the society in a very 
 good "state; for I had been preceded by Rev. Heman 
 Bangs, a man somewhat remarkable for his skill in reg- 
 ulating church matters. Although I was not the man of 
 their choice, — for they had their eyes' fixed on Brother 
 S. D. -F., — yet they received me very kindly, and had 
 it not been for a difficulty which took place, in which I 
 had to interfere in the administration of discipline, I 
 ■should probably have spent my two years in this place 
 very pleasantly, and perhaps somewhat usefully. As it 
 was, I hope it will appear, in the coming day, that my 
 services were not wholly lost, although I passed through 
 some rather severe trials, in doing what I deemed to be 
 my duty. 
 
 I have lived long^ enough to be pretty well convinced 
 •that a man's usefulness does not consist altogether in his 
 being the means of the awakening and conversion of 
 sinners. The church is to be built up in the -truth, and 
 order and discipline are to be promoted and carefully 
 attended to. This course often lays the foundation for 
 
NEW HAVEN STATION. 99 
 
 future prosperity and permanency. If, in carrying up 
 the ancient temple at Jerusalem, no other workmen 
 had been employed than those who could dig the stone 
 from the quarry, or procure the timber from Mount 
 Libanus, it certainly would have been but a rough- 
 looking building. It never would have been so famous 
 for many ages for its beaUty and strength. In the 
 Christian ministry there are divers gifts, but all of the 
 same spirit. 
 
 Methodism has greatly prospered since 1829, when I 
 left them. It is said that the venerable Asbury, when 
 once preaching in their little church in Temple street, 
 and encouraging the little flock not to fear, said, 
 " Brethren, you will by and by see a Methodist church 
 going up here in this direction," — pointing toward the 
 north-west comer of the public green, " and another in 
 that direction," — pointing toward the east from where 
 he then stood. Although it then seemed one of the most 
 unlikely events which could be imagined, that our peo- 
 ple would ever be permitted to occupy a place on the 
 public square in the city of New Haven, yet, in a few 
 years, behold, it came to pass. And that they would ever 
 need a second church in this place had not entered any 
 man's thought at that time. Even this event has taken 
 place. In the eastern part of the city, where at that 
 time thtere was scarcely a solitary house, the people are 
 now thickly settledj and many splendid edifices have 
 been erected; even there, too, is a public Square, and on 
 that square, a few years ago, another beautiful brick 
 church was erected, in which our people worship God. 
 
 The first church, which was built on the square in the 
 west part of the city has been disposed of, and a new 
 and much larger and more beautiful one has been 
 erected. It stands on the corner of Maine and Collea-e 
 
100 CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 
 
 Streets, a little distance from where the former stood, and 
 is said to have cost, including the ground, $27,000. The 
 Methodists in this place now exert their, full share of 
 influence with other denominations in doing good. We 
 have many excellent members here. The number of 
 members now (1851) in society in' this place, amounts 
 to eight hundred and ninety-five. 
 
 CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 
 1829—1832. 
 
 Progrpsa of Methodism. — Faithful and successful ministers.^ — Early prejudices con- 
 quered. — Others bestir themselves. —Imitate uS. — Go to extremes in doctrine and 
 in manner. — Protracted meeting.' — Result. — Unconverted converts. — Influence 
 of Methodism. — Parsonage burned. ~- Kindness of friends. — Middlebury. — Dread- 
 ful catastrophe. 
 
 At the Conference held in Troy, 1829, 1 was appointed 
 presiding -Elder, on what was then called Champlain 
 District, afterwards Middlebury District. This district 
 embraced a very interesting portion of country ; it was 
 mostly in the State of Vermont, extending from Lake 
 Champlain to the foot of the Green Mountains. Bran- 
 don circuit, which I travelled in 1810, embraced then 
 nearly all of what is now included in the district. 
 
 During the eighteen years since I travelled here, great 
 change had taken place in regard to the state of Metho- 
 .dism. Then our societies were few and far between ; 
 now they are numerous. Then there was but one 
 Methodist nieeting-house in all the country embraced in 
 this district ; now there are sixteen. Then we held our 
 meetings in barns, private rooms, and school-houses, 
 generally, but now we have access to the meeting-houses 
 of other denominations whenever Ve wish, and not unfre- 
 quently are requested to exchange with other ministers, 
 and are sometimes invited to hold our quarterly meet- 
 ings in their churches. 
 
CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 101 
 
 There has certainly a great change taken place, in the 
 minds of the people generally, towards our preachers, 
 and towards our doctrines. Although our preachers, who 
 have travelled iii these parts, have not made any great 
 pretensions to literature or science, they have, neverthe- 
 less, been remarkably successful in their appro|)riate 
 work, for they were generally well qualified for it. 
 Their deep and ardent piety, their entire devotion to 
 their work, their plain and practical preaching, and 
 untiring diligence, have commended them to the people,' 
 and secured their confidence and afiecfions. They 
 brought new things to their ears ; they preached- a free 
 and full salvation, a salvation provided. for and offered 
 to all ; a salvation not only from the guilt of sin, but 
 from the dominion and hve of sin. Many had always 
 been taught that the highest experience which a Chris- 
 tian could attain on earth, is that described in Romans 
 vii. : carnaUy-minded and sold under sin. Many had 
 all their life-tinie sat under Calvinistic preaching, and 
 verily thought they could do nothing, and that nothing 
 need to be done, to secure salvation. They supposed, if 
 they were to be saved, they should be saved, and if they 
 were to be lost, they could not avoid it. But our preach- 
 ers proclaimed aloud, and with great earnestness, that 
 Christ died for all, and that God commandeth all men 
 everywhere to repent. 
 
 The doctrine of decrees, election, the impossibility of 
 falling from grace, and the necessity of living in sin, had. 
 been preached until the spirit of slumber had fallen on 
 nearly all the Congregational and Baptist churches, not 
 only in these parts, but to a great extent in every part 
 of New England. But Methodism had awakened new 
 thoughts among the people, and a spirit of inquiry had 
 gone forth. These peculiarities of Calvinism were not 
 
102 CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 
 
 relished as formerly. Such had been the success of 
 Methodism that the ministers of other denominations 
 ■were obliged to bestir themselves or lose their hold upon 
 their people. What must be. done? To renounce the 
 peculiarities of Calvinism they would not consent; it had 
 been the religion of their fathers, and it was interwoven 
 ijjto all their standard works. They must, as a substi- 
 tute and a matter of policy, occasionally borrow our 
 doctrines, and imitate our manner of preaching ; they 
 must borrow our tools, and invent some new ones of 
 their own. Accordingly, there arose a class among the 
 Presbyterians, called the "New School," and among the 
 Congregationalists and Baptists, what were called " New 
 Meastires." 
 
 Among the most prominent revivalists of these denom- 
 inations were Rev. Messrs. Nettleton, Finney, Burchard, 
 Foot, Swan, and Knapp. Although these gentlemen 
 never formally renounced the articles of faith belonging 
 to their respective churches, they were often heard 
 denouncing their phraseology in no measured terms. 
 They were zealously engaged in endeavoring to increase 
 the number of the elect, although their . creed declared it 
 could not be increased. They held protracted meetings 
 all through those parts, and to quite an extent through- 
 out New England. The phraseology they used on these 
 occasions was wonderfully changed from what it was 
 formerly. With them, a new heart meant nothing more 
 than a neio purpose; a change of heart was only a 
 change of a man's purpose. Men's natural ability to 
 serve and love God, and their duty to make themselves 
 a new heart, was a very common theme ; it entered 
 more or less into all their preaching, and into all their 
 exhortations and prayers. "Break your hearts," "sub- 
 mit, submit," was almost their constant theme in public 
 
CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 103 
 
 and private. Repentance and faith, forgiveness of sin, 
 and the renewing influence of the Holy Ghost, made 
 very little, and, in many instances, no part whatever, of 
 their public instruction dr Christian experience. Accord- 
 ing to their Views, divine influence was not necessary 
 to enable men to submit ; it was necessary only to make 
 them willing to submit. 
 
 I attended one of these protracted meetings, in the town 
 of Charlotte, in the spring of 1831, where several of these 
 new measure revivalists were present, among whom was 
 the celebrated Mr. Foot. They received me with much 
 cordiality, and invited me to preach, and an excellent 
 spirit prevailed among them. Thete were, if I recollect, 
 about fifty converts reported as the result of this meeting. 
 But I am very sorry to be obliged to say, that, during this 
 whole meeting, there was no distinct allusion made, by 
 any of these ministers, to the atonement of Christ, repent- 
 ance, faith in Christ, pardon of sin ; or even the neces- 
 sity of divine influence, except so far as such influence 
 was necessary to make a man willing to submit. The 
 principal burden, of all their preaching and prayers, 
 observations . and remarks, was the holiness of God's 
 law, the sinfulness of sin and its offensiveness to God, 
 the certainty of future punishment, and the dreadful 
 condition of the damned. When these topics had been 
 discussed, and Universalism thoroughly exposed, —rand' 
 in many instances this was most ably done, — then, how 
 to escape the wrath to come was pointed out, which 
 always consisted, in submitting to God, and making our- 
 selves new hearts. 
 
 On the last day of this extraordinary meeting, to which 
 I allude, an invitation was given to all who were willing 
 to submit, to come out and stand in the broad aisle, which 
 led from the door up to the pulpit. There was, in a mo- 
 
104 CHAM PLAIN DISTRICT. 
 
 ment, a general rush from all parts of the house, and the 
 aisle was nearly filled. After a brief exhortation had 
 been given by a minister standing in front of the pulpit, 
 the pastor of the church started towards the door, and 
 as he passed down he addressed each one, fii-st on his 
 right hand and then on his left, and, putting his lips close 
 to their ear, exhorted them to submit. When he had 
 passed them all, he turned around and said, "Now, all 
 of you who have submitted, follow me." So he walked 
 up the aisle to the front df the pulpit, and several fell in 
 train, and followed him up. These were extended along 
 in front of the pulpit, on the right and left, and by the 
 minister pronounced hopefully converted. 
 
 I sat and watched this operation with astonishment 
 and distress. I could not discover a sign of a tear in any 
 eye, nor anything that indicated deep feeling in their 
 hearts^ and I could not but really fear that there ^as 
 not a real convert, nor even a true penitent, among them 
 all. In my hearing they certainly . had received no 
 proper instruction concerning the way of salvation as it 
 is revealed in the Scriptures. The next day I called 
 upon the pastor, in company with one of our preachers, 
 and told him all that was in my heart; — that I doubted 
 whether any person had been truly converted during the 
 meeting ; that I feared they had deceived the people and 
 led them astray. 
 
 I recollect an instance where one of the converts of 
 these new measures, and it was one who was among the 
 clearest cases, Was questioned respectii^ his conversion. 
 One of our brethren asked him what was the greatest 
 evidence he had that he had been converted ; he replied, 
 " I hope I have some desire to serve God." Such a 
 Christian must be in rather a comfortless state; he does 
 not know that God loves him, or that he loves God. 
 
CHAMPLAIN DISTKICT. 105 
 
 Nor does he know certainly that he has even a desire to 
 serve him ; he only hopes he has. But what better can 
 be expected from "New Measures," adopted for the con- 
 version of sinners, measures unknown to the apostolic 
 church, and unauthorized of God's word? Christians 
 manufactured by revivalists, or who have made them- 
 selves new hearts instead of being "renewed by the Holy 
 Ghost," must be rather comfortless. 
 
 These new measures made sad work in some of the 
 New England churches ; they introduced many mem- 
 bers who really knew nothing about the experience of 
 true religion. A great reaction has followed, and a 
 withering dearth has been the result. Since then, how- 
 ever, the people have come to their senses on this sub- 
 ject, and a much better state of things exists in the Con- 
 gregational and Baptist churches. 
 
 Methodism has- certainly exerted a very salutary 
 influence in New England and elsewhere. It occupies 
 a middle ground between Calvinism and Universalism, 
 and between old-fashioned Calvinism and new- vamped 
 Pelagiani^m. Although our Calvinist brethren have not 
 changed their doctrinal system, as published in their 
 creed and standard authors, yet in some respects their 
 preaching is more evangelical and in accordance with 
 God's word. As far as the people generally can per- 
 ceive, their doctrines resemble Methodism ; but there is 
 yet a great difference. 
 
 On the 30th day of October, 1830, an event took place 
 which threw my family into considerable affliction. Our 
 district parsonage, where we resided in the town of Char-' 
 lotte, took fire, and was consumed, together with the 
 barn and wood-shed. By this occurrence we lost all 
 our furniture and clothing ; and all my books and papers 
 
 5* 
 
106 CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 
 
 were destroyed. My family narrowly escaped with their 
 lives, thanks to a merciful Providence. 
 
 This destruction of our home and property was a great 
 affliction ; but it is due to our brethren and neighbors to 
 say that they were exceedingly kind. , A gentlemaa of 
 the Congregational church let us. occupy a part of his 
 house the remainder of the year, although it was a great 
 inconvenience to his family; All our wants were 
 promptly supplied, for all classes of community contrib- 
 uted to our relief. A considerable portion of our loss 
 was ultimately made, up, chiefly within the bounds of 
 the .district. The. kindness of our friends has made a 
 deep impression on my mind. 
 
 After about two- years we succeeded in repairiilg the 
 loss of our district parsonage, by the purchase of a house 
 and lot in the village of West Poultney, which place is 
 now the seat of the Troy Conference Academy. 
 
 In consequence of losing our parsonage, I removed to 
 Middlebury in April following, where I resided two 
 years. Methodism was introduced here somewhere 
 about the year 1800, and we have had a very good soci- 
 ety ever since. 
 
 A few months before I came to reside here, a dreadful 
 catastrophe, took place, about one mile north of- the vil- 
 lage, in a place called Beaman's Hollow. Here were 
 several mills, and quite a number of families living. The 
 people hved on both sides of the falls of a considerable 
 stream, which emptied into Otter Creek. One day, just 
 at evening, a heavy rain commenced falling, and the 
 stream became so swollen that several dams, whicli 
 were above this place, gave way, and the flood carried 
 everything before it for several miles. About midiiight, 
 when the darkness was terrible, and the rain was pour- 
 ing down in torrents, the flood came rushing on to this 
 
CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 107 
 
 little village, when most of its inhabitants were wrapt in 
 slumbers. It swept dams, bridges, mills, houses, and 
 everything in its way. It came so suddenly and unex- 
 pectedly, that many persons were carried oif by its force 
 before they could get out of its reach. Some of these 
 saved their lives by laying hold on floating timbers ; 
 others by seizing the limbs of small trees, through whose 
 tops they were carried. To these they held fast until 
 the waters were abated. But no less than fourteen per- 
 sons, young and old, perished in the waters. Some of 
 those who were lost were among the most excellent 
 members of our church. I believe some of, the bodies 
 were never recovered. 
 
 Among those who perished was a very gay young 
 lady. A few days previous to her death she was in 
 company with some of her Christian friends, who at- 
 tempted to converse with her concerning the salvation 
 of her soul. But such was her pride and carelessness 
 about religion, that she abruptly left the room, saying, 
 " I can't bear these Methodists, for they are always talk- 
 ing to me about getting religion." As she floated by on 
 some drift-wood, she was recognized by her friends, who 
 stood on the bank of the stream where she passed, but 
 imable to afford her any help. Her cries to God for 
 mercy were heard above the waiUng of the wind, and 
 noise of the rushing flood. She perished ; but, perhaps, 
 her. prayer for mercy was graciously heard. There 
 were connected with this dreadful catastrophe several 
 scenes of distress, which utterly defy an adequate 
 description. 
 
108 CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 
 
 KEFORMERS. 
 
 A few years before I was appointed to this district, 
 there was an effort made by several local preachers to 
 effect a reformation in our church government. This 
 effort was in connection with an organization which had 
 been formed at Baltimore a few years previous. At 
 that time, the discipline provided for a local preachers' 
 conference in each district; and the brethren of that 
 class in this district, at least many of them, took it into 
 their heads to let their importance be felt. One year 
 they refused to recommend any to the travelling connec- 
 tion. A number of local preachers withdrew, forming 
 themselves, and such as chose to associate with them, 
 into a separate organization, by the name of "Re- 
 formers." After a while, they, with their brethren at 
 Baltimore, took upon them the_ title of "Protestant 
 Methodists." 
 
 A few of our brethren who had been travelling preach- 
 ers, and had located, united with this organization ; but 
 most of them were local preachers who had never trav- 
 elled. Nearly all were men of considerable talent and 
 standing among us. Among them, were D. Bromley, J. 
 Byington, L. Chamberlin, &c. The difficulty seemed 
 to be this : those brethren who ,had left the itinerant 
 work were not willing to take their appropriate place as 
 local preachers, while the travelling preachers, many of 
 whom were but young men, and, in their estimation, of 
 inferior talents to themselves, had the pastoral charge of 
 the work. If the preachers would not submit to their 
 dictation, they thought they had reason to complain, 
 and, in some instances, they justified themselves even in 
 railing against their brethren. This state of things could 
 not long continue ; some were expelled, and some fore- 
 saw the evil and withdrew. 
 
CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 109 
 
 But the organization which they formed did not pros- 
 per to any great extent. A contention among themselves 
 soon divided them into two parts. Although they formed 
 circuits, and attempted to organize a travelling connec- 
 tion, and for a while did their hest to build themselves 
 lip, by disaffecting our members in order to proselyte 
 them to their party, they did not succeed. 
 
 I found a few of them in some parts of my district. 
 Some of the preachers I had known in former years, 
 when I travelled heie ; but how changed in spirit ! 
 They had become not only disaffected toward our 
 church government, but many of them had become 
 strongly prejudiced against our preachers. In their esti- 
 mation, our government was the veriest system of tyr- 
 anny, and all our preachers a company of tyrants. . 
 
 During my first year on the district, Rev. J. M. paid 
 us a visit. He had been a travelling minister among us, 
 and labored all through this country formerly with great 
 success, but had located, and removed to the west. Al- 
 though he had not joined the Reformers, he had embraced 
 their views in many things, and came into these parts, 
 no doubt, to see what influence he could exert in that 
 direction. He came into Starksborough, where there 
 was a society of Reformers, and gave but an appoint- 
 ment to preach, promising to preach in favor of reform. 
 But it happened that Bishop Hedding came into the 
 place, and Mr. M. could not do otherwise than ask him 
 to preach in the morning. The Bishop, being well 
 aware of Mr. M.'s design, took for his text, "As ye 
 -receive Christ Jesus the Ijord, so walk ye in him." So 
 he went on to tell, among other things, how he received 
 Methodism in his younger days, and that he received it 
 through the instrumentality of Mr. M. He remarked, 
 that Br. M. taught him so and so, and, turning to him. 
 
110 CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 
 
 said, " Did you not, Brother M. 1 " Nearly all his dis- 
 course was a vindication of Methodism ; and he con- 
 stantly appealed to Mr. M. for the truth of his assertions. 
 This discourse completely disconcerted the good ' old 
 Brother M., so that he made out but little in attempting 
 to preach in the Bishop's presence in the afternoon. His 
 influence was completely nullified in this place ; and he 
 went away Without eifecting anything. This organi- 
 zation, v. formed with so tnuch hope by our disaffected 
 brethren, is at present, in all this part of the country, in a 
 .very feeble state. They are doing very little, and have 
 very few societies in existence. 
 
 MORMONS. 
 1833. 
 
 While I was in this district, the Mormons, so called, 
 made their first appearance in these parts. It was pre- 
 tended by Joseph Smith, — a man who lived in the State 
 of New York, — that he had miraculously discovered 
 several golden plates in Palmyra, near where he lived, 
 which he dug from the earth. On these, he pretended, 
 there were wonderful inscriptions, containing the history 
 of a very ancient people, who once inhabited this coun- 
 try, and raised those artificial mounds which abound in 
 some of the Western States. These records he pretended 
 to have translated and published in a book called the 
 " Book of Mormon," which is considered as the Mormon 
 Bible. 
 
 But it has been since ascertained that this book was 
 written, at least a considerable part of it, by a Mr. Spald- 
 ing, as a matter of amusement for himself and his friends. 
 It was an attempt to account for the (Origin of the west- 
 ern mounds, in which he drew all the materials from his 
 own imagination. He designed to publish this, but 
 
CHAMPLAIN DISTEICT. Ill 
 
 never did. This manuscript somehow found its way 
 into the hands of Joseph Smith and his associates, and 
 was at first pubhshed merely as a catch-penny. But 
 Smith availed himself of it to turn it to some account in 
 getting up a new religious association. 
 
 Some of the preachers of this strange whim found 
 their way within the bounds, of my district, and gained 
 some attention. They professed to heal the sick and to 
 raise the dead. In one instance, they imposed on a 
 family, and attempted to heal an elderly lady, a member 
 of our church- The preacher baptized her, and, after 
 praying and a great deal of ceremony, until -her feelings 
 were wonderfully wrought up, he commanded her to 
 rise up and walk. She immediately sprang upon her 
 feet, clapping her hands and exclaiming, "Glory to 
 God ! I am healed ! " But her rejoicing was short; she 
 could not walk ; she fell to the floor, and had not strength 
 tro rise^ But this was enough to make a story of; and 
 it was published all abroad as a miracle, without telling 
 the whole of it. However, the facts in the case were 
 shortly published, over the proper signature of the lady 
 and some of her friends. 
 
 They made such a noise about this book df Mormon, 
 especially the golden plates from which it was said to 
 have been translated, that a number of gentlemen resid- 
 ing in Essex county, N. Y., addressed a letter to the 
 post-master who lived near where it was pretended the 
 golden plates were found. The reply was signed by 
 eight of the most respectable gentlemen in the place. 
 They declared that the story about the plates was con- 
 sidered, by all persons of good sense in that place, as 
 wholly unworthy of notice; that if any person there 
 should for a moment believe the story, he would be 
 laughed at for his credulity ; that Snuth's followers were 
 
112 CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 
 
 mostly confined to the most ignorant and worthless part 
 of community; that Smith and bis friends had for some 
 time been searching with mineral-rods for hidden treas- 
 ures. They concluded by Saying, that such is the char- 
 acter of Smith and his associates, their want of veracity 
 and common honesty, — such their idleness and neglect 
 of paying their debtSj that there is but little evidence 
 that they are the chosen and inspired instruments by 
 whom God would make any neflr revelation to man. 
 
 I attended one of their meetings, held in the west part 
 of Castleton, Vt. There were two of their preachers 
 present, and both addressed us at some length. The 
 first spoke about an hour ; he was a man of some talents, 
 and displayed some ingenuity, a;nd quite a familiarity 
 with the Scriptures. He had formerly been a Bap- 
 tist. His discourse was concerning the different dispen- 
 sations. We had the dispensation of Adam in paradise, 
 of Noah, of the patriarchs, of the prophets, of John the 
 Baptist, of Christ, and of the apostles. Each of these, 
 he said, succeeded the other, and each was brighter as it 
 advanced along in the track of time. These had all 
 passed away; but the prophets and apostles had pre- 
 dicted abftghterand more glorious dispensation to come. 
 Here he quoted^ largely from the Old and New Testa- 
 ments such passages as refer to the final triumph of 
 Christianity. These all, he said, refer to Mormonism, 
 or the "Latter Day Saints:" "Truth shall spring out 
 of the ground;" — this, he said, alluded to the goJden 
 plates so mysteriously obtained. The two rods, described 
 in Ezekiel xxxvii. 16 — 29, which were to become one in 
 the hand of the prophet, he said, were the Bible and the 
 Book of Mormon ; the latter was a supplement to the 
 former, to make it perfect; one was the Jewish Bible, 
 and the other was the Bible for the Gentiles. The 
 
CHAMPLAIN DISTRICT. 113 
 
 latter day had come, the heavenly kingdom had com- 
 menced, and the millennial glory had begun. 
 
 After he sat down, theother arose, and entertained us 
 about half an hour, making very strong assertions, and 
 "warning us at our peril not to reject Mormonism. He 
 said they knew what they asserted to be true; that 
 many angels had appeared, and had confirmed the truth 
 of Mormonism. They had heard these angels with their 
 own ears, and seen them with their own eyes, and knew 
 they were from heaven and spoke the truth ; and God 
 would soon destroy all the wicked from the earth, if 
 they did not embrace the truth. 
 
 To these strange assertions, fallacious reasonings, and 
 terrible denunciations, I listened with becoming atten- 
 tion ; but none of them moved me to either faith or fear. 
 As to the angels who had announced the truth of Mor- 
 monism, hearing and seeing would not have quite con- 
 vinced me. I thought I should want to examine them a 
 little, and see if I could not feel them, and ascertain if 
 they had not flesh and bones ; or, if I found they were 
 real spirits, I should like to have questioned them a 
 little, whether they were really from heaven, and how 
 long since they left there, and whether they had not 
 been expelled from heaven. And I think, before I could 
 have believed they were really good angels, after hearing 
 them testify to such nonsense, I should have smelled of 
 them, to be sure they had not come from heaven by the 
 way of hell; for I should have greatly doubted their 
 veracity. But, notwithstanding the ridiculous preten- 
 sions of these people, they made some converts from 
 among a certain class in those parts, and since then have 
 made many more in other parts of our country. There 
 is scarce anything too absurd to find more or less ad- 
 herents. 
 
114 LANSINGBUEGH AND WATERFOED. 
 
 LANSINGBURGH ANB TVIATERFORI). 
 
 1833. 
 
 History of Methodism. — Rev. J. Ketchum. — E. Cllicliester. — C. Carpentei:. '- Elec- 
 tion aermoQ. 
 
 I was appointed to this station in 1833, and Rev. W. 
 D. Stead was associated with me. Lansingbuxgh and 
 Waterford are two beautiful villages, lying on opposite 
 sides of Hudson River, a few miles above Troy. Water- 
 ford is on the west side of the river, and is a very pleas- 
 ant place. The first Methodist church built in this place 
 was erected principally by means of Rev. Joef Ketchunn 
 and Mr. James Barber. 
 
 Brother Ketchum had been a travelling preacher ; he 
 joined the travelling connection in 1793, and labored 
 several years with great success. But finding his family 
 increasing and the means of supporting them, so small, — 
 for they were, indeed, very small in those days, — he 
 thought best to locate and go into the mercantile, busi- 
 ness. He was very useful to the church, but did not 
 succeed very well in business. I recollect he once said 
 to me, " I advise you never to locate to get rich ;" and 
 added, that he had made at least $20,000 in his busi- 
 ness, but he believed that he should die a poor man. 
 
 Brother K. did quite an extensive business, for several 
 years in Waterford, and afterward in Lansingburgh, and 
 was very much respected by all who knew him. He 
 was one. dajr telling Brother L. C. a dream he had the 
 night before. He said he dreamed he had an appoint- 
 ment in their little church in that place to preach, and 
 just as the people were gathering, there arrived at his 
 store two loads of wheat. He thought, notwithstanding 
 it was time to commence his meeting, he would weigh 
 the grain and secure it in his store before he went to the 
 church. He did so, but when he came to the church, 
 
LANSINGBtTRGH AND WATEEFORD. 115 
 
 the people had become tired of waiting and had gone 
 home. He returned to his store feeling very bad and 
 much condemned. But when he went to examine his 
 bin of grain, behold, the rats had gnawed holes through 
 its bottom, and all his grain had run out and fallen into 
 the river \~ On hearing this dream, his wife exclaimed, 
 " Ah ! Mr. Ketchum, that .is just what I fear will hap- 
 pen, if you don't go and do your duty ; I expect you 
 will lose your congregation and all your property too." 
 His fears and hers, so far as worldly property was con- 
 cerned, were realized; for, after all his endeavors to 
 accumulate something for old age, he did not succeed. 
 Probably- he would have succeeded just as well in 
 getting his family through, if he had continued in the 
 regular work. However, few local preachers are more 
 useful than was this dear brother. 
 
 The little church in Waterford was disposed of, after 
 a few years, and a larger one has been erected. The 
 avails of the first church were appropriated toward 
 erecting one at Lansingburgh. 
 
 Lansingburgh is on the east side of the Hudson, about 
 three ^miles above Troy. At present it contains about 
 five thousand inhabitants, and is certainly one of the 
 most beautiful villages found on the Hudson. The first 
 Methodist society in this place was formed by Rev. 
 Samuel Howe, in 1803. I recollect of hearing Rev. 
 Laban Clark say, that, in 1803, he and Martin Ruter 
 preached here, and that, under the first sermon he preach- 
 ed here, a young man who was teaching school in the 
 place was awakened. This was Chandler Lambert, 
 who afterward became a travelling preacher. Mr. Ruler 
 was at that time only eighteen years old. On account 
 of his youth, he was invited to preach in Dr. Blatch- 
 ford's church, which was well filled. 
 
116 LANSINGBUKGH AND W* T fi R F O R D . 
 
 The First Methodist church was erected in this place 
 about the year 1810, for which our people were much 
 indebted to Rev. Messrs. J. Ketchum and E. Chichester, 
 who then resided here. These brethren not only gave 
 their money, but bestowed much labor with their own 
 hands. After about twenty years, this house was found 
 too small for the society, and was therefore disposed of 
 and a new one erected on Congress street. 
 
 Among those who have done much to sustain Metho- 
 dism in this place. Rev. E. Chichester deserves to be men- 
 tioned. Brother C. was formerly a travelling preacher. 
 He joined the travelling connection in' 1799, and located 
 in 1807. Since his- location, he has not been a sabbati- 
 cal hireling, biit he has labored abundantly without any 
 expense to the church. In abundant labor I have never 
 known him equalled by any local preacher, and as a 
 man of integrity I know not his superior. For the pro- 
 motion of Methodism in this place he has labored long 
 and faithfully, and his memory will long be cherished 
 here. He may be called a travelling local preacher. 
 
 The M. E. church has gained quite a respectable 
 standing in this village, and is at present exerting an 
 excellent influence on the community. I believe our 
 society is at this tiitie as strong as any society in town. 
 In 1849, they erected a new church in a central part of 
 the village, which is rather superior to any other in the 
 place. Our church members number two hundred and 
 twenty-one, and we have had for several years quite a 
 flourishing Sabbath school. 
 
 When I was stationed at this place, Lansingburgh and 
 Waterford were united in one charge. My colleague 
 and I alternated between the two plg,ces, so as to give 
 each place three sermons each Sabbath. However, but 
 little success attended our labors while in this station. 
 
LANSINGBURGH AND. W A T E K F O K D . 117 
 
 During the year, our presiding Elder, Rev. Coles Carpen- 
 ter, who resided in this place, was suddenly called to his 
 reward. Brother C. joined the travelling connection in 
 1809 ; he was an excellent man. 
 
 I had beeri elected during the previous year, while 
 travelling in the State of Vermont, to deliver, before the 
 Legislature of that State, what is called the "Election 
 Sermon." Accordingly, in the month of October, I went 
 to Montpelier, and delivered a discourse on Acts xii. 23 : 
 " And the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave 
 not God the. glory ; ^ and he was eaten of worms, and 
 gave up the ghost." 
 
 In this discourse, I endeavored to show that honorable 
 body, and all the good people of the State, — what I pre- 
 sume they all knew before, — that, if a nation would 
 enjoy prosperity, their rulers and people must acknowl- 
 edge and honor God; they must sustain the cause of 
 virtue, and support education among all classes ; they 
 must pay special attention to the subject of religion. I 
 endeavored to make a distinct and strong impression of 
 this fact, that religion had more to do with the prosperity 
 of a nation, than men are generally aware ; that legis- 
 lative bodies may make laws, but it is only by the moral 
 influence which religion exerts on society that they will 
 be carried into effect. No nation can forsake God and 
 prosper ; therefore rulers should be the friends of religion ; 
 they should themselves be under its influence, and their 
 example should recommend it to others. A copy of my 
 discourse, as is usual, was requested for publication. I 
 was appointed chaplain; but, after remaining with 
 them one Sabbath, I thought it my duty to return to my 
 charge; so I sent up my resignation, and returned to 
 Lansingburgh. I remained in Lansingburgh as pastor 
 of the church but one year. 
 
118 TEOY CONFERENCE ACADEMY. 
 
 TROY CONFEEDNCE ACADEMY. , 
 
 1834. 
 
 An Agent. — Its history. — Great embarrassment. — "Worse and worse. — Verge of 
 ruin. — Liberal proposal. ^ Liberality of preachers. — Safely moored. — Its great 
 importance and bene&t. 
 
 This year our Conference was held in Plattsburgh. 
 Here it was resolved that piir academy should be located 
 in West Poultney, and that an agent should be appointed 
 to solicit funds with which to erect suitable buildings. 
 To this agency I was appointed. 
 
 This appointment was very far from being pleasant to 
 me ; but I submitted to it, as I did also, in 1837, to be a 
 resident agent for the purpose of superintending the fin- 
 ishing and furnishing the building, and getting the school 
 into operation. But neither my taste nor my talents 
 were suited to the business of these agencies. 
 
 Inasmuch as I have had considerable to do with this 
 academy, perhaps a brief sketch of its history may be 
 acceptable to some of my readers. 
 
 In 1832 the New York Conference was divided, by 
 order of the General Conference ; the north part of it 
 was set off, and called Troy Conference. The last time 
 we met with the New York Conference, a committee 
 was appointed to inquire" into the expediency of estab- 
 lishing a seminary of learning within the bouiids of the 
 Troy Conference, and report to the Conference at its first 
 session. This committee reported that it was '-inexpe- 
 dient at present." But a good brother, who had been 
 transferred to our Conference at that session, moved that 
 the report be laid on the table. This was carried; and 
 he and two or three others, having all matters arranged, 
 brought in a resolution, that this Conference estabhsh 
 somewhere within its bounds a seminary of learning, by 
 the name of the Troy Conference Academy, and that a 
 
TROY CONFERENCE ACADEMY. 119 
 
 committee fee appointed to carry this resolution into 
 effect. 
 
 A majority was in favor of this enterprise ; and, at the 
 next Conference, it was determined that it should be 
 located at West Poultney, as already stated. This being 
 a very beautifal little village, in a very central part of 
 the Conference, and the people living in its vicinity having 
 subscribed quite liberally, the Conference judged it best 
 to locate it there.. I believe we greatly missed it that we 
 did not locate it somewhere in New York State :- in such 
 case, we should have realized quite an a:mount annually 
 from the public Literature Fund. 
 
 During the year, I collected about |3,000, and it was 
 deemed best to commence building, as people were gen- 
 erally unwilling to pay their money, until they saw 
 something going on. So, in 1835, the trustees proceeded 
 to enter into contract for the erection of the buildings ; 
 and in the fall of 1837 our school was opened. 
 
 Not succeeding in raising funds as we had expected, 
 we were under the' necessity of borrowing large sums of 
 money to complete our buildings, for it would not do to 
 stop after we had commenced. Many of our friends 
 subscribed quite liberally ,-but before we collected their 
 subscriptions, a great many changes had taken place. 
 Some of our subscribers had died, some had removed, 
 and others had failed in business; — so that a large por- 
 tion of our subscriptions were never realized. The great 
 pressure of money matters, which happened just at this 
 time all through the country, had a great influence, arid 
 we were embarrassed exceedingly. 
 
 When our buildings were completed in the fall of 
 1837, and ready for our school to go into operation, we 
 found ourselves in debt, including the $5000 we gave 
 'for the farm, in the sum of about $22,000. And for this 
 
120 TROY CONFERENCE ACADEMY. 
 
 sum we had to pay an annual interest, and most of it 
 at seven per cent. And, although, for a number of years, 
 we had agents employed in soliciting subscriptions, we 
 sometimes did not get half enough to pay the annual 
 interest. It is a fact in our history which I believe is 
 capable of a mathematical demonstration, that we have 
 paid not less than $8,000 for the support of agents, and 
 not less than $17,000 for interest on borrowed money. 
 And all the apology that the trustees can make, is, they 
 could not possibly avoid it. 
 
 The state of our finances continued to grow worse and 
 worse, until our debt had accumijlated to about $28,000. 
 In 1843 we made another powerful effort to free our- 
 selves, and although we obtained about $20,000 by sub- 
 scriptions and, scholarships, we never realized over 
 $16,000 in cash, and a, considerable portion of this was 
 in scholarships which was no real benefit to us, for they 
 entailed a heavy burden on the institution ; and before 
 we could realize the subscriptions, the interest on the 
 debt was so much that we were enabled to sink the debt 
 only about $10,000. 
 
 Here we were then, in 1849, with a debt on us of 
 $18,000, and our property mo^rtgaged for about $10,000. 
 One of the gentlemen who held mortgages thought 
 proper to foreclose; and about the same time, all the 
 personal property was attached for the amount of $2,000; 
 and here we were on the verge of ruin. What was to 
 be done 1 Who could tell 7 At the Conference, held in 
 Sandy Hill, in 1849, the two gentlemen who held the 
 mortgages amounting to $10,000, and who were well 
 secured, came forward and made a very generous pro- 
 posal. They said, if the trustees would raise them 
 $6,000, they would release them from their claim, pro- 
 vided they would pay the $2,000 for which their 
 
TROY CONF.EKENCE ACADEMY. 121 
 
 personal _ property was attached, and provided all the 
 others who had claims against us would agree to take 
 the annual avails of the school until their claims were 
 liquidated. 
 
 This plan was adopted. Most of the unsecured cred- 
 itors were our ministers, who had loaned us small sums, 
 or had purchased scholarships. These brethren, with 
 scarcely any exceptions, agreed to this proposal with a 
 generosity which usually characterizes Methodist preach- 
 ers, when any burdens are to be borne or sacrifices are 
 to be made. The two gentlemen who made this liberal 
 discount of $4,000, were, Merrit Clark, Esq., and Roscius 
 R. Kennedy, Esq. Their names will long be remembered 
 by all the friends of the Institution. 
 
 By selling most of the farm, and collecting about 
 $2,000 of our debts, we realized $6,000 ; and by a very 
 liberal subscription of several trustees, we raised $2,000; 
 and in this way we realized a sufficient amount to meet 
 our present distress, and in a great measure remove our 
 embarrassments. Towards making up this last sum, 
 the president of the board, William Y. Ripley, Esq., 
 added to former very liberal subscriptions the sum of 
 $550. Such liberality deserves to be remembered. 
 
 Our school has been rising in public estimation, and 
 has gained a character, equal, to say the least, to any 
 institution of the kind in all this country, and it has 
 done immense good in our community. Many young 
 men of small means have been helped to an education. 
 A large number of young people have been converted 
 while attending this school. Scarcely a year has passed 
 but we have had a revival of religion. There is no doubt 
 more than a hundred have been converted here ; several 
 of whom bid fair to make pillars in the church of 
 Christ, and very useful members of community. 
 
 6 
 
122 PITTSTOWN CIRCUIT. 
 
 PITTSTOWN CIRCUIT. 
 
 1835, 1836. 
 
 Good circuit. — An instance of great fanaticism. — Ruinous results. — Loud pro- 
 fession. — Sanctification. — Bemarlcs. — Watson and Wesley. — Catechized a little. 
 
 At the Conference of 1835 I was appointed on Pitts- 
 town circuit. The first year I was associated with 
 Rev. Samuel Covel, and the second with Rev. W. D. 
 Stead, who were good men and faithful pastors. I fear, 
 however, that our labors did riot accomplish much. 
 
 This was an old circuit, and embraced several good 
 societies, having several wealthy and influential mem- 
 bers, some of whom were' liberal and deeply pious. 
 They generally in their families manifested a good 
 degree of hospitality ; indeed, they were quite remarkable 
 for their cordiality to their preachers ^nd all their breth- 
 ren. Methodism had for many years taken a firm hold 
 on the community in all these parts, and exerted a good 
 influence on all classes. 
 
 In one place, where, at that time, we had but a small 
 society, we had some years before a large and flourish- 
 ing society, which had been nearly ruined by a few 
 fancUics. These consisted of some members who be- 
 came exceedingly religious. Their religion consisted 
 principally in getting blest and becoming very happy. 
 They came out in a profession of entire sanctification, 
 and they became so holy, in their own estimation, that 
 they could no longer fellowship, nor in any Way associ- 
 ate with their brethren. On account of their censorious 
 spirit, and some improprieties in their conduct, several of 
 them were expelled, and some of them withdrew. These, 
 together with some others, who belonged in another 
 place, associated together, and carried matters to great 
 excess. 
 
PITTSTOWN CIRCUIT. 123 
 
 They imagined that they held constant communion 
 with God, and converse with invisible beings. They 
 pretended they could discern spirits, and judge concern- 
 ing their brethren's hearts and motives. In their view 
 all the churches were spiritual Babylon, where Satan has 
 his seat ; and all good Christians were in duty bound to 
 come out of her, lest they be partakers of her plagues. 
 
 There were two men, by the name of W — d and W — 
 — r, who wer& the principal leaders of this fanaticism, 
 and made our people much trouble. They took it upon 
 them to come into our meetings and make disturbance, 
 calling out, " The devil is here!" " Come out of Baby- 
 lon ! " &e. One of these became so exceedingly trouble- 
 some that our people were obliged to have him confined 
 in the county jail for disturbing public worship ; but this 
 he and his friends regarded as persecution for righteous- 
 ness' sake. 
 
 There were several females also who acted a very 
 conspicuous part. One of them pretended to undertake 
 to fast forty days ; but was detected, by the lady of the 
 house where she was living, in a falsehood respecting 
 her fasting. She also declared that she had become so 
 holy that she should never die, but should be translated 
 as Enoch and Elijah were. She fixed on a time when 
 it would take place ; but when the time arrived the event 
 did not occur. This failure she attributed to a want of 
 faith in her brethren. Some time after, this she was miss- 
 ing, and after some days her body was found a consid- 
 erable distance from her home in a neighboring wood, in 
 a state of putrefaction. What caused her death is not 
 known. 
 
 Such was the ridiculous fanaticism of this deluded 
 company, and the disgraceful conduct of some of the 
 principal ones, that it brought religion into great con- 
 
124 PITTSTOWN CIRCUIT. 
 
 tempt ill that place, for their ridiculous extravagances 
 were acted off under a profession of superior holiness. 
 The cause of Methodism in this part of the, town has 
 never been able, since, to rise in public estimation, and I 
 fear it will not until a whole generation shall pass away. 
 
 One of the principal ringleaders was living there at 
 the time I travelled the circuit, and is regarded as an 
 enemy to God and religion. He is said to pay no regard 
 to the Sabbath, and very seldom attends any religious 
 meetings. He attended one evening to hear my prede- 
 cessor or colleague, I do not remember which, and stayed 
 in class-meeting. When the preacher spoke to him, not 
 knowing who he was, he looked up very impudently 
 into his face, and replied, "You are a wolf in sheep's 
 clothing." 
 
 When sanctification does not produce holiness of life ; 
 when it is made to consist wholly in good feelings ; when 
 its fruits are a spirit of censoriousness and spiritual 
 pride ; and when it leads a man to say to his brother, 
 "Stand by, I am more holy than thou;" it is not the 
 sanctification of the Spirit. Such persons have deceived 
 themselves ; they know not what manner of men they 
 are, or what spirit they possess. 
 
 I fear that many have deceived themselves in this 
 matter of entire sanctification ; they have not formed 
 correct views of what it consists. I remember of once 
 inquiring of a brother who had much to say about entire 
 sanctification in his preaching, and I think he professed 
 to have experienced it, — I said, " In what consists entire 
 sanctification?" He answered me very promptly, "/if 
 is to be filled with joy." Who does not see that this is 
 an error ? If sanctification does not renew us in the image 
 of God, in righteousness and true holiness, it certainly 
 does but little toward making us holy here, or fitting us 
 
PITTSTOWN CIRCUIT. 125 
 
 for heaven. Entire sanctification will manifest itself by 
 other fruits of the Spirit, such as Ime, long-suffering, 
 gentleness, and meekness, beside joy. Gal. v. 22. 
 
 I fear that many place this attainment quite too low, 
 much short of what the Bible requires 5 and hence it 
 sometimes happens, as Mr. Fletcher remarks, "that you 
 hear them profess to have attained Christian perfection, 
 when they have not so much as attained the mental 
 serenity of a philosopher, or the candor of a good- 
 natured, conscientious heathen." I think a profession 
 of entire sanctification should always be accompanied 
 with holy living. ' 
 
 I fear there are many persons who think more of being 
 able to tell the time and place, when and where, they 
 received this blessing, and how very happy it made them 
 feel, than they do of living so circumspectly as to give 
 evidence that they have not deceived themselves in this 
 matter. Such persons, it is to be feared, will sooner or 
 later bring this doctrine into disrepute, and, it may be, 
 themselves and religion into disgrace. 
 
 Rev. Richard Watson says : " To me it has long been 
 a subject of regret, that, in many places, that blessed 
 doctrine (Christian perfection) has been brought into 
 some ciegree of disrepute, by the objectionable spirit of 
 the persons who have been its most zealous and promi- 
 nent advocates." 
 
 Mr. Jackson, in his life of Mr. Watson, (page 426,) 
 says of Mr. Watson : " Like Mr. Wesley, he did not him- 
 self profess to have attained it ; but, during the subset 
 quent part of his life, he exhibited its fruits in full 
 maturity and beauty." 
 
 I cannot but think that in general the best way to pro- 
 fess our entire sanctification, is not by loud and bold decla- 
 rations, but, by the holiness of our life, show its fruits. 
 
126 PITTSTOWN CIRCUIT. 
 
 like Mr. Watson and Mr. Wesley, "in full maturity and 
 beauty." When persons are really holy thexe will be 
 but little occasion for them to make a loud profession of 
 it, for it will be sufficiently apparent by its fruit. And 
 where this evidence of a man's superior holiness does 
 not exist, his own declarations concerning it will be of 
 btit little use. 
 
 I am aware that I differ from some brethren on this 
 point. Some attach more importance to a public profes- 
 sion of entire sanctification than I do. Once, in the 
 annual examinatiori of characters in our Conference, 
 when my name was called, and the usual inquiry miade, 
 a brothei" stated that he had understood that I taught 
 our people that they must not profess entire sanctifica- 
 tion. To this charge, in its general form, I pleaded not 
 guilty ; for I believed there were some who might on 
 suitable occasions make this profession with great pro- 
 priety, for no doubt they had attained it. 
 
 But I acknowledged to the Conference, that there were 
 some persons I was sorry to hear make any such pro- 
 fession ; and that I had occasionally given such, a little 
 advice. I thought that such as indulged in a censorious 
 spirit were easily irritated, could bear no contradiction, 
 and would flare up if anybody displeased them, — per- 
 sons who were not careful to fulfil their business prom- 
 ises, pay their honest debts, and to live in the practice 
 of all Christian duties, had better talk very modestly 
 about their high attainments in holiness. I frankly con- 
 fessed to the Conference, that I thought the best way in 
 general to profess entire sanctification, is, by the amia- 
 bleness of our spirit, and holiness of our life. And I 
 remarked that as to my own experience in this matter, 
 when I took in view the good feelings I sometimes felt 
 in my heart, I was inclined to believe I had been wholly 
 
SUPEKNUMERARY. 127 
 
 sanctified; but when I considered the fruit which ap- 
 peared in my hfe and conversation, I concluded it would 
 he best to be very modest in. my profession. This 
 declaration of my views on this subject elicited no vote 
 of censure ; therefore, I conclude that my views are not 
 ]>ecuUar. Indeed, I know that many think as I do. 
 
 Mr. Wesley seemed well aware that persons are liable 
 to make higher professions than their spirit and conduct 
 will warrant; therefore he said we should speak "more 
 rarely in full and explicit terms, concerning entire sanc- 
 tification." He advises that we speak of it when called 
 thereto, not in "magnificent and pompous words." 
 He thinks we need give it no general name, such as 
 "perfection, sanctification, or the second blessing." 
 Instead of this, he recommends that we say, " At such a 
 time I felt a change which I am not able to- express, and 
 since that time I have not felt pride, or self-will, or 
 wrath, or unbelief, or anything but a fulness of love to 
 God and all mankind." And in connection with this 
 profession, he says, " See that your practice be in all 
 things suitable to your profession, adorning the doctrines 
 of God our Saviour." 
 
 SUPEENUMEEAET. 
 
 183Y, 1838. 
 
 Resident agent. — Hard business. — Nearly used up. 
 
 The trustees of the Troy Conference Academy desired 
 that I would afford some further services as a resident 
 ■ agent, for the purpose of superintending the finishing 
 of our "buildings and furnishing them, so as to open our 
 school. To this I consented, and for this purpose I 
 requested the relation of a supernumerary. 
 
 Although I served the institution in this capacity only 
 one year, I fequested my relation to be continued the 
 
128 TROY DISTRICT. 
 
 same for the year ensuing, for I felt as though I was 
 about used up. But few of our brethren are fully aware 
 of the amount of toil, anxiety, and sacrifice, which it 
 has cost some of the pre?ichers to bring forward this 
 noble institution of learnipg. But this is well understood 
 where our record is, on high. It is some satisfaction to 
 see that by their efforts in connection with this semi- 
 nary, literature and science have been promoted, Meth- 
 odism has been honored, and God has been glorified. 
 
 TEOY. DISTRICT. 
 
 1839—1843. 
 
 Bistrictsin former days. — Laborioua preachers. — Great increase. — Milleriam. — Its 
 result?. — Wesleyans. — Misnamed. 
 
 At the session of our Conference held in Schenectady, 
 in 1839, I was appointed presiding Elder on Troy Dis- 
 trict. This district included all those places where I had 
 spent the days of my childhood and youth. It lies along 
 the east side of Hudson river, extending to the south- 
 ern and eastern boundaries of the Troy Conference. 
 
 In 1803, at the time I united with the Methodists, all 
 the territory in this district, and even more, was eta- 
 braced in what was then called Pittsfield Circuit, and 
 all that part of Troy Conference which lies east of the 
 Hudson, and also all Lower Canada, as it was .then 
 called, belonged to what was then denominated Pittsfield 
 District. At that time, in all the country which is now 
 embraced in Troy Conference, there were only twenty- 
 two travelling preachers, and a very few local preachers. 
 Now, in 1851, there are one hundred and ninety-seven 
 travelling preachers, and one hundred and forty -local 
 preachers. Then, the harvest was truly great, and the 
 laborers were but few; but what few there were in 
 those days, were truly laborers. 
 
TROY DISTRICT. 129 
 
 Some of the old preachers have told me they were 
 accustomed in those days to travel on horseback, and 
 frequently would have to ride from twenty to forty miles 
 to reach their appointment. They generally preached 
 every day. and soraethnes twice. On Sabbaths they 
 usually preached three times, and not unfrequently rode 
 ten or fifteen miles. Surely there were giants in those days. 
 
 A few of these old veterans of the cross, who labored 
 in these northern regions in the early days of Methodism, 
 are yet alive, and some of them are yet in the eflfective 
 ranks. Among those who still continue in the itine- 
 rancy, are the following: — Rev. Bishop Hedding, Rev. L. 
 Clark, Rev. Dr. iBangs, Rev. S. Howe, Rev. H. Stead, and 
 Rev. P. Cook. During their ministry, about half a 
 century has passed away in the history of Methodism. 
 They have lived to witness a change in the affairs of our 
 beloved Zion. When they commenced their labors, 
 Methodists were to be found only here and there, and 
 houses of worship were "very few, and very far 
 between." Since then we have counted our ministers 
 and churches by thousands, and our membei's by hun- 
 dreds of thousands. 
 
 The four years which I spent on Troy District were 
 years of prosperity to the church within its bounds. 
 There was a considerable increase of membership, but 
 this increase was caused, to some extent, here, as it was 
 in other parts of the country, by an apprehension that 
 the world was about to be destroyed ; or, in other words, 
 by the influence of what was called 
 
 MILLERISM. 
 
 This notion, that the Second Advent was to take place 
 in 1843, was started by WiUiam Miller, who resided 
 near Whitehall, N. Y. He was a member of the Bap- 
 tist church. I have been informed that in the early part 
 
130 TROY DISTRICT. 
 
 of his life he was an avowed Deist, and was in the 
 habit of repelling all arguments in favor of the Bible, by 
 insisting that what could not be perfectly understood by 
 us, is no revelation ; that much of the Bible is of this 
 character, especially the prophecies, which relate to the 
 history of the latter ages of the world; therefore, the 
 Bible is not a revelation. But, after some years, Mr. 
 Miller changed his views of the Bible, and became 
 religious. In conversation one day with one of his 
 former friends, he urged iipon him the belief of the 
 . Bible as a revelation from God ; but his friend replied by 
 presenting his own argument of former days, that what- 
 ever could not be understood by us could be no revelation. 
 After a little pause, Mr. Miller replied, that if his friend 
 would give him. suitable time lo study the Bible, if he 
 did not succeed in explaining the prophecies, lie would 
 not ask him to believe, it, but would renounce it himself. 
 
 After Ml Miller had become thus pledged, he set 
 himself at work at this difficult task ; and when the 
 time had expired which he had allotted, which was 
 somewhere about 1836, he came out with his system, 
 which has ever since been known by the nameof Mil- 
 LERisM. The great distinguishing feature of this system 
 was, that Christ would make his second appearance in 
 1843 ; that then the wicked would be destroyed from the 
 face of all the earth, by fire from heaven : that then God 
 would restore the earth to its primitive beauty, and 
 Christ would appear personally on earth,- and set up his 
 kingdom ; all the saints would at that time be raised from 
 the dead, and live and reign on earth a thousand years. 
 
 Mr. Miller had most success in gaining proselytes 
 among his own denomination. Several Baptist minis- 
 ters and a large number of members fell into this notion. 
 A few of our preachers and some of our people, as well 
 
TROY DISTRICT. 131 
 
 as some Presbyterians, were carried away with this new 
 thing ; and on the whole it made quite a stir all through 
 this part of the country. Many people became much 
 alarmed, and the result was, that during the years 1842 
 and 1843 there was quite an attention to religion, and 
 many were added to the different churches. 
 
 Although Millerism excited considerable attention for 
 a year or two, time, the best interpreter of prophecy, as 
 it rolled along convinced all that these wise men, who 
 had made such shrewd calculations as to times and 
 seasons, and were so positive in their declarations, had 
 nevertheless missed the mark. As it had been expected 
 by many, so it happened, a terrible reaction followed. 
 It was the occasion of great temptation to many who 
 had been alarmed and thereby induced to become relig- 
 ious ; while tp many it was the cause of their renouncing 
 the Bible, and falling info infidelity and the snare of the 
 devil. There had been a considerable influx into the dif- 
 ferent churches, but in every direction there was a great 
 falling away. And, as I said, there was a great increase 
 of membership in our societies all through the Troy dis- 
 trict during the four years I travelled it, yet we lost the 
 larger portion of those members in less than four years 
 after. 
 
 Many preached Millerism, hoping that, by availing 
 themselves of the fear that prevailed, they might bring 
 some to Christ, but the final result has very clearly 
 shown that it is not best "to do evil that good may 
 come." No results that are permanently good can come 
 from false doctrines or a wrong course of action. There 
 is no occasion for pious fraud to promote truth. I have 
 no doubt that many of the Millerites were very sincere, 
 but they certainly were strangely irnposed upon by their 
 false reasonings and heated imaginations. 
 
132 WESLEYANS. 
 
 Some thousands have withdrawn from the different 
 churches of which they were members, thinking it their 
 duty to come out from what they denominated Spirittial 
 Babylon, lest they should be partakers in her sins. 
 They have organized what they denominate the " Ad- 
 ventist Churfch," and profess to be constantly looking for 
 Christ's second coming. And they generally are in the 
 habit of censuring all other denominations as being fallen,, 
 and but little better than Anti-Christ. 
 
 I know not but God may cause the folly as well as 
 the "wrath of man" to praise him, and finally overrule 
 this miserable delusion of Millerism to bring about some 
 good results. But its immediate effect has. been to mis- 
 lead and ruin many Christians, and strengthen the 
 hands of many scoffers and infidels. It has ever since 
 been exceedingly difficult to make much impression on 
 many people's minds in reference to future judgment and 
 the punishment of the wicked; they are ready to say, 
 " O, this is all of a piece with Millerism." 
 
 WESLETANS. 
 1843. 
 
 This year, which closed my labors on Troy district, 
 gave rise to the organization of a new society, who call 
 themselves " Wesleyans." 
 
 Rev. Orange Scott, of the New England Conference, 
 was the principal leader in this secession ; and on this 
 account they obtained with many the name of Scott- 
 ites. This name, I think, is more appropriate than 
 Wesleyans ; for certainly in many things they differ from 
 the views of John Wesley. They entirely refuse, to 
 admit to membership in their societies, such as hold 
 slaves, under any circumstances; but Mr. Wesley 
 admitted many slave-holders into his societies. They 
 
WESLEYANS. 133 
 
 wholly renounce the Episcopal form of church govern- ' 
 ment, — a form which Mr. Wesley preferred to all others, 
 and made special provision for it. If he did not call the 
 superintendents whom he appointed, by the title of bish- 
 ops, yet they were bishops to all intents and purposes. 
 In several other respects they differ from Mr. Wesley, 
 as well as from the Wesleyans in England. When they 
 first organized, it was on account, they said, of the con- 
 nection the church held with southern slave-holders, but, 
 very shortly after, this pretence was taken away ; but 
 they had committed themselves, and it was difficult to 
 retrace their steps. 
 
 There were several preachers who were members of 
 the Troy Conference, who united in this new organiza- 
 tion, and were considered among the principal leaders ; 
 and there were also some private members who left us. 
 This was a circumstance we very much regretted. I 
 question not the purity of their motives, but I doubt the 
 wisdom of their course. I think these brethren have not 
 succeeded quite as well as they had calculated, — they" 
 appear to have overrated their talents and influence. 
 When they came to manage for themselves, no longer 
 sustained by the M. E. Church, they found it difficult to 
 do much. As far as my observation extends, they have 
 made very little impression on the public mind. They 
 certainly have done, as yet, very little to benefit the 
 slaves of the south. In many parts of our country they 
 have found it exceedingly difficult to maintain any dis- 
 tinct existence. I believe that at present the prospect is 
 that they will do but very little to emancipate the slaves, 
 or overthrow the government of the Methodist Episcopal 
 (Jhurch. 
 
 In some places they now and then have some addi- 
 tions of members, consisting principally of persons who 
 
134 DEEP AFFLICTIONS. 
 
 have become somewhat disaffected among us, or ^finding 
 their standing a little precarious, thinls it most prudent 
 to withdraw. It now and then happens that persons 
 who emigrate from England to this country, deceived by 
 the name which they have assumed, unite with them, 
 supposing they are the same as the Wesleyan Methodists 
 of their own country. 
 
 DEEf" AFFLICTIONS. 
 
 1843. 
 
 De^ath of Mra. S. — Her father's family. — The daug:hter's death. 
 
 On the 9th of May, I was called to a very severe trial, 
 in the death of my wife. She was a very sincere Chris- 
 tian, apd had been from her childhood.. She joined the 
 M. E. Church when only thirteen years of age, and had 
 ever since maintained a consistent Christian character. 
 
 Her father, Mr. Samuel Jones, resided, when she was 
 young, in Westchester county, N. Y. He kept a public 
 house in a very wicked neighborhood, until he became 
 'sickened and disgusted with the wickedness of the peo- 
 ple, which no doubt his bar-room had greatly contributed 
 to produce. He resolved, at length, to quit the business, 
 and turn his ball^r-oom into a place for religious worship. 
 Accordingly, he invited a neighboring minister to come 
 to his house and preach to the people ; but the minister 
 declined, thinking the people were so "wicked it would 
 be of no use to preach to them; not recollecting that 
 when the bar-room ceased its operation, the people could 
 be reached by divine truth. He then applied to a min- 
 ister, of another denomination, who gave him some 
 encouragement that he would come; but while he 
 delayed, Mr. Jones happened to meet a friend of his, to 
 whom he mentioned his intention and disappointment. 
 His friend told him he knew a Methodist preacher who 
 
DEEP AFFLICTIONS. 135 
 
 would come; the Methodist preachers would go any- 
 where, however wicked the people might be, for they 
 thought they might be the means of making them better. 
 Mr. Jones knew nothing about Methodist preachers; 
 however, at the recommendation of his friend, he con- 
 cluded to admit them. Accordingly, the Methodist min- 
 ister was invited, and shortly after he visited the place ; 
 and from this time his house became a regular preaching 
 place, and a home for our preachers for ma,ny years ; and 
 the result was, a revival ensued, a society was formed, 
 and Mr. Jones' family, consisting of the parents and nine 
 children, were all converted and became Methodists. 
 My wife was the youngest of the family. All, except 
 one, and she is ninety years of age, have departed this 
 life, and I believe gone to heaven. 
 
 At the time of my wife's death, we had been married 
 a little more than thirty-two years. She had endured 
 the toils and privations incident to the life of a travel- 
 ling minister, not only without murmuring, but with 
 that patience and pleasure which are only the fruits of 
 grace. In the earlier days of my ministry, the families 
 of preachers were not provided for as they are at this 
 time. She remained unto the last firmly attached to the 
 church of her early choice. She died triumphant. 
 
 My afflictions did not stop here. Shortly after my 
 wife's death, my youngest daughter was taken sick; and, 
 in a few months, I had to lay her by her mother's side. 
 
 "0, what are all my sufferings here, 
 If, Lord, thou count' me meet 
 With that enraptured host to appear. 
 And worship at thy feet. 
 
 Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, 
 
 Or take my friends away; 
 But let me find my friends again. 
 
 In that eternal day." 
 
136 SUPERNUMERAllY. 
 
 SUPERNUMERARY. 
 1843. 
 
 Not sick. — Unpopular. —More useful in comparative retirement. 
 
 Partly on account of the change which had taken 
 place' in my family by the death of my wife, and partly 
 owing to a fear that I should remain in the effective 
 ranks until my services would no longer be acceptable 
 nor profitable to the people, I desired the Conference to 
 give me the relation of a supernumerary. 
 
 I told my brethren plainly that I did not pretend to be 
 sick, but I knew that I was not a suitable man to be 
 presiding' Elder, and I felt that the" responsibility was 
 too great for me.. As to being appointed to a station, 
 I thought it would be improper ; for the brethren in 
 most stations thought that their place wds a very im- 
 portant one, and would want a man of activity and 
 youth to sustain them ; and I knew of no station within 
 the bounds of the Conference where I had reason to 
 think I should be acceptable. And as to a circuit, I 
 could not muster courage enough at my time of life to 
 undertake the labors and travels connected with such an 
 appointment. I pledged myself to the Conference that I 
 would preach what I could,- and would give all my 
 services to the church without any conapenSation, while 
 I held this relation, and did not perform effective services. 
 My brethren were pleased to comply with my request. 
 
 GENERAL CONFERENCE. 
 ■ 1844. 
 Slavery. — Bishop Andrew. — Separation. — It was high time. 
 
 The General Conference of 1844 was held in the city 
 of New York. The doings of this Conference will hold 
 a very conspicuous place in the history of the M. E. 
 Church. 
 
GENERAL CONFERENCE. 137 
 
 The subject of slavery had always been a subject of 
 deep interest to our ministers and people, and it stood as 
 a living testimony in our discipline, to which the church, 
 both north and south, had unanimously assented, that 
 " we are as much as ever convinced of the great evil of 
 slavery." But for several years, the northern portion 
 of the church had become more than ever convinced of 
 its evil, and many not only desired to arrest its further 
 progress, but to eradicate it from the church. Unfortu- 
 nately, just before the session of this General Conference, 
 one of our general superintendents. Bishop Andrew, had 
 become connected with slavery, by being married to a 
 lady who was the owner of several slaves. 
 
 If the Bishop would have consented to emancipate his 
 slaves, the difficulty would have been removed, but this 
 he declined ; and, indeed, by the advice of his friends, he 
 had put it beyond his power, to do so, by having con- 
 veyed them to trustees by a deed of trust. This relation 
 to slavery it was believed would be a great impediment 
 to his usefulness in the church ; especially through all 
 the northern or non-slaveholding states. After much 
 discussion, the following resolution was passed : " Re- 
 solved, that it is the sense of this General Conference, 
 that he desist from the exercise of this office so long as 
 this impediment remains." There were 178 members 
 present; 110 voted in favor of this resolution, and 68 
 against it. Although the decision in this case resulted 
 in a separation in the church, between the north and the 
 south, and gave rise to a new organization in the south, 
 I think this decision was a righteous one. If the result 
 Was a calarnity to the church, I have no doubt it pre- 
 vented a much greater calamity which would have fol- 
 lowed. I think the time had fully come when a separa- 
 tion was absolutely necessary for the prosperity of the 
 
138 GENERAL CONFERENCE. 
 
 church. How can two walk together except they be 
 agreed ? The attachment of the southern portion of the 
 church to their system of slavery could no longer be 
 tolerated. When it had gotten, into the Episcopacy, it 
 was time to pause, and if it could not be excluded from 
 this department, it was time that a separation take place. 
 1 wish I were as well satisfied with all. the acts of my 
 life, as I am with what I did in voting with the major- 
 ity, in this business. ^ 
 
 This division has since been the occasion of consider- 
 able contention along the borders . that lie between the 
 two churches, and a source of much affliction to many 
 brethren on both sides ; and it has resulted in a lawsuit 
 about the property belonging to the Book Concern. 
 Neither our book agents nor the General Conference had 
 any right to divide this property, or even its avails, until 
 there was a constitutional alteration of the restrictive 
 rule in our discipline. The General Conference, in 1848, 
 directed that an application be made to the annual Con- 
 ferences for such alteration as would authorize an ami- 
 cable adjustment by arbitration. But the southern 
 brethren would not consent to an arbitration, and, with- 
 out waiting to know what would be the decision of the 
 annual Conferences, commenced a suit in law. 
 
 In the summer of 1851, after hearing testimony and 
 pleadings in the case, the court recommended to the 
 parties to settle it by arbitration, and whatever should be 
 the award, the court would sanction it. Our agents 
 immediately made the proposal according to the recjorn- 
 mendatioh of the court; but the commissioners of the 
 south have refused to do it, except so far as the amount 
 and mode of payment are concerned. They insist on a 
 division of the property, although fully aware that it 
 cannot be made, except the annual Conferences consent, 
 or the court so decides. 
 
ALBANY. 139 
 
 ALBANY. 
 
 WASHINGTON STKEET. 
 
 1844, 1845. 
 
 History. — New church.— Church debt. —Rescue. —Messrs. Schuyler and Durant. — 
 Present prospects. 
 
 In 1844, there seemed to be a call for my services, and 
 I consented to take an effective relation, and was sta- 
 tioned at Washington street church,, in Albany. 
 
 The society in this charge was organized in 1835. It 
 was made up at first of members from the other charges 
 in the city, who purchased a sm£^ll church in the west- 
 ern part of the city, where they worshipped several 
 years, and prospered. At length, finding themselves 
 somewhat incommoded for want of room, and not con- 
 sidering their location as being in the most suitable place, 
 they were encouraged, by the prospects which seemed to 
 open before them, to build a larger house. They did so, 
 on Washington street^ a very fine location for that part 
 of the city. 
 
 But in this enterprise they undertook too much ; they 
 built at a cost quite beyond their means. Our brethren 
 did not realize as much aid from the citizens in that part 
 of the city as they expected ; and, for some reason which 
 cannot be explained, the church cost a considerable more 
 than it ought, and more than it was worth. At least, 
 this was a pretty general opinion of all who were ac- 
 quainted with the concern. If this was owing to want 
 of economy in those who managed its affairs, it should 
 admonish us in future to employ men in such matters 
 who well understand such business. If it was owing to 
 any other reason, the day that cometh will bring all 
 things to light. I think it very important, in order to give 
 satisfaction to all concerned, that trustees who undertake 
 
140 ALBANY. 
 
 to build churches, should make such records of all their 
 income and outlays, that they can satisfactorily show 
 ■what is the exact state of their financial affairs ; a record 
 which shall speak for itself in all coming time. 
 
 Whatever the defect may have been, the result was, 
 that when the church was completed, there was a debt 
 upon it amounting to $6,000, for which the society had 
 to pay $420 annual interest. This was a great burden 
 for a small and feeble society to bear ; a burden that well- 
 nigh ruined them. Notwithstanding their public collec- 
 tions, sinking fund and annual subscriptions, and other 
 means to which they resorted, they could but very little 
 more than meet their current expenses. Their church 
 debt accumulated, until they tbld the mortgagee that he 
 must foreclose ancl sell the house. But the house could 
 not be sold for more than- his claim. The mortgagee,' 
 Mr. Clark Durant, was an excellent man, but not a 
 member of any church ; he had already been very lib- 
 eral to us, and would do nothing to embarrass us, and 
 therefore declined foreclosing. 
 
 In 1850, our brethren all through the city, feeling 
 loth that we should lose our hold in so important a 
 place as Washington street, took, hold of the business 
 with considerable zeal, and, ' by their means, and the 
 liberality and enterprise of Mr. Thomas Schuyler, a 
 member of the M. E. Church in Ferry street, and the 
 further abundant liberality of Mr. Durant, the debt was 
 reduced to one thousand dollars. Many thanks are 
 certainly due to the above named gentlemen. 
 
 Of all debts, church debts are most to be dreaded, for 
 none are more difficult to pay. It is certainly desirable 
 that our people should generally guard against them, by 
 not building more costly than is really necessary. 
 
 We have some excellent brethren belonging to this 
 
ALBANY. 141 
 
 station, who have done themselves great honor in 
 standing by the cause of Methodism in all its difficulties 
 in which it has labored, and bearing burdens like valiant 
 men. Prospects have greatly brightened among them 
 lately. There is no doubt, at present, that Methodism 
 will be sustained in that part of the city, and be a great 
 blessing to the people. 
 
 When I had finished the year in Albany, I concluded 
 it was best to return to my supernumerary relation; 
 accordingly, at the next Conference, at my request, I was 
 so returned in the minutes. My labors this year were 
 mostly in South Troy, where we had a feeble society, 
 who had lately built a new church. I spent several 
 weeks at Bennington. 
 
142 VISIT TO ENGLAND. 
 
 VISIT TO ENGLAND. 
 
 1846. 
 
 At the session of the Troy Conference, held at Ke,ys- 
 ville, May, 1846, a resolution was passed, approving the 
 object contemplated in the call which had been made for 
 the World's Convention of delegates, fot the purpose of 
 forming an Evangelical Alliance in the city of London. 
 The Conference also resolved to send one of its members 
 to attend that Convention. The choice of the brethren 
 was determined by ballot, and, to my very great surprise, 
 their choice fell on me. I was elected to this distinguished 
 honor. But I presume it was owing somewhat to the 
 circumstance that I could be spared from the work more 
 conveniently than any other member, as I held the rela- 
 tion of a supernumerary. 
 
 THE VOYAGE. 
 Grandeur of the ocean. — Pleasant society. — Social companion. — Safe arrival. 
 
 Immediately after the Conference had adjourned, I 
 commenced making preparations for my voyage. After 
 spending a week in the city of New York, I embarked, 
 Tuesday, July 2d, in the packet ship Wellington, Capt. 
 Chadwick, bound for London. 
 
 This was the first time I was ever on the wide ocean, 
 and, as I was leaving my native land, my mind was 
 very solemnly impressed. There is nothing below the 
 heavens so truly grand as the ocean. Its vastness, its 
 perpetual restlessness, and terrible heavings ; its majestic 
 
VISIT TO ENGLAND. 143 
 
 music, when agitated by the storm, and its fearful per- 
 ils, are things of which I had formed very inadequate 
 ideas, until I found myself looking out on its moving 
 billows. Then I felt like a helpless worm; yet, how- 
 ever, under the protection of an Almighty Being who 
 holds both the winds and the waves under his control. 
 
 Now I in some measure realized the glories and the 
 grandeur connected with the mighty deep, whose ele- 
 ments of sublimity cannot be described. Our noble ves- 
 sel was floating where many had been engulfed with 
 all their wealth, their passengers, and all their crews. 
 They were, perhaps, then, directly beneath us, among the 
 coral rocks and caverns of thB unfathomable deep, where 
 the light of the sun has never penetrated. In this dark 
 cemetery, the prince and the peasant, the rich merchant 
 and the poor emigrant, lie undistinguished. They sleep 
 in this watery bed, without a monument to show the 
 passing traveller their whereabouts, or tell their mourn- 
 ful tale of woe. The monotonous requiem produced by 
 winds and waves, is all that is heard from age to age, 
 over the unseen resting-place of these unfortunate dead. 
 
 There were on board four ministers ; one of the Re- 
 formed Dutch Church, one Protestant Episcopal, and two 
 Methodist Episcopal; three of these were going to 
 attend the Convention. The passengers were generally 
 very civil, and the passage, on the whole, was very 
 pleasant, except the inconvenience which some of us 
 endured on account of sea-siekness. Of this I had my 
 full share. From the time we lost sight of land, after 
 leaving New York, I was not well one day, till we came 
 within the land breeze of England. 
 
 We had three sermons on board during our voyage, 
 and one or the other of the clergymen asked a blessing 
 always when we sat down to eat. We frequently united 
 
144 THE VOYAGE. 
 
 in singing hymns, and had occasionally very pleasant 
 and profitable religious conversation. 
 
 One of our number was very social in his manners. 
 He could boast of being in the regular succession, talk 
 of the validity and efficacy of the ordinances, defend 
 some of the peculiarities of his creed, preachy sing 
 hymns, and laugh, play at shuffle-board and chess 
 with men who made no profession of religion. In all 
 these matters he seemed to be in his element. By some 
 means this reverend gentleman became aware that some 
 of us entertained different views from him respecting 
 ministerial amusements, and remarked one day that in 
 England it was not regarded at all improper for minis- 
 ters ta amuse themselves with cards, fishings or hunt- 
 ing. I told him I thought the reproof which a fox- 
 hunting minister received from a Quaker was very 
 appropriate. The niinister inquired of a Quaker 
 whether "he had seen the fox; the Quaker, perceiving 
 he was the minister of the parish, replied, " If I were 
 the fox I would hide where thee would never find me." 
 " Where would you hide 1 " inquired the minister. He 
 replied, " I would hide in thy study." 
 
 Just as we were coming into port this gentleman's 
 levity of conduct and conversation was so unbecoming 
 a minister, I deemed it my duty to tell him plainly what 
 I thought of him. If ministers will not tell each other 
 their faults, who will ? But he regarded my reproof as 
 an insult, and reproached me, in quite a public manner, 
 for what he called my " long face " and " Methodist 
 cant ;" and desired to know whether I wished to bring 
 him down to Methodism. I told him I should like to 
 see him imitate the example of Christ, and maintain the 
 dignity of a Christian minister. This gentleman did not 
 attend the Convention. 
 
PORTSMOUTH. 145 
 
 Our captain was an excellent man, and seemed to 
 take pleasure in making us all comfortable. He gave us a 
 very good proof of his skill in his profession. On the 
 morning of the nineteenth day after we left New York, 
 he told us thatj if he had kept his reckoning right, we 
 should see the lights on Scilly Islands at 8 o'clock that 
 evenirig. We were all anxious, when the time came, to 
 hear from the mast-head ; so he sent up a man to see if 
 the light 'was in sight. But no light appeared. How- 
 ever, he had not been on deck more than fifteen minutes, 
 when, to our great joy, the lights were seen from the 
 deck. Thus, were demonstrated the care of Divine Pro- 
 vidence, the stability of nature's laws, and the skill and 
 integrity of our captain. 
 
 Persons who have never sailed on the stormy ocean 
 can scarcely realize the feelings of the passengers and 
 crew, when they arrive in sight of the destined country, 
 and near their port. Toward the close of the following 
 day we took on board a pilot, and soon came in sight of 
 Portland, and one prominent point, of land after another 
 appeared in vieWj until we distinctly saw the Isle of 
 Wight on our right hand and Portsmouth near by. We 
 came to anchor in the harbor of Portsmouth, on the 
 twenty-second da,y after we left New York. 
 
 PORTSMOUTH. 
 Thankful. —Fine harlior. — Strongly fortified. 
 
 On Wednesday morning, July 22, about 9 o'clock, a 
 boat came off to us having a custom-house officer on 
 board, and several of us went on shore, with a view to 
 take the cars and go by railroad to London. It would 
 take two or three days to reach London by the ship, but 
 by the cars we could reach it in four hours. 
 
 7 
 
146 PORTSMOUTH. 
 
 As I set my foot once more on land, my heart seemed 
 filled with gratitude to our heavenly Father for his 
 providential care. I felt like praising his name aloud. 
 Most of ^is left all our baggage on board, so that, not 
 being encumbered with anything, we could go where we 
 pleased. 
 
 We spent about four hours in visiting the different 
 parts of this ancient and strongly fortified city. It was 
 at the time of the semi-annual fair, and, of course, the 
 city was thronged, and we had a view of many curious 
 and rare things. 
 
 Portsmouth is the seat of the civil and military estab- 
 lishments, and the residence of the port-admiral. Its 
 streets are generally spacious, and rrianyof its public 
 buildings are elegant. The dock-yard, which is entered 
 by an immense gateway, contains immense storehouses, 
 handsome residences and extensive work-shops. On 
 the gun wharf are multitudes of carronades and mortars, 
 with shot and shells of all sizes arranged in immense 
 pyramidal piles. The fortifications of this place are 
 deemed impregnable, and its harbor surpasses any other 
 in the United Kingdom. 
 
 After spending about four hours in viewing the city, 
 its navy-yard and strong fortifications, we became 
 wearied and hungry. It was the first time I had enjoyed 
 any appetite for food since I had left New York. After 
 partaking of a good dinner, we set off for London, and 
 passing through a most beautiful country, which 
 abounded with immense fields of wheat just then 
 ready to harvest, we arrived, in London about 8 o'clock 
 in the evening. The ship did not arrive until two days 
 after. 
 
LONDON. 147 
 
 LONDON. 
 CITY KOAD CHAPEL. 
 
 Mr Wesley's house. — Chi^iel. — Mr. Wesley's grave. — A. Clark. —J. Benson. — 
 R. Watson. 
 
 We arrived at London three weeks before the time 
 appointed for the Convention to meet, and, therefore, had 
 some time to look about this great metropolis of the 
 ■world. We took lodgings at the house of Mr. Randal, 
 No. 7 King street, Cheapside. 
 
 The first thing which attracted my attention, and in 
 which I felt the most interest, was the City Road 
 Chapel, the place of Mr. John Wesley's residence at the 
 time of his death, and the place of his interment. This 
 place I visited the day after I arrived in "the city. 
 
 This chapel is situated on a wide and beautiful street 
 called City Road. It stands in the centre of a plat of 
 ground, which may be twenty rods in length and eigh- 
 teen wide. On each corner of its front is an elegant 
 brick house. These" are parsonages. The one on the 
 left hand is occupied by the Service Reader, and the other 
 by the Minister in charge of the London Circuit. Rev. 
 Mr. Loomis occupied it when I was there. This is called 
 Mr. Wesley's House; it was erected for him, and for 
 several years before his death it was occupied by him, 
 and from this place he took "his flight to his house not 
 made with hands. I went into the room in which he 
 died. All the furniture and everything in it is said to 
 remain just as they were when Mr. Wesley occupied it. 
 I sat in his armed chair in which he used to sit. 
 
 Between these two houses there extends along the 
 side-walk a strong iron fence in front of the yard. About 
 half-way between the houses there is a large gate open- 
 
148 LONDON. 
 
 ing on to a marble-flagged walk which leads to the chape] ; 
 on each side of which the ground is filled up with 
 marble or granite monuments of the dead. 
 
 The chapel stands about in the centre of this plat oi 
 ground, perhaps seven rods from the first gate. It is a 
 brick building, about sixty-five by ninety feet, and is 
 plain in its appearance both outside and within. Here I 
 attended church the first Sabbath after I arrived, and 
 heard an excellent discourse. And before I left London 
 I had the honor of preaching here twice. 
 
 In this, as well as in all the Wesleyan chapels in Lon- 
 don, the public service commences at ten cf'clock, and 
 at five in the^evening. Here, asin many other chapels in 
 London and elsewhere, the service of the Established 
 Church, with a very little variation, is read in the morn- 
 ing. They omit the prayer for bishops, and pray for all 
 ministers of the gospel. I suppose it is because they 
 entertain the same view of bishops that their brethren 
 do in this country, viz. : that there is no distinct order of 
 bishops, but that bishop is an office, instead of a distinct 
 order in the ministry. 
 
 Directly in the rear of the chapel, about twenty feet 
 distant, is Mr. Wesley's grave, over which is a plain 
 marble monument ; and by his side there lie also the 
 remains of Dr. Adam Clark. At a little distance 
 is Mr. Benson's grave, and somewhat nearer the chapel 
 is Mr. Watson's resting place. Over all these graves 
 there is a suitable monument erected, and each is enclosed 
 by an iron fence. It would be difficult to find another 
 spot of earth on this globe, no larger than this, which 
 contains the remains of four such eminent men as these. 
 
British parliament. 149 
 
 BUNHILL FIELDS. 
 
 Graves of eminent men. 
 
 This is the name of a burying ground which lies on 
 the other side of the street, directly opposite the City 
 Road Chapel. This is a very ancient burial place, and 
 is occupied exclusively by Dissenters. Here are the 
 remains of several of the martyrs, who suffered in the 
 reign of Queen Mary. Many eminent and pious men 
 were buried here. Here we read the names of John 
 Goodwin, John Bunyan and Dr. Watts. And here lie 
 the remains pf Mrs. Susanna Wesley, the mother of Rev. 
 John Wesley. 
 
 THE BRITISH PABLIAMENT. 
 House of Commons. — House of Lords. 
 
 Since the Parliament House was burned, the Parlia- 
 ment has met in the ancient halls in Westminster. By 
 means of a friend, I obtained an order for admission to 
 the 
 
 HOUSE OF COMMONS. 
 
 At the time I visited the House, there happened to be 
 no matter of importance to call out the talents of any of 
 th&ir great men, and I had not been in more than half an 
 hour before the galleries were ordered to be cleared, 
 because the vote on some question was about to be 
 taken. So short was my stay that I could do but little 
 more than make some observations of a very general 
 character. 
 
 1 should think the hall in which they assembled is not 
 a very convenient place for such an assembly. It is sur- 
 rounded by a gallery which is occupied by the specta- 
 
150 BRITISH PAKLIAMKNT. 
 
 tors. The hall and its galleries were most brilliantly 
 illuminated. I was told that in former times it was 
 lighted by means of two hundred and forty wax candles^ 
 but now gas is used instead of candles. The gas burn- 
 ers are placed in the ceiling overhead, and into the midst 
 of the flame a stream of oxygen is introduced by numer- 
 ous small pipes. The light so produced is very brilliant, 
 but softened by the intervention of ^ound glass. A 
 more perfect substitute for day-light I believe cannot be 
 found. I had been seated but a few minutes when the 
 light commenced pouring down its radiating influence, 
 imparting a chastened brilliancy to every object within 
 our view. The light which I obtained on this occasion 
 was more of a physical nature, than moral or political, 
 for we were all ordered out of the galleries, and in such 
 haste as was rather unpleasant. 
 
 HOUSE OF LORDS. 
 
 I had a desire to visit the House of LordSj but having 
 enjoyed so little satisfaction in what I had heard and 
 seen in the House of Commons, I scarcely thought it 
 worth while to be at much pains to procure an order for 
 admission. It is more difiicult to procure an order for 
 admission to the House of Lords, than to the other 
 house, for its members are more inaccessible. I con- 
 cluded if I could get admission without an order L would 
 go in. So, ait the time of the members' entering, I placed 
 myself as near the door as I was allowed. I waited 
 until all the members had passed in, and I then surveyed 
 the ofiicers who kept guard around the entrance, and 
 selected one of them whose appearance I liked best, and 
 addressed him with as much appearance of dignity as 
 my conscience would allow. I told him I was a 
 stranger just arrived from the United States of America ; 
 
BRITISH PARLIAMENT. 151 
 
 that I had a desire to be admitted into the House of' 
 Lords, and that I knew of no way that I could get an 
 introduction to any of the noble -lords and obtain an 
 order. I asked him if he could not admit me without 
 an order. He eyed me for a moment, and said, " You 
 can pass on through the entry, where you see a lamp, 
 and address the door-keeper." So I bowed to him, 
 and passed up a long, liarrow alley, and came to a gen- 
 tleman dressed in uniforfti. I told him what I had told 
 the officer, and inquired if he could consistently let me 
 pass. After a moment's pause, tie motioned with his 
 hand, and, in a low tone of voice, said, "Pass in, and 
 turn to your left." So I thanked him, and passed in. 
 I supposed all my difficulty was now over ; but when I 
 had ascended a flight of stairs and was about to enter 
 the gallery, another officer said, " Where is your order, 
 sir?" I replied, "Sir; I have no order; I told the officer 
 and the door-keeper that I was a stranger from the 
 United States, and have no means of access to any noble 
 lord to obtain an order, and they have let' me in; can 
 you let me pass?" He waved his hand, and said, "Go 
 in." So on I passed, and, some gentlemen kindly 
 making way for me, I obtained a seat in front of the 
 gallery, where I had an excellent opportunity of seeing 
 the whole assembly, and distinctly hearing all the 
 speakers. 
 
 The halt in which they were assembled is long and 
 rather narrow. At the further end, in a kind of recess, 
 stood an arm-chair ; this was the seat of royal majesty, 
 before which w,ere damask curtains partly drawn aside. 
 In front of this recess, at the distance of perhaps twenty 
 feet, sat the Lord Chancellor, on what is called "the 
 woolsack," a seat which somewhat resembles a sofa. 
 He presides in the House of Lords ; and truly, in his 
 
152 WINDSOR CASTLE. 
 
 appropriate badges and flowing wig, he makes a very 
 venerable and dignified appearance. On His right and 
 left, a little in the xeai, sat two officers who accompany 
 him when he enters and when he departs. A long table 
 extended down thecentre, at which two secretaries were 
 seated. The seats on which, the lords were seated were 
 a kind of lounge covered with red damask, and extended 
 lengthwise, parallel with the table. The general ap- 
 pearance of these noble lords was not quite as dignified 
 as I had been led to expect. Several of them appeared 
 rather young to fill so important a place in the national 
 assembly. 
 
 Tlie subject of discussion that evening was of consid- 
 erable interest, and I had the pleasure of hearing the 
 celebrated Lord B.rougham, who has been considered as 
 the greatest rnan in the British Parliament. He spoke 
 about an hour, but I was somewhat disappointed as 
 respects his eloquence* I have heard many speakers 
 whose eloquence I should greatly prefer. He had too 
 much pomposity and gesticulation to suit me. 
 
 On returning to my lodgings I was considerably com- 
 plimented for my success in gaining admittance without 
 an order. They said it was a rare occurrence, and must 
 be owing to my being an American. Well, be it so ; I 
 would as soon be proud of our nation's character abroad 
 as to be proud of my own character. 
 
 WINDSOR CASILE. 
 
 Royal palace. — St. George's Chapel. — Princess Charlotte's monument. — Reflec* 
 
 tions. 
 
 Windsor Castle is an ancient royal palace. It is sit- 
 uated on the Thames, about eighteen miles west of 
 London. It is perhaps the most splendid and costly 
 
WINDSOR CASTLE. 153 
 
 palace in the kingdom. Around it is quite a town, and 
 near it, on the opposite side of the Thames, is that very- 
 ancient seat of learning, Eton College. 
 
 In order to obtain access to this royal residence, we 
 had to procure an order of admission. I understand it 
 is not accessible to strangeirs only in the absence of its 
 royal inmates. An order was procured for ten persons, 
 and I was invited to be one of them. We took the cars 
 at Ijondon west-end, and at Slough station we took an 
 omnibus. We were conducted by officers through all 
 the principal rooms of the palace, in which were splendor 
 and magnificence on a large, scale, such as are seldom 
 found except in kings' palaces. But in the midst of this 
 grandeur, I could not avoid recollecting that millions of 
 her majesty^s subjects were pining in want. 
 
 After having passed through all the principal halls, 
 and seen the splendid rooms where those dwell who 
 wear soft raiment, we again entered the court, and 
 ascended the lofty tower, which, if I recollect, is 
 upwards of three hundred feet in height, It is built of 
 massive stones, and is ascended by winding stairs 
 insider 
 
 The castle is situated on the declivity of a hill on the 
 south side of the Thames. The whole of the buildings, 
 including the court in their centre, are said to cover 
 twelve acres of land. They are defended by batteries 
 and towers. 
 
 Connected with the castle is St. George's Chapel, 
 which is one of the most elegant specimens of the florid 
 Gothic. It is said that George III. spent nearly twenty 
 thousand" pounds in embellishing it. This is the place 
 where the royal family attend -divine service. We 
 entered this chapel by a door on the side, near the end 
 farthest from the pulpit, into a kind of vestibule. 
 
 7* 
 
154 WINDSOR CASTLli. 
 
 Directly opposite the door, on the other side of the chapel, 
 is a recess containing the monument of Princess Char- 
 lotte, whose history is somewhat familiar to us. Her 
 untimely death, effected no douht by murderous hands, 
 caused at the time a great sensation throughout the 
 nation. This monument present^ a memento of a 
 nation's sympathy, as well as a memorial of virtue. 
 
 This monument presents the princess as extended on 
 an elevated marble slab, and surrounded by. several 
 female figures, all in full size, and in the attitude of deep 
 devotion expressive of silent grief. One of the females, 
 who stands near - her feet, holds a small infant in her 
 arms; and a most beautiful fragile human form with 
 wings stands in the rear, near her head, on a little eleva- 
 tion, and seems looking on the interesting group with a 
 smiling countenance, and, with one h^d elevated, he is 
 pointing upward and seeming to say, in the language of 
 faith and hop6, , 
 
 " There is a heaven o'er yonder skies, 
 A heaven where pleasure never dies." 
 
 From the chapel we went to see the royal stables. 
 There was nothing here to excite our admiration. The 
 horses were no way superior, and the carriages appeared 
 rather clumsy ; they were generally of an ancient style. 
 Several of them had been used by their monarchs in 
 very ancient times. 
 
 On the whole, Windsor Castle is a place of much 
 beauty, and suitable for such to dwell in as wear soft 
 raiment, and have an income like that of Q.ueen Victoria, 
 of more than £200,000 each year; but it is a very 
 unsuitable place for a pious Christian to reside. This 
 royal residence is like every other dwelling-place of 
 man ; — sin has entered there, and sorrow and death 
 
WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 155 
 
 have entered, too. Kings' palaces cannot make a para- 
 dise : thorns are connected with roses ; cares and anxie- 
 ties are connected with crowns. Death will find us, 
 though we hide inpalaces, and conquer us although we 
 are seated on thrones, and drive us as easily from strong 
 castles as from our cottages. Should we clothe ourselves 
 in purple and fine lineri, and fare sumptuously every 
 day, there still may be in" the heart an aching void the 
 world can never fill. As we passed from the inner court 
 of the castle through the beautiful arch-way, where so 
 many great men had passed, I was inclined to jepeat to 
 myself the words of the poet — 
 
 " Let others stretch their arms like seas, 
 To grasp in all the shore ; 
 Grant me the riches of thy grace, 
 And I 'U desire no more." 
 
 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 
 
 Its antiquity. — IVIonuments. — Lor.d and Lady Niglitiiigale-s monument. — Henry 
 VII. 's ctiapel. — Royal chair. 
 
 This ancient abbey is in London, near the new Parlia- 
 ment- House now in the course of erection. It was 
 built, I am told, as early as the sixth century, and was 
 originally designed for a Roman Catholic church, dedi- 
 cated to St. Peter, and subsequently it became a monas- 
 tery. It was afterwards greatly improved by Henry 
 Ill.j-and in 1502 Henry VII. built the chapel which is 
 attached to the east end of the main building, at an 
 expense of £14,000. This chapel is called by his 
 name, and is the only part of it used as a place of wor- 
 ship. It was here the Westminster Assembly met in 
 1648, and formed what is called the Westminster Con- 
 fession of Faith- 
 
156 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 
 
 It is said this abbey is more than four hundred feet in 
 length ; and it is more prqperly a temple of monuments 
 than a place of worship.^ Great , men are more thought 
 of here than God ; and I think there is more pride dis- 
 played than piety. 
 
 There were six of us who went in company to visit 
 this . place. We entered a door on the east side, and 
 turned to our right, ta pass off to the main body of the 
 building. But we were soon arrested in our progress, 
 and called upon to surrender all our canes and um- 
 brellas. When this was donfe, we were at liberty to 
 walk where we pleased. 
 
 The first thing that struck our attention was the mag- 
 nitude of the room we had entered. Here we stood for 
 some moments, and gazed ori the gigantic columns of 
 this vast edifice. We foupd ourselves surrounded by 
 numerous and splendid monuments of illustrious men. 
 In every direction, statues, busts, and medallions, stand 
 but to view. Here, princes, dukeSj nobles and statesmen, 
 poets and warriors, have their statues or their names 
 inscribed. Here are the remains, and a monument, of 
 the unfortunate Major Andre, whose history is associated 
 with our revolutionary struggle. He was executed 
 October 2d, 1780, and in August, 1831, his remains 
 were disinterred, and carried to London, and deposited 
 here, by order of his royal highness the Dyke of York. 
 
 In this vast room, surrounded as we were on all sides 
 hy such a multitude of lepresentations of departed great- 
 ness and glory, we could scarcely avoid feeling a kind 
 of reverential awe. An. almost unbroken stillness 
 reigned throughout, and we seemed involuntarily to step 
 with caution oil the marble floor, as if fearful of disturb- 
 ing the peaceful slumbers of the dead. And our conver- 
 sation was in suppressed tones, as though we were 
 
WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 157 
 
 afraid of being overheard by those in whose presence 
 we seemed to stand, and concerning whom we spoke. 
 
 In the distance, here and there, were seated, or moving 
 very slowly, several venerable-looking men, clothed in 
 long black robes. These were the officers who had 
 charge of this sacred place, and who were employed in 
 conducting visitors through its different parts. After a 
 while, we were notified that these officers were ready to 
 conduct us into the, chapel of Henry VII., and other 
 parts of the abbey. 
 
 A spacious hall extends some distance before we enter 
 that part of the chapel which is used as a place of wor- 
 ship ; and on each side of this hall are rooms of jiifferent 
 sizes, which are occupied- by marble monuments of the 
 mighty dead. These rooms are also called chapels. The 
 officers who conducted us through these several rooms, 
 announced the names of the kings, queens, dukes, nobles, 
 lords, &c., to whose stately monuments we were intro- 
 duced ; but they did it in such rapid succession as over- 
 whelmed me, so that I could call to mind only a very 
 few of them; like some men's sermons, whose rapid 
 eloquence causes us to forget everything they say. 
 
 These monuments were effigies of human form, 
 extended on blocks of granite or marble. Here are kings 
 and queens, warriors and prelates, courtiers and states- 
 men, curiously chiselled by the art of man, and lying 
 alone in their glory. Some of these monuments afford 
 us proof how false and short-lived is the honor of man- 
 kind. In many instances the hand of time, and the rude 
 hand of visitors, had defaced them. These sculptured 
 effigies were designed to represent, as near as they could, 
 the persons when living, in regard to size and features ; 
 and they appeared in different positions. They were of 
 full size, and most generally lying on their back, their 
 
158 WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 
 
 head resting on a stone pillow. Their eyes were closed, 
 and their hands piously raised, or pressed together on 
 their breast. 
 
 Some were clad in israrlike armor, and lying on their 
 side, with the head reclining on the hand, as if reposing 
 a while, after being exhausted in the battle-field. Here, 
 too, were reverend prelates with their crosiers and their 
 mitres, and nobles with thfeir coronets; and, as one 
 observes,- it seemed as though the living had all been 
 suddenly touched by the palsying hand of death, and 
 changed immediately into stone. And one is almost 
 inclined to fear he will be the next to feel the paralyz- 
 ing' touch. 
 
 What is more solemn than to be among the sculptured 
 monuments of the mighty dead 1 To see these noble 
 forms of manhood extended', as if really in the sleep of 
 death, or in the supplications of the dying hour, is cal- 
 culated to make one feel very solemn. But the monu- 
 ments with which one is here surrounded, produce 
 mingled emotions. In some cases, around these full- 
 sized human forms are miniature priests and friars on 
 their knees, or bowed -with their faces to the earth. And 
 in some cases, there are grotesque figures of quadrupeds, 
 some of which resemble no creature that ever lived on 
 earth, or anywhere else, except in the imagination of 
 men. Such an association of human forms mingled 
 with four-footed things, is calculated to make impressions 
 on the mind partaking of the ludicrous. 
 
 But of all the representations which I saw, none made 
 a deeper impression on my mind than that of Lord and 
 Lady Nightingale. These were, if I recollect, in the 
 chapel of St. John and St. Michael. They were sculp- 
 tured out of the purest marble. The noble lord and his 
 beautiful lady are standing on an oblong block bf marble. 
 
WESTMINSTER ABBEY. 159 
 
 The lady, as though fainting, is sinking into her hus- 
 band's arms. He supports her with his left arm, while 
 his right hand is stretched out, as though he would turn 
 away the stroke of death. On the front side of the 
 marble block on which they stand, there is an opening, 
 about two feet square, and a thick door swung half-way 
 back, having much the appearance of the opening of an 
 iron safe. The opening which is exposed, and the inner 
 side of the door, are painted black. From this black 
 hole, which appears like a dark cavern, a sheeted, fierce- 
 looking skeleton is about half emerged. All but his 
 lower limbs are out, and these are indistinctly seen. 
 His body is twisted nearly one half around, and his 
 shroud has partly fallen from his fleshless frame. His 
 haggard eyes seem fixed on his fainting victim ; and in 
 his bony hand he grasps a javelin, which he seems in 
 the act of throwing, aimed at the lady's heart. Her 
 countenance indicates that she is dying ; while her hus- 
 band stands as a noble specimen of matily dignity and 
 tender concern for a beloved wife, who appears exceed- 
 ingly beautiful in death. 
 
 This monument certainly exhibits a very striking 
 representation of death ; such an one as I have never 
 seen equalled. It really excites a painful commisera- 
 tion, and is calculated to show us our entire helplessness 
 when assailed by the King of Terrors. On: beholding 
 this, as a certain writer remarks, "one almost imagines 
 that it is a reality, and that he can hear the horrid yell 
 of triumph from the wide-distended jaws of this frightful 
 monster, and the dying groan of this lovely victim." 
 
 There is a strange impression made on the mind, by 
 the contrast between what is within these gloomy walls, 
 and what was going on in their immediate neighbor- 
 hood without. The chapel of Henry VH. is near West- 
 
160 W-E STMINSTEK ABBET. 
 
 minster Hall, where the Parliament then met; and it 
 was near five o'clock, the honr when both Houses 
 assemble for business. All was bustle and stir in the 
 street near by. The trampling of horses on the pave- 
 ments ; the rumbling of omnibuses, coaches, and cabs j 
 the constant murmur of themultitude, and the occasional 
 loud and merry laugh, contrasted with the stillness that 
 reigned within this mausoleum of death, were calcu- 
 lated to produce a strange effect on my mind. Our little 
 company seemed to occupy a place-between two worlds, 
 the seen and the unseen, the living and the dead. 
 
 After having passed about an hour among the me- 
 mentos of fallen greatness, -we went into the chapel 
 proper, where the living assemble to unite in religious 
 services. The time had not quite arrived for evening 
 prayers ; so we did not witness this ceremony. 
 
 In the centre of this room stands the sepulchre of its 
 royal foimder, Henry-VH., and we- were told that his 
 remains were really deposited here. His effigy and that 
 of his queen lie extended on his tomb, surrounded by a 
 brass railing. The interior of this chapel is decorated 
 by suspended banners, helmets and coats of mail, with 
 scarfs and swords. How much such things inspire devo- 
 tion, those who resort there for devout purposes are best 
 prepared to say ; and whether what passes here daily 
 for worship is really acceptable to God, is best known to 
 Him who knows the heart. 
 
 After leaving this part of the Abbey we were taken 
 into the upper part, and shown the place Where royal 
 majesty receives the royal diadem. We were shown 
 the ancient oaken chair in "which Queen Victoria sat 
 when she received her crown. It is said that all the 
 kings and queens that ever sat on England's throne 
 received their crown while seated in this chair. The 
 
THE TOWEKOF LONDON. 161 
 
 seat of this chair consists of a stone eoyered with a 
 board. This celebrated stone was brought from Scone, 
 in Scotland ; and it is said that upon this stone sat all 
 the monarchs of Scotland when they were crowned. It 
 was brought to England by Edward I., and tradition 
 says that this is the identical stone which the ancient 
 patriarch, Jacob, set up when on his way to Padan-aram, 
 when it is said he named the place Bethel. Such as are 
 disposed to believe this tradition I suppose are at liberty to 
 do so. I must not, however, forget to tell my readers 
 that I had the honor of being seated in this royal seat 
 for a little season ; so they may see how near I came to 
 being made a king. 
 
 THE TOWER OF LONDON. 
 
 strong fortress. — JHorse armory. ^ Royal jewels. 
 
 This may be called a fortress or a town with as 
 much propriety as a tower. It is said to have been 
 originally a royal palace, and was made a fortress for the 
 purpose of protecting the sovereign against his own sub- 
 jects. It covers a large extent of ground, and embraces 
 a vast number of buildings, which are surrounded by 
 a deep ditch and a high wall. It is a depository of arms 
 and trophies taken in war, and contains barracks for 
 soldiers ; and here the royal jewels are kept. In former 
 days it was a royal prison. Here Sir Walter Raleigh 
 was a prisoner for several years. I visited the room 
 where he had been confined, and saw the block on which 
 he was executed, and the very axe which severed his 
 head from his body. 
 
 I also visited, in company with several others, what 
 is called the Horse Armory, where are many curious 
 things to be seen. Here are figures of horse and foot as 
 
162 THE TOWER OF LONDON. 
 
 large as life, drawn up in military order to attend a line 
 of kings which are on the other side of the room. Here 
 are coats of mail, of various sizes, called Brigandine 
 jackets. They consist of small bits of steel so' artfully 
 quilted over one another as to resist the point of a sword, 
 and yet so flexible that the wearer may bend his body 
 any way, as well as in an ordinary suit of clothes. In 
 viewing these iron coverings of ancient knights, I could 
 not but regard them as cowards instead of heroes, who 
 dared not. to appear in the field of battle, except they 
 were covered from head to foot with impenetrable 
 armor. Who, shielded in this way, would not dare to 
 fight? 
 
 I did not feel quite as much interest in viewing the 
 Tower of London as I had anticipated; there is too 
 much preparation for war to suit my taste. It was too 
 much associated in its history with scenes of sorrow and 
 of blood. I might have seen the royal jewels arid the 
 crowns, which are kept in a dark stone room, enclosed in 
 a glass case, if I had paid sixpence for the sight. But I 
 declined, for I confess I have not much taste for jewels 
 nor for crowns. Nor do I profess much esteem for 
 crowned head.s. These things might all be dispensed 
 with, if all men were intelligent and good. I chose to 
 save my sixpence and give it to some of her Majesty's 
 starving poor. And one has frequent occa:sion to do this 
 in almost every part of the kingdom. If this vast amount 
 of jewelry, and these royal diadems which are treasured 
 here, were disposed of, and the many millions of dollars, 
 that might thus be ra,ised, were given to the poor, it 
 would abundantly supply all the suffering poor through- 
 out Great Britain and Ireland for a long time to come. 
 A nation's wealth is more increased by an intelligent and 
 happy peasantry, than by keeping jewels and crowns for 
 the gaze and admiration of the multitude. 
 
THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 163 
 
 BRITISH MUSEUM. 
 
 The Museum is in Russel street, Bloomsbury. The 
 buildings are disposed around quite a large court, and 
 are in good taste. It owes its origin to Sir Hans Sloane, 
 who bequeathed it to Parliament, on condition that 
 £20,000 were paid to his executors. It was opened to 
 public view m January, 1759. It has since been enriched 
 by many donations and purchases. It is said to contain 
 the greatest collection of curiosities, natural history and 
 books, in the world. 
 
 All parts of this Museum, except the library and 
 the coins, may be seen every Monday, Wednesday and 
 Friday, (except during August and September, and in 
 Christmas, Easter and Whitsun weeks,) between the 
 hours of ten and four, without any other difficulty or 
 expense than the visitor entering his name in a book. 
 The trustees alone can grant admission to the library, 
 and this may be obtained by sending an application in 
 writing to the principal librarian. The term of admis- 
 sion does not exceed six months, but niay be renewed. 
 They are constantly making additions to this Museum. 
 The Parliament had just made an appropriation of 
 £40,000, and they were then erecting a large and splen- 
 did building on the north side of the court. 
 
 The practice of giving the common people and all 
 classes free access, for three days each week, is calcu- 
 lated to increase the intelligence of the masses, and in a 
 great measure prevent them from spending their time 
 and money in mischievous amusements. It has become 
 a place of great resort. It is said that its weekly visitors 
 are more than a thousand. 
 
 In company with Rev. Mr. Gregory and Mr. Mooney, 
 I spent half a day in viewing its curiosities. One could 
 
164 EAST INDIA MUSEUM. 
 
 spend a week and not be weary. Who can view this 
 amazing variety in the several departments of nature, 
 and not exclaim> " How great and marvellous are thy 
 works, O Lord!" 
 
 EAST INDIA. MUSEUM. 
 
 This contains a collection of natural history and some 
 productions of art obtained principally frpm the British 
 possessions in India. Among the works of art, what 
 arrested my attention most was the collection of images 
 of heathen gods. These were of all sorts and sizes, 
 shapes and forms, that can be imagined. Most of them 
 had been the objects of religious worship; some had 
 occupied places in their pilblic temples, but most of them 
 had been family gods, and the gods of individuals. 
 Some were of wood, some were of metal, and some of 
 stone. Many of them were rudely made, but some dis- 
 played considerable taste. A gentleman informed me 
 that he had spent several years in the midst of the wor- 
 shippers of such like idols, and had often witnessed their 
 religious devotions. He said he had seen those, who, in 
 that country, were ranked among the first men in busi- 
 ness and talents, engaged in worshipping such like 
 images. He recollected, on one occasion, he saw quite 
 an intelligent man enter a temple, and walk up to a 
 little idol, not larger than his smallest finger, and very 
 reverently bow down before it, and appear very devout. 
 I presume that there were m this Museum not less than 
 a thousand idols. In contemplating these idols and their 
 worshippers, I could not but feel emotions of pity. 1 
 thought of the Apostle's inquiry, " Shall the weak 
 brother perish for whom Christ died? " 
 
WESLEYAN METHODIST CONFERENCE. 165 
 
 BKISTOL. 
 
 WESLEYAN METHODIST CONFERENCE. 
 
 Introduction to Conference. — Not very good order. — Manner qf doing business. 
 
 As the Wesleyan Conference was to be held in Bristol, 
 I resolved to visit this place. Bristol lies one hundred 
 and eighteen miles west of -London. I took the cars at 
 London, atid reached Bristol in about nine hours. We 
 passed through a very rich and beautiful country, dotted 
 here and there with beautiful little villages, and now and 
 then a gentleman's country seat. About twenty miles 
 from London, on our left, we passed Eton College, and 
 Windsor Castle ; and further on we passed Oxford, leav- 
 ing it a few miles on our right. Oxford is the seat of 
 learning where Puseyism has had its origin, and Where 
 the high pretensions of prelatical succession have been 
 carried out to their legitimate results, for they have sent 
 several of its learned advocates back to their boasting 
 mother's arms. Oxford is on the most direct way to 
 Rome. 
 
 I arrived at Bristol toward evening, and was some- 
 what disappointed in finding it to be a larger and more 
 beautiful city than I expected to see. It is said to have 
 been built thlree hundred and eighty years before the 
 Christian era, and has ever been a place of considerable 
 importance, and is so situated as to be a place of great 
 strength. It has some very fine streets, and contains 
 many elegant and spacious buildings. Its churches, 
 chapels, and other public buildings, are indications of 
 great wealth. 
 
 On my arrival, I found the Conference was held in 
 Ebenezer Chapel, in Old King street. Next morning I 
 went to the place, and found the preachers assembling. 
 The chapel is about fifty-five feet by eighty-five ; the pul- 
 
166 WESLEYAN METHODISTCONFERENCE. 
 
 pit Stands about ten feet from the rear, having the com- 
 munion table and altar behind it, leaving a narrow pas- 
 sage between the altar and rear of the pulpit. Around 
 the pulpit was erected a temporary platform, about four 
 feet high; this would accommodate about twenty per- 
 sons, and was designed for seating the mpst distinguished 
 menvbers. Directly in the front of the pulpit was an 
 armed chair for the president. At his left sat the two 
 secretaries at a table, and at his right sat the ex-presi- 
 dents. 
 
 The doors of- the chapel being open I went in, and sat 
 down near the door. Soon one of the preachers came to 
 me and inquired who I was. Upon informing him, and 
 expressing a wish to be permitted to sit with them a 
 day or two, he said he, Avould introduce me to Mr. 
 Atherton, the president, who would pass in very shortly. 
 Soon Mr. Atherton came in ; he introduced me, and Mr. 
 Atherton took my hand and just inquired Whether 
 I was from the Northern or the Southern States. I told 
 him, and he passed on, giving me no opportunity to 
 hand him my letter of introduction from Bishop Janes. 
 
 I then sat down; my friend said Mr. Newton, the 
 secretary, would pass soon, and he would introduce 
 me to him. Soon Mr. Newton came in, and he intro- 
 duced me to him. Mr. Newton said he recollected see- 
 ing me at the General Conference, at Baltimore. I gave 
 him my letter of introduction, and told him I should be 
 glad to be introduced to the Conference, and have a seat 
 among them a day or two. He just hastily glanced at 
 my letter, and handed it back, saying he would speak 
 to the president, and passed on. 
 
 The president had taken his seat on the platform, and 
 soon Mr. Newton was in his place, and the Conference was 
 opened by singing, reading the Scriptures, and prayer. 
 
WESLEYAN METHODIST CONFERENCE. 167 
 
 During these religious exercises the preachers were com- 
 ing in, and there was much noise. When they were 
 through, the president spoke a few words, but to me 
 they were inaudible. Then Mr. Newton commenced 
 speaking, and, after a while, I heard him mention my 
 name, and he beckoned to me to come forward. So I 
 started, scarcely knowing whether I was right or wrong, 
 crowding my .way along the. aisle, till I got along- 
 side the platform, when a brother conducted me 
 around in the rear of the pulpit, and up the steps to the 
 platform. 
 
 I supposed the secretary would have introduced me to 
 the Conference, as is usual in our country ; but he only 
 turned round, and, pointing to a seat in the rear, desired 
 me to be seated. On observing Dr. Peck, from New 
 York, and Dr. Emory, sitting there, I took a seat beside 
 them, and said to one of them quite softly, " I suppose 
 this must pass for an introduction to the British Confer- 
 ence." He replied, "It is as good an introduction as I 
 have had." I doubt whether- one in twenty heard my 
 name announced, or knew who I was,- whence I came, 
 or whither I was going. I suppose it was just as well, 
 for I doubt whether one in fifty cared one pin about me. 
 
 Thus far, great noise apd confusion seemed to prevail ; 
 but the president took it into Ms head to still the noisy 
 elements. He cried at the top of his voice, and in a 
 manner that showed he was really in earnest, "Order!" 
 and comparative order ensued. The whirlwind was 
 hushed to a gentle breeze. 
 
 The manner of doing business was a little singular ; 
 it.was.certainly.diflferent from anything I had ever seen 
 before. 
 
 1st. There was, not that order observed, and that at- 
 tention to business, that I have generally seen. Men 
 
168 WESLEYAN METHODIST CONFERENCE. 
 
 were talking in every direction, so that the speaker could 
 sometimes scarcely be heard. 
 
 2d. The president sometimes took part in the discus- 
 sion, and he -would occasionally interrupt the speaker, if 
 he did not like the argument. 
 
 3d. It several times happened that some one would 
 interrupt a speaker in the midst of his argument, by 
 inquiring, "How do you know that?" which question 
 the speaker would stop to answer, and then proceed with 
 his argument. 
 
 4th. The frequent cry of, " Hear, hear," which was 
 sometimes uttered by perhaps fifty voices, to me was a 
 great annoyance, for they often so drowned the voice of 
 the speaker that I could not hear him at all. 
 
 5th. They frequently would respond to the speaker, if 
 he expressed himself in the form of an interrogation ; it 
 maybe sometimes fifty voices -would cry out, "Yes, 
 yes," or, "No, no," as they happened to view the 
 question. 
 
 6th. The president did not always put the question, 
 and call for the ayes and noes ; but often made up the 
 decision from the ayes and noes that were uttered 
 during the discussion. When these ayes or noes became 
 so frequent and uproarious that the speaker could no 
 longer be heard, the president sometimes would say, " I 
 think the ayes have it," or, "I think the noes have it ;" 
 and that arrested all further discussion, and decided the 
 case. 
 
 T'th. Not unfrequently, the Conference broke out into 
 an uproarious laughter, at some remark of the speaker, 
 and once or twice they clapped £ind stamped as sinners 
 do at their political meetings in our own country. 
 
 I know that much allowance must be made for the 
 customs and usages of the country ; but to me it does 
 
BATH. . 169 
 
 seem strange that a body of grave divines should fall 
 into such disagreeable and inconvenient habits. I should 
 think that those who had visited our country, and had 
 seen a more excellent way, would, ere this, have labored 
 to bring about a reform. 
 
 There were present, at this Conference, four hundred 
 ministers, and they were as fine, healthy, and intelligent 
 looking set of men as I ever looked upon in my life. I 
 shall never see the like again. 
 
 BATH. 
 
 Short visit. — Return to London. 
 
 I had intended visiting Ireland and Scotland, and was 
 happy to find that Dr. Peck and Dr. Emory were 
 designing to visit these places. We agreed to take the 
 cars next morning for Bath, in company with each 
 other, and, after visiting this place, to set out for Ireland. 
 I took the cars, supposing we should meet in Bath, 
 but, as I afterward learned, they arrived a little too late, 
 and were left. Not understanding the cause, I supposed 
 they had given up their plan; so, after staying a few 
 hours in Bath, I left it for London. 
 
 Bath is a very ancient and a very beautiful city. It 
 is situated on the river Avon, on the side of a narrow 
 valley, bounded by hills on the north. Being on the 
 gentle slope of a hill, we could see almost the entire city, 
 as we passed along the railroad. When this city belonged 
 to the ancient Romans, it was surrounded by a wall ten 
 feet thick and twenty feet high. Here are many very 
 splendid public buildings, which certainly indicate great 
 wealth. My time was so short I could only take a gen- 
 eral view of the city. 
 
 8 
 
ITO EVANUELICAL ALLIANCE. 
 
 EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE. 
 
 Great gathering. — Doctrinal basis. — Eminent men. —Interesting meetings.— 
 Character and tendency. 
 
 On Wednesday, August 19th, 1846, the Delegates met 
 in Freemason's Hall, Great Queen street, London, to 
 organize the Evangelical Alliance. There were present 
 about eight hundred gentlemen, ministers and laymen, 
 belonging to . different denoininations of Christians. 
 They were all Protestants, and were from all parts of 
 Great Britain, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Germany, 
 the United States,, and Canada. About three-fourths of 
 them were ministers ; sixty-two of them had the title of 
 D. D. These ministers represented shontfifHj denom- 
 inations of Christians. Some of the distinctions in the 
 denominations to which they belonged, however, were 
 little more than local distinctions. One hundred and 
 twenty-one of these delegates belonged to the Established 
 Church of England, sixty-one of whom were clergymen. 
 One hundred and fifty-nine were Wesleyan Methodists; 
 of these one hundred and eight were ministers. There 
 were sixty-three delegates from America. 
 
 After meeting from day to day, for several days, and 
 discussing the various points of Christian doctrine, in an 
 excellent spirit, and much prayer, the Conference agreed, 
 by an almost unanimous vote, to form a Confederation, 
 under the name of " The Evangelical Alliance;" adopt- 
 ing the following Doctrinal Basis : 
 
 1. The Divine Inspiration, Authority, and Sufficiency 
 of the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 2. The Unity of the Godhead, and Trinity of the per- 
 sons therein. 
 
 3. The Utter Depravity of Human Nature, in conse- 
 quence of the Fall. 
 
EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE. 171 
 
 ' 4. The Incarnation of the Son of God. His 'Work of 
 Atonement for Sinners of Mankind, and his Mediatorial 
 Intercession and Reign. 
 
 5. The Justification of the Sinner by Faith alone. 
 
 6. The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Conversion and 
 Sanctification of the Sinner. 
 
 7. The Right and Duty of Private Judgment in the 
 Interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 8. The Divine Institution of the Christian Ministry, 
 and the Authority and Perpetuity of the Ordinances of 
 Baptism and the Lord's Supper. 
 
 9. The Immortality of the Soul, the Resurrection of 
 the Body, the Judgment of the World, by our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, with the Eternal Blessedness of the Right- 
 eous, and the Eternal Punishment of the Wicked. 
 
 Before this Basis of Doctrines was adopted, the sev- 
 eral points contained in it were taken up seriatim, 
 and very carefully examined, and discussed at great 
 length. This was done with great candor, and in a 
 most excellent Christian spirit. Among the most prom- 
 inent gentlemen who took a part in these discussions, 
 were, Rev. Mr. Bickersteth, Rev. Mr. James, Rev. Mr. 
 Stewart, Rev. Mr. Noel, Rev. Dr. Bunting, Rev. Dr. 
 Alden, Rev. Dr. Peck,Rev.Dr. Schmucker,and Rev. Dr. 
 Beecher, with many more very eminent men, some from 
 the continent, and some fiom America. ' 
 
 Here I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing many 
 eminent divines, of whom I had heard, and whose 
 writings I had read with great pleasure and profit. 
 And many of them displayed great talents and much 
 piety on this occasion. But some of their voices have 
 since become silent in death. 
 
 The meetings were continued during thirteen days. 
 On each day there were two sessions, and on some dajj's 
 
172 EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE. 
 
 there were three sessions, having one in the evening. 
 To these meetings none were admitted but such as were 
 members of the Alliance. There were, however, several 
 public meetings held in Exeter Hall, to which all were 
 admitted who desired it. A small sum was charged for 
 tickets of admission, for the purpose of meeting the inci- 
 dental expenses. This hall was said to be capable of 
 seating four thousand persons; and it was generally 
 well filled on these occasions.. 
 
 The exercises &f these public meetings held in Exeter 
 Hall consisted iri singing and prayer, with addresses 
 delivered by ministers previously appointed by the com- 
 mittee of arrangements. These addresses did not consist 
 of discussions, so much as remarks on the importance 
 of Christian union, and statements of those points which 
 had been discussed and agreed upon in the meetings of 
 the Alliance; also the means by which this union 
 among Christians might be promoted. Some of these 
 addresses were. listened to with great interest, and pro- 
 duced a very excellent state of feeling throughout the 
 great assembly which filled the hall. 
 
 On the thirteenth day, after making suitable arrange- 
 ments to carry out the design of the Alliance, by forming 
 similar confederations in different parts of the world, 
 Avhen the members should have returned to their homes, 
 the meeting finally adjourned sine die. 
 
 As to the character and tendency of this Evangelical 
 Alliance, I think there can be but one opinion formed 
 by all candid men who carefully examine the subject, 
 and that must be, that this movement among Christians 
 was of a very extraordinary character, and would natu- 
 rally tend to promote the interests of Christ's kingdom. 
 It was remarkable for brotherly love and harmony of 
 sentiment on the great fundamental doctrines of divine 
 
EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE. 173 
 
 revelation. This meeting of so many eminent Christians 
 and Christian ministers of Protestants throughout Chris- 
 tendom, will show the world that evangelical Christians 
 agree in all the essentials of Christianity. It will intro- 
 duce them to an acquaintance with each other, increase 
 their brotherly love, and in some measure do away the 
 objections of infidels. 
 
 It is to be feared that all the anticipations and hopes 
 of the friends of this Alliance may not be realized fully, 
 especially in the United States, owing to the great diver- 
 sity of sects which abound in this land of almost 
 unrestrained liberty. But if it should in any measure 
 diminish the spirit of animosity and jealousy which has 
 heretofore existed among us, it will accomplish a great 
 and glorious object. The formation of this Alliance 
 will, I trust, be a starting-point for progress in this work; 
 a kind of foundation^ or doctrinal basis, on which Chris- 
 tians will, in some future day, build a superstructure 
 of Christian union. If an entire union in doctrinal 
 views does not ensue, yet I hope there will be a union 
 in Christian afection and Christian efforts. I believe, in 
 all coming time, the formation of the Evangelical Alli- 
 ance, in the city of London, in August, 1846, will be 
 looked upon by the church, throughout all Christendom, 
 as a glorious event, which has done much to promote 
 truth and brotherly love. I believe that by this event 
 God will be glorified, and the happiness of the human 
 race will be more or less promoted. 
 
174 TEMPERANCE IN ENGLAND. 
 
 TEMPERANCE IN ENGLAND. 
 
 WHAT I SAW AND HEARD. 
 
 Temperance convention. — The use of wine. — An intoxicated minister. — Reproved. 
 — Dine witliKev. Mr. B. — Mr. Allierton'a speech. —Refresliing the fatliers. 
 
 I had the pleasure of attending the world's Temper^ 
 ance Convention. This was held in London the first 
 week in August, 1846. I was not appointed as a dele- 
 gate, but, obtaining a ticket, I was admitted as a " vis- 
 ito?:" 
 
 There were present on this occasion a large number 
 of gentlemen, representing the friends of temperance 
 from various parts of the civilized world. It was a 
 meeting of great interest. Several excellent speeches 
 were delivered, and several spirited resolutions, were 
 adopted, giving strong indications of the feelings of many 
 great and good men toward the cause of temperance. 
 
 But I think the warmest friends of this cause abound 
 most on the American side of the great waters. In 
 England, most of their great men live rather luxuriously, 
 and I had some reason to fear that many professors of 
 religion, and even ministers, were not wholly faultless 
 in this matter. Great use is made of wine and beer. 
 
 I never sat down to dinner in company with others, 
 while I Was in England, where there were not wine and 
 strong beer before us. While in London, I was invited 
 to preach nine times; and, in every instance, after 
 preaching, I was taken into the vestry, after service, and 
 invited to drink wine, and in one instance repeatedly 
 urged to do it. And this happened in the vestry in 
 City Road Chapel, within two rods of Mr. Wesley's 
 grave. 
 
 In the dining-room at Freemason Hall, on one occa- 
 sion, I dined in company with a large number of minis- 
 
TEMPERANCE IN ENGLAND. 175 
 
 tejs of various denominations ; during the time, one who 
 sat at my right hand called my attention to a reverend 
 gentleman who sat opposite him. This gentleman 
 seemed to have a good appetite, especially > for strong 
 drink. I saw him empty one tumbler of strong beer and 
 three glasses of wine. My friend, who called my atten- 
 tion to him, said that before he called my attention he 
 saw him drink the same quantity. When he had fin- 
 ished his dinner he looked and talked like a drunken 
 man. He pushed his plate from him, and, rising from 
 his chair, and bending over toward me, with his hands 
 resting on the table, addressed himself to me, and said, 
 "You are from America, are you not?" I replied that 
 I was. "Well," said he, "do you see any difference 
 between the people, in America and in this country?" 
 I told him I did see some difference. Said he, " What is 
 the difference?" I replied, "I think you drink more 
 wine here than we do in America." At this answer he 
 seemed offended, and, raising both hands, he said, "I 
 understand you are a very wicked people in America ; 
 you hold men and women in slavery there. You talk 
 about drinking wine ! — what is drinking wine, when 
 compared to slavery ? My Saviour is my example ; he 
 drank wine, and I follow his example. I am a temper- 
 ance man, but not a tee-totaller ; I think the tee-totallers 
 have done a great deal of mischief in the world." 
 
 After delivering this speech, in a manner that indicated 
 that he was quite intoxicated, and knew not what he 
 said, he sat down. I said, " It is true there are many 
 wicked people in America." Seeing I was not disposed 
 to hold any conversation with him, he addressed Rev. 
 Mr. Gregory, who had first called my attention to him, 
 who made 'very little reply. He then addressed Rev. 
 Mr. Vanzant, who sat next Mr. G., and inquired to what 
 
176 TEMPERANCE IN ENGLAND. 
 
 denomination he belonged. He replied, "To the Re- 
 formed Dutch Church." " Reformed Dutch ! " said he ; 
 "I did not know that the Dutch could reform." "O 
 yes, they can," said Mr. Vanzant, "and I hope you will 
 reform before long." 
 
 While this conversation was going on. Rev. Mr. 
 Arthur, who sat nearly opposite to me, and not far from 
 him, said to me, " I hope, sir, you will not consider this 
 a fair specimen of English politeness." I replie'd that I 
 certainly should not; I was too well acquainted with 
 the English character to do so; and said I thought his 
 rudeness could be accounted for by observing the decan- 
 ter of wine which was near him. He seemed' to over- 
 hear my remark, and said, "I have been a minister 
 thirty years, and was never before reproved for drink- 
 ing wine." Mr. Arthur very pleasantly replied, "The 
 gentleman did not design to reprove you." "Yes he 
 did," said he; "for I asked him a general question, and 
 he gave me a particular answer. My Saviour has set 
 me the example of drinking wine." Said Mr. Arthur, 
 " Our Saviour has also set us the example of meekness." 
 "I know that," said he; "and I am meek." Whether 
 I designed to reprove him or not, I believe all who sat 
 around him, and whose attention was called to his con- 
 duct and conversation, thought he deserved a severe 
 reproof. When he arose from the table, he crowded 
 along to me, and said he wanted to talk with me, and 
 inquired if I believed Christ died for all men. I told 
 him I did not wish to talk on that subject just now, but 
 inquired his name. Instead of answering my inquiry, 
 he said, " What is your name 7 " I told him my name ; 
 he then told me his, and the denomination to which he 
 belonged. I immediately walked away. A few days 
 after, he came and spoke to me, and I reproved him 
 
TEMPERANCE IN ENGLAND. 177 
 
 seriously. He denied that he was intoxicated; but I told 
 him I was not the only one who said he was, but all the 
 gentlemen who were at the table, and observed his con- 
 duct, were of the same opinion ; we observed what a free 
 use you" made of wine. He went away, appearing quite 
 offended. This reverend gentleman was not a Wesleyan. 
 
 But I fear that even the Wesleyan ministers are not 
 all free from faults in this matter. I believe a large 
 portion of them are in the habit of using wine as a bev- 
 erage. I have seen several use it, and heard several 
 vindicate the practice. 
 
 I was invited to dine at the house of Rev. Mr. B., a 
 Wesleyan, with several American brethren. At the 
 table, Mr. B. inquii:ed what kind of wine I preferred. I 
 replied I did not drink any kind, but would take a glass 
 of water. He desired to know why I did not drink 
 wine ; I rhade but little reply, but he urged me to tell. 
 So I told him plainly that my principal reason was that 
 it made me drunk; "Perhaps," said he, "you drink 
 too much." I said, " All the difference, whether I drink 
 much or little, is ^ if I drink a good deal, I am a good 
 deal drunk, and if I drink a little, I am a little drunk ; 
 and I do not like to be drunk even a little, for I find that 
 when wine is in, wit is out ; — and I will appeal to the 
 ladies, whether they think I have any wit to spare." 
 This remark excited a little amusement. But Mr. B. 
 did not choose to let the subject drop ; he remarked that 
 wine and beer were not ardent spirits, as were brandy 
 and gin, but they were of domestic manufacture. I told 
 him I supposed he knew that distillation did not create 
 alcohol ; that this was produced by fermentation, and of 
 course that the intoxicating principle is in beer and wine, 
 as really as it is in gin and brandy, — all the difference 
 is, that it is in a less proportion. And I further remarked, 
 
 8* 
 
178 TEMPERANCE IN ENGLAND. 
 
 that, as far as my observation had extended, intoxication 
 produced by wine and beer was precisely the same in 
 its character as that produced by gin and brandy. I 
 then related the circumstance of the drunken minister 
 that I had seen a few days before, to illustrate the fact. 
 I told him, for aught I could see, this man looked as 
 bad, and talked as foolish, as if he had become drunken 
 with brandy, or anything else. 
 
 When I had finished my temperance lecture, which I 
 had been reluctantly forced to deliver, he said no more 
 about wine, but in a good-humored way said, " You 
 deserve a cup of coffee for that deliverance." I replied, 
 "That I will accept very thankfully, for although it ex- 
 hilarates a little, it will not intoxicate." While I sipped 
 my favorite beverage, a gentleman at the table remarked, 
 that he heard Rev. Mr. Arthur relate the circumstance 
 about the drunken minister to which I had alluded ; he 
 said that he was present. 
 
 I am sure, from what I saw and heard while in 
 England, that too many of our members and ministers, 
 as well as others, are far behind the times in their views 
 and feelings on the subject of temperance. As a further 
 proof of this, I will mention what took place at the Con- 
 ference in my presence, at Bristol. Mr. Atherton, the 
 president of the Conference, arose in his place, and said 
 that he was sorry to say he had never known so many 
 insolent things sent up to any Conference as had been 
 sent up to that by the tee-totallers. "They make us," 
 said he, "a great deal of trouble. -Not content with 
 having their own way, they undertake to direct us, and 
 tell us what is our duty. They plainly show that they 
 are not of us. I wish they would take themselves away 
 from us. They are at liberty to leave us, and go where 
 they can be better pleased. I think," said he, " there is 
 
TEMPERANCE IN ENGLAND. 179 
 
 no body of ministers who are so much troubled by them 
 as we are." Upon this, not waiting for the president to 
 finish his speech, or, if he had finished, he had not taken 
 his seat, Dr. Beaumont sprang up and said, "Perhaps 
 there is no body of ministers that has assailed and pro- 
 voked them as much as we have." Here the presideut 
 interrupted the doctor, and replied, " We do not design to 
 provoke them, but we act in self-defence." I afterwards 
 inquired what the president meant by the assault of the 
 tee-totallers, to which he alluded, and was told that 
 many brethren from Preston and elsewhere, who had 
 become tee-totallers, had sent up petitions and remon- 
 strances on the subject of temperance, asking the cooper- 
 ation of all the preachers in the great temperance move- 
 ment, and requesting, especially, that they would abstain 
 from wine and beer as a beverage. 
 
 Another instance occurred. I was sitting beside Rev. 
 Dr. Peck on the rear seat of the platform, when he 
 whispered to me to look down behind me ; so I turned 
 round, and saw a man passing between the platform and 
 the communion table, bearing a waiter in his hands ; he 
 appeared to have come out of the vestry, and was 
 going across to the opposite door which leads into the 
 sexton's house, or the parsonage. I supposed it was the 
 sexton. On the waiter which he bore, there were, I 
 should think, not less than, twenty-five wine-glasses, all 
 of which were empty, except one. Just as I first saw 
 him, he stopped, and a minister, who sat within the 
 altar by the communion-table, took the glass which had 
 wine and drank it, and set back the glass, and the sex- 
 ton passed on to the opposite door. I learned, upon 
 inquiry, that the committee who made out the preachers' 
 appointments for the ensuing year were at that time 
 occupying the vestry, engaged in their appropriate work, 
 
180 SABBATHS IN LONDON. 
 
 and I suppose the wine had been carried in as refresh- 
 ment for these venerable fathers, to strengthen them in 
 the performance of their arduous labors. But of this I 
 know nothing. 
 
 From the foregoing the reader will perceive that I was 
 an eye and ear witness to some things in England, in 
 regard to temperance, which look and sound a little 
 queer on this side of the great waters. Wine and beer 
 seem to be a source of great delight to the English peo- 
 ple. They scarcely know how to live without these 
 luxuries. Several times I had to plead the cause of 
 temperance in private circles, and twice I ventured to 
 allude to the subject very plainly in my public dis- 
 courses. A man feels much embarrassed to decline 
 drinking wine when sitting at the table where all others 
 of the company drink it. It seems like administering a 
 reproof to one's friends; and yet I think a conscientious 
 temperance man will feel bound to do it. I am happy to 
 say I did not see an American drink a glass of wine 
 while I was in England. 
 
 SABBATHS IN LONDON. 
 
 Proach in several places, — Hear preaching. — A Scotch minister's prayer. 
 
 I spent six Sabbaths in London, and attended public 
 worship in several diflferent places. The first Sabbath I 
 attended at the City Road chapel. Here the morning 
 service of the Established Church was read, as is the case 
 in most of the Wesleyan chapels in London. The service 
 is used by our people, without much alteration; however, 
 for a few years past, they omit to pray for Bishops as a 
 distinct order in the ministry ; they pray for all the minis- 
 ters of the Gospel, instead of " Bishops and other clergy." 
 I suppose our Wesleyan brethren in England think as 
 
SABBATHS IN LONDON. 181 
 
 ive do here, namely, that "Bishop" is an o^ce in the 
 church, and not a distinct order. This is the light in 
 which Mr. Wesley viewed it, and accordingly, in: ' The 
 Sunday Service of the Methodists in the United States," 
 which he prepared, he omitted the term " Bishops," and 
 substituted " Ministers." 
 
 The reading of the service occupied about three quar- 
 ters of an hour, and was attended with the responses of 
 a regular clerk. In this chapel the service is seldom 
 read by the man who delivers the sermon, but by a man 
 who is employed to read the service, administer baptism, 
 and bury the dead. 
 
 Only a few besides the Sabbath school and their 
 teachers were . present, when the reading of the service 
 commenced, but the congregation were all in and 
 quietly seated by the -time the reader was through. 
 Just before the service closed, the preacher came in from 
 the vestry, and went into the pulpit and kneeled down, 
 and reipained on his knees until the benediction was 
 pronounced. After a few moments, he gave out a 
 hymn; this was followed by prayer and singing again. 
 Then followed the sermon, as is usual among us. I 
 could not learn the minister's name who preached that 
 morning, but he gave us an excellent sermon. It cer- 
 tainly was among the best that I heard in London. In 
 the evening, at the "request of Mr. Loomis, the superin- 
 tendent, I attempted to preach in Jewin street chapel, 
 a house which had formerly belonged to tho Unita- 
 rians. 
 
 On the second Sabbath, I went in the morning to hear 
 the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel, who has since left the 
 Establishment. He preached an excellent sermon. He 
 appeared to be a man of good talents and of an excellent 
 spirit. In the evening I attempted to preach in City 
 
182 SABBATHS IN LONDON. 
 
 Road chapel. I confess I felt some strange feelings when 
 I found myself standing in the same pulpit where Mr. 
 Wesley had stood, and preaching to some who had 
 heard Mr. Wesley in the same place; 
 
 The third Sabhath I attended worship at an Inde- 
 pendent chapel, and heard Rev. Mr. Binney, a man of 
 considerable- reputation. In the afternoon I heard a 
 Wesleyan, in Jewin street chapel. The brother who 
 preached was said to be the most eloquent and popular 
 man of all our ministers in London, at that time. But 
 I was not pleased ; there seemed to me to be too much 
 puff and swell to suit my notion of true eloquence. In 
 the evening I endeavored to preach in the chapel in 
 Wilderness-row. 
 
 The fourth Sabbath I attended Dr. Leifchild's chapel 
 in the morning, and heard Dr. Patten, of New York. In 
 the afternoon I heard a minister of the Establishment, 
 and in the evening I attempted to preach in the Wes- 
 leyan, chapel, in Great Queen street,, to Dr. Beaumont's 
 congregation. This is said to be the largest Methodist 
 chapel in London. 
 
 The fifth Sabbath I listened to a minister of the Free 
 Scotch Church, in the City Road chapel, in the morning. 
 I thought the Rev. Doctor was not much accustomed 
 to preach to any but his own people. In the evening I 
 attempted to preach in an Independent chapel, in Shore- 
 ditch, near City Road, of which Rev. Mr; Mannering is 
 the pastor. I had an excellent time in attempting to 
 preach on this occasion. 
 
 The last Sabbath that I wfis in London, I attended 
 the communion in Rev. Mr. Noel's church, in compliance 
 with an invitation given by Mr. Noel to all the mem- 
 bars of the Alliance. In the afternoon I went to hear 
 Rev. Dr. Wilson, Bishop of Calcutta, who had returned 
 
SABBATHS IN LONDON. 183 
 
 to England to solicit aid to build a cathedral in India. 
 His discourse was certainly a great puff. In the even- 
 ing I went to Hoxon street chapel, where I attempted to 
 preach. Here I enjoyed a very precious season, and I 
 believe good impressions were madef on the hearts of the 
 people. 
 
 After closing my discourse, I made some allusion to 
 my intention to embark, in a day or two, for my native 
 land, and requested to be remembered in prayer. As 
 soon as, I had done, a gentleman who sat not far from 
 the pulpit arose and stepped out into the aisle, and 
 desired to speak. As no one said anything, I toM him 
 I presumed there were no objections. He then went on 
 to say that he was not a Wesle^J^an, but was a minister 
 of the Free Scotch Church; that he was an entire 
 stranger there ; that he providentially came in to hear 
 God's word, and had been greatly blessed. But he said 
 that his special object in speaking was to invite all 
 Christians present to unite in prayer for the brother who 
 was about to embark for his native land. " We all 
 know," said he, "the perils of the mighty deep, and we 
 all know that God holds the winds and the waves under 
 his control. And," said he, " we know, also, that God 
 heareth prayer. Now, therefore, let us all bow down 
 before the Lord, and unite in commending our brother 
 to his special care." Upon this, he fell on his knees in 
 the place where he stood, and offered up a most fervent 
 prayer. I shall long remember the ardor of his soul, 
 and the strong expressions of Christian affection toward 
 me, and of unwavering faith in God. "Lord," said he, 
 "we earnestly entreat thee to take care of our dear 
 brother, and bring him safely to his native land, and 
 to the embraces of his friends. Hold the stormy 
 winds, O Lord, in thine own hands, and control the 
 
184 SABBATHS IN LONDON. 
 
 raging waves. Take care of every plank of the ship in 
 ■which he shall sail, until he shall arrive at the desired 
 haven." Thus he prayed and wrestled, like a man who 
 had power with God, and who had been accustomed to 
 prevail. And there seemed to be a corresponding feeling 
 through all the house, which was evinced by several 
 audible amens. I do not recollect that I ever heard a 
 more fervent prayer offered in my behalf in all my life. 
 If the dear man of God had foreseen the terrible equi- 
 noctial gale we had to encounter in a few days, he could 
 not have prayed more appropriately or more fervently. 
 While he was praying, I felt an assurance thrill through 
 my spirit that I should most certainly reach my home ; 
 and from that moment, I must say, I felt l«ss dread of 
 the voyage than I had before. I mention the foregoing 
 circumstance because I shall have occasion to refer to it 
 again, in noticing the terrible storm which overtook us, 
 through which we were graciously preserved. 
 
 Besides preaching six times on Sabbath evenings, I 
 also attempted to preach three times on week evenings, 
 — once in City Road chapel, once in Jewin-street chapel, 
 and once in the chapel in Wilderness Row. In all these 
 places I enjoyed considerable liberty. I felt as though I 
 was among Christian brethren, where there were views 
 and feelings entertained corresponding with my own. 
 
A LONDON SKETCH. 185 
 
 A LONDON SKETCH. 
 
 London may be regarded as the metropolis of the 
 ■world. It is situated on the north side of the river 
 Thames, at the head of navigation. It is something 
 more than seven miles in length, and from two to four 
 or five miles in width. Its population is very dense, eind 
 is calculated at present as amounting to 2,352,000. 
 There is an immense amount of wealth possessed by its 
 inhabitants, and there are vast multitudes who are ex- 
 ceedingly poor. 
 
 This city is very ancient ; it is thought to have existed 
 more than two thousand years. It was probably built 
 by the ancient Romans. This city has been visited 
 twice by the plague ; in the first instance, 30,000 per- 
 sons died, and in the second not less than 68,000. In 
 1668, two years after the last plague, a terrible fire broke 
 out, which continued to rage four days, and is said 
 to have destroyed 13,200 houses, and 86 churches and 
 chapels. The loss of property is said to have amounted 
 to more than £250,000,000. 
 
 A large portion of the streets of London are quite nar- 
 row, but they are generally kept remarkably clean. In 
 West End, as it is called, which has been more recently 
 built, the streets are wide, and the buildings are in more 
 modern style, and generally very elegant. In general, 
 the houses have rather an antiquated appearance, and, 
 owing to the great use of bituminous coal for fuel, and 
 to the humidity of the atmosphere, there is rather a 
 dingy appearance to the buildings throughout the city. 
 
 The east part of the city is remarkable for its basins 
 for the accommodation of shipping. The water is let 
 into these basins, at the time of high tide, by means 
 
186 A LONDON SKETCH. 
 
 of locks. Around these are immense store-houses, in 
 which very much business is transacted. 
 
 In all parts of the city public squares aboiind, in 
 which there are, generally, more or less monuments 
 erected, and around which there are, usually, very mag- 
 nificent buildings. 
 
 It is said that the effective force of the police of Lon- 
 don amounts to, about 3,500. More or less of these offi- 
 cers are to be found at their respective posts, both night 
 and day ; and they preserve most admirable order. I 
 know not that a single fire occurred in any part of the 
 city during all the time I was there. 
 
 Although there are, no doubt, a great many good 
 people in this great city, there is a vast amount of wick- 
 edness, here ; perhaps there are but few cities on earth 
 more wicked than London. There certainly is not a 
 city that sins against greater light. It is said that the 
 whole number of places of worship is, only about 800. 
 Admitting that these, upon an average, will each accom- 
 modate 1000 persons, there would be accommodations 
 for little more than one third of its inhabitants. But 
 these places of worship are seldom all filled, some of 
 them not much more than half filled with worshippers. 
 There are, no doubt, more than a million persons in 
 London who never enter any place of worship, neither 
 church nor chapel. 
 
 It is said that in London the births which occur 
 average weekly about fourteen hundred, and the deaths 
 not far from one thousand. I came across the following 
 curious statistics respecting the deaths which have 
 occurred in England and Wales in eighteen years. This, 
 it is thought, might also apply to the proportion of rela- 
 tive ages of those who die in London. From 1813 to 
 1830, there were registered as buried in England and 
 
ENGLAND, 
 
 -FAREWELL. 
 
 187 
 
 Wales, 3,938,496 persons. The following table gives 
 the ages, and will serve to show our liability to death : 
 
 Under 1 yr. of age, - 
 1 year. 
 
 10 
 20 
 30 
 40 
 50 
 
 778,038 
 266,243 
 154,004 
 94,663 
 22,137 
 31,286 
 31,127 
 30,511 
 33,527 
 
 60 years, - - 
 
 70 " 
 
 80 " 
 
 90 " 
 
 100 " - - 
 
 105 " 
 
 110 " 
 
 120 " 
 
 124 " -- - 
 
 43,274 
 
 53,953 
 
 45,607 
 
 11,173 
 
 707 
 
 101 
 
 18 
 
 There are' quite too many people in London for the 
 comfort of its inhabitants, and they are very rapidly 
 increasing every year. The government has made some 
 attempts to prevent the further enlargement of the city ; 
 but such- attempts are wholly in vain, such are the facil- 
 ities which it offers for the attainment of wealth and the 
 enjoyment of pleasure. 
 
 ENGLAND, — FAREWELL. 
 September 1, 1846. 
 
 We left London on Tuesday morning, September 1st, 
 just five weeks from the day on which we had arrived. 
 There were three of us in company. Rev. George Web- 
 ber, Rev. O. Gregory, and myself, who took the cars at 
 six o'clock, and rpached Portsmouth in about four hours. 
 Here we found the ship Hendrick Hudson, which had 
 sailed from London on Saturday It was lying at 
 anchor, awaiting our arrival. While waiting for the 
 captain's orders for all to go on board, let me pen down 
 a few thoughts about England, and bid her farewell. 
 
 England is a remarkable part of the world. From all 
 I have seen, and heard, and read, I am prepared to 
 acknowledge this. Its soil is fertile, and it abounds in 
 
188 ENGLAND, — FAREWELL. 
 
 mineral wealth ; its atmosphere is very mild, and its 
 seasons are remarkably productive. Its population is 
 numerous, and its government is very powerful ; al- 
 though monarchical, there is none in all Europe so 
 liberal and free. There is no country in all Europe, of 
 its size, which possesses so much wealth, or where there 
 is so much virtue, intelligence, and enterprise. She sit- 
 teth as a queen upon many waters, and upon some 
 part of her possessions the sun always shines, for they 
 extend nearly around the globe. Her institutions form a 
 mighty bulwark for the protection of religion, and her 
 influence is felt more or less in nearly all the nations of 
 the earth. There is no part of Europe where religious 
 liberty is enjoyed as in England ; Jior does any country 
 number as many scholars and celebrated divines. Her 
 history of former days has done her great honor in this 
 respect, and the present generation of her sons do no dis- 
 honor to the past. 
 
 There is no part of Europe where literature and 
 science are so accessible as here, or where the people 
 avail themselves of their advantages in these re- 
 spects, more than here. And there is no part of the 
 world where so much is done every year to spread 
 the glorious .gospel abroad, and bless mankind with 
 its light. It is, to a great extent, the radiating centre 
 of the moral world. In England, nearly all denom- 
 inations of Christians harmonize in this glorious enter- 
 prise. Nowhere under the wide spread canopy of 
 heaven is a more noble specimen given of the benevo- 
 lence of Christianity, or the unity of its friends. 
 
 But to this picture, so honorable to England, there 
 are many shades which cannot but be seen. Here, also, 
 are ignorance and sin. Her citizens do not all avail 
 themselves of their advantages to become wise and good. 
 
ENGLAND, FAREWELL. 189 
 
 It is recorded that in one year thirty thousand were 
 arraigned for criminal offences, and that nearly nine 
 tenths of them were illiterate ; a tenth only could read 
 and write. The wealth of England is, to a great extent, 
 in the hands of the aristocracy ; in their hands is the 
 power. Generally, among the rich and the great, luxury 
 and sin abound. It is to be feared that among this class 
 there are but fe'w who fear God, and many are very 
 wicked -^ many profess religion for the sake of obtaining 
 office. 
 
 The government of England is exceedingly expensive, 
 and of course the taxes are exceedingly heavy. Al- 
 though the poor have but little property on which to be 
 taxed, yet the enormous duties on all their imports 
 make the necessaries of life exceedingly high. A gov- 
 ernment so expensive and extravagant must require taxes 
 too intolerable to be borne. How can the taxes be 
 otherwise when the royal family receive annually from 
 the treasury of the nation nearly owe, million and a half 
 of dollars; and some of her majesty's public officers 
 must receive such enormous sums 7 It is said that in 
 1814 the House of Commons voted to the Duke of Wel- 
 lington £400,000 ; and at another time £4,000 a year for 
 three lives; and" at another time, as a donation, they 
 gave him £3,400,000; and for his services while in 
 India, they gave him £20,000 per annum. This affords 
 us a specimen of the extravagance of England. 
 
 But, England, I am now about to leave thee for my 
 native land. We shall soon receive orders to embark ; 
 our noble ship will soon spread her canvas to the breeze, 
 and thy beautiful shores and headlands will only appear 
 in the distance. With all thy wealth and thy poverty, 
 thy virtues and thy crimes, thy glory and thy shame, I 
 wish thee well. For the sake of the enlightening infiu- 
 
190 ENGLAND, — F A K E W E LL . 
 
 ence thou exertest among the nations ; and for the sake 
 of the learning, virtue, truth, and piety, which exist 
 among thy people, I wish thee well. 
 
 However, let me say, before I quite lose sight of thy 
 shores, that what has been, in the history of nations, 
 may be again. Babylon once said, "I sit as a queen, 
 and shall see no sorrow." The merchants of the earth 
 waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies ; but 
 it was said, " Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen !" The 
 battle is not always to the strong; the Lord raiseth up 
 one, and putteth down another. If no special judgments 
 overtake thee for thy sins, there are elements now at 
 work within thee, which, in time not far distant, may 
 rob thee of thy glory. Thy enterprising sons have 
 found countries far more flourishing than thine own. 
 America and Australia may yet outstrip thee. The 
 United States are now next to thee in resources and in 
 power, and may soon excel. The Anglo-Saxon race 
 will, no doubt, conquer and rule the, world ; but Great 
 Britain may nOt be the seat of empire. It is most prob- 
 able that it may be created elsewhere. I predict no con- 
 quest over thee, or that any special calamity will befall 
 thee ; but thy government may be confined to thine own 
 shores. My beloved country, for which I am about to 
 embark, may yet become the greatest country on the 
 face of the earth ; and thy dominions on the other side 
 of the globe may in some future day be enlightened and 
 wholly independent of thy control. But whatever may 
 be thy future history, thy weal or woe, I now embark 
 for my native land, and sincerely wish thee well. 
 
EETUKN VOYAGE. 191 
 
 RETUBN VOYAGE. 
 
 Cheering prospects. — Terrible tempest. — Trust in God. — Eeligioua exercises. — 
 Safe arrival. 
 
 We embarked about two o'clock, P. M., and soon our 
 sails were all spread before a pleasant breeze, and our 
 ship moving toward our native land. There were on 
 board about twenty cabin and fifty steerage passengers. 
 Rev. Dr. Wilson, Rev. Mr. Osborn, Rev. Mr. Webber, 
 and Rev. Mr. Gregory, were on board; being five of 
 us who professed to be ministers, we promised ourselves 
 much comfort in associating with each other during our 
 voyage ; and we were not disappointed. 
 
 When we had been on our ^ay about a week, and 
 had progressed about five hundred miles, we met an 
 English ship from New York, homeward bound. She 
 hoisted a signal, and was answered from ours. She 
 hung out a black board, on which was marked, with 
 chalk, her latitude and longitiVde, and our captain did 
 the same. On comparing the reckoning of the two ves- 
 sels, there was, if I recollect, only about three miles 
 difference in their reckonings of latitude. Such is the 
 perfection at which the science of navigation has arrived, 
 and such was the skill of these two commanders. This 
 circumstance served to inspire the passengers with con- 
 fidence in the skill of Capt. Moore. 
 
 For about three weeks we had pleasant weather, and 
 a fair wind was bearing us rapidly toward our homes. 
 We began to hope we should reach New York in one 
 week more. But we were destined to be disappointed. 
 On the morning of the nineteenth day we were met by 
 the equinoctial gale. It came so suddenly, that, before 
 the sails could all be taken in, two of them were torn 
 into atomsi The raging foe came from the south-west; 
 
192 KETURN VOYAGE. 
 
 it Struck us directly in our face, just as we had passed 
 the banks of Newfoundland. Our ship was soon put in 
 her storm undress, to meet the dreadful gale. In spite 
 of every eifort, we \veie driven a great distance from our 
 course. 
 
 The motion of our ship, under the influence of the 
 storm and the surges which rolled beneath us, was 
 really frightful. And who can describe the appearance 
 of the troubled deep 7 or who can forget the horrid moan 
 of the stormy wind as it rushed through the rigging of 
 the ship? The creaking of the timbers, the howling of 
 the winds, and the tremendous roar of the surrounding 
 waves, defy all attenipts at description. These things 
 were wonderfully calculated to illustrate the power and 
 majesty of God — 
 
 " Who rides upon the stormy sky, 
 And calms the roaring seas." 
 
 Here we were, driven by a hurricane over the fathom- 
 less depths, leaping from surge to surge on a few planks 
 nailed together, in a state of perfect helplessness. What 
 could have saved us from ruin and death, had we been 
 dashing toward a reef of rocks, or had we come in con- 
 tact with another ship? This scene exceeded anything 
 any of us had ever witnessed before. The captain said 
 he had crossed the Atlantic no less ;than one hundred 
 and forty times^ but he had never encountered a worse 
 storm. 
 
 To one who had courage enough to go on deck and 
 look abroad, the sight was awfully grand. I passed up 
 the gangway once with much difficulty, cast one glance 
 on the scene, and immediately returned. I saw no living 
 being on the deck, except the man who was tied fast at 
 the helm. The entire ocean lay before us, one vast 
 
RETURN VOYAGE. 193 
 
 sheet of rolling and boiling foam, with here and there a 
 huge billow carrying his head higher than his fellow for 
 a moment, as though it was bent on our destruction. But 
 just as it seemed ready to overwhelm us, it would sink 
 down, as though an invisible hand had suddenly 
 seized it, or some controlling power had said, " Thus far 
 only; here thou shalt give thy raging o'er." Where 
 there would be a swelling mountain this moment, there 
 would be a valley the next. 
 
 , This war of elements continued from about half-past 
 five in the morning until about nine o'clock in the even- 
 ing. When it first began I could not but feel some 
 uneasiness in reflecting on our utter helplessness and 
 what might be our fate. But, recollecting that our 
 heavenly Father held the elements under his^ control, I 
 became quite calm. Rev. Mr. Gregory occupied the 
 same state-room with me; and we spent the day in quiet 
 meditation and prayer. The' prayers of my brethren at 
 Hoxon-street Chapel, which had been offered for me 
 the Sabbath evening before I embarked, which were led 
 by the Scotch minister, often came to my mind, and I 
 was kept in perfect peace, trusting in God. I was filled 
 with an assurance that that prayer would be heard, and 
 I should safely reach my home. From eight o'clock in 
 the morning until noon, I did not once rise from my 
 seat; and I sat equally undisturbed five hours in the 
 afternoon. About noon we shipped a sea, which seemed 
 for a few moments to threaten to engulph us all; but 
 the ship soon righted-up again. About nine o'clock in 
 the evening, finding myself quite weary, I got into my 
 berth, committed myself to divine protection, and fell 
 asleep, and, although it may seem strange, I slept quite . 
 well through the remainder of the night. The next 
 morning the weather was tolerably calm. 
 
 9 
 
194 RETURN VOYAGE. 
 
 In the forenoon of this day, which Avas Sabbath, I 
 preached on the after deck ; and in the evening I was 
 requested to preach to the passengers in the steerage. I 
 preached twice to the cabin passengers, and twice to 
 those in the steerage. And once I gave the steeragie 
 passengers an address on emigration. Three of the 
 other ministers preached, also, during the voyage. 
 When we arrived at New York, I received a very 
 respectful note, signed by more than twenty names ol 
 steerage passengers, expressing their thanks to me for 
 my labors among them during the passage. 
 
 We arrived in sight of land near the close of a some- 
 what unpleasant day, and came to anchor off Sandy 
 Hook some time in the evening, and waited until morn- 
 ing for a steamer to tow us into the harbor. -During the 
 night, the clouds had cleared away, and the morning 
 sun- showed as a most beautiful sight. To me, nature 
 never appeared more lovely. To us who had been so long 
 out of sight of land, the bay of New York seemed almost 
 like a scene gotten up by the power of enchantment. 
 
 We arrived at New York on the fourth day of Octo- 
 ber, just thirty-five days after we left Portsmouth. It 
 was on Sabbath morning, just as the bells were ringing 
 for church. I immediately left the ship, and soon found 
 myself mingling with the worshippers of God in John- 
 street Church, in the very place where, in 1814, I took 
 upon me my ordination vows. I think I never felt more 
 thankful for any temporal mercies that I ever received, 
 than I did that day for my safe return. The language 
 of my heart was — 
 
 " I 've returned to the laud of milk and honey, 
 HaUelujah!" 
 
 I joined with my Christig-n friends in prayer and praise 
 with much pleasure. 
 
SUPERNUMEKARY. 195 
 
 SUPERNUMERARY. 
 1847, 1848. 
 
 Book of Discipline. — Revisal." — Rule on temperance. — New arrangement. 
 
 Although my Tisit to England had improved both my 
 health and my spirits, it had made me no younger ; I 
 therefore thought it not best to take an effective relation. 
 So, at my request, I was continued a supernumerary. 
 But in this relation I did not remain idle. I generally 
 preached every Sabbath, sometimes assisting brethren if 
 unwell, and sometimes supplying their places if they had 
 occasion to be absent. 
 
 At the General Conference of 1848, two events took 
 place with which I had something to do, which gave me 
 some pleasure. The events to which I allude are the 
 revisal and the new arrangement of our Book of Dis- 
 cipline. 
 
 1. Methodism, in its peculiar characteristics, is a crea- 
 ture of Providence. Its doctrines and moral discipline 
 are derived from the sacred Scriptures, and, therefore, will 
 never need any revising ; but some of its peculiar feat- 
 ures, and some of its provisions for carrying its doctrines 
 and moral rules into operation, had their origin in the 
 wisdom of man, under the influence of the peculiar cir- 
 cumstances by which as a people we were surrounded. 
 Some of these features and rules must necessarily be 
 varied as circumstances may vary from time to time. 
 
 The General Conference, composed of delegates from 
 all the Annual Conferences, constitutes the highest legis- 
 lative as well as judicial body in the M. E. Church. 
 This body chooses and authorizes our general superin- 
 tendents, and this body makes and amends our rules of 
 discipline, by which our church is governed. At its 
 
196 SUPEENUMEKAEY. 
 
 sessions for many years past, it has had a committee 
 appointed, called the " Committee of Revisal," to whom 
 have been referred such amendments as have been deemed 
 necessary. This committee would report their opinion 
 for the action of the Conference. 
 
 After the temperance reform commenced in our coun,try, 
 Dr. Fisk introduced a resolution to restore Mr. Wesley's 
 rule on temperance as it was originally, which forbids 
 " using intoxicating liquors, except in cases of extreme 
 necessity." This met with opposition from a certain 
 quarter, and was not introduced until 1,848. At the 
 same time an amendment was adopted, making provision 
 for the carrying out the rule of Mr. Wesley. 
 
 This amendment I prepared in a resolution ip 1840, 
 when the General Conference was held in Baltimore; 
 but the Conference was so taken up with other matters, 
 there was no chance to offer it. However, in 1844 it 
 was again introduced, seconded by Rev. E. R. Ames, of 
 Indiana Conference. The resolution was referred to 
 the Committee on Revisals, who reported favorably to 
 its adoption, and, after some discussion, its further con- 
 sideration was postponed until the report of the Commit- 
 tee on Temperance should be presented. The Committee 
 on Temperance, in their report, recommended its adop- 
 tion; but this part of the report being opposed from a 
 certaiji quarter, it was laid on the table, and never 
 called up again, 
 
 However, at the General Conference of 1848, I again 
 introduced the resolution, and it v;-as again referred to 
 the Committee on Revisals, who reported favorably to its 
 adoption, and it was adopted by an almost unanimous 
 vote. This rule is found on page 92 of the new arrange- 
 ment of the Book of Discipline, in which the "buying, 
 selling, or using intoxicating liquors, as a beverage," is 
 
SUPERNUMERAKY. 197 
 
 prohibited. This prohibition is in the second class of 
 offences for which a person, after he has been suitably- 
 admonished, may be expelled, if he does not amend. 
 
 Perhaps it was fortunate that it was laid on the table 
 in 1844, for there would have been strong opposition 
 made to it, by certain men who were then with us. They 
 had generally opposed the restoration of Mr. Wesley's 
 rule, for reasons best known to themselves ; and they no 
 doubt would have opposed this if it had been called up. 
 Its failure would have been no honor to our church. 
 
 During the interim between 1844 and 1848, the ques- 
 tion of restoring Mr. Wesley's rule had been again sent 
 around to the Annual Conferences, and, certain men no 
 longer standing in its way, it was at this Conference re- 
 stored in a constitutional manner. Now the rule I had 
 proposed seemed somewhat necessary, 1st, in order to 
 explain Mr. Wesley's rule ; and, 2d, to provide a specific 
 rule by which to enforce his. Mr. Wesley's rule prohib- 
 ited buying or selling spirituous liquors, unless in cases 
 of extreme necessity. The design of it was only to 
 prevent the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage, 
 and to discontinue its use, even in medicine, except in 
 cases of extreme necessity. But nothing is said in the 
 rule about beverage; and, according to the letter of it, 
 alcohol may not be used in the arts, nor bought nor sold 
 for this purpose. A rule so indefinite and defective 
 would need an explanation. This rule on page 92 
 explains it, by prohibiting the buying it for a beverage, 
 selling it for a beverage, or using it for a beverage. 
 
 And this rule was needed to enable the administrator 
 to carry Mr. Wesley's rule into effect. Here, buying, or 
 selling, or using, intoxicating liquors, is ranked among a 
 class of infractions of moral rules by which our conduct 
 must be regulated. The offender in this particular must 
 
198 SUPERNUMEKAEY. 
 
 be reproved, and if he acknowledge his fault and amend 
 his -ways, well ; bu4: if he continue to offend, he must be 
 brought before the church, tried, and expelled.* 
 
 2. Our Book of Discipline, like Methodism itself, is also 
 a creature of Providence. Rules were introduced into it, 
 from time to time, as circumstances and occasiops called 
 for them, and it often happened that, on this account, 
 new rules were not put in their most appropriate place. 
 In consequence of this, the book had become so jumbled 
 up and void of order, that in sonie instances it was ex- 
 ceedingly difficult to turn to any specific rule when it 
 was wanted. 
 
 This defect in the arrangement had been seen and 
 deplored, but no efforts to remedy it were effectual, until 
 the Troy Conference appointed a committee to " prepare a 
 new arrangement of our Book of Discipline." This com- 
 
 *This rule introduces -no new term of membership, for ''drinking 
 spirituous liquors, except in cases of necessity', ' ' has always been forbidden 
 by our General Rules. Nor is it an unseriptural rule. The precise lan- 
 guage of prohibition contained in this rule iflay not be foiind explicitly 
 in the Bible, but the spirit of it is there. In many cases, — perhaps 
 most generally, — the Bible lays down general principles, and leaves it to 
 us to apply them to particular cases. This is the principle on irhich we 
 often have to act, and on which all ecclesiastical bodies are obliged to go 
 in maintaining church discipline. On any other principle, how could we 
 in certain oases determine what is right or wrong .' Or how could the 
 church excommunicate its members, for attending balls, or theatres, for 
 card-playing or horse-racing, or doing many other things that are evi- 
 dently sinful, although not explicitly prohibited in the Bible ? These 
 things may not be specifically, — that is, in so many words, — proscribed 
 in the Bible; but they must be regarded as utterly inconsistent, with 
 Christian character, because they are infractions on what the Bible 
 requires. And is not buying, selling, or using intoxicating liquors as a 
 beverage, equally so ? Surely, if the Bible forbids us to injure ourselves, 
 or our fellow-creatures, it forbids what will inevitably work such an 
 injury, — it forbids using intoxicating liquors as a beverage. A man has 
 no right to put the intoxicating cup either to his neighbor's mouth, or to 
 his own. 
 
SUPERNUMERARY. 199 
 
 mittee prepared such an arrangement, and reported it to . 
 the next Conference. This arrangement was unani- 
 mously approved by the Conference, and recommended 
 to the ensuing General Conference ; and the Conference 
 also requested Bishop Janes to present it for inspection 
 to several annual Conferences, for their approval and 
 recommendation. With this request the bishop very 
 kindly complied. 
 
 At the General Conference of 1848, this subject was 
 referred Ito a special committee, and the committee 
 reported an arrangement not differing much from the 
 one prepared by the Troy Conference. This "new 
 arrangement" was unanimously adopted, and ordered to 
 be published at our book-room, under the supervision of 
 a special committee. 
 
 The result of all this has been, that our Book of Dis- 
 cipline has undergone a very great improvement in its 
 order of arrangement. This is an event in which I 
 greatly rejoice, and I am glad I had the honor to con- 
 tribute my mite toward bringing it about. 
 
 I trust I have not been altogether Useless to the church, 
 while holding a supernumerary relation. In my advanced 
 time of life, if I cannot contribute to the interests of the 
 church in one way, I may nevertheless do it in another. 
 If I can no longer go out with my brethren in the regu- 
 lar work of itinerancy, and help them let down the net, 
 I may nevertheless stand on the shore and assist in hold- 
 ing the land-line and drawing in the net; and I may, 
 perhaps, help a little occasionally in gathering the fishes 
 into vessels and taking care of them. 
 
200 POULTNEY DISTRICT. 
 
 POULTNEY DISTRICT. 
 
 1849. 
 
 Regularly employed. — Aq inciilent. — State of Methodism. — Low state of religion. 
 
 Troy Conference held its session this year at Sandy 
 Hitl, and, at my own request, I continued to hold the 
 relation of supernumerary. After a short time it was 
 found necessary, in order to carry out the plan we had 
 adopted relative to our academy, that Rev. Joseph Ayers, 
 presiding Elder of Poultney district, should be employed 
 as an agent. This could be, if I would supply his place 
 on the district. To this arrangement I consented, and at 
 the joint request of the Board of Trustees and District 
 Stewards, this arrangement was made by Bishop Hed- 
 ding. So, in the month of October, I took charge of the 
 district for the remainder of the conference year. 
 
 The state of Methodism, in' Poultney, is somewhat dif- 
 ferent from what it was wheii I first preached here, in 
 1810. At that time there was no .Methodist society in 
 the town, and strong prejudices existed against us. The 
 following incident will furnish a specimen. I got an 
 appointment to preach in the east village, and, after 
 preaching. Elder K. sent a request to have me call on 
 him, at the house of Judge B. So I called, and found 
 quite a number of gentlemen ' gathered, and Elder K. 
 ready for battle. He inquired what kind of doctrine I 
 preached. I told him I usually preached that men must 
 repent and be converted. Said he, "Do you believe in 
 the doctrine of human depravity 7" I told him I did. 
 "In total depravity?" said he. I told him I did, if by 
 total depravity is meant that a sinner has nothing good 
 in him by nature, and is totally unable of himself to do 
 anything good ; but I believed God had not left man in 
 this state, but had given him gracious assistance. Here 
 he interrupted me by saying, " We do not want to hear 
 
POULTNEY DISTRICT. 201 
 
 any explanation how you believe it. You say you hold 
 to total depravity — that is enough. You go about tell- 
 ing totally depraved creatures to do something. You 
 are an inconsistent man; you don't understand your 
 Bible." I attempted to explain, but he would not hear 
 a word from me, but charged me with preaching false 
 and dangerous doctrine. I attempted to defend myself, 
 but he would not hear me. So I sat in silence, and let 
 him go on as he liked. 
 
 After a while he made a little pause, and I proposed 
 this question : " Cannot a sinner repent before he is born 
 again and made a Christian'?" He seemed not to hear 
 my question, but Icept on in his severe remarks about 
 what he called the errors of the Methodists. Every time 
 I could get a chance, I would repeat my question ; but he 
 paid no attention to it, until Judge B. called his attention 
 to it. He then said, "No! — a sinner is. like a milk- 
 weed ; until the weed is cut in two, no milk can flow 
 from it. Repentance is a holy exercise, and none but a 
 holy being can put forth a holy exercise." 
 
 As he said this, a gentleman in the company, who was 
 one of his hearers, arose and addressed him very em- 
 phatically. "Elder K.," said he, "I am astonished at 
 your answer. I advise you to go to heaven, — there is 
 the place for you to preach. If sinners cannot repent 
 until they are holy, why are you here preaching repent- 
 ance'? I am sure you can be of no use to us here." 
 After this short speech, he left the house. A moment of 
 silence ensued, and I exclaimed "Amen ! " and made my 
 bow, and went out also. I was told afterward that 
 Judge B. told the elder he had done his cause more harm 
 than I could have done it. 
 
 But times have grea,tly qhanged in Poultney since 
 1810. Our doctrines are better understood, brotherly 
 
202 POTJLTNEY DISTRICT. 
 
 love prevails here among Christians, and Elder K. has 
 long since gone to his rest. We have had, for many 
 years, a good society in the west part of the town, and a 
 good church has been erected, TJiis is the seat of the 
 Troy Conference Academy. 
 
 Poultney district embraced a part of what was for- 
 merly called Middlebury district, as also Champlain, on 
 which I had travelled twenty years before. Here, then, 
 I found myself among my former friends, even a few of 
 whom I had known as early as 1810. But great changes 
 had taken place through all these parts, since I first 
 travelled here. Our societies have sprung up in every 
 direction, and churches have been built in nearly every 
 town. 
 
 But some changes had taken place since I travelled 
 here twenty years ago, especially in that part of the dis- 
 trict which' lies in Vermont. There remained but few 
 appointments which deserved the name of circuits. In 
 order to accommodate those places where our people had 
 erected churches with preaching once or twice on the 
 Sabbath, the work had been cut up into little stations. 
 By this arrangement, however, the charges in many 
 instances had been so weakened that they afforded the 
 preachers but a small support. In consequence of this 
 dividing up, our quarterly meetings were generally but 
 small affairs, exciting but little interest among our peo- 
 ple. 
 
 In this part of the district, as it is to some extent all 
 through Vermont, and many other parts of New England, 
 there is a tendency among our people toward Congrega- 
 tionalism, — not in regard to doctrines, or system of 
 church government, but in their financial operations, and, 
 in some respects, in the observance of our rules of disci- 
 pline and mode of worship. This tendency grows out 
 of the early habits and education of the people. 
 
THE PRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 203 
 
 In going around the district, I found the state of 
 religion exceedingly low. I think there is reason to fear 
 that not only Methodism, but religion in general, had 
 lost its hold, in a great measure, on many people all 
 through the Western part of Vermont. It was but seldom 
 we heard of any revival among any denomination. The 
 love of riches appeared to have seized all classes, and 
 there was a strong inclination to Universalism and scep- 
 ticism. 
 
 This state of feeling developed itself very strongly, in 
 some places, by the desecration of the Sabbath, intem- 
 perance, and profaneness ; and by an entire neglect of 
 the ordinances of God's house, and scanty support of 
 religious arid benevolent institutions. There were some 
 towns in the western part of the State, where the inhab- 
 itants were populous, and many of them very wealthy, 
 in which was very little preaching of any kind, except 
 at their funerals. It was believed, by many, that in some 
 of these towns more money had been expended, some 
 years, for the single article of cigars, than for the preach- 
 ing of the Gospel. 
 
 I think that in the part of the district which was lying 
 in New York State, Methodism, at the time I was there, 
 was in a more flourishing condition. It retained rather 
 more of its original peculiarities. Our financial matters 
 were in a better state, class-meetings were better at- 
 tended, and our love-feasts were more select. 
 
 THE PRESIDING ELDEESHIP. 
 
 Its importance, • — Itg responsibilitiea. — It must not be abolished. 
 
 As it is pretty certain that my labors on Poultney dis- 
 trict will finish all I shall ever have to do with the office 
 and duties of the presiding Eldership, I desire to make 
 a few remarks on this subject. 
 
204 THEPRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 
 
 The importance of this office I never duly appreciated 
 until I had the honor of being appointed to it. Nor was 
 I fully aware of its responsibilities and difficulties until 
 I found myself involved in them. I must now say, that 
 I regard this office as being of great importance to. our 
 church, and for several reasons cannot be dispensed -with 
 without great injury to us. > 
 
 1. It forms a part of the system of episcopacy, or 
 general superintendency, and a well-regulated and effi- 
 cient itinerancy. The supervision over so large a num- 
 ber of circuits and stations, spread over such an exten- 
 sive tract of country, could never be effectually accom- 
 phshed by our general superintendents, without aid 
 affijrded them by the presiding Elders. They could 
 not become acquainted with the state and wants of the 
 stations to be supplied with preachers, and they could 
 not know the characters and talents of the preachers, so 
 as to adapt the appointments to the circumstances of the 
 case. In this country, if we give up the office of pre- 
 siding Elders, we must also give up episcopacy and 
 itinerancy. 
 
 2. Presiding Elders are necessary for the improvement 
 of the ministry. Owing to a variety of circumstances, 
 a large number of our ministers are young and inexpe- 
 rienced; and, since the work*has been cut up into so 
 many small , stations, — an event which is unavoidable, 
 — many of ■ these young men must be alone, and of 
 course they must have the pastoral charge. Now, that 
 these young men should be under the care and super- 
 vision of brethren older and more experienced than 
 themselves, must be evident to every reflecting man. 
 This is necessary, that they may be carefully instructed 
 in our doctrines, and especially in the pfeculiarities of our 
 principles of church government. And such supervision 
 
THE PRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 205 
 
 is necessary in order that such young men may be offi- 
 cially reported, if need be, to the body, — that is, to the 
 Conference, — to whom they are accountable for their 
 doctrine, their character, and their administration. 
 
 Without the office of presiding Elder, it would be 
 exceedingly difficult, if not utterly impossible, to pre- 
 serve uniformity of doctrine and discipline among us. 
 This system of supervision by presiding Elders forms a 
 connecting link throughout the entire church, which 
 could not otherwise be preserved. If a presiding Elder 
 be a good and judicious man, he will be of immense im- 
 portance to the , church in forming the character of our 
 young men, and fitting them for usefulness as Methodist 
 preachers, by instructing them in the discipline and 
 usages of our church, and also in their manners as pub- 
 lic speakers. Such checks and restraints as this office 
 exerts among us, as a body of ministers, cannot but ex- 
 ert a healthful influence, and greatly tend to promote 
 peace and uniformity. Much of that uniformity which 
 has always prevailed in our ministry, as respects doc- 
 trine and discipline, is attributable, I have no doubt, to 
 the office of presiding Elder. 
 
 3. This officer is necessary to the safety of our mem- 
 bership. It connects with it a court of appeal and a 
 judge of law. This court is a quarterly Conference, over 
 which the presiding Elder presides. This is certainly 
 for the safety of the membership of the church. If a 
 preacher in charge should expel a member, such person 
 so , expelled has a right to appeal to a higher court, 
 where a higher . officer presides, — a court composed of 
 official members of the station, and where the preacher 
 is on a level with others ; a court where, upon irives- 
 tigation, it might appear that the proceedings were not 
 according to the rule of discipline. Here the presiding 
 
206 THE PRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 
 
 Elder, in such case, would have the right to decide that 
 the proceedings were null and void. Or it might appear 
 that justice had not been done to the member, and on 
 this account the quarterly Conference could reverse the 
 decision in the case. It needs an officer whose business 
 it is to see that our rules are carried out, and that justice 
 is done to all our members, and this is made the special 
 business of the presiding Elder. Without such an offi- 
 cer, there could be no such court of appeal ; and without 
 such court, in thousands of instances, justice might not 
 be done to the members of our church. 
 
 There was a time when I thought the presiding Elders 
 should be chosen by the annual Conference, instead of 
 being appointed by the Bishop, as they now are ; but I 
 have changed my mind on this subject.- I think,^ as they 
 are the Bishops' assistants, they should be both elected 
 and appointed by them. They hold a relation to the 
 Bishop that class-leaders hold to the preacher in charge, 
 and there would, therefore, be no more propriety in the 
 members of an annual Conference choosing the one than 
 there would be of the members of the society choosing 
 the other. In either case there would be an infringe- 
 ment on the system of superintendency, and in either 
 case a door would be opened for ambition and excite- 
 ment, which among Christian people it is very desirable 
 to avoid. 
 
 The responsibilities connected with the duties of pre- 
 siding Elders are very great, as will appear if we con- 
 sider three things. 
 
 1. They form the Bishop's council. Although no rule of 
 disciphne constitutes them such, they are such in fact, and 
 must be from necessity, and they are so recognized by all 
 our superintendents. The Bishops never make out the 
 appointments without consulting them. Now,' to give a 
 
THE PRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 207 
 
 just and faithful representation of all parties concerned, 
 is certainly a matter of great responsibility, and every 
 conscientious presiding Elder must feel it to be so. 
 
 2. They hold an important relation to their brethren 
 in the ministry, who are their fellow-laborers in the dis- 
 trict. They sometimes find it to be their duty to advise the 
 appointment of preachers to places with which they are 
 not well pleased. The presiding Elder may have good 
 .reasons for advising the removal of a preacher, or his 
 appointment to a certain place, which he may not find 
 it easy to explain to the brother. There are sometimes 
 reasons which it may not be best for the preacher to 
 know. They may relate to his wife, or to his children, 
 or they may be such as are beyond his power to control ; 
 and therefore it may not be best for him to know what 
 they are. His removal from a good circuit, or his 
 appointment to a hard one, may have greatly afflicted 
 his feelings, or perhaps even ofiended hirn. The presid- 
 ing Elder in such cases knows his own integrity, and 
 that he has done the best he could under the circum- 
 stances of the case ; but it may be difficult to make 
 the afflicted brother believe it. In such cases, he has no 
 other way but to bear it as among the burdens of a 
 responsible station, and look for a righteous decision con- 
 cerning the purity of his motives to a higher court. 
 
 3. The responsibility does not end with the influence 
 he has in making out the several appointments. In con- 
 sequence of his seniority of office, he may have to 
 advise his fellow-laborers in the district, and sometimes 
 even reprove them. Preachers may err, as well as others; 
 but who will admonish, them, if their brethren in the 
 ministry do not ? And who among their brethren in the 
 ministry more suitable than their seniors in office ? In- 
 deed, the discipline of the church makes it their duty 
 
208 THE PRESIDING ELDERSHIP. 
 
 for it gives them the pastoral care of all the preachers in 
 their district, both travelling and local. But it often 
 happens that such preachers as need admonition are the 
 most unwilling to receive it. They are usually most 
 impatient of reproof If any man doubt this, let him 
 try the experiment. If such are the responsibilities of 
 this office, our presiding Elders need both wisdom and 
 grace. 
 
 If this office is ever abolished its abolition will origi- 
 nate and be brought about by a class of ministers who 
 have but httle sympathy whh our system of itinerancy, 
 or are so circumstanced as not to see its importance. 
 
 1. They will be men who have received appointments 
 as presidents, principals, or professors in our literary in- 
 stitutions, who from their own experience know iiothjng 
 about itinerancy and pastoral duties. Such will probably 
 be the first to suggest its abolition, for they are least of 
 all men prepared to appreciate its importance. The views 
 of such men must necessarily be exceedingly local and 
 limited, on the practical workings of our system of 
 superintendence and itinerancy. 
 
 2. Next to these there will be a class of men whose 
 itinerancy consists of a removal from one city or prin- 
 cipal village to another. In such places a quarterly 
 meeting usually amounts to no more than an ordinary 
 occasion, and, of course, the visits and labors of a presid- 
 ing Elder are not much appreciated. Perhaps their pas- 
 tor is a man of as much talent as their presiding 
 Elder, and perhaps as acceptable a preacher. Under 
 these circumstances, both the preacher and the peo- 
 ple, looking only to their own accommodations, and 
 not to the general good of the church, may conclude 
 the office is unnecessary. They will, perhaps, think 
 
SUPEENUMEEAKY. 209 
 
 of the expense it malces for them, and desire it may be 
 abolished. 
 
 But if ever this office is dispensed with, a very impor- 
 tant hnk in the system of general superintendency will 
 be broken, and a very powerful means of promoting uni- 
 formity of sentiment and disciplinary administration 
 will be destroyed, and the beauty and glory of our sys- 
 tem of itinerancy will be greatly marred, if not entirely 
 overthrown. 
 
 SUPEKNTJMERAKT. 
 1850, 1851. 
 
 Our Conference this year was held at Saratoga Springs, 
 May 29. As circumstances did not seem to require my 
 labors as an effective man, the Conference, at my request, 
 continued me in my relation as a supernumerary. 
 
 Some time in October the health of Rev. S. Parks, 
 who was-stationed in Pittsfield, failed, and, at the request 
 of my presiding Elder, I supplied his place for about three 
 months, until he, in some measure, recovered. Shortly 
 after I had finished my work here, I was requested to 
 supply the place of Rev. G. C. Wells, whose health had 
 failed. I accordingly went to Williamstown, about the 
 middle of February, and continued until the sitting of 
 the Annual Conference. Nothing occurred in connection 
 with my labors, in either of these places, worthy of any 
 particular notice. 
 
 In the vicinity of these places, including all Berkshire 
 county, Mass., the Methodists have gained quite a re- 
 spectable standing. We have a church in nearly every 
 town. The time was, when strong prejudices existed 
 against our doctrines and usages. Rev. L. Smith is said 
 to have been the first Methodist who preached here. He 
 
210 SUPERNUMERARY. 
 
 came to Pittsfield, I think, in 1790, and called on Mr. 
 Root, who lived in the west part of the town, and 
 obtained permission to preach in his house. I have 
 heard Captain Root, his son, who is now living in Pitts- 
 field, say, that he was sent all around the neighborhood 
 to give notice that a Methodist preacher would preach 
 at his father's house in the evening. When he returned 
 from this errand, having never seen a Methodist preach- 
 er, he desired to see how he looked. So he stepped up 
 softly, and looked through a small opening of the door, 
 and saw the preacher on his knees, appearing to be. 
 much engaged in prayer. Such a sight was perfectly 
 new to him, and made a deep impression on his mind. 
 He thought Methodist preachers must be very good men. 
 He preached there but once. 
 
 The next year, Rev. Robert Green was sent to form a 
 circuit in these parts. He visited the west part of Pitts- 
 field, and preached at the house of a Mr. Stevens. He 
 could not, for a while, get the attention of the people. 
 But it so happened that there came on a snow storm, 
 and blocked up the roads to his next appointment, which 
 was on the west side of the mountain ; therefore, he was 
 obliged to remain several days in the place. Like a faith- 
 ful follower of Christ, he knew his business was, not 
 merely to fill his appointments, but to win souls to 
 Christ. So he undertook to visit from house to house, 
 conversing and praying with the people, and he would 
 invite them to come and hear him preach in the evening. 
 Immediately a seriousness began to appear among the 
 people, and soon a gracious revival took place, and a 
 good society was formed. Shortly after this, a church 
 was erected in this part of the town. In this church the 
 New York Conference held its session in 1810. And 
 here I was admitted into the Conference, on trial. 
 
STJPERNUMEKAET. 211 
 
 Some years after this, a church was built in the east 
 village, and at present our brethren are engaged in erect- 
 ing quite an elegant church, in the centre of the village, 
 which is now a large and flourishing place. 
 
 The Conference of 1851 was held in the village of 
 North Adams, Mass. This is a very flourishing village, 
 and although our society here is not very large, there 
 was no difiiculty in accommodating the preachers. Our 
 Congregational and Baptist brethren showed themselves 
 very cordial on the occasion. Their hearts, and houses, 
 and churches, were all open to receive and accommo- 
 date us. 
 
 At this Conference, a fact was demonstrated which I 
 had for years believed ; that is, that there was a sufficient 
 number of brethren belonging to the Conference better 
 qualified for delegates to the General Conference than I 
 am. This fact had become so apparent to a majority of 
 the brethren, that they voted accordingly. 
 
 At the Conference of 1851, I asked the favor of being 
 continued in the same relation which I held the past 
 year, and my request was granted. I am now left at 
 liberty to preach as I may have strength and opportunity ; 
 and this I am disposed to do. I still feel my ordination 
 vows are upon me, and that it is my duty still to do all 
 I can to promote the cause of Christ. 
 
 I am often brought to look over my past life, in doing 
 which, I see much to humble me in view of my unfaith- 
 fulness to God and to his church. I have not efifected a-s 
 much as I hoped for when I first commenced, and yet I 
 trust I have not been wholly useless. My gift has never 
 been of the awakening kind, and yet I now and then find 
 instances of persons having been awakened and converted 
 through my feeble instrumentality. There has been 
 one feature connected with the history of those who have 
 
212 SUPERNUMERARY. 
 
 acknowledged themselves my spiritual children, that is. 
 very few of them have ever backslidden. I hope it may 
 at last appear that I have not labored in the ministrj 
 wholly in vain. If it shall finally appear that any good 
 has ever been done through my instrumentality, to God 
 be ascribed all the glory. 
 
 It is quite probable that I have nearly finished my 
 course on earth. I look back on my past life with 
 pleasure and regret, and I look forward with hope and 
 fear. I made my fortune for this life when I exchanged 
 my sins for the cross of Christ ; for thereby I was intro- 
 duced into the society and fellowship of Christians: 
 and I hope to make my fortune for the life to come, 
 when I shall exchange the cross for a crown of glory ; 
 for then I shall be introduced to the society of saints and 
 angels. I regret that I have not been more faithful and 
 useful, and I ^ear I may yet miss my way, for many 
 whom I have known, after having preached to others, 
 have themselves fallen. I am thereby admonished to 
 watch and pray. All my hope is in the mercy of God, 
 through Jesus Christ. 
 
 A large portion of my early friends, both among 
 preachers and people, are gone to their -reward ; and 
 nearly all my father's family have departed this life. 
 But I am not left without friends, for while some have 
 been removed, others have been raised up in their stead. 
 I hope I shall not outlive all my friends, or live to be 
 burdensome to any of them, or useless to the world; I 
 sometimes desire to depart and to be with Christ, but 
 am willing to live, yea, desire to live, so long as I can 
 promote the cause of Christ, and until I am fully pre- 
 pared for heaven. When I depart may I depart in 
 peace ! 
 
ADDITIONAL REMINISCENCES 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS 0B8EE\^ATI0NS. 
 
EARLY PREJUDICES AGAINST METHODISM. - 
 
 In the early history of our church, our people had 
 strong prejudices to encounter all through this country, 
 especially within the bounds of the New England States. 
 New England was the land of otir Pilgrim Fathers, who 
 were, generally, rigid Calvinists. Their descendants 
 Avere very carefully trained up in the doctrinal system 
 of their forefathers, under the imposing title of " Doc- 
 trines of Grace." 
 
 The peculiar doctrines of the Synod of Dort, and of the 
 Westminster Confession, were pretty generally believed 
 throughout all these parts. They had been embodied in 
 the Cambridge Confession and Saybrook Platform, and 
 were adopted by the- Congregational churches very 
 generally. These doctrines were taught without any 
 disguise whatever, both in the pulpit and by the press. 
 They were inculcated in the children's school-books and 
 primers, for most of the good people of those days really 
 believed them. 
 
 There is an admirable poem, said to have been writ- 
 ten by Michael Wigglesworth, a school-teacher, about 
 seventy years ago. The following is an extract. It is 
 designed to illustrate the proceedings of the day of judg- 
 ment, and to vindicate the justice of God in damning 
 those reprobates who die in infancy. 
 
 " Then to the bar they all drew near, 
 Who died in infancy ; 
 And never had, either good or had, 
 Effected personally." 
 
216 PREJUDICES AGAINST METHODISM. 
 
 They are represented as addressing the Judge, and 
 pleading in their own behalf why they should not be 
 damned for Adam's sin. They are made to speak as 
 follows : — 
 
 " Not we, but he, ate of the tree. 
 Whose fruit was interdioted; 
 Yet on u3 all, for his sad fall. 
 Is punishment inflicted." 
 
 To this plea of these eternally reprobated infants, the 
 glorious Judge is represented as replying in the following 
 language : — 
 
 " But what you call old Adam's fall, 
 And only his trespass. 
 You call amiss to call it his; 
 Both his and yours it was. 
 
 " He was designed of all mankind 
 To be a public head ; 
 A common root, whence all should shoot. 
 And stood in all their stead." 
 
 Then, as if the argument was overwhelming, and 
 calculated to silence all their pleadings, it is added : — 
 
 " The glorious king thus answering. 
 They cease, and plead no longer; • 
 Their consciences must needs confess 
 His reasonings are the stronger." 
 
 This poem was beautifully illustrative of their views 
 of divine sovereignty. The following sentence is also 
 found, in sober prose, in the diary of one good man of 
 those days : — 
 
 " Enjoyed some hours' comfortable meditation on the infinite mercy of 
 God in damning little babes." 
 
 For the foregoing extracts I am indebted to "Lyell's Second Visit," 
 vol. i, p. 53. — Eel. Mag. 
 
PREJUDICES AfiAiriST METHODISM. 217 
 
 It is not very strange that a people who had imbibed 
 such views of divine sovereignty should look with sus- 
 picion and prejudice upon a class of ministers who taught 
 doctrines entirely diiferent. They could not be well 
 pleased to have such intruders among them. Even 
 some of their hymns, used in their religious devotions, 
 abounded with anathemas against such heterodox teach- 
 ers. The following is a specimen, taken from Herbert's 
 Hymns : — 
 
 " Shall Satan ever have to boast 
 Of one that fell from grace ? 
 I 'd tell the man that dared say so, 
 He 's one of Satan's race." 
 
 In these early days of our history, Methodist preachers 
 Drought strange things to the people's ears, at a time 
 when they were not prepared to receive them. Many 
 thought it an awful thing for a man to call in question 
 the doctrine that God had from all eternity absolutely and 
 unchangeably foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. 
 It was a pretty certain sign of a reprobate to deny the 
 doctrine of particular election; and to teach that a man 
 may know his sins forgiven, or that a Christian may 
 live without sin, was a great heresy. And especially to 
 believe that a man may fall from grace, so as to be 
 finally lost, after he has become a Christian, was beyond 
 endurance. Our younger brethren of the present day 
 can scarcely imagine how offensive these prominent 
 features of Methodism were to our Calvinist brethren of 
 those days ; or what prejudices and opposition Methodism 
 had to encounter fifty or sixty years ago. 
 
 As our doctrines and usages have become better 
 known and understood, they have become more popular, 
 and there remains scarce any difiiculty in our preachers 
 finding access to any place they may wish in any part 
 
 10 
 
218 PREJUDICES AGALNST METHODISM. 
 
 of New England, or anywhere else in our nation. But 
 for those who come after us in all coming time, — who 
 may occupy fields which they never cleared, and eat fruit 
 from trees which others planted, — it may not be amiss 
 to record facts which occurred, in the days of their fathers, 
 in the church. I therefore take the liberty to put upon 
 record a few circumstances which are saicjl to have 
 occurred in this northern region of country, where my 
 labors have been principally bestowed. 
 
 It is not very strange that the wicked should feel an 
 opposition to truth, and especially to such plain preach- 
 ing as they generally heard from our early preachers ; 
 but it does seem very remarkable that good people should 
 have opposed us. And it seems especially remarkable 
 that our Calvinist brethren could not see their own 
 inconsistency. Their creed taught them that God had 
 eternally decreed all things which come to pass ; yet 
 when it came to pass that Methodism was propagated 
 among them, they could not be reconciled to the event, 
 although it must have been in exact accordance with his 
 decrees. And although they believed that the number 
 of God's elect would not, by any means, be either 
 increased or diminished" they seemed to fear that these 
 "wolves in sheep's clothing" would deceive the very 
 elect. In most instances it was the ministers who were 
 most alarmed. They often preached against us ; but 
 many of the common people heard us gladly. 
 
 At the time of which I now speak, the Congregational 
 churches were established by law, in New England. 
 Their ministers were supported by taxes. They seemed 
 to think this country was theirs by inheritance, and that 
 they really possessed exclusive rights. Perhaps most of 
 the people composing the churches had divested them- 
 selves of the intolerant spirit which had persecuted the 
 
REV. J. GREGORY. 219 
 
 Quakers, but as yet they had gone no further than 
 barely to tolerate. Religious libertij was something they 
 did not yet fully understand. All must pay taxes to 
 build churches and to support the settled minister, 
 whether they attended his ministry, or not, — whether 
 they believed in the doctrines which he preached, or not ; 
 and, at one time, even if they were members of any 
 other church, it made no difference. 
 
 Under these circumstances, it was exceedingly diffi- 
 cult, for a long time, to introduce Methodism into some 
 parts of New England, especially Massachusetts and 
 Connecticut. In many places it was dif&cult for our 
 ministers to get access to the churches, and even to their 
 school-houses, although they belonged to the town. In 
 many places meetings were held by the people of the 
 town, and, after hearing a lecture from their good min- 
 ister on "wolves in sheep's clothing," and the dreadful 
 heresy of Arminianism, they would pass resolutions not 
 to permit the Methodists to preach or hold forth, as they 
 called it, anywhere within the -parish. -But their oppo- 
 sition did not always succeed according to their wishes. 
 Our ministers have found access almost everywhere; 
 and in many instances our exclusion from the churches 
 and school-houses would awaken a sympathy among 
 the people which resulted in the erection of churches of 
 our own. 
 
 REV. J. GREGORY. 
 
 Br. G, was a local preacher, who resided at Sand-lake, 
 N. Y. He and his wife were on their way to visit some 
 friends in Connecticut, when Saturday night overtook 
 them ; they put up at a tavern, to stay over the Sabbath. 
 He was a very venerable-looking man, and the landlord, 
 who was a deacon of the church, suspected he was a 
 
220 REV. W. F I S K . 
 
 minister ; and, on learning the fact, invited hitti to attend 
 church on the Sabbath, and said he would introduce him 
 to their minister, who would no doubt be glad to have 
 him occupy the pulpit, t'akhig it for granted that he was 
 of the standing order. So, in the morning, they went to 
 meeting together, and the deacon introduced him to' the 
 minister, suggesting that Mr. G. should be invited to 
 preach. The minister looked at him a moment, and said 
 to him, "Are you not a Methodist? " " I am," said Mr. 
 G. He then turned to his deacon, and expressed his sur- 
 prise that he should make such a suggestion. " I cannot 
 ask this man to preach ; for you know, sir, that the 
 church passed a vote that no Methodist should ever 
 preach here." So the deacon, rather mortified, seated 
 Br. G. in a pew, arid he had the pleasure of being a 
 hearer that day. 
 
 REV. W. FISK. 
 
 It is said that Dr. Fisk, iji the earlier days of his min- 
 istry, gained access to one of their churches in the town 
 of C, N. H., but much against the wishes of the minister 
 of the parish. But when he found lie could not prevent 
 it, he thought, if he could get him to preach the peculiar 
 doctrines of Methodism, that would of course use him up 
 in that place, — they would be so manifestly heretical 
 and absurd, that his people could not endure them at all. 
 So he requested Mr. Fisk to preach his doctrines. Mr. F. 
 told him he would, at some suitable time. Accordingly, 
 after having preacJied there a number of times, he gave 
 it out that when he came again he would preach on the 
 subject of doctrines, at the particular request of their 
 minister. This appointment drew out a large assembly, 
 and Mr. F. was enabled to do good justice to the subject. 
 After he had concluded, he said he should like to know 
 
THE WOLF AND HIRELING. 221 
 
 -what the people thought of these distinctive doctrines of 
 Methodism ; and he requested that all who helieved they 
 ■were according to the Bible would signify it by rising - 
 up, when nearly all the congregation arose. The result 
 was, he organized a Methodist society of seventeen mem- 
 bers the same evening. 
 
 THE WOLF AND HIRELING. 
 
 It is said that one of our preachers was invited to 
 preach in a certain parish, much against the wishes of 
 the minister, Rev. Mr. F. ; and when the day came, the 
 minister found himself much embarrassed. If he should 
 be at home, and should not attend meeting, some would 
 be offended ; and if he did attend, others would be 
 offended, — they would think he gave his sanction to 
 error by being present and hearing it ; and it would, 
 moreover, be setting a bad example to his people. So 
 he concluded to make some business out of town that 
 day. The next morning, the Methodist preacher, under- 
 standing the circumstances, thought he would call and 
 converse with him, and see if he could not give him 
 some information respecting Methodism that would, in 
 some measure, soften his prejudices. He knocked at the 
 door, and the minister came and opened the door. On 
 announcing his name, the minister cried out, "Wolf! 
 Wolf!" and was about to shut the door against him. 
 The Methodist said, " Hireling ! Hireling!" "What is 
 that?" saidMr.F.,"doyoucallmeahireling?" "Why, 
 yes," replied the other, "if I am a wolf, you certainly are 
 a hireling, for you fled when I came to your church, yes- 
 terday ; and the Saviour says, ' The hireling fleeth when 
 the wolf Cometh, because he is an hireling.' " "Come 
 in," said Mr. F., " and let us talk that matter over a lit- 
 tle." So he went in, and, after an hour's conversation, 
 
222 BALAAM SADDLING THE ASS. 
 
 Mr. F. became convinced that Methodist preachers were 
 not quite so heterodox as he had imagined. They ever 
 after were good friends. 
 
 ' BALAAM SADDLING THE ASS. 
 
 A Story is told of one of our preachers, that is a little 
 amusing. Rev. Mr. J. C. obtained access to a certain 
 parish, and many of the people were much pleased both 
 with him and his doctrine. But their minister and a 
 few of the ancients of the church wqre much opposed to 
 him, and did everything they could to shut him out of 
 the parish. The circumstance of his using no notes, and 
 the clearness and fervency with which he presented 
 Divine truth, gave him great favor with most of the peo- 
 ple, who had long sat under a very different kind of 
 preaching, both as to matter and manner. They sup- 
 posed he must be divinely inspired, to be able to preach 
 in such a manner. But the minister said he was a de- 
 ceiver, and that he committed his sermons to memory 
 before he went into the pulpit; and, to convince them 
 that this was the case, he proposed that, next time he 
 came, he would give him a text just as he was going into 
 the pulpit. To this they all agreed, and a great multi- 
 tude came out to witness the experiment which' was to 
 test this matter ; and as Br. G. passed up the aisle on 
 his way to the pulpit, the minister arose and handed him 
 a slip of paper. He went into the pulpit, and, on read- 
 ing it, found that it was a request to preach on the fol- 
 lowing words : " And Balaam saddled his ass." So, 
 after singing and praying as usual, he read the request 
 before the congregation, and informed them that a gen- 
 tleman in the congregation had handed him this request 
 as he was coming up the aisle. He remarked that he 
 supposed that his hearers recollected the circumstances 
 
BALAAM SADDLING THE ASS. 223 
 
 with which the text stood connected, and therefore he 
 should not detain them with a lengthened introduction, 
 but should proceed to apply the text in an analogical 
 view. He said that from the text he should undertake 
 to make three things appear : 
 
 I. That Balaam represented all hireling priests of the 
 present day. This he did — 1st, by showing that Ba- 
 laam was a false prophet; 2d, he attempted to injure 
 God's people; and, 3d, that he was a great lover of 
 money. 
 
 II. He said he would show that the saddle which Ba- 
 laam used on the occasion, represented the doctrinal sys- 
 tem of Calvinism and the legal taxes with which the 
 hireling priests contrived to saddle the people. On these 
 points he dwelt with a great deal of ingenuity. And, 
 
 III. That, in the third place, he would endeavor to 
 make it appear that Balaam's ass which he saddled, rep- 
 resented the people, who were so stupid as to sit under 
 the ministry of men who gave no evidence that God had 
 called them to preach ; but were evidently mere hire- 
 lings, — lovers of the wages of unrighteousness, rather 
 than the souls of men. Why need they preach, if God 
 has eternally and unchangeably decreed whatever comes 
 to pass? And what is the use of their preaching, if the 
 number of the elect can be neither increased nor dimin- 
 ished? The ass, he said, was well known to be a very 
 stupid animal, and often submitted to very heavy and 
 unreasonable burdens. However, before he had finished 
 his discourse, the reverend gentleman and a few of his 
 more ancient friends had departed. They could not 
 stay to hear him through, but remained long enough to 
 be fully convinced that Methodist preachers can preach, 
 not only without notes, but without previously commit- 
 ting their sermons to memory. 
 
224 T. SKEEL AND H. WEEKS. 
 
 T. SKEEL AND H. WEEKS. 
 
 We had a small society in Pittsford, Vt., as early as 
 1810. Our preachers usually found a home at the house 
 of Captain Cooley. The captain was very friendly, and 
 some of his family were members among us. It hap- 
 pened that a young preacher came to tarry over the Sab- 
 bath, and put up with the captain, and attended the 
 Congregational church with the family. In the evening, 
 the captain proposed to the preacher to accompany him 
 to a conference meeting to be held in the school-house, 
 and preach to the people, provided he should be requested. 
 To this the preacher consented. 
 
 When the people had all assembled, the. captain arose 
 and said that a stranger present, who was well recom- 
 mended as a Methodist preacher, having become his 
 guest for a few days, would be willing to preach, if 
 requested, — that he should be very glad to have him 
 invited. After a little consultation among some of the 
 gentlemen present, a young man, who was studying 
 divinity with Rev. Mr. Weeks, and who seemed to have 
 the charge of the meeting in the absence of their pastor, 
 arose and said there was liberty, if the preacher were 
 pleased to give them a discourse. So the preacher went 
 forward, and opened the meeting, and preached a good 
 practicajl sermon, addressed principally to young people. 
 After he had finished, the young student seemed to think 
 that what he had said could not be quite right, because 
 he was a Methodist; so he arose and made quite an 
 attack upon him. He was much afraid that the people 
 would be led to believe they could go to heaven by their 
 own good works. He closed his remarks by saying, 
 that, if any were dissatisfied with his remarks, he would 
 like to have them call and converse with him at his 
 
T. SKEEL AND H. WEEKS. 225 
 
 room at the house of the minister. Captain Cooley arose 
 and said he was quite dissatisfied, — he thought the 
 stranger had been treated quite uncourteoiisly. He said 
 he felt a little aiHicted with what had occurred, and 
 should like an interview with the young gentleman ; but, 
 as he was a little younger than himself, he would invite 
 him to call at his house the next evening. The"young 
 gentleman felt himself a little embarrassed, for he per- 
 ceived the majority of those present were rather inclined 
 to sympathize with the captain ; so he agreed to come. 
 
 The next evening the young gentleman came, accom- 
 panied by several of his friends. After considerable con- 
 versation, it was agreed that the several points of theol- 
 ogy in dispute should be publicly discussed by Mr. 
 Weeks, their minister, and any Methodist minister Cap- 
 tain C. should furnish. 
 
 Upon this, the captain wrote to Rev. Thomas Skeel, a 
 located preacher who resided in Hoosick, N. Y., and Mr. 
 S. accepted the challenge. The day which was fixed 
 upon at length arrived. The preachers met, and agreed 
 on the mode of conducting the discussion. Each was 
 to speak in turn. Mr. W. was to commence, and occupy 
 two hours ; then Mr. S. was to occupy the same length 
 of time. Then each was to occupy half an hour, then 
 each fifteen minutes, and then each five minutes. 
 
 The church was crowded to overflowing with a very 
 attentive congregation. The meeting was opened by 
 prayer. Mr. W. then commenced reading a manuscript 
 which he had prepared, in which he attacked our doc- 
 trines, discipline, and church government, especially the 
 latter. When he had read two hours, he was reminded 
 that his time was expired, and Mr. S. commenced. Not 
 having any knowledge of what course Mr. W. designed 
 to take, he very briefly replied by remarking that Mr. 
 
 10* 
 
226 T. SKKEL AND H. WEEKS. 
 
 W. had not stated our doctrines fairly, or as they were 
 stated in our standard writings; and that, as it respected 
 our discipline and church government, he had served 
 them as Thomas Paine did the Bible. That, as our doc- 
 trines and discipline were before the public and speak for 
 themselves, he should make no reply whatever to Mr. 
 W., but should undertake to show that the peculiarities 
 of Calvinism, as held by the Congregational churches 
 throughout New England, were unscriptural, unreason- 
 able, and of dangerous tendency. And at it he went in 
 a most masterly manner, until his time was up. After a 
 little recess, Mr. W. went on again reading his lengthy 
 manuscript during all his half hour. But before the 
 remainder of his time was up he had finished reading 
 what he had written, and was wholly unable to add 
 another word. 
 
 Br. Skeel was a powerful man in argument, possess- 
 ing a most extraordinary memory ; remarkably shrewd 
 and eloquent. He was a man of a most noble appear- 
 ance and gentlemanly bearing, and on this occasion he 
 appeared to great advantage. The doctrine of decrees, 
 election and reprobation, as they are held by our Calvin- 
 ist brethren ; the impossibility of falling from grace, and 
 the necessity of living in sin, were made to appear in 
 their true light. ^He could quote their articles, and whole 
 pages of their writers, without a single scrap of book or 
 manuscript before him. Scripture, reason, and expe- 
 rience, were made to bear against them with tremendous 
 force. His two hours were employed in the use of these 
 battering-rams. When it came to his turn to speak half 
 an hour, he took up and defended several points of doc- 
 trine in the system of Methodism ; such as the general 
 atonement, the free agency of man, the conditionality of 
 salvation, the possibility of falling from grace, and of 
 
LORENZO DOW. 227 
 
 Christian perfection. The flood of Scripture-proof, which 
 he brought to bear on these points, perfectly astonished 
 the people. His fifteen minutes were employed in an- 
 swering some common objections against the foregoing 
 doctrines. And he wound up, during his five minutes, 
 with a most powerful appeal to the consciences of the 
 people, exhorting the people to avail themselves of the 
 ample provisions ofiered them in the Gospel. 
 
 Methodism had never before been so ably defended in 
 these parts ; indeed, until then it was very little known 
 among the people, and never had the peculiarities of 
 Calvinism taken such a thorough drubbing. Calvinism 
 received a very severe rebuke by this discussion. Many 
 of Mr. Weeks' friends were much mortified, and greatly 
 disappointed in the result. By this discussion, the friends 
 of Methodism were increased four-fold through all these 
 parts^ 
 
 LORENZO DOW. 
 
 Mr. Dow was admitted into the Conference, on trial, in 
 1798. He travelled regularly only three years. He 
 was a man remarkable for eccentricity. But at that 
 time he was a holy, zealous and useful preacher. His 
 labors in this part of the country were blest to the con- 
 version of many sinners. He made his first appearance 
 in Middlebury without any previous appointment. He 
 was accompanied by three or four brethren from 
 another town. He took his stand under the shade 
 of an ancient elm, near the bank of Otter Creek, where 
 they commenced singing a hymn. The voice of singing 
 soon attracted the atteiltion of the people in that direc- 
 tion. Some went because they heard strange singing; 
 some, because they saw others go. Many, seeing a 
 
228 LORENZO DOW. 
 
 gathering in the place, ran in great haste, supposing that 
 some person had fallen into the creek. By the time they 
 had finished singing, some scores of persons had assem- 
 bled. Mr. Dow then kneeled down and prayed most 
 fervently, after which he preached a most powerful dis- 
 course, which made a deep impression on all present. 
 When he had finished, several persons intrea,ted him to 
 stop and preach again, in the evening; but he had 
 another appointment several miles distant, and could not 
 comply with their request. By his advice, a few per- 
 sons set up a prayer-meeting. Not long after this, 
 regular Methodist preaching was introduced here. 
 
 About this time, through his instrumentality, a society 
 was formed in Brandon, a considerable village, several 
 miles south of Middlebuty. In this place lived a Major 
 H., a merchant of considerable business and influence, 
 having many very respectable connections living around 
 him. Hearing that Mr. Dow was going to preach in the 
 town adjoining, he and his niece, a young lady who was 
 at his house on a visit, went to hear him. After he had 
 concluded his sermon, as was his usual manner, he 
 requested that all who would promise to set out and 
 seek religion, would rise up. Several arose, among 
 whom was his niece. The major, being fearful that the 
 young lady would be disgraced by such an act, and 
 thinking she would appear less singular if he arose 
 also, he rose up. The preacher then lifted up his hands 
 and solemnly called upon God and all the holy angels 
 to witness this promise. 
 
 When the meeting was closed, the major got the 
 horses ready, but could not for some time find his niece. 
 At length, he found her standing around the corner of the 
 house, weeping most bitterly, for deep conviction for sin 
 had fastened on her heart. "Come," said he, "let u^ 
 
LORENZO pow. 229 
 
 go home;" so, mounting their horses, they set off for 
 home. But they had not proceeded far, when, looking 
 back, they saw the preacher coming after them with con- 
 siderable speed,. on his way to another appointment. 
 
 The major felt very unpleasatit, but thought within 
 himself that Dow should not get any advantage of him, 
 in conversation, for he resolved he would be very cau- 
 tious. Mr. Dow soon overtook them, and rode alongside 
 of the major, ajnd said, " My friend, do you not think 
 that religion is a good thing 7 " " O, certainly," said the 
 major. " Well," said he, " if I will give you some good 
 advice, will you follow iti" The major of course said 
 he would. "Well," said Mr. Dow, "if religion is a good 
 thing, I advise you to set out immediately to seek it, 
 and never rest until you find it. Now, is not this good 
 advice?" The major at once consented that it was. 
 "Well," said Mr, Dow, "you have promised you would 
 follow good advice, if I would give it, and you acknowl- 
 edge this advice is good ; now, therefore, I call God to 
 witness- this promise." On saying this he rode on and 
 left them. 
 
 Now the major was completely confounded ; for, not- 
 withstanding all his caution, he had pledged himself to 
 seek the Lord. They rode on in silence, until they came 
 where the road turned to go to the place where Mr. Dow 
 was to preach. The young lady stopped and said, 
 " Uncle, I should like to go and hear Mr. Dow again." 
 "0, no," said the major, ''our people will he waiting 
 for us to dinner." " I wish, uncle, you would indulge me, 
 and consent to go," said she. "Come," said the major, 
 " I will tell you what I will do ; if you will say no more 
 about it, you may come to the store to-morrow, and 
 make a selection of anything for a dress that you may 
 choose, and you shall be welcome to it." On this she 
 
230 LORENZO DOW. 
 
 burst into tears, and said, " O, what good will a fine 
 dress do me, a miserable sinner, that is going to hell?" 
 The major made no replj"-, but turned his horse, and 
 accompanied her to the meeting; not a word was spoken 
 by either of them until they reached the place. 
 
 When the preacher had finished his discourse, and 
 driven truth into the consciences of many, he was for 
 clenching the nail as usual. So he again called upon 
 such as were determined to seek religion to rise up. By 
 this time the major was prepared to afise with as much 
 sincerity as any one present, for the Spirit of God had 
 gotten a. powerful hold on his beart. 
 
 After the meeting was concluded, they set off for 
 home with heavy hearts. In the major's heart, espec- 
 ially, there was a terrible struggle. When they arrived, 
 he found his brother and lady were at his house ; they 
 had come to make a Sabbath visit. His wife fretted at 
 him a little for keeping them waiting dinner so long, and 
 more than intijmated that she thought it a poor business 
 to be running after crazy Dow. They, however, sat 
 down to the table, but the young lady, his niece, was 
 missing, and a little messenger was sent to call her, who 
 soon returned, and reported that she was in her room 
 weeping. " There," said Mrs. H.', " you have been the 
 means of her ruin; I wish you had kept away from 
 Dew's meeting; she will soon be as crazy as he is." 
 "My dear," said the major, "I beg of you, don't say a 
 word." So he commenced carving and waiting' on the 
 table ; but his heart was so full that he durst not look 
 up. After passing one or two plates, he could contain 
 his feelings no longer, but burst into a flood of tears, and 
 withdrew from the table and left the room. Imme- 
 diately all left the table, and not a morsel of their splen- 
 did dinner was eaten that day. 
 
REV. HENRY RYAN. 231 
 
 This event produced much- talk through the village. 
 By many it was supposed that Major H. had become 
 crazy, by attending the preaching of Lorenzo Dow. 
 However, it was n.ot long before the major, his wife and 
 niece, with several others, were brought into the liberty 
 of the gospel, and could testify that Christ has power to 
 forgive sin. Immediately Mr. Dow and his colleague 
 were invited to preach at the major's house. They estab- 
 lished regular preaching in the place, and formed a society. 
 Several prominent members were taken in, and we have 
 ever since, up to the present time, that is, for about fifty 
 years, had a good society' in that place. I think the 
 above notice of Lorenzo Dow is due to his memory ; 
 although his peculiar notions of duty afterwards mis- 
 led him. I fear his last days were not his best days. 
 
 ' REV. HENRY RYAN. 
 
 I have already alluded to this brother, as the man 
 who formed the first Methodist class in what is now 
 called Warren Circuit, in 1798. He was admitted into 
 ■ the travelling connection on trial, in 1800, the same 
 time at which several men were admitted, who have 
 been somewhat eminent among us in these parts ; all of 
 whom have gone to their reward. Among these were 
 Smith Arnold, Samuel Merwin, and William Anson. 
 
 Mr. Ryan was born in Ireland; he was a man of 
 great physical strength, and remarkable for courage. He 
 feared no man. It is storied of him, that he once had 
 occasion to stop at a public house for refreshments, 
 where there were some public doings, and where a num- 
 ber of drunken and noisy fellows were assembled ; some 
 of them suspecting him to be a Methodist preacher, 
 undertook to have, some sport with him. After whis- 
 
232 REV. HENEY RYAN. 
 
 pering awhile with each other, as though contriving some 
 plan, one of them came to him and inquired if he were 
 not a Methodist preacher. He answered, "Yes," with 
 considerable emphasis. Pretty soon, the fellow, accom- 
 panied by several others, came to him, appearing quite 
 angry, and said, "I can't swallow the answer you gave 
 me just now." "Well, then," said. Mr. Ryan, "you 
 must chew it till you can." " Will you fight ? " said the 
 fellow. Upon this he looked him full in the face, and, 
 pulling back the sleeve of his coat a little, showing his 
 brawny arm, said, "See here ; God did not give me this 
 arm for nothing ! " After this they keipt at a respectful 
 distance. 
 
 In one place where he travelled, there lived a very 
 wicked man, who was much opposed to Methodist 
 preachers, and went so far as to make a violent attack 
 on Mr. Ryan's colleague. Rev. Thomas Ravlin. Mr. 
 Ravlin was rather a feeble man. This fellow hap- 
 pened to meet him one day, , when he sprung upon 
 him like a tiger, pulled the skirt of his coat over his 
 head, and held him with one hand, and with a whip 
 flogged him very severely ; and then told him never to 
 pome into that neighborhood again, and declared he 
 would whip every Methodist preacher who should come 
 into the place. 
 
 When Mr. Ryan came around to the neighborhood to 
 preach, having heard of the abuse his colleague had 
 receivedj and the threat the fellow had made, he called 
 at his door and inquired if he was the man who had 
 whipped the Methodist preacher. " Yes," said he, "and 
 I will whip every Methodist preacher that ever comes 
 here to preach." "Well," said Mr. Ryan, "I am a 
 Methodist preacher, and I have come here to preach; 
 now, yovt can whip me if you like ;" and fell to exhorting 
 
EEV. HENKY SYAN. 233 
 
 him to repent of his sias. As the fellow came towards 
 him, said ^r. Ryan, " You had better take good care 
 what you do; you see I am a big man, and I have a 
 very large arm," at the same time drawing back his 
 sleeve a little, and showing it to him. "If I should 
 strike you, may the Lord have mercy upon you, for I 
 should not." The fellow was affrighted; he left Mr. 
 Ryan, and went into his house, and was never known 
 to abuse another Methodist preacher, 
 
 In one of the Lake towns in the north, part of New 
 York State, Br. Ryan had an appointment to preach in a 
 school-house.. When he came to the place, he found 
 the door locked against him. So he told the people he 
 would preach out-door. Accordingly, he stood up near 
 the house, the people gathered around him, and he com- 
 menced preaching. In the mean time a mob gathered and 
 crowded along up near him, designing to seize and carry 
 him off. Their leader made two or three attempts to 
 take hold on him. But by this time the preacher had 
 become pretty warm in his subject, and his brawny arms 
 were acting their part very powerfully, in various ges- 
 ticulations. Several times this fellow happened to come 
 directly in their way, and, whenever this happened, he 
 suddenly leaned, and came very nigh falling. After 
 making several attempts to get hold on him, they found 
 he was so engaged in his subject, and was so much in 
 earnest about it, that he was quite unapproachable ; so 
 they concluded to give it up and let him alone. 
 
 THE PERSEVERANCE OP FAITH. 
 
 It is very pleasant to trace the wisdom of God and the 
 workings of his providence in preserving the truth in our 
 world. Sometimes the light seems nearly extinguished 
 
234 THE PEESEVERANCE OF FAITH. 
 
 in some places ; deaths and removals break up a society, 
 and, for a long while, there are only here and there a few 
 individuals left, and they are ready to say with the 
 ancient prophet, " They seek my life filso." But God 
 has not left himself without a seed to serve him ; the 
 remaining spark, that seemed ready to die, has been 
 kindled into a flame, and a gracious revival has followed. 
 The faith and perseverance of a few individuals have 
 sometimes been blessed in bringing about gracious 
 revivals; and, many times, means the most unlikely 
 have been used to bring about events the most extraor- 
 dinary, when ordinary means had utterly failed. 
 
 The following account, among many others, illustrates 
 this remark. It was related to me by one of our aged 
 ministers. Early in the history of our church, some- 
 where in the western part of Pennsylvania, there was a 
 small Methodist society formed, who attempted to build 
 a small church; but it was little more than covered 
 when it was wholly abandoned, for the members had 
 either removed, or were dead, or backslidden, except one 
 old sister. The meeting-house was situated in the 
 woods, and no family lived anywhere near. This good 
 old sister, finding herself alone in profession, after all the 
 other members had dropped oif, who used to meet in 
 class in this unfinished church, continued to go there 
 every week alone to meet her class, or rather to meet her 
 God and worship him. She had often been seen on her 
 way to this house or returning from it solitary and alone, 
 and many wondered for what purpose she went there. 
 Some intimated that she was a witch, -and that she went 
 to this place of solitude for no good purpose. At length 
 two young men agreed they would secrete themselves 
 in the upper part of the building, and find out what she 
 did in this lonely place. 
 
THE PEESEVERANCEOF FAITH. 235 
 
 They had not been there long before the old lady- 
 entered. She took her seat, and, after a little while, she 
 began to talk and tell the Lord how she felt. She spoke 
 of her trials and of her comforts, of her purpose to serve 
 God all the days of her life, and of her joyful prospects 
 of the future state. She spoke very much as people 
 generally do in class-meeting. She then kneeled down 
 and went to praying. She told the Lord all her trials, 
 and prayed for grace to enable her to do and suffer hi^ 
 will ; she prayed that God would awaken the people and 
 convert them, that she might have some to accompany 
 her in her heavenly journey. She prayed mightily to 
 God to revive his work in that place, and again to build 
 up th« walls of Zion. And she continued to wrestle in 
 great agony of soul, until the Spirit of God got hold of 
 the young men in their hiding-place, and they began to 
 weep, and down they came, desiring the old lady to pray 
 for them. This she gladly did, and they continued in 
 prayer imtil the Lord blessed them. They then con- 
 cluded their meeting, and the young men agreed to 
 meet her there next Sabbath to hold a class-meeting. 
 
 When the next Sabbath arrived, the news of this 
 singular affair had spread around, and quite a number 
 attended. The old lady and her two young converts 
 were there. She proceeded to open the meeting as usual, 
 and went on with her class-meeting. On the next Sab- 
 bath the little house that had been so long deserted was 
 filled with people, and a way was opened for the gospel 
 to be once more preached in this long deserted place. 
 Soon a revival followed, and a good Methodist society 
 was raised up in the place, and the long deserted house 
 was finished. 
 
236 UNIVERSAL ISM. 
 
 UNIVEKSALISM. 
 
 The belief that all men will be saved is arrived at by 
 a false mode of reasoning, and a perversion of the mean- 
 ing of Scripture. Universalism is usually embraced by 
 backsliders, and such persons as have been awakened, 
 and have resisted the Holy Spirit. It seems to aflford a 
 hiding-place to sinners which effectually shelters them 
 from anxiety about their future state. It makes the 
 conscience quiet, by flattering the sinner with delusive 
 hopes. 
 
 The reasonings of Universalists seem very plausible, 
 and are often calculated to deceive the unwary. They 
 tell us that God is too good to permit any of his crea- 
 tures to suffer eternally; that a finite being cannot 
 transgress an infinite. law; that a finite being cannot 
 be infinitely miserable ; that the time of sinning, 
 although it were to extend through the whole period of 
 a man's life, is too short to be followed by endless pun- 
 ishment. But, however plausible such arguments may 
 seem, it is certain that those who are satisfied with them 
 pay but a poor compliment to the Bible, and have but a 
 poor idea of the character of God, or the nature of sin. 
 
 Universalists, however, are not generally willing to be 
 considered as being deists; they usually profess great 
 respect for the Bible, and often quote it. Many of their 
 preachers are great adepts in explaining the Scriptures, 
 so as to make them appear consistent with Universalism. 
 As the main point with them is that all men will be 
 saved, they must deny the existence of such a being as 
 the devil, and of such a place as hell, where the 
 wicked are tormented. Whatever the Scriptures may 
 say respecting either the one or the other, must be so 
 
UNIVERSALJSM. 237* 
 
 explained as to be consistent with their notions on this 
 subject. But some of their explanations put matters 
 sometimes into quite an awkward position. 
 
 Mr. Fitz, a preacher among them some years ago, in 
 a sermon on the non-personality of the devil, said that 
 all that is meant in the Scriptures by the word devil, " is 
 the deceitful, wicked heart of men." Accordingly, in 
 explaining the temptation of our Saviour, which is said 
 to have been of the devil, he said that Christ, like all 
 other men, had a "deceitful, wicked heart," and that 
 " this WEis the devil that tempted him." Others have 
 asserted that all th« devil alluded to in the Scriptures is 
 to be understood as diseases. 
 
 Who cannot see that such interpretations bring Christ 
 and his religion into great contempt, and make the Scrip- 
 tures appear ridiculous 7 A religion cannot amount to 
 much, whose author, " like other men, has a deceitful 
 and wicked heart." And all those passages which speak 
 of Christ being tempted of the devil ; the devil talking 
 and saying thus and so; the devil being cast out of 
 persons, and entering into swine, &c., must be perfect 
 nonsense. 
 
 One of this class of interpreters of Scripture, in a dis- 
 course which he delivered, took great pains to prove that 
 there is no other hell spoken of in the Bible, than the 
 grave. He said that wherever the word hell occurs in 
 the Bible it must be always understood as alluding to 
 the grave where our bodies are buried. After he had 
 finished his discourse, he invited any who might 
 dissent from his views to speak freely. It happened 
 there was a Methodist preacher present, who arose and 
 addressed the people after the following manner : " I 
 think, friends, we are under many obligations to the 
 gentleman who has preached to us this evening. We 
 
238 UNIVEKSALISM. 
 
 have always been in the habit of understanding our 
 Lord's words in Matt. x. 28, as designed to teach us that 
 "we should fear <iod, where he says, ' Fear Him which, 
 is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.' But now 
 ■we learn that our Lord designed to teach us no such 
 thing. Hell here, as everywhere else, means the grave, 
 and as -it is the sexton who casts us into the grave, we 
 are henceforth to fear the sexton : I say unto you, fear 
 the sexton." This, was answering a fool according to 
 his folly, and was calculated to set his interpretation of 
 Scripture in its true light. 
 
 Some years ago a celebrated preacher took for his 
 text, "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, 
 but the greatest of these is charity." He endeavored 
 to show that all men have faith, for he said all men 
 believe there is a God. All men, he said, had hope of 
 being saved, for God had promised to save all. Charity, 
 he said, consisted in giving alms to the poor; and all 
 men gave more or, less alms, therefore, all men had 
 charity. In this way he made it appear that all men 
 would be saved ; for faith, hope and charity were car- 
 dinal virtues of a Christian character. These would 
 always abide. When he had finished his discourse, he 
 called on one of our preachers, who happened to be 
 present, to close by prayer. So the preacher kneeled 
 down and prayed as follows: "O Lord, have mercy 
 on us all, and give us faith, for the Scriptures de- 
 clare, ' all men have not faith,' and that 'without 
 faith it is impossible to please God.' And give us, 
 we pray thee, hope, for we are told in thy word, that 
 some are living ' without God and without hope in 
 the world.' And we pray thee also to give us char- 
 ity, for we are told in the Bible that, ' if we give all 
 our goods to feed the poor, and, have not charity, it prof 
 
UNIVERSALISM. 239 
 
 iteth us nothing.' We pray thee, therefore, that 
 thou wouldst give us faith, hope and charity, that we 
 may he finally saved, for Christ's^ sake. Amen." 
 
 This appropriate reference to the Scriptures so com- 
 pletely refuted all three of the positions taken by the 
 preacher, that he was completely confounded. The 
 people so felt its force that they went away without giv- 
 ing the preacher an invitation to come again. 
 
 When I was a young man, a circumstance occurred 
 in the town where I resided, which made a deep impres- 
 sion on my mind very unfavorable to the system of Uni- 
 versalism. I never dared to rely upon it a moment ever 
 since. I was led to fear that, however plausible it may 
 appear, and iiowever pleasant hopes it may inspire 
 while living and in health, it can afford no hope to an 
 awakened conscience in a dying hour. A local pVeacher, 
 with whom 1 was acquainted, related all the particulars 
 to me. Captain T. was his uncle, and he was living in 
 his family at the time. 
 
 There was a young man, a cousin of his, also, living 
 in the family. The captain, his uncle, was a staunch 
 Universahst, and used to preach occasionally. He was 
 a man of rather superior talents, and took great pains 
 to make a proselyte of this young man, and succeeded 
 too well. The young man soon found himself no longer 
 under that fear and restraint he had been accustomed to 
 feel, and rejoiced in what he called his " glorioxis liberty;" 
 and the fruits of his Universalism were soon very evi- 
 dent in his careless life. 
 
 Some time after this he went to an adjoining town to 
 visit some of his friends, and was taken sick. This 
 brought him to his senses, and he became terribly alarmed 
 about the state of his soul in view of approaching death. 
 His delusive hopes now fled, and gloomy despair gath- 
 
240 UNIVEKSALISM. 
 
 ered around him. He desired to see his Uncle bef6re 
 he died. His uncle was sent for, who, on hearing of his 
 sudden illness and wretched state of mind, lost no time 
 ia going to see him, with a view to administer to the 
 dying youth the consolations' of Uiiiversalism. But on 
 entering the room where the young man lay, he was 
 struck with horror,' on seeing him tossing from side to 
 side on the bed of death, crying out most bitterly, " O 
 my soul, my" poor soul! I am ruined, I am ruined! " The 
 captain had but just entered the room, when the young 
 man saw him, and sprang from the bed, and made a 
 rush toward him, crying out, " O uncle ! you have ruined 
 me, you have ruined me ! If it had not been for your 
 doctrine I should have sought religion ; I am now dying 
 and going to hell." As he uttered these words, he fell 
 his length on the floor. The friends laid him on the bed, 
 but he uttered not another word. 
 
 The captain was overwhelmed with grief and trouble, 
 and for many months this circumstance was a source of 
 great distress to his mind. After a while a preacher by 
 the name of Oofiin visited his family, and inquired 
 about the young man whonl he had seen when there 
 formerly. So the captain told him of his sudden death, 
 and the circumstance of his dying in great despair. 
 And he said ever since this had occurred, he had been 
 exceedingly troubled in his mind, lest his system, after 
 all, was unsound, and would not do to depend on in a 
 dying hour. But Mr. C. told the captaiii that no infer- 
 ence could be drawn from this case unfavorable to Uni- 
 versalism, for, in all probability, the young man was 
 bereft of reason at the time. And he laughed at the 
 captain for being so weak-minded. 
 
 This explanation and ridicule of Mr. C. rather soothed 
 the feelings of the captain ; he succeeded in a great meas- 
 
DNIVERSALISM. 241 
 
 ure in throwing off all concern about the salvation of 
 his soul, or the unsoundness of his system. But after 
 about two years he was called to a sick bed, and a 
 dying hour. He then came to his senses, and felt 
 alarmed in view of death. The day on which he died 
 his almost constant cry was, ".Lord, have mercy on me, 
 a miserable sinner!" One of his preachers, an old 
 friend of his, hearing of his wretched state of mind, 
 came to see him, and was with him when he died. On 
 witnessing his wretched state of feeling, and hearing 
 him praying so earnestly for mercy, he said to him, " Cap- 
 tain, do be comforted ; you have nothing to fear ; you 
 are safe ; now die like a man. If you go on at this rate, 
 you will ruin our cause." -All the reply he could get from 
 the captain was, " O, I am a great sinner ! Lord, have 
 mercy on me ! " Nothing that the preacher could say 
 could give him any comfort, or elicit any other reply than 
 " Lord, have mercy on me ! " And- this oft-repeated 
 prayer formed the last sentence that fell from his dying 
 lips. 
 
 I recollect that, some twenty years ago, I was sent for 
 to visit a sick man, in the village where I lived, who had 
 been for more than thirty years a professed Universalist. 
 He was a man of business and some standing in society. 
 For several weeks before he died, he had become much 
 concerned about his soul, in view of approaching death. 
 A pious Presbyterian lady, who was there when I went 
 into his room, said to him, " Well, Mr. C, you have been 
 a Universalist a great many years; how do you now feel 
 about it in view of death 1 Will Universalism do to die 
 by 1 Mr. C. replied, "O no ! it will not do, either to live 
 by or die by. I feel myself to be a poor miserable sinner, 
 standing in need of God's mercy." After a little pause 
 he said to me, "I wish you would pray for me." I did 
 
 11 
 
242 PRACTICAL ECONOMY. 
 
 SO ; and, from the state of his mind at death, his friends 
 had reason to hope our prayers were heard in heaven. 
 
 Now, if Universalism be true, those who believe it are 
 no better off after death t;han those are who deny it. 
 But those who do not dare to trust to it, but seek and 
 -find forgiveness of sin, and live a Christian Ufe, will 
 certainly be saved, whether Universalism be true or false 
 Therefore, let no man depend on Universalism. If other 
 systems fail, and Universalism be true, it will catch us 
 all; but if we rely on Universalism, and that should 
 prove untrue, what system can we hope will save us 7 
 Surely none; we must be lost. 
 
 PRACTICAL ECONOMY. 
 
 How did that brother get his property? I have often 
 heard this inquiry made concerning a certain preacher 
 who is said to possess a few thousand dollars. It is 
 well known that Methodist preachers do not get much 
 more than is needful for their support; and many do not 
 even get that ; therefore, to see one possessed of five or 
 six thousand dollars is somewhat remarkable, and natu- 
 .rally leads to the inquiry, How did he acquire his property? 
 
 Now, as I happen to be acquainted with the history 
 of the preacher alluded to, and as an answer to this 
 question may be of some use to some of his brethren, I 
 will undertake to answer it. 
 
 1. He did not come in possession of his property by 
 inheritance. His parents and relatives were generally 
 poor. His father could give him nothing but a common 
 school education. Very early in life he was thrown 
 upon his own resources^ he had to take care of himself, 
 and, to a considerable extent, for several years, to. provide 
 for his aged parents. 
 
PEACTICAL ECONOMY. 243 
 
 2. He did not come in possession of his property by 
 marriage, unless it be considered an attainment of prop- 
 erty to marry a woman of good sense, and accustomed 
 to the ordinary affairs of a family in her father's house, 
 under the direction of a good mother. If this is marry- 
 ing rich, then it may be said this preacher married rich, 
 for to such a woman he was married in the twenty- 
 third year of his age, and lived with her thirty-three 
 years. Although she did not bring him over $150 worth 
 of property, yet I do believe he was to a very consider- 
 able extent indebted to her industry, wisdom, and good 
 management. 
 
 3. It was not by neglecting his appropriate duties as 
 a minister of the gospel, and entering into speculations 
 in business. His buying and selling has consisted chiefly 
 in religious books, which were mostly published at our 
 book room. Some, however, were small works, which 
 were produced by his own pen. He never purchased a 
 horse only when he needed one to carry him to his 
 appointment, and he never sold one only when he had 
 no further use for him, because he was appointed to a 
 station, — and this operation was always with him a 
 losing concern. 
 
 4. Nor was it by gambling, or "by fraud. It is true, 
 that, in his younger days, he did, in a few instances, try 
 his fortune in lotteries, but was never among the 
 "lucky," for he never drew half what he expended; 
 and being at length convinced that this lottery business, 
 is a species of gambling and downright fraud on the 
 public, that its tendency is evil and only evil, and that 
 no Christian, especially a minister, can have anything 
 to do with it without committing sin, he entirely aban- 
 doned that practice. And as to defrauding any one, I 
 
244 PRACTICAL ECONOMY. 
 
 have heard him say that if any man will make it appear 
 that he ever defrauded him, he will restore him ten-fold. 
 5. Nor yet was it by taking usury that he got his prop- 
 erty, imderstanding the word usury in its legal sense, that 
 is, " unlawful interest." He received usury in this sense 
 but once, and that was before he entered the ministry. 
 Shortly after he experienced religion, when but a lad, 
 he happened to have the sum of three dollars, and his 
 class-leader told him that if he would loan it to him for 
 three months, he would give him twenty-five cents for 
 its use. He did so ; it was the first money he ever had 
 loaned. At the end of three months, the leader sent 
 him his money by the hand of a friend. He opened the 
 paper in which it was carefully wrapped, and, counting 
 it, found all right. , It had increased at the rate of about 
 thirty per cent, per annum. This he thought was 
 doing a pretty good business on a small scale. But 
 perceiving that the envelope was the leaf of an old Bible, 
 he thought he would read its contents ; and the first 
 passage that caught his eye was the fifteenth Psalm of 
 David, a passage he did not recollect ever to have read. 
 It begins — "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? 
 Who shall dwell in thy holy hilll" A pretty interesting 
 question, thought he ; let me see how it is answered. So 
 he read on — "He that walketh uprightly," &c., until 
 he came to verse fifth, " He that putteth not out his 
 money to usury." Here he stopped, and was perfectly 
 astonished and confounded. He read it again and 
 again, and, said to himself, " Is it possible that I have 
 been doing what God has forbidden, and what will pre- 
 vent my dwelling in God's holy bill, if I continue to do 
 it 1 Such was the regard for God's word, and such the 
 tenderness of his conscience, that he felt ashamed, and 
 resolved that he would never do the like again. And 
 
PRACTICAL ECONOMY. 245 
 
 since then, although he has occasionally loaned small 
 sums, he has never leceived one penny of unlawful 
 interest. 
 
 6. Nor did he acquire his .property hy receiving an 
 abundant salary from the church. Although he has 
 had his full share of good appointments, having been 
 stationed in several of otir principal cities, he has seldom 
 received the full amount of his disciplinary allowance, 
 even when in the cities ; and when he did, that allow- 
 ance was always small. I heard him declare, not long 
 since, that in summing up his receipts for the forty years 
 he had labored in the ministry, his salary would not 
 average $250 a year. It is therefore very certain that 
 his property did not come by means of a liberal salary 
 received from the church. 
 
 If the preacher alluded to did not acquire his property 
 by any of the foregoing methods, the question again 
 recurs, How, then, did he obtain it 7 Well, I suspect there 
 is some secret about this business of which everybody is 
 not fully aware, but still, when known, is very simple 
 and very practicable. The secret, I believe, is contained 
 in one short article, found in what he calls his "Econom- 
 ical Creed." The article reads thus: " I believe every 
 man ought to live within his income." I have heard 
 him say that he adopted this article into his creed very 
 early in life. I recollect that after he became a super- 
 numerary, he told the Conference stewards to put the 
 amount of his claims on the Conference funds into the 
 hands of the mite committee, to be disti'ibuted among 
 the necessitous cases ; for he said that he had an old 
 friend that had for a number of years assisted him, so 
 that he had laid up sufficient means for his own support, 
 ■without taking this annuity from the Conference. On 
 
246 PRACTICAL ECONOMY. 
 
 inquiry, it was ascertained that this old friend to whom 
 he alluded was "Practical Economy." 
 
 Being, as I said, thrown upon his own resources in 
 early life, and being obliged to assist his aged parents for 
 several years, he found it necessary to be industrious 
 and saving; Although for nearly three years he regu- 
 larly paid his aged parents, for their support, seven dol- 
 lars a month, he succeeded in clothing himself, and 
 furnishing himself with, books and his travelling equi- 
 page. When he cornmenced travelling, in the twenty- 
 second year of his age, he had laid up $150. This, 
 together with about the same amount which his wife 
 possessed, was his stock in trade. This he kept at 
 interest ; to this he added the yearly interest ; and at the 
 end of eight years he found he had the sum of $500. 
 By the advice of a friend, he purchased a small house 
 and lot. This purchase was a fortunate one ; for, 
 although it was in the suburbs of a city, its value 
 soon increased, and the annual rent in a few years 
 furnished him with the means of building another house 
 on the same lot. And in a few years more the rent of 
 both enabled him to build another, and yet another. 
 
 This article, regulating the expense of living, still re- 
 mains in his economical creed, and now he is at a time 
 of life when he cannot do the church regular and eflELcient 
 service, he has the means of being comfortable, without 
 being troublesome to his brethren. He always consid- 
 ered that the amount with which he started would 
 properly belong to his children and to objects of benevo- 
 lence, and that while he did the church efficient service 
 he was entitled to his support, although he did not always 
 receive it from that quarter. 
 
 One fact in domestic economy is well worth remem- 
 bering ; that is, that $300 at compound interest, at seven 
 
METHODISM. 247 
 
 per cent., will accumulate in forty years so as to amount 
 to the sum of $4,000;. When a man has travelled forty 
 years, it is, with most men, about time to retire from effec- 
 tive service; and the income of $4,000 will make him 
 quite comfortable, with what little he may get from the 
 Conference. If a man by economy could save a little 
 from his salary, and add it to his principal, it would not 
 be at all wonderful if, when he has travelled forty years, 
 he should possess five or six thousand dollars, and thus 
 be comfortable in his old age. 
 
 METHODISM. 
 
 KETKOSPECHTl! AND PKOSPECTIVB. 
 
 MethoJiam. — Its success. — Causes of success. — Divine' influence. — Dislinctiva 
 doctrines. — Itinerancy. — Special means of grace. — Love-feasts and class-meet- 
 ings. — Camp-meetings. — Prospective. — Hopes and fears. 
 
 The celebrated Dr. Chalmers once said of Methodism, 
 that it is " Christianity in earnest." ' This is certainly 
 paying Methodism no small compliment. The world 
 needs a system of religion put into operation that has 
 vitality and divine authority, in order to bring about its 
 conversion. I would define Methodism to be A reli- 
 gious enterprise regulated by order. And surely this 
 is what the world needs. 
 
 Order is "Nature's first law." God has observed 
 order in all his works and ways; and it is absolutely 
 necessary to the success of any enterprise among men. 
 God did not introduce man into the world until he had 
 set the world in suitable order. Nor did he awaken man 
 into consciousness by breathing into hirn an immortal 
 spirit, until he had prepared a suitable body. The tab- 
 ernacle is set in order before its immortal inhabitant 
 enters. The dry bones seen in Ezekiel's vision were 
 
248 METHODISM. 
 
 not animated with life, until bone had been brought to 
 bone, and each adjusted to its proper place: nor even 
 then, until they were tied together by ligaments, and 
 clothed with flesh, and covered with skin. Then, when 
 reduced to suitable order, breath came into them, and 
 they lived, and, stood upon their feet, an exceeding great 
 army. 
 
 There is harmonious order in a:ll God's works and 
 ways. The perfect order which is to be observed in the 
 kingdoms of Nature, the ways of Providence, and the 
 dispensations of grace, shows they haye one author, and 
 that he is God. 
 
 The order observed in the church, or in any religious 
 enterprise, either in doctrines, experience, or practice, 
 which comes nearest to the order observed in the apos- 
 tolic age, is that order which is most pleasing to God, 
 and is best calculated to insure success. There can be 
 nc5 better model for the church, its ministers and mem- 
 bers, either as it respects doctrines or discipline, than 
 that which is presented to us in the Acts of the Apostles. 
 Such ministers as most, nearly resemble the apostles in 
 their spirit, manner of preaching, and success, have the 
 fairest claim to boast of being in the apostolic succession. 
 And that church which is most like the apostolic church 
 is nearest right. 
 
 The apostle tells us, that, for the edifying of the 
 church, Christ appointed apostles and prophets, evangel- 
 ists, pastors and teachers, and by him the whole body is 
 said to be "fitly joined together, and compacted by that 
 which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual 
 working in the measure of every part, making in- 
 crease of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." 
 Eph. iv. 16. Here is an arrangement in the church, 
 made by Christ, compared in several respects to the ani- 
 
METHODISM. 249 
 
 mal economy, in which every part is designed to " effect- 
 ually work," to secure the enlargement, perpetuity and 
 perfection of the church. For this purpose, apostles 
 were first appointed ; that is, men sent by Christ, per- 
 sonally, to act under the new dispensation as prophets 
 acted under the old ; viz., to communicate the will, of 
 Christ, and establish the divine authority of those doc- 
 trines which are to be believed and inculcated,' and to 
 teach and enforce those rules of. moral discipline which 
 are to be observed in the church in all coming time. 
 
 When the apostles had done their work as prophets, 
 revealing the will of Christ, they were to be succeeded, 
 not by other apostles, as some pretend, but by "Evan- 
 gelists," who should travel and carry abroad the news 
 -of this salvation to the Gentile nations, even to the ends 
 of the earth. With these evangelists, there were to be 
 pastors and teachers associated, who should organize 
 churches, and administer the ordinances and discipline 
 which Christ and his apostles had established. 
 
 Now, as the distinctive form of Christianity called 
 Methodism was introduced into the world long after the 
 days of the apostolic prophets, it is suitable, therefore, 
 that its ministry should hold its proper place with the 
 successors of the apostles, viz., evangelists, pastors and 
 teachers. And this is the highest dignity to which they 
 lay any claim; and I think it is the highest dignity 
 in the Christian ministry to which any man has had 
 claim since the apostles. To be apostles, Avas a claim 
 peculiar to the twelve who received authority from 
 Christ, personally, for the work of the apostleship ; but 
 to be pastors and teachers may be claimed in common by 
 all ministers of Christ. 
 
 I cannot but look upon Methodism as a peculiar 
 organization, for a special purpose, in the providence of 
 
 11* 
 
250 METHODISM. 
 
 God; and therefore I have called it "a religious enter 
 prise, regulated by order." And I cannot but believe 
 that the order by which it is regulated, if not in all things 
 authorized by a' "thus saith Christ, or thus saith his 
 apostles;" yet that in no one instance is it a departure 
 from what they have authorized. All its doctrines are 
 in perfect accordance with God's word, and all its rules 
 of moral discipline are either expressly required by 
 Christ and his apostles, or are fairly inferable from the 
 principles laid down in the Bible. 
 
 Our system of economy, in carrying on the work 
 assigned us by Providence, is, we think, in accordance 
 with the pattern shown us in the "apostolic age. It is a 
 system of general superintendency, from the chief over- 
 seer, or bishop, through the various classes of officers, 
 presiding elders, pastors, assistant pastors, — that is, 
 teachers, or class-leaders, —^ even down to the private 
 members. From the private members, there is a respon- 
 sibility up through all the officers of government, to the 
 general superintendents, or bishops. The doings of any 
 particular class or society in any place, are subject to a 
 review of a quarterly Conference. The quarterly Con- 
 ference is amenable to an annual 'Conference, and the 
 annual Conference is accountable for all its doings to the 
 general Conference. In view of this system, one is 
 almost inclined to think that Ezekiel, the prophet, had 
 a glimpse of Mr- Wesleyj ajid his associates, operating 
 in their grand missionary and itinerating plan of spread- 
 ing truth and holiness, when he said, "Their work was 
 as a wheel within a wheel, and the spirit of the living 
 creature was in the midst." 
 
 Methodism has done much in the world, and, I trust, 
 is destined to do much more. It has done much in Eng- 
 land to arrest infidelity and sin, and to awaken zeal and 
 
METHODISM. 251 
 
 activity among professed Christians, not only dissenters, 
 but in the established church. It has aroused the atten- 
 tion of vast multitudes of careless sinners, which no 
 ordinary means could do, and resulted in their conver- 
 sion to God. Such revivalsas have attended the labors 
 of our ministers have not been known in any other age 
 of the world since the days of the apostles. 
 
 In our own country, during the last half century, 
 wonderful results havQ followed the labors of our minis- 
 ters. The increase of our membership shows to a great 
 extent what has been their success. Before the separa- 
 tion between the North and the South, which occurred in 
 1844, our membership amounted to more than a million 
 in these United States; and probably not less than half 
 a million have united with other churches who have 
 been awakened through our instrumentality. And may 
 we not calculate that not less than half a million have, 
 during that period of time, entered into that rest that 
 remains for the people of God? Eternity alone will 
 reveal, to the full extent, the great success of Meth- 
 odism. 
 
 In those regions where my field of labor has been, 
 over which I have conducted my reader in the foregoing 
 pages, we have greatly enlarged our borders. From 
 small beginnings, our people have increased and spread 
 their influence almost everywhere. Societies have been 
 formed, churches erected, seminaries of learning estab- 
 lished. Sabbath schools organized, — and though last, in 
 many places, we are not least among the churches ; and 
 at present we share with other denominations in the 
 pleasure of doing good. Our people, as well as they, 
 are carrying the gospel abroad over heathen lands, as 
 well as educating the youth in our own. 
 
 When we witness the success of our enterprise, carried 
 
252 METHODISM, 
 
 on under so many disadvantages, and by instrumentali- 
 ties so unpromising, we are very naturally led to inquire 
 into the causes. Our beginning was feeble, and looked 
 upon with contempt. In many places we were ridiculed 
 and opposed by every means which wicked men could 
 devise; and many good men v«rily thought they did 
 God service by hedging up our way, for they sincerely 
 believed we were misleading the people. . To what shall 
 we attribute our great success ? 
 
 1. The Jirsi and most eifectual cause is, no doubt, ike 
 special blessing of God. He has been pleased to put 
 an especial honor upon his holy word, and upon his 
 ministers who have preached it. The influence of his 
 Spirit has attended the labors of the ministers, and his 
 word has proved to be a life-giving word, a hammer and 
 a fire to break in pieces. Success has been the result. 
 Without this blessing of God, Paul might plant, and 
 Apollos might water, but both would labor in vain. 
 
 2. In connection with this, the prominence which we 
 have given to our distinguishing doctrines has been a 
 very efficient cause of success. The free-agency of man, 
 general atonement, free salvation, justification by faith, 
 entire sanctification by the renewing influence of the 
 Holy Ghost, and the necessity of final perseverance, are 
 very distinguishing features of our doctrinal system. 
 And these doctrines were the constant theme of our early 
 preachers ever since I can remember. And these are 
 their themes, to a very great extent, at the, present day. 
 There is nothing contained in our creed of which our 
 preachers were ever ashamed ; they were never afraid 
 to preach any of our doctrines on- any suitable occasion. 
 Our doctrines commend themselves, not only to men's 
 consciences, but to their common sense, and are mighty, 
 through God, to the pulling dov/n of the strong-holds of 
 
METHODISM. 253 
 
 the deyil. With our views of the divine government and 
 plan of salvation, we can best- succeed in undermining 
 infidelity, and in refuting the arguments of Universalism. 
 
 3. Our system of itinerancy has been another cause 
 of our success. This system has enabled us to follow 
 the tide of emigration as it has flowed on to the West. 
 Our ministers have not waited for the people to organize 
 themselves into societies and give them a call, but they 
 have gone out and called the people. The emigrant has 
 no sooner gotten his log cabin erected, than he finds a 
 Methodist preacher at the door, ready to say, " Peace 
 be to thi5 house." No matter how sparse the popula- 
 tion, or how poor the people, our itinerants are among 
 them, to teach the way which leads to a better home in 
 heaven. Our system supplies great multitudes of people 
 with religious instruction, at an expense accommodated 
 to their scanty means. -No class of men in all the world 
 have done so much for public good for so small a com- 
 pensation. In early days, our scanty means made it 
 necessary for us to live very frugally ; and to some 
 people whose means were more abundant, we sometimes 
 appeared really penurious. 
 
 I recollect my presiding Elder came to attend my 
 quarterly meeting once, riding in what was in those 
 days called a "jumper" the box of which consisted of a 
 crate in which crockery is usually packed. He fitted up 
 this vehicle with his own hands, not because he was 
 covetous, but because he had not the means to furnish 
 himself with anything more elegant. He was an honest 
 man, and was unwilling to run in debt without a prob- 
 ability of paying. He was a humble man, and was not 
 ashamed to be seen in this humble style, while it was 
 the best he could well obtain. He covered his crate 
 with his buffalo robe,, and it looked quite respectable. 
 
254 METHODISM. 
 
 He was met one day by a gentleman who was a cele- 
 brated lawyer, and judge of the superior court. " Well, 
 well," said the judge, " I have now learned a secret for 
 the first time in my life ; that is, how Methodist preach- 
 ers live on so small an income. I see they use economy." 
 
 He has been always regarded as a man of sterling 
 integrity ; he has been honored since then with many of 
 the best appointments in his Conference ; he has grown 
 old in the work of the ministry, and to his venerable 
 name D. D. has been attached for many years ; and he 
 is worthy of it, and well deserves all the honor bestowed 
 upon him. Frugality sometimes appears very mean to 
 persons who have no occasion for it themselves, but it 
 has been necessary, in many places, to keep up our 
 itinerancy. , 
 
 Our itinerancy is of great importance in securing suc- 
 cess to our ministry. It is calculated to diffuse the 
 diverse gifts of our ministers through all parts of the 
 work, and is admirably calculated to promote uniformity 
 of viewa on doctrines and church polity. It may have 
 its disadvantages, as it respects our pastoral relation to 
 our people; but this is made up, to some extent, by 
 another part of our economy, that is, by the appoint- 
 ment of leaders. A class-leader is an assistant pastor, 
 whose business it is to supply, in some measure, the pas- 
 tor's lack of service. If .the leader does his duty, as 
 defined in discipHne, in seeing his members and report- 
 ing concerning them to the preacher, the preacher can- 
 not fail to become more or less acquainted with them 
 personally or otherwise. And it is probaJjle that when 
 our societies shall become large, so as to need it, it may be 
 deemed expedient to extend the time of ministerial labor 
 to three, or perhaps four, years. This can be done, and 
 yet our itinerancy be preserved. 
 
METHODISM. 255 
 
 4. Our special means of grace have contributed greatly 
 to our success. Besides . those which are common to 
 other denominations, there are some which: are pecuhar 
 to the Methodists. Among these are our loverfeasts and 
 our class-meetings. These, are well calculated to pro- 
 mote brotherly love and ardent piety. They have 
 been the means of bringing our people into a more inti- 
 mate and friendly acquaintance with each other, and of 
 promoting a spirit of true devotion. 
 
 And among the special instrumentalities which God 
 has used among us in converting sinners, we may give 
 a prominent place to camp-m,eetings. These originated 
 among our Presbyterian brethren, somewhere, I believe, 
 in Kentucky. They grew out of their sacramental 
 occasions in the time of the great revival of 1800. 
 When circumstances began to attend them which did 
 not exactly suit their views of orders and propriety, they 
 abandoned them. But the Methodists continued to hold 
 them, shook off the Shakers, who to some extent had 
 brought them into disrepute, and soon found them at- 
 tended with great success, in the awakening and conver- 
 sion of sinners. 
 
 The ^ first that was ever held, north of Baltimore, is 
 said to have been held somewhere not far from Croton, 
 N. Y. This was in 18Q4, at which it is said Rev. N. 
 Snethen preached the first sermon, from 2 Cor. x. 4 : 
 " The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty 
 through God to the pulling down of strong-holds." 
 And these meetings have been mighty in the hand of 
 God in demolishing the kingdom of Satan among men. 
 
 The first I ever attended was held about twelve miles 
 east of Albany, I think in 1805, and the next in Still- 
 water, in 1806. At this, the. venerable Bishops Asbury 
 and Whatcoat were present, and preached. 
 
256 METHODISM. 
 
 Camp-meetings were great occasions in those days, 
 and they were very powerful means of doing good. 
 Vast multitudes o.f people, who on ordinary occasions 
 would never have come near us, were attracted by 
 curiosity, and thereby brought under the power of truth 
 and divine influence. On these occasions, our mightiest 
 men put forth their mightiest efforts, and the Holy Spirit 
 accompanied the word with mighty power on the hearts 
 of the wicked. It has been sometimes perfectly aston- 
 ishing to see what a powerful influence has been mani- 
 fested on some of these occasions. Many of the most 
 stout-hearted sinners that were to be found in all the 
 country, who have attended these meetings to scoff and 
 make disturbance, have been arrested by the Spirit of 
 God under the preaching of the word, and have fallen 
 to the ground like men in battle. In some instances, 
 they have lain for hours perfectly helpless. When they 
 would recover their strength and the power of utterance, 
 they would cry for mercy, and never cease until they 
 found pardon and peace. In many instances, their after 
 life and triumphant death gave good evidence that their 
 conversion, though sudden, was real. Thousands are 
 now living who have been brought to Christ by means 
 of camp-meetings. ■ 
 
 For some ^^ears past it has been thought that camp- 
 meetings have not been attended with as much success 
 as formerly. They were well suited to the circumstances 
 of the times when they were first introduced ; and still, in 
 many instances, they are attended with blessed results, in 
 the conversion of sinners, and especially in the building 
 up of Christians in the faith. But our protracted meet- 
 ings, as they are usually called, which are held in our 
 churches, have, to some extent, taken their place. 
 
 5. The simplicity, zeal and perseverance of our minis- 
 
METHODISM. 257 
 
 ters have contributed very much to the success of Method- 
 ism. They have not, generally, had much to do with 
 metaphysical subtleties, or matters of mere speculation. 
 Perhaps no class of ministers has excelled ours in insist- 
 ing on experimental and practical religion, or iii aiming 
 to awaken men's consciences. They endeavored to 
 strike at the heart. Their zeal and perseverance have 
 never been outdone by any^jlass of ministers; they have 
 been ardent and untiring. 
 
 As an illustration of this, I will mention a circum- 
 stance as it was related to me ; and I think it will give- 
 a fair specimen of many of the preachers in our early 
 history. 
 
 The preacher had an appointment at a place a few 
 miles beyond a creek, that sometimes rose in a few 
 hours to be quite impassable for man or beast. A sud- 
 den shower had swelled the mountain torrents, until the 
 creek was quite unsafe to pass. Here the preacher 
 arrived an hour or two before the time to be at his ap- 
 pointment. Some persons on the opposite shore called to 
 him and told him he had not better attempt to cross. But 
 this old veteran knew of no postponement of his work, 
 and he considered that the king's business required haste,; 
 therefore, he was not to be arrested by trifles. So, in he 
 plunged ; but the current was stronger than he was aware 
 of; it carried him and his horse, in spite of all his eflbrts, 
 towards a whirling eddy. He had, approached so near 
 the opposite shore that he laid hold of a limb of a tree, 
 that hung over the water, but this gave way. He then 
 seized the pommel of his saddle, and cried out with a 
 mighty voice, " O Lord, thou hast promised to take care 
 of thy servants in trouble; it is now about time to be 
 doing something!" After being separated from his 
 horse, and floundering a while in the water, until nearly 
 
258 METHODISM. 
 
 dead, the people contrived means to draw him on to the 
 land ; and, after rolling and rubbing him a while, he 
 cafine to, and the first words he spoke were, "Now, if I 
 had my horse, I could reach my appointment yet." 
 
 This was the spirit of zeal and perseverance that ani- 
 mated our early preachers ; they were courageous in 
 their Master's cause; strong in faith and mighty in 
 prayer, and God was with them. The church has been 
 blest with many men of like spirit, even to the present 
 day. 
 
 Thus far, unparalleled success has attended Method- 
 ism. The history of the past we know ; but what will 
 be our success in the future, no one knows ; this will 
 depend on the good pleasure of God, who carries for- 
 ward his purposes by whatever instrumentalities he sees 
 fit to choose. There is no doubt that God raised^ up 
 Luther and his fellow-laborers to put down the papal 
 power, and reform the church from many of its corrup- 
 tions and abuses. And it is equally evident that he raised 
 up Mr. Wesley and his coadjutors to bring about a revi- 
 val of pure religion in the Protestant churches of his day. 
 
 But as God has permitted the papal power to again 
 revive, and, in some measure, recover its strength in some 
 parts of the world ; so he may, for aught we know, per- 
 mit the Protestant churches to fall again into the same 
 state of conformity to the world, in which they were 
 before Methodism arose. 
 
 And we cannot be sure that Methodism will continue 
 to retain its distinctive features, and -use its peculiar 
 instrumentalities^ as heretofore; or,. if it does, we cannot 
 be sure that the same success will always follow. On 
 itiih point, I think, there is some reason to fear. I do not 
 fear that there will ever be any essential change in our 
 doctrinal system, so long as the Bible is acknowledged as 
 
METHODISM. 259 
 
 the rule of faith. I have no doubt that our Articles of 
 Religion will always remain the same. But we have 
 some reason to fear that our rules of moral discipline 
 may become somewhat relaxed, to suit the laxity of the 
 times. They may never be altered, so far as they are 
 found expressly contained in the Bible; but the time 
 may come when our ministers will not so strictly admin- 
 ister them as they do at present. I fear this, because I 
 see that some of them are not now as rigidly adminis- 
 tered as they formerly were. When Methodism shall 
 have lost its distinguishing spirituality, it will in the 
 same proportion have lost its moral power. 
 
 And should we continue to use the same instrumental- 
 ities which we have used with so much success hereto- 
 fore, it is not absolutely certain that the same success 
 will continue to attend them. It is evident that camp- 
 meetings, which heretofore were such powerful means 
 of awakening sinners, have not been, for several years 
 past, attended with the same success as formerly. And 
 even the same kind of preaching, which used to be 
 attended with so much power, does not now produce the 
 same effect. Such are the peculiar circumstances of the 
 times, that even truth itself, in many cases, fails to pro- 
 duce its designed effect. It was so in the days of our 
 Saviour ; in some places he could not do many mighty 
 works among the people, because of their unbelief. 
 
 There is some reason to fear that our preachers and 
 people will yet fall into the spirit of the times, and be- 
 come as weak in moral power as some others. We live 
 in an age when the spirit of the world is making great 
 inroads into the church. Our country offers so many 
 facilities for becoming wealthy, and our republican insti- 
 tutions open so many avenues to distinction and honor, 
 that we can scarcely hope to preserve our original sim- 
 
260 METHODISM. 
 
 plicity. Wealth will create splendid and costly churches, 
 and these will require popular preachers; under these 
 circumstances the spirit of piety and devotion, which 
 once characterized us, may decline. A generation may 
 rise up by whom class-meetings may not be appreciated, 
 and formality may take the place of true devotion, and 
 the more popular and shining virtues of a Christian's 
 character may take the place of a self-denying and cross- 
 bearing life." 
 
 But if Methodism degenerates, or if it fails to accom- 
 plish the object for which God introduced it, he will no 
 doubt raise up some other people, and other instrument- 
 alities, to carry forward his merciful designs. Of the 
 future we know nothing. Faith in God, and in his 
 promises, is better for us than foreknowledge would be. 
 
 METHODIST EPISCOPACY. 
 
 The visible church of Christ,, in the most general sense 
 of this term, is made up of all denominations of Chris- 
 tians who take the Scriptures for their rule of faith and 
 practice, and Christ for their Lord and Lawgiver. 
 Men are not members of the visible church because 
 they are born and educated in a Christian nation ; nor 
 because they have been converted, or born again : in 
 order to constitute a church, they must be organized 
 into a society. A ^visible church is a voluntary asso- 
 ciation organized for a special purpose, adopting rules 
 and regulations for the maintenance of public worship 
 and Christian ordinances. 
 
 The word ekklesia, from which our word church is 
 derived, is a numerical term which signifies multitude, 
 
METHODIST EPISCOPACY. 261 
 
 congregation, or assembly : and according to its Scrip- 
 tural use, may be applied to the whole Christian church 
 of all ages, as forming one entire body ; or, it may be 
 applied to the whole body of professing Christians in 
 any one age of the world ; and with equal propriety 
 it may be applied to any particular number of Chris- 
 tians associated together in church fellowship, in any 
 particular place. 
 
 The term church is frequently used in the Scriptures 
 in this general sense, and also as frequently in this par- 
 ticular sense.. The Scriptures not only make mention 
 of the church as a whole, but also of churches ;— " The 
 general assembly and church of the first-born" — "the 
 church at Jerusalem" — "the church at Antioch" — 
 "this seven churches which are in Asia," &c. These 
 churches "were so many Christian assemblies regularly 
 organized, who assembled in. those different places 
 where they resided ; and each of those assemblies 
 constituted a church to all intents and purposes ; and 
 they were as so many branches or integral parts of the 
 catholic or generkl church of Christ. This view of the 
 Christian church agrees with the definition given of it 
 in the Thirtynnine Articles of the Church of England : 
 "The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faith- 
 ful men, in which the pure word of God is preached, 
 and the sacraments duly administered, according to 
 Christ's ordinance, in all those things that are requsite 
 to the same.'' In order to be convinced of the correct- 
 ness of this view, let the reader examine Acts ix, 31 ; 
 XX, 17 ; Gal. i, 2, 22 ; Col. iv, 15." 
 
 Such organizations are still provided for by a general 
 law of our Lord and Lawgiver, the purport of which 
 is, " God is no respecter of persons : but in every 
 nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, 
 
262 METHODIST EPISCOPACY. 
 
 is accepted with him ;" and, " Where two or three are 
 gathered together in rny name, there am I in the midst 
 of them." Under this general provision Christian 
 churches may be organized and enjoy covenant bless- 
 ings. 
 
 The visible church of Christ, therefore, is not con- 
 fined exclusively to any one particular denomination of 
 Christians, but embraces all who make a public pro- 
 fession of allegiance to Christ, by belonging to some 
 religious organization. These sects or denominations 
 may differ from each other in many things, and yet each 
 may have all that is essential to constitute a Christian 
 church, in the Scripture sense of that term. They may 
 all have some things in common with each other, and 
 each of them may have some things peculiar to them- 
 selves. Each may have enough truth to give them 
 vitality, and constitute them one of the branches of the 
 visible church of Christ, and entitle them to the bless- 
 ings of God's covenant people. 
 
 Christians in all ages have, with few exceptions, been 
 agreed in the most essential matters of Christianity ; it 
 has been most generally in minor matters that they have 
 disagreed. And it is so to quite an extent, at the pre- 
 sent day. Some denominations agree with each other 
 in doctrinal views, who disagree in their views of 
 church polity. Some prefer the Congregationalmode 
 of managing church affairs ; some the Presbyteria], and 
 some the Episcopal. But as neither Christ nor his 
 apostles have laid down any specific rule as to the form 
 of church government, it seems this matter cannot be 
 very essential ; and therefore Christians may differ in 
 their views on this subject, without giving each other 
 any real occasion pf offence. The great object or ulti- 
 mate purpose to be secured in church government, is, 
 
METHODIST EPISCOPACY. 263 
 
 good order. Concerning the best, means of obtaining 
 this object, each denomination of Christians is at liberty 
 to judge for itself, and each may innocently prefer its 
 own peculiar views, provided they do not contravene 
 anything taught in the Scriptures. 
 
 One of the distinguishing features and peculiarities of 
 Methodism is its Episcopacy. There is no other church 
 at the present day, whose government is Episcppal, which 
 entertains the same views of Episcopacy as the JMetho- 
 dists. A writer in the Established Church of England 
 contends that the church to which he belongs is exclu- 
 sively right, on the principle that its government is 
 Episcopal, inasmuch as the government in the apostolic 
 church was Episcopal. With our views of Episcopacy, 
 we can admit that Episcopacy was apostolic, without 
 being obliged to admit that the Church of England or 
 of Rome is exclusively right, or that presbyterial gov- 
 ernment is absolute ly wrong. 
 
 With us. Episcopacy is not an order in the ministry, 
 but an office. When Mr. Wesley laid his hands on Dr. 
 Coke, he merely set him apart to the office of a general 
 superintendent, or overseer, in the church, which he 
 had, in the providence of God, been instrumental in rais- 
 ing up. In setting the Doctor apart, and appointing him 
 to this work, in the United States, he followed the 
 example of St. Paul, in setting apart Timothy and Titus, 
 and appointing them to a similar work, the one for the 
 purpose of overseeing the church at Ephesus, and the 
 other as superintendent of the affairs at Crete. In both 
 cases it was a presbyterial ordination, an Episcopacy of 
 convenience, adapted to contingent necessities. St. Paul 
 could not well go to Ephesus personally, therefore he 
 appointed Timothy to the office of superintendent, or 
 overseer, to set things in order in that place. For the same 
 
264 METHODIST EPISCOPACY. 
 
 reason Mr. Wesley sent Dr. Coke to America. I see no 
 proof that St. Paul had any more special direction from 
 God to send Timothy to Ephesus, or to leave Titus in 
 Crete, than Mr. Wesley had to send Dr. Coke to America. 
 In making this appointment, he acted, no douht, accord- 
 ing to an enlightened judgment of propriety, and so did 
 Mr. Wesley. St. Paul, in alluding to this arrangement, 
 does not say, " I commanded thee, hy virtue of my apos- 
 tolic authority ;" but he says, " I besought thee to abide 
 still at Ephesus." If St. Paul was an apostle, or a 
 patriarch, to the societies which he had raised up among 
 the Gentiles, and by \'irtue of the relation which he held 
 to them, as a minister of Christ, was authorized to super- 
 intend their affairs and appoint them preachers, so had 
 Mr. Wesley similar authority over the societies which he 
 had raised up ; and these societies acknowledged this 
 authority, by receiving the preachers whom he sent. No 
 doubt, the preachers and members of the societies in Amer- 
 ica as cordially received Dr. Coke and Francis Asbury, 
 acting as joint superintendents, under the authority of 
 Mr. Wesley, as the churches of Ephesus and " Crete 
 received Timothy and Titus, appointed by St. Paul.* 
 
 Mr. Wesley, in writing to Dr. Coke, September 10th, 
 1784, says; " Lord King's account of the primitive Chris- 
 
 • From the fact that history tells us that St. John spent the latter part 
 of his life at,Ephesus, it seema most likely that Panl sent Timothy there 
 for a particular purpose, and that when he had accomplished the work, he 
 no longer occupied the office, but took his place as another minister. 
 
 The case of Titus, who was left in Crete, strengthens this supposition 
 respecting Timothy. Patil left iim in Crete, it is said, " to set things in 
 order and ordain elders ;" but he tells him expressly, that when he 
 should send Artemas, or Tychicus, then he must come to him to Nioopolis. 
 This certainly indicates that the office of a bishop was only the setting 
 apart a man, and appointing him to oversee a certain work, and not the 
 creating an order in the ministry as permanent as life. 
 
METHODIST EPISCOPACY. 265 
 
 tians convinced me, many years ago, that bishops and 
 presbyters are the same order, and consequently have 
 the same right to ordain." Again, he says : " I firmly 
 believe, that I am as mucb a scriptural Episcopos as any 
 man in England, or in Europe, for the uninterrupted 
 succession I know to be a fable, which no man did or 
 ever can prove." 
 
 If the English hierarchy make a great boast that, 
 when they came out from Rome, they brought Episco- 
 pacy with them in their sense of Episcopacy, Mr. Wes- 
 ley and his coadjutors can say, when we came out from 
 the hierarchy of England, we brought Episcopacy with 
 us, in our sense of that term, and we brought the glo- 
 rious gospel of Christ with us, in its power. Whether 
 the English clergy did in fact bring their Episcopacy 
 with them, when they left the church of Rome, may be 
 questionable, when we consider that the Romish church 
 expelled the bishops and the clergy of England, and that 
 they took out new credentials from Henry VIII. 
 
 I have no doubt that,- in the days of the apostles, 
 bishops and presbyters were regarded as belonging to 
 the same ecclesiastical order; that they differed only in 
 office. All presbyters were bishops in their respective 
 charges, although not generally so called. But some, 
 being selected to superintend a^nd oversee the work on a 
 larger field, were, for the sake of distinction, called 
 bishops. This is the opinion of Archbishop Cranmer, 
 and many other writers in the English church. (See 
 Macaulay, vol. i., p. 49.) 
 
 As proof that bishops were so regarded in the days of 
 the apostles, see the third chapter of the first Epistle to 
 Timothy. Here the word bishop is used in connection 
 with the office which some elders or presbyters sustained, 
 and yet belonged to the order of presbyters, for bishops 
 
 12 
 
266 METHODIST EPISCOPACY. 
 
 and deacons are all the orders which seem to be recog- 
 nized in this epistle. (See Chap. iii. 1, 2, 8 ; and see, 
 also, Titus i. 5, 6, 7.) Here Titus was directed to set 
 apart Elders in every city, and he is told what charac- 
 ters they must sustain. In stating the reason why 
 elders must sustain such a character, the apostle says, 
 " For a bishop must be blameless." Now, it is evident 
 that he uses the word " elder," (which is the same as 
 the word presbyter,) and the word " bishop," as mean- 
 ing one and the same thing, so far as their ordination or 
 order was concerned. 
 
 But as a further proof, let the reader turn to Eusebius, 
 Book v., chap. 24 ; here he will find a quotation from an 
 epistle written by Irenseus, Bishop of Lyons, who was 
 cotemporary with Victor, Bishop of Rome, in the early 
 part of the second century. In an epistle, in which he 
 admonishes Victor, he uses the following language. 
 " And these presbyters, who governed the church 
 before Sotu, and over which you now preside, I mean 
 Anicelus and Pius, Aginus, with Telephorus," believed 
 so and so. 
 
 On this passage from Irenseus, we may observe three 
 things : 
 
 1st. That this is the language of a man of great emi- 
 nence as a writer ; he was the Bishop of Lyons, and 
 cotemporary with Victor, who was then Bishop of 
 Rome. 
 
 2. That Irenseus names five of the predecessors of 
 Victor, in the succession of Roman bishops, men whose 
 names are always found in the list of Roman bishops, 
 whenever an attempt is made to trace the regular prelatic 
 succession to St. Peter. And these bishops Irenaus calls 
 PRESBYTERS. He, uo doubt, regarded Victor and all his 
 predecessors, up to Linus, who is said to be the imme- 
 
METHODIST EPISCOPACY. 267 
 
 diate successor of St. Peter, as nothing more than pres- 
 byters or elders, so far as it respects a distinct order in 
 the ministry. They were of the order of presbyters, and, 
 on account of age, talents, or some other reason, had 
 been chosen by their brethren to the office of overseers, 
 or bishops, at Rome. 
 
 3. If the bishops of the first century belonged to the 
 order of presbyters, then those whom they have ordained 
 must also belong to the same order ; for how can a pres- 
 byter confer an order higher than the one to which he 
 belongs himself? What, then, are all those diocesan 
 prelates who have derived their orders from Victor and 
 his predecessors at Rome, who were mere parochial bish- 
 ops 1 Are they, after all their boast, anything more than 
 presbyters ? 
 
 It is true, these predecessors of Victor were called 
 bishops, — that is, " overseers," — and such they were in 
 office, but in ministerial grade they were only presbyters. 
 This has ever been the true state of the case with bish- 
 ops so called, and ever will be. A distinct order by this 
 name is wholly an unauthorized innovation in the Chris- 
 tian church. The bishops of Jerusalem, of Antioch, of 
 Rome, of England, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, 
 or of the Methodist Episcopal Church, or of the Metho- 
 dist Episcopal Church South, or anywhere else under 
 heaven, — what are they in fact 7 They are elders, or 
 presbyters, appointed as officers to oversee the church as 
 general superintendents. 
 
 This was the relation bishops held to the church in 
 the early days of its history, when it had not become 
 connected with wealth, pride, and power. But after a 
 while these Episcopoi pretended to be a distinct order 
 in the ministry, divinely constituted, and superior to 
 presbyters. And to make these pretensions respected, 
 
268 OUR APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION. 
 
 they claimed to be successors of the inspired apostles, 
 and equal with them in. ecclesiastical authority. At 
 length the Bishop of Rome, obtaining the ascendency 
 over all other bishops, declared himself Pope, — that is, 
 Pappa^ or Father, the universal father of the Christian 
 church. He considered himself Christ's Vicar-general 
 on earth ; and hence the Church of Rome obtained the 
 title of Catholic, or Universal Church; as though Rome 
 was the universe, — all others having to submit to the 
 government of the Pope, who at length became a tem- 
 poral prince, and is such to this day. 
 
 But as Mr. Wesley, and the fathers of American 
 Methodism, were not disposed to acknowledge the Pope 
 or the pretensions which he had assumed, so neither were 
 . they disposed to take such views of Episcopacy as would 
 lead to any such conclusions, or make such assumptions 
 of the Pope necessary to their authority. But they chose 
 to take the view which the New Testament gives of the 
 church and its ministry in its. original organization. 
 They chose to consider Episcopacy not an order of divine 
 appointment, essential to the validity of the ministry and 
 existence of a church, but an office to which a man may 
 be appointed by his brethren. 
 
 OUE APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION. 
 
 Our ministry has scriptural credentials which satisfy 
 our people very well. The Saviour has given us a test 
 by which to determine in general who are his true min- 
 isters. He says, "Byjheir fruits ye shall know them." 
 He said to his apostles, "I have chosen you and or- 
 dained you that, you should bring forth fruit, and that 
 your fruit should remain." And he has always retained 
 this prerogative of choosing and authorizing his minis- 
 
OUK APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION. 269 
 
 ters himself for this work. If men are moved by the 
 Holy Ghost to take upon them the work of the ministry, 
 they will bring forth more or less fruit. The fruit of a 
 true ministry will be the conversion and salvation of sin- 
 ners, the advancement of the cause of truth, and build- 
 ing up of the church of Christ. 
 
 So long as a body of ministers find their labors crowned 
 with success in accomplishing the great ends of the gos- 
 pel, they give good evidence that they are in the order 
 of God, and in the true scriptural apostolic succession, 
 although they may not be able to trace it through the 
 hierarchies of England or Rome. 
 
 Methodism is the revival of apostolic simplicity and 
 efficiency. It contends not so much for outward forms 
 and ceremonies, as it does for an inward work of grace 
 on the heart by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, and a 
 practical manifestation of this gracious work by a godly 
 life. It leaves the wranglings of theological schools, and 
 the metaphysical subtleties, and goes out among the peo- 
 ple preaching Christ and him crucified, holding forth to 
 all a present, free, and full salvation. It appeals to the 
 Bible for. the truth of, its doctrines and fhe correctness 
 and authority of its discipline. And it must be acknowl- 
 edged that its unparalleled success, in the conversion of 
 sinners, has given the world good evidence that it is an 
 object of divine favor. 
 
 The conversion of sinners, which has followed the 
 labors of our ministers to such an extent for so many 
 years, we cannot but regard as good evidence of the 
 validity of our ordination and ministerial authority 
 Hitherto we have been able to vindicate our Episcopac3f 
 and apostolic succession, without calling to our aid the 
 fable of prelatical successioti through the English or Ro- 
 mish Church. Our letters of commendation are read 
 
270 GOVERNMENT OF M. E. CHUEOH. 
 
 and known of all men with whom our ministry has 
 proved successful in accomplishing their salvation. They 
 are living epistles of commendation. 
 
 Should the time ever come when our ministry shall so 
 far -depart from the simplicity of the gospel as to lose 
 its power in bringing sinners to Christ, we may perhaps 
 find it necessary to seek some other ground to establish 
 its validity. If the religion of the M. E. Church should 
 degenerate into mere forms and ceremonies, and on this 
 account we should lose our hold on the conscienpes and 
 confidence of the iiommunity, and God should raise up 
 another people to the work first assigned to us, we may 
 then be glad to invent some vain pretence to establish 
 our superior claims, and make men believe there is no 
 salvation out of our church. But I pray that such a time 
 may never come in our history. 
 
 I have no fear for -Methodism while our ministers 
 retain a strong religious feeling in their hearts, and ad- 
 here to the truth in the spirit of simplicity and faith. As 
 the circumstances of society around us change, our min- 
 istry may be less successful in the aggressive form, in 
 many places, but I trust it will never be without fruit 
 that will redound to the glory of God. 
 
 THE GOVERNMENT OE THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 
 
 The government of the Methodist Church is Episco- 
 pal — that is to say, under the general superintendency 
 of bishops, or, as they are called in Greek, Episcopoi, 
 and is a system of superintendency throughout. 
 
 Since its organization in 1784, the ministry of this 
 church is originated in the following manner. When a 
 person thinks he is called to preach, he usually com- 
 mences by exhortation, and in order to this, he must be 
 
GOVERNMENT OF M. E. CHURCH. 271 
 
 approved by the class of which he is a member. Upon 
 this recommendation the preacher in charge may give 
 him license to exhort. In order to obtain license to 
 preach, he must obtain a recommendation of a leader's 
 meeting, or of the society of which he is a member, when 
 a quarterly Conference may authorize the presiding 
 Elder to give him license as a local preacher. The quar- 
 terly Conference, which decides this matter, is composed 
 of the travelling and local preachers, exhorters, stew- 
 ards, and leaders, belonging to the circuit or station. 
 
 When a local preacher becomes eligible to be ordained 
 a deacon or an elder, he must be recommended by a 
 quarterly Conference, of which he is a member, to an an- 
 nual Conference ; and if the annual Conference approve 
 of him, he may be ordained by the bishop. Such a 
 recommendation is also necessary when a local preacher 
 wishes to become a member of the travelling connec- 
 tion. 
 
 Thus it will be seen that our ministry originates with 
 our people, — that is, that no man can be recognized 
 among us a preacher, or minister, until the laity approve 
 of him and recommend him. In this way our preachers 
 are approved by our people, and in this way our annual 
 Conferences are constituted. 
 
 The annual Conferences constitute a General Confer- 
 ence, by their delegates, whom they appoint to meet once 
 in four years. The General Conference elects the bish- 
 ops, or general superintendents, who have the general 
 supervision of the church, in the interim of the General 
 Conference. The bishops are amenable to the General 
 Conference. Thus, our government originates with the 
 people, and is a government of superin tendency, from the 
 bishop or overseer to the class-leader, the lowest officer ;^ 
 and there is an accountability through all the grades of 
 
272 GOVERNMENT OF M. E. CHURCH. 
 
 superintendents up to the General Conference. It is, 
 therefore, called Episcopal, which means superintend- 
 ency, or overseeing. 
 
 Some object to our ecclesiastical economy, because 
 they think it does not harmonize with the civil govern- 
 ment of- the United States, and of the several States of 
 the Union. In reply to this, we admit that, in forming 
 our rules of discipline, we have not aimed to copy after 
 any civil or political institutions whatever, either in this 
 country or elsewhere ; and for this we have several rea- 
 sons to assign. 
 
 I. Civil and political institutions differ in their origin 
 from ecclesiastical institutions. They originate with 
 men -T- with politicians. They differ according to the 
 different circumstances in which men are placed, and the 
 different views which men may happen to entertain. 
 Hence the diversity of forms of civil government among 
 the nations of the earth. 
 
 If the government of tlie church must be modeled 
 after the civil governments, I would like to know which 
 among the various forms shall be the model. Shall we 
 imitate a monarchy, an aristocracy, or a republican 
 form? Who shall determine this question? Is it an- 
 swered, they who are to be governed? This plan seems 
 somewhat specious, but several difficulties would be con- 
 nected with it. 1st.' Such a course would be unauthor- 
 ized by the Scriptures. 2d. Such a course would intro- 
 duce a variety of administration in the same church, 
 and this would necessarily tend to confusion and division 
 in the church. On this principle, no chwrch could main- 
 tain any unity, or preserve brotherly love. And, 3d. 
 Such as might hereafter unite with us could complain 
 that they had no hand in making our rules. 
 
 As Christ was not of the world, so neither is his church 
 
GOVEKNMENTOF M. E. CHURCH. 273 
 
 of the world. His followers are not to take the maxims 
 of the world for their rule, nor the practice of the world 
 for their example. The maxims of Christ and the prac- 
 tices of the apostles and first Christians are to be re- 
 garded as the rule and niodel for Christians, both minis- 
 ters and members, in all ecclesiastical matters. Although 
 it is not pretended that any specific mode of church gov- 
 ernment is contained in the Scriptures, and although it is 
 not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all 
 places and among all denominations be the same, yet all 
 rules of moral discipline must originate with the Chris- 
 tian Lawgiver, — that is, with Christ, not the members 
 of the church. 
 
 II. Another reason why the church is not bound to 
 conform to the theory of any civil government, is, that 
 the nature and design of church government are essen- 
 tially difierent from the nature and design of civil gov- 
 ertiment, and therefore the institutions of the one cannot 
 be suitable and proper for the other. This difierence' 
 exists in the following particulars : 
 
 1. Civil government possesses power to make laws as 
 well as to execute them ; but there is no scriptural war- 
 rant authorizing the church to originate laws for the 
 regulation of the moral conduct of its members. 
 
 2. Those who live under civil government, whether it 
 be monarchical or republican, are bound to obey the 
 laws, however objectionable or even oppressive they may 
 be, or abide the penalty. 
 
 3. Civil government secures the safety and provides 
 for the welfare only of those who are under its jurisdic- 
 tion. 
 
 Now, in all these particulars, church government dif- 
 fers very materially ; at least, this is the case with the 
 government in the Methodist Episcopal Church. The 
 
 IS* 
 
274 GOVEENMENT OF M. E. CHURCH. 
 
 General Conference, its highest judicatory, by a pretty 
 unanimous vote, disavowed the right of legislating for 
 the church, at its session in 1828. All the right it has 
 ever claimed, is to devise the best means to carry the 
 laws of Christ, the Christian Lawgiver, into effect. This 
 business, we think,, is allotted to her ministers as a part 
 of their appropriate work. This work they have no 
 right to delegate to the laity, nor ought the ministry to 
 be controlled by the laity in this matter. Preaching the 
 Gospel, administering the ordinances, and governing the 
 church by administering the rules of moral discipline, 
 according to the Scriptures; is a work belonging to the 
 ministry. 
 
 When the church refcognizes men as their ministers, 
 they must recognize them as the ministers of Christ au- 
 thorized to do their appropriate work. This authority is 
 untransferable and indivisible. Our ministers claim only 
 the right to do the work assigned them by the Head 
 of the Church ; they claim no right to control the con- 
 sciences of others. All who come under their pastoral 
 care do it voluntarily. The rules by which they agree 
 to be governed are not acts of ecclesiastical legislation, 
 any more than rules of court are legislative enactments. 
 They are simply prudential regulations by which laws 
 are to be carried in^o effect. The laws are transcribed 
 from the Bible ; the ministers neither claim nor exercise 
 any legislative power, so far as Christian morals are 
 concerned. 
 
 It should be distinctly observed, that persons are not 
 born into our church, and, therefore, members unavoid- 
 ably, as they are under civil government. No one is in 
 any way forced to come under our economy, and no one 
 is obliged to remain under it one day longer than he 
 
HOVERNMENT OF M. E. CHURCH. 275 
 
 chooses. Therefore, in the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 no one can complain of tyranny. 
 
 A wise and energetic government is- of great impor- 
 tance. There is scarcely anything that contributes to 
 the welfare of a nation more than a well-regulated and 
 energetic government ; and this is of equal importance 
 in the church. One reason, among many others, which 
 may be assigned for the unparalleled success of Method- 
 ism in the world, is found in the excellency of its rules 
 of church government. But there is scarce anything 
 among us fo which some of our enemies are more 
 opposed than these very rules. While they walk about 
 our Zion, and behold our strdng bulwarks, and count our 
 towers, they despair of conquest, unless they can per- 
 suade us to abandon these our strongholds. They would 
 be pleased if, like Samson, we would lie quiet, that they 
 might shave our locks, that we may become weak as 
 others. But neither our ministers nor our people are wil- 
 ling to abandon rules which are authorized by Scripture 
 and the usages of th& primitive church, nor to give up a 
 form of government, which", for so long a time, has 
 worked so well, and has been so successful in accom- 
 plishing the desired object, the conversion of sinners, 
 building up the church, and preserving order and har- 
 mony among its members. 
 
 The government of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
 has provided courts of appeal in order to secure the 
 administration of justice to its ministers and members 
 as far as it may be done. Private members are account- 
 able to their brethren who compose the class, society, or 
 church where they belong. If a member is dissatisfied 
 with the decision in case of his expulsion, he may appeal 
 to a quarterly Conference of official members. A local 
 preacher is accountable to a quarterly Conference, and 
 
276 METHODIST ITINERANCY. 
 
 in case of expulsion he may appeal to an annual Con- 
 ference of travelling preachers. A travelling preacher is 
 accountable to an annual Conference, and may appeal 
 to a General Conference, composed of delegates from all 
 the Conferences in the church. The bishops are amen- 
 able to the General Conference, both for their official 
 and moral conduct ; but there is no appeal from its 
 decision, for there is no higher judicatory. If there is any 
 hardship in our system of church, government, it falls 
 heaviest on its chief of&cers ; and, for the general safety 
 of the church, there I think it ought to fall ; for when 
 great power is placed in the hands of any man it should 
 always be well guarded by suitable checks and restraints. 
 Our ecclesiastical government is very energetic, as it 
 should be ; among us cases of delinquency can be decided 
 with great despatch, and the church be soon rid of im- 
 proper members. The power to administer its rules is 
 lodged where the Scriptures have lodged it, and our 
 members have no more occasion to complain of its abuse 
 than members of other churches have. With so many 
 restraints thrown around it, there is but little danger of 
 abuse, — all abuses will correct themselves. 
 
 METHODIST ITINERANCY. 
 
 Methodist Itinerancy is a system of aggressiveness on 
 the powers of darkness. It is the angel of God flying 
 through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting 
 gospel to preach. It is, to some extent, the fulfilment of 
 the prediction that "Many shall run to and fro and 
 knowledge shall be increased." It is well calculated to 
 do this work,^ — a work which a local ministry could neyer 
 accomplish. It is in perfect accordance with the divine 
 commission, "Go into all the world, and preach the gos- 
 
METHODIST ITINKRANCY, 277 
 
 pel to every creature." It is a work which has apostolic 
 example. 
 
 Our system of Itinerancy does not wait for wicked 
 men to become converted and organized into churches, 
 and in that capacity call us to come and be their pastors, 
 and preach and administer to them the ordinances. But it 
 leads the way and invites the people to follow. It goes into 
 all the world, wherever it can find access, whether among 
 the savage or the civilized, the rich or the poor, to warn 
 men and teach them the way of salvation. When men 
 become awakened, and desire to flee the wrath to come, 
 we form- them into societies, and when they have been 
 suitably instructed, and give evidence of their conver- 
 sion, we organize them into churches, and bring them 
 under the discipline of the gospel, according to the 
 example of the apostles. 
 
 Our system of Itinerancy constitutes our travelling 
 ministers true evangelists, and places us necessarily in 
 the relation of pastors to our societies. It necessarily 
 places the rule and government of the church, which 
 these societies constitute, in the hands of the ministry, 
 precisely where it should fbe, and where Christ placed it, 
 and where it was in the days of the apostles. 
 
 Whatever advantages a republican government may 
 possess in civil society, we are not to look upon the 
 Christian church as being a republic, where men may 
 choose their chief magistrate to preside, and all the sub- 
 ordinate officers to make and administer their laws. 
 The Christian church is a kingdom, and Christ is King 
 in Zion, and his ministers are his officers to teach his 
 doctrines and administer his laws. He is the only Lord 
 and Lawgiver ; he appoints his officers and assigns them 
 their work. We act under his appointment and author- 
 ity, and not by the authority of the people ; we are 
 
278 METHODIST ITINEEANCY. 
 
 accountable to him for the doctrines we preach ; we call 
 the people, they do not call us. 
 
 So far as our call to the ministry is concerned, we are 
 independent of the people ; that is a matter between God 
 and us ; but whether we shall be acknowledged as min- 
 isters, and become their pastors and teachers, depends on 
 the people to whom we preach. Our ministry depends 
 wholly on the people for its pastoral relation and its 
 pecuniary support. If the people refuse to be organized 
 into a -church, we cannot sustain the relation of pastors, 
 nor claim our pecuniary support, nor are they under any 
 obligation to us, nor have we any claim on them. The 
 Methodist Episcopal Church, like all other churches, is 
 a voluntary association. 
 
 Our syst-em of Itinerancy cannot permit the people to 
 choose what particular minister shall be their pastor in 
 any particular place. Nor can it permit the ministers to 
 choose what particular circuit or station shall be the 
 field of their labor. If the people in the different circuits' 
 and stations were to choose their own particular pastors, 
 it might happen that several circuits or stations might 
 choose the same man at the same time. In such cases 
 all must be disappointed except one. And upon this 
 plan, it is likely that none but the most popular would 
 be chosen to anyplace; in this way hundreds of our 
 most pious and useful ministers would find no place to 
 work, because they were not the most popular. And it 
 might happen that ministers might be chosen where they 
 -would not like to go ; this would be likely to occur as 
 often as it now does, when appointed by the bishops. 
 
 Why should the people have any more right to 
 choose their ministers than the ministers to choose their 
 people, or field of labor 1 Have ministers no rights ? 
 But if ministers should choose their field of labor it 
 
METHODIST ITINERANCY. 279 
 
 would be natural to suppose that the cities and most 
 desirable places would be chosen by many more ministers 
 than they would need, and other places, less desirable, 
 where men's souls, however, are equally valuable, would 
 be left destitute, for none would choose them. Or some 
 men would choose places for which they might be very 
 unfit, and very unacceptable to the people. The people 
 choosing their minister, or the minister choosing his 
 people, would soon completely destroy our Itinerancy. 
 
 The system of Itinerancy necessarily implies an aj>- 
 pointing power, and this appointing power must be 
 vested in a committee, or some one individual person. It 
 could not be vested in a committee without great incon- 
 venience. 
 
 1. This committee would not only have the power to 
 appoint others to their field of labor, but also to appoint 
 themselves. 
 
 2. Such a committee could not avoid being constantly 
 exposed to charges of partiality and feelings of retalia 
 tion. 
 
 3. Such a committee would be no better judges of men 
 adapted to places, or places adapted to certain men, than 
 one man could be when guided by a committee of ,pre- 
 siding elders, as our superintendents now are. 
 
 Some have thought our plan of Itinerancy would be 
 improved, if there might be an appeal made to the Con- 
 ference when any brother felt himself injured by the 
 bishop in his appointment. This point was once dis- 
 cussed in General Conference, in 1792. Mr. O'Kelly 
 brought in a resolution to change the existing 'economy 
 of the church, and this plan was embraced in it; but it 
 was rejected by a very large majority, and for very good 
 reasons. Who does not see, upon one moment's reflec- 
 tion, in what a ridiculous light such an appeal to the 
 
280 METHODIST ITINERANCY. 
 
 Conference would place the bishops, arid the preachers 
 also; and what utter confusion it must throw through 
 all our operations ! 
 
 Let us look at the practical workings of this improve- 
 ment in our system of Itinerancy. A preacher thinks 
 himself injured in his appointment ; so he comes before 
 the Conference and says, " Brethren, I think the bishop 
 has done me an injury in giving me this appointment, 
 and I object to going to it." Very well, brother, says 
 the Conference, if you think so you need- not go there ; 
 the bishop shall send another in your room. So the 
 bishop is obliged to appoint another in his place, and 
 one who, perhaps, is well satisfied with his station ; he 
 may think himself injured in being obliged to give up 
 his appointment to satisfy the caprice of another, and he 
 may also appeal to the Conference ; and thus there would 
 be no end to trouble. 
 
 How can a preacher know that an appointment will 
 be an injury to him before he makes the trial? And 
 how can the Conference know, when four-fifths, perhaps, 
 of its numbers may not only be ignorant of the station, 
 but also of the preacher 1 Certainly one man can be- 
 come better qualified to judge in such cases, than so 
 large a body of men. 
 
 Our system of Itinerancy is undoubtedly the best that 
 can be devised to meet the wants and wishes of the 
 church. Our bishops, as general superintendents, 
 possess the appointing power. They are chosen and 
 authorized to do this work by the General Conference, 
 composed of delegates representing the entire ministry 
 throughout the church. To this ministry they are amen- 
 able through their delegates for the manner in which 
 they use this power. At each annual Conference some 
 one of these bishops presides, and the presiding elders 
 
METHODIST ITINERANCY, 281 
 
 of each Conference, who know all the men that are to be 
 appointed, and all the places that are to be supplied, 
 constitute his council to advise. He has the sole appoint- 
 ing power, and for its abuse he alone is responsible. If 
 he should in any case abuse this power, he is easily- 
 reached through the delegates, to whom he is responsible 
 for his official acts, as well as for his moral conduct. 
 
 Our system of Itinerancy is one of the distinguishing 
 features of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America ; 
 and it has worked exceedingly well for nearly a century. 
 Neither preachers nor people would, on any account, 
 consent to have it essentially changed. If there be any 
 hardships connected with it, they fall heaviest on the 
 ministry. To them it is indeed a system of considerable 
 sacrifice ; but, in general, they do not complain. They 
 regard it as in perfect accordance with the commission of 
 Christ to his apostles, and in conformity with apostolic 
 example. They are fully satisfied that this system is 
 best calculated to spread the gospel through the world, 
 and save the greatest number of sinners. 
 
 Of this system our people have very little reason to 
 complain, for it best accomplishes the design of the gos- 
 pel, and makes the variety of talent in the ministry most 
 available to the church by their frequent changes. If 
 any society should have a man of inferior talents sent to 
 them, or a man unsuited to the place, they are not obliged 
 to quarrel him away, or hire him to depart, as some 
 churches have done ; the system itself may free them of 
 the burden at the end of one year. His removal does 
 not at all disgrace him ; he may, perhaps, be very suit- 
 able for some other place. 
 
 Our system of Itinerancy has been attended with great 
 success, and thereby afibrded great compensation for the 
 sacrifices our ministers have been called to make. It is 
 
282 METHODIST ITINERANCY. 
 
 a matter of unspeakable delight to tjiem to see the bless- 
 ing of God croWning their labors with success in awak- 
 ening and converting sinners, and in the organization 
 and prosperity of churches through their instrumentality. 
 
 -A man takes his appointment to a field of labor where 
 he can expect but few comforts for himself or his family, 
 among a people where but little is known about God or 
 religion ; .where the Sabbath is not regarded ; where the 
 people are profane, and haunts of wickedness abound. 
 Here no prayers are heard in all their dwellings ; quar- 
 relling, gambling, litigation, and drunkenness, are seen in 
 every direction. But he finds access to a private room, 
 or perhaps a school-house, in which to preach, and here 
 he lifts up his voic« like a trumpet; he attacks their 
 beloved vices; he shows the depravity of the human 
 heart, warns them to flee the wrath to come, and holds 
 up Christ, and a full and free salvation. At first he may 
 indeed be despised by the rich, ridiculed by the gay and 
 voluptuous, insulted and persecuted by the mob; but 
 divine truth, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, finds way 
 to the heart ; men's consciences are awakened, and here 
 and there the inquiry is made, " Men and brethren, 
 what shall we do?" Soon this faithful minister of 
 Christ has the pleasure of witnessing a great reformation 
 in the manners and lives of the people. Many are con- 
 verted, and, instead of profane swearing, prayer and 
 praise are heard in every dwelling, a church is organized, 
 a place of worship is erected, a Sabbath school is estab- 
 lished, and the phase of society becomes completely 
 changed. 
 
 Here the workings of the itinerant system are seen ; it 
 has made an aggression on the powers of darkness ; 
 they have yielded to the mighty force of truth, and the 
 result is, that many are thereby brought to walk in the 
 
PREDESTINATION. 283 
 
 path of life. Surely a minister can well afford to make 
 some sacrifices of worldly interests and worldly ease, to 
 have the pleasure of being the honored instrument of 
 bringing so much good to man, and so much glory to 
 God. 
 
 PREDESTINATION. 
 
 The doctrine of Predestination, or belief that all events 
 that ever take place were eternally foreordained of God, 
 and that all the circumstances connected with them 
 were so arranged that these events will necessarily and 
 unavoidably take place, is a doctrine of great antiquity. 
 Some have supposed that it originated with John Calvin, 
 or St. Augustine ; but this is no doubt a mistake ; it 
 existed previous to either of them ; it was only intro- 
 duced by them among Christian doctrines, and baptized 
 with a Christian name. It was evidently borrowed. 
 
 This doctrine holds a prominent place in Mohamed- 
 anism. The false prophet inculcated it among his fol- 
 lowers, in order to inspire them with a martial spirit, so 
 necessary for the propagation of his religion by means 
 of the sword. If he could make them believe that their 
 death, as to the time and manner of it, together with all 
 the circumstances leading to it, or in any way calculated 
 to bring it about, were eternally foreordained, he would 
 thereby inspire them with courage, and make them val- 
 iant soldiers. 
 
 It would seem, however, that Mahomet was not the 
 inventor of this doctrine, for it may be traced to an ear- 
 lier date. It probably had its origin in heathenism. It 
 is well known that Zeno, a stoic philosopher, taught this 
 doctrine about three hundred years before Christ. And 
 it was a notion which prevailed among the heathen in 
 
284 PKEDEST NAT ON. 
 
 the days of Lucian, for he alludes to it in one of his dia- 
 logues. He introduces Minos, a judge of hell, as about 
 to pass sentence on a certain murderer, who had been 
 brought before him ; but the culprit begs permission to 
 ask a few questions before sentence is passed. These 
 questions are proposed on the principle that all the 
 actions of men were foreordained by the Fates. That 
 they were all foreordained the judge admitted. But 
 upon this principle the murderer so ingeniously justified 
 himself from all blame that the judge was compelled to 
 acquit him, and said, as he dismissed him, " I perceive 
 thou art a cunning wight, and thou shalt enjoy the benefit 
 of thy cunning. I will let thee go ; but see to it that 
 thou teach not the other dead to ask such questions, for 
 they would prevent the infliction of any punishment in 
 future." 
 
 It is not very wonderful that such men as Zeno and 
 other pagans, who were destitute of divine revelation to 
 any great extent, should form wrong notions of the 
 Deity, or of the principles of the divine government, 
 especially when it is considered how natural it is for 
 fallen nature to desire to rid itself of blame, and cast it 
 elsewhere, on chance, or fate, or the gods, or other men. 
 This would be exceedingly natural for a heathen ; it is 
 the effect of the fall. This disposition developed itself 
 in fallen Adam, and in Eve, when their Maker inquired 
 why they had eaten of the forbidden fruit. And we 
 see this disposition manifesting itself in some of the 
 wicked Jews in the days of Jeremiah, the prophet. It 
 seems they believed in decrees, and attempted to justify 
 themselves; but the Lord reproved them, "Will ye steal, 
 murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, «fcc., 
 and come and stand in this house, and say. We are 
 delivered to do all these abominations?" Thus they 
 
PKEDESTINATION. 285 
 
 endeavored to justify themselves for their wickedness, by 
 charging it all to the decrees of God, who, they pre- 
 tended, had ordained that they should do thus and so, 
 and they could not avoid it. But hear how God reproves 
 them : " Behold," says he, " ye trust in lying words, 
 that cannot profit." This was as much as saying that 
 it was false that God had delivered them to do those 
 abominations, by decreeing from all eternity that they 
 should do them. This declaration of God decides this 
 matter ; and it is equally false that God has delivered 
 any man to do abominations, by having eternally 
 decreed whatever comes to pass. •' If any man is left to 
 hardness of heart, to believe a lie, that he may be 
 damned, it is because he has taken pleasure in unright- 
 eousness." ' 2 Cor. ii. 10, 11, 12. This notion of de- 
 crees is utterly inconsistent with moral liberty, man's 
 accountability, and future punishment. Neither reason 
 nor Scripture affords it any support. 
 
 It was certainly very unfortunate that John Calvin 
 ever introduced this heathen notion of predestination 
 into Christian theology. Its consequences have been 
 exceedingly deleterious, inducing no doubt thousands to 
 believe themselves justifiable for their wickedness, con- 
 sidering their sins the result of the divine decrees which 
 eternally foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. His 
 conduct was like the sons of the prophets of whom we 
 read. They went out to gather herbs, and, instead of 
 healthful viands, they gathered "wild gourds" and 
 threw them into the pot ; but when they came to eat 
 them, they found they were poisonous, and exclaimed, 
 " O man of God, there is death in the pot ! " 
 
 This doctrine of predestination has most certainly 
 introduced death into the church. Multitudes have been 
 ruined by its influence. It is a deadly poison. It natu- 
 
286 PKEDESTINATION. 
 
 rally tends to relieve men from a sense of r-esponsibility 
 and blame, and furnish, them with an excuse for their 
 wicked conduct. It is difficult to perceive how a man 
 who believes it, can feel a sense of guilt, or a fear of 
 future punishment. 
 
 1. How can the actions of men be wrong, if they are 
 precisely as God eternally decreed they should be? Did he 
 not decree them to suit himselfj and according to his will ? 
 Do not his will and his law harmonize ? If he decreed 
 all events to suit himself, must they not harmonize with 
 his law, — for what is law, but a revelation of his will? 
 But what is sin? The- apostle says it is a " transgres- 
 sion of the law." It all events are according to God's 
 will, and his will and law harmonize, where is there any 
 transgression ? If his decrees are according to the good 
 pleasure of his will, he must be pleased with seeing 
 them fulfilled. Can it be wrong to do what pleases God ? 
 
 2. If absolute predestination be true, men's actions are 
 unavoidable, — men act from necessity, and are not free. 
 To say, as some do, that God has eternally decreed 
 whatever comes to pass, yet in such a way that man is 
 a free moral agent, is only to trifle. It is like saying 
 that ten times four make nine hundred and fifty, yet in 
 such a way that four times ten make only forty. The 
 thing cannot be. If God absolutely decreed all events 
 from eternity, all events are unavoidable, and were so 
 eternally. What is the use of trifling ? 
 
 3. If God decreed all events, and sin exists in conse- 
 quence of that decree, then God is the author of sin, for he 
 decreed it, and it is the necessary and unavoidable result 
 of that decree. How can men feel guilty for that of which 
 God is the author? Or how can he punish men eter- 
 nally, for doing what he eternally decreed they should 
 do? Is God unjust? 
 
ELECTION AND REPKOBATION. 287 
 
 ELECTION AND REPROBATION. 
 
 The doctrine that a certain definite number of the 
 human family were from all eternity elected to salvation, 
 and all the rest of mankind were reprobated to damna- 
 tion, and that the number of each is so certain and def- 
 inite that it cannot be increased nor diminished, is a dis- 
 tinguishing and prominent doctrine in the system of Cal- 
 vinism. This is certain, if by Calvinism is meant the 
 system taught in the writings of John Calvin, and the 
 confessions and creeds which have been published by the 
 General Assemblies and General Associations of Presby- 
 terians and Congregationalists. To deny tliis would 
 evince a degree of ignorance rather disgraceful to any 
 man pretending to know anything about the matter. 
 
 Among our Calvinist brethren, there are some who 
 contend for election vvithout saying, anything about rep- 
 robation, and some who even deny reprobation, declaring 
 that all may come to Christ and be saved who will. But 
 this is a mere evasion, for election necessarily implies 
 reprobatiofi, and it would be a denial of their own creed, 
 which expressly says, "the rest of mankind God was 
 pleased to pass by, and ordained thpm to dishonor and 
 wrath." 
 
 The most plausible way of stating the matter of elec- 
 tion and reprobation, by our Calvinist brethren, is this : 
 " The-human race," say the}'', " stands before God as a 
 race of miserable sinners, all under sentence of condem- 
 nation, — all equally exposed to God's eternal displeasure. 
 God is under no obligation to save any of them ; but, of 
 his infinite mercy, he determines to save some of them. 
 So, without any reference to their character or anything 
 else in them, he elects a certain definite number to salva- 
 tion, and sets them apart for himself. The others he 
 
288 ELECTION AND REPROBATION. 
 
 passes by, making no provision for them, but leaves 
 them to suffer the just demerit of their crimes." " Now," 
 say they, " had not God a perfect right to extend mercy 
 to a part, without bringing him under obligation to ex- 
 tend it to all?" "He might in justice have passed all 
 by. He does those no harm, therefore, whom he did 
 pass by, because they, deserved it, and that he saved any 
 was a mere act of grace." 
 
 This mode of stating the question and reasoning on 
 the subject seems very plausible; but if we carefully 
 examine it, we shall see that it is very fallacious. 
 
 1. How came the human race in this state- of sin and 
 condemnation?" Was it not, according to Calvinism, 
 brought about by God's eternal decree, millions of ages 
 before they were born 1 Surely it was, if he eternally 
 and unchangeably decreed whatever comes to pass. 
 
 2. How could the human race avoid being in this 
 state of sin and condemnation, if God had so determined 
 it from all eternity 1 Could they do otherwise than God 
 had absolutely determined they should do? If they 
 acted according to his will, ■Wherein were they to be 
 blamed ? Could they change an unchangeable decree ? 
 
 3. It does not relieve the matter to say that they sinned 
 voluntarily : for if fhey did sin voluntarily, he eternally 
 decreed that they should sin voluntarily. No matter 
 how they sinned; if God decreed whatever comes to 
 pass, they sinned in exact conformity to his unchange- 
 able decree. They were brought into this sinful condi- 
 tion to display his grace in saving some, and glorify his 
 justice in damning others. 
 
 But look at the inconsistency and absurdity of this 
 view of election and reprobation. How could the elect 
 be in a state of sin and condemnation, if they were chosen 
 from all eternity to salvation ? They must have been 
 
ELECTION AND REPROBATION. 289 
 
 eternally in God's favor, and of course could not be sub- 
 sequently under condemnation. They must have been 
 eternally God's dear children.. How, then, could they 
 have been exposed to his wrath 1 And if the reprobates 
 were under God's eternal malediction, for sins which he 
 had eternally decreed they should commit, they would 
 certainly be more the objects of pity than blame. To 
 pass by and make no provision for sinners, who have 
 personally and voluntarily sinned, would indeed be 
 doing them no injustice. This God has done to the 
 angels who kept not their first estate. But the case is 
 very different, when God is represented as ordaining a 
 certain portion of mankind to dishonor and wrath, for 
 committing sins which he eternally ordained they should 
 commit. Reason and common sense revolt at this mon- 
 strous doctrine. 
 
 This view is inconsistent with the general tenor of 
 the Holy Scriptures. They teach us that Christ died for 
 all ; but this teaches that he only died for the elect. And, 
 indeed, his death for them was wholly unnecessary, for, 
 being eternally elected to salvation, they never were in 
 any danger of being lost, for their number cannot be 
 diminished. The Scriptures ofler salvation to all; but 
 this doctrine teaches that neither are any other than the 
 elect redeemed by Christ ; then is salvation ofiered to 
 those whom Christ did not redeem. The Scriptures rep- 
 resent sinners as being punished for doing what they 
 might have avoided ; but this doctrine teaches that they 
 are damned for doing what God decreed they should do ; 
 for it says, " God decreed whatsoever comes to pass." 
 It came to pass that they sinned, and God is said to have 
 ordained them to dishonor and wrath, " for their sin ! " 
 How could they avoid what God had eternally decreed 
 they should do 7 
 
 13 
 
290 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 It is certainly true that the doctrine of election is 
 taught in the Bible ; but when it refers to our future and 
 eternal state, it is not unconditional, like that taught by 
 Calvinism. Obedience to God, in the exercise of repent- 
 ance and faith, is the conditional cause of our election to 
 salvation, and sin and inlpenitence are the conditional 
 cause of our reprobation to damnation. This is taught 
 by our Lord, Matt. 28: "He that believeth shall be 
 saved ; he that believeth not shall be damned." 
 
 Unconditional election and reprobation is also taught 
 in the Bible. Some nations have been elected to enjoy 
 certain privileges, and some persons to enjoy certain 
 oiRces, from which others have been reprobated. But 
 this election and reprobation does not necessarily affect 
 men's future state, for many of these reprobates may be 
 saved ; and many who have been thus elected will be 
 lost, according to our Lord's teaiching. " He that believ- 
 eth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be 
 damned." — " The last shall be first, and the first shall 
 be last." 
 
 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 We hear much from our Calvinistic friends about the 
 Covenant of Grace, — a covenant which is said' to have 
 been made from all eternity, between the Father and the 
 Son. The Father agreed, we are' told, that if Christ his 
 Son would die to make an atonement for sin, so that the 
 law of God could be magnified and made honorable, so 
 that God could consistently save the elect, he would give 
 hiih, as a compensation for his sufferings, a certain def- 
 iriite number of mankind, which nuthber cannot be in- 
 creased nor diminished, even all the elect. Then we 
 are told that all whom the Father gave to Christ in this 
 eternal covenant, shall come unto him in due time to 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 291 
 
 seek salvation, being effectually called by his word and 
 spirit to do so, and shall dwell with him eternally in 
 heaven. This is considered by many as being saved by 
 grace ; and these views are called " The Doctrines of 
 Grace." 
 
 That our salvation is by grace, no one can doubt who 
 carefully examines the Bible ; and that there exists what 
 may be called a gracious covenant, or covenant of grace, 
 through which men are saved, is equally clear ; but that 
 the above is a correct view of this covenant, I very much 
 doubt, for the following reasons : 
 
 1. It is absurd to talk about an eternal covenant being 
 made. If a covenant "were made, there must have been 
 a time wheri it was made ; and, if so, there must have 
 be6n a time before it was ttiade. How, then, can it be 
 eternal? An eternal covenant made, is such a contradic- 
 tion of terms, as. to be a ridiculous absurdity. 
 
 2. A covenant always implies two parties. Such a 
 covenant, therefore, as is here represented, could not have 
 been made between the Father and the Son ; for, although 
 there are two, and even "three, that bear record in 
 heaven," — the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, 
 — it is expressly declared that these three are one ; that 
 is, the Godhead of the Deity exists in three persons, but 
 he is only one God in essence and unity ; not three dis- 
 tinct beings, but only one being. "The Lord our God 
 is one Lord." The unity of the Godhead forbids such a 
 plurality as would be necessarily implied in a covenant 
 between the Father and the Son. 
 
 3. A covenant is designed to bind parties so covenant- 
 ing, and always implies that it is possible for one or other 
 of the parties to fail in performing, and therefore each 
 party is bound, by a contract or covenant, to a faithful 
 performance of his part. Now, can we for a moment 
 
292 COVENANT, OF GRACE. 
 
 suppose any such distrust between the Father and the 
 Son, or any possibility of failure on the part of either, as 
 to render a covenant between theni necessary 1 If the 
 Father and the Son were two distinct -beings, and there- 
 fore two parties, as the idea of a covenant supposes, they 
 are beings so holy, just, and good, that they would not 
 need to enter into a covenant with each other to bind 
 them to the performance of their respective parts in the 
 great business of man's salvation. 
 
 4. This idea of a covenant between the Father and 
 the Son is too mercenary, — it is too much like a business 
 transaction between interested parties, to comport well 
 with the idea of grace. Here the Son of God is repre- 
 sented as offering to work and suffer for the good of man, 
 if the Father will pay him well for it ; and the Father 
 is represented as willing to do so, and accordingly prom- 
 ises to give him a certain definite number of mankind, 
 even all whom he had eternally elected to salvation, to 
 be his servants here, and his associates hereafter, who 
 will be disposed to crown him Lord of all. These he 
 will freely give him, provided Ije will bind himself in a 
 covenant to take upon him human nature, and endure a 
 certain amount of suffering to redeem them from the 
 curse of his broken law. Now, in all this business 
 transaction, where are infinite goodness and free grace 7 
 
 5. This covenant of grace, or particular election of a 
 certain definite number which cannot be increased, neces- 
 sarily implies an absolute reprobation of all the rest of 
 mankind, — a doctrine which all must believe who be- 
 lieve in election. But this doctrine is wholly inconsistent 
 with the general atonement, which is taught in the Bible, 
 and the general invitations of the gospel. What propri- 
 ety would there be in Christ's dying for all mankind, if 
 God had from all eternity reprobated the largest part of 
 
COVENANT OF GRACE. 293 
 
 them from the covenant of grace, and, by decreeing from 
 all eternity whatever comes to pass, had decreed they 
 should sin, and then, because they would sin, he from 
 all eternity unchangeably foreordained them to dishonor 
 and wrath ? Of what use could the " general atone- 
 ment " be to the non-elect 1 Or what propriety would 
 there be in " general invitations," if the number of the 
 elect cannot- be increased ? 
 
 6. But what renders this idea of the covenant of 
 grace most objectionable, is, that it is wholly unsupported 
 by the Scriptures of truth. There is not one passage in 
 all the Bible, when properly understood, that gives it 
 any support. 
 
 The passage to which reference is most commonly 
 made, is found in Ps. ii. 8: "I shall give the heathen 
 for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth 
 for thy possession." See John xvii. 2. On this passage 
 I will make a few remarks. 
 
 i. If this text alludes to a covenant of peculiarity 
 which secures the salvation of all who are embraced in 
 it, then Universalism is true, for it embraces all men, the 
 " heathen and the uttermost parts of the earth." Are all 
 men, then, to be saved by this covenant of grace? Yes, 
 surely, if it be indeed a covenant which secures salva- 
 tion. 
 
 2. But it is immediately added, in the 9th verse, that 
 he shall " break them with a rod of iron, and dash them 
 in pieces as a potter's vessel." Now, this declaration 
 shows that the text does not refer to any covenant of 
 grace made between the Father and the Son, for no one 
 will suppose that those embraced in such a covenant are 
 to be broken with a rod of iron, or dashed in pieces as a 
 potter's vessel. It is, therefore, evident that this text has 
 no reference whatever to any such covenant of grace, but 
 
294 COVENANT OF GRACE. 
 
 is designed to teach us the universal sovereignty of Christ 
 over all the nations of the earth, and what will be the fate 
 of his enemies who refuse to submit to his governi^;ient. 
 
 The Bible nowhere teaches that any such covenant 
 of grace was ever made between the Father and the 
 Son. All the covenant of grace which the Bible speaks 
 of, was made between God and man. Mankind sinned 
 against God, and God so loved the world that he gave 
 his Son to be the Mediator of a new covenant which he 
 was disposed to make with mauj — a covenant of grace. 
 The first covenant made with holy Adam promised hap- 
 piness on condition of perfect obedience ; but the second 
 covenant, of which Christ is the Mediator, promises to 
 sinful man pardon and salvation, on condition that he 
 will repent and believe in Christ. The first covenant is 
 suited to innocent and holy beings; the second, to sinful 
 beings, such as men are since the fall. This maybe 
 called a covenant, because God proposes what he will 
 do for man, on certain conditions; and all who will 
 enter into this covenant, by complying with its con- 
 ditions, shall share its benefits. This business is carried 
 on betwixt God and men, by Jesus Christ pur Redeemer 
 and Mediator. It is a gracious covenant — 1st, because 
 it was an infinitely gracious act of God in proposing such 
 terms to man. His love was its originating cause. 2d, 
 because it is by divine assistance that the sinner is en- 
 abled to comply with the conditions of the covenant by 
 which its blessings are secured. According to the cov- 
 enant of grace, through the redemption and mediation 
 of Christ, God can be just, and the justifler of him that 
 believeth in Jesus. And, according to this covenant, he 
 can be good and merciful, though he punish with ever- 
 lasting destruction every impenitent sinner who rejects 
 Jesus Christ and will not believe on him. 
 
ON JACOB AND ESAU. 295 
 
 ON JACOB AND ESAU. 
 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. — Rom. iz. 13. 
 
 CALVINISTIO EXPLANATION. 
 
 Jacob was df that definite number of God's elect, which 
 cannot be increased nor diminished. His name was 
 written in God's book, and God loved him from all eter- 
 nity. But Esau, his brother, was of that number whom 
 God from all eternity passed by, and ordained to dis- 
 honor and wrath, for their sins which he eternally de- 
 creed they should commit. His name not being found 
 in God's book of life, he eternally hated, — that is, abso- 
 lutely abhorred, — him, and eternally decreed to make 
 him infinitely miserable' to all eternity. 
 
 According to the above explanation, this passage 
 teaches the doctrine of unconditional election and rep- 
 robation. 
 
 ARiaNIAN EXPIANAIION. 
 
 Jacob and Esau were brothers. They were the pro- 
 genitors of two great nations, the Israelites and the 
 Edomites. It is written respecting them and their pos- 
 terity, in Mai. i. 2 : " Was not Esau Jacob's brother 1 
 saith the Lord ; yet I loved Jacob, and hated Esau, and 
 laid his mountain and heritage waste." To these words 
 of Malachi, the apostle alludes when he says, "as it is 
 written." But this account of them was not written 
 by the prophet from all eternitj'', nor even before they 
 were born ; but it was written in the year of the world 
 3697, about 1439 years after they were born, and 1292 
 years after they were both dead and buried. 
 
 In this passage in Malachi the prophet alludes to Jacob 
 and Esau, not in reference to their future state in heaven 
 or hell, nor to them personally as to their condition in 
 this hfe; but he refers to them in reference to their pos- 
 
296 ON JACOB AND ESAU. 
 
 terity, the Israelites and Edomites. This is evident from 
 two considerations : 
 
 1. We have no account that Esau, in his own person, 
 had any mountain laid waste ; but his posterity, the 
 Edomites, had. See verse 3d. 
 
 2. It is evident, from what is said of them before they 
 were born. See Gen. xxv. 22, 23. When their mother 
 went to inquire of the Lord concerning them, she ■yvas 
 told that "two nations and two manner of people should 
 come forth from her," and that the "elder should serve 
 the younger." Now, this must have referred to their 
 posterity, or that promise was never fulfilled, for no such 
 servitude was ever rendered on the part of Esau to Jacob, 
 personally. But such servitude was rendered by the 
 posterity of Esau to the IsraeUtes. See Gen. xxvii. 40, 
 compared with 2 Kings viii. 20. 
 
 Now, if the prophet did not allude to the eternal state 
 of Jacob and Esau, so neither did the apostle in Rom. ix. 
 This hatred towards Esau and his posterity was not abso- 
 lute hatred, but only comparative, — that is, love in a less 
 degree ; — that kind of hatred which is required of a man 
 toward his father and mother, his wife and children, in 
 order to be Christ's disciples. He must love them less 
 than he loves Christ. In this sense, Jacob is said to have 
 hated Leah. He did not abhor her ; neither must a 
 man abhor his father and his mother. So, neither did 
 God abhor Esau from all eternity, before hp had done 
 any evil. 
 
 If God ever abhorred Esau personally, or any other 
 sinner, it was not because he had eternally reprobated 
 him, but because he had personally and voluntarily 
 sinned. For aught the Bible teaches, Esau had as good 
 a chance to be saved as Jacob, and certainly, in early 
 life, he appeared the best man of the two. If Esau pro- 
 
ON JACOB AND ESAU. 297 
 
 fanely sold his birthright, it was Jacob who wickedly 
 purchased it. Both needed conversion to make them 
 good men. I know not but we have as much reason to 
 believe that Esau is saved, as we have that Jacob is 
 saved. 
 
 It is objected that the apostle declares Esau to be a 
 profane person, which is equivalent to his being an eter- 
 nal reprobate. Not quite ; for he tells us what consti- 
 tuted his profaneness, viz., selling his birthright — not 
 his eternal reprobation. This was a legal profaneness, 
 which forever disqualified him to ofiiciate as the priest 
 of God. But was this act unpardonable ? 
 
 I am also aware that the apostle says Esau " found no 
 place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with 
 tears." But any man, who will carefully read Gen. 
 xxvii. 34—38, will perceive that it was in his father 
 Isaac he sought to find repentance, but could not. He 
 wished his father to repent of having given the blessing 
 of the first-bom to Jacob, his younger brother. He en- 
 treated Isaac to give the blessing to him ; but although 
 he cried with an exceeding bitter cry, his father would 
 not repent, but said, " I have blessed him (Jacob) and 
 he shall be blessed." 
 
 That Esau repented of his sin of selling his birth- 
 right, and all his other sins, is certainly possible ; and 
 we have some reason to think he did. I know of no 
 passage of Scripture that proves the absolute personal 
 election of Jacob to eternal life, or that Esau was abso- 
 lutely reprobated to endless perdition before he had done 
 
 any good or evil. 
 
 13* 
 
298 DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY. 
 
 DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY. 
 
 Therefore halh he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hard- 
 eneth. — Rom. ix. 18. 
 
 CALTINI3TIC EXPLAUATION. 
 
 God is an almighty sovereign ; he made all men and 
 all things for his own glory ; he is under obligation to 
 no being, and is accountable to none. From among the 
 numerous beings he has made, he has a perfect right to 
 choose whom he pleases as the objects of his compla- 
 cency, and have mercy on them, and bring them to the 
 enjoyment of everlasting salvation. And he has an 
 equal right to reject all the rest of his creatures, and 
 make them the objects of his displeasure and wrath, for 
 the praise of his justice. And, in order that they may 
 be justly condemned and punished, he has a perfect right 
 to so harden their hearts that they will take pleasure in 
 unrighteousness, and so deserve eternal damnation. 
 Therefore, " whom he will he hardeneth." 
 
 AEMINIAN EXPLANATION. 
 
 This passage, taken in the connection in which it 
 stands, shows us that God, in bestowing his favors on 
 nations, is not regulated by the deserts of those nations, 
 but bestows them on whom, when, and where, he pleas- 
 eth. He is directed solely by his own infinite wisdom. 
 By God's hardening them, we are to understand his 
 allowing them an opportunity of abusing his mercy, and 
 thus becoming hardened in sin. Sometimes God is said 
 to do a thing, when he only gives men an opportunity 
 of doing it. "Active verbs," says Dr. McKnight, "are 
 often used to express, not the doing, but the giving an 
 occasion of doing a thing." See Gen. xlii. 38 ; 1 Kings, 
 xiv. 16 ; Acts i. 18, compared with Matt, xxvii. 7. In 
 
DIVINE SOVEKEIGNTY. 299 
 
 this way, God hardened Pharaoh and the Egyptians ; 
 and in this way the Jews also became hardened. " When 
 Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his 
 heart." Exod. viii. 15. "Because sentence against an 
 evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of 
 the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Eccles. 
 viii. 11. 
 
 If his " having mercy on whom he will, and hardening 
 whom he will," be applied to men in regard to the sal- 
 vation of their souls, there is no difficulty in determining 
 who will be the subjects of his mercy, nor in ascertain- 
 ing whom he will harden, if we take the Scriptures for 
 our guide. If we turn to Prov. xxviii. 13, we shall find 
 that "whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall 
 have mercy." And again, in Luke i. 50, that "his 
 mercy is on them that /ear him, from generation to gen- 
 eration." And we. read in 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, 12, 
 of some who received not the love of the truth that 
 they might be saved, and for this cause God sends 
 them strong delusions. Their rejection of the truth is 
 the cause of their darkness, and hardness, and final 
 ruin. Here we see that a penitent sinner has the promise 
 of obtaining mercy, and the impenitent are threatened 
 with hardness and ruin. 
 
 But how does God harden men 1 Answer : Not by any 
 positive influence on their hearts, but by withholding his 
 Spirit, and withdrawing the light. The absence of light 
 is darkness ; he that removes the candle that illuminates 
 my room, may be said to blind my eyes, although he 
 does not actually touch them. Thus it is with impeni- 
 tent sinners ; when they have long abused God's mercy, 
 and grieved his Holy Spirit, he sometimes withdraws 
 his Spirit, and they are left in darkness; their heart 
 becomes hard, they follov^r their own delusions, and 
 
300 ON WILLING AND RUNNING. 
 
 perish. In this way he will harden and destroy all who 
 are finally impenitent. 
 
 ON WILLING AND RUNNING. 
 
 It ia not of him that wiileth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that ehowetb 
 mercy. — Rom. ix. 16. 
 
 CALVINISIIC EXPLANATION. 
 
 God having from all eternity absolutely and unchange- 
 ably fixed the destiny of all mankind, some to everlasting 
 life, and some to everlasting death ; therefore, our con- 
 version or salvation does not in any sense depend on our 
 will or our conduct, but on divine sovereignty. If we 
 are of the number of the elect who were from all eternity 
 predestinated to salvation, God will show us mercy. 
 But if we are of that number whota God from all eternity 
 passed by and ordained to dishonor and wrath, although 
 we might wish and pray, and Will and run, God will show 
 us no mercy ; for our doom was fixed eternally and irrev- 
 ocably. We must be punished eternally for our sins, — 
 sins which God eternally decreed we should commit, 
 for he eternally decreed whatever comes to pass. 
 
 AKMINIAN EXPIANATION. 
 
 This passage is to be taken in connection with the 
 history of Jacob and Esau, and their respective posterity. 
 Abraham willed the covenant blessings to Ishmael and 
 his posterity, saying, " O that Ishmael might live before 
 thee ! " but God said, " In Isaac shall thy seed be called." 
 So likewise, Isaac willed that Esau his first-born should 
 inherit the blessing of national peculiarity; and Esau ran 
 to procure venison, that he might prepare savory meat 
 for his father, that he might thereby be strengthened to 
 pronounce the blessing on him. But God, according to 
 
ON WILLING AND RUNNING. 301 
 
 the purpose of election, disappointed both, by giving the 
 blessing to Jacob. So, then, in this case, it was not of 
 him that willed the blessing to Esau, nor of him who 
 ran for the venison, but of God who showed mercy to 
 Jacob and his posterity, by adopting them as his cove- 
 nant people. 
 
 These words are designed to show the Jews that they 
 had no reason to complain of God's intention to call the 
 Gentiles to a covenant relation to him in the enjoyment 
 of gospel blessings, any more than Esau had reason to 
 complain of the election of Jacob and his posterity to be 
 his people. So neither had the Gentiles reason to boast 
 of being called to the blessings of the gospel, any more 
 than Jacob and his posterity had in their election. In 
 both instances, God had acted as a gracious sovereign, 
 bestowing his favors on whom he pleased, without any 
 reference to their merits. It is God that showeth mercy. 
 
 If any are disposed to insist that our eternal salvation 
 is regulated by the same sovereignty of God; if they 
 mean that loilling and running do not save us, but that 
 we are saved by the grace and mercy of God, they 
 certainly speak the truth ; for we are saved by grace, by 
 the merits of Christ, and not by works. Neither willing, 
 nor running, nor anything else that we can do, can save 
 us. - But if they mean that God, in bestowing pardon 
 and heaven, acts as a sovereign, giving salvation to 
 whom he pleaseth, whether they obey his commands or 
 disobey them, they are certainly in great error ; and to 
 make such an application of this text is grossly to per- 
 vert the word of Grod. Although our salvation is not of 
 him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God, 
 yet, without both willing and running, God will give 
 no man salvation. 
 
302 ON JOHN XV. 16. 
 
 ON JOHN XV. 16. 
 
 Ye have not chosen me, hut I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go 
 forth and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain. 
 
 A CALTINISmC EXPLANATION. 
 
 No sinner ever chooses Christ, but Christ from all 
 eternity has chosen some sinners to salvation. The 
 disciples, to whom these words were addressed, were 
 among the elect sinners whom Christ from all eternity 
 ordained to be saved. And he had also ordained that in 
 time they should bring forth the fruits of election, that 
 is, faith, repentance and holiness, and that these fruits 
 should remain, that they should never fall away from 
 grace so as to perish. 
 
 According to this explanation, this passage teaches 
 eternal election, effectual calling, aTid final perseverance 
 of the saints, or the impossibility of falling from grace. 
 
 AN ARMINIAN EXPLANATION. 
 
 This was addressed to the apostles whom Christ had 
 chosen to the work of the ministry ; and to this work he 
 had " ordained " them, that is, set them apart, authorized 
 them, that they should go and preach, and that their 
 preaching, being attended by the blessing of God, shotild 
 bring forth fruit, that is, that through their instrumen- 
 tality sinners should be converted, as the fruit of their 
 labors; and that this fruit of their ministry should 
 remain, that is, by their ministry the church should be 
 built up, and remain after they had finished their course 
 and gone to their reward ; remain as a monument of 
 the truth of Christianity and the power of divine grace ; 
 remain as the salt of the earth and the light of the world ; 
 remain to be the great instrumentality in carrying for- 
 ward the designs of God in saying mankind. 
 
ELECTION TO SALVATION. 303 
 
 ELECTION TO SALVATION. 
 
 God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the 
 Spirit and belief of the truth.^2THEss. ii. 13. 
 
 None can be saved in heaven unless they are previ- 
 ously elected to this salvation by divine grace. But 
 when does this election take place? before we were 
 born, or after? is it in time, or was it in eternity? The 
 text above cited tells ns, in relation to the Christians at 
 Thessalonica, that they were chosen of God "from the 
 beginning." From the beginning of what? Was it 
 from the beginning of eternity, or of time, of their exist- 
 ence on earth, or was it from the beginning of something 
 else? To these inquiries I would offer the following 
 answers : 
 
 1. It could not have been from the beginning of eter- 
 nity that they were chosen or elected to salvation, for 
 the very good reason that eternity had no beginning. 
 To talk of the beginning of that which could not possibly 
 have any beginning, is absolutely absurd. 
 
 2. Nor could these Thessalonian Christians have been 
 chosen to salvation from the beginning of time, for it is 
 said they " were chosen through sanctification of the 
 Spirit ;" but they had no existence when time first began, 
 and the Spirit could not sanctify them before they com- 
 menced their existence. 
 
 3. Nor yet was it from the commencement, or begin- 
 ning, of their existence, that they were chosen to salva- 
 tion, for it is expressly declared that they were chosen 
 to salvation not only through sanctification of the Spirit, 
 but through " the belief of the truth." When they first 
 began their existence, they were wholly incapable of 
 believing the truth. Children must exist some time 
 before they can believe any truth, especially the truth of 
 
304 ELECTION TO SALVATION. 
 
 the gospel ; they must become in some measure capable 
 of understanding it, before they can believe it savingly. 
 
 4. If, then, these Thessalonians were not elected or 
 chosen to salvation from the beginning neither of eternity 
 nor of time, nor from the beginning; of their existence, 
 ■when were they chosen ? from the beginning of what 1 
 I answer, they "were chosen to salvation from the begin- 
 ning of the apostle's labors at Thessahnica. 
 
 There are several places where the term " from the 
 beginning" is used in reference to a particular period 
 of time, and has no reference to eternity or unbeginning 
 time. Let the reader examine a concordance. 
 
 Whoever will carefully examine the account given in 
 the 17th chapter of the Acts, verses 1 to 4, where the 
 historian gives an account of the visit of Paul and Silas 
 at Thessalonica, and their success, and compare it with 
 the account St. Paul. gives of it, will readily understand 
 what this from the beginning means. He tells us that 
 Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica, where was a syn- 
 agogue of the Jews ; and that Paul, as his manner was, 
 went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned 
 with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging 
 that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again 
 from the dead, and that this Jesus whom he preached is 
 Christ. And he tells us what was the immediate effect 
 his preaching produced : he says some of them believed, 
 and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout 
 Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not 
 a few. 
 ^ And the account which St. Paul gives of these Chris- 
 tians at Thessalonica, in his first epistle to them, is as 
 follows : In the fourth verse he says, "Knowing, brethren 
 beloved, your election of God." Then he goes on to 
 show how it took place, by saying, "Our gospelcame 
 
ELECTION TO SALVATION. 305 
 
 not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the 
 Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; and ye became 
 followers of us, and of the Lord; having received the 
 word, ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living 
 and true God; our entrance in unto you was not in 
 vain; ye became followers of the churches of God." 
 This shows us when and how they were chosen to sal- 
 vation. We see — 
 
 1. That St. Paul went to Thessalonica while the people 
 were generally given to idolatry, and that he preached 
 the gospel to them. 
 
 2. That the Holy Spirit accompanied the word 
 preached with power, enlightening their minds, and 
 arousing their consciences, and thus giving them " much 
 assurance" of the truth of the gospel. 
 
 3. That many of the people, at the "beginning" of 
 their labors at Thessalonica, believed the gospel preached 
 unto them; they became convinced of its truth, and 
 accordingly they turned from their idols to serve the 
 living and true God. And thus, at that time, and in 
 this marine?; they were chosen or elected " to salvation, 
 through sarictijication of the Spirit and belief of the 
 truth." 
 
 This account of the election of the Christians at Thes- 
 salonica illustrates the doctrine of election to salvation 
 as it is generally taught in the Holy Scriptures. It is a 
 conditional election ; hence it is that we are exhorted to 
 make our calling and election sure. God's love is the 
 original cause of our salvation ; the atonement of Christ 
 is the meritorious cause ; the influence of the Spirit is the 
 effective cause ; the preaching of the gospel is the instru- 
 mental cause, and believing the truth, and a correspond- 
 ing course of action, is the conditional cause. If God 
 had not loved the world, he would not have given his 
 
306 CALLED ACCORDING TO GOD's PUEPOSE. 
 
 Son to die for the world ; if Christ had not died for th^ 
 world, no man could have been saved, for the gospel 
 could never have been preached ; and if the Holy Spirit 
 did not attend the word, men could neither understand 
 nor believe it, such is human depravity. But although 
 all these causes exist, so far as God and truth are con- 
 cerned, men may continue to resist the Spirit and reject 
 the truth, they .may refuse to turn from their idols to 
 serve the living God; and, if they will not repent 
 and believe, they will not be chosen to salvation, but 
 will perish. Neither the love of God, the atonement of 
 Christ, the influence of the Holy Spirit, nor the preach- 
 ing of the gospel, will secure their election to salvation ; 
 they cannot, because we are chosen to salvation through 
 sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. 
 Faith on our part is the condition of being chosen to sal- 
 vation, and is as necessary as divine influence, or the 
 atoning sacrifice, or the love of God. We are saved by 
 grace, through faith. 
 
 CALLED ACCORDING TO GOD'S PUKPOSE. 
 
 All things shall work together for g;ood to them that lore God, to them who are tha 
 called according to his purpose. — Rom. viii. 28. 
 
 I. To whom shall all things work together for good 1 
 The apostle says, " To them who are the called accords 
 ing to his purpose," and "who love God." How does 
 God call men 1 He calls us by his providence, word, 
 and Holy Spirit. But what is his "purpose," or design 
 in calling men? His purpose in calling us is always 
 gracious. It is that we may hear his voice, see our 
 danger, turn to him, and seek salvation. Who are " the 
 called according to his purpose?" All such as comply 
 with his purpose in calling them ; that is, all who listen 
 
CALLED ACCORDING TO GOd's PURPOSE. 307 
 
 to his call, and see their danger, turn from their sins by- 
 repentance, and seek for pardon by believing in Christ. 
 These comply with God's purpose, and may be said to 
 be " called according to his purpose." When men thus 
 turn at his call, and come to him through Christ for sal- 
 vation, he will pardon all their sins that are past, and 
 renew their hearts in righteousness and true holiness ; 
 and when this work is wrought by the Holy Spirit, they 
 are enabled to "love God," and to serve him acceptably. 
 Then they inherit the promise that, " all things shall 
 work together for good." 
 
 II. But what are the "all things" that shall work 
 together for good to them that lov^e God ? 
 
 From this text some have undertaken to justify sin ; 
 that there is no harm in living in sin; that is, that sin 
 will not endanger our salvation; for "all things," sin 
 not excepted, will "work together for our good." Upon 
 this I will offer two remarks : 
 
 1. That the expression, "all things," frequently occurs 
 in the Scriptures, where it must be understood in a lim- 
 ited sense, as not including everything. In 1 Cor. iii. 21, 
 the apostle says, " All things are yours." He certainly 
 could not mean that his neighbor's things were his. 
 Again, in Phil. ii. 14, he says, " Do all things without 
 murmuring." " All things," in this place, cannot mean 
 everything, for then it would embrace sin, such as profane 
 swearing, drunkenness, theft, &c., and would make the 
 apostle to be exhorting his brethren to the commission 
 of such deeds. Again, in Eph. i. 11, we are told that 
 " God worketh all things after the counsel of his own 
 will." Now, if " all things" means everything, sin not 
 excepted, then God must be the worker of sin ; and what 
 would he be in this case, but a sinner 1 And, moreover. 
 
308 CALLED ACCORDING TO GOD's PURPOSE. 
 
 sin would be according to his will, if sin be included in 
 the expression, all things. 
 
 2. From the foregoing remarks, it appears very evident, 
 that the expression " all things," as used in the text 
 I am considering, cannot include " everything," sin not 
 excepted ; but is to be limited to certain things, to which 
 a particular allusion is made. When the apostle tells 
 Christians that " all things" are theirs, it must mean 
 all things that are promised, or all things that are neces- 
 sary or best for them. When he says, " do all things," 
 he does not mean that we should commit sin, swear, and 
 steal, &0C, but do all things that are required in the gos- 
 pel ; all things that are commanded. So, when he says 
 that " God worketh all things after the counsel of his 
 own will," we are to understand that whatever God 
 worketh, he does it according to the counsel of his own 
 will ; that is, the ways of his providence and grace are 
 according to his infinite wisdom and holy will. 
 
 So, in the text under consideration, the expression, 
 " all things," refers to all things of a certain class, to 
 which allusion is here made. The things in this class 
 are given us somewhat in detail in the same chapter, 
 from the 35th verse to the end of the chapter. They 
 are things that pertain to the sufferings of Christians in 
 this life. " In all these things," says the apostle, " we 
 are more than conquerors, through him that loved us." 
 
 III. But how, or in what way, shall the various suf- 
 ferings in this life, to which Christians are exposed, work 
 together for their good ? 
 
 1. Afflictions are sometimes to be regarded as the 
 chastenings of the Lord, designed to reprove us for our 
 past neglect, and in this respect thus work for our good. 
 
 2. They prepare us to sympathize with our suifering 
 
PURPOSE. 309 
 
 fellow-creatures, and this is working for our good, for 
 sympathy sometimes makes us far more useful to society. 
 
 3. Afflictions may excite us to gratitude to God, for 
 what we do enjoy. We seldom realize the value of bless- 
 ings until we are deprived of them. 
 
 4. They wean us from the world, by showing us how 
 unsatisfactory and how uncertain all our worldly com- 
 forts are. The more we see the vanity of the world, the 
 more we long for heaven. 
 
 5. Afflictions may be a source of great comfort to a 
 Christian, by establishing his faith in God's providence, 
 promises, and grace. After Abraham had been called to 
 so great a trial as that of offering up Isaac, and had 
 found grace sufficient to support him, and God's provi- 
 dence able to deliver him, whatever trial he might after- 
 ward be called to suffer, he would not hesitate to trust 
 in God. When Job was so terribly afflicted, he found 
 to be true what the apostle afterwards declared, that 
 tribulation worketh patience, and patience worketh expe- 
 rience, and experience hope. He was confirmed in the 
 truth of God's promise, and could trust him even with- 
 out a special promise. The experience of every suffering 
 Christian teaches this. Afflictions work together for 
 good to them that love God. O, how suffering Chris- 
 tians are honored ! We have good evidence that God 
 has not forgotten us, while he is chastening, for "whom 
 he loveth he chasteneth." 
 
;310 ON MATTHEW XXI. 9. 
 
 ON MATTHEW XXI. 9. 
 Hosauna to the son of David. Hosanna in the higlieat. 
 
 The word Hosanna, in Hebrew, signifies, Save, we 
 beseech. It is a kind of acclamation, similar to God save 
 the king. It was used among the ancient Hebrews as a 
 sort of prayer, offered for a person whom they desired 
 greatly to extol, on account of his superior excellences, 
 and for whom they felt a very special regard. The 
 word, as applied to Jesus on this occasion, was of 
 the same import as if they had said, " God save King 
 Messiah." It being repeated in the same sentence, and 
 the expression, in the highest, being added to it, is very 
 expressive of the ardor of their feelings, and also of their 
 elevated views of his dignity, as though they esteemed 
 him as the chief, or highest, among and over all the 
 sons of men. God. save King Messiah, who is above 
 all others, as in him dwelleth all excellency, and all 
 fulness. 
 
 These exclamations were, in some measure, involun- 
 tary; the people being suddenly moved upon by a 
 divine influence, they were made to give glory to 
 Christ. This was designed to be a kind of offset to the 
 degradation which was so soon to follow, when his 
 enemies would exclaim, " Away with him ; crucify 
 him, crucify him ! " God had testified that he was his 
 well-beloved Son; angels, both from heaven and from 
 hell, had confessed him as their superior, and now 
 human beings, both old and young, are made to cry, 
 "Hosanna, — hosanna in the highest!" This was de- 
 signed as a foreshadowing of the glory which should fol- 
 low, when the Son of man should be glorified ; when the 
 gates and the everlasting doors should be lifted up, and 
 the King of Glory should come in; when he should 
 
BdlsTEROUS PRfiACHlNG. 311 
 
 appear in the glory of his Father, with his holy angels, 
 and should show to the whole universe that this Jesus 
 is the King of Glory, and the whole universe should 
 exclaim, " He is Lord of all ! " 
 
 BOISTEROUS PEEACmNG. 
 
 Empty wagons often make more noise than loaded 
 ones, and shallow waters sometimes make more foam 
 than deep waters. Some preachers can more easily 
 preach a very boisterous sermon than a great sermon, 
 and some hearers are more fond of sound than of sense, 
 — with what is made for show, than with what is made 
 for use. With many persons it is considered a powerful 
 sermon, if there be a powerful noise, and powerful ges- 
 ticulations. It is much easier for such to hear, than it is to 
 think. After hearing, one of these boisterous discourses, 
 made up of words and sounds, which made the house 
 ring and the head ache, it is said that a hearer once had 
 the following reverie : — 
 
 "He imagined that -he was very thirsty, and took a 
 pitcher to procure a cooling draught. He had not gone 
 far when his attention was called by the roaring of a 
 neighboring cataract. He looked, and saw there was a 
 great abundance of waters, which came tumbling down 
 from a mighty precipice. He approached it and placed the 
 pitcher amid the rushing torrent, as it fell from its giddy 
 height. The shock of its fall caused his body to shake 
 and his hand to tremble, and well-nigh carried his 
 pitcher entirely away. He succeeded, however, to hold 
 on until he thought it was full; he then withdrew it and 
 lifted it to his parched lips ; but what was his disappoint- 
 ment to find that it contained scarcely a single drop ! It 
 had fallen in with such violence, that nearly the whole 
 
312 BOISTEROUS PREACHING. 
 
 had been forced out again ; what remained was froth 
 and foam. 
 
 " Finding he could not catch the rapid stream, as it fell 
 from this mighty cataract, he went a little further down, 
 where the water had fallen, and was in great commo- 
 tion by reason of its descending force. He dipped his 
 pitcher beneath the whirling and agitated pool, and filled 
 it entirely full. But when he put it to his lips, he was 
 doomed to disappointment again, it was so turbid in 
 consequence of its rapid motion. He had much mire 
 and filth, and but little water. He thought he began to 
 grow fainter and fainter; and, espying a little shady 
 path leading far down the winding stream, he followed 
 it until he arrived at a quiet pool, clear and deep. He 
 put his pitcher in once more, and behold, to his great 
 joy, he drew it forth full from the crystal fountain ! So 
 he drank and drank, until his thirst was perfectly sat- 
 isfied, and he went on his way rejoicing." 
 
 It is well there are diverse gifts in the Christian min- 
 istry, for there are diverse tastes to be accommodated 
 among the people. There is, perhaps, no body of min- 
 isters to be found, where this diversity of gifts is more 
 manifest than among the Methodists. This is owing, in 
 a great measure, to the fact, that among them there is 
 more of nature than of art. The simplicity of nature is 
 true eloquence. Truth should not be hidden in words 
 Avhich have no meaning. 
 
(IfartteU Itttoetaitg ffiihrarg 
 
 Jlt^aca. ^sm garb 
 
 THE GIFT OF