Class _E.5_^5:_ Book jQ a i g - GopyrightF COJWRIGHT DEPOSIT. / IMi AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF PETER CARTWRIGHT, THE BACKWOODS PEEACHEE. EDITED BY W. P. STKICKLA^D. TWENTY-THIRD THOUSAND. PUBLISHED BY CARLTON & PORTER. 200 MULBERRT-3TRKET. 185T. F6 ^ . Entered according to Act of Congress. In the year 1856, by i CARLTON & PORTER, m the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New-York. PREEACE. For many years past, and especially during tlie last ten or twelve, I have been almost un- ceasingly importuned to write out a history of my life, as one among the oldest Methodist trav- eling preachers west of the mountains. This would necessarily connect with it a history of the rise and progress of the Methodist Episco- pal Church in the great valley of the Missis- sippi. And surely a work of this kind, written by a competent historiographer, who had kept himself posted, or had kept a journal of his life, and the many thrilling incidents connected with the history of the Church, or the life of a pioneer traveling preacher, could not fail to interest the Church and many of her friends, and would rescue from oblivion many, very many incidents that are now lost, and gone forever beyond the reach of the historian's pen. 4 PREFACE. I have regretted tlirougli life that some of my cotemporaries, who were much better quali- iied for the task than I am, did not write out such a work as is contemplated in this imper- fect sketch. Had I seriously thought of sending such a work into the world, I should have tried hard to have been better prepared. But it must be remembered that many of us early traveling preachers, who entered the vast wilderness of the West at an early day, had little or no education; no books, and no time to read or study them if we could have had them. We had no colleges, nor even a respect- able common school, within hundreds of miles of us. Old Dyke or Dilwortli was our spell- ing book; and what little we did learn, as we grew up, and the means of education increased among us, we found, to our hearts' content, that we had to unlearn, and this was the hardest work of all. And now that I am old and well stricken in years, it has been, and is, my abiding convic- tion that I cannot write a book that will be respectable, or one that will be worth reading ; but I have reluctantly yielded to the many solicitations of my friends, and I am conscious that there must be many imperfections and PREFACE. ^ inaccuracies in the work. I have no books to guide me ; my memory is greatly at fault ; ten thousand interesting facts have escaped my recollection; names and places have passed from me which cannot be recalled; and I fear that many scenes and incidents, as they now occur to my recollection, will be added to, or diminished from. Moreover, as I well understand that I have been considered constitutionally an eccentric minister, thousands of the thrilling incidents that have gained publicity, and have been at- tributed to me, when they are not found in my book will create disappointment. But I trust their place will be supplied by a true version, and though some of them may not be as mar- velous, may nevertheless be quite as interesting. [ have many to record that have not seen the light, which will be quite as thrilling as any that have been narrated, and their truthfulness will make them more so. Some of our beloved bishops, book agents, editors, and old men, preachers and private members, as well as a host of our young, strong men and ministers, who are now actively en- gaged in building up the Church, have urged me to undertake this sketch of my life, and I 6 PREFACE. have not felt at liberty to decline, bnt send it out with all its imperfections, hoping that it may in some way, and to some extent, conduce to the interests of the Redeemer's kingdom, and do more than merely gratify an idle curi- osity, or offend the fastidious taste of some of our present more highly favored and better ed- ucated ministers, who enjoy the many glorious advantages of books, a better education, and improved state of society, from which we as early pioneers were almost wholly excluded. Right here I wish to say, (I hope without the charge of egotism,) when I consider the insurmountable disadvantages and difficulties that the early pioneer Methodist preachers labored under in spreading the Gospel in these Western wilds in the great valley of the Mis- sissippi, and contrast the disabilities which sur- rounded them on every hand, with the glorious human advantages that are enjoyed by their present successors, it is confoundingly miracu- lous to me that our modern preachers cannot preach better, and do more good than they do. Many nights, in early times, the itinerant had to camp out, without fire or food for man or beast. Our pocket Bible, Hymn Book, and Discipline constituted our library. It is true PREFACB. i we could not, many of us, conjugate a verb oj* parse a sentence, and murdered tlie king's English, almost every lick. But there was a Di^dne unction attended the word preached, and thousands fell under the mighty power of God, and thus the Methodist Episcopal Church was planted firmly in this Western wilderness, and many glorious signs have followed, and will follow, to the end of time. I will here state, that, at an early period of my ministry, I commenced keeping a journal, and kept it up for several years, till at length several of our early missionaries to the Natchez country returned, and many of them, I found, were keeping a journal of their lives and labors, and it seemed to me we were outdoing the thing, and under this conviction I threw my manuscript journals to the moles and bats. This act of my life I have deeply regretted, for if I had persisted in journalizing, I could now avail myself of many interesting facts, dates, names, and circumstances that would greatly aid me in my sketch. 1 know it is impossible for my friends to realize the embarrassments I labor under, for the want of some safe guide to my failing and treacherous memory. I therefore ask great in- 8 PREFACE. dulgence from any and all wlio may chance to read this imperfect sketch, and pray that our kind Saviour may forgive any inaccuracies or errors that it may contain. If I had my minis- terial life to live over again, my present con- viction is that I would scrupulously keep a journal. But this cannot be ; therefore I must submit. And now, in the conclusion of this introduc- tion, I will say, I ask forgiveness of God for all the errors of this work, and all the errors of my whole life, especially of my ministerial life. I also ask for the foi'giveness of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as one of hei unworthy ministers, for any wrongs I may have done to her, or to the world. I also most sincerely ask the prayers of the Church, that while my sun is fast declining, and must soon set to rise on earth no more, I may have a peaceful and happy end, and that I may meet any that I may ha^&e been the instrument of doing good to, with all my dear brethren, safe in heaven, to praise God together forever. Amen. PETER CARTWBIGHT. Pleasant Plains, III., 1856. CONTENTS. ■^•» >^ CHAPTER I. His Birth — Parents remove to Kentucky — Dangers and Difficulties of the Journey — Halt at Camp Defeat — His Father shoots an Indian — Escape of a White Man ft-om the Indians — His Companions shot — Arrival at Crab Orchard — Massacre of seven Families — Pursuit of the Indians — Their Slaughter — Perils of the Early Settlers — Fertility and Resource of the Country Page 1. CHAPTER n. Settlement in Lincoln's County, Kentucky — Methodist Ministers — Parents remove to Logan County, Kentucky — Rogue's Harbor — The "Regula- tors" — Native Luxuries — Saltpeter Caves — Advantages of Navigation — Falls into Bad Habits — Is sent to School — Makes little Progress — Fate of his Teacher 23 CHAPTER HI. Increase of Population — Danger of Extremes in Doctrine — Sacramental Meeting — Great Revival — First Camp-meeting — Presbyterians cen- sured for engaging in it— Origin of the *' New Lights" — Their Leaders — " Republican Methodists" — The Shakers — Want of Ministers severe- ly felt 29 CHAPTER IV. Goes to a Dance — Is convicted — Obliged to leave his Business^ — Thought to be Insane — His Convictions are Strengthened — Attends a Sacra- mental Meeting, and is Converted — Joins the Methodist Episcopal Church — Organization of the Western Conference by Bishop Asbury — Early Western Itinerants —First Secession — Wilson Lee — The Pet Lamb — Taking up the Cross — Happy Conversion — Mr. Lee's Death 34 CHAPTER V. Wide-spread Revival in the West — Rise of Camp-meetings — Methodists and Presbyterians unite in the Work — Camp-ground Accommodations — Great Extravagances among the Presbyterians — The Presbytery grant Licenses contrary to the "Confession of Faith" — Some are censured, some suspended, and others expelled — They propose to join the Meth- 10 CONTENTS. odist Episcopal Church — Proposal declined — Formation of the "Cum- berland Presbyterian Church" — Splittinj^ the Difference — The Jerks — Horsewhipping escaped — Dreadful Death — Fatal Delusions — Trouble with the Sliakers — Debates with them — Numbers received into the Church — Organizes a Circuit Page 45 CHAPTER VI. Attends numerous Carap-meetings — Opposers overcome — Meets Bishop Asbury — Receives an Exhorter's License — Removes toLewiston County, Illinois — Enters an Academy — Exhorts large Congregations and gathers a Class — Suffers Persecution — Ducks his Tormentors — Leaves School — Forms a Circuit — Good Success — Gives up the World — Travels Red River Circuit — First Sermon — Its Effect — Transferred to Waynesville Circuit — Revival at Stockton Valley — Baptist Proselyters — They entice his Converts — His Scheme to recover them — Is crowned with Success — Organizes a Society — Increase in the Western Conference — Is re- ceived into the Traveling Connection 56 OIIzVPTER VII. Conference of 1804 — Travels Salt River and Shelbyville Circuits — Sim- plicity in Dress of early Methodists — Studies with Mr. M'Kendree — Profits much by his Instructions — Duties of Presiding Elders — Pioneer Methodist Preachers — An educated Ministry — Meets one of the "Regu- lar Graduates" — Confounds him — A striking Illustration — Danger of Congregationalism in the Church — Secular Offices should be filled by Laymen — Evil Eff'ects of the present System — Conference of 1805 — William M'Kendree elected President 74 CHAPTER Vni. Appointment 4.0 Scioto Circuit — Favored with good Superintendents — A drunken Minister — Strange Apology — Powerful Awakenings — Afflict- ing Dispensation — Father Teel — His Eccentricity cured — Large Camp- meeting — The Rowdies troublesome — A drunken Magistrate — A knock- down Argument — The Meeting progresses — Cheering Results — James Axley — Scene at the Governor's Table — A useful Preacher 84 CHAPTER IX. Starts for the Conference of 1806 — Increase of Membership — A new Dis- trict — Meager Salary — Is ordained Deacon by Bishop Asbui-y — Sent to Marietta Circuit — A Colony of Yankees — Hard Appointment — The Halcyon Church — Brimstone Angels — A vile Impostor — Deluded Fanatics — Want of an Outfit — Goes Home — Timely Assistance — A Friend in Need — A Generous Landlord — Singular Conversion — Arrives at Home — New Outfit — Starts afresh — Conference of 1807 — Appoint- ed to Barren Circuit — Dying Convert — A knotty Case — Affecting Scene — Methodism obtains a Footing 96 CHAPTER X. Poverty of Preachers — Enters into Matrimony — Conference of 1808 — Ordained Elder by Bishop M'Kendree — Father's Death — Has leave of Absence for a Time — Returns to the Regular Work at the Conference of 1809 — Appointed to Livingston Circuit — Holds a Camp-meeting — CONTENTS. 11 Good Eesults — A bigoted "Dunker" — Turns Methodist — Bought by the Baptists — Tries the Shakers — Objects to hard Work — Resorts to the New Lights — Last Session of the Western Conference in 1811 — Increase of Membership — First delegated General Conference — Divis- ion of the Western Conference — Goes to Christian Circuit, Tennessee Conference — Glorious Revivals — Overcomes Prejudice — New Appoint- ment — Another Camp-meeting — A Methodist Fit — Preaches at Red River — Opposed by a Presbyterian Minister — Results of Opposition — Forms a Society Page 111 CHAPTER XL First Session of Tennessee Conference in 1812 — Made Presiding Elder by Bishop Asbury — Objects to taking the Office — Travels Wabash District — Holds several Camp-meetings — Agitation on the Slavery Question — Testimony of the Church against it — Harm done by Rabid Abolitionists — Breckenridge Camp-meeting — An impudent Dandy — Threat of a Horsewhipping — Dandy escapes with a Ducking — Decrease of Member- ship at Conference of 1813 — Causes thereof — Returned to Green River, formerly Wabash District — New Fields of Labor — A Baptist Goliath — Slander on the Methodists — Vulgar Comparisons — Goliath Defeated — Is blown to Never — A Whisky-drinking Preacher — Charging full Price 126 CHAPTER Xn. Tennessee Conference of 1814 — Bishops Asbury and M'Kendree — Their Ministerial Labors — Privations of the Preachers — A Fatted Calf — Camp-meeting at Christian Circuit — Disturbance from Rowdies — A stroke of Policy — A Disturber roached — Another soused, and afterward converted — The String of Frogs — An enraged Father — Evil Surmis- ings — His Conviction and Conversion — A singular Dream — Its Ful- fillment — Baptist Proselyter — Extended Argument — An unanswerable Question 139 CHAPTER Xni. Bishop Asbury attends the Tennessee Conference of 1815 — His feeble Health — Election of Delegates to General Conference — The Bishop's Advice to them — His Endeavors to reach the General Conference — In- creasing Weakness — Death and Burial — Reinterment — Epitaph — The Bishop's Talents — His Knowledge of Character — General Confer- ence of 1816— Difficulties of Travel — Election of Bishops George and Roberts — A Year of Prosperity — Introduction of Pro-slavery Feeling into the Church — Injurious Effects — Clamors for Lay Representation first heard — They increase at the Conference of 1820 — Other Radical Measures then brought forward — Presiding Elders to be Elected — An entering Wedge — Bishop Soule's Opposition — Suspension of the Elec- tive Rule — Harmony destroyed in the Church — Expulsion of the Radi cals — Peace restored — Formation of the Methodist Protestant Church — Schisms originate among the Ministers — Examples cited — Wretched Policy of the Church South on Slavery 152 CHAPTER XIV. Sessions of Western Confei-ences for 1816 — Is appointed to Christian Circuit — New Conference formed — Introduction of Methodism into Indiana and Illinois — Increase of Members and Ministers — Glorious 12 CONTENTS. Revivals — Preaches to Slaves — Numbers converted — Want of faithful Preachers among them — Quarterage not twenty- five Cents — Hospitable Farmer — Nothing lost by entertaining Ministers — Meets with a Wealthy Wesleyan — He builds a Church — Dedicated by a Protracted Meeting — A great Concourse attends — Several converted — Scarcity of Bibles — Organization of Bible Society Page 166 CHAPTER Xy. Earthquake of 1812 — Consequent Excitement — Numbers join the Churth, of whom many fall away — Is stationed on Red River Circuit at Confer- ence of 1817 — Preaches to a single Hearer — His Fame is spread abroad — Draws crowded Congregations — Dram-drinking — Reasons for and against — Deals summarily with Breakers of the Rules — A Revival springs up — Class-meetings with closed Doors — A New-Light Torment- or — How she is got rid of" — Young America — Sermon on Worldliness — Dr. Bascom reproved — Is kept in the Shade — "Who is General Jack- son?" — His Independence approved — Need of a Hell — Conference of 1819 — Complains of Violators of the Discipline — They are obliged to con- form — General Conference of 1820 — Plan of the Pro-slavery Party — Formation of Kentucky Conference — The Church in the West — Con- ference of 1820 — Publishes two Anti-Calvinistic Pamphlets — A Satanic Reply— The Rejoinder 180 CHAPTER XVI. Sets out with Father Walker for the General Conference — Lodges with a shouting Local Preacher — Resumes his Journey — Finds a loaded Pistol — Met by a Robber — Pistol becomes useful — A Universalist Landlord — Praying off a Bill — Return from Conference — Effects of "New Cider" — A surly Host — Refuses Payment in Bills — Second Thoughts the best — Dance at a Tavern — Is asked to join — First offers a Prayer — The Danc- ing ceases — Prays and exhorts — Many converted — Being instant in and out of Season — A Preacher up to the Times — Dumb Devil — Evil of Dram- drinking — Makes an Enemy by his Temperance — Use of Liquor defend- ed by Methodists — Appointed Presiding Elder of Cumberland District at Conference of 1821 — First round of Quarterly Meetings — Prayerless Professors — Roaring River Camp-meeting — A Disorderly Congregation — Arrests their Attention — Defends the Divinity of Christ — Vanquishes its Disputants — Outpouring of the Spirit — An Arian Devil cast out — Simon Carlisle — He Reproves a young Profligate — His Revenge — Car- lisle arrested for Robbery — Requests his Conference to suspend him — Restored to his Standing in the Church — His Innocence proved 199 CHAPTER XVII. Poplar Grove Camp-meeting — Spunky Widow — A Proselyting Baptist — In- duced to hear Mr. Cartwright preach — Hears part of the Sermon and then runs — Promise of Immortality scouted — Publicly reproves a young Lawyer — Is challenged in consequence — Chooses his Weapons — His Opponent is Conscience-stricken — Requests his Prayers — Finds Peace in Believ- ing — Revival at Quarterly Meeting — Regulates the Altar Exercises — Sanctified Wealth a Blessing to the Church — Needless Church Expendi- tures — Might be better applied — Rowdies at a Camp-meeting — They determine to break it up — Essay to carry out their Plans — They are dispersed — Conversion and Reconciliation of bitter Enemies — Ungen- tlemanly Infidel — Sessions of Kentucky Conference for 1822 and 1823 — Delegated to General Conference of 1824 — Close of his twentieth Year in the Itinerancy — Retrospective View ; 226 CONTENTS. 13 CHAPTER XVIII. Determines to remove to Illinois — Reasons for so doing — MaKes the Journey on Horseback — Selects a Location — Returns through Springfield — Is transferred to Illinois Conference — Parting with old Friends — Fatal Accident to one of his Daughters — Kindness from Strangers — Settles in Sangamon County — Vicinage of Indians — Extent of San- gamon Circuit — Appoints a Sacramental Meeting — " Cartwright's Flood " — A close Brother — A Word in Season — Its good EtFect — Scarcity of Money — Jam es Dixon — Hunters' Expedients — Their Priva- tions — Dixon loses his Eyesight — Singular Dream — His Sight restored — Good Luck — Voyage to St. Louis — Escapes from the Indians — A suc- cessful Trip — Becomes a Methodist — His peaceful Death — Increase on Sangamon Circuit — Conference of 1825 — Violent Bilious Attack — Journey homeward - An unkind Companion — His Dismissal — Stops to recruit — Proceeds on his Way — Is Sick on the Road — Lies down to Die — Good Samaritans — Is met by his Wife — Partial Recovery — Crossing the Grand Prairie Page 244 CHAPTER XIX. Sent to Illinois Circuit by Conference of 1826 — Is a Candidate for the Legislature — Hears himself defamed — Faces his Reviler — He apolo- gizes — Another Calumniator — Proves his Assertions to be false — An aspiring Lawyer — He is taken down — Becomes friendly — Dangers in the Use of Liquor — Preaches to a highly expectant Congregation — Annoyance at Camp-meeting from a Drunken Crew — They are dis persed by an Artifice — An Insane Enthusiast — Various Delusions — Ex- pulsion from the Church of an Impostor — A good Investment — Value of Useful Books — Appointed Superintendent of Pottawattomie District — Meeting with Indian Chiefs — Expenses of this Mission — Conference of 1827 — Voyage to General Conference at Pittsburgh — Immoral Fel- low-Passengers — An exciting Debate — Comes off Victorious — Preaches on the Steamboat 261 CHAPTER XX. Absent from Conference of 1828 —Sickness of Mrs. Cartwright — Formation of Oneida Conference — Organization of Canada Methodist Episcopal Church — Attends the General Conference of 1828 — Gets the Cold Shoulder — Hearty Reception — Spiritual Darkness — Obtains Relief — Dangers of New Circuits — A Roucrh Pulpit — Death of Bishop George — Illinois Conference of 1829 — A hen-pecked Husband — He is relieved — Written Sermons not liked —A Union Church — Unfair Dealing — A Methodist Church built — Great Sacrifice — Sangamon Camp-meeting — Groundless Stories — Tormented by Mockers— They stick in the Mud — The Tables turned — A bigote i Mother — Her impotent Rage — A Providential Escape 2'JJ CHAPTER XXT. Elected to the General Conference of 1832 — Prevented from attending by Family Sickness — Annoyed at Camp-meeting by a Huckster— Prosecutes him — He refuses to pay his Fine — His Stores seized, and himself taken to Prison — Pays, and is released — His Companions desire to retake his Liquor --Their Ringleader quieted — Revival among the Persecutors — Division of Illinois Conference — Is Superannuated for ten Hour* 14 CONTENTS. ^-Quincy District formed — None -willing to go to it — Takes the Ap pointment — Character of the District — A long Shower — An encourag- ing Motto — Watery Journey — A High-strung Predestinarian — Hater of the Methodists — The Eternal Decrees — Barton Randle — His Priva- tions and Usefulness — Visit to Rock Island Mission — A rascally Ferryman — Former Site of an Indian Town — Fording Rock River — An unexpected Wetting — Galena Mission — Dangerous Ride with his Daughter — Contrast between Traveling then and now — D. B. Carter — A beloved Minister — His Death — Fort Edwards Mission... Page 32G CHAPTER XXII. Rise of the Mormons under Joe Smith — Their Expulsion from Missouri, and Establishment at Nauvoo — Acquaintance with Joe Smith — His Ignorance and Cunning — Controversy concerning his Doctrines — Re- lates to him an Encounter with Mormons at a Camp-meeting, and how they were silenced — Smith grows Restive under this Recital — Curses him in the Name of his God — Mormons driven from Illinois — Illinois Conference of 1833 — Bishop Soule's Western Tour — Travels with him to a Quarterly Meeting — Visitation of the Cholera — The Bishop attacked with Fever — Preacher stationed at Jacksonville — First Quarterly Con- ference there — Rapid Growth of the Town — Illinois Conference of 1834 — Religious Excitement in Rushville Circuit — A Papist Convert 341 OHAPTEPw XXIII. Knox County Camp-meeting — A Yankee Family — Parents' Dislike of the Methodists — Efforts to keep their Children from the Meeting — The Daughters seek Religion — Opposition of their Mother — Laughable Incidents — Whole Family becomes Religious — Unhealthiness of Quincy — A Dying Stranger — Takes Charge of his AflFairs — A Campbellite De- bater — He resists the Spirit — Becomes Insane — Commits Suicide... 352 CHAPTER XXiy. Missionaries sent to the West — They make Evil Reports of the Land — Their Preaching productive of no Good — Election to General Conference of 1836 — Church Paper at Cincinnati — Morris, Waugh, and Fisk elected Bishops — Slavery pronounced a Blessing — Ultra Abolitionists — Plan of Separation — Opinions of Southern Members in regard to Slavery — The True Wesleyans — Wilbur Fisk — Confidence of the Church reposed in him — Declines being ordained Bishop — Six new Conferences formed — Funeral Sermon of Bishop M'Kendree — Sketch of his Life — Unhappy Delay in the Publication of his Memoirs 35S CHAPTER XXY. Extent of Illinois Conference — Session of 1837 — Revival in Jacksonville Station — A New-School Minister — Change of Purpose not Conversion — Gracious Revival — A live Yankee Minister — Abortive Attempt to Preacb — A powerful Exhortation — Anxious Inquirers — Easy Way of becoming a Christian — Elected Delegate to General Conference of 1840 — Agita- tion on Slavery revived — Abolitionists led by O. Scott — Opposes the Election of new Bishops — Several new Conferences organized — Aboli- tionists opposed to Colonization — They refuse to assist poor Churches in the South — Winchester Camp-meeting — A large Attendance — Num- bers of Renegades — Determines to maintain Good Order — Rising of the Mob — Their Leader taken — A mock Camp-meeting — Rowdies put to Flight — Their Captain converted — Trial of the Disturbers 363 CONTENTS. 15 CHAPTEPw XXVI. Growth of the Country — Its State in 1824 — Determines to build a Church — A Union Church proposed — He strongly objects to it — Success of his Enterprise — First Church in Sangamon Circuit — Waters's Camp- ground — Quarterly Meeting at Alton — A Methodist Ball — Crowded Attendance — Christ rejects none — Answering a Fool according to his Folly — Universalism a conscience-soothing Doctrine — Quarterly Meet- ing at Exeter — A Company of Mockers — Happy Conversion — A noted Gambler — He burns his Cards — Obtains Keligion — Goes to Utah — Becomes a Mormon — A desjpairing Sinner — Dies without Hope — Eevival at Winchester — The Camphellites present in full Force — They provoke Controversy — Their Preacher nonplused — Advice to Public Speakers — Conference of 1843 — Bp. Andrew presides — General Confer- ence of 184:4: — Church Statistics — Success of early Ministers.... Page 385 CHAPTER XXVII. Attends the General Conference of 1844 — Government of the Church — The Bishops have no Legislative Power — They do not Hold the Church Property — The Methodist Episcopal Church essentially Anti-slavery — Ground taken by the Northern and Southern Delegates respectively — Bishop Andrew's Connection with Slavery — Course which the Confer- ence should have pursued — Course of Bishop Soule — The Conference had no Power to divide the Church — Dr. Elliott's History of the Seces- sion — Abolitionists have done nothing for the Slave — Course to be pursued toward Slaveholders — Is clear of Guilt in the Action of this Conference 411 CHAPTER XXVIII. Illinois Conference of 1844 — Non-concurrence in the Measures of the Gen- eral Conference — Statement of Facts in the Case — Slaveholding never a Test of Church Membership — Conservatism the true Ground — Its Benefits to the Slave — Attends a nameless Meeting at Cincinnati — Ta- ken ill on his Way to Conference — Reaches Alton City — Has Medical Assistance and Proceeds — Arrives at the Conference — A gloomy Year — Southern Delegates call a Convention — Renounce the Methodist Episcopal Church — Form a separate Organization — Foul Means resort- ed to — Bishop Soule chiefly to be Blamed — Bishop Andrew not with- out Fault in the Matter — Fate of Extremes — Fearful Results of Schisms 425 CHAPTER XXIX. Session of Illinois Conference for 1845 — Returned to Bloomington District — Traveling hazardous in Winter and Spring — Commences his Round of Quarterly Meetings — An intensely cold Storm — Dreary Ride — Reaches a Local Preacher's Cabin — One of his Sons converted at Pray- ers — Pursues his Journey — Crosses Sangamon River — Reaches the Meeting — The Church triumphs over her Foes — A Week at Waynesville — Nightly Meetings — Frightful Death — A fair Conclusion — Paying Universalist's Bills — Elected to the General Conference of 1848 — An exciting Session — Southern Delegates come resolved on Secession — The Louisville Conventioii — Measures of the General Conference of 1844 iiull and void — A peaceful Settlement evaded — German Mission 16 CONTENTS. — Its Formation by Dr. Nast — Death of Charles HoUiday — Election to the General Conference of 1852 — Feebleness of Bishops Hedding and Hamline — Affecting Address of Bishop Waugh — Superintends the Mis- sion to the Pottawattomies — Change in the Country — Increase in Wealth and Population — Methodism dying out — Pi-ejudice of the Minister at Warsaw against him — Offered the Use of the Presbyterian Church — Power of God on the Congregation — Notified to vacate the Church — Supposed Reasons therefor — Building of a Methodist Church — Numerous Accessions to the Society — Revivals the Net of the Church — Quincy Station — A Time of Refreshing — Sugar Grove Camp-meeting — A prosperous Year — Failing Strength — Conference of 1852 — Pleas- ant Plains District formed — Is appointed to it at Conference of 1853 — Incidents at the Boston General Conference — His Sermons pronounced Failures — The Charm broken — Characteristics of the Yankees — Their Hospitality — New-England Farms Page 441 CHAPTER XXX. General Conference of 1852 — Death of Bishop Hedding — Election of four new Bishops — A Yankee Triumph — Evil of Pewed Churches — Parting with kind Friends — Pioneer Preachers — Their Labors and Success — Jesse Walker — Abundant in Labors — Becomes Superannuated — Final Triumph — Samuel H. Thomson — His Early Conversion — Great Use- fulness — Sinks under Privations — His Ardent Zeal — Last Message — Victory over Death — John Dew — Talents as a Preacher — Has Souls for his Hire — Is greatly Beloved — Goes to his Reward 480 CHAPTER XXXI. Illinois Conferences of 1854 and 1855 — Election to the General Conference of 1856 — Slavery Agitation — Multiplying of Stations tends to Congre- gationalism — Changes in Church Economy — Longer Term of Min- isterial Appointment — New Rule on Ordination •. 501 CHAPTER XXXn. A Wealthy Physician — Avowed Infidelity — Moral Benefit of Christianity — An Inexplicable Mystery — Breach in the Walls — Evidences of the Senses — The Doctor convinced — His Wife's Conversion — Fervent Prayer — A Peaceful Answer — Glorious Revival — Preaches the Gospel — Seals to his Ministry — Taken to Abraham's Bosom 507 CHAPTER XXXni. Plainness of Early Methodists — Extravagance of the present Day — Duty of Family Prayer — Results of its Faithful Performance — Neglect of many on this Score — Benefits of Prayer-meetings — They are the Seed of Revivals — Class-meetings owned of God — Their Attendance should be a Test of Membership — Value of faithful Leaders 515 CHAPTER XXXIV. Review of the Past — Entrance into the Itinerant Ranks — Children and Grandchildren — All striving to reach Heaven — Amount lost on Allow- ance — Value of Books sold — Collected for Benevolent Purposes — Ministerial Labors — Decrease of Camp-meetings — Plan for their Revi- val — Growth of the West — Thanks for Mercies — Prayers implored 521 AUTOBIOGRAPHY PETEE CARTWEIGHT, CHAPTEK I. PARENTAGE. I WAS born September 1st, 1785, in Amherst Coun- ty, on James Eiver, in the State of Virginia.' My parents were poor. My father was a soldier in the great struggle for liberty, in the Revolutionary war with Great Britain. He served over two years. My mother was an orphan. Shortly after the united colonies gained their independence, my j^arents moved to Kentucky, which was a nev/ country. It was an almost unbroken wilderness from Virginia to Kentucky at that early day, and this wilderness was filled with thousands of hostile Indians, and many thousands of the emigrants to Kentucky lost their lives by these savages. There were no roads for carriages at that time, and although the emigrants moved by thousands, they had to move on pack horses. Many adventurous young men went to this new country. The fill my father moved, there v/ere a great many families who joined together for mutual safety, and started for Kentucky. Besides the two 18 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF hundred families tlms nnited, thoro were one hun- dred young men, well armed, who agreed to guard these families through, and, as a compensation, they were to be supported for their services. After we struck the wilderness we rarely traveled a day but w^e passed some white persons, murdered and scalped by the Indians while going to or returning from Kentucky. "We traveled on till Sunday, and, instead of resting that day, the voice of the company was to move on. It was a dark, cloudy day, misty with rain. Many Indians were seen through the day skulking round by o*ir guards. Late in the evening we came to what w^as called " Camp Defeat," where a number of emigrant families had been all murdered by the sav- ages a short time before. Here the com^^any called a halt to camp for the night. It was a solemn, gloomy time ; every heart quaked with fear. Soon the captain of our young men's company placed his men as sentinels all round the encamp- ment. The stock and the women and children were placed in the center of the encampment. Most of the men that were heads of families, were placed around outside of the w^omen and children. Those who were not placed in this position, were ordered to take their stand outside still, in the edge of the brush. It was a dark, dismal night, and all expected an at- tack from the Indians. That night my father was placed as a sentinel, with a good rifle, in the edge of the brush. Shortly after he took his stand, and all was quiet in the camp, he thought he heard something moving toward him, and grunting like a swine. He knew there was no swine with the moving company, but it v>'as so dark he could not see what it was. Presently ho perceived PETER CARTWRIGHT. t9 a dark object in the distance, but nearer him than at first, and believing it to be an Indian, aiming to spring upon him and murder him in the dark, he leveled his rifle, and aimed at the dark lump as well as he could, and fired. He soon found he had hit the object, for it flounced about at a terrible rate, and my father gathered himself up and ran into camp. When his gun fired, there was an awful screaming throughout the encampment by the women and chil- dren. My father was soon inquired of as to what was the matter. He told them the circumstances of the case, but some said he was scared and wanted an excuse to come in ; but he affirmed that there was no mistake, that there was something, and he had shot it ; and if they would get a light and go with him, if he did not show them something, then they might call him a coward forever. They got a light and went to the place, and there they found an Indian, with a rifle in one hand and a tomahawk in the other, dead. My father's rifle-ball had struck the Indian neai-ly central in the head. Tliere was but little sleeping in the camp that night. However, the night passed away without any further alarms, and many glad hearts hailed the dawn of a new day. The next morning, as soon as the company could pack up, they started on their journey. In a few days after this, we met a lone man, who said his name was Baker, with his mouth bleeding at a desperate rate, having been shot by an Indian. Several of his teeth and his jaw bone were broken by a ball from the Indian's gun. His account of a battle with the Indians was substantially as follows : There were seven young white men returning to Virginia from Kentucky, all well armed; one of 20 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF them, a Frencliman, had a considerable sum of money with him. All seven were momited on fine horses, and they were waylaid by seven Indians. When the white men approached near the am- bush, they were fired on by the Indians, and three shot down ; the other four dismounted and shot down three of the Indians. At the second fire of tlie Indians, two more of the white men fell, and at the second fire of the white men, two more of the Indians fell. Then there were two and two. At the third fire of the Indians, Baker's only remaining compan- ion fell, and he received the wound in the mouth. Thinking his chance a bad one, he wheeled and ran, loading his gun as he went. Finding a large, hollow tree, he crept into it, feet foremost, holding his rifle ready cocked, expecting them to look in, when he intended to fire. He heard the Indians cross and recross the log twice, but they did not look in. At this perilous moment, he heard the large cow- bell that was on one of the drove of cattle of our com- pany, and shortly after he crawled out of the log, and made his way to us, the happiest man I think I ever saw. Our company of young men rushed to the battle-ground, and found the dead white men and Indians, and dug two separate graves, and buried them w^here they fell. They got all the horses and clothes of the white men slain, and the Frenchman's money, for the surviving Indians had not time to scalp or strip them. When we came within seven miles of the Crab Orchard, where there were a fort and the first white settlement, it was nearly night. We halted, and a vote was taken whether we should go on to the fort, or camp there for the night. Indians had been seen in our rear through the day. All wanted to go PETER CARTWRIGHT. 21 tlirougli except seven families, who refused to go any further that night. The main body went on, but they, the seven families, carelessly stripped off their clothes, laid down without any guards, and went to sleep. Some time in the night, about twenty-five Indians rushed on them, and every one, men, women, and children, was slain, except one man, who sprang from his bed and ran into the fort, barefooted and in his night clothes. He brouglit the melancholy news of the slaughter. The captain of the fort was an old, experienced ranger and Indian warrior. These murderous bands of savages lived north of the Ohio River, and would cross over into Kentucky, kill and steal, and then recross the Ohio into their own country. The old captain knew the country well, and the places of their crossing the river. Early next morning he called for volunteers, mounted men, and said he could get ahead of them. A goodly company turned out, and, sure enough, they got ahead of the Indians, and formed an ambush for them. Soon they saw the Indians com- ing, and, at a given signal, the whites fired on them. At the first shot all were killed but three; these were pursued, two of them killed, and but one made liis escape to tell the sad news. All the plunder of the murdered families was retaken. Thus you see what perilous times the first settlers had to reach that new and beautiful country of " cams and ticrkeysJ'' Kentucky was claimed by no particular tribe of Indians, but was regarded as a common hunting- ground by the various tribes, east, west, north, and south. It abounded in various valuable game, such as bufi^alo, elk, bear, deer, turkeys, and many other 22 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF smaller game, and hence the Indians struggled hard to keep the white people from taking possession of it. Many hard and bloody battles were fought, and tho*u- sands killed on both sides ; and rightly was it named the " land of blood." But finally the Indians were overpowered and driven ofi*, and the white man ob- tained a peaceable and quiet possession. It was chiefly settled by Virginians, as noble and brave a race of men and women as ever drew the breath of life. But Kentucky was far in the interior and very distant from the Atlantic shores ; and though a part of the great Mississippi Yalley, the mouth of the Mississippi and thousands of miles up this " father of waters " belonged to foreign, and, in some sense, hos- tile nations, that were not very friendly to the new republic. The Kentuckians labored under many, very many, disadvantages and privations ; and had it not been for the fertility of the soil and the abundance of wild meat, they must have suffered beyond endurance. But the country soon filled up, and entered into the enjoyment of improved and civilized life. PETER CARTWRIGHT. CHAPTEE II. EARLY LIFE. After my father reached Kentucky he rented a farm for two years in Lincoln County, on what was called the " Hanging fork of Dicks River," near Lancaster, the county seat. My mother, being a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, sought and obtained an acquaint- ance with two Methodist traveling preachers, namely, John Page and Benjamin E'orthcut, men of precious memory — men that are to be numbered as early pio- neers in the West, who labored hard and suffered much to build up the infant Methodist Church in the wilderness ; and those two men are to be numbered among the oldest Methodist preachers on this conti- nent that are now living. (Northcut has since died.) In the fall of 1793 my father determined to move to what was then called the Green Eiver country, in the southern part of the State of Kentucky. He did so, and settled in Logan County, nine miles south of Russellville, the county seat, and within one mile of the state Hue of Tennessee. Shortly after our removal from Lincoln to Logan County my father's family was visited by Jacob Lur- ton, a traveling preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Though my father was not a professor of religion, yet he was not an opposer of it, and when Jacob Lurton asked the liberty of preaching in his cabin, he readily assented. 24 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF I was then in my ninth year, and was sent out to invite the neighbors to come and hear preaching. Accordingly they crowded out, and filled the cabin to overflowing. Jacob Lurton was a real son of thunder. He preached with tremendous power, and the congre- gation were almost all melted to tears ; some cried aloud for mercy, and my mother shouted aloud for joy. Jacob Lurton traveled several years, married, and located in Kentucky, from whence he removed to Illinois, and settled near Alton, where he died many years ago. His end was peaceful and happy. Shortly after Jabob Lurton preached at my father's cabin, he or his successor organized a small class, about four miles from my father's, where my mother attached herself again to the Church. I think there were thirteen members, one local preacher, one ex- horter, and a class-leader. Here my mother regularly walked every Sabbath to class-meeting, for a number of years, and seldom missed this means of grace. This little society ebbed and flowed for years, until about 1799, when a mighty revival of religion broke out, and scores joined the society. "We built a little church, and called it Ehenezer. This was in what was then called Cumberland Circuit, and Kentucky Dis- trict, in the Western Conference, the seventh confer- ence in the United States. Logan County, when my father moved to it, was called '' Kogues' Harbor." Here many refugees, from almost all parts of the Union, fled to escape justice or punishment ; for although there was law, yet it could not be executed, and it was a desperate state of so- ciety. Murderers, horse thieves, highway robbers, and counterfeiters fled here until they combined and actually formed a majority. The honest and civil part of the citizens would prosecute these wretched PETER CARTWBIGHT. 25 banditti, but tliey would swear each other clear ; and they really put all law at defiance, and carried on such desperate violence and outrage that the honest part of the citizens seemed to be driven to the neces- sity of uniting and combining together, and taking the law into their own hands, under the name of Regulators. This was a very desperate state of things. Shortly after the Regulators had formed themselves into a society, and established their code of by-laws, on a court day at Russellville, the two bands met in town. Soon a quarrel commenced, and a general battle en- sued between the rogues and Regulators, and they fought with guns, pistols, dirks, knives, and clubs. Some were actually killed, many wounded, the rogues proved victors, kept the ground, and drove the Regu- lators out of town. The Regulators rallied again, hunted, killed, and lynched many of the rogues, until several of them fled, and left for parts unknown. Many lives were lost on both sides, to the great scan- dal of civilized people. This is but a partial view of frontier life. When my father settled in Logan County, there was not a newspaper printed south of Green River, no mill short of forty miles, and no schools worth the name. Sunday was a day set apart for hunting, fish- ing, horse-racing, card-playing, balls, dances, and all kinds of jollity and mirth. We killed our meat out of the woods, wild ; and beat our meal and hominy with a pestle and mortar. We stretched a deer skin over a hoop, burned holes in it with the prongs of a fork, sifted our meal, baked our bread, eat it, and it was first-rate eating too. We raised, or gathered out of the woods, our own tea. We had sage, bohea, cross- vine, spice, and sassafras teas, in abundance. A3 26 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF for coffee, I am not sure that I ever smelled it for ten years. We made om* sugar out of the water of the maple-tree, and our molasses too. These were great luxuries in those days. We raised our own cotton and flax. We water-rot- ted our flax, broke it by hand, scutched it ; picked the seed out of the cotton with our fingers; our mothers and sisters carded, spun, and wove it into cloth, and they cut and made our garments and bed-clothes, &c. And when we got on a new suit thus manufactured, and sallied out into company, we thought ourselves " so hig as anybody y There were two large caves on my father's farm, and another about half a mile off, where was a great quantity of material for making saltpeter. We soon learned the art of making it, and our class-leader was a great powder-maker. Let it be remembered, these were days when we had no stores of dry goods or groceries ; but the United States had a military post at Fort Messick, on the north bank of the Ohio River and south end of the State of Illinois. Here the government kept stores of these things. After we had made a great quantity of saltpeter, and had manufactured it into powder, really number one, strange to say, it came into the mind of our class-leader to go to Fort Messick on a trading expedition. Then the question arose, what sort of a vessel should be made ready for the voyage. This difficulty was soon solved ; for he cut down a large poplar-tree, and dug out a large and neat canoe, and launched it into Red River, to go out into Cum- berland River, and at the mouth of said river to ascend the Ohio River to the fort. Then proclamation was made to the neighborhood to come in with their money or marketing, but pow- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 27 der was the staple of the trading voyage. They were also notified to bring in their bills, duly signed, stat- ing the articles they wanted. Some sent for a quarter of a pound of coffee, some one yard of ribbon, some a butcher-knife, some for a tin cup, &c., &c. I really wish I had the bill ; I would give it as a literary curi- osity of early days. Our leader went and returned, safe and sound, made a good exchange, to the satisfaction of nearly all con- cerned ; and for weeks it was a great time of rejoic- ing, that we, even in Kentucky, had found out the glorious advantages of navigation. I was naturally a wild, wicked boy, and delighted in horse-racing, card-playing, and dancing. My father restrained me but little, though my mother often talked to me, wept over me, and prayed for me, and often drew tears from my eyes ; and though I often wept under preaching, and resolved to do bet- ter and seek religion, yet I broke my vows, went into young company, rode races, played cards, and danced. At length my father gave me a young race-horse, which well-nigh proved my everlasting ruin ; and he bought me a pack of cards, and I was a very success- ful young gambler ; and though I was not initiated into the tricks of regular gamblers, yet I was very suc- cessful in winning money. This practice was very fascinating, and became a special besetting sin to me, so that, for a boy, I was very much captivated by it. My mother remonstrated almost daily with me, and I had to keep my cards hid from her ; for if she could have found them, she would have burned them, or destroyed them in some way. O, the sad delusions of gambling ! How fascinating, and how hard to re claim a practiced gambler ! Nothing but the power of Divine grace saved me from this wretched sin. 28 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Mj father sent me to school, boarding me at Dr. Beverly Allen's ; but my teacher was not well-qnali fied to teach correctly, and I made but small progress. I, however, learned to read, write, and cipher a little, but very imperfectly. Dr. Allen, with whom I boarded, had, in an early day, been a traveling preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was sent South to Georgia, as a very gentlemanly and popular preacher, and did much good. He mar- ried in that country a fine, pious woman, a membei of the Church ; but he, like David, in an evil hour, fell into sin, violated the laws of the country, and a writ was issued for his apprehension. He warned the sheriff not to enter his room, and assured him if he did he would kill him. The sheriff rushed upon him, and Allen shot him dead. He fled from tha( country to escape justice, and settled in Logar County, then called " Rogues' Harbor." His famil}? followed him, and here he practiced medicine. To ease a troubled conscience he drank in the doctrine of Universalism ; but he lived and died a great friend to the Methodist Church. It fell to my lot, after I had been a preacher several years, to visit the doctor on his dying bed. I talked to, and prayed with him. Just before he died 1 asked him if he was willing to die and meet liis final Judge with his Universalist sentiments. He frankly said he was not. He said he could make the mercy of God cover every case in his mind but his own, but he thought there was no mercy for him ; and in this state of mind he left the world, bidding his family and friends an eternal farewell, warning them not to come to that place of torment to which he felt himself eter- nally doomed. PETER CARTWRIGHT. ^9 CHAPTEK m. CANE RIDGE CAMP-MEETING. Time rolled on, population increased fast around us the country improved, horse-tliieves and murderers were driven away, and civilization advanced consid- erably. Ministers of different denominations came in, and preached through the country ; but the Meth- odist preachers were the pioneer messengers of salva- tion in these ends of the earth. Even in Rogues' Harbor there was a Baptist Cliurch, a few miles west of my father's, and a Presbyterian congregation a few miles north, and the Methodist Ehenezer^ a few miles south. There were two Baptist ministers, one an old man of strong mind and (jood^ very good^ natural abilities, having been brought up a rigid Calvinist, and having been taught to preach the doctrine of particular elec- tion and reprobation. At length his good sense re- volted at the Jiorrid idea^ and, having no correct books on theology, he plunged into the opposite ex- treme, namely, universal redemption. He lived in a very wicked settlement. He appointed a day to pub- lish his recantation of his old Calvinism, and his vievN's on universal and unconditional salvation to all man- kind. The whole country, for many miles around, crowded to hear the joyful news. When he had finished his discourse, the vilest of the vile multitude raised the shout, expressing great joy that there was no hell or eternal punishment. 30 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF I will here state a circumstance that occurred to the old gentleman and myself. He was a great smoker, and as he passed my father's one day, to marry a couple, he came to the fence and called to me, and said, " Peter, if you will bring me a coal of fire to light my pipe, I will tell you how to get out of hell, if you ever get there." Although I was very wicked, the expression exceedingly shocked me, and neither the devil nor any of his preachers have ever been able, from that day to this, seriously to tempt me to believe the hlasjphemoits doctrine. The other Baptist minister soon took to open drunk enness, and with him his salvation by water expired ; but if ever there was a jubilee in hell, it was then and there held, over these apostate and fallen ministers B. A. and Dr. Allen. Somewhere between 1800 and 1801, in the upper part of Kentucky, at a memorable place called " Cane Ridge," there was appointed a sacramental meeting by some of the Presbyterian ministers, at which meet- ing, seemingly unexpected by ministers or people, the mighty power of God was displayed in a very extra- ordinary manner ; many were moved to tears, and bitter and loud crying for mercy. The meeting was protracted for weeks. Ministers of almost all denomi- nations flocked in from far and near. The meeting was kept up by night and day. Thousands heard of the mighty work, and came on foot, on horseback, in car- riages and wagons. It was supposed that there were in attendance at times during the meeting from twelve to twenty-five thousand people. Hundreds fell prostrate under the mighty power of God, as men slain in battle. Stands were erected in the woods from which preachers of different Churches pro- claimed repentance toward God and faith in our Lord PETER CARTWRIGHT. 31 Jesus Christ, and it was supposed, by eye and ear wit- nesses, that between one and two thousand souls were happily and powerfully converted to God during the meeting. It was not unusual for one, two, three, and four to seven preachers to be addressing the listening thousands at the same time from the different stands erected for the purpose. Tlie heavenly fire spread in almost every direction. It was said, by truthful wit- nesses, that at times more than one thousand persons broke out into loud shouting all at once, and that the shouts could be heard for miles around. From this camp-meeting, for so it ought to be called, the news spread through all the Churches, and through all the land, and it excited great wonder and surprise; but it kindled a religious flame that spread all over Kentucky and through many other states. And I may here be permitted to say, that this was the first camp-meeting ever held in the United States, and here our camp-meetings took their rise. As Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist ministers all united in the blessed work at this meeting, when they returned home to their diflferent congregations, and carried the news of this mighty work, the revival spread rapidly throughout the land ; but many of the ministers and members of the synod of Kentucky thought it all disorder, and tried to stop the work. They called their preachers who were engaged in the revival to account, and censured and silenced them. These ministers then rose up and unitedly renounced the jurisdiction of the Presbyterian Church, organized a Church of their own, and dubbed it with the name of Christian. Here was the origin of what was- called the New Lights. They renounced the Westminster Confession of Faith, and all Church discipline, and professed to take the New Testament for their Church 32 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF discipline. They established no standard of doctrine ; every one was to take the New Testament, read it, and abide his own construction of it. Marshall, M'iN'amar, Dunlevy, Stone, Huston, and others, were the chief leaders in this trasli trojp. Soon a divers- ity of opinion sprang up, and they got into a Ba- bel confusion. Some preached Arian, some Socin- ian, and some Universalist doctrines ; so that in a few years you could not tell what was harjped or what was danced. They adopted the mode of immersion, the water-god of all exclusive errorists ; and directly there was a mighty controversy about the way to heaven, whether it was by water or by dry land. In the meantime a remnant of preachers that broke off from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1792, headed by James O'Kelly, who had formed a party because he could not be a bishop in said Church, which party he called the Republican Methodist Church, came out to Kentucky, and formed a union with these Kew Lights. Then the Methodist Episco- pal Church had war, and rumors of war, almost on every side. Tlie dreadful diversity of opinion among these New Lights, their want of any standard of doc- trines, or regular Church discipline, made them an easy prey to prowling wolves of any description. Soon the Shaker priests came along, and off went M'Namar, Dunlevy, and Huston, into that foolish error. Marshall and others retraced their steps. B. W. Stone stuck to his New Lightism, and fought many bloodless battles, till he grew old and feeble, and the mighty Alexander Campbell, the great^ arose and poured such floods of regenerating water about the old man's cramum, that he formed a union with this giant errorist, and finally died, not much lamented out of the circle of a few friends. And this is the PETER CARTWRIGHT. 33 way with all the New Lights, in the government, morals, and discipline of the Church. This Christian, or 'New Light Church, is a feeble and scattered people, though there are some good Chris- tians among them. I suppose since the day of Pente- cost, there was hardly ever a greater revival of religion 'than at Cane Ridge ; and if there had been steady, Christian ministers, settled in Gospel doctrine and Church discipline, thousands might have been saved to the Church that wandered off in the mazes of vain, speculative divinity, and finally made shipwreck of the faith, fell back, turned infidel, and lost their re- ligion and their souls forever. But evidently a new impetus was given to the work of God, and many, very many, will have cause to bless God forever for this revival of religion throughout the length and breadth of our Zion. 3 34 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHAPTEE TV, CONVERSION. In 1801, when I was in my sixteenth year, my father, my eldest half brother, and myself, attended a wed- ding about five miles from home, where there w^as a great deal of drinking and dancing, which was very common at marriages in those days. I drank little or nothing ; my delight was in dancing. After a late hour in the niglit, we mounted our horses and started for home. I was riding my race-horse. A few minutes after we had j^ut up the horses, and were sitting by the fire, I began to reflect on the manner in which I had spent the day and evening. I felt guilty and condemned. I rose and walked the ■floor. My mother was in bed. It seemed to me, all of a sudden, my blood rushed to my head, my heart palpitated, in a few minutes I turned blind ; an awful impression rested on my mind that death had come and I was unprepared to die. I fell on my knees and began to ask God to have mercy on me. My mother sprang from her bed, and was soon on her knees by my side, praying for me, and exhorting me to look to Christ for mercy, and then and there I promised the Lord that if he would spare me, I would seek and serve him ; and I never fully broke that promise. My mother prayed for me a long time. At length we lay down, but there V\^as little sleep for me. Next morning I rose, feeling wretched beyond expression. I tried to read in the Testament, and re PETER CARTWRIGHT. 85 tired many times to secret prayer through the day, but found no relief. I gave up my race-horse to my father, and requested him to sell him. I went and brought my pack of cards, and gave them to mother, who threw them into the fire, and they were consumed. I fasted, watched, and prayed, and engaged in regular reading of the Testament. I was so distressed and mis- erable, that I was incapable of any regular business. My father was greatly distressed on my account, thinking I must die, and he would lose his only son. He bade me retire altogether from business, and take care of myself. Soon it was noised abroad that I was distracted, and many of my associates in wickedness came to see me, to try and divert my mind from those gloomy thoughts of my wretchedness ; but all in vain. I ex- horted them to desist from the course of wickedness which we had been guilty of together. The class-lead- er and local preacher were sent for. They tried to point me to the bleeding Lamb, they prayed for me most fervently. Still I found no comfort, and although I had never believed in the doctrine of uncondition- al election and reprobation, I was sorely tempted to believe I was a reprobate, and doomed, and lost eternally, without any chance of salvation. At length one day I retired to the horse-lot, and was walking and wringing my hands in great anguish, trying to pray, on the borders of utter despair. It appeared to me that I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Peter, look at me." A feeling of relief flashed over me as quick as an electric shock. It gave me hopeful feelings, and some encouragement to seek mercy, but still my load of guilt remained. I repaired to the house, and told my mother what had happened to me in the horse-lot. Instantly she 36 AUTOBIOGEAPHY OF seemed to understand it, and told me the Lord had done this to encourage me to hope for mercy, and exhorted me to take encouragement, and seek on, and God would bless me with the pardon of my sins at another time. Some days after this, I retired to a cave on my father's farm to pray in secret. My soul was in an agony ; I wept, I prayed, and said, " Now, Lord, if there is mercy for me, let me find it," and it really seemed to me tliat I could almost lay hold of the Saviour, and realize a reconciled God. All of a sud- den, such a fear of the devil fell upon me that it really appeared to me that he was surely personally there, to seize and drag me down to hell, soul and body, and such a horror fell on me that I sprang to my feet and ran to my mother at the house. My mother told me this was a device of Satan to prevent me from finding the blessing then. Three months rolled away, and still I did not find the blessing of the pardon of my sins. This year, 1801, the Western Conference existed, and I think there was but one presiding elder's dis- trict in it, called the Kentucky District. William M'Kendree (afterward bishop) was appointed to the Kentucky District. Cumberland Circuit, which, per- haps, was six hundred miles round, and lying partly in Kentucky and partly in Tennessee, was one of the circuits of this district. John Page and Thomas Wilkerson were appointed to this circuit. Li the spring of this year, Mr. M'Grady, a minister of the Presbyterian Churbh, who had a congregation and meeting-house, as we then called them, about three miles north of my father's house, appointed a sacramental meeting in this congregation, and invited the Methodist preachers to attend with them, and PETER CARTWRIGHT. 8T especially John Page, who was a powerful GospeP minister, and was very popular among the Presbyte- rians. Accordingly he came, and preached with great power and success. There were no camp-meetings in regular form at this time, but as there was a great waking up among the Churches, from the revival that liad broken out at Cane Kidge, before mentioned, many flocked to those sacramental meetings. The church would not hold the tenth part of the congregation. Accordingly, the officers of the Church erected a stand in a contigu- ous shady grove, and prepared seats for a large con- gregation. The people crowded to this meeting from far and near. They came in their large wagons, with victuals mostly prepared. The women slept in the wagons, and the men under them. Many stayed on the ground night and day for a number of nights and days together. Others were provided for among the neighbors around. The power of God was wonder- fully displayed ; scores of sinners fell under the preaching, like men slain in mighty battle ; Chris- tians shouted aloud for joy. To this meeting I repaired, a guilty, wretched sin- ner. On the Saturday evening of said meeting, I went, with weeping multitudes, and bowed before the stand, and earnestly prayed for mercy. In the midst of a solemn struggle of soul, an impression was made on my mind, as though a voice said to me, "Thy sins are all forgiven thee." Divine light flashed all round me, unspeakable joy sprung up in my soul. I rose to my feet, opened my eyes, and it really seemed as if I was in heaven ; the trees, the leaves on them, and everything seemed, and I really thought were, praising God. My mother raised the 38 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF * shout, my Christian friends crowded around me and joined me in praising God ; and thongli I have been since then, in many instances, nnfaithful, yet I have never, for one moment, doubted that the Lord did, then and there, forgive my sins and give me religion. Our meeting lasted without intermission all night, and it was believed by those who had a very good right to know, that over eighty souls were converted to God during its continuance. I went on my way rejoicing for many days. This meeting w^as in the month of May. In June our preacher, John Page, at- tended at our little church, Ehenezer, and there in June, 1801, I joined the Methodist Episcopal Churcli^ which I have never for one moment regretted. I have never for a moment been tempted to leave the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and if they were to turn me out, I would knock at the door till taken in again. 1 suppose, from the year 1Y86 Methodist preachei-s had been sent to the West, and we find among these very early pioneers, F. Poythress, presiding elder, T. Wil- liamson, I. Brooks, Wilson Lee, James Haw, P. Massie, B. M'Henry, B. Snelling, J. Hartly, J. Tal- man, J. Lillard, Kobler, and others. Perhaps the first conference holden in the West was held in Kentucky, in April, 1Y89, and then at different points till 1800, when the Western Confer- ence was regularly organized, and reached from Ped stone and Greenbrier to Natchez, covering almost the entire Mississippi valley. I can find at this time a record of but ninety members in 1787, and five traveling preachers. From 1787 up to 1800, Bishop Asbury visited the Western world, called together the preachers in conferences, changed them from time to time, and regulated the affairs of the infant Church in the wilderness as best he could. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 39 Several times the Western preachers had to arm themselves in crossing the mountains to the East, and guard Bishop Asbury through tlie wilderness, which was infested with bloody, hostile savages, at the imminent risk of all their lives. I^otwithstand- ing the great hazard of life, that eminent apostle of American Methodism, Bishop Asbury, showed that he did not count his life dear, so that he could pro- vide for the sheep in the wilderness of the West. At the time I joined the Church in 1801, accord- ing to the best accounts that I can gather, there were in the entire bounds of the Western Conference, of members, probationers, colored and all, two thou- sand, four hundred and eighty-four, and about fifteen traveling preachers. In the United States and terri- tories. East and West, IN'orth and South, and Canada, seventy-two thousand, eight hundred and seventy- four. Total, in Europe and America, one hundred and ninety-six thousand, five hundred and two. The number of traveling preachers this year, for all America and Canada, was three hundred and seven ; and during the same year there were eight thousand members added to the Methodist Episcopal Church. I b'elieve, to say nothing of some local preachers who emigrated to the West at a very early day, that James Haw and Benjamin Ogden were the first two regular itinerant preachers sent out in 1786. After traveling and preaching for several years, they both became disafiected to the Methodist Episcopal Church and withdrew, with the secession of James O'Kelly, elsewhere named in my sketches. O'Kelly left the Church in 1Y92. He was a popular and powerful preacher, and drew off many preachers and thousands of members with him.' He formed what he called the Eepublican Methodist Church, flourish- 40 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ed for a few years, and then divisions and subdivis- ions entered among liis followers. Some of his preachers turned Arians, some Universalists, and some joined the so-called New Lights, and some re- turned to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the last authentic account I had of O'Kelly he was left alone in his old age, and desired to return to the Methodist Episcopal Church again ; but whether he was ever received I am not informed. And here was an end of the first grand secession from our beloved Church. James Haw and Benjamin Ogden, we have said, became disaffected and left the Church with O'Kelly's party. They soon found that they could not succeed to any considerable extent in these Western wilds. Haw veered about and joined the Presbyterians, be- came a pastor in one of their congregations with a fixed salary, but lived and died in comparative obscurity. Ogden backslid, quit preaching, kept a groggery, and became wicked, and raised his family to hate the Methodists. In the year 1813, when I was on the Wabash District, Tennessee Conference, Breckenridge Circuit, at a camp-meeting in said circuit, B. Ogden attended. There was a glorious revival of religion, and Ogden got under strong conviction, and profess- ed to be reclaimed, joined the Church again, was licensed to preach, was soon recommended and re- ceived into the traveling connection again, and lived and died a good Methodist preacher. He was saved by mercy, as all seceders from the Methodist Episco- pal Church will be, if saved at all. To show the ignorance the early Methodist preach- ers had to contend with in the Western wilds I will relate an incident or two that occured to Wilson PETER CARTWRIGHT. 41 Lee ill Kentucky. He was one of tlie early pioneer Methodist preachers sent to the West. He was a very solemn and grave minister. At one of his appointments, at a private house on a certain day, they had a motlierless pet lamb. The boys of tlie family had mischievously learned this lamb to butt. They would go near it, and make motions with their heads, and the lamb would back and then dart for- ward at them, and they would jump out of the way, so that the sheep would miss them. A man came into the congregation who had been drinking and frolicking all the night before. He came in late, and took his seat on the end of a bench nearly in tlie door, and, having slept none the night before, presently he began to nod ; and as he nodded and bent forward, the pet lamb came along by the door, and seeing this man nodding and bending for- ward, he took it as a banter, and straightway backed and then sprang forward, and gave the sleeper a severe jolt right on the head, and over he tilted him, to the no small amusement of the congregation, who all burst out into laughter ; and grave as the preacher, Mr. Lee, was, it so excited his risibilities that lie almost lost his balance. But recovering him- self a little, he went on in a most solemn and im- pressive strain. His subject was the words of our Lord : " Except a man deny himself, and take up liis cross, he cannot be my disciple." He urged on his congregation, with melting voice and tearful eyes, to take up the cross, no matter what it was, take it up. There were in the congregation a very wicked Dutchman and his wife, both of whom were pro- foundly ignorant of the Scriptures and the plan of salvation. His wife was a notorious scold, and so \niich was she given to this practice, that she made 42 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF her husband unhappy, and kept him ahiiost always in a perfect fret, so that he led a most miserable and uncomfortable life. It pleased God that day to cause the preaching of Mr. Lee to reach their guilty souls and break up the great deep of their hearts. They wept aloud, seeing their lost condition, and they, then and there, resolved to do better, and from that time forward to take up the cross and bear it, be it what it might. The congregation were generally deeply affected. Mr. Lee exhorted them and prayed for them as long as he consistently could, and, having another appoint- ment some distance off that evening, he dismissed the congregation, got a little refreshment, saddled his horse, momited, and started for his evening ap^^oint- ment. After riding some distance, he saw, a little ahead of him, a man trudging along, carrying a wo man on his back. This greatly surprised Mr. Lee He very naturally supposed that the woman was a cripple, or had hurt herself in some way, so that she could not walk. The traveler was a small man, and the woman large and heavy. Before he overtook them Mr. Lee began to cast about in his mind how he could render them assist- ance. When he came up to them, lo and behold, who should it be but the Dutchman and his wife that had been so affected imder his sermon at meeting. Mr. Lee rode ujd and spoke to them, and inquired of the man what had happened, or wliat was the matter, that he was carrying his wife. The Dutchman tm-ned to Mr. Lee and sanl, " Be- sure you did tell us in your sarmon dat we must take up de cross and follow de Saviour, or dat we could not be saved or go to heaven, and I does desire to go to heaven so much as any pody ; and dish vife is so PETER CARTWRIGHT. '48 pad, she scold and scold all de time, and dish woman is de Greatest cross I have in de whole world, and I does take her up and pare her, for I must save my soul." You may be sure that Mr. Lee was posed for once, but after a few moments' reflection he told the Dutch- man to put his wife down, and he dismounted from his horse. He directed them to sit down on a log by the road side. He held the reins of his horse's bridle and sat down by them, took out his Bible, read to them several passages of Scripture, and explained and expounded to them the way of the Lord more per- fectly. He opened to them the nature of the cross of Christ, what it is, how it is to be taken up, and how they were to bear that cross ; and after teaching and advising them some time, he prayed for them by the road side, left them deeply aftected, mounted his horse, and rode on to his evening appointment. Long before Mr. Lee came around his circuit to his next appointment the Dutchman and his scolding wife were both pow^erfully converted to God, and when he came round he took them into the Church. The Dutchman's wife was cured of her scolding. Of course he got clear of this cross. Tliey lived together long and happily, adorning their profession, and giv- ing ample evidence that religion could cure a scold- ing wife, and that God could and did convert poor ignorant Dutch people. This Dutchman often told his experience in love- feasts, with thrilling effect, and hardly ever failed to melt the whole congregation into a flood of tears ; and on one particular occasion which is vividly printed on my recollection, I believe the whole congregation in the love-feast, w^hich lasted beyond the time al- lotted for such meetings, broke out into a loud shout. 44 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Thus Brother Lee was the honored instrument in the hand of God of pkmting Methodism, amid clouds of ignorance and opposition, among the early settlers of the far West. Brother Lee witnessed a good confes- sion to the end. At an early period of his ministry he fell from the walls of Zion with the trump of God in his hand, and has gone to his reward in heaven. Peace to his memory. PETER CARTWRIGIIT. ^ CHAPTEE Y. THE GREAT REVIVAL. From 1801 for years a blessed revival of religion spread through almost the entire inhabited parts of the West, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and many other parts, especially through the Cumberland country, which was so called from the Cumberland River, which headed and mouthed in Kentucky, but in its great bend circled south through Tennessee, near Nashville. The Presbyterians and Methodists in a great measure united in this work, met togetlier, prayed together, and preached together. In this revival originated our camp-meetings, and in both these denominations they were held every year, and, indeed, have been ever since, more or less. They would erect their camps with logs or frame them, and cover them with clapboards or shingles. They would also erect a shed, sufficiently large to protect five thou- sand people from wind and rain, and cover it with boards or shingles ; build a large stand, seat the shed, and here they would collect together from forty to fifty miles around, sometimes further than that. Ten, twenty, and sometimes thirty ministers, of diff'erent denominations, would come together and preach niglit and day, four or five days together; and, indeed, I have known these camp-meetings to last three or four weeks, and great good resulted from them. I liave seen more than a hundred sinners fall like dead men under one powerful sermon, and I have seen and 46 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF lieard more than five hundred Christians all shouting aloud the high praises of God at once ; and I will ven- ture to assert that many hapj^y thousands were awak- ened and converted to God at these camp-meetings. Some sinners mocked, some of the old dry professors opposed, some of the old starched Presbyterian preachers preached against these exercises, but still the work went on and spread almost in every direc- tion, gathering additional force, until our country seemed all coming home to God. In this great revival the Methodists kept moder- ately balanced; for we had excellent preachers to steer the ship or guide the flock. But some of our members ran wild, and indulged in some extrava- gancies that were hard to control. The Presbyterian preachers and members, not being accustomed to much noise or shouting, when they yielded to it went into great extremes and downright w^ildness, to the great injury of the cause of God. Their old preachers licensed a great many young men to preach, contrary to their Confession of Faith. That Confession of Faith required their ministers to believe in unconditional election and reprobation, and the unconditional and final perseverance of the saints. But in this revival they, almost to a man, gave up these points of high Calvinism, and preached a free salvation to all mankind. The Westminster Con- fession required every man, before he could be licensed to preach, to have a liberal education ; but this quali- fication was dispensed with, and a great many fine men were licensed to preach without this literary qualification or subscribing to those high-toned doc- trines of Calvinism. This state of things produced great dissatisfaction iu the Synod of Kentucky, and messenger after mes- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 47 senger was sent to wait on the Presbytery to get tlieni to desist from their erratic course, but with- out success; Finally they were cited to trial before the constituted authorities of the Church. Some were censured, some were suspended, some retraced their steps, while others surrendered their credentials of ordination, and the rest were cut off from the Church. While in this amputated condition, they called a general meeting of all their licentiates. They met our presiding elder, J. Page, and a number of Meth- odist ministers at a quarterly meeting in Logan County, and proposed to join the Methodist Episco- pal Church as a body ; but our aged ministers declined this offer, and persuaded them to rise up and embody themselves together, and constitute a Church. They reluctantly yielded to this advice, and, in due time and form, constituted what they denominated the " Cumberland Presbyterian Church ;" and in their confession of faith split, as they supposed, the differ- ence between the Predestinarians and the Methodists, rejecting a partial atonement or special election and reprobation, but retaining the doctrine of the final unconditional pei*severance of the saints. What an absurdity ! While a man remains a sin- ner he may come, as a free agent, to Christ, if he will, and if he does not come his damnation will be just, because he refused offered mercy; but as soon as he gets converted his free agency is destroyed, the best boon of Heaven is then lost, and although he may backslide, wander away from Christ, yet he shall be broughi in. He cannot finally be lost if he has ever been really converted to God. They make a very sorry show in their attempt to support this left foot of Calvinism. But be it spoken 48 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF to their credit, tliey do not often preach this doc- trine. They generally preach Methodist doctrine, and have been the means of doing a great deal of good, and would have done mnch more if they had left this relic of John Calvin behind. In this revival, usually termed in the "West the Cum- berland revival, many joined the different Churches, especially the Methodist and Cumberland Presbyte- rians. Tlie Baptists also came in for a share of the converts, but not to any great extent. Infidelity quailed before the mighty power of God, which was displayed among the people. Universalism was al- most driven frotn the land. The Predestinarians of almost all sorts put forth a mighty effort to stop the work of God. Just in the midst of our controversies on the subject of the powerful exercises among the people under preaching, a new exercise broke out among us, called tliGJei'Jcs, which was overwhelming in its effects upon the bodies and minds of the people. No matter whether they were saints or sinners, they would be taken under a warm song or sermon, and seized with a convulsive jerking all over, which they could not by any possibility avoid, and the more they resisted the more they jerked. If they would not strive against it and pray in good earnest, the jerking would usually abate. I have seen more than five hundred persons jerking at one time in my large congregations. Most usually persons taken with the jerks, to obtain relief, as they said, would rise up and dance. Some would run, but could not get away. Some would re- gist; on such the jerks were generally very severe. To see those proud young gentlemen and young ladies, dressed in their silks, jewelry, and prunella, from top to toe, take the jerks, would often excite my PETER CARTWRIGIIT. 49 risibilities. The first jerk or so, yon would see their fine bonnets, caps, and combs fly ; and so sudden would be the jerking of the head that their long loose hair would crack almost as loud as a wagoner's whip. At one of my appointments in 1804 there was a very large congregation turned out to hear the Ken- tucky boy, as they called me. Among the rest there were two very finely-dressed, fashionable young ladies, attended by two brothers with loaded horse- whips. Although the house was large, it was crowded. The two young ladies, coming in late, took their seats near where I stood, and their two brothers stood in the door. I was a little unwell, and I had a phial of pep- permint in my pocket. Before I commenced preach- ing I took out my phial and swallowed a little of the peppermint. While I was preaching, the congrega- tion was melted into tears. The two young gentle- men moved off to the yard fence, and both the young ladies took the jerks, and they were greatly mortified about it. There was a great stir in the congregation. Some wept, some shouted, and before our meeting closed several were converted. As I dismissed the assembly a man stepped up to me, and warned me to be on my guard, for he had heard the two brothers swear they would horsewhip me when meeting was out, for giving their sisters the jerks. " Well," said I, " I'll see to that." I went out and said to the young men that I under- stood they intended to horsewhip me for giving their sisters the jerks. One replied that he did. I under- took to expostulate with him on the absurdity of the charge against me, but he swore I need not deny it j for he had seen me take out a phial, in which I car- ried some truck that gave his sisters the jerks. As 4 50 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF quick as thought it came into my mind how I would get clear of my whipping, and, jerking out the pep- permint phial, said I, " Yes ; if I gave your sisters the jerks I'll give them to you." In a moment I saw he was scared. I moved toward him, he backed, I ad- vanced, and he wheeled and ran, warning me not to come near him, or he would kill me. It raised the laugh on him, and I escaped my whipping. I had the pleasure, before the year was out, of seeing all four soundly converted to God, and I took them into the Church. While I am on this subject I will relate a very seri- ous circumstance which I knew to take place with a man who had the jerks at a camp-meeting, on what was called the Ridge, in William Magee's congregation. There was a great work of religion in the encamp- ment. The jerks were very prevalent. There was a company of drunken rowdies who came to interrupt the meeting. These rowdies were headed by a very large drinking man. They came with their bottles of whisky in their pockets. This large man cursed the jerks, and all religion. Shortly afterward he took the jerks, and he started to run, but he jerked so 2)owerfully he could not get away. He halted among some saplings, and, although he was violently agitated, lie took out his bottle of whisky, and swore he would drink the damned jerks to death ; but he jerked at such a rate he could not get the bottle to his mouth, though he tried hard. At length he fetched a sudden jerk, and the bottle struck a sapling and was broken to pieces, and spilled his whisky on the ground. Tliere was a great crowd gathered round him, and when he lost his whisky he became very much enraged, and cursed and swore very profanely, his jerks still in- creasing. At length he fetched a very violent jerk, PETER CARTWRIGHT. 51 «mapped his neck, fell, and soon expired, with his mouth full of cursing and bitterness. I always looked upon the jerks as a judgment sent from God, first, to bring sinners to repentance ; and, secondly, to show professors that God could work with or without means, and that he could work over and above means, and do whatsoever seemeth him good, to the glory of his grace and the salvation of the world. There is no doubt in my mind that, with weak- minded, ignorant, and superstitious persons, there was a great deal of sympathetic feeling with many that claimed to be under the influence of this jerk- ing exercise; and yet, w^ith many, it was perfectly involuntary. It was, on all occasions, my practice to recommend fervent prayer as a remedy, and it almost universally proved an effectual antidote. There were many other strange and wild exercises into which the subjects of this revival fell; such, for instance, as what was called the running, jumping, barking exercise. The Methodist preachers general- ly preached against this extravagant wildness. I did it uniformly in my little ministrations, and sometimes gave great offense ; but I feared no con- sequences when I felt my awful responsibilities to God. From these wild exercises, another great evil arose from the heated and wild imaginations of some. They professed to fall into trances and see visions; they w^ould fall at meetings and sometimes at home, and lay apparently powerless and motionless for days, sometimes for a week at a time, without food or , drink ; and when they came to, they professed to have seen heaven and hell, to have seen God, angels, the devil and the damned ; they would proph- esy, andj under the pretense of Divine inspiration, 62 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF predict the time of the end of the world, and the ushering in of the great millennium. This was the most troublesome delusion of all : it made such an appeal to the ignorance, supersti- tion, and credulity of the people, even saint as well as sinner. I watched this matter with a vigilant eye. If I opposed it, I would have to meet the clamor of the multitude; and if any one opposed it, these very visionists would single him out, and denounce the dreadful judgments of God against him. They would even set the very day that God was to burn the world, like the self-deceived modern Millerites. They w^ould prophesy, that if any one did oppose them, God would send fire down from heaven and consume him, like the blasphemous Shakers. They w^ould proclaim that they could heal all manner of diseases, and raise the dead, just like the diabol- ical Mormons. They professed to have converse with spirits of the dead in heaven and hell, like the modern spirit rappers. Such a state of things I never saw before, and I hope in God I shall never see again. I pondered well the whole matter in view of my responsibilities, searched the Bible for the true fulfill- ment of promise and prophecy, prayed to God for light and Divine aid, and proclaimed open war against these delusions. In the midst of them along came the Shakers, and Mr. Eankin, one of the Presbyte- rian revival preachers, joined them ; Mr, G. Wall, a visionary local preacher among the Methodists, joined them ; all the country was in commotion. I made public appointments and drew multitudes together, and openly showed from the Scriptures that these delusions were false. Some of these visionary men and women proj)hesied that God would kill me. The Shakers soon pretended to seal my damn a- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 58 tion. But nothing daunted, for I knew Him in whom I had believed, I threw my appointments in the midst of them, and proclaimed to listening thousands the more sure word of prophecy. This mode of attack threw a damper on these visionary, self-deluded, false prophets, sobered some, reclaimed others, and stayed the fearful tide of delusion that was sweeping over the country. I will here state a case which occurred at an early day in the State of Indiana, in a settlement called Busroe. Many of the early emigrants to that settle- ment were Methodists, Baptists, and Cumberland Presbyterians. The Shaker priests, all apostates from the Baptist and the Cumberland Presbyterians, went over among them. Many of them I was per- sonally acquainted with, and had given them letters when they moved from Kentucky to that new country. There were then no Methodist circuit preachers in that region. There was an old Brother Collins, a local preacher, who withstood these Shakers, and in private combat he was a full match for any of them, but he was not eloquent in public debate, and hence the Shaker priests overcame my old brother, and by scores swept members of different Churches away from their steadfastness into the muddy pool of Shakerism. The few who remained steadfast sent to Kentucky for me, praying me to come and help them. I sent an appointment, with an invitation to meet any or all of the Shaker priests in public debate ; but instead of meeting me, they appointed a meeting in opposi- tion, and warned the believers, as they called them, to keep away from my meeting ; but from our for- mer acquaintance and intimate friendship, many of them came to hear me. I preached to a vast crowd 54 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF for abont three hours, and I verily believe God helped me. The very foundations of every Shaker present were shaken from under him. They then besought me to go to the Shaker meeting that night. I went, and when I got there we had a great crowd. I pro* posed to them to have a debate, and they dared not refuse. Tlie terms were these: A local preacher I had with me was to open the debate; then one or all of their preachers, if they chose, were to follow, and I was to bring up the rear. My preacher opened the debate by merely stating the points of difference. Mr. Brayelton followed, and, instead of argument, he turned everything into abuse and insulting slander. Then he closed, and Mr. Gill rose, but, instead of ar- gument, he uttered a few words of personal abuse, and then called on all the Shakers to meet him a few minutes in the yard, talk a little, and then disperse. Our debate was out in the open air, at the end of a cabin. I rose, called them to order, and stated that it was fairly agreed by these Shaker priests that I should bring up the rear, or close the argument. I stated that it was cowardly to run; that if I was the devil himself, and they were right, I could not hurt them. I got the most of them to take their seats and hear me. Mr. Gill gathered a little band, and he and they left. They had told the people in the day that if I continued to oppose them, God would make an example of me, and send fire from heaven and consume me. When I rose to reply I felt a Divine sense of the approbation of God, and that he would give me success. I addressed the multitude about three hours, and when I closed my argument I opened the door of the Church, and invited all that would renounce Shaker- ism to come and give me their hand. Forty-seven PETER CARTWRIGHT. 55 came forward, and then and there openly renoiinced the dreadful delusion. The next day I followed those that fled ; and the next day I went from cabin to cabin, taking the names of those that returned to the solid foundation of truth, and my number rose to eighty- seven. I then organized them into a regular society, and the next fall had a preacher sent to them. And perhaps this victory may be considered among the. first-fruits of Methodism in that part of this new country. This was in 1808. At this meeting I collected, as well as I could, the names and places where it was supposed they wanted Methodist preaching. I made out and re turned a kind of plan for a circuit, carried it to Con- ference, and they were temporarily supplied by the presiding elder in 1809 and 1810. In 1811 the cir- cuit was called St. Yincennes, and was attached to the Cumberland District, and Thomas Stilwell appointed the preacher in charge. 56 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP CHAPTEE Vl. EXHOETING AND FIRST PREACHING. I WILL now resume my personal narrative. I went on enjoying great comfort and peace. I attended several camp-meetings among the Methodists and Presbyterians. At all of them there were many souls converted to God. At one of these camp- meetings something like the following incident oc curred : There was a great stir of religion in the crowded congregation that attended. Many opposed the work and among the rest a Mr. D , who called himself a Jew. He was tolerably smart, and seemed to take great delight in opposing the Christian religion. In the intermissions, the young men and boys of us, who professed religion, would retire to the woods and hold prayer-meetings ; and if we knew of any boys that were seeking religion, we would take them along and pray for them. Many of them obtained religion in these praying circles, and raise loud shouts of praise to God, in which those of us that were religious would join. One evening a large company of us retired for prayer. In the midst of our little meeting this Jew appeared, and he desired to know, what we were about. Well, I told him. He said it was all wrong, that it was idolatry to pray to Jesus Christ, and that God did not nor would he answer such prayers. I soon saw his object was to get us into de- PETEE CAKTWRIGHT. S7 bate and break up our prayer-meeting. I asked him, " Do you really believe there is a God ?" " Yes, I do," said he. "Do you believe that God will hear your prayers ?" "Yes," said he. " Do you really believe that this work among us is wrong ?" He answered, " Yes." " Well now, my (Jear sir," said I, " let us test this matter. If you are in earnest, get down here and pray to God to stop this work, and if it is wrong he will answer your petition and stop it; if it is not wrong, all hell cannot stop it." The rest of our company seeing me so bold took courage. The Jew hesitated. I said, " Get down in- stantly and pray, for if we are wrong we want to know it." After still lingering and showing unmistakable signs of his unwillingness, I rallied him again. Slowly he kneeled, cleared his throat, and coughed. I said, " l^ow, boys, pray with all your might that God may answer by fire." Our Jew began and said, tremblingly, " O Lord God Almighty," and coughed again, cleared his throat, and started again, repeating the same words. We saw his evident confusion, and we simultaneously prayed out aloud at the top of our voices. The Jew leaped up and started off, and we raised the shout and had a glorious time. Several of our mourners were converted, and we all rose and started into camp at the top of our speed, shouting, having, as we firmly believed, obtained a signal victory over the devil and the Jew. In 1802 William M'Kendree was presiding elder of Kentucky District. John Page and Thomas Wil- kerson were appointed to the Cumberland Circuit. 58 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF The Conference this fall was held at Sti-other's Meet- ing-house, Tennessee. This was the first time I saw Bishop Asbiiry, that great, devoted man of God. Here the Cumberland District was formed, and John Page appointed presiding elder. The name of Cum- berland Circuit was changed into Red River Circuit, and Jesse Walker was appointed to ride it. This was the circuit on which I lived. The membership of the Western Conference this year numbered seven thousand two hundred and one^ the traveling preachers numbered twenty-seven, pro- bationers and all. At a quarterly meeting held in the spring of this year, 1802, Jesse Walker, our preacher in charge, came to me and handed me a small slip of paper, with these words written on it : "Peter Cartwright is hereby permitted to exercise his gifts as an exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal Church, so long as his practice is agreeable to the Gospel. Signed in behalf of the society at Ebenezer. " Jesse Walkee, A. P. "May, 1802." I was very much surprised. I had not been talked to by the preacher, nor had I formally attempted to exhort. It is true, in class and other meetings, when my soul was filled with the love of God, I would mount a bench and exhort with all the power I had ; and it is also true that my mind had been deeply exercised about exhorting and preaching too. I told Brother AYalker I did not want license to exhort ; that if I did not feel happy I could not exhort, but if my soul got happy I felt that I had license enough. He urged me to keep the license, alleging that it was the more orderly way, and I yielded to his advice. To show how matters were done up in those early PETER CARTWRIGHT. S9> days of Methodism, I will here state that this permit to exhort was all the license I ever received from the Church to preach until I received my parchment of ordination. The fall of this year my father moved from Logan County down toward the mouth of the Cumberland River, into what was called Lewiston County. This was a new country, and at least eighty miles from any circuit. There was no regular circuit, and no organ- ized classes ; but there were a good many scattering members of the Methodist Episcopal Church tlirough that region of country. I applied to Brother Page, our presiding elder, for a letter for myself, my mother, and one sister, which he gave us. On examination I found that mine contained a "Benjamin's mess." It not only stated my membership and authority to ex- hort, but it gave me authority to travel through all that destitute region, hold meetings, organize classes, and, in a word, to form a circuit, and meet him the next fall at the fourth quarterly meeting of the Ked River Circuit, with a plan of a new circuit, number of members, names of preachers, if any, exhorters, class-leaders, &c., &c., &c. I am sorry I did not pre- serve the document ; for surely, all things considered, it would be a curiosity to educated and refined Meth- odists at this day. I felt bad on the reception of this paper, and told Brother Page I did not want to take it, for I saw through the solemn responsibilities it rolled upon me. I told him just to give me a simple letter of member- ship ; that, although I did think at times that it was my duty to preach, I had little education, and that it was my intention to go to school the next year. He then told me that this was the very best school or college that I could find between heaven and e^rth, 60 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF but advised me, when my father got settled down there, if I could find a good moral school with a good teacher, to go to it through the winter ; then, in the spring and summer, form the circuit and do the best I could. Shortly after my father settled himself I inquired for a good teacher and school, and found that there was one a few miles off, tauglit by a well-educated teacher, a Seceder minister, who had finished his education in Lexington, Ky., under a Mr. Eanhin. I went and entered as a scholar, and boarded with a fine old Methodist man, close by. This school waa called Brown's Academy. He taught all the brandies of a common English education, also the dead lan- guages. I now thought Providence had opened my way to obtain a good education, which I had so lon^* desired, and of which I had been deprived without remedy. I entered the school, and was making very rapid progress. The brother with whom I boarded, being a zealous man of God, insisted that w^e should hold meetings on Sundays and in the evenings. To this I consented. We held prayer-meetings on evenings, and Sundays I attempted to exhort the large congregations that at- tended. We soon collected a small class from the scattered Methodists around, had a few conversions, and I began to think that God had wonderfully opened my way before me. But soon a storm of persecution arose. My teacher was a very bigoted Seceder, and I believe he hated the Methodists more than he hated the devil. I know he hated them worse than the bot- tle, for he would get drunk at times. Tliere w^as a large class of young men in school about my age, and they were very wicked and pro- fane. I saw my perilous condition, and put myself PETER CART WRIGHT. 64^ under strong restraints, so tliat I should give no one any just offense. My teacher would try to draw me into debate, but this I avoided. The young men set themselves to i3lay tricks and start false reports on me, by way of diversion calling me the Methodist preacher. Teacher and all would do this. I told Mr. Brown and all the rest that I was no preacher, but that I wished I was a good one. At length two of these young students fixed a plan to duck me in the creek that ran hard by. There was a very beautiful grassy plat of ground right on the bank of the creek, in a retired spot. The bank was about seven feet per- pendicular, and there was a deep hole of water right opposite, in which the water was ten feet deep. They decoyed me to this place under the pretense that they wanted me to pray for them, pretending to be in great distress on account of their sins. I was suspicious, but thought if they were sincere it would be wrong to refuse them. So, putting myself on my guard as best I could, I went with them, not knowing their plan. When we came to the bank of the creek they both seized me, intending to throw me over the perpen- dicular bank into the deep water. As quick as thought I jerked loose from one, and gave the other a sudden flirt over the bank into the stream. The other and I clinched, and, being nearly equal in strength, a hard tussle ensued. In the scuffle we fell to the ground, and I rolled over toward the precipice, hold- ing him fast, until at length into the deep hole we both went, and then had to swim out. Although this to me was an unpleasant affair, yet there was no shouting over me ; for if I had got wet, I had ducked both of them. I bore all these things for some time patiently, but, my difficulties increas- ing, I complained to Mr. Brown, the teacher. He 62 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF would do nothing to bring things right. I then left the school, deeply regretting that I was thereby de- prived of the privilege of finishing my education. I then prepared myself, and started out to form a kind of circuit, and gather up scattered members and organ- ize classes. I had much opposition in some places, but in others was kindly received. We had some very powerful displays of Divine grace, a goodly number obtained religion, and I received about seventy into society, appointed leaders, met classes, sung, prayed, and exhorted, and, nnder the circumstances, did the best I knew how. Here I found the celebrated James Axley, and took him into the Church. Peace to his memory. He was in after years favorably known as a powerful and successful traveling preacher. He was a great and good man of God. He married, located, and long since went to his reward. In tlie fall of this year, 1803, I met Brothers Page and Walker, reported my success, and the plan of the circuit. It was called Livingston Circuit, and Jesse Walker was appointed to it, and traveled it in 1804 and 1805. The increase of members this year was over nine thousand throughout the connection. In the Western Conference the increase was fifteen hun- dred. The number of traveling preachers was about thirty-five. There were four presiding-elder districts in the Western Conference: Holston, Cumberland, Kentucky, and Ohio. Brother Page located, and Lewis Garrett succeeded him on the Cumberland Dis- trict. Tlie Red River Circuit, in this district, was a very large one. It had but one preacher appointed to it, namely, Ralph Lotspeich. Brother Garrett, the new elder, called on me at my father's, and urged me to go on this circuit with Brother PETER CARTWRIGHT. 63 Lotspeich. My fatlier was unwilling, but my niotlier nrged me to go, and finally prevailed. This was in October, 1303, when I Avas a little over eighteen years of age. I had a hard struggle to give my consent, and although I thought it my duty to preach, yet I thought I could do this and not throw myself into tlie ranks as a circuit preacher, when I was liable to oe sent from Greenbrier to IS'atchez ; no members hardly to support a preacher, the discipline only allowing a single man eighty dollars, and in nine cases out of ten he could not get half of that amount. These were times that tried men's souls and bodies too. At last I literally gave up the world, and started, bidding farewell to father and mother, brothers and sisters, and met Brother Lotspeich at an appointment in Logan County. He told me I must preach that night. This I had never done ; mine was an exhort- er's dispensation. I tried to beg off, but he urged me to make the effort. I went out and prayed fer- vently for aid from heaven. All at once it seemed to me as if I could never preach at all, but I struggled in prayer. At length I asked God, if he had called me to preach, to give me aid that night, and give me one soul, that is, convert one soul under my preaching, as evidence that I w^as called to this work. I went into the house, took my stand, gave out a hymn, sang, and prayed. I then rose, gave them for a text Isaiah xxvi, 4 ; ^' Trust ye in the Lord forever : for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." The Lord gave light, liberty, and power; the congregation was melted into teai-s. There was present a professed in- fidel. The word reached his heart by the Eternal Spirit. He was powerfully convicted, and, as I be- lieve, soundly converted to God that night, and joined 64 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF the Churcli, and afterward became a useful member of the same. I traveled on this circuit one quarter, took twenty- live into the Church, and at the end of three months received six dollars. The health of Brother Crutch- field, who was on the "Waynesville Circuit, having failed, he retired from labor, and Brother Garret placed me on that circuit in his place, and put on the circuit with me Thomas Lasley, a fi.ne young man, the son of an old local preacher who lived in Green County. Our circuit was very large, reaching from the north of Green River to the Cumberland Eiver, and south of said river into the State of Tennessee. Here was a vast field to w^ork in ; our rides w^ere long, our appointments few and far between. There were a great many Baptists in the bounds of the circuit, and among them were over thirty preachers, some of whom were said to be very talented. In the four weeks that it took us to go round the circuit, we had but two days' rest, and often we preached every day and every night, and although in my nineteenth year, I was nearly beardless, and cut two of my back jaw teeth this year. Hence they called me the bo}^ preacher, and a great many flocked out to hear the boy. A revival broke out in many neighborhoods, and scores of souls were converted to God and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church ; but there was also considerable persecution. We had a preaching place in what, at that early day, w^as called Stockton Yalley. There w^ere sev- eral members of the Methodist Episcopal Church scattered around in the neighborhood, but no organ- ized class. The Baptists, some years before, had a society here, and had built a log meeting-house^ PETER CARTWRIGITT. 65 «^hicli was very common at an early day in the West. It was covered with boards. The Baptists flom-ished here for a considerable time, and they had enjoyed regular monthly preaching ; but the society had nearly died out, and the preaching had been withdrawn for several years. The house was old and out of repair. As I passed round my circuit, I was requested to preach a funeral sermon at this old church. Accordingly, I left an appointment on a Sabbath. When I came there was a very large con- gregation. While I was preaching, the j)ower of God fell on the assembly, and there was an awful shaking among the dry bones. Several fell to the floor and cried for mercy. The people besought me to preach again at night. I gave out an appointment accordingly, and having several days' rest, owing to a new arrangement in the circuit, I kept up the meeting night and day for some time, and at every coming together we had a gracious work. Many obtained religion, and great was the joy of the people. There were twenty-three very clear and sound conversions. As a matter of course they felt a great love to me, whom they all claimed as the instrument, in the hand of God, of their conversion. I vas young and inexperienced in doctrine, and especially was I unacquainted with the proselyting tricks of those that held to exclusive im- mersion as the mode, and the only mode, of baptism. I believe if I had opened the doors of the Church then, all of them would have joined the Methodist Church, but I thought I would give them time to inform themselves. Accordingly, I told them that when I came again, I would explain our rules and open the doors of the Church, and then they could join us if they liked our rules and doctrines. In the mean 5 66 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF time I left them some copies of our Discipline to read. After doing this I started on my circuit round, and although the Baptist preachers had left this place, without preaching in it for years, jet, in a few days after I was gone, there were sent on appointments for the next Sabbath three of the Baptist preach- ers, and they came on, and all three preached as their custom was, and they all opened with the cry of " Water, water ; you must follow your Lord down into the water." They then appointed what they called a union meeting there, to commence the next Friday and hold over Sabbath, and although I have lived long and studied hard, I have never to this day found out what a Baptist means by a union meeting. But to return. The few scattered Methodists in the neighborhood took the alarm, for fear these i3reachei's would run my converts into the water before I would come round, and they dispatched an old exhorter after me, saying I must come immediately, or my converts would all be ducked. I had appointments out ahead, and I told the old exhorter if I went, he must go on and fill my appointments, to which he readily agreed. So back I came on Friday to the commencement of their union meeting. Two of them preached, but they paid no attention to me at all. As they had no meeting at night, I gave out an appointment for night at S 's, Esq. He and his wife were two of my converts, and kind of leaders in the neighborhood. The people flocked out, and we had a good meeting and two conversions. ISText day Ave repaired to the old log meeting-house, and heard two more water sermons. When they were done preaching, they opened the way for per- sons to join the Church by giving in their experi- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 67 ence. One old lady rose, and gave in sometliing for an experience that had happened about ten years before. Then an old man rose, and told a remarkable dream he had in North Carolina twenty years before. They were both accordingly received by giving them the right hand of fellowship. There was then a seeming pause. The preachers urged the people to come forward and give in their experience. O, how I felt ! I was afraid that some one of ni}^ young con- verts w^ould break the way. and tlie rest would then follow, and so I would lose all my converts. At length one of those young converts rose, and gave in his experience, claiming me, under God, a-s the in- strument of his conviction and conversion; then an- other and another, till twenty-three of them told their experience ; every one of them claiming me, under God, as the instrument of their salvation. Their experiences were pronounced good, and the right hand of fellowship was freely given, and there was great joy in the camp, but it was death in the pot to me. I thought I could not bear up under it. I was sitting thinking what I would do. I am bereft of my children, and what have I left ? Just behind me sat a very intelligent lady, who had long been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. About the time they were done giving the right hand of fel- lowship and rejoicing over my stolen children, a thought struck my mind very forcibly to give in my experience, and act as though I intended to join the Baptist Church. It may be that I can yet save them. I rose up, and gave in my experience; they gave me the right hand of fellowship, and then there was great rejoicing over the Methodist preaching boy. Just as I sat down I felt some one touch me on the shoulder. I turned, and as I looked round I met the 68 AUTOBIOORAPHY OF eyes ot my intelligent Methodist sister, and the large tears were coursing down her cheeks and dropping off her chin. "O, brother," said she, in a subdued tone, "are vou going to leave us ?" I replied to her, "Dear sister, fear not; I know what I am about. Pray hard. I hope to retake my children yet." And though she did not understand my plan, yet my reply seemed to quiet her fears. There was a tine creek running near the old church. The preachers directed us all to appear next morn- ing at nine o'clock, with a change of apparel, to be baptized. I held meeting again that night, and had a good time. My situation was a critical one. I had no one to advise with. I dared not tell any one what I was going to do, for fear my plan would out and my object be defeated. I rose early next morning, re- tired to the woods, and if ever I asked God in good earnest for help it was then. Brother and Sister S , with whom I stayed, prepared a change of apparel, in order to baptism. At the appointed hour we all met at the creek, but 1 took no change of apparel. I had been baptized, and I did not intend to abjure my baptism. But I kept this all to myself There was a great crowd out to see us immersed. My twenty-three young con- verts and the two old, dry dreamers that tirst gave in their experience, were all dressed and ready for the ])erformance of what they considered to be their Christian duty. The preachers appeared. One of them sang and prayed, then gave us an exhortation, and bade us come forward. I knew all the time that it was all important to my success that I should present myself first. Accordingly I stepped forward, and said, PETER CARTWRIGHT. 6» *' Brother M " — wlio was the preacher and ad- ministrator — " I wish to join the Baptist Church if I can come in with a good conscience. I have been baptized, and my conscience is perfectly satisfied with it, and I cannot submit to be re-baptized. Can I come into your Church on these terms ?" The position I occupied startled the preacher. " When were you baptized ?" he asked. " Years gone by," I replied. " But how was it done ? Who baptized you ?" was the next inquhy. " One of the best preachers the Lord ever made." " Was it done by sprinkling ?" "Yes, sir." " That is no baptism at all." I replied, "The Scriptures say that baptism is not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the an- swer of a good conscience, and' my conscience is per- fectly satisfied with my baptism, and your conscience has nothing to do with it." " Well," said he, " it is contrary to our faith and order to let you come into the Baptist Church in that way. We cannot do it." "Brother M ," said I, "your faith and order must be wrong. The Church has heard my experi- ence, and pronounced it good ; and you believe that I am a Christian, and cannot fall away so as to be finally lost. What am I to do? Are you going to keep me out of the Church, bleating round the walls *ike a lost sheep in a gang by myself? Brother M , you must receive me into the Church. I have fully made up my mind to join you on these terms ; now, will you let me into the Church ?" Our preacher by this time had evidently lost his patience, and he very sharply bid me stand away, and 70 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF not detain others. It Avas an intensely thrilling mo- ment with me. I cast a look aronnd on the crowd, and saw they were enlisted in my favor. I cast a wistful eye on the young converts ; their eyes met mine most sympathetically, and many of them were weeping, they Avere so dee]3ly affected. They all in- voluntarily seemed to move toward me, and their looks plainly spoke in my favor. It was an awful moment O, how I felt! who can describe my feelings? I stepped ,aside. Brother S stood next to the preacher, dressed ready for baptism ; his wife was also dressed, and leaning on her husband's arm. Brothei S said : " Brother M , are you going to reject Brother Cartwright, and not receive him into the Church ?" '' I cannot receive him," said Brother M . "Well," said Brother S , "if Brother Cart- Wright, who has been the means, in the hand of God, of my conversion, and the saving of so many precious souls, cannot come into the Church, I cannot and will not join it." "Nor I," said his wife; "Nor I," " Nor I ;" and thus it went round, until every one of my twenty-three young converts filed off, and gath- ered around me. " That's right, brethren," said I, " stand by me, and don't leave me ; the Lord will bring all right !" "Well, the two old dreamers were baptized, and then the preachers urged the rest to come ; but all in vain. Now, my dear reader, just imagine if you can, how I felt. I had a great mind to shout right out, and should have done so, but forbearance, at that time at least, was a virtue. From the creek we repaired to the old log-church. Three of their ministers preached ; and yDu may de- pend on it, I got a large share of abuse. They com- PETER CABTWRIGHT. 71 pared me to the Pharisees of old, for they said 1 would not go in myself, and those that would go in I had prevented ; but I bore it as best I could. Tliey stated that in all probability these souls that I had hindered would be lost, and if so, their damnation would be laid to me ; but this did not alarm me much, for they had pronounced us all Christians good and true, and had often in their sermons there said that if a person were really converted, he never could lose his religion. How, then, could we be lost ? and what was there to alarm us ? The congregation saw the absurdity, and more and more were interested in my favor. 'Next came on their communion. Tliere were some loose planks laid across the benches, and all the mem- bers of their particular faith, that had been immersed, were invited to seat themselves on these planks. I was determined to give them another downward tilt, so I took my seat with the communicants ; and some of the young converts, seeing me do so, seated them- selves there also. But when the deacons came w4th the bread and wine, the}^ passed us by. When they had got round, I rose and asked for the bread and wine for myself and the young converts. This threw a difficulty in the way of the deacons ; however, they asked the preacher if they might give us the elements. Tlie preachers peremptorily forbade it. I then said, " My brethren, you, after hearing our experience, pronounced us Christians; and you say a Christian never can be lost; and our Saviour pro- nounced a solemn woe on those that offend one of his little ones ; now do, therefore, give us the bread and wine !" One of the preachers gave me a sharp reproof, and told me to be silent. This treatment enlisted tlie sympathies of almost tlie entire assembly, and they 72 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF cried out, " Shame ! shame !" Just as ^ lo preachei was about to dismiss the congregation- I rose, and asked of them the j)rivilege of speaking to the people fifteen or twenty minutes, to explain myself. This they refused. I said, " Yery well ; I am in a free country, and know my rights." He then dismissed them, and I sprang on a bench, and said to the people that if they would meet me a few rods from the church, and hear me, I would make my defense. The people flocked out ; I mounted an old log, and the crowd gathered around me. I showed them the inconsistency of the Baptist preachers, and laid it to them as well as my inexperience would permit ; and closed by saying that, as I and my children in the Gospel could not, in any consistent way, be admitted into the Baptist Church, I was now determined to organize a Methodist Church. I explained our rules, and invited all that were willing to join us, to come forward, and give me their hands and names. Twenty- seven came forward ; all of my twenty-three young converts, and four others ; and before the year ended, we took into the Church there seventy-seven mem- bers, but my Baptist friends blowed almost entirely out. I was greatly encouraged to go on, and do the best I could. This year, (1804,) in the "Western Conference there were 9,600 members ; our increase was 2,400. The number of traveling preachers was thirty-six. Our Annual Conference this fall was held in October, at Mount Gerizim, in Kentucky. Our Annual Confer- ences in those days were universally held with closed doors, none but members of the conference, or visiting members from other annual conferences, being per mitted to occupy seats in the body. At this confer ence Bishop Asbury presided. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 73 At the close of my labors on Waynesville Circuit, I was recommended to the Annual Conference by the quarterly meeting as a proper person to be re- ceived into the traveling connection. There were eighteen preachers recommended and received at this Conference, and, perhaps, of this number, I am the only surviving one left. One by one, these early pioneers in the traveling ranks have fallen victims to death ; most of them, as far as I am in- formed, witnessed a good confession, and have gone to heaven to swell the triumphant shouts of the re- deemed, and meet their spiritual children in a better country than the " far West." There was one of this number that made shipwreck, and proved the truth of God's word, which says, "One sinner destroyeth much good ;" and perhaps of all the men that then composed the Western Conference when we joined, there are but two now living, namely, William Burko and Jacob Young. Since writing the above, William Burke has gone to his everlasting home. 74 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHAPTER YH. PRIMITIVE METHODISM. At this conference, in October, 1804, I was sent as the junior preacher to Salt Kiver and Shelbyville Circuits, which were joined together, Benjamin La- kin in charge, and William M'Kendree presiding elder. The circuit was in the Kentucky District. It was a large six weeks' circuit, and extended from the rolling fork of Green River south, to the Ohio River north, and even crossed the Ohio into what was then called Clark's or the Illinois Grant, now in the east- ern portion of Indiana State. "We had a little Book Concern then in its infancy, struggling hard for exist- ence. We had no Missionary Society ; no Sunday- school Society ; no Church papers ; no Bible or Tract Societies ; no colleges, seminaries, academies, or uni- versities ; all the efforts to get up colleges under the patronage of the Methodist Episcopal Church in these United States and Territories, were signal failures. We had no pewed churches, no choirs, no organs; in a word, we had no instrumental music in our churches anywhere. The Methodists in that early day dressed plain ; attended their meetings faithfully, especially preaching, prayer and class meetings ; they wore no jewelry, no ruffles; they would frequently walk three or four miles to class-meetings and home again, on Sundays ; they would go thirty or forty miles to their quarterly meetings, and think it a glorious privilege PETER CARTWRIGHT. tft to meet their presiding elder, and the rest of the preachers. Thej could, nearly every soul of them, sing our hymns and spiritual songs. They religiously kept the Sabbath day : many of them abstained from dram-drinking, not because the temperance reforma- tion was ever heard of in that day, but because it was interdicted in the General Kules of our Discipline. The Methodists of that day stood up and faced their preacher when they sung ; they kneeled down in the public congregation as well as elsewhere, when the preacher said, "Let us pray." There was no standing among the members in time of prayer, especially the abominable practice of sitting down during that ex- ercise Avas unknown among early Methodists. Par- ents did not allow their children to go to balls or plays ; they did not send them to dancing-schools ; they generally fasted once a week, and almost uni- versally on the Friday before each quarterly meeting. If the Methodists had dressed in the same "superfluity of naughtiness" then as they do now, there were very few even out of the Church that w^ould have any confidence in their religion. But O, how have things changed for the worse in this educational age of the world! I do declare there was little or no necessity for preachers to say anything against fash- ionable and superfluous dressing in those primitive times of early Methodism; the very wicked them- selves knew it was wrong, and spoke out against it in the members of the Church. The moment we saw members begin to trim in dress after the fashionable world, we all knew they would not hold out. Permit me here to give a few cases in confirmation of some things I have said. This year, in my circuit, there lived a very wealthy, fashionable family. The good lady governess of this 76 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF family attended a two days' meeting I held in tlie neighborhood. On Saturday, nnder preaching, the Lord reached her proud heart, and although, perhaps, she was the finest dressed lady in the congregation, when I invited mourners, she was the iirst that came and fell on her knees, praying aloud for mercy. It pleased God, before our meeting closed, to bless her with a sense of pardoning mercy, and she rose and shouted aloud for joy ; she also joined the Church. When we closed the meeting, I gave out our love-feast for next morning at eight o'clock ; not a word was said about dress. She went home, intend ing to come to love-feast next morning, but it occur- red to her that all her superfluities ought to be laid aside now, and that she, as a Christian, for example's sake, ought to go in plain attire ; but, alas ! for her, she had not a plain dress in the world. Said she to herself. What shall I do ? She immediately hunted up the plainest and most easily altered dress she had. To work at it she went ; trimmed it and fixed it tolera- bly plain. To love-feast she came ; and when she rose to speak, she told all about her trouble to get plainly attired to appear in love-feast as she thought she ought to. Take another case : I traveled in the State of Ohio in 1806, and at a largely attended camp-meeting near New Lancaster, there was a great work of God going on ; many were pleading for mercy ; many w^ere getting religion ; and the wicked looked solemn and awful. The pul- pit in the w^oods was a large stand ; it would hold a dozen people, and I would not let the lookers-on crowd into it, but kept it clear that at any time I might occupy it for the purpose of giving directions to the congregation. There were two young ladies, sisters, lately from PETER CARTWRIGHT. 77 Baltimore, or somewhere down east. Tliey had been provided for on the ground in the tent of a very reli- gious sister of theirs. They were very fashionably dressed ; I think they must have had, in rings, ear- rings, bracelets, gold chains, lockets, etc., at least one or two hundred dollars' worth of jewelry about their persons. The altar was crowded to overflowing with mourners ; and these young ladies were very solemn. They met me at the stand, and asked permission to sit down inside it. I told them that if they would promise me to pray to God for religion, they might take a seat there. They were too deeply affected to be idle lookers-on ; and when I got them seated in flie stand, I called them, and urged them to pray ; and I called others to my aid. They became deeply en- gaged ; and about midnight they were both power- fully converted. They rose to their feet, and gave some very triumphant shouts ; and then very delib- erately took off their gold chains, ear-rings, lockets, etc., and handed them to me, saying, "We have no more use for these idols. If religion is the glorious, good thing you have represented it to be, it throws these idols into eternal shade." Take still another case in point. In 1810, when I was traveling in West Tennessee, at a camp-meeting I was holding there was a great revival in progress. At that time, it was customary for gentlemen of fashion to w^ear ruffled shirts. There was a wealthy gentleman thus attired at our meeting, and he was brought under strong conviction. I led him to the altar with the mourners ; and he was much engaged. But it seemed there was something he would not give up. I was praying by his side, and talking to him, when all on a sudden he stood erect on his knees, and with his hands he deliberately opened his shirt bo£:)m, 78 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF took hold of Ills ruffles, tore them off, and threw them down in the straw ; and in less than two minutes God blessed his sonl, and he sprang to his feet, loudly praising God. I state these cases to show that unless the heart is desperately hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, there is a solemn conviction on all minds that fashion- able frivolities are all contrary to the humble spirit of our Saviour; but idolatry is dreadfully deceptive, and we must remember that no idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of God. Let the Method- ists take care. We had at this early day no course of study pre- scribed, as at present ; but William M'Kendree, after- ward bishop, but then my presiding elder, directed me to a proper course of reading and study. He selected books for me, both literary and theological ; and every quarterly visit he made, he examined into my progress, and corrected my errors, if I had fallen into any. He delighted to instruct me in English grammar. Brother Lakin had charge of the circuit. My busi- ness was to preach, meet the classes, visit the society and the sick, and then to my books and study ; and I say that I am more indebted to Bishoj) M'Ken- dree for my little attainments in literature and divinity, than to any other man on earth. And I believe that if presiding elders would do their duty by young men in this way, it would be more adv^an- tageous than all the colleges and Biblical institutes in the land ; for they then could learn and practice every day. Suppose, now, Mr. Wesley had been obliged to wait for a literary and theologically trained band of preachers before he moved in the glorious work of his PETER CARTWRIGHT. 79 day, what would Methodism have been in the AVes- leyan connection to-day ? Suppose the Methodist Episcopal Church in these United States had been under the necessity of waiting for men thus quahfied, what would her condition have been at this time? In despite of all John Wesley's prejudices, he providen- tially saw that to accomplish the glorious work for which God had raised him up, he must yield to the superior wisdom of Jehovah, and send out his '' lay preachers" to wake up a slumbering world. If Bishop Asbury had waited for this choice literary band of preachers, infidelity w^ould have swept these United States from one end to the other. Methodism in Europe this day would have been as a thousand to one, if the Wesleyans had stood by the old land-marks of John Wesley ; but no ; they must introduce pews, literary institutions and theological institutes, till a plain, old-fashioned preacher, such as one of Mr. Wesley's ''lay preachers," would be scouted, and not allowed to occupy one of their pul- pits. Some of the best and most useful men that were ever called of God to plant Methodism in this happy republic were among the early pioneer preachers, east, west, north, and south; and especially in our mighty West. We have no such preachers now as some of the first ones who were sent out to Ken- tucky and Tennessee. Tlie Presbyterians, and other Calvinistic branches of the Protestant Church, used to contend for an edu- cated ministry, for pews, for instrumental music, for a congregational or stated salaried ministry. The Methodists universally opposed these ideas ; and the illiterate Methodist preachers actually set the world on fire, (the American world at least,) while they were lighting their matches ! 80 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Methodist preachers were called by literary gentle- men illiterate, ignorant babblers. I recollect once to have come across one of these Latin and Greek schol- ars, a regular graduate in theology. In order to bring me into contempt in a public company he addressed me in Greek. In my younger days I had learned considerable of German. I listened to him as if I understood it all, and then replied in Dutch. This he knew nothing about, neither did he understand He- brew. He concluded that I had answered him in Hebrew, and immediately caved in, and stated to the company that I was the first educated Methodist preacher he ever saw. I do not wish to undervalue education, but really I have seen so many of these educated preachers who forcibly reminded me of lettuce growing under the shade of a peach-tree, or like a gosling that had got the straddles by wading in the dew, that I turn away sick and faint. Now this educated ministry and theo- logical training are no longer an experiment. Other denominations have tried them, and they have proved a perfect failure ; and is it not strange that Methodist preachers will try to gather up these antiquated sys- tems, when enlightened Presbyterians and Congrega- tionalists have acknowledged that the Methodist plan is the best in the world, and try to improve, as they say, our system, alleging that our educational institu- tions have created a necessity for theological insti- tutes? Yerily we have fallen on evil times. Is it possible that now, when we abound in education, that we need Biblical instruction more than when we had no education, or very little ? Surely if we ever needed Bible instruction, it was when w^e could derive no benefit from literary institutions. This is my com- mon-sense view of the subject. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 81 I awfully fear for our beloved Methodism. Multi- ply colleges, universities, seminaries, and academies ; multiply our agencies, and editorships, and fill them all with our best and most efficient preachers, and you localize the ministry and secularize them too ; then farewell to itinerancy ; and when this fails we plunge right into Congregationalism, and stop precisely where all other denominations started. I greatly desire to see all the interests of the Methodist Church promoted, and when all our presidents, professors, editors, and agents shall be laymen, and our ministers follow their appropriate calling, namely, preach the Gospel to a dying world; and if they will not fall into the traveling ranks and be men of one work, let them locate, for it is certain as long as they fill these ofiices and agencies, it is like a man undertaking to ride a race with the reins of his horse's bridle tied to a stump. Every man who fills these offices and agencies, and retains a membership in the traveling connection, is a clog to the itinerant wheels, and must, ere long, stop the traveling car ; and when that takes place farewell to Methodism. Is it not manifest that the employing so many of our preachers in these agencies and professorships is one of the great causes why we have such a scarcity of preachers to fill the regular w^ork? Moreover, these presidents, professors, agents, and editors get a greater amount of pay, and get it more certainly too, than a traveling preacher, who has to breast Qvery storm, and often falls very far short of liis disciplinary allowance. Here is a great temptation to those who are qualified to fill those high ofiices to seek them, and give up the regular work of preaching and trjang to save souls. And is it not manifest to every candid observer that verv few of those voung men who be- G 82 AUTOBIOGEAPHY OF lieve they are called of God to preacli the Gospe?., and are persuaded to go to a college or a Biblical institute, the better to qualify them for the great work of the min- istrj^, ever go into the regular traveling ministry ? The reason is plainly this : having quieted their consciences with the flattering unction of obtaining a sanctified education, while they liave neglected the duty of regu- larly preaching Jesus to dying sinners, their moral sensibilities are blunted, and they see an opening prospect of getting better, pay as teachers in high schools or other institutions of learning, and from the prospect of gain they are easily persuaded that they can meet their moral obligations in disseminating sanctified learning. Tlius, as sure as a leaden ball tends to the earth in obedience to the laws of gravity, just so sure our present modus operandi tends to a congre- gational ministry. And if this course is pursued a little longer, the Methodist Church will bid a long, long farewell to her beloved itinerancy, to which we, under God, owe almost everything that is intrinsically valuable in Methodism. It is said that the young men who are studying in the Biblical Institute at Concord, which is patron- ized by all the [N^ew-England Conferences, spend their evenings, and especially their Sabbaths, in the sur- rounding villages, lecturing and preaching, to the great satisfaction and edification of the Churches, and their brethren give them something to aid in their support while they are prosecuting their studies. But who is so hoodwinked or cable towed by prejudice as not to see that this very course is well calculated to sap the foundation of the itinerancy and supplant the regularly appointed pastor, or supersede his labors, and will finally end in a settled ministry. But I must resume the narrative. PETER CARTWRIGHT. W Our conference tliis fall, 1805, was held at Cole's Meeting-liouse, Scott County, Kentucky. Bishop Asbury, in consequence of affliction, failed to be with us, and the Conference elected William M'Kendree president. Six more preachers were admitted on trial. The number of traveling preachers was thirty-eight. Our membership numbered 11,877 ; and our increase in members was 2,277. M AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHAPTER YIII. SCIOTO CIRCUIT. My appointment, during 1805-6, was on the Scioto Circuit, Ohio State and District. John Sale was pre- siding elder, and James Quinn was senior preacher, or preacher in charge. The reader will see how greatlj I was favored the first two years of my regular itinerant life, to be placed under two such men as Benjamin Lakin and James Quinn, and more, two such presiding elders as William M'Kendree and John Sale. These four men were able ministers of Jesus Christ, lived long, did much good, witnessed a good confession, died happy, and are all now safely housed in heaven. Peace to their memory forever ! Scioto Circuit extended from the Ohio River to Chillicothe, situated on that river; and crossed it near the mouth, at what is now called Portsmouth. It was a four-weeks' circuit, and there were four hun- dred and seventy-four members on it. Dr. Tiffin, who was governor of the state, was a local preacher; and both he and his wife were worthy members of our Church. He lived at Chillicothe, then the seat of government for the state. There were two incidents happened while I was on the east end of this circuit, which I will relate. We had an appointment near Eagle Creek. Here the Shakers broke in Mr. Dunlevy, whom we have mentioned elsewhere as having been a regular Pres- byterian minister, who had left that Church and joined PETER CARTWRIGHT. §6 tlie Kew Liglits. His 'New Light increased so fast, that he lost what httic sense he had, and was now a ranting Shaker. lie came np here, and roared and fulminated a while, led many astray, flourished for some time, and then his influence died away, and he left for parts unknown. On the southeastern part of the circuit, we took in a new preaching-place, at a Mr. Moor's. We gave them Sunday preaching. Mr. Moor had built a large hewn log-house, two stories high. There was no parti- tion in the second story ; but it was seated, and he gave it to us to preach in. Kot far from this place lived a regularly educated Presbyterian preacher, wlio had a fine family, and was in many resj^ects a fine man, but, unhappily, he had contracted a love for strong drink. He had preached in this neighborhood, and was much beloved, for he was wdthal a very good preacher. In making my way on one occasion to Mr. Moor's, to my Sunday appointment, I got lost and was belated, and w^hen I arrived, there was a large assembly collect- ed, and this minister was preaching to them, and he preached well, and I was quite pleased with the sermon so far as I heard it. When he was done, he undertook to make a public apology for a drunken spree he had got into a few days before. "Well," thought I, '^this is right; all right, I suppose!" But to excuse himself for his unaccountable love of whisky, he stated that he had been informed by his mother that before he w^as born she longed for whisky ; and he supposed that this was the cause of his appetite for strong drink, for he had loved it from his earliest recollection. This was the substance of his apology. I felt somewhat indignant at this ; and when I rose to close after him, I stated to the congregation that I thought the preacher's apology for drunkenness was 86 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF infinitely worse than the act of drunkenness itself; that I looked upon it as a lie, and a downright slander on his mother; and that I believed his love of whisky was the result of the intemperate use of it, in which he had indulged until he formed the habit ; and that I, for one, was not willing to accept or believe the truth of his apology ; that I feared the preacher would live and die a drunkard, and be damned at last ; and that I hoped the people there would not receive him as a preacher until he gave ample evidence that he was entirely cured of drunkenness. After I made these statements, I felt that God was svilling to bless the people there and then ; and, rais- ing my voice, gave them as warm an exhortation as [ could command. Suddenly an awful power fell on the congregation, and they instantly fell right and left, and cried aloud for mercy. I suppose there were not less than tliirty persons smitten down; the young, the old, and middle-aged indiscriminately, were ope- rated on in this way. My voice at that day was strong and clear ; and I could sing, exhort, pray, and preach almost all the time, day and night. I went through the assembly, singing, exhorting, praying, and directing poor sinners to Christ. While I was thus engaged, the Presbyterian minister left. There were a few scattered members of the Church around this place, who got happy and shouted aloud for joy, and joined in and exhorted sinners, and they helped me very much. Indeed, our meeting lasted all night, and the greater part of next day. Between twenty and thirty professed religion, and joined the Church ; and fully as many more went home under strong conviction and in deep distress. Many of them afterward obtained religion, and joined the Church. There was a very remarkable case that I will men- PETER CARTWRIGHT. &7 tion here. There was one lady about forty-five years old, who was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a very rigid predestinarian. Her husband was a Methodist, and several of their children had obtain- ed religion among the young converts. This lady got powerfully convicted, and concluded that she never had any religion. She had fallen to the floor under the mighty power of God. She prayed and agonized hard for days. At length the devil tempted her to believe that she was a reprobate, and that there was no mercy for her. She went into black despair under this temptation of the devil, and such was the desperate state of her mind that at length she conceived that she was Jesus Christ, and took it upon her, in this assumed character, to bless and curse any and all that came to see her. The family were, of course, greatly afflicted, and the whole neighborhood were in great trouble at this afflictive dispensation. Her friends and all of us used every argument in our power, but all in vain. She at length utterly refused to eat, or drink, or sleep. In this condition she lingered for thirteen days and nights, and then died without ever return- ing to her right mind. A few persecutors and oppo- sers of the Methodists tried to make a great fuss about this affair, but they were afraid to go far with it, for fear the Lord would send the same affliction on them. The Hockhocking Kiver lay immediately north of us, the Scioto River between us. John Meek and James Axley were appointed to that circuit. The circuit reached from the Scioto to Zanesville, on the Muskingum River. It was a hard and laborious circuit. Brother Meeks's health failed, and Brother Sale, our presiding elder, moved me from Scioto, and placed me on this circuit with Brother Axley. I 88 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF was sorry to leave tHe brethren in Scioto Circuit, and especially Brother Qninn, whom I dearly loved ; but Brother Sale was still my presiding elder, and Brother Quinn's family lived in Hockhocking Cir- cuit, and a precious family it was. I got to see Brother Quinn every round. Brother Axley and myself were like Jonathan and David. There were no parsonages in those days, and Brother Quinn lived in a little cabin on his father-in-law's land. He had several children, and his cabin was small. When the preachers would come to see him, they would eat and converse with Brother Quinn and family, but would sleep at old Father Teel's, Brother Quinn's father-in-law. The first time I came round, I spent the afternoon with Brother Quinn. He made some apologies, and told me I could sleep better at Father Teel's. "But," said he, "I will tell you how you must do. You will sleep, at Father Teel's, in one part of his double cabin ; he and his family will sleep in the other. His custom is to rise early. As soon as ever he dresses himself he commences giving out a hymn, sings, and then goes to prayer; he does not even wait for his family to get up. He serves the preachers the same way. He never was known to wait a minute for any preacher except Bishop Asbury. You must rise early, dress quickly, and go right into the other room if you want to be at morning prayer. I thought I would tell you beforehand, that you might not be taken by surprise." I thanked him. '' But," said I, " why don't the preachers cure the old man of this disorderly way ?" " O, he is old and set in his way," said Brother Quinn. "You may rest assured I will cure him," said L " O, no," said he, " you cannot." PETER CARTWRIGHT. 89 So I retired to old Father Teel's to sleep. We had family prayer, and I retired to rest. I had no feai about the matter, for I was a constant early riser, and always thought it very wrong for preachers to sleep late and keep the families waiting on them. Just as day broke I awoke, rose up, and began to dress, but had not nigh accomplished it when I distinctly heai-d Teel give out his liymn and commence singing, and about the time I had got dressed I heard him commence praying. He gave thanks to God that they had been spared through the night, and were all permitted to see the light of a new day, and at the same time I suppose every one of his family was fast asleep. I deliberately opened the door and walked out to the well, washed myself, and then walked back to my cabin. Just as I got to the door, the old brother opened his door, and seeing me, said : "Good morning, sir. Why, I did not know you were up." "Yes," said I ; " I have been up some time." " Well, brother," said he, " why did you not come in to prayers ?" " Because," said I, " it is wrong to pray of a morn- ing in the family before we wash." The old brother passed on, and no more was said at that time. That evening, just before we were about to retire to rest, the old brother set out the book and said to me : " Brother, hold prayers with us." "No, sir," said I. Said he: " Come, brother, take the book and pray with us." " No, sir," said I ; " you love to pray so well you may do it yourself." He insisted, but I persistently refused, saying, 90 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF "You are so fond of praying yourself, tliat you even thanked God this morning that he had spared you all to see the light of a new day, when your family had not yet opened their eyes, but were all fast asleep. And you have such an absurd way of holding prayers in your family, that I do not wish to have anything to do with it." He then took up the book, read and said prayers, but you may rely on it the next morning things were much changed. He waited for me, and had all his family up in order. He acknowledged his error, and told me it was one of the best reproofs he ever got. I then prayed with the family, and after that aP went on well. Our last quarterly-meeting was a camp-meeting. We had a great many tents, and a large turn-out for a new country, and, perhaps, there never was a greater collection of rabble and rowdies. They came drunk, and armed with dirks, clubs, knives, and horse-whips, and swore they would break up the meeting. After interrupting us very much on Satur- day night, they collected early on Sunday morning, determined on a general riot. At eight o'clock I was appointed to preach. About the time I was half through my discourse, two very fine-dressed young men marched into the congregation with loaded whips, and hats on, and rose up and stood in the midst of the ladies, and began to laugh and talk. They were near the stand, and I requested them to desist and get off the seats ; but they cursed me, and told me to mind my ow^n business, and said they would not get down. I stopped trying to preach, and called for a magistrate. There were two at hand, but I saw they were both afraid. I ordered them to take these men into custody, but they said they could not do it. I PETER CARTWEIGHT. 91 told tliem, as I left the stand, to command me to take them, and I would do it at the risk of my life. I ad- vanced toward them. They ordered me to stand off, but I advanced. One of them made a pass at my head with his whip, but I closed in with him, and jerked him off the seat. A regular scuffle ensued. The congregation by this time were all in commotion. I heard the magistrates give general orders, commanding all friends of order to aid in suppressing the riot. In the scuffle I threw my prisoner down, and held him fast ; he tried his best to get loose ; I told him to be quiet, or I would pound his chest well. The mob rose, and rushed to the rescue of the two prisoners, for they had taken the other yoimg man also. An old and drunken magistrate came up to me, and ordered me to let my prisoner go. I told him I should not. He swore if I did not, he would knock me down. I told him to crack away. Then one of my friends, at my request, took hold of my prisoner, and the drunken justice made a pass at me; but I parried the stroke, and seized him by the collar and the hair of the head, and fetching him a sudden jerk forward, brought him to the ground, and jumped on him. I told him to be quiet, or I would pound him well. The mob then rushed to the scene ; they knocked down seven magistrates, and several preachers and others. I gave up my drunken prisoner to another, and threw myself in front of the friends of order. Just at this moment the ringleader of the mob and I met ; he made three passes at me, intending to knock me down. The last time he struck at me, by the force of his own effort he threw the side of his face toward me. It seemed at that moment I had not power to resist temptation, and I struck a sudden blow in the burr of the ear and dropped him to the earth. Just at that moment the ff2 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF friends of order rushed by hundreds on the mob, knocking them down in every direction. In a few minutes, the place became too strait for the mob, and they wheeled and fled in every direction ; but we secured about thirty prisoners, marched them off to a vacant tent, and put them under guard till Monday morning, when they were tried, and every man was fined to the utmost limits of the law. Tlie aggregate amount of fines and costs was near three hundred dollars. They fined my old drunken magistrate twenty dollars, and returned him to court, and he was cashiered of his ofiice. On Sunday, when we had vanquished the mob, the whole encampment was filled with mourning; and although there was no attempt to resume ]3reacliing till evening, yet, such was our confused state, that there was not then a single preacher on the ground willing to preach, from the presiding elder, John Sale, down. Seeing we had fallen on evil times, my spirit was stirred within me. I said to the elder, " I feel a clear con- science, for under the necessity of the circumstances we have done right, and now I ask to let me preach." " Do," said the elder, " for there is no other man on the ground can do it." The encampment was lighted up, the trumpet blown, I rose in the stand, and required every soul to leave the tents and come into the congregation. There was a general rush to the stand. I requested the brethren, if ever they prayed in all their lives, to pray now. My voice was strong and clear, and my preaching w^as more of an exhortation and encourage- ment than anything else. My text w^as, "The gates of hell shall not prevail." In about thirty minutes the power of God fell on the congregation in such a manner as is seldom seen; the people fell in every PETER CARTWRIGHT. 93 direction, riglit and left, front and rear. It was sup- posed that not less than three hundred fell like dead men in mighty battle; and there was no need of calling mournei*s, for thej were strewed all over the camp-ground ; loud wailings went up to heaven from sinners for mercy, and a general shout from Christians, so that the noise was heard afar off. Our meeting lasted all night, and Monday and Monday night ; and wdien we closed on Tuesday, there were two hundred who had professed religion, and about that number joined the Church. P Brother Axley and myself pulled together like true yoke-fellows. We were both raised in the back- woods, and well understood frontier life. Brotlier Axley was truly a child of nature ; a great deal of sternness and firmness about him as well as oddity. He knew nothing about polished life. I will here relate a little circumstance that took place with him and myself at Governor Tiffin's, in Chillicothe. This year. Brother Axley, while I was on the Scio- to Circuit, came over to see me, and he preached for me in Chillicothe. The governor and his amiable w^ife were much delighted with Brother Axley. The governor's house was the preacher's home, and we went there. The governor was easily excited, and he had not entire command of his risibilities. Sister Tiffin had great command of herself. She could control the muscles of her face, and look stern when she pleased. They had no children ; but they had a very nice little lap-dog. We were called from the parlor to supper, and among other eatables, they liad fried chicken, and tea and coffee. Sister Tiffin asked Brother Axley if he w^ould have some of the chicken. He said, yes, he v/as very fond of it. She helped him to some ; it was a leg unjointed. Brother M AUTOBIOGBAPHY OF Axley never offered to cut the ilesli off of it, but tool* it in his fingers, and ate it in that way ; and when he had got the flesh from the bone, he turned round and whistled for the little lap-dog, and threw the bone down on the carpet. I saw the governor was excited to laughter, but he suppressed it. I cast an eye at Sister Tiffin; she frowned, and shook her head at me, as much as to say, " Do not laugh." This passed off' tolerably well. It was the custom in those days to eat a while be- fore the tea and coffee were dished out. Said Sister Tif- fin to Brother Axley, "Will you have a cup of tea or coffee ?" He asked her if she had any milk. She an- swered, " Yes." " Well, sister," said he, " give me some milk, for they have nearly scalded my stomach with tea and coffee, and I don't like it." I reall}^ thought the governor w^ould burst out into loud laughter, but he suppressed it; and I thought I must leave the table to laugh ; but casting my eye again at Sistei Tiffin, she frowned, and shook her head at me, which helped me very much. When we went up to bed, said I: "Brother Axley, you surely are the most uncultivated creature I ever saw. Will you never learn any manners ?" Said he, "What have I done?" "Done!" said I; "you gnawed the meat oft' of your chicken, holding it in your fingers; then whistled up the dog, and threw your bone down on the cai-pet; and more than this, you talked right at the governor's table, and in the presence of Sister Tiffin, about scalding your stomach with tea and cofi'ee." He burst into tears, and said, "Why did you not tell me better? I didn't know any better." Next morning when we awoke, he looked up and saw the plastering of the room all round. " Well," said PETER CARTWKIGHT. 95 he, "when I go home I will tell my people that I slept in the governor's house, and it was a stone house too, and plastered at that." Having been raised almost in a cane brake, and never been accustomed to see anything but log-cabins, it was- a great thing for him to behold a good house and sleep in a plastered room. But I tell you, my readers, he was a great and good minister of Jesus Christ. He often said, a preacher that was good and true, had a trinity of devils to tight, namely : super- fluous dress, whisky, and slavery; and he seldom ever preached but he shared it to all three of these evils like a man of God. Brother Axley entered the traveling connection in 1804, traveled nineteen years, and in 1823 located. He was remarkably useful as a local preacher. He was industrious and economical ; lived neat and com- fortable, but by going security for a friend, he lost nearly all his property. The Church helped him some ; but he never recovered his former easy and comfortable circumstances, and died in comparative poverty. 96 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP CHAPTEE IX. ITINERANT LIFE. At the close of this conference year, 1806, I )net the Kentucky preachers at Lexington, and headed by "William Biirke, about twenty of us started for conference, which was held in East Tennessee, at Ebenezer Church, ISTollichuckie, September 15th. Our membership had increased to twelve thousand six hundred and seventy ; our net increase was about eight hundred. This year another presiding-elder district was added to the Western Conference, called the Missis- sippi District. The number of our traveling preach- ers increased from thirty-eight to forty-nine. Bishop Asbury attended the Conference. There were thir- teen of us elected and ordained deacons. According to the printed Minutes, this was placed in 1807, but it was in the fall of 1806. Two years before there were eighteen of us admitted on trial; that number, in this short space of time, had fallen to thirteen ; the other five were discontinued at their own request, or from sickness, or were reduced to suffering circum- stances, and compelled to desist from traveling for want of the means of support. I think I received about forty dollars this year ; but many of our preachers did not receive half that amount. These were hard times in those Western wilds ; many^ very many^ pious and useful preachers, were literally starved into a location. I do not mean PETER CARTWEIGHT. 97 that they were starved for want of food ; for although it was rough, yet the preachers generally got enough lo eat. But they did not generally receive in a whole year money enough to get them a suit of clothes ; and if people, and preachers too, had not dressed in home-spun clothing, and the good sisters had not made and presented their preachers v\^ith clothing, they generally must retire from itinerant life, and go to work and clothe themselves. Money was very scarce in the countrj^ at this early day, but some of the best men God ever made, breasted the storms, endured poverty, and triumphantly planted Methodism in this Western world. When we were ordained deacons at this Confer- ence, Bishop Asbury presented me with a parchment certifying my ordination in the following words, namely : " Know all by these presents. That I, Francis As- bury, Bishojy of the Methodist Ejnscopal ChiircJi in America, under the protection of Almighty God, and with a single eye to his glory, by the imposition of my hands and prayer, have this day set apart Peter Cartwright for the office of a Deacon in the said Methodist Episcopal Church ; a man whom I judge to be well qualified for that work ; and do hereby rec- ommend him to all whom it may concern, as a proper person to administer the ordinances of baptism, mar- riage, and the burial of the dead, in the absence of an elder, and to feed the flock of Christ, so long as his spirit and practice are such as become the Gospel of Christ, and he continueth to hold fast the form of sound words, according to the established doctrine of the Gospel. "In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my 98 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF hand and seal this sixteenth day of September, in the year of onr Lord one thousand eight hundred and six " Francis Asbtjry.'- I had traveled from Zanesyille, in Ohio, to East Tennessee to conference, a distance of over five hun- dred miles; and when onr appointments were read out, I was sent to Marietta Circuit, almost right back, bat still further east. Marietta v\^as at the mouth of the Muskingum Eiver, where it emptied into the Ohio. This circuit extended along the north bank of the Ohio, one hundred and fifty miles, crossed over the Ohio River at the mouth of the Little Kanawha, and up that stream to Hughes River, then east to Middle Island. I suppose it was three hundred miles round. I had to cross the Ohio River four times every round. It was a poor and hard circuit at that time. Marietta and the country round were settled at an early day by a colony of Yankees. At tlie time of my appoint- ment I had never seen a Yankee, and I had heard dismal stories about them. It was said they lived almost entirely on pumpkins, molasses, fat meat, and bohea tea ; moreover, that they could not bear loud and zealous sermons, and they had brought on their learned preachers with them, and they read their sermons, and were always criticising us poor back- woods preachers. When my appointment was read out, it distressed me greatly. I went to Bishop Asbury and begged him to supply my place, and let me go home. The old father took me in his arais, and said, " O no, my son ; go in the name of the Lord. It will make a man of you." Ah, thought I, if this is the way to make men, I do. not want to be a man. I cried over it bitterly, and prayed too. But on I started, cheered by my presid- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 99 ing elder, Brotlier J. Sale. If ever I saw hard tiuies, surely it was this year; yet many of the people were kind, and treated me friendly. I had hard work to keep soul and body together. The first Methodist house I came to, I found the brother a Universal ist. I crossed over the Muskingum River to Marietta. The first Methodist family I stopped with there, the lady was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but a thorough Universalist. She was a thin-faced, Roman-nosed, lo(piacious Yankee, glib on the tongue, and 3^ou may depend on it, I had a hard race to keep up with her, though I found it a good school, for it set me to reading my Bible. And here permit me to say, of all the isms that I ever heard of, they Avere here. These descendants of the Puritans were gener- ally educated, but their ancestors were rigid pre- destinarians ; and as they were sometimes favored with a little light on their moral powders, and could just "see men as trees walking," they jumped into Deism, Universalism, Unitarianism, etc., etc. I verily believe it was the best school I ever entered. They waked me up on all sides; Methodism was feeble, and I had to battle or run, and I resolved on the former. There was here in Marietta a preacher by the name of A. Sargent; he had been a Universalist preacher, but finding such a motley gang, as I have above mentioned, he thought (and thought correctly too) that they were proper subjects for his imposture. Accordingly, he assumed the name of Halcyon Church, and proclaimed himself the millennial messenger. He professed to see visions, fall into trances, and to con- verse with angels. His followers were numerous in the town and country. The Presbyterian and Congre- gational ministers were afraid of him. He had men 100 AUTOBIOG-RAPHY OF preachers and women preachers. Tlie Methodists had no meeting-house in Marietta. We had to preach in the court-house when we coukl get a chance. "We battled pretty severely. Tlie Congregationalists opened their Academy for me to preach in. I pre- pared myself, and gave battle to the Halcyons. This made a mighty commotion. In tlie meantime wg had a camp-meeting in the suburbs of Marietta. Brother Sale, our presiding elder, was there. Mr. Sargent came, and hung around and wanted to preach, but Brother Sale never noticed him. I have said before that he professed to go into trances and have visions. He would swoon away, fall, and lay a long time ; and when he would come to, he would tell what mighty things he had seen and heard. On Sunday night, at our camp-meeting, Sargent got some powder, and lit a cigar, and then walked down to the bank of the river, one hundred yards, where stood a large stump. He put his powder on the stump, and touched it with his cigar. The flash of the powder was seen by many at the camp ; at least the light. When the powder flashed, down fell Sargent; there he lay a good while. In the mean- time, the people found him lying there, and gathered around him. At length he came to, and said he had a message from God to us Methodists. He said God had come down to him in a flash of light, and he fell under the power of God, and thus received his vision. Seeing so many gathered around him there, I took a light, and went down to see what was going on. As soon as I came near the stump, I smelled the sul- phur of the powder ; and stepping up to the stump, there was clearly the sign of powder, and hard by lay the cigar with which he had ignited it. He was now busy delivering his message. I stepped up PETER CARTWRIGHT. 101 to him, and asked him if an angel had appeared to him in that flash of light. He said, " Yes." Said I, " Sargent, did not that angel smell of brim- stone?" "Why," said he, "do von ask me such a foolish question ?" " Because," said I, " if an angel has spoken to you at all, he was from the lake that burnetii y^th fire and brimstone !" and raising my voice, I said, " I smell sulphur now !" I walked up to the stumj^, and called on the people to come and see for themselves. The people rushed up, and soon saw through the trick, and began to abuse Sargent for a vile impostor. He soon left, and we were troubled no more with him oi his brimstone angels. I will beg leave to remark here, that while I was battling successfully against the Halcyons, I was treat- ed with great respect by the Qongregational minister and his people, and the Academy was always open for me to preach in ; but as soon as I triumphed over and vanquished them, one of the elders of the Congrega- tional Church waited on me, and informed me that it was not convenient for me to preach any more in their Academy. I begged the privilege to make one more appointment in the Academy, till I could get some other place to preach in. This favor, as it was only one more time, was granted. I then prepared myself; and when my appointed day rolled around, the house was crowded ; and I leveled my whole Arminian artillery against their Calvinism; and challenged their minister, who was present, to public debate; but he thought prudence the better part of valor, and declined. This effort secured me many friends, and some persecution ; but my way was 102 AUTOBIOGRArHY OF r>j>ciied, and we raised a little class, and liad a name aiuring- tlie living. 1 will here mention a special case of wild fanaticism that took place with one of these Halcyon preachers while I Avas on this circuit. He worked himself np into tlie belief that he conld live so holy in this life, that his animal natnre wonld become immortal, and that he would never die ; and he conceived that he had gained, this immortality, and could live without eating. In despite of all the arguments and per- suasion of his friends, he refused to eat or driidv He stood it sixteen days and nights, and then died a suicidal death. His death put a stop to this foolish delusion, and threw a damper over the whole Halcyor fanaticism. I will here state something like the circumstances I fonnd myself in, at the close of my labors on this hard circuit. I had been from mj father's house about three years; was five hundred miles from home; my horse had gone blind ; my saddle was worn out ; my bridle reins had been eaten up and i-eplacedj (after a sort) at least a dozen times ; and my clothes had been patched till it was ditHcult to detect the original. I had concluded to try to make my way home, and get another outfit. I was in Marietta, and had just seventy-five cents in my pocket. How I would get home and pay my way I could not tell. But it was of no use to parley about it ; go I must, or do worse ; so I concluded to go as far as I could, and then stop and work for more means, till I got home. I had some few friends on the way, but not many ; so I cast ahead. My first day's travel was through my circuit. At about thirty-five miles' distance there lived a brother, with whom I intended to stay all night. I started, PETEK CARTWKIGHT. 103 and late in the evening, within five miles of my stop- ping-place, fell in with a widow lady, not a member of the Church, who lived several miles off my road. She had attended my appointments in that settlement ail the year. After the usual salutations, she asked me if I was leaving the circuit. I told her I was, and had started for my father's. '' Well," said she, '' how are you off for money ? 1 exj^ect you have received but little on this circuit." I told her I had but seventy-five cents in the world. She invited me home with her, and told me she would give me a little to help me on. But I told her I had my places fixed to stop every night till I got to Mays- ville; and if I went home with her, it would derange all my stages, and throw me among strangers. She then handed me a dollar, saying it was all she had with her, but if I would go home with her she would give me more. I declined going witli lier, thanked her for the dollar, bade her farewell, moved on, and reached my lodging-place. By the time I reached the Ohio River, opposite Maysville, my money was all gone. I was in trouble about how to get over the river, for I had nothing to pay my ferriage. I was acquainted with Brother J. Armstrong, a mer- chant in Maysville, and concluded to tell the ferry- man that I had no money, but if he would ferry me over, I could borrow twenty-five cents from Armstrong, and would pay him. - Just as I got to the bank of the river he landed, on my side, with a man and a horse ; and when the man reached the bank, I saw it was Colonel M. Shelby, brother to Governor Shelby, of Kentucky. He was a lively exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and an old acquaintance and neigh- bor of my father's. 104 ■ AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF When he saw me he exclaimed: "Peter! is that you?" " Yes, Moses," said I, " what little is left of me." " "Well," said he, " from yom* appearance yon mnst have seen hard times. Are yon trying to get home?" " Yes," I answered. '' How are yon off for money, Peter ?" said he. " Well, Moses," said I, " I have not a cent in the world." " Well," said he, " here are three dollars, and I will give yon a bill of the road and a letter of introduc tion till you get down into the barrens, at the Pilot Knobb."' f on may be sure my spirits greatly rejoiced. So I passed on very well for several days and nights on the colonel's money and credit, but when I came to the first tavern beyond the Pilot Knobb my mone} was out. What to do I did not know, but I rode up and asked for quarters. I told the landlord I had no money; had been three years from home, and was trying to get back to my father's. I also told him T had a little old watch, and a few good books in" my saddle-bags, and I would compensate him in some way. He bade me alight and be easy. On inquiry I found this family had lived here from an early day, totally destitute of the Gospel and all religious privileges. There were three rooms in this habitation, below — the dining-room, and a back bed- room, and the kitchen. Tlie kitchen was separated from the other lower rooms by a thin, plank partition, set up on an end ; and the planks had shrunk and left considerable cracks between them. When we were about to retire to bed, I asked the landlord if he had any objection to our praying before we laid down. He said, "None at all ;" and stepped PETER CAKTWRIGHT. 105 into the kitclien, as I supposed, to bring in the family. He quickly returned with a candle in his hand, and said, "Follow me." I followed into the back bed- room. "Whereupon he set down the candle, and bade me good night, saying, "There, you can pray as much as you please." I stood, and felt foolish. He had completely ousted me ; but it immediately occurred to me that I would kneel down and pray with a full and open voice ; so down I knelt, and commenced praying audibly. I soon found, from the commotion created in the kitchen, that they were taken by surprise as much as I had been. I distinctly heard the landlady say, "He is craz}^, and will kill us all this night. Go, husband, and see what is the matter." But he was slow to approach; and when I ceased praying he came in, and asked me what was the cause of my act- ing in this strange way. I replied, " Sir, did you not give me the privilege to pray as much as I pleased?" " Yes," said he, " but I did not expect you would pray out." I told him I wanted the family to hear prayer, and as he had deprived me of that privilege, I knew of no better w^ay to accomplish my object than to do as I had done, and I hoped he would not be oflended. I found he thought me deranged, but we fell into a free conversation on the subject of religion, and, I think, I fully satisfied him that I was not beside my- self, but spoke forth the words of truth with soberness. Next morning I rose early, intending to go fifteen miles to an acquaintance for breakfast, but as I was get- ting my horse out of the stable the landlord came out, and insisted that I should not leave till after break- fast. I yielded, but he would not have anything for my fare, and urged me to call on him if ever I 106 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF traveled that way again. I will just say here, that in less than six months I called on this landlord, and he and his lady were happily converted, dating their con- viction from the extraordinary circumstances of the memorable night I spent with them. I found other friends on my journey till I reached Hopkinsville, Christian County, within thirty miles of my father's, and I had just six and a quarter cents left. This was a new and dreadfully wicked place. I put up at a tavern kept by an old Mr. M'. The landlord knew my father. I told him I had not money to pay my bill, but as soon as I got home I would send it to him. He said, " Yery well," and made me welcome. His lady was a sister of the apostate Dr. Allen whom I have elsewhere mentioned. Shortly after I laid down I fell asleep. Suddenly I was aroused by a piercing scream, or screams, of a female. I supposed that somebody was actually committing murder. I sprung from my bed, and, after getting half dressed, ran into the room from whence issued the piercing screams, and called out, " What's the matter here ?" The old gentleman re plied, that his wife was subject to spasms, and often had them. I commenced a conversation with her about religion. I found she was under deep concern about her soul. I asked if I might pray for her. " O, yes," she replied, " for there is no one in this place that cares for my soul." I knelt and prayed, and then commenced singing, and directed her to Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour, and prayed again. She suddenly sprung out of the bed and shouted, " Glory to God ! be has blessed my soul." It was a happy time indeed. The old gentle- man wept like a child. "We sung and shouted, pray- ed and praised, nearly all night. ISText morning the PETER CARTWEIGHT. 107 old landlord told me ray l)ill was paid tenfold, and tliat all he charged me was, every time I passed that way, to call and stay with them. Next day I reached home with the six and a quar- ter cents unexpended. Thus I have given you a very imperfect little sketch of the early travel of a Meth- odist preacher in the Western Conference. My par- ents received me joyfully. I tarried with them sev- eral weeks. My father gave me a fresh horse, a bri- dle and saddle, some new clothes, and forty dollars in cash. Thus equipped, I was ready for another three years' absence. Our Conference, this year, was held in Chillicothe, September 14, 1807. Our increase of members was one thousand one hundred and eighty ; increase of traveling preachers, six. From the Conference in Chillicothe I received my appointment for 1807-8, on Barren Circuit, in Cumberland District, James Ward presiding elder, who employed Lewis Ander- son to travel with me. This brother is now a mem- ber of the Illinois Conference. It was a four weeks' circuit. We had several revivals of religion in difier- ent places. The circuit reached from Barren Creek, north of Green Kiver, to the head of Long Creek, in Tennessee State. I received about forty dollars quar- terage. We had an appointment near Glasgow, the county seat of Barren County. A very singular cir- cumstance took place in this circuit this year; some- thing like the following: There were two very large Baptist Churches east of Glasgow. These Churches had each very talented and popular preachers for their pastors, by the name of AV. and H. The Baptists were numerous and wealthy, and tlie great majority of the citizens were under Baptist influence. The Methodists had a 108 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF small class of about thirteen members. There lived in the settlement a gentleman by the name of L., who was raised under the Baptist influence, though not a member of the Church. His lady w\as a mem ber of one of these large Baptist Churches. Mr. L was lingering in the last stages of consumption, but without religion. These Baptist ministers visited him often, and advised, and prayed with, and for him. Learning that I was in the neighborhood, he sent for me ; I went ; he seemed fast approaching his end, w^asted away to a mere skeleton ; he had to be lifted, like a child, in and out of the bed. I found liim penitent, and prayed with him, sat up with him, and in the best w^ay I knew I pointed him to Jesus. It pleased God to own the little effort, and speak peace to his troubled soul ; he was very happy after this. He told me the next morning that he wished to be baptized, join the Church, and receive the sac- rament. In the meantime, the Baptist ministers came to see him, and as I knew he was raised under Baptist denominational influences, I was at a loss to know how to act. I took the two Baptist ministers out, and said to them: "This afiiicted brother has obtained religion, and he desires to be baptized, join the Church, and receive the sacrament. And," said I, "brethren, you must now take the case into your own hands, and do w^ith it as you think best. He was raised a Baptist, and, as a matter of course, he believes in immersion. And," said I, " my opinion is, if he is immersed, he cannot survive it; and as you are strong in the faith of immersion, you must administer it." "No, no," said they; "he is your convert, and you must do all he desires. "We believe, as well as you, that he cannot be immersed." PETER CARTWRIGHT. 109 " N'ow," said I, " brethren, he wants not only to he Lriptized, but wants to join the Chnrch, the Baptist Church of course ; and if I baptize him by sprinkling or pouring, you will not receive him into the Baptist Church ; or, in other words, if I do, will you receive him into your Church ?" " Well, no," said they ; " we cannot do it." "ISTow," said I, " brethren, this is a very solemn affair. You will not baptize him and take him into your Church; and if I baptize him, still you will not receive him. There must be something wrong about this very solemn matter." They then said they would have nothing to do with it; that I must manage it in my own way. I then went and consulted the wife of the sick man. T told her what her ministers had said. "Now," ^aid I, "sister, what must I do?" Said she, " Go and ask my husband, and do as he wishes, and I will be satisfied." I went, and said, " Brother L., if I baptize you, it must be by sprinkling or pouring; you cannot be immersed." Said he, " I know I can't, and I am willing to be baptized in any mode ; it is not essential." As soon as preparation was made, I baptized him by sprinkling, and then proceeded to conse- crate the elements and administer the sacrament. I turned and invited both of the Baptist ministers to come and commune with the dying saint, but they refused. Then I turned to his wife, and invited her to come and commemorate the dying sorrows of her Saviour with her dying husband. She jDaused for a momeit, and then, bursting into a flood of tears, said, "I will;" and came forward, and I administered to them both. 110 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF After this I said, " Brother L., do joii wish to have your name enrolled with the members of the little class of Methodists that worship in the neigh- borhood ?" He said, "O, yes;" and then added, "before yon get round your circuit, I shall be no more on earth, and I wish you to preach my funeral." After consultation with his wife, I left an appoint- ment for his funeral. In a few days he breathed his last, and went off triumphant. When I came to the appointment, there was a vast crowd. We had a very solemn time. I stated all the circumstances above narrated, and at the close I opened the door of the Church, and Mrs. L., and six others of her relatives, all members of the Baptist Church, came forward and joined the Methodists. This circumstance gave us a standing that enabled us to lift our heads and breathe more fi*eely after- ward.. In the course of this year we carried Methodist preaching into a Baptist congregation on Bacon Creek. A great many of their members gave up Calvinism, close communion, and immersion, and joined the Methodist Church ; and we took possession of their meeting-house, and raised a large society there that flourishes to this day. Out of this re- vival several preachers were raised up that trained and blessed the Methodist Episcopal Church for years afterward. PETER GARTWRIGHT. Ill CHAPTER X. MEETING IN" A WAGON. Owing to the newness of the country, the scarcity of money, the fewness of our numbers, and their poverty, it was a very difficult matter for preachers to obtain a support, especially married men with families. From this consideration many of our preachers delayed marriage, or, shortly after marriage, located. Indeed, such was our poverty, that the Discipline was a perfectly dead letter on the subject of house rent, table expenses, and a dividend to children ; and al- though I had acted as one of the stewards of the Con- ference for years, these rules of the Discipline were never acted upon, or any allowance made, till 1813, when Bishop Asbury, knowing our poverty and suf- ferings in the West, had begged from door to door in the older conferences, and came on and distributed ten dollars to each child of a traveling preacher un- der fourteen years of age. After mature deliberation and prayer, toward the close of my labors on the Barren Circuit, I thought it was my duty to marry, and was joined in marriage to Frances Gaines, on the 18th of August, 1808, which was her nineteenth birthday ; and we had our infai'e at my father's, on the 1st of September following, which was my twenty-third birthday. The Conference, this fall, was held at Liberty Hill, Tennessee, on the 1st of October, 1808. Our increase in membei-s this year was about one thousand three 112 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF hundred and fifty ; our increase of traveling preach- ers was ten. We had three new presiding-elder dis- tricts formed this year, namely, Indiana, Miami, and Muskingum, making seven presiding-elder districts in the Western Conference. At this Conference I was elected and ordained an elder by Bishop M'Kendree. Tlie parchment reads as follows, viz. : " Know all men by these presents that I, William M'Kendree, one of the bishops of the Methodist Epis- copal Church in America, under the protection of Almighty God, and with a single eye to his glory, by the imposition of my hands and prayer, (being assisted by the elders present,) have this day set apart Peter Cartwright for the office of an Elder in the said Methodist Episcopal Church ; a man whom I judge to be well qualified for that work ; and I do hereby rec- ommend him, to all whom it may concern, as a proper person to administer the sacraments and or- dinances, and to feed the flock of Christ, so long as his spirit and practice are such as become the Gospel of Christ. " In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight. William M'Kendkee. LiBEETY Hill, Tennessee." My appointment, this year, was to Salt River Cir- cuit, Kentucky District, James Ward presiding elder. This was a part of the circuit I had traveled in the years 1804 and 1805. In the course of this year my father died, and left me to settle his little estate, which, owing to the forms of law, took me several months, w^hich was the lono-est PETER CARTWRIGHT. 113 time I have ever had from the regular work of a traveling preacher in fifty years ; but upon a proper presentation of the case to my presiding elder, he gave me liberty to go and attend to this business. Giving me this liberty by the presiding elder was then according to Discipline. At the close of the conference year 1808-9, I at- tended conference at Cincinnati, and there reported myself ready for regular work, and my appointment was to Livingston Circuit. Our increase of member- ship was four thousand and fifty-one ; our increase of traveling preachers was twenty-one. Livingston Circuit was in the Cumberland District, Learner Blarkman presiding elder. This was my first field of labor as an exhorter; which circuit I had formed in the days of my boyhood, and had then re- turned to J. Page, presiding elder, seventy members. They had increased now to four hundred and twenty- seven ; a good increase for six years. We had not a xevy prosperous year, but we had some gracious outpourings of the Spirit of God. I held a camp-meeting this year, which lasted four days and nights, without any ministerial aid, save one little <)xhorter and an old drunken Baptist preacher, who preached for me once, on Sunday. He then and there confessed his dissipation, and wept bitterly, and made us all cvy. We had about thirty converts at this meeting. At the close of the meeting we had many seekers who had not obtained comfort. Twelve of tliem got into a two-horse wagon, and myself with them. We had to go about fifteen miles, but before we reached our home every one of them got power- fully converted, and we sung and shouted aloud along the road, to the very great astonishment of those who lived along the way. That night the whole neighbor- 114 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF hood gathered in, and we had a glorious time. Sev eral more were powerfully converted, and many deeply convicted. The work broke out around the settlement, and scores were brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. I will here relate an incident that took place this year, concerning one of our Methodist preach- ers; his name was J. D. He was raised a very bigoted Dunker, or, as they are sometimes denomi- nated, Seventh-day Baptists. When the Methodist preachers came into his settlement he violently op- posed them, asserting the Dunkers were right and everybody else wrong. After a while, however, he either really or pretendedly got under deep convic- tion and professed religion. (This was when the Meth- odists had borne down all opposition and become popular.) He joined the Methodists, and they soon licensedhim to preach. Now he had found the right way, and all the rest were wrong. He had consider- able talent, but was a very lazy man. However, the Methodists got him on a circuit a while, and he was popular, but did not get money enough to support him ; so he located, and went into land speculations, and got under par as a good man. This year he moved into the bounds of my circuit, and we renewed our former acquaintance, preached together often, and really we were in a fair way of doing much good. We broke into a very large Free-will Baptist settlement, where the preacher was a very weak brother. We rose high in public opinion, and the Baptists oifered us a good salary if we would join them and become their pastor. This was a little too much for my Brother D. He came to me one day and said, "Brother Cartwright, you and I have young and growing families : if we would join these PETER CARTWRIGHT. 115 Baptists they would give us a handsome support, and as they have no preacher in all this country of any talents, we could sway a mighty influence, getting hundreds into our Church, and secure a good living for our families in all time to come. Don't you think," said he, " it would be best to do it?" I re- plied: "Brother D., ^ Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou art an offense to me.' If money, sir, or a good living, had been my prime object in joining a Church, I should never have j6ined the Methodists; but when I joined them I joined them from a firm con- viction, believing them to be the best people in the world; and the longer I live with them, and the more I understand of their doctrine and system of Church government, the more firmly I am settled in mind to abide my choice ; and this world has not treasure enough to allure me from the Methodist Church." Poor human nature ! The temptation was too strong. Brother D. yielded, joined the Free-will Baptists, and was soon installed their pastor. Well, now, he proclaimed, he had certainly found the right way, and all the world was wrong. Well, it was not long before he was caught in a criminal act, ruined his moral character, and was dismissed from his pastoral charge. I will here say that this said J. D. was formerly my armor-bearer in the great contest I had with the Shakers at Busroe, in In- diana, mentioned elsewhere in this narrative. What next? Why, J. D. went and joined the Shak- ers ; and now from heaven God had revealed it to him that he was right and everybody else wrong. The Shakers, hearing of his instability of character, had very little confidence in him. They put him to hard labor to try him. This he could not stand ; and presently left them, took up w^ith a scattered band of 116 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Xew Liglits, moved to Texas, and I expect the devij has got him in safe keeping long before this time. Our increase for 1809-10 was 1,950. Increase of traveling preachers, fifteen. At this conference I was returned to Livingston Circuit, Cumberland District ; Learner Blackman presiding elder. At the close of this year, 1810-11, we met at New Chapel, Shelby Coun4:y, Kentucky, November 1st, 1810. Our increase of members, this conference year, 4,261 ; increase of traveling preach- ers, thirteen. The Western Conference met the last time as the Western Conference, at Cincinnati, October 1st, 1811, and our increase this year was 3,600. Our increase in preachers was ten. Our strength of membership in the entire Western Conference at its last session as a Western Conference, was 30,741. In 1787 we had but ninety members that were ofiicially reported from the West ; and if, as we have elsewhere stated, that at the General Conference of 1st May, 1800, in Baltimore, the Western Conference was regularly organized, with about two thousand members, the reader will plainly see wdiat God wrought in eleven years by the pioneer fathers that planted Methodism in this vast Western wilderness ; and of the little band of traveling preachers that then plowed the wilderness, say twelve men, none are now living save Mr. Henry Smith. In the fall of 1804, when I joined the Conference, there were a little over 9,000 members in the Western Conference ; in 1811, 30,741. There were then a little over forty traveling preachers, and in 1810 over one hundred ; and yet, at this time there are not more than six of us left lingering on the shores of time to look back, look around, and look forward to the future of the PETER CARTWRIGHT. 117 Methodist Episcopal Church, for weal or for woe. Lord, save the Church from desu-ing to liave pews, choirs, organs, or instrumental music, and a con- gregational ministry, like other heathen Churches around them ! In 1804, the membership of the whole Church was 119,945, traveling preachers 433, throughout the United States, territories, and Canada. Their increase this year, throughout the Union, was 6,811. In 1812, when the "Western Conference was divided into Ohio and Tennessee Conferences, our entire membership had increased to 184,567 ; increase of members in eight years, near 65,000. Ti-aveling ministers in 1804, 433 ; in 1812, 688. In 1811 we elected our delegates to the first dele- gated General Conference ever holden by the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. This General Conference was holden in New- York, 1st May, 1812. At this General Conference, the Western Conference, which had existed some twelve years, was divided into two annual conferences, called Ohio and Tennessee. The Ohio Conference was composed of the following pre- siding-elder districts, namely : Ohio District, Muskin- gum District, Scioto District, Miami District, Ken- tucky District, and Salt Kiver District: six. Tennessee Conference was composed of the following districts, namely: Holston District, ]^asliville District, Cumber- land District, Wabash District, Mississippi District, and Louisiana District : six. It will be seen that the State of Kentucky was divided between the two con- ferences. There were members in Ohio Conference, 23,284; in Tennessee Conference, 22,700. There w^ere in Ohio Conference, traveling preachers, sixty- four; in Tennessee, sixty-two. These statistics are for 1812. 118 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF I was appointed to Christian Circuit, "Wabasli Dis- trict ; James Axley presiding elder. This was a four weeks' circuit, most of it parts and fragments of other circuits. I formed it into a four weeks' circuit. We had some splendid revivals this year, and took in some three hundred members. "We had two or three very successful camp-meetings ; at one of them I baptized one hundred and twenty-seven adult persons and forty-seven children, all by sprinkling, save sever adults, whom I immersed. One of them was the daughter of a very celebrated Baptist minister. In the north end of my circuit there was a district of densely-populated country, about thirty-five mile* across. A Methodist preacher had seldom, even if ever, preached in this district of country. About midway of it there lived a Baptist minister, with a large society and a large meeting-house. He, at an early day, had settled among them, and prejudiced nearly all the country against the Methodist preach- ers and people. I had to make a day's ride through this settlement every round, and thought it singular that no Method- ist preacher, as I could learn, had ever made a break in it; and I determined to make one in this region somehow or somewhere. While riding through, I stopped at many houses, and asked for the privilege to preach among them. They looked shy, and denied me. I prayed God to open my way ; and at length, through an acquaintance I had made, left an ap- pointment to preach at the Baptist meeting-house on my next round. The Baptist minister publicly warned the people not to hear me ; but somehow the novelty of the thing excited their curiosity, and though a week- day, a large congregation turned out, and among the PETER CARTWRIGHT. 119 rest, tlieir preaclier. He told me he sliould not hinder me that time from preaching in his meeting-house; "but," said he, "you must leave no more appoint- ments at my church, or if you do, you will iind the doors barred against you." AVell, I had to submit. I went in, and preached as well as I could, and the congregation were considerably affected, even to weeping. I called on the Baptist minister to con- clude, but he refused ; so after closing the services, I told the congregation that I could preach to them every round, but that their minister had forbidden me the use of his meeting-house any more ; but if there was any man present that would open his private house for me to preach in, I would leave an appointment. A gentleman rose up, and tendered me the use of his house, and invited me home with him for dinner ; so I left an appointment, and went w^th this man and partook of his hospitalities. When I came round to my appointment, the house was filled to overflowing, though large. While I was preaching, near the close of the discourse, suddenly the power of God fell on the congregation like a flash of lightning, and the people fell right and left ; some screamed aloud for mercy, others fell on their knees and prayed out aloud ; several Baptist members fell to the floor under the power of God. There was a Baptist preacher present. After I had talked, and exhorted, and sung a long time, I called on this preacher to pray, but he was so astounded that, he told me, he could not pray. Our meeting lasted nearly all night. About twelve persons were con- verted in the good old way, and shouted aloud the praises of God. I opened the doors of the Church, and thirteen came forward and joined. From this tiine the work broke out and many professed religion, 120 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF and we succeeded in planting Methodism on a firm footing here. The Baptist minister who w^as pastor of the congregation that worshiped at the meeting-house where I preached, had a dreadful rude set of children, especially a daughter whom thej called Betsy. She would stand on the seats, point and laugh, and when any would fall under the power of God, she would say it was nothing but a Methodist fit. At a camp-meeting this summer, held on the land of K. Dellam, Esq., now of St. Louis, a fine man, old Valentine Cook, of precious memory, attended with me, and labored like a true minister of Christ. There was a large crowd of people, and mostly raised under old Baptist influence and prejudice, and as ignorant of Methodism and the power of religion as the beasts that perish. There were several j)reachers to aid Brother Cook and myself, but all our preaching seemed powerless. The meeting dragged heavily till Sunday. Brother Cook and myself walked out to pray ; when we rose from our knees, Brother Cook said to me : *' Brother, have you any faith ?" " A little," I replied. " I have some," said he. We were both to preach in succession, commencing at eleven o'clock. He was to preach first, and I to follow. Said he to me : " If I strike fire, I will immediately call for mourners, and you must go into the assembly and exhort in every direction, and I will manage the altar. But," said he, ''if I fail to strike fire, you must preach; and if you strike fire, call the mourners and manage the altar. I will go through the congregation, and exhort with all the power God gives me." PETER CARTWRIGHT. 121 We repaired to tlie stand. He preached ; it seemed as if every word took effect. There was no outbreak ; the vast crowd were melted into silent tears. When he closed, he bade me rise and preach. I did so. Just as I was closing up my sermon, and pressing it with all the force I could command, the power of God suddenly was displayed, and sinners fell by scores through all the assembly. We had no need of a mourners' bench. It was supposed that several hundred fell in five minutes ; sinners turned pale ; some ran into the woods, some tried to get away and fell in the attempt, some shouted aloud for joy ; among the rest ni}^ Baptist preacher's daughter, whom we have called Betsy. As I went through the assembly I came across Betsy, who had fallen to the earth, and was praying at a mighty rate. When I came to her, she said to me : " O, do pray for me ; I am afraid I am lost and damned forever !" I said to her, " Betsy, get up ; you have only got a Methodist fit," (using her former language ;) but she roared the louder two or three times. I bid her get up, saying to her, " You are playing the hypocrite, and have only got a Methodist fit ; get up, Betsy." But I assure you she was past getting up. Just hard by I saw her father, the Baptist preacher. He was crying, and shaking every joint in him. I went to him, and said, "Brother A., come and pray ibr Betsy." He replied : " Lord, have mercy on me ! I cannot pray." " Amen," said I. " Pray on. Brother A., the Lord will have mercy." I then exliorted Betsy, and prayed for her. If ever I saw the great deep of a sinner's heart broken up, hers was. She wrestled and prayed all night. Next morning, about sunrise, the 122 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Lord in a powerful manner converted lier. She rose and went over the camp-ground like a top. She at length met her father, the preacher, and of all the exhortations that I ever heard fall from the lips of a mortal, hers was the most powerful to her father. She said to him : " You, father, have taught me from my childhood to hate and despise the Methodists till my soul was well- nigh lost and ruined forever !" She then assured him that he had no religion at all, and begged him to repent and get his soul con- verted. She made him kneel down, and she engaged for him in mighty prayer. About eleven o'clock on Monday I opened the doors of the Church, and forty-two joined, and among the rest, Betsy. From this meeting a revival spread al- most through the entire country round, and great addi- tions were made to the Methodist Church. The circuit was large, embracing parts of Logan, Muhlenburgli, Butler, Christian, and Caldwell Counties in Ken- tucky, and parts of Montgomery, Dixon, and Stewart Counties in Tennessee. On the west part of Red Eiver there was a Pres- byterian minister settled, who had a large brick church He had settled at an early day, and the few scattered Methodists who lived in the bounds of his congregation, having no Methodist preaching, had joined his Church rather than live out of Church al- together. I was invited to preach about five miles from this minister's church. I sent an appointment. At the time a large congregation turned out; the people were deeply affected. "When I closed, I stated to the assembly that I could preach to them every four weeks, if they desired it. They told me they did, and I accordingly left another appoint- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 123 ment. "When I came the house was crowded, and the Presbyterian minister came. I preached, and there was a general weeping all through the congregation. The minister concluded for me, and I left another ap- pointment. The minister stayed and dined with me. After dinner he asked me to walk out with him. I did so. "When we had seated ourselves, he told me he wanted to talk to me about my preaching in that neighborhood. He said that this neighborhood was in the bounds of his congregation ; that I was heartily welcome to preach ; but, said he, you must not attempt to raise any society. I told him that was not our way of doing business ; that we seldom ever preached long at any place without trying to raise a society. He said I must not do it. I told him the people were a free people and lived in a free country, and must and ought to be allowed to do as they pleased ; that I should never condescend to try to proselyte ; but if I continued to preach there, and if any of the people desired to join the Methodist Church, I should surely give them the privilege to do so ; and that I understood there were ten or twelve members of the Methodist Church had joined his Church as Methodists, with the fair understanding that if the Methodists ever organized a society con- venient to them, they were to have the privilege of joining their own Church without any hard thoughts or censures. He said that was true ; but if we raised a society it would diminish his memberahip, and cut off his support. " Well," said L, " my dear sir, if the people want me to preach to them I shall do it, and if they desire to join our Church I shall take them in; and I intend, when I come next time, to organize a class, for several have desired me to do 80." Said he, " I wil' be here, and will openly op- 124 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF pose you." Said I, '' If you think that the best way, do so." Wliile I was absent for three Sabbaths suc- cessively, he opened his batteries on me, told them what I had said, and warned them not to attend my meeting. This roused the whole country, and made me many fast friends ; even his own members remon- strated against his course, saying to him, nobody was obliged to join the Methodists, and if they pre- ferred the Methodist Church to his, it was their right to join it. When I came round we had a vast crowd out, but the minister did not appear. At the close of my ser- mon I read our General Rules, and explained our econ omy. I then told them that my father had fought in the Revolution to gain our freedom and liberty of conscience ; that I felt that my Presbyterian brother had no bill of sale of the people ; that I was no rob- ber of Churches ; but if I had any members in my Church that liked the Presbyterians better than the Metliodists, I wanted them to go and join them ; but if there were any there that day that believed the Methodist doctrine, and were wilHng to conform to the Discipline of the Methodist Church, and desired to join us, let them come and give me their hand, and I would form them into a class and appoint them a leader. There were twenty-seven came forward ; thirteen of them were members of this minister's Church. I publicly ascertained this fact, and then told the thirteen that I did not want to give any offense, and that I wanted them all to go to their next meeting, and ask a letter, stating their reasons, and I would receive them into full membership at once. One of them, a fine, intelligent man, and an elder, said that he knew they would not give them letters. I remarked, " Go and ask for them ; and if PETER CARTWRIGHT. 125 tliey refuse, come back, and I will receive you any how." They went, bnt the Church would not give them letters, although there was nothing against their moral characters. After that I received them into the Methodist Church. Public opinion was in my favor, and many more of this preacher's members came and joined us, and the minister sold out and moved to Missouri, and before the year was out I had peaceable possession of his brick church. 126 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHAPTER XI. SLAVERY IN THE CHURCH. In the fall of 1812, our Tennessee Conference was holden at Fountain Head, State of Tennessee, on the first of November. At this first session of the Ten- nessee Conference the Illinois District was organized, and J. Walker appointed presiding elder. The Illi- nois Circuit, as a mission, was formed in 1804, and Benjamin Young appointed to it. It was attached to the Cumberland District, L. Garrett presiding elder. Brother Young returned sixty-seven members. At this Conference I was appointed by Bishop Asbury to the "Wabash District, which was then com- posed of the following circuits, namely : Yincennes, in the State of Indiana ; and Little Wabash and Fort Mas- sack, in Illinois. These three circuits were north of the Ohio Eiver; the balance of the district was in Kentucky, namely, Livingston, Christian, Henderson, Hartford, and Breckenridge Circuits. In traveling the district I had to cross the Ohio River sixteen times during the year. I told BisliQp Asbury that I deliberately believed that I ought not to be appointed presiding elder, for I was not qualified for the office ; but he told me there was no appeal from his judgment. At the end of six months I wrote to him, begging a release from the post he had assigned me ; but wdien he returned an answer, he said I must abide his judgment, and stand in my lot to the end of the time. I continued accord- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 127 ingly in the service, but the most of the year was gloomy to me, feeling that I had not the first qualifi- cation for the office of a presiding elder. Perhaps I never spent a more gloomy and sad year than this in all my itinerant life ; and from that day to this I can safely say the presiding elder's office has had no spe- cial charms for me ; and I will remark, that I have often wondered at the aspirations of many, very many Methodist preachers for the office of presiding elder ; and have frequently said, if I w^ere a bishop, that such aspirants should always go without office under my administration. I look upon this disposition as the out-cropping of fallen and unsanctitied human nature, and wdienever this spirit, in a large degree, gets into a preacher, he seldom ever does much good after- ward. "We had through the summer and fall of tliis con- ference year some splendid camp-meetings, many con- versions, and many accessions to the Church. In the fall we met at Conference, October 1st, 1813, at Rees's Chapel, Tennessee. The name of Wabash District was changed to Green River District, and Vincennes, Little Wabash, and Fort Massack Circuits, north of the Ohio River, were stricken off and attached to the Illinois District, and Dixon and Dover Circuits, south of the Cumberland River, that had belonged to Nash- ville District, were attached to Green River District. I was appointed by Bisliop Asbury presiding elder of this district, some time in the course of the summer of this conference year, 1S13. We had a camp- meeting in the Breckenridge Circuit, and a glorious good work of religion was manifest throughout the meeting. It was at this meeting that Beiijamin Ogden, one of the early preachers sent to the West, who became disaffected, and left the Methodist Epis- 128 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF copal Cliurcli under the secession of J. O'Kelly, and backslid, professed to be reclaimed, and returned to his mother Church. Slavery had long been agitated in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and our preachers, although they did not feel it to be their duty to meddle with it politically, yet, as Christians and Christian ministers, be it spoken to their eternal credit, they believed it to be their duty to bear their testimony against slavery as a moral evil, and this is the reason why the Gen- eral Conference, from time to time, passed rules and regulations to govern preachers and members of the Church in regard to this great evil. The great object of the General Conference was to keep the ministry clear of it, and there can be no doubt that the course pursued by early Methodist preachers was the cause of the emancipation of thousands of this degraded race of human beings ; and it is clear to my mind, if Method- ist preachers had kept clear of slavery themselves, and gone on bearing honest testimony against it, that thousands upon thousands more would have been emancipated who are now groaning under an oppres- sion almost too intolerable to be borne. Slavery is certainly a domestic, political, and moral evil. Go into a slave community, and you not only see the dreadful evils growing out of the system in the almost universal licentiousness which prevails among the slaves themselves, but their young masters are often tempted and seduced from the paths of virtue, from the associations in which they are placed ; and there is an under-current of heart-embittering feeling of many ladies of high and noble virtue, growing out of the want of fidelity of their husbands, and the profli- gate course of their sons. Let any one travel through slave states, and see the thousands of mixed blood, and PETER CARTW RIGHT. 129 then say if I have misrepresented the dreadful causes of domestic disquietude that often falls with mountain weight on honorable wives and mothers. And although, in the infancy of this republic, it seemed almost im- possible to form a strong and democratic confederacy, and maintain their independence without compromis- ing constitutionally this political evil, and thereby fixing a stain on this " Land of the free and home of the brave," yet it was looked npon as a great national or political evil, and by none more so than General Washington, the father of the republic. I w^ill not attempt to enumerate the moral evils that have been produced by slavery ; their name is legion. And now, notwithstanding these are my honest views of slavery, I have never seen a rabid abolition or free-soil so- ciety that I could join, because they resort to unjusti- fiable agitation, and the means they employ are generally unchristian. They condemn and confound the innocent with the guilty ; the means they employ are not truthful, at all times ; and I am perfectly satis- fied that if force is resorted to, this glorious Union will be dissolved, a civil war will follow, death and carnage will ensue, and the only free nation on the earth w^ill be destroyed. Let moral suasion be used to the last de2:ree for the sake of the salvation • of the slaveholders, and the salvation of the slaves. Let us not take a course that w^ill cut ofi:' the Gospel from them, and deliver them over to the unco veu anted mercies of God, or the anathemas of the devil. I have had glorious revivals of religion among the slaves, and have seen thousands of them soundly converted to God, and have stood by the bedside of the dying slave, and have heard the swelling shout of Christian victory from the dying negro as he entered the cold waters of the river of Jordan. 130 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF At our Breckenridge Circuit camp-meeting the fol- lowing incident occurred. There were a Brother S. and family, ^vho were the owners of a good many slaves. It was a fine family, and Sister S. was a very intelligent lady, and an exemplary Christian. She had long sought the blessing of perfect love, but she said the idea of holding her fellow-beings in bond- age stood out in her way. Many at this meeting sought and obtained the blessing of sanctification ; Sister S. said her whole soul was in an agony for that blessing, and it seemed to her at times that she could almost lay hold, and claim the promise, but she said her slaves would seem to step right in between her and her Saviour, and prevent its reception ; but while on her knees, and struggling as in an agony for a clean heart, she then and there covenanted with the Lord, if he w^ould give her the blessing, she w^ould give up her slaves and set them free. She said this covenant had hardly been made one moment, when God filled her soul with such an overwhelming sense of Divine love, that she did not really know whether she was in or out of the body. She rose from her knees, and proclaimed to listening hundreds that she had obtained the blessing, and also the terms on which she had obtained it. She went through the vast crowd with holy shouts of joy, and exhorting all to taste and see that the Lord was gracious, and such a power attended her words that hundreds fell to the ground, and scores of souls were happily born into the kingdom of God that afternoon and during the night. Shortly after this they set their slaves free, and the end of that family was peace. There was another circumstance happened at this camp-meeting that I will substantially relate. It was one of our rules of the camp-meeting that the men PETER CARTWRIGHT. 131 were to occupy the seats on one side of the stand, and the ladies the other side, at all hours of public worship. But there was a young man, finely dressed, with his bosom full of ruffles, that would take his seat among the ladies ; and if there was any excitement in the congregation, he would rise to his feet, and stand on the seats prepared for the occupancy of the ladies. I reproved him several times; but he would still persist in his disorderly course. At length, I re- pToved him personally and sharply, and said, "I mean tliat young man there, standing on the seats of the ladies, with a ruffled shirt on." And added, " I doubt not that ruffled shirt -was borrowed." This brought him off the seats in a mighty rage. He swore he would whip me for insulting him. After a while, I was walking round on the outskirts of tlie congregation ; and he had a large company gathered round him, and w^as swearing at a mighty rate, and saying he would certainly whip me before he left the ground. I walked up, and said, " Gentlemen, let me in here to this fellow." They opened the way. I walked up to him, and asked him if it was me he was cursing, and going to whip. He said it was. "Well," said I, "we will not disturb the congre- gation fighting here ; but let us go out into the woods, for if I am to be whipped, I want it over, for I do not like to live in dread." So we started for the woods, the crowd pressing after us. I stopped and requested every one of them to go back, and not a man to follow ; and assured them if they did not go back, that I would not go another step; they then turned back. The camp- tM AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ground was fenced in. When we came to the fence I put ni)^ left hand on the top rail and leaped over. As I lighted on the other side one of mj feet struck a grub, and I had well-nigh sprained my ankle; it gave me a severe jar; and a pain struck me in. the left side from the force of the jar, and involuntarily I put my right hand on my left side, where the pain had struck me. My redoubtable antagonist had got on the fence, and looking down at me, said, " D — n you, you are feeling for a dirk, are you ?" • As quick as thought, it occurred to me how to ge\ clear of a whipping. " Yes," said I ; " and I will give you the benefit of all the dirks I have ;" and advanced rapidly toward him. He sprang back on the other side of the fence from me. I jumped over after him, and a regular foot race followed. I was so diverted at my cowardly bully's rapid retreat that I could not run fast ; so he escaped, and I missed my whipping. There was a large pond not very far from the camp- ground, and what few rowdies were there, concluded they would take my bully and duck him in that pond as a punishment for his bad conduct; so they decoy- ed him off there, and they got a long pole, and stripped some hickory bark, and securing him on the pole, two of them, one at each end, waded in and ducked him nearly to death ; he begged and prayed them to spare his life ; he promised them that he would never misbehave at meeting again, and that he would immediately leave the ground if they would let him go. On these conditions they released him, and I got clear of my ruffle-shirted dandy. It may be asked what I would have done if this fellow had gone with me to the woods. This is hard PETETw CART WRIGHT. 133 to answer, for it was a part of my creed to love every- body, but to fear no one ; and I did not permit myselt to believe any man could whip me till it was tried; and I did not permit myself to premeditate expe- dients in such cases. I should no doubt have propo- sed to him to have prayer first, and then followed the openings of Providence. This year there was a considerable decrease in membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, owing chiefly to the war with England ; and w^e felt the sad effects of war throughout the West, perhaps as sensibly as in any part of the Union. A braver set of men never lived than was found in this Western world, and many of them volunteered and helped to achieve another glorious victory over the legions of England, and her savage allied thousands. Of course there were many of our members went into the war, and deemed it their duty to defend our common coun- try under General Jackson. In the fall of 1813, October 1st, our Conference was held at Rees's Chapel, Tennessee, and for 1813-14 our appointments remained pretty much as they were before. I was returned to the Green River District ; this year the Missouri District was formed, and ad- mitted as part of the Tennessee Conference. In the course of this year, or about this time, there Avere new fields of labor entered by our preachers along the Cumberland River, near the line between Ten- nessee and Kentucky. We preached in new settle < ments, and the Lord poured out his Spirit, and we had many convictions and many conversions. It was the order of the day, (though I am sorry to say it,) that we were constantly followed by a certain set of proselyting Baptist preachers. Tl^ese new and wicked settlements were seldom visited by these Baptist 184 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF preachers until the Methodist preachers entered them ; then, when a revival was gotten np, or the work of God revived, these Baptist preachers cj»me rushing in, and they generally sung their sermons ; and when they struck the long roll^ or their sing-song mode of preaching, in substance it was " water !" " water !" " you must follow your blessed Lord down into the water !" I had preached several times in a large, populous, and wicked settlement, and there were serious attention, deep convictions, and a good many conversions ; but, between my occasional ap- pointments, these preachers would rush in, and try to take our converts off into the water ; and, indeed, they made so much ado about baptism by immersion, that the uninformed would suppose that heaven was an island, and there was no way to get there but by diving or fiwimrning. Among the Baptist preachers that rushed in on us in this new settlement there came along a lank, long- legged, and extremely illiterate and ignorant old preacher by the name of H s, and he was as im- pudent as a wolf. He sent an appointment, and he was to blow the Methodists sky high. I had never seen him, nor had he ever seen me. I heard of his appointment, and concluded that I would go ; and if he really killed all the Methodists, if I could muster force enough I would bury them out of the way. The time came on, and this mighty Goliath appeared, with two armor-bearers. I stayed out until he com- menced the battle, then I moved into the congrega- tion, and took my seat with pen, ink, and paper ; thinking if I was to be killed, and he did not dispatch me too suddenly, i would at least try to write my will. He commenced the battle by warning the people to take care of these Methodist preachers that PETER CARTWRIGHT. 181^ wore black broadcloth coats, silk jackets, and fair- topped boots, and a watch in their pockets ; that rode fine fat horses, &c. He then said he would tell them how these Methodist preachers got the money to buy all these fine clothes and horses. He said, that in order to join the Methodist Church, the preachers received twenty-five cents for every one that they took into the Church, and twenty-five cents for every baby they sprinkled, and that these babiea were considered members of the Church, and thus that every member, adult or infant, had to pay a dollar a head annually ; and that these moneys con- stituted a large fund, and the Methodist preachers could well afibrd to dress fine and ride fat horses. But, said he, here is poor old H s, (alluding to himself,) if he can get a wool hat and a wallet of dumplings he is content, and thinks himself well oif. Now, said he, my dear brethren, these Methodist preachers often remind me, in the doctrine they preach, of the manner of certain men that catch monkeys in certain countries. The monkeys are very fond of black haws ; the monkey-catchers go and scat- ter these black haws around the roots of the trees in which the monkeys are, and then they retire : the monkeys come down and devour the haws. The next time these monkey-catchers come they bring sheep-safiron, that very much resembles black haws. They scatter the sheep-saflTron around the roots of the trees and retire, and the poor, simple monkeys eat up the saflfron, and it makes them so sick they cannot climb, but lie down, and then these men rush out and catch them. So it is, said he, my brethren, with these Methodist preachers. They preach some truth,, which takes with the people^ then they come with tlieir sheep-saffron, or rotten doctrine, and the poori. 136 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF simple people, like the foolisli monkeys, swallow down these false doctrines, and it makes them sick, and then these Methodist preachers catch them. He then compared Methodist preachers to a boy climbing a pole, (fee. You may be sure this was a deadly shot. As soon as he was done, to keep up appearances, he said, if there was any one present that wanted to reply to him, let him come forward. I arose, and marched up, and took the stand, and in a very little time nailed all his lies to the counter ; and by re- spectable gentlemen out of any Church proved his statements to be false, and poured round upon round on him so hot and so fast, that he started for tlie door. I ordered him to stop, and told him, if he did not, I would shoot him in the back for a tory ; he got out at the door. He was taken so at surprise, and charged on so suddenly, that he forgot his hat, and he peeped round the door-chink at me. I blazed away at him till he dodged back, and started off, bare-headed, for home, talking to himself by the way. As he retreated in this situation he was met by a gen- tleman, who hailed him, and said, ^' Mr. H- s, what is the matter ? where is your hat ?" " O Lord !" he exclaimed, "that Methodist bull-dog Cartwright came to my meeting, and opened a fire on me that no mortal man could stand, and I left." " Come," said the gentleman, " go back and get your hat." " Ko," said he, "I will not go back, if I never see another hat on earth." This encounter blowed this proselyt- ing, sheep-stealing preacher to never, where anothei Baptist preacher that I once heard of would have gOi:ie to, if he had jumped off. I^ow I must explain this allusion a little. At an early day I heard a Baptist preacher preach, and toward the close he alluded to his own experience. When in a PETER CARTWRIGHT. IM state of conviction, lie said he was in great distress ; he sought relief on the right and left, but found none, and at length he said he thought he would start off and travel to the ends of the yearth^ and when he got there •that he would jump ofi"; and now stopping suddenly, he asked his congregation, " Where do you think I would have gone to ?" and answering for them, said he, "I should have gone to NEVER." While I am giving a few strictures on the unworthy conduct of a few of the preachers of this denomina- tion, I will state another incident that occurred about this time. I settled on a little new place, near the road leading from Hopkinsville, Christian County, to Eussellville, Logan County, Kentucky, and was desti- tute of stabling. Presently there rode up an old gentleman and a youth he called his son. He asked me if Peter Cartwright, a Methodist preacher, lived there. ■. I answered he did. He asked, "Are you the man?" I answered, " Yes." "Well," said he, "I am a Baptist preacher, have been to Missouri after this my sick son, and I have called to stay all night with you." I told him to do so, and alight and come in. I disposed of their horses as best I could, supper Was prepared, and they partook of our fare. After supper they both stepped into the other room, and when they returned I smelled whisky very strongly ; and although these were not the days of general temperance as now going on, yet I thought it a bad sign for a preacher to smell very strong of whisky, but said nothing. When we were about to retire to bed, I set out the books and said, " Brother^ it is our custom to have family prayer; take the books and lead in family prayer." He began to make 138 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OP excuses and declined. I urged liim strongly, but he refused, so I took the books, read, sung, and prayed ; but he would not sing with me, neither did he, nor his son, kneel when we prayed, ^ext morning the family was called together for family prayer ; again I invited him to pray with us, but he would not. As soon as prayer was over he went into the other room, and brought out his bottle of whisky ; he asked me tc take a dram. I told him I did not drink spirits. He offered it to all my family, but they all refused. After breakfast he and his son harnessed up their horses to start on their way home. " Perhaps, brother," said he, " you charge ?" . " Yes," said I, " all whisky-drinking preachers, tha< will not pray with me, I charge." " Well," said he, " it looks a little hard that one preacher should charge another." "Sir," said I, "you have given me no evidence that you are a preacher, and I fear you are a vile im- postor ; and when any man about me drinks whisky, and will not pray with me, preacher or no preacher, I take a pleasure in charging him full price ; so haul out your cash." He did so, but very reluctantly. I am glad these unworthy examples of these preach- ers do not apply to the Baptist ministry geiierally, but many of them are friends of temperance, and scorn the contemptible business of proselyting mem- bers from other Churches. So may they continue, and give up their exclusive -.baptism by immersion. PETER CARTWRIGHT 189 CHAPTEK Xn. CAMP-MEETING INCIDENTS. On the 29th September, 1814, our Tennessee Confer- ence commenced its session atKenerley's Chapel, nine miles north of Russellville, Logan County, Kentucky. Bishops Asbury and M'Kendree were both present. These two venerable bishops of the Methodist Epis- copal Church were both single men, and lived and died without ever marrying. There is no doubt but the scanty means of a support, and the vast field of their pastoral labor, induced them to remain unmarried, and devote their whole time to the building up the Church. Their field of ministerial labor was from East to West, from North to South, all over these United States and Territories, and the British Provinces in Canada. The Union itself was in its infancy. When these men bestowed the most of their ministerial labor, we had j ast thrown off the yoke of the British government, just ended a bloody war; great scarcity of money prevailed ; the Methodist Churches were few, feeble, and poor; a single man in that early day was only allowed sixty-four, eighty, and never more than one hundred dollars, and the bishops no more than any other single traveling preacher, and always dependent on the voluntary contributions of the people for this small pittance. Many of our married preachers had been starved into a location, and many more, during their illustrious sacrificing lives, were actually com- pelled to desist from traveling for want of means of 140 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP support for their families. From the poverty of the Chm-ch, and tlie vastness of the field of their itinerant life, Mr. Asbiirj, and Bishop M'Kendree too, advised the traveling preachers to remain single ; hut a few years proved to these devoted bishops themselves that Methodist preachers were hut men, subject to like passions with other men. The various courtships and. marriage contracts, to be consummated at some future and distant day, satisfied these devoted men of God that it was better for even Methodist preachers to marry than to remain single, after they had formed a ministerial character ; and although I had traveled ten years, had a wife and two children, and had acted as steward of the Conference for several years, yet up to this time, as I have elsewhere stated in this narrative, no allowance had been made for me, or any other traveling married preacher, for house rent and table expenses, or for our children. At this conference. Bishop Asbury came with ten dollars for every traveling preacher's child or children born in the traveling connection. This money he had begged from door to door down East, in the older and wealthier conferences, for the sufi"ering children of the married traveling itinerants in the West. This, indeed, was a fatted calf to many of us, who had re- ceived hardly enough to keep soul and body together. At this conference the stewards were instructed to settle all the claims of the preachers and their families as the Discipline provides. By an examination of the Minutes, it will be seen that the Ohio Conference still had its six presiding- elder districts, and Tennessee eight districts, (for 1814-15.) For several years, about this time, our increase of members was small, owing to the war and rumors of war. The traveling preachers in the Ohio PETER CARTWRIGIIT. 141 Conference had increased to sixty- three, and in the Tennessee Conference to sixtj-six. At a camp-meeting holden tliis year, in the edge of Tennessee, for tlie Christian Circuit, there were a great many people attended, and among them a gang of rowdies.. The ringleaders of the rowdies went by the names of J. P. and William P., two brothers; their parents were fine members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. I found it would be hard to keep order, and I w^ent to J. P., and told him I wanted him to help me keep order. Said I, "These rowdies are all afraid of you; and if you will help me, you shall be captain, and choose your own men." He said he did not want to engage in that way; but if I would not bind him up too close, but let him have a little fun, away off, he w^ould then promise me tliat we should have good order in the encampment through the meeting. I said, " Yery w^ell ; keep good order in the con- gregation, and if you have any little fun, let it be away off, where it will not disturb the worship of God." There came into the congregation a young, awk- ward fellow, that w^ould trespass on our rules by seat- ing himself all the time among the ladies. It was very fashionable at that time for the gentlemen to roach their hair ; and this young man had a mighty bushy roached head of hair. I took him out several times- from among the women, but he would soon bo back again. I told J. P. I wished he would attend to this young man. " Yery well," said he ; and immediately sent off and got a pair of scissors, and planted his company about a half mile off'; then sent for this young fel- iov»', under the pretense of giving him something to 142 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF drink. "When they got him out there, two of them, one on each side, stepped up to him with drawn dirks, and told him they did not mean to hurt him if he would be quiet ; but if he resisted or hallooed, he was a dead man. They said they only wanted to roach his hair, and put him in the newest Kashville fashion. The fellow was scared almost to death, but made no resistance whatever. Then one with the scissors commenced cutting his hair, and it was hag gled all over at a masterly rate. When they were done shearing him, they let him go ; and he came straight to the camp-ground. Just as he entered it, I met him; he was pale as a cloth. He took oif his hat, and said, "See here, Mr. Cartwright, what them rowdies have done !" I had very hard work to keep down my risibilities ; but I told him he had better say nothing about it, for if he did, they might serve him worse. He soon disappeared, and inter- rupted us no more during the meeting. Our camp-ground was right on the bank of a creek. Just behind the preachers' camp, there was about room enough to place two or three carriages ; then the bank of the creek, which was about ten feet high. ISiot far from the shore was a deep hole of water, about six feet deep. William P., the brother of my captain of order, was very rude, and I reproved him sharply. I understood that he swore he w^ould run my carriage (which I had placed behind the preacher's tent, right on the bank) into the creek. There was but one way to pass to my carriage. At night I lay watching, with a good stick in my hand ; and presently I saw WiUiam take hold of my carriage, and begin to turn it, in order to run it down the bank mto the creek. I slipped out, and rushed upon him with my cudgel. I was in the only j^athway; and PETER CARTWRIGHT. 14^ he, fearing a good knock-down, leaped over the bank right into the deep hole of water, and came out on the other side, and ran off. It made him very angry that he was defeated. He Bwore that he would have satisfaction out of me before the meeting was over. In the meantime, the j^ower of God fell on the people gloriously ; many hardened sinners were arrested, and a great many were con- verted ; and on Sunday the mighty power of God was felt to the utmost verge of the congregation. On Sunday night, our altar was crowded with weeping penitents. While I was in the altar, laboring with the mourners, I saw Wilham come up and lean on the pale, on the outside of the altar. I kept my eye on him ; and suddenly he leaped over into the altar, and fell at full length, and roared like a bull in a net, and cried aloud for mercy. "While I was talking to and praying for him and others, I trod on something near where he had been standing that felt soft. I stooped down and looked, and lo and behold, what should it be but a string of frogs, strung on a piece of hickory bark ! I took them up, and carried them into the tent, not knowing what it meant. Just about daybreak, Monday morning, William P. raised the shout of victory, after struggling hard all ii:ght. Our meeting went on gloriously all that day, and for several days and nights, with very lit- tle preaching or intermission; and many were the happy subjects of converting grace. Some time on Monday, my notorious William came to me, and told me that he gathered and strung that batch of frogs, and brought them to the altar, intending, while I was stooping and praying for the mourners, to slip them over my head and round my neck; and while he was oeeking an opportunity to do this, the mighty power 144 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF of Goi\ fell on liim. He said he never wanted to be any nearer hell than he felt himself to be when the power of God arrested him. Many of the very worst rowdies that attended this meeting were struck down and converted to God ; and thus ended the Frog Campaign. About seventy joined the Church There was another incident which occurre^I at this meeting that I will relate. Not very distant from Hopkinsville, near which town I lived, there was u very interesting, fashionable, wealthy family, who were raised with all the diabolical hatred that a rigidly enforced predestinarian education could im- part against the Methodists. It had pleased God, at a camp-meeting near them, that I superintended, to arrest the wife and two of the daughters of the gen- tleman who was the head of this family, and they were powerfully converted, and joined the Methodist Church, and, as is common, they felt greatly attached to me as the instrument, in the hands of God, of their salvation. This enraged the husband and father of these interesting females very much. He not only threatened to whip me, but to kill me. He said I must be a very bad man, for all the women in the country were falling in love with me ; and that I moved on their passions and took them into the Church with bad intentions. His eldest daughter, a fine, beautiful, intelligent young lady, wanted to attend the above-men- tioned camp-meeting, and bespoke a seat in my car- riage, in company with others going to the same meet- ing. At first her father swore she should not go ; but on second thought he consented, but told his wife and daughter that he would go along, and that he would watch me closely, and that he had no doubt, before he would return, he would catch me at my devilment, and be able to show the world that I was a bad man, PETER CART WRIGHT. 145 and put a stop to the women all running mad after this bad preacher. His daughter made ready, and we all started. We liad about twenty-eight miles to go to reach the encampment. His daughter thought it her duty to tell me the designs of her father, and said she hoped I would be on my guard, for she verily thought that her father was so enraged that if he could not get something to lay to my charge to ruin my character as a preacher, that he would kill me from pure malice. I told her, of course, I was wide awake, and duly sober, and I had not the least fear but what God would give me her father as a rescued captive from the devil before the camp-meeting closed. Said I, " You must pray hard, and the work will be done." I said to her, " It is not the old big devil that is in your father ; it must be a little weakly, sick- ly devil that has taken possession of him, and I do not think that it will be a hard job to cast him out. Now," said I, ''If God takes hold of your father and shakes him over hell a little while, and he smells brimstone right strong, if there was a ship-load of these little sickly dev- ils in him, they would be di-iven out just as easy as a tornado would drive the regiments of musquitoes from around and about those stagnant ponds in the coun- try. Cheer up, sister ; I believe God will give me your father before we return." Seeing me so bold and con- fident she wept, and raised the shout in anticipation of so desirable an event. When we got to the camp- ground I had the company and their horses all taken care of, and then said to this man : " We have a large preachers' tent, well provided with good beds ; come, you must go with me and lodge in the preachers' tent." He seemed taken by surprise, and hesitated, but I took him right into the tent. " Kow, sir," said I, " make yourself at home, for I hope to see you soundly con- 10 146 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF verted before this camp-meeting comes to a close." I saw his countenance fall, and perhaps this was the starting-point of his deep and pungent convictions. The trumpet sounded for preaching ; I mounted the stand and preached ; this man came and heard me. I saw clearly from his looks, that he was convicted, and had a hard struggle in his mind. He said to me, after the meeting was over, that my taking him into the preachers' tent and treating him so kindly, was the worst whipping he ever got ; he could not sleep, he said. Sometimes he thought he was a poor mean devil to treat me as he had done ; and surely I must be a Christian, or I never could treat him so kindly after he had said so many hard and bitter things about me. As the meeting progressed his convictions in- creased till he could neither eat nor sleep. On Sunday night, when such a tremendous power fell on the congregation, and my gang of rowdies fell by dozens on the right and left, my special per- secutor fell suddenly, as if a rifle ball had been shot through his heart. He lay powerless, and seemed cramped all over, till next morning; and about sun- rise he began to come to. With a smile on his coun- tenance, he then sprang up, and bounded all over the camp-ground, with swelling shouts of glory and victory, that almost seemed to shake the encamp- ment. This was a glorious time for his daughter ; she came leaping and skipping to me, and shouted out that those little mean and sickly devils were cast out of her father. He joined the Church, went home, and for days the family did little else but sing, pray, and shout the high praises of God. From this family a blessed revival broke out and spread all round, and many were awakened and con- verted to God. O,. how often tlie devil overshoots PETER CARTWRIGHT. 147 the mark by inducing his subjects to persecute preachers and the Church. God is above the devil, and the devil can never be cast out until he is first raised, or waked up. Although I have never laid much stress on dreams, yet on Monday night of this camp-meeting 1 imd a dream that made some impression on my mind. 1 here relate it and what followed, and let it go for what it is worth ; for " what is the chaff to the wheat?" In my night visions I thought I went on a fishing expedition. I thought the fish bit well, and I drew up and threw out many excellent, fine fish. At length I felt that a large fish, or something else, had got hold of my hook. I began to draw what- ever it was out, but it came slow and pulled heavy. At length I drew it to land, when behold, it was a large mud turtle. I awoke, and lo it was a dream ; and I was glad of it. There had been in attendance on our camp-meet- ing, an old apostate Baptist preacher, who had left his wife, who was yet living, and taken up with a young woman, and they were actually living in open adultery. He had, as he said, been awfully convict- ed during the meeting. He said he knew he had once enjoyed religion, but had lost it. He knew he had lost it all, and that, therefore, the doctrine of the unconditional perseverance of the saints, which he had preached for many years, was false ; but he wanted to be saved, and he desired to join the Meth- odist Church. He said he belonged to a . secret society, and they had not excluded him from that society, and they were honorable, high-minded men. All this took place in the public congregation. I told him that if we, as a Church, could do him any good on fair Scriptural terms, we should be glad lo 146 AUTOBIOGRAPHY (IF do it. " Bnt," said I, " joii cannot be so ignorant as not to know that the word of God condemns your course, and if our sins are as dear to us as a right foot, or hand, or eye, they must be cut off, or plucked out, and cast from us, or we cannot enter heaven. ISTow, sir, are you w^illing, and will you give up this course of living, put away the woman with whom you are now living, and go and live with your law- ful wife, and will you do it now ?" Pie burst into tears, wrung his hands in apparent agony, and said he wanted to be saved. "But will 3^ou not take me in on trial six months ?" " No, sir, we will not, unless you- sacredly pledge yourself, before God and the Church, that you wilL from this moment, abandon your present course of living." He said he was afraid to promise this. " Then," said I, " it is altogether useless to say an- other word on the subject, for we will not, under any consideration, receive you even on tibial." So we parted, and I fear he was eternally lost. Now whether this was my mud turtle or not, about which I dreamed, I cannot say ; yet it really looked to me very much like it. A few years before this, there had been transferred from the Baltimore Conference, a warm-hearted, lively, and zealous preacher by the name of James Ward. His labors were greatly blessed, and some very powerful revivals of religion followed. There was also a tolerably popular Baptist minister, by the name of J. Y n, who attended several of Brother Ward's meetings; and whether he was in reality stirred up, or from other considerations, I will not pretend to judge, but so it was ; he started out on a large preaching scale. He was a tolerably good PETER CARTWRIGHT. 149 preacher, and he was popular, and he soon had a mighty stir in the Baptist Church, and hundreds joined that Church, and he baptized them. He greatly erred on one subject; that was, he took a great deal of pleasure in proselyting from other Churches and making them members of his Church, as he said, by "wetting their jackets," that is, im- mersing them. He had been very successful in the upper counties of Kentucky. I had once accidentally fallen in at one of his ap- pointments, and heard him preach, but had no intro- duction to him ; and from this circumstance I knew him, but he did not know me. About this time he sent a train of appointments down in the southern parts of Kentucky and West Tennessee, about ISTash- ville, etc., etc. I had been on to Baltimore, attend- ing General Conference, and was returning home near Hopkinsville, in Southern Kentucky, in the month of June. We traveled in those days mostly on horseback. It was very warm, and dusty riding. When I got to Nashville I was informed that Mr, Y. had just closed a protracted meeting in l^ashville, and was to start for Hopkinsville that morning, and that it was probable I would fall in w^ith him ; and so it turned out. A few miles from I^ashville I fell in with him. It being so warm and dusty I had pulled oif my coat and neckerchief, and tied them on behind me, and of course I was very dirty, and looked, I suppose, very little like a preacher. I rode up and spoke to Mr. V., and he to me. I had, in one respect, the advantage of him. I knew him, but he did not know me, but I studiously avoided calling him by name. He was very familiar and loquacious. "You arc travel] nor, sir?" " Yes, sir," was my reply. 150 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF " What parts are you from ?" " I am directly from the City of Baltimore," said L " Well, what is the news in that country ?" said he. " IN'othing very strange," said I. " Well," said he, " what is the most prevalent re ligion, or most numerous denomination in that city V' " Well," said I, " those despicable Methodists are the most numerous of any Protestant Church there," answering him with a view to draw him out. " Well," said he, " that is a pity, for they are on a very rotten and sandy foundation." "Yes," said I, "but perhaps the people might fall into worse hands." "Hardly," said he. "But, sir, how are the Baptists prospering in and about Baltimore ?" " Well," said I, " the Baptists are hardly known in that country." "Are you not mistaken, sir?" " 1^0, sir, I am not mistaken." " Well, what can be the cause of that ?" " Why, sir, it is not strange at all ; the Baptists are exclusive immeseionists, and won't commune with any other Christian denomination ; and they, on these principles, cannot flourish among an enlightened and intelligent religious community." Just here the battle commenced, and this was what I wanted. He began to eulogize the Baptists, and contended that their mode of baptism was the only one that was Scriptural. The battle, or argument, lasted several hours, as we rode on side by side ; but at length he showed unmistakable signs of confu- sion, for he left the held of argument, and began to boast of the hundreds of Methodists and Presbyterians that he had immersed, and said " he was on his way then to Hopkinsville, and expected to immerse many PETEB CARTWKIGHT. 161 of the Methodists, the converts of Peter Cartwright, a Methodist preacher that lived down there; and, sir," said he, "there is no Scripture for infant baptism." I then asked the following questions : " Do you believe that all children are saved, and go to heaven, and that there is not one infant in hell r " Certainly I do," said he. " Well, if there are no children in hell, and all children dying in minority go to heaven, is not that Church that has no children in it more like hell than heaven ?" This question closed our ai'gument, for he answered not at all. Just then we came to the forks of the road ; the right, which he was to go, led to Russellville, and the left, my road, to Hopkinsville. As we shook hands and parted, said I, " Mr. Y., I know you, and have the advantage of you ; my name is Peter Cartwright; I live two miles from Hopkinsville, where you are going next week to wet so many of the jackets of my Methodist members ; call and stay all night with me ; I will lielp you make out your notes, and will see to the wetting of the jackets of my members." He promised to do so, but never came to my house. He attended to his appointments, but wet no Methodist jackets, and never succeeded in winning any great spoils in that region of country. He flourished a while; then joined the Campbellites ; then left them, and returned to the Baptist Church, as I am informed ; then moved to Missouri, and died. I hope his end was peaceful. 162 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHAPl'EE Xm. BISHOP ASBURY. In the fall of 1815 our Conference was holden at Bethlehem Meeting-house, in Wilson County, Tennes- see. Bishops Asbury and M'Kendree attended, though they were both in feeble health ; and this was the last Conference in the West that we were permitted to see Bishop Asbury. He preached to us with great unction and power, though in extremely feeble health, not able to stand, and had to sit while he spoke to u& for the last time. At this Conference we elected oui delegates to the General Conference, which was to meet in Baltimore on the first of May, 1816. After the election was over, Bishop Asbury called us (that is, the delegates elected) to his room, and then and there told us about the dissatisfaction that had made its appearance among some of the preachers with the government of the Methodist Episcopal Church, ex- plained the cause, and advised us to hold fast to the landmarks of Discipline with a firm grasp. His whole soul seemed to go out after the unity of Mctli- odism, and to adopt every prudential measure to pre- vent any schism among us. He was very desirous to reach the General Conference ; but the Lord ordered it otherwise ; for, after he left Tennessee to go to South Carolina, he was attasked with a complication of diseases ; but still slowly moved on north, in hope of meeting the General Conference in Baltimore, On the 24th of March he reached Kichmond, Yir- PETER CART-WRIGHT. 158 ginia, where lie preached his last sermon. Behig too feeble to walk, he was carried in the arms of his friends to the house of God, and then propped on a table ; there, as he sat, he delivered his last message to mortal man, hardly able to do so for w^ant of breath. His sermon had a thrilling effect npon the congrega- tion. After preaching he was borne back to his carriage, and still urged on his way toward Baltimore. But when he arrived at the house of his old friend, Mr. George Arnold, about twenty miles south of Fredericsburgh, Yirginia, he could proceed no further. It was on Friday evening, the 29tb of March, when this man of God, who had traveled half a century near three hundred thousand miles, was taken from his carriage the last time. He lingered till Sunday, the 31st of March, in great distress of body. On that day, at the usual hour of religious worship, he re- quested the family to come together. The Rev. John W. Bond, who had been his traveling companion for two years, prayed, and read and expounded the twenty- first chapter of Revelation. During these exercises the dying man of God was calm, and much engaged in prayer. A few minutes after the close of these re- ligious services, as he was sitting in his chair, with his head reclined on the hand of his faithful attendant, without a struggle or a sigh, he fell asleep in death. He was buried in the family burying-ground of Brother Arnold, at whose house he died; but the Gen- eral Conference, at its session on the 1st of May, 1816, at the request of the people of Baltimore, ordered liis remains removed, and deposited in a vault prepared for that purpose beneath the pulpit of Eutaw-street Church. Tlie reinterment of this great and good man pre- sented a scene of the most thrilling interest that I 154 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ever beheld. The body was followed from the Light- street to the Eutaw-street Church by a vast concourse of people. At the head of the procession marched Bishop M'Kendree, the faithful colleague of the do parted Asbury; next followed the members of the General Conference, and last came the people in al- most unnumbered thousands. Bishop M'Kendree pronounced the funeral oration, and many were the tears shed by the weeping attendants ; and the mortal body of the venerable Bishop Asbury was laid to rest till the general resurrection. Over the vault is inscribed the following epitaph : Saoeed to the memory of THE REV. FPvANCIS ASBURY, Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, He was Born in England, August 20th, 1745 ; Entered the Ministry at the age of seventeen; Came a Missionary to America, 1771 ; Was ordained Bishop in this city December 27th, 1784; Annually visited the Conferences in the United States, with much zeal ; continued to preach the word for more than half a century ; and literally ended his labors with his life, near Fredericsburgh, Virginia, in the full triumph of faith, on the 31st of March, 1816, aged 70 years, 7 months, and 11 days. His remains were deposited in this vault. May 10th, 1816, , by the General Conference then sitting in this city. • His Journals will exhibit to posterity his labors, his difficulties, his sufferings, his patience, his perseverance, his love to God and man. His remains were again removed from this vault, and deposited, by order of the General Conference of 1852, in a cemetery near Baltimore ; and a monument is raised to perpetuate his memory to future generations. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 166 , I will here state a case, in reference to Bishop As- bury's transcendently superior talent to read men, which occurred at one of our western conferences. The conference had been preceded with glorious re- vivals of religion, and many of the wealthy, and some of the learned, had joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, among whom were two very learned young men ; one of them the son of a very distinguished, learned teacher, the other the son of a general — a dis- tinguished, wealthy man. Both of these young men professed to have a call to the ministry, and came with a recommendation to the Conference to be received on trial in the traveling connection. They w^ere both present, and Bishoj) Asbury had narrowly observed their conduct and conversation. At the proper time Brother Learner Blackman, their presiding elder, presented their recommendations. He spoke of them in the highest terms, and considered them a great ac- quisition to the ministry and the Church. The Con- ference received them with great unanimity. Bishop Asbury had sat with his eyes nearly shut. After they were received he seemed to wake up. " Yes, yes !" he exclaimed ; '' in all probability they both will dis- grace you and themselves before the year is out." And sure enough, in six months one was riding the circuit with a loaded pistol and a dirk, threatening to shoot and stab the rowdies ; the other w^as guilty of a misdemeanor, and in less than nine months they w^ere both out of the Church. Bishop Asbury would often say to the preachers, "You read books, but I read men." "We received our appointments for this conference year, 1815-16, with but little dissatisfaction. I was returned to the Green Kiver District. Our increase of members or preachers, in the Ohio and Tennessee 156 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Conferences, was but small this year, thongli we had some increase. In tlie spring of 1816 our General Conference con- vened, on the 1st of May, in the city of Baltimore. This was the second delegated General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the first to which I was elected. We had no steamboats, railroad cars, or comfortable stages in those days. We had to travel from the ex- treme West on horseback. It generally took us neai a month to go ; a month was spent at General Con- ference, and nearly a month in returning to our fields of labor. How difi'erent the facilities of travel then and now. Bishop Asbury being dead, and Bishop M'Kendree' s health being poor, it became necessary to have two more bishops, and, accordingly, we elected Enoch George and R. R. Roberts, two good men, and tal- ented, regularly drilled in the itinerant work, and well prepared, from experience and practice, to sympathize with the seven hundred traveling preach- ers they had to station every year, suiting their tal- ents to over two hundred and fourteen thousand mem- bers in these United States and Territories, and the Provinces of Canada. This was a year of general prosperity throughout the connection ; over thirty thousand probationers had been added to the Church, Many of us feared that at the decease of Bishop Asbury, dissensions and divisions would arise and injure our beloved Zion ; but we had no question that gave us much trouble at that time. It is true, slavery was a troublesome matter to legislate on ; but the one-eyed creature called Rabid Abolitionism had, at that time, been just born, and had but just cut its teeth, and could not bite hard; and PETER CARTWRIGHT. 157 it is a notorious fact, that all the preachers from the slaveholding states denounced slavery as a moral evil ; but asked of the General Conference mercy and forbearance on account of the civil disabilities they labored under, so that we got along tolerably smooth. I do not- recollect a single Methodist preacher, at that day, that justified slavery. But O, how have times changed ! Methodist preachers in those days made it a matter of conscience not to hold their fellow-creatures in bondage, if it was practicable to emancipate them, conformably to the laws of the state in which they lived. Methodism increased and spread ; and many Methodist preachers, taken from comparative poverty, not able to own a negro, and who preached loudly against it, improved, and became popular among slaveholders ; and many of them married into those slaveholding families, and became personally inter- ested in slave property, (as it is called.) Then they began to apologize for the evil ; then to justify it, on legal principles ; then on Bible principles ; till lo' and behold ! it is not an evil, but a good! it is not a curse, but a blessing ! till really you would think, to hear them tell the story, if you had the means and did not buy a good lot of them, you would go to the devil for Qot enjoying the labor, toil, and sweat of this de- graded race, and all this without rendering them any equivalent whatever ! I will here repeat what I have elsewhere stated in this nan-ative : that I verily believe, if the Methodist preachers had gone on as in olden times, bearing a testimony against the moral evil of slavery, and kept clear of it themselves, and never meddled with it politically, and formed no free-soil or abolition soci- eties, and given all their money and the productions 158 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF of their pens in favor of the colonization organizations, that long before this time many of the slave states would have been free states ; and, in my opinion, this is the only effectual way to get clear of slavery. If agitation must succeed agitation, strife succeed strife, compromise succeed compromise, it will end in a dis- solution of this blessed Union, civil war will follow, and rivers of human blood stain the soil of our happy country. At this General Conference I heard, for the first time in my life, whisperings and innuendoes against the government of the Church. I suppose radicalism had just pipped. Many of our preachers that had traveled had, as I said before, married into slave- holding and otherwise wealthy families. Some of the first order of talent, that had located, began to say that local preachers ought to have a voice in the law- making department of the Church ; and in order to make friends, they said the laity ought to have a voice in all the Conferences ; but there was no special out- break at this General Conference. But the unhallowed leaven of disaffection spread ; the friends of reform (so called) established a press, and formed what they called Union Societies ; so that by public lectures, the Union Societies, and the press, by 1820, when the General Conference met again in Baltimore, it was astounding to see what evil disafiections had taken place. They then came out boldly. They wanted to revo- lutionize the whole government of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Many of our old and talented preachers were loud and bitter in complaints against our Church government ; and I was greatly alarmed to see so many strong, talented men carried away. Some of the hardest and bitterest things ever written or spoken against the power of the bishops, or the PETER CARTWRIGHT. 169 despotism of the itinerant preachers' administration, were spoken and written by men that were afterward made bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Southern Church. Motion after motion was made, resohition after resohition was introduced, debate fol- lowed debate, for days, not to say weeks. The rad- icals wanted to take away the power of the bishops to appoint preachers to their 'fields of labor ; especially to deprive them of the power to appoint presiding elders, and make them elective by the annual confer- ences ; to have a lay delegation, and many other things. Finally, they concentrated all their arguments to make presiding elders elective; but on counting noses, they found we had a majority, though small; and rather than be defeated, they moved for a com- mittee of compromise. Strong men from each side were chosen ; they patched up a sham compromise, as almost all compromises are, in Church or State. The committee reported in favor, whenever a pre- siding elder was needed for any district, the bishop should have the right to nominate three persons, and the conferences should have the right to elect one of the three. This report passed by a vote of about sixty ; there were twenty-three, if my recollection is correct, in the minority against it. This report having passed, the radicals had a real jubilee. It was the entering wedge to many other revolutionary projects ; and they began to pour them in at a mighty rate. I had, in my speech in debate on the subject, predicted that this would be the case. Our friends began to see their error, but it was well- nigh too late. In the meantime Bishop Soule, now of the Church, South, had been elected to the office of a bishop, and he informed the General Conference that he 160 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF could not be ordained, because he could not conscien- tiously administer tlie government according to this inglorious compromise. (Perhaps this was the best act that Bishop Soule ever performed.) In the meantime I visited the room of Bishop M'Kendree, who was too feeble to preside in the Conference. He wept, and said this compromise would ruin the Church forever if not changed, and advised that we make a united effort to suspend these rules or regulations for four years, and we counted votes, and found we could do it, and intro- duced a resolution to that effect. And now the war commenced afresh, and after debating the resolu- tion for several days, the radicals found that if the vote was put we would carry it, and they determined to break the quorum of the house, and for two or three times they succeeded. Bishop Roberts at length rebuked them sharply, and said, " If you can- not defeat the measure honorably, you ought not to do it at all. ISTow," said he, "keep your seats and vote like men." This awed several of them, and they kept their seats ; the vote was put and carried, and these obnoxious rules were suspended for four years. But peace and harmony were very far from being restored to the Church. A strong and violent effort was made for the next four years by the revolution- ists, to carry their radical measures, and thousands of our members became disaffected, and by their con- stant agitations disturbed the peace, and endangered the harmony of the Church, until it really became imperatively necessary to arrest these lawless disturb- ers of the peace of the Church. They were arrested, brought to trial, and expelled for rebellion against the constituted authorities of the Church. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 161 These wholesome and sahitaiy measures were, by these self-styled reformers, denounced as tyranny and despotism. At our next General Conference, in Balti- more, in 1824, the radical war against the Church still raged with unabated fury; but we still had a majority in favor of our old and well-tried govern- ment, and we succeeded, after long and tedious de- bate, in suspending those heretical rules for four years more. This was the death warrant to the revolution- ists. From this time, many of the preachers and members began calmly to review their ground of reform, and became well satisfied that it was all wrong; and they retraced their steps, and became able and efficient expositors of the polity of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The reaction threw death and destruction into the radical ranks, and created, as they thought, the ne- cessity of a separate organization. Accordingly, they set to work, and formed what they were pleased to call the Protestant Methodist Church, in which they incorporated all those radical measures for which they so strenuously contended before their amputa- tion or secession. They carried off thousands of our members, and many of our very talented preachers, and now they thought that they would sweep the world ; and truly they have swept it, for they formed a com- plete trash trap, and a great many of our unfaithful members and preachers, that walked disorderly and would not be reproved or cured, have gone into it, and upon the whole they have saved the Methodist Episcopal Church a great deal of trouble in trying and expelling disorderly preachers and members ; for whenever they were expelled or arraigned for misconduct, they fled to these seceders. They took them in, regardless of the crimes laid to their charge ; 11 162 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF and by 1828, when our General Conference sat in Pittsburgh, this little radical brat gave its last squeak among us, and we repealed those obnoxious rules and regulations. The Church was restored to peace and harmonious action, and we have done infinitely l)etter without them than wo did with them. Tliat this professed reform has proved, beyond any reasonable doubt, an entire failure, I think cannot be questioned by any impartial and unprejudiced mind. Over thirty years have rolled by since they organ- ized. They boasted that they commenced with ovei twenty thousand members, headed by a strong corps of talented preachers ; and after gathering up thou- sands of the expelled and disaffected members of the Methodist, as well as other Churches, their numerical strength at this day is not, perhaps, over seventy thousand. They have tried to their hearts' content their Presbyterian form of government and their lay delegation. Their operations remind one of an old horse-mill with about one third of the cogs out of the main wheel. There is a mighty jarring and jolting, and often a mighty strife about who shall be the big man. Woe to them that kick against the pricks. And now I say, and I speak with a respectful defer- ence, was there ever a heresy in doctrine or Church government that was not started by preachers ? Look at the ten thousand and one erroneous doctrines, schisms, and divisions, that have sprung up almost in every country and clime, and in almost every age, and then ask, was there not a preacher or preachera at the head of it ? And here I may speak with confi- dence, and say, so far as the Methodist Church is con- cerned, from the days of John "Wesley down to the present, there never has been a schism or a division in our Church but it was headed by a preacher or PETER CARTWRIGHT. 163 preachers, that have become wise above what is written. Witness the seven divisions among the Wesleyan Methodists in Enghmd ; then view the secessions in these United States, in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Look at Hammet in the South, at Stillwell in New-York ; see James O'Kelley in Virginia ; then behold the radical secession from 1820 to 1828 throughout the length and breadth of the land ; then come to the great secession of the South in 184:4. If these secessions had been left to the voice of our members, would they ever have taken place? ISTo, verily, no, will be the answer of every intelligent man, woman, and child. But these preachers took an ungodly advantage of the members who stood firmly and strongly opposed to a division of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and now, to keep up appearances, these very preachers, Avith their bribed judges, sneeringly call the Methodist Episcopal Church the Methodist Churchy Norths and say we are all rabid abolitionists, when they do verily know it is all false. At their late General Conference they have fully disclosed the cloven foot of the Slavery- loving preachers, for they have stricken out of their Discipline every rule on the subject of Slavery, and had well-nigh stricken out that part of the General Eules that interdicts the slave trade, (according to their interpretation.) I should not be greatly sur- prised if, in a few years, this rule goes by the board, and some of these Slavery-loving preachers are engaged in importing them by the thousands into this land of the free and home of the brave. O, kind Heaven, prevent it, and reclaim these wretched wan- derers ! And now, though we have spoken freely of preach- 164 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ers and their faults, their errors ought not to be con- cealed. But this fact is not, as we conceive, any tri- umph to infidelity, nor should it discourage the Church. Among the first twelve that Christ called to the blessed work of the ministry there were two that fatally erred : Judas betrayed and Peter denied him ; the love of money and the fear of man w^ere too strong for their religious attachment to Christ, and only proves the necessity of sacrificing everything for the immortal honors of the cross ; and although our sins are as near and dear to us as a right eye, hand, or foot, they must be plucked out, or cut oif, and cast from us, knowing it is better, infinitely better, to make these sacrifices than retain them all, and be cast into hell. What a sad account will many preachers have to give in the day of judgment, who have preached a free salvation to listening thousands, while their poor degraded slaves are deprived of many of the blessings of life, and privileges of civil and relig- ious liberty. These preachers must and do know that slavery is at war with the attributes and perfections of God, who will never punish the innocent or let the guilty go free. Who ever before knew of a professed slavery Church ? that is, one which justified slavery by the word of God ? Well may some of them be ashamed of their assumed name, Methodist Episcopal Cliurch^ Souths and wish to change it ; for it is evident that they can never preach the Gospel successfully in any country that opposes slavery ; for they could not, by possibility, have any confidence in such preachers ; and the poor slaves, in proportion to their capabilities of reasoning on the subject, just in that ratio must they lack confidence in such preachers. Nay, they must lack confidence in that God and religion that these preachers recom- PETER CARTWEIGHT. 165 mend to them, and I am solemnly afraid that thou- sands of these poor slaves will be lost under the influ- ence of these slaveholding preachers ; but I predict the downfall of such a Church, and hope by other men and means God will yet save the thousands of the South, and preserve our happy ZTnimi until it shall give liberty, civil and religious, to unnumbered mill- ions of the human family. 166 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF CHAPTER XIY. FORMATION OF EARLY CIRCUITS IN THE WEST. Our Annual Conference this year was held at Frank- lin, Tennessee, October 20th, 1816. Our increase this year in the West, including the Ohio and Tennessee Conferences, was 1,203. Our increase of traveling preachers in these two conferences was but two, owing to many locations for want of means of support. My four years on the Wabash and Green Kiver District having expired. Bishop M'Kendree told me he desired me to go to the Holston District ; but it was a long journey to move, and I had a young and increasing family, and I was poor. I asked him to be excused, but if he thought it best I would go ; but he appointed me to the Christian Circuit, in the Green River Dis- trict, James Axley presiding elder; this was the year 1816-17. It must be borne in mind that in the West we always received our appointments for the year in the fall of the previous year, and it must also be re- membered that the General Conference of 1816 formed the Missouri Conference, which covered that State, and Arkansas, Illinois, and Indiana States. Of course there was a considerable change in our work. Tliey also, at the same General Conference, formed the Mississippi Conference. The Ohio Conference was composed of Ohio, Muskingum, Scioto, Miami, and Kentucky Districts, live in number. The Missouri Conference was composed of Illinois and Missouri PETER CARTWRIGHT. lQ7 Districts, covering the principal settlements in four large states, though only two districts. It is probable that the first introduction of Method- ism in the State of Indiana was in 1802 or 1803. In the fall of 1804 Clark's Grant, or the Illinois Grant, as it was called, which was opposite and north of Louisville, was then included in the Salt Eiver and Shelby ville Cir- cuits, and Brother Benjamin Lakin and myself crossed the Ohio River, and preached at Brother Robertson's and Prather's. In this grant we had two classes, and splendid revivals of religion ; and if my recollection serves me correctly, this Illinois Grant was formed into a circuit in 1807-8, and Moses Ashworth was appointed to travel it ; it was called Silver Creek Cir- cuit. This w^as the first regular circuit ever formed in the State of Indiana, and composed of one hundred and eighty-eight members. The next circuit formed in the State of Indiana was called Yincennes Circuit, which I formed in 1808, at the time I fought the memorable battle with the Shakers, in the Busroe Settlement, elsewhere named in this narrative. This circuit was temporarily supplied probably till 1811 ; it then had 125 members, and Thomas Stillwell was its first regular preacher; it belonged to the Green River District. The first introduction of Methodism in the State of Illinois is hard to determine. The real pioneer and leader of Episcopal Methodism in the State of Illinois was Captain Joseph Ogle, who came to Illinois in 1Y85, and was converted undei* the preaching of James Smith, (Baptist,) of Kentucky, who visited and preached in Illinois in 1Y8T. The first Methodist preacher was Joseph Lillard, who visited this state in 1793, and formed a class in St. Clair County, and appointed Captain Ogle leader. The next Methodist preacher was John Clarke, who 168 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF was originally a circuit rider iu South Carolina, from 1791 to 1796, when he withdrew on account of slavery. He was the first man that preached the Gospel west of the Mississippi, in 1798. The Rev. Hosea Riggs was the first Methodist preacher that settled in Illinois, and he revived and reorganized the class at Captain Ogle's, formed by Lillard, which had dropped its regular meetings. From 1798 there seems to have been no regular preacherin Illinois till 1801; then Benjamin Young was sent as a missionary. In the fall of 1805 he returned sixty-seven members, and Joseph Oglesby was appoint- ed to succeed Brother Young on the Illinois Circuit. This circuit was in the Cumberland District, "Western Conference, and Lewis Garrett presiding elder, though I think he never visited Illinois. In 1806 Charles Methany was appointed to the Illinois Circuit. In 1807 Jesse "Walker was appointed to this circuit, and in 1808 John Clingan. All these early pioneer preach- ers have long since passed away and gone to their reward. " Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord ; they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." The Tennessee Conference was composed of Salt River, JSTashville, Cumberland, Green River, Holston, and French Broad Districts. The Mississippi Con- ference was composed of Mississippi and Louisiana Districts. Our old Western Conference had now, in four years from its first division, increased to fom- Annual Conferences, and they started in this form with the following ministers and members. Accord- ing to the Minutes of 1817, Ohio had 22,171 members, and 62 preachers ; Missouri had 3,173 members, and 23 traveling preachers ; Tennessee had 19,101 mem- bers, and 53 traveling preachers; Mississippi. Confer- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 169 ence had 1,941 members, and 11 traveliug preachers. Oar four conferences now covered the following states : Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Western Yirginia, and some appointments in ISTorth Carolina. In the fall of 1813 I had left the Christian Circuit for the District, with 713 members, and I now found 516, but parts of the circuit and membership had been merged into other circuits. I was without any helper, and it was a full four weeks' circuit. This year we had some glorious revivals. There was a small society of good members some five miles north of Hopkinsville ; one of our quarterly meetings was holden here, and a blessed work broke out; some seventy were converted and joined the Church. Several of these young converts made useful minis- ters in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Down near the Tennessee State line, there moved and settled two wealthy Methodist families, but they were surrounded by a strong settlement v/ho were very rigid Calvinists, raised to hate the Methodists. I took them in the circuit, but it being a week-day appointment, and strong prejudices against us, our congregations were small. These two families had over one hundred and twenty slaves, and the slaves were dreadfully wicked ; they were a drunken. Sab- bath-breaking, and thievish set of slaves. The masters were very humane and indulgent. There were but two, I believe, among them that were professors at all ; two old gray -headed men. One of them was a Methodist, the other was a Baptist ; both were exhort- ers among the people of color. The brother at whose house I preached was a plain, old-fashioned Method- ist in almost everything save slavery. I was opposed to slavery, though I did not meddle with it politically, 170 AL TOEiOGRAPnY OP yet I felt it my duty to bear my testimo> / igainst tL<5 moral wrong of slavery. Tlie old brother took some exceptions to my testimony against it I saw very plainly that in all probability these slaves mnst be lost. On week days they were under an overseer, and not permitted to hear preaching. Sundays they were out drinking and trading, selling brooms, bask- ets, and the little articles they manufactured. I felt distressed at the thought that they would be lost. At length I asked the old brother to give me the privi- lege to go to their cabins and preach to them ; he thought this too great a degradation for a preacher I told him if something was not done for them they would all be lost, and that God held him in a strong sense accountable, and that something must be done. He said he was willing I should preach to them if I would preach to them in his house. I told him I had this objection to that : "You white people will be pres- ent, and your very presence will embarrass them and me both. I want to talk to them as ignorant negroes, and tell them of all their drunkenness, stealing, acts of adultery, and Sabbath-breaking ; and I cannot do it if the white people are present." He then proposed to give the negroes the large room and entry, and that he and his brother-in-law's family would retire to another room. I said, "If you will let me lock you up, I will agree to it ." He assented. The appointment was made, and all the slaves of the two families directed to attend. I told John and Harry, the two black men that were exhorters, that if any impression was made on any of them, they must set out a mourners' bench, and assist me in talk- ing to and praying with them. The day rolled on ; I attended ; the room was full, and entry too. I locked up the white people, in PETER CARTWRIGHT. 171 another room and went in and took my stand. There was belonging to the old brother, a large, likely mu- latto man, the carriage-driver ; he dressed mnch finer than his master ; he came and took his stand in the door, his bosom full of ruffles. He looked scornfully on me, as good as to say, "Yes, you think you are going to do great things in preaching to us colored people." I sung and prayed; took my text; explained the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ; then told them of all their dirty deeds, in as plain language as I could command ; and then, in as warm an exhorta- tion as I could give, I warned them to flee from the wrath to come ; and just as I closed, the large ruffle- shirted carriage-driver fell full length on the floor, and made the house jar and tremble. In a few min- utes they fell right and left, till the place was strewed with them in every direction. John and Harry, my two armor-bearers, set out a bench, and gathered them to it till they could get no more, for the crowd ; and the first thing I knew, here were the old brother and his wife, his brother-in-law and wife, talking to and praying with the negroes, and several of their children down with the negroes praying for mercy at a mighty rate. Our meeting lasted all the afternoon and night, and there were forty conversions ; several of the white children among the rest. From this a blessed revival spread among the slaves, and many of them, I believe, were soundly converted. I took some seventy into the Church ; baptized them and their children. Several of these colored men made respectable local preachers to preach to the slaves around the country. These two old Methodist men said I had in a tem- poral sense bettered or enhanced the value of their servants more than a thousand dollars ; they cei'^sed 172 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF getting drunk, stealing, and breaking the Sabbath. This revival among the slaves, with many others that .1 have been engaged in, fully satisfies me that the Gospel ought to be carried to slaves and owners oi slaves; for if the religion of Jesus Christ will not finally bring about emancipation of the slaves, nothing else will. I am greatly astonished at many good Methodist preachers that say, " Don't carry the Gospel into slave states, but deliver over to the uncovenanted mercies of God slaves and their masters ;" for they say virtu- ally, none of them can be saved. But I know better; and unless freedom for the slaves is accomplished, under the redeeming influence of religion, this happy Union will be split from center to circumference, and then there will be an end to our happy and glorious republic. And if we do not carry the Gospel to these slaves and their masters, w^ho will? surely not the ministers who justify slavery by perverting the word of God ; and still more surely not abolition preachers, who by political agitation have cut themselves ofiT from any access to slaveholders or slaves. I w^sh we had a trained band of preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church who are willing to let our Discipline be as it is, to send into every slave state in the Union. Surely here is missionary ground that ought to be occupied with great care, for the salvation of the perishing thousands of the South, and for the final overthrow of slavery, under the benign influences of the Christian religion. There was another incident occurred this year, that I will mention in this place. Many of the early Methodists somehow imbibed the notion that a quarter of a dollar meant what we call quarter age ; and although many of them were wealthy, it was hard to convince them that twenty-five cents PETER CART WRIGHT. 17B were not quarterage, and that every member should pay according to his ability. This was one cause why so many of our preachers were starved into a location, and of necessity had to retire from the itinerant field. There were two wealthy families moved into my circuit from one of the old states, and settled in a very wicked neighborhood. They came to me, and insisted that I should take them into the circuit and preach to them. I did so ; and formed a class of five white members, and one old black man. The round on the circuit before the next quarterly meet- ing I told them, as none of them would go to the quarterly meeting, that if they had anything to send up as their quarterage to support the Gospel, if they would hand it to me, I would credit it to their names on the class paper. The old negro man stepped forward and laid down his quarter of a dollar. 'Next came his mistress ; she handed me two dollars; then came her husband and the master of the old black man, and threw down twenty-five cents. Said I, '^ Colonel, what is this twenty-five cents for?" Said he, " It is my quarterage." "Surely, colonel," said I, "you are going to givQ more than that." " ]^o, sir," said he ; "I will have you to know beg- gars are not to be choosers." "Well, sir," said I, "I will have you to know I am no beggar. I have a just claim on you, and you owe it to me ; and if you will not give me more than that, I will not have it." " Yery well," said he. So I left the money on the table. " And now, sir," 174 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF said I, " if you will not support the Gospel, I shall not leave any other appointment here, but will go and preach to those who are willing to support the Gospel." The old brother was considerably riled. His good lady expostulated with him ; but he was inexorable. The sister told me afterward that the colonel spent a sleepless night ; he kept twisting, and turning from side to side, and groaning all night. She spoke to him several times, and told him if he would resolve to be more liberal, his bad feelings would go off, and he would sleep better. The old brother got up the next morning, and after family worship, he said to me : " Brother, what ought I to give as quarterage ?" " O," said I, " brother, I can't answer that ques- tion; that is a matter between God and your con- science. But," said I, " brother, solve the following question, and you will know what you ought to give: If your old negro man, not worth ten dollars, gave twenty-five cents a quarter, what ought Colonel T., who has seventy slaves, two thousand acres of good land, several thousand dollars out at interest, and worth, at least, fifty thousand dollars, to give ?" The solving of this question stumped him, and his ^quarterage ever afterward, as long as I knew him, came by dollars and not cents. And when last I saw him, as I moved to Illinois, he stopped me in the road, and said: " Brother, I owe you a thousand dollars, and here's part of it," handing me a fifty dollar bill. His excellent wife, leaning on his arm, said to me, " I owe you as much as my husband, take a part," and handed me a twenty dollar bill. Thus I cured a quarter-of-a-dollar-quarterage member; and, my dear PETER CARTWRIGHT. 175 reader, if yon are one of these old dispensationists, look out for a perfect cure, or come and be healed of this parsimonious leprosy. In traveling the Christian Circuit, which crossed the Tennessee State line, and lay partly in Tennessee, and partly in Kentucky, in one of my exploring routes, hunting up new ground and new appoint- ments to preach at, late one evening, in or near the Cumberland River Bottom, I called at a gentle- man's gate, and asked the privilege of staying all night. The gentleman very readily granted my request. He was a wealthy farmer, the owner of several slaves. I found a mild, good, easy, fashiona- ble family. After supper, several neighbors came in to spend an evening in social chat. Being a stranger among them, I turned the conversation on religious subjects; inquired if they had any preaching. I soon found they had very little preaching of any kind. I told the gentleman my business was to preach anywhere I could get peaceable and orderly hearers, and asked him if I might not leave an ap- pointment to preach at his house. He pleasantly said, if he had heard me preach and liked my preach- ing, he could better determine whether to grant me the privilege to leave an appointment or not. I told him as he had a large family, black and white, and as there was some five or six visitors present, if he had no objections, and would call them together, I would preach to them, and he could the better judge how he liked my preaching, and determine whether I should leave a future appointment. He agreed to the proposition, and called all in. I sung and prayed, took my text, and preached to them about an hour as best I could. The colored people wept ; the white people wept ; the man of the house wept ; and when 176 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF I closed, lie said, " Do leave another appointment and come and preach to us, for we are sinners, and greatly need preaching." I left an appointment, bnt before I came round, the devil stirred up ojDposition. One man told the gentleman at whose house I preached, that if he let the Methodist preachers preach at his house, it would not be long before they w^ould eat him out of house and home. He said his father had taken in Methodist preachers, and in a few years they ate him out, and brought him to pov- erty ; and, besides, these Methodist preachers were a very bad set of men. Mr. B. told this man that he thought he could stand it a while, and if he found there was any danger of being eaten out, he would send us adrift. AVhen I came to my appointment there was a large congregation; the house and porch were literally crowded. I preached to them with great freedom, and almost the whole congregation were melted into tears. I sung, prayed, and went through the con- gregation, and shook hands with a great many of them. When I came to the man of the house, he wept, and fell on his knees, and begged me to pray for him. Soon his wife and children, and several others, knelt by his side, and cried aloud for mercy. It was late at night before our meeting closed, and not until the swelling shouts of five or six went to heaven that the dead were alive and the lost were found. I opened the doors of the Church for the re- ception of members, and some ten persons joined, the man of the house, his wife, two children, and two servants. This was the first-fruits of a gracious re- vival, and a large society in this neighborhood ; and while I lived in that country, we held a sacramental meeting at this place every year. After the first PETER OARTWRIGHT. 177 sacrament we held there, Brother B. rose and ad- dressed the large assembly. He said, " Some of you kindly warned me not to take in these Methodist preachers. You said tliey would eat me out and bring me to poverty ; but, neighbors, I have raised more corn, more wheat, more hemp, more tobacco, and never lived as well and plentifully in all my life. I could feed a regiment of Methodist preachers all the time, and then get rich, for God blesses me in my busket and in my store." During this year, while on this circuit, something like the following occurred : An Englishman, a "Wes- leyan Methodist, moved into a very wicked and high- strung predestinarian settlement. He came several miles, and made himself known. He invited me to preach at his house. I told him the people were so prej- udiced against the Methodists that we could not get them out to hear on a Aveek-day ; but he insisted, and I gave him an appointment. When I came there were only five besides the family. I preached; two of the little company wept. I left another appointment. For several times that I preached to them, my congre- gation increased, and v/ere orderly and somewhat affected. At length the Englishman, being wealthy, told me he was going to build a church. I tried to dissuade him from it. I told him he could get no help to build ; that there was no society, and not much probability that there would ever be a Meth- odist society there ; but, he said, he thought a man lived to very little purpose in this worl^ if he did not live so as to leave liis mark, that would tell when he was dead and gone. ''Now," said he, "if you will promise me that you will hold a protracted meeting, and give us a sacrament, and get some help, and come and dedicate the church, it shall be up and finished 12 178 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF in eight or ten weeks." I told him I would do so, if spared ; in the meantime, while the church was in process of building, we had two or three conversions at our little meetings. The church being finished, I got the help needed, appointed a protracted sacra- mental meeting to dedicate the church, and invited people far and near to attend ; and it being a new thing in the settlement, when the day came there was a very large concourse of people. The first sermon on Saturday was attended with great power; that nio-ht there were several mourners and two sound conversions. On Sunday, nnder the sermon of dedi- cation, the word was attended with great power ; many fell nnder the mighty power of God. Our meeting lasted all that day and night, with very little intermission, and about twenty were converted. Our meeting continued several days and nights; many were the happy conversions to God, and forty joined the Church. My Englishman was so happy, he hardly knew whether he was in the body or out of it. Methodism was firmly planted here. Long since my English brother died in great peace, and rests in heaven from his labors, and his works do follow him ; but surely he made his " mark," and it will be owned in heaven. From the earliest of my recollection, up to this time, 1816, there were scarcely any books of any kind in this now mighty West ; but especially was there a great scarcity of Bibles and Testaments. We were young and poor as a nation ; had but a few year? gained our^liberty ; had hardly begun to live ae a republic after a bloody and devastating wai for our independence ; and although Congress, tin very first year after the declaration of our independ ence, had wisely taken steps for furnishing the strug- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 179 ^ling infant for independence with the word of God, and did order that precious book, yet there was a great lack of the Bible, especially in the wilderness of the "West ; but this year the Lord put it into the hearts of some of his people to organize a Bible So- ciety, which was done on the 11th of May, 1816 ; and although at first it was a feeble concern, yet God has prospered it, and millions upon millions of this pre- cious book have been printed and circulated, and it is pouring streams of light, life, and knowledge upon almost every nation of this sin-stricken world. The man of sin has quailed before it ; the false religion of the God-dishonoring prophet is tottering before its mighty truths ; the dying idolatrous pagan mill- ions are receiving its soul-converting truths, and we hope for its universsfl spread till every crowned head shall be brought down to the dust, every oppressive yoke broken, universal civil and religious liberty en- joyed by our fallen race, and the benefits of the re- deeming stream be enjoyed by all mankind. Nothing but the principles of the Bible can save our happy nation or the world, and every friend of religion ought to spread the Bible to the utmost of his power and means. Then let us look for the happy end of the universal spread of truth, when all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 180 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP CHAPTER XY. EARTHQUAKE IN THE SOUTH. The Conference was held in Franklin, Tennessee, October 30tb, 1817. I was appointed to travel on the Christian Circuit, Green Iliver District, James Axley presiding elder. Our increase this year was 5,163 members, and T preachers, in the four confer- ences. In the winter of 1812 we had a very severe earthquake ; it seemed to stop the current of the Mis- sissippi, broke flat-boats loose from their moorings, and opened large cracks or fissures in the earth. This eartliquake struck terror to thousands of people, and under the mighty panic hundreds and thousands crowded to, and joined the different Churches. There were many very interesting incidents connected with the shaking of the earth at this time ; two I will name. I iiad preached in ISTashville the night before the second dreadful shock caifie, to a large congregation. Early the next morning I arose and walked out on the hill near the house where I had preached, when I saw a negro woman coming down the liill to the spring, with an empty pail on her head. (It is very common for .negroes to carry Avater this way without touching the pail with eitlier hand.) When she got within a few rods of where I stood the earth began to tremble and jar ; chimneys were thrown down, scaffolding around many new buildings fell with a 1 )ud crash, hundreds of the citizens suddenl}^ awoke, and sprang into the streets; loud screaming followed, for many thought PETER CARTWRIGHT. 181 tlie day of judgment was come. Tlie yomig mistresses of the above-named negro woman came running after her, and begging her to pray for them. She raised the shout and said to them, " My Jesus is coming in the clouds of heaven, and I can't wait to pray for you now ; I must go and meet him. I told you so, that he would come, and you would not believe me. Farewell. Halleluiah ! Jesus is coming, and I am ready. Halle- luiah ! Amen." And on she went, shouting and clap- ping her hands, with the empty pail on her head. Near Russellville, Logan County, Kentucky, lived old Brother Yalentine Cook, of very precious memory, with his wife Tabitha. Brother Cook was a graduate at Cokesbury College at an early day in the history of Methodism in these United States. He was a very pious, successful pioneer preacher, but, for the want of a sufficient support for a rising and rapidly-increas- ing family, he had located, and was teaching school at the time of the above-named earthquake. He and wife were in bed when the earth began to shake and tremble. He sprang out of bed, threw open the door, and began to shout, and started, with nothing on but his night-clothes. He steered his course east, shouting every step, saying, " My Jesus is coming." His wife took after him, and at the top of her voice cried out, " O Mr. Cook, don't leave me." " O Tabby," said he, " my Jesus is coming, and I cannot wait for you ;" and on he went, shouting every jump, "My Jesus is coming; I can't wait for you. Tabby." The years of the excitement by these earthquakes hundreds joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, and though many were sincere, and stood firm, yet there were hundreds that no doubt had joined from mere fright. My predecessor had for several years hel4 182 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF the reins of discipline with a very loose hand, and when Bishop M'Kendree told me privately he wished me to go to the Eed Eiver Circuit at the Conference of 1817, my heart was troubled within me, for I knew the state of the circuit. There were many wealthy, fashionable families in the Church ; slavery abounded in it, and the members had been allowed to buy and sell without being dealt with ; moreover, these were the days of common, fashionable dram-drinking, before the great temperance reformation was started ; and ex- travagant dressing was the unrestrained order of the day ; and there were about twenty talented local preachers in the circuit, many of them participators in these evils, and I dreaded the war that must follow. Under this conviction I begged Bishop M'Kendree not to send me there. He very gravely replied : "There are many members in that circuit that may be saved by a firm, judicious exercise of discipline, that other- wise will be lost, and I wish you to go and do for them the best you can." " Enough said," replied I ; " I'll go." At the upper end of the circuit, not more than eight or nine miles from [N'ashville, there was a large society and a meeting-house. My predecessor had left a conditional appointment for his successor. I was a total stranger in this region. The day of my conditional appointment was a dark day, misting with rain, but I got there in due time. After waiting till half past twelve o'clock one man came, who had had the misfortune to lose one of his eyes. We sat a little while, and I asked him if there was not an appointment for preaching that day. " Yes," said he ; " but there will be no preacher or people, I suppose." I saw from his answer he did not suspect me for the preacher. PETER CARTWRiaHT. 183 He furtlier said : " As it is late, and no preacher nor people, we liad as well go. Come, go home with me and get some dinner." " 1^0," said I, " we must have meeting ; and if 3^011 will preach, I Tvdll conclude after you." " ]^[o, no," said he ; " if you will preach, I will con- clude after you." " Agreed," said I, and up I rose in the stand, sung and prayed, took my text, and preached as best I could for forty-five minutes, and then called on him, and he rose, sung and prayed, and prayed well. I went home with my one man, my entire congre- gation, and found him to be a pious, religious elder in the Presbyterian Church. From the novelty of the effort of the day, my friend professed to think it was one of the greatest sermons he had ever heard in all his life. I left another appointment, and went on my way round the circuit. For weeks my one-man congrega- tion proclaimed and circulated my next appointment, telling the people what a great preacher had come to the circuit ; and when I came to my next appoint- ment, the whole hill-side was covered with horses and carriages, and the church crowded to overflowing. My heart almost fainted within me for fear I should not meet the expectations of the people ; but the Lord hel]3ed me, and we had a mighty shaking among the dry bones, and a blessed revival broke out. Our meeting lasted several days and nights, and many souls were happily converted to God and joined the Church on my first round on this circuit. When I got to the lower end of the circuit I found a large society, a fine class-leader, and a very pious, old, Buperannuated traveling preacher. He told me the society was in a most wretched condition ; that there 184 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP was a very popular local preacher in the society, who married a great many people, and was in the habit of drinking too much .at almost every wedding he at- tended; and that he had a large connection, all in the Church, and that for years the preachers were afraid to do anything with him. The next day, which was Sabbath, we had a large congregation, and after preaching, as my uniform cus- tom was, I met the class. My popular local preacher was present. In examining the leader of the class I, among many other questions, asked him if he drank drams. He promptly answered me, E'o, he did not " Brother," said I, ^' why do you not ?" He hesi- tated ; but I insisted that he should tell the reason why he did not. " Well, brother," said he, " if I must tell the reason why I do not drink drams, it is because I think it is wrong to do so." " That's right, brother," said I ; " speak it out, for it is altogether wrong for a Christian ; and a class- leader should set a better example to the class he leads, and to all others." When I came to the local preacher I said, " Brother W., do you drink drams ?" " Yes," said he. "What is your particular reason for drinking drams ?" I asked him. " Because it makes me feel well," he answered. " You drink till you feel it, do you ?" said I. " Certainl}^," said he. " Well, how much do you drink at a time ?" He replied, gruffly, that he never measured it. " Brother, how often do you drink in a day ?" " Just when I feel like it, if I can get it." ^' Well, brother, there are complaints that you PETER CARTWRIGHT. 185 drink too often and too much ; and the Saturday be- fore my next appointment here you must meet a committee of local preachers at ten o'clock, to inves- tigate this matter ; therefore prepare yourself for trial." " O !" said he, " if you are for that sort of play, come on ; I'll be ready for you." I had hard work to get a committee that were not dram-drinkers themselves. The trial came on ; the class-leader brought evidence that the local preacher had been intoxicated often, and really drunk several times. The committee found him guilty of immoral conduct, and suspended him till the next quarterly meeting ; and then the quarterly meeting, after hard, debate, expelled him. The whole society nearly Avere present. After his expulsion, and I had read him out, his wife and children, and connections, and one or two friends, to the number of thirteen, rose up and with- drew from the society. I told the society if there was anything against their moral character, they could not withdraw without an investigation; but if there was nothing against their moral character, they could withdraw. The leader said thei'e was nothing im- moral against them, so I laid down the gap and let them out of the Church. They then demanded a letter. I told them there was no rule by which they had a right to a letter, unless they were going to move and join some other society of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. They said tliey never intended to join the Methodist Episcopal Church again. I then told them that they came to us without a letter, and must go without a letter. I then read the rules ; exhorted the leader to be punctual, faithful, and pious ; the membei's I urged to attend all the public and private tM AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF means of grace, especially class-meetings, love-feasts, and the sacraments, and to bring and dedicate their children to God, by having them baptized. From this very day the work of religion broke out in the society and settlement, and before the year closed I took back the thirteen that withdrew, and about forty more joined the Church, and not a dram- drinker in the whole society ; but the poor local preacher who had been expelled, I fear, lived and died a drunkard. This was a four week's circuit, and I had no help- ers ; and on examination of the class papers I found over one hundred and fifty delinquent members , some, yea, many of them had not been in a class- meeting for one, two, and three years. I determined, with a mild and firm hand, to pull the reins of oui discipline, and by the aid of the leaders, and by my personally visiting the delinquents, we managed to see every one of them, and talk to them. Through the blessing of God upon our labors, we saved to the Church about sixty of them ; the others i we dropped, laid aside, or expelled. This was awful I work, to turn out or drop ninety persons in about nine \ months ; it bowed me down in spirit greatly ; it looked hke as if a tornado had fearfully swept over the Church ; but there was a stop put to trading in slaves, and the dram-drinkers became very few, and many threw o& their jewelry and superfluous dress- ing ; prayer-meetings sprung up, class-meetings were generally attended, our congi-egations increased, our fasts were kept. Toward the last quarter of the year I beat up for a general camp-meeting, and there was a general rally. We had a large camp ground, seats for thousands prepared, a large shed built over the altar and pulpit that would shelter more than a thou- PETEK CAETWRIGHT. 187 sand people. The square of our camp ground was well filled. The camp-meeting lasted eight days and nights ; the preachers preached, the power of God at- tended, sinners by the score fell ; the altar, thougli very large, was filled to overflowing ; and while many managed and labored in the altar with mourn- ers, we erected another stand at the opposite end of the encampment, and there the faithful minister pro- claimed the word of life. The power of God came there as the sound of a mighty, rushing wind ; and such was the efl:ect, that crowds of mourners came forward and kneeled at the benches prepared, and, indeed, the work spread all over the encampment and almost in every tent. There were two hundred and fifty who professed religion, and one hundred and seventy joined the Church, besides about forty colored people. Glory to God ! Zion travailed, and brought forth many sons and daughters to God. Many of these converts and accessions to the Church were from difterent and distant circuits around ; for people in those days thought no hardship of going many miles to a camp-meeting. I was continued two years on this circuit : the first year J. Axley, pre- siding elder ; the second year M. Lindsey was my presiding elder. There were many interesting inci- dents that occurred during my stay on this circuit. A few I w^ill name. At Mount Zion Meeting-house there was a good class of poor, simple-hearted Methodists that desired to hold class-meetings according to rule with closed doors, admitting persons not members of the Church only two or three times, unless they intended to join. There was an old lady in the settlement, a New Light by profession, who hated the Methodists and despised class-meetings with closed doors, but would stay in in 188 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF spite of the leader. She would take her seat near the door, and open it while the leader was speaking to the class. They had tried to stop her many ways, but did not succeed. "When I came round the leader complained to me, alleging that they were greatly annoyed by her disorderly conduct. I preached, then read the rules, then requested all to retire but the class, or such as desired to join the Church, and then closed the door, and proceeded to examine^he class. I knew this lady was in, and sat near the door as usual. I asked the leader if there were any in but members. lie answered, " Yes, there are three thai are not members." I told him to take me to them first. He did so. The first was a man. I asked him his intention in staying in class-meeting. He told me he wanted to serve God, and join the Church. " Yery well," said L The next was a woman, whom I questioned, and who answered in the same way. While I was talking to her my l^ew Light got up and opened the door, and took her seat close by it. I ap- proached her, and asked her what was her motive for staying in class-meeting. She said she wanted to be with the people of God. " Do you wish to join our Church ?" " Ko, I don't like the Methodists." " Madam, you ought not to violate our rules." " Indeed, I do not care a fig for your rules ; I have stayed in class-meetings many times, and will stay in when I please." " You must go out." " I will not, sir." ^' Then I will put you out." " You can't do it," she replied ; and sprung to her feet, and began to shout and clap her hands ; and as PETER CARTWRIGHT. 189 slie faced to the door, I took hold of her arms behind her shoulders, and moved her toward the door. She threw up her hands against the cheek of the door, and prevented me from putting her out. I saw a scufile was to take place, and stooped down and gath- ered her in my right ann, and with my left liand jerked her hand from the cheek of the door, and lifted her up, and stepped out and set her on her feet. The moment I set her down she began to jump and shout, saying, "You can't shut me out of heaven." I sternly ordered her to quit shouting, for, said I, you are not happy at all, you only shout because you are mad and the devil is in you. When she quit shouting, I said, ''I knew you were not happy, for if God had made you happy I could not have stopped it ; but as it was the devil in you, I have soon stop- ped your shouting." I then stepped back and shut the door, and met my class standing against it ; and we had a very good time, and efiectually foiled our old Kew Light tormentor, and she never troubled me any more during m}^ two years on this circuit. The Tennessee Conference sat in ISTashville, Octo- ber 1st, 1818, when I was reappointed to Red River. Our increase this year, in the four Western Con- ferences, was five thousand one hundred and sixty- four. Our increase of traveling preachers was only nine. At the Nashville Conference an incident occur- red substantially, as well as my memory serves me, as follows : The preacher in charge had risen from very humble beginnings, but was now a popular, fashionable preacher. We talk about " Young America" these times ; but Young America was as distinctly to be seen in those days, aixong 190 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF our young, flippant, popularity-seeking preachers, as now. Brother Axlej and myself, though not very old, were called old-fashioned /\ In 1821, the last year I traveled the Christian Circuit, I took in a preaching-place in a densely-populated settlement that was long destitute of the Gospel, and had many notorious drunkards in it. Here the Lord owned and blessed my labors ; religion spread through PETER CARTWRIGHT. 213 the settlement. Among the rest there was one inter- esting family ; the man was a drunkard ; the family became deeply interested about religion and joined the Church, and were remarkably friendly to me; the old man was also very friendly. On a certain occasion I met him in a store in Hopkinsville, and — ■ although I was never intoxicated but once in my life, yet I had wholly abandoned the social glass, for, ac- cording to my best conviction, it was a bad and dan- gerous habit, and that the rules of the Methodist Church required it — this drinking gentleman called for some cherry-bounce, and sweetened it for me ex- pressly, out of pure love to me, as he said, and then invited me to drink with him. I declined. He urged me. I refused. I told him I had wholly given up the practice. Nothing would satisfy him ; he said, if I did not drink with him, I was no friend of his, or his family, and he would never hear me preach again. I told him that it was all in vain to urge me ; my prin- ciples were fixed, and that I would not violate my principles for the friendship of any man or mortal. He flew into a violent rage, and cursed and abused me. I walked off and left him in his glory. He never for- gave me, I suppose, and made his family leave the Church, and would not let them come to hear me preach, and he lived and died a drunkard. In 1824, Jesse Walker, Samuel H. Thompson, F. S., and m^^self, were elected delegates to the General Conference in Baltimore : the first three from Missouri, myself from Kentucky. "We started on horseback, and traveled together. Two of the com- pany would call for spirits when we stayed at public houses. Brother Thompson and myself would not drink spirits at a^\. We made it a rule to pray in families wherever we stayed, if it was agreeable. I 214 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF felt hurt that two Methodist preachers, delegates to the General Conference, and our traveling companions, would call for and drink spirits in those public houses. Thompson and myself remonstrated with them. They defended the practice. I told them at length that if they did not quit the practice I would not travel with them, and in this Thompson joined me. Brother "Walker was a good man, and for our sakes he agreed to, and did quit it altogether, and we got along much better. w .Yprnvooy ■ In the fall of 1821 our conference was held in Lex ington, Kentucky, and I was appointed, by Bishop M'Kendree, to Cumberland District, containing the following appointments, namely: Green River, Somer- set, "Wayne, Roaring River, Goose Creek, Fountain Head, Barren, and Bowling Green Circuits ; it lay partly in Kentucky and partly in Tennessee, and was a large and populous district, containing between five and six thousand members, many of whom had grown wealthy ; there was also a great number of talented local preachers. On my first round of quarterly meetings — I was on my way to Somerset Circuit, had rode, on Friday, about fifty miles, and my horse and myself were both very much tired — I called at several houses on the public highway, and asked to stay all night, but was denied. About dusk I hailed another house, and asked leave to stay. The man said I could not stay. I inquired how far to the next house where he thought they would take me in. He said, "Seven miles." Said I, " My dear sir, I have rode to-day fifty miles, and I cannot go seven more. If you will give me a fagot of fire, I will camp out rather than go any further." Jle stepped into a little kitchen hard by for the fire, PETER CARTWRIGHT. 215 and I heard liis old lady say to her husband, "You had better let that man stay. If he gets the fire he will burn up the barn because you turned him off." And as she spoke out loud, I replied, equally as loud, " Yes, you had better let me stay ; if you don't, some mischief will befall you before morning." He threw down his chunk of fire, and said, " Well, I suppose you must stay." Down I got, stepped to the kitchen door, and said, *' Good lady, will you give me supper quick? for I could get no dinner on the road to-day." " O yes," said the old lady. My horse put up, my supper eaten, I felt much better. Presently I began to inquire about religion and religious denominations. I soon found out that the old gentleman and old lady were real high-toned Predestinarian Baptists. The old gentleman informed me that, a few miles off, most all the people were Methodists, and that he was really afraid they would take the country, and that they had a quarterly meet- ing the next day, (Saturday,) a few miles from there. Said I, "A quarterly meeting ; what sort of a meet- ing is that ?" He did not know, he replied. Said I, " What did you call the name of this religious sect?" Said he, " Methodist." " Methodist," said I ; " what's that? What sort of people are they ?" " Ah," said he, " they are the strangest people you ever saw ; they shout and halloo so loud you may hear them for miles ; they hold that all will be saved, and a man can live without sin in this life, and yet that a Christian can fall from grace ; and all this," said he, ^' is not half; they are the worst people you ever saw. They had a camp-meeting just oy^r here last year. 216 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF and they Jiad a tent tliey called the preachers^ tent, and there, by night and day, the preachers carried on all sorts of wickedness ; and," said he, " they are beg- ging and taking all the money out of the country." " Mercy defend us !" I exclaimed ; " why don't you raise a company and drive them out of the country ?'' " O !" said he, " they are too strong for us ; if we were able to drive them they should soon go, you may depend." Said I, " What a wretched set they must be ; but it may be they are misrepresented, and are not as bad as you say." " No, sir," said he ; " I was there at the camp-meet- ing, and their bad conduct I saw with my own eyes." " "Well," said I, " if these things be so, it is too bad for a civilized country." By this time they thought that it was near bedtime, and he said, " If you wish to lie down, there is a bed." " But," said I, " my friend, I learn you are a pro- fessor of religion, and religious people ought always to pray with their families. I am a friend to religion, and hope you will pray with us before we go to bed." " Ah !" said he, " I am a poor weak creature, and can't pray in my family." " O !" said I, " you must certainly pray for us ; you ought to pray for the benefit of these interesting chil- dren of yours." " m," said he ; " I can't do it." " Well, sir," said I, " we must have prayers before we lie down, and I am a weak creature, too ; but if you will not pray, may I ?" " Do as you please," said he. So I read a chapter, rose, gave out a hymn, and commenced singing. There were two young ladies present, one a daughter, the other a niece, of the old PETER CARTWRIGHT. 217 man ; they both rose and sung with me. Finally, I knelt down, and so did the girls ; I prayed, but the old man and old lady kept their seats all the time. In prayer I told the Lord what a poor weak old man 'lived there, and asked the Lord to give him strength and grace to set a,better example before his family. I also prayed the Lord to have mercy on those deluded Methodists, if they were half as bad as my old friend had represented them ; but if he had misrepresented them, to forgive him, and prosper them. As soon as prayer was over the old gentleman and lady went into ■the kitchen, and the niece said to me, " You need not believe a word uncle has said about the Methodists, and the doings at their camp-meeting, for I was there, and they are a good people, and my uncle is preju- diced." His daughter said the same. Presently I stepped out at the door, and I heard the old lady say to her husband, " He is a Methodist preacher." The old man said, '' No, he is not." "Well," said she, "he is, and you have done it now." The old man said, " I don't care if he is ; it's good enough for him." Shortly after this I retired to bed, and the two young ladies began to sing some of the Methodist camp-meeting songs, and really they sang delightfully. I rose early next morning, and went on to my quarterly meeting, and we had a real good one. I will just say here, in this connection, the next Bummer I held a large and splendid camp-meeting on the ground where this old gentleman had told me there was such bad conduct, and he- and his family were out; and right in their presence I told the congrega- tion what this man had said about them to me. The old man could not face it, and slunk off and went 218 AXTTOBIOGRAPHT OF home. His daughter and niece both were powerfully converted, and joined the Methodist Church. When I got over on the southern part of my district, the summer following, to a camp-meeting in the Roar- ing River Circuit, having been detained a little by affliction in my family, and not being able to reach my camp-meeting till Sunday, Brother Simon Carlisle was in the stand preacliing. He was a real Boanerges, an able and successful l!Tew Testament preacher. The congregation was large and very disorderly. Brother Carlisle reproved them sharply, but they behaved very rudely. When he closed, I rose to preach, but the con- gregation was so disorderly that I found it would be very difficult for me to proceed ; so at length I told the vast crowd if they would give me their attention a few moments, I would relate an incident or two w^orthy of their attention. I commenced by relating several short anecdotes. They began to draw up nearer, and nearer still ; the anecdotes were well calculated to excite their risibilities. Right before me sat an old, gray-headed man, with straight-breasted coat ; he did not like the laughter that my anecdotes produced, and he spoke out loudly to me and said, " Make us cry — make us cry ; don't make us laugh." As quick as thought I replied to him thus : " I don't hold the puckering strings of your mouths, and I want you to take the negro's eleventh com- mandment; that is, Everyman mind his own business." " Yes, sir ; yes, sir," said the old man, and sank down perfectly still. This produced considerable mirth in the congrega- tion, but by this time the vast crowd had gathered up as close as they well could, and were all eyes and ears. I then announced my text : '' To the unknown God, whom ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto PETER CARTWBIGHT. M^ yo\i." And for two liours I held listening thousands spell-bound, while, to the veiy best of my abilities, I defended the supreme Divinity of Jesus Christ, and riddled Arianism as best I could. Arianism w^as rife through all that country, although they called them- selves " Christians," and were called by the world, ISTew Lights, Marshallites, or Stoneites. (These were two leading Presbyterian ministers, that in the time of a great revival in Kentucky, were disowned by the Synod of Kentucky. They headed the I^ew Light party, and gratuitously assumed the name of Christ- ian, yet they evidently imbibed the Arian sentiment, and spread their errors, and did great mischief in cor- rupting the Scriptural doctrine of the true Divinity of Jesus Christ.) The two Baptist preachers that would not receive me into the Baptist Church without re- baptizing, in Stogden's Yalley, at an early day, else- where stated in this narrative, were present on this occasion. The circumstance of that encounter was one of the incidents that I had just related to gain audience with the people, and the old man with strait coat that bade me make them cry and not laugh^ whom I had taken to be a Methodist from his strait coat, proved to be an old Baptist man that had long been in the habit of speaking out to the preachers in time of preaching; but, alas for these Baptist preachers ! they, with many more of their co-laboring ministerial brethern, had been carried off into the whirlpool of Arianism. While I was preaching, I not only gained audience, but there was solemn silence and profound attention ; for, by the blessing of God, I succeeded in interesting the whole congrega- tion in the sublime subject under discussion. And when I came to show that if Jesus Christ was not the supreme God, that all lieaven and earth was filled 220 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP with idolatrous devotions, and that angels and men, and redeemed spirits had been, were now, and eter nally would be, nothing more or less thau gross idolators : "]N"ow," said I, "if there is a single man, minister, woman, or child, in this assembly, thai will dare to ascribe Divine honors to Jesus Christ and not believe in his supreme Divinity, let them show it by raising their hand." I tlien paused, but not one hand went up. It was an awful solemn time ; every soul seemed to feel thaf. the supreme Divinity brooded over the assembly. 1 then said, I wanted one more triumphant testimony of our holy religion that should overwhelm all the legions of devils that rose from the stagnant pools of Arianism, Unitarianism, and Socinianism. I then desired that every one in that vast crowd that believ- ed that Jesus Christ was justly entitled to supreme honor and glory, and expected to get to heaven through his merits alone, to give me the sign by rais- ing tlieir right hand ; the hands went up by the thou- sand, and with hands, triumphant shouts of glory ascended by hundreds, and many sinners were seen with streaming eyes, and even exulting shouts, giving glory to Jesus Christ. The vast multitude fell almost in every direction, and I sat down under a deep sense that God was there. Mourners were found all through the crowd, to be numbered by the hundred. Many of the Arians recanted ; and after the legions that had distracted them for years were cast out, came to their right minds, were clothed, and once more esteemed it their highest honor to sit at the feet of Jesus Christ. There was no more preaching for that day and the next. The cries of the penitents, and shouts of the young converts and the old professors, went up without intermission, day and night. Two PETEE CART WRIGHT. 221 hmiclred professed religion, and one hundred and seventy joined the Methodist Episcopal Chnrch be- fore the close of the camp-meeting, and it was i-emarked by many, that it seemed the easiest thing for sinners to get religion here of any place or time ihey ever saw, and they could not account for it; bat I told them that it was plain to me the Lord had given marching orders to the legions of little Arian devils to the lake, as he had done to the swine in the days of old, and when these were cast out it was quite easy to come to their right minds. Perhaps there never was a more manifest display of God's saving mercy on a small scale than on the present occasion, since the confounding of tongues at the building of the tower of Babel. Many Arians returned to their / old folds, perfectly tired of their wanderings, and hav- ing cast anchor once more in a safe harbor, they gave their wanderings o'er. Those that remained among the New Lights so called, split into many factions, and fought each other till they ate each other up all to the tail, and that was immersion. This remains, and perhaps will, until the millennial glory shall inun- date the whole world. A remarkable incident oc- curred on this occasion which I must not omit re- lating. There was a very confirmed Arian lady in the congregation who denied the supreme Divinity of Jesus Christ. Late on Monday, she professed to get very happy, and shouted out aloud ; but said, whi^e shouting, among other things, she knew I was wrong in my views of Jesus Christ, but she desired some one to go and bring me to her, for she wanted to show me, that though I was in error, she could love her enemies and do good for eviL At first I refused to go ; but s]ie sent again. I then thought of 222 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF the unjust judge, and lest by her continual coming she might weary me, I went. She told me she knew I was wi'ong, and that she was right, and that God had blessed her and made her happy. Said I, " Sister, while I was preaching, did you not get mad?" She answered, " Yes, very mad ; I could have cut your throat. But I am not mad now, and love you, and God has blessed me." Said I, " I fear you are not happy ; you have only got in a little better humor, and think this is happi- ness. But we will test this matter. Let us kneel down here, and pray to God to make it manifest who is wrong." " But," said she, "I don't want to pray; I want to talk." " "Well," said I, " I have no desire to talk ; I always go to God in prayer ; and I now believe God, in an- swer to prayer, will recover you out of the snare of the devil, for you certainly are not happy at all." So I called upon all around (and they were many) to kneel down and help me to pray God to dislodge the lingering Arian devil that still claimed a resi- dence in this woman's heart. We knelt, and by the score united in wrestling, mighty prayer ; and while we prayed it seemed that the bending heavens came near ; and if the power of God was ever felt among mortals, it was felt then and there. The woman lost her assumed good feelings, and sunk down into sullen, dumb silence, and so she remained during the meet- ing ; and for weeks afterward many of her friends feared she would totally lose her balance of mind. She became incapable of her business till one night she had a dream or vision, in which she afterward PETEK CARTWKIGHT. 223- declared she saw her Saviour apparently in all his supreme glory, and he told her she was wrong, hut he frankly forgave her ; and when she came to herself, or awoke, she was unspeakably happy, and never afterward, for one moment, doubted the supreme Di- vinity of Jesus Christ. She joined the Methodists, and lived and died a shining and shouting Christian. There is another circumstance I wish to state be- fore I close this chapter. The brother, Simon Carlisle, before mentioned, had been a regular circuit preacher somewhere down South, and there was a wealthy family at or near one of his appointments. Tlie old gentleman and lady were members of the Church ; but they had a very profligate son, who behaved disorderly at one of Carlisle's appointments, and Carlisle sharply reproved him for his disorderly conduct, at which the young man took great umbrage, and swore he would have satisfaction out of Carlisle. The house of the father of this young man was the preacher's home. When Car- lisle came round next time he was, as usual, invited by this old brother home with him. Brother Carlisle said, as he had offended his son, perhaps he had better not go ; but the old brother and sister insisted he should go ; for they knew their son was to blame altogether, and that Carlisle had done nothing but his duty in reproving him ; so he went. This young man was at home, but slunk about, and would not be social with Carlisle ; and next morning, while Car- lisle was fixing his horse to ride on to his next ap- pointment, he took a brace of pistols, and slipped into the room where Carlisle's saddle-bags were lying, and put those pistols in the bottom of his saddle-bags, unperceived and unsuspected by Carhsle, or anybody ihe. Shortly after Carlisle started, the young man 224 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF pretended to miss his pistols, and declared he knew that Carlisle had stolen them. The old people remon- strated against any such imputation ; but he persisted in affirming he knew that the preacher had stolen his pistols, and off he started, got a writ, and an officei, and pursued Carlisle, and before he reached his next appointment they overtook him. The officer informed him of the allegation, and that he had a writ for him, and that he was his prisoner. Carlisle, conscious of his innocence, told the officer that he was welcome to search him, and handed over his saddle-bags, when, lo and behold, there were the pistols at the bottom of them. What could he say? He protested his innocence, but submitted to the law, was found guilty, and only escaped being incarcerated in prison by the father of this mean young man going his bail till further trial. We will not narrate the trouble and cost Carlisle was put to before he got clear of this malicious prose- cution. Suffice it to say, during the pendency of this prosecution, the Annual Conference came on, and Carlisle had to answer to this criminal charge ; but what could he say ? He had no evidence of his in- nocence, and by possibility could have none. The Conference did not believe him guilty, but his guilt was sworn to by this young man. In this dilemma, into which the Conference was thrown, Carlisle rose and requested the Conference, for the honor of the cause of God, that they would expel him until God should, in some way, vindicate his innocence. He affirmed he was innocent, and that he believed God would shortly make his innocence manifest to all. The Conference very reluctantly, and by a bare majority, expelled him. Able counsel, believing in his innocence, volunteered in his defense. He was PETER CARTWRIGILT. 225 cleared. Believing it to be his duty and privilege, he married, and when I saw him he had an interesting rising family. The Church restored him to liis former standing, offered him a circuit, but for the present he declined traveling, and went to work to support his family, and did it with credit to himself and them. But the circumstance that triumphantly vindicated his innocence remains yet to be told. The young man who pursued him so maliciously, in about nine months after Carlisle was arrested, was taken down with a fever common to that region of country. Tlie best medical aid was called in ; he was faithfully at- tended and administered unto. His parents were much alarmed for his safety and his salvation. He w^as talked to and prayed with, but to no purpose. His physicians told him he must die. He then said he could not die until he disclosed one important mat- ter. His parents were called in, and he frankly told them and others that he put his pistols in Carlisle's saddle-bags himself; and shortly after the disclosure he expired, without hope of mercy. 15 226 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP CHAPTEK XYU. SERMON ON BAPTISM AT CAMP-MEETING. There was, in the bounds of tlie Goose Creek Cir- cuit, a Baptist minister, who was a tolerably smart man, and a great proselyter from other Chm-ches, and who almost always was harping on immersion as the only mode of Christian baptism, and ridiculing what he called " baby sprinkling." We had an ap- pointment for a camp-meeting in this circuit, in what was called Poplar Grove. There was a fine little widow woman, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, lived here ; and this Baptist preacher tried his best to proselyte her, and make a Baptist of her. She at length got tired of his water talk, and told him if he would come to the camp-meeting, and patiently hear the presiding elder, Peter Cartwright, preach one sermon on baptism, on Sunday, she would give him a new suit of clothes, out and out. He agreed to it; but he was to sit patiently, and hear the sermon through ; if he did not, then he was not to have the suit of clothes. When I got to the camp-ground, my little spunky Methodist widow was tented on the ground. She came and invited me to her tent, and then told me the proposition she had made to Mr. W., the Baptist preacher. " And now," said she, " do your best ; if he runs, the suit of clothes is yours; and if he stands his ground, and you do your very best, you shall have as good a suit, any how." PETER CART WRIGHT. 227 This was a very largo encampment, well arranged ; and there were about twenty strong, talented Methodist preachers, from the traveling and local ranks, present. The meeting commenced and progressed with great interest, and there were many melting Gospel sermons preached. Many sinners were awakened and con- verted, both among the whites and colored people. Sunday morning came, and my Baptist preacher arrived ; and we were soon made acquainted. He proposed that lie, if he felt like it, should have the privilege of replying to me. " Certainly," said I, " with all my heart." Eleven o'clock arrived, the hour appointed me to commence my sermon on baptism. It was supposed that there were ten thousand people on the ground. My heart rather quailed within me, but I prayed for light, a ready mind, and success. I took no text in particular, but submitted the four following propo- sitions for discussion : First. The design and intent of water baptism. Second. Who were the Divinely-appointed admin- istrators of water baptism. Third. The proper mode of water baptism. Fourth. Who were the qualified subjects of bap- tism. My Baptist minister took his seat in the altar, in front of me. He listened with tolerable attention while I was on the first and second propositions. As I approached the third point, the galled jade winced a little ; but when I came to the fourth point, and took my position that all infants had the first and only indisputable title to baptism, and that all adults must become converted, and be like little children, before they could claim any valid title to water bap- tism, my preacher became very restive. Finally, I ii^ AUTOBIOaEAPHY OF propounded this question : " Is not that Church which has no children in it more hke hell than heaven ?'' I then added, " If all hell was searched, there would not be a single child found in it ; but all children are in heaven ; therefore, there being ik> children in the Baptist Churcli, it was more like hell than heaven." The Baptist preacher here rose to his feet, and started. I called out to him to stop and hear me out; but he replied he could not stand it, and kept on and cleared the ground ; so he lost his suit of clothes, and I gained one. But what was much better than all this, I was listened to for three hours; and the attention of the multitude seemed not to falter, but they heard with profound interest, and it was the opinion of hun- dreds that this discussion did a vast amount of good. Our camp-meeting progressed with increasing in- terest ; many wei-e avrakened, and about forty were converted and added to the Church. In the course of the summer of 1S22, we held a camp-meeting in Logan County, Kentucky, the county in which I was chiefly raised. At this meeting there came a strange kind of preacher among us, who held that a Christian could live so holy in this life, that lie would never die, but become all immortal, soul, body, and all. He seemed like a good, innocent, ignorant kind of creature. He asked of me the liberty to preach ; but I told him that was altogether out of the question ; that as the manager of the meeting, I felt myself accountable to the people as w^ell as to the Lord, for the doctrines advanced from the stand. One night, while I w^as outside of the encampment settling some rowdies, he thought, I suppose, he would flatter my vanity a little ; and stepping up to me, he told me he had a heavenly message for me. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 229 "Well," said I, "what is it?" He said it had just been revealed to him that I was never to die, but to live forever. " Well," said I, " who revealed that to you ?" He said, " An angel." ., "Did you see him ?" I asked. " O yes," was the reply ; " he was a white, beauti- ful, shining being." "Well," said I, "did you smell him?" This stumped him, and he said he did not under- stand me. " Well," said I, " did the angel you saw smell of brimstone?" He paused, and I added, "He must have smelled of brimstone, for he was from a region that burns with fire and brimstone, and consequently from hell ; for he revealed a great lie to you, if he told you I was to live forever!" At this he slipped off, and never gave me any more trouble during the meeting. There were a great many people in attendance at this meeting, and among the rest, some 3"(>ungslers who called themselves gentlemen ; some from the country, and some from Ilussellville. Tliese fellows would occupy the seats we had prepared for th.e ladies. I announced from the stand that the gentle- men and ladies were to sit apart, and requested every gentleman to remove to the seats on the left, prepared for them. There were some twenty who did not move. Said I, "We request every gentleman to retire from the ladies' seats, that I may see how many country clowns and town fops there are, for these will not move!" All then left but five, and I began to count them ; they then left in a hurry, but were very angry. 230 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Among them was a young sprig of the bar, tlie son of a Major L. He was in a mighty pet, and told his father, who happened not to be present. His father and I dined together that day at a friend's house. He brought up the subject, and said I was wrong; that many young men did not know any better ; and that he thought hard of me for exposing his son. Said I, "Major, do you not believe if a company of Shawnee Indians were to come into one of our re- ligious assemblies, and see all the women seated on one side and most of the men on the other side, that they would have sense and manners enough to take their seats on the men's side ?" He answered me abruptly, " Iso ; I don't believe they would." " Well," said I, " it is my opinion they would, and that they have more manners than many of the pre- tended young gentlemen of the day." He flew into a violent passion, and said if we were not in the presence of ladies he would abuse me. I told him if he thought to abuse and frighten me from doing my duty in keeping order in the congregation, he was very much mistaken, and I would thank him to mind his own business, and I would most assuredly attend to mine. Here the subject dropped for the present. I returned to the camp ground. Presently he sent for me to talk the matter over. I told the messenger, Brother Cash, a local preacher, that I should not go, for the major was very irritable, and only wanted to insult and abuse me, and that I was not of a mind to take abuse. I did not go. Presently Brother Cash returned, and said that the major pledged his word and honor that he would not insult me, but that he wanted to talk the matter over in a friendly way. I then consented, and went to him with Brother PETBE CARTWRIGHT. 281 Cash, and we had passed but a few words when he commenced a tirade of abuse. Brother Cash tried to check him, but he would not be stopped. I then told him that he had forfeited his word and honor, and therefore was beneath my notice, and turned off. He flew into a desperate rage, and said if he thought I would fight him a duel, he would challenge me. " Major," said I, very calmly, " if you challenge me I will accept it." ^' Well, sir," said he, " I do dare you to mortal combat." " Yery well, I'll fight you ; and, sir," said I, " ac- cording to the laws of honor, I suppose it is my right to chose the weapons with which we are to fight ?" *^ Certainly," said he. '' Well," said I, " then we will step over here into this lot, and get a couple of corn stalks ; I think I can finish you with one." But O, what a rage he got into. He clinched his fists and looked vengeance. Said he, " If I thought I could whip you, I would smite you in a moment." '' Yes, yes, Major L.,"said I, "but, thank God, you can't whip me ; but don't you attempt to strike me, for if you do, and the devil gets out of you into me, I shall give you the worst whipping you ever got in all your life," and then walked off and left him. His wife was a good, Christian woman, and the fam- ily was tented on the ground. At night, after meet- ing was closed, I retired to bed, and about midnight there came a messenger for me to go to Major L.'s tent and pray for him, for he was dying. Said I, " What is tlie matter with him ?" " O, he says he has insulted you, one of God's min- isters, and if you don't come and pray for him, he will die and go to hell." 232 AUTOBIGORAPHY OF "Well," said I, "if that's all, the Lord increase his pains. I shall not go ; let him take a grand sweat ; it will do him good, for he has legions of evil spirits in him, and it will be a long time before they are all cast out." I did not go nigh him at that timo. After an hour or two he sent for me again. I still refused to go. By this time he got into a perfect agony ; he roared and prayed till he could be heard all over the camp ground. Presently his wife came and entreated me, for her sake, to go and pray for and talk to the major. So I concluded to go, and when I got into the tent, there he was lying at full length in the straw, and praying at a mighty rate. I went to him and said, "Major, what is the matter ?"ip/fte 8r>7f I bm " O !" said he, " matter enough ; I liave added to my ten thousand sins another heinous one of insulting and abusing you, a minister of Jesus Christ, for labor- ing to keep order and do good. O will you, can you, forgive me f " Yes, major, I can and do forgive you; but remem- ber, you must have forgiveness from God, or you are lost and ruined forever." " Can you possibly forgive me," said he, " so far as to pray for me ; if you can, do pray for me, before I am swallowed up in hell forever." I prayed for him, and called on several others to pray for him. He continued in great distress all the next day, and some time the following night it pleased God to give him relief, and he professed comfort in believing. This case plainly shows how the devil often over- shoots his mark ; but, perhaps, it more clearly shows how God, in his infinite goodness and mercy, makes the wrath of man to praise him. It seems to me that S'^TiER CARTWRIGHr. 283 at least a legion of very dirty little devils were cast out of this Major L. We had a very interesting quarterly meeting the past spring in Russellville, and a considerable number in the higher and v/ealthier walks of life, especially among the ladies, gave signs of repentance, and a disposition to devote tliemselves to a religious life. I had given them a special and pressing invitation to attend our camp-meeting, and accordingly they came, and there was a glorious work going on in the con- gregation from time to time. Many came to the altar as penitents, and sought and found mercy of the Lord. And althougli these w^ealthy ladies would weep \mder the word, yet we could not get them to the altar, and I was afraid it was pride that kept them back, and frankly told them so, assuring them, if this was the case, they need not expect to obtain religion. They told me that it was not pride that kept them ^way, but that the altar was so crowded not only with :nourners, but idle professors and idle spectators, and that in many instances the mourners were uncere- moniously trodden on and abused, and the weather being very warm, the mourners in the altar must be neai'ly suffocated. These were the reasons why they did not come into the altar as seekers, and not pride ; and I assure the reader I profited very much by these reasons given by those ladies, for I knew all this and much more might, with great propriety, be said about our altar operations. So I determined, at all hazards, to regulate, renovate, and cleanse the altar of God, and turn out, and keep out, all idle, strolling, gaping lookers-on ; and when the evening sermon closed, I rose in the stand, and I told them all these objections of the ladies, and I deliberately indorsed them as 234 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF valid objections to our altar exercises, and told them I was going to invite everj^ seeker of religion to come into the altar, and assured them they should be protected from these abuses; and in order to a fair start, I invited all to rise up and retire out of the altar except seekers ; and directed that the avenues leading to the altar be kept clear at all times ; that there was to be no standing on the seats, and no standing up around the pales of the altar; that no person whatever could come into the altar unless invited, and that no person was to talk to, or pray with, the mourners unin- vited, unless they got very happy. I appointed and named out my men to keep order. Thus arranged, and our large altar being cleared, and the aisles kept opeii- I invited the mourners to come as humble penitents, and kneel in the altar, and pray for mercy; and we all were astonished at the number that distinguished themselves as seekers. I suppose there were not less than one hundred, and almost all of them professed comfort that night, and among the rest, many of those fine, wealthy ladies from town. It was sup- posed that this was one among the best camp-meet- ings ever held in Logan County, where there had been many, very many, glorious camp-meetings, where camp-meetings started in modem times ; and they had been in progress for twenty-two years, every year more or less. The fruits of this camp-meeting I hope to see with pleasure in vast eternity. The Methodist Church received an impetus and strength at this meeting, that vastly increased her usefulness, her members, and religious respectability. I sincerely hope it is going on and increasing to this day. And here permit me to remark, from many years' experience, that sanctified wealth will always prove a blessing to the Church ^f God ; but unsanc- PETER CARTWRIG-riT. tified wealtli^ though poured into the Church by the million, never fails to corrupt and curse the Church. K our wealthy people will come themselves and bring their wealth, and consecrate the whole without any reserve to God, it is almost incalculable to tell the instrumental good that can and will result to the cause of religion ; but, on the other hand, if religion must be defeated, the obligations of the Gospel loos- ened, the rules of the Church not exacted, a time- serving ministry employed and supported, this is, and has been, the death-knell to all Churches so far as inward piety is concerned. Look at the needless, not to say sinful expenditures in our older cities and dis- tricts of country ; the unnecessary thousands expended, not in building needful and decent churches, for this is right, but ornamental churches, to make a vain show and gratify pampered pride. Look at the orna- mented pulpits, pewed and cushioned seats, organs, and almost all kinds of instruments, with salaried choirs, and as proud and graceless as a fallen ghost, while millions upon millions of our fallen race are dying daily, and peopling the regions of eternal woe for the want of the Gospel of Jesus Christ ; and as scarce as ministers are in some places in our own happy country, yet there are thousands that are ready and willing to go to the utmost verge of this green earth, and carry the glad tidings of mercy to those dying millions, if they had the moans of sup- port. Would it not the better comport with the obli- gations of our holy Christianity to refrain from those superfluous expenditures, and with a liberal hand and devoted heart apply, or furnish the means to carry the glad tidings of salvation to those that sit in the region and shadow of moral death, than to apply them, as is done in many directions in this Chri( tian 236 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF land ? Say, ye professed lovers of Jesus Clmst^ titi) not your responsibilities tremendously fearful? There is wealth enough in the Churclies, and among the friends of the different Christian denominations in this happy republic, if rightly husbanded and liberally bestowed, to carry the Bible and a living ministry to every nation on the face of the whole earth. And may we be permitted to hail with Christian rapture the rising glory of this liberal spirit, when we shall see it as the Apocalyptic angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to every nation, kindred, and tongue. Say, O say ! when shall we see this happy day ? May the Lord hasten it in his time, and we be co-workers togethei with liim. Will the Cln-istian world say. Amen ? '^ During my presidency on this district up to the fal; of 1824, there was a blessed revival in many parts of the district, and many joined the Methodist Epis- copal Church. There are several interesting incidents, no doubt, that have clean escaped my recollection ; but there are some I remember, and I will embody them here as well I can. At a camp-meeting held in the edge of Tennessee, a considerable revival took place, and some tall sons and daughters of Belial were brought down to cry for mercy. Religion made its mark in several wealthy famihes. Persecution was pretty fierce ; the rowdies sent off' and got whisky, drank freely, and disturbed us considerably. We arrested some of them, and they were fined. Finally, they collected their forces in the woods, a short distance from the camp-ground, and resolved to break up our camp-^ meeting; they then elected their captain and all other suborduiate officers. Their plan was to arm themselves with clubs, to mount their horses, and PETER CARTWRIGHT. 25T * ride bravely tlirongli the camp-ground, and break down officers, preachers, and anybody, else that would oppose them. i^^non,^ diir, Saturday afternoon was the time appointed for them to drive us from the ground, but in the mean- time we found out their plans, and many of their names, riieir captain called his name Cartwright ; all their officers assumed the name of some preacher. Yle made our preparations accordingly, and v/ere per- fectly ready for them. They drank their whisky, mounted their horses, armed with sticks and clubs, and then came, almost full speed, into our camp. As I was captain of the interior, I met the captain of the Philistines, and planted myself near the opening between the two tents, where they were to enter the inclosure. As the mounted captain drew near the entering place I sprang into the b' each ; he raised his club, bidding me to stand by, or he would knock me down. I cried, " Crack away." He spurred his horse and made a pass at me, sure enough ; but, fortunately, I dodged his stroke. The next lick was mine, and I gave it to him, and laid him flat on his back, his foot being in the stirrup. His horse got my next stroke, which wheeled him " 7'iaht about f^ he dragged his rider a few steps and dropped him, and then gave this redoubtable captain leg bail at a mighty rate. The balance of the mounted rowdies, seeing their leader down and kicking, wheeled and in- gloriously fled. We took care of the captain, of course, and fined him fifty dollars. This gave us entire con- trol of the encampment, and peace in all our borders during our meeting. Connected with this meeting was another incident of thrilling interest, something like the following. 238 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF There were two yoimg men in this settlement oi wealtliy and respectable parentage, who were dis- tantly related. They both were paj^ing attention to a very wealthy young lady. Some jealousy about rival- ship sprung up between them ; they were mutually jealous of each other, and it spread like an eating cancer. They quarreled, and finally fought; both armed themselves, and each bound himself in a solemn oath to kill the other. Thus sworn, and armed with pistols and dirks, they attended camp meeting. I was acquainted with them, and apprised of the circumstances of this disagreeable affair. On Sunday, when I was addressing a large congrega- tion, and was trying to enforce the terrors of the vio- lated law of God, there was a visible power more than human rested on the congregation. Many fell under the preaching of th:^ word. In closing my discourse I called for mourners to come into the altar. Both these young men were in the congregation, and the Holy Spirit had convicted each of them ; their mur- derous hearts quailed under the mighty power of God, and with dreadful feelings they made for the altar. One entered on the right, the other on the left. Each was perfectly ignorant of the other being there. I went deliberately to each of them, and took their deadly weapons from their bosoms, and carried them into the preachers' tent, and then returned and labored faithfully with them and others (for the altar was full) nearly all the afternoon and night. These young men had a sore struggle ; but the great deep of their hearts was broken up, and they cried hard for mercy, and while I was kneeling by the side of one of them, just before the break of day, the Lord spoke peace to his wounded soul. He rose in triumph, and gave some thrilling shouts. I hastened to the other young man, PETER CARTWRIGHT. 239 at the other side of the altar, and in less than fifteen minutes God powerfully blessed his soul, and he rose and shouted victory ; and as these young men faced about they saw each other, and starting simultaneously, met about midway of the altar, and instantly clasped each other in their arms. What a shout went up to heaven from these young men, and almost the w^hole assembly that were present. There were a great many more who were converted that night, and, indeed, it was a night long to be remembered for the clear con- version of souls. One of these young men made an able itinerant preacher. He traveled a few years, had a brilliant career, and spread the holy fire wher- ever he went. He then fell sick, lingered a little while, and died triumphantly. There was a remark- able instance of the power of religion manifested in the change of these two young men. A few hours before they were sworn enemies, thirsting for each other's blood, but now all those murderous feelings were removed from them, and behold! their hearts vvere filled with love. " Old things were done away, and all things became new." I will relate another circumstance, though a little out of the order of time, which will serve to show the malignity of an unrenewed human heart. In a little town in Breckenridge County, Kentucky, called Hard- insburgh, there lived a notorious infidel, who delighted, on almost all occasions, to treat the Christian religion with scorn and contempt. It was his special pride to mortify the feelings of professors of religion and min- isters of the Gospel. In the course of my traveling excursions it fell to my lot, almost a total stranger in the place, to be detained here several days and nights. The citizens having little or no preaching in the place, invited me to preach to them of evenings. I consented 240 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF to do so, and there were very good congregations and some ver J good signs of a revival of religion. The people were very friendly to me, and several respectable citizens gave me an invitation to dine with them, and I did so. This infidel had attended my preaching in common with the rest, and in common with the rest of the citizens he gave me a very friendly invitation to dine with him. Having learned his infidel charac- ter, the first time I declined. Several respectable citizens urged me to accept his invitation, saying, surely something strange had come over Mr. A., for ho was never known to invite a preacher to his house before, in all his life, and they urged me to go. Ac- cordingly, the next day he invited mc home with him to dinner. I went, and when we came to tlie table, instead of requesting me to ask a blessing, he said, as we drew up to the table, "Mr. Cartwright, I never per- mit any man to ask a blessing at my table, nor do I do it myself; for it is all hypocrisy." I had not seated myself. Said I : " Mr. A., did you not invite me, as a preacher, to dine with you ?" " Yes, sir," " Do you not know that preachers are in the habit of asking a blessing at table, sir ?" "Yes, sir," said he ; " but I v/ill have none of it at my table." " Yery well, sir," said I, " if I am denied the priv- ilege of asking a blessing at your table, I assure you I will not eat with you," wheeled off, took up my hat^ and started, bidding him good-by. "O, Mr. Cartwright," said he, "^^oumnstnot leave without eating with me." " I tell you, sir," was my reply, " I will not," and went out. His manner of treating me soon flew ail over the village, and the wickedest people in it PETER CARTWRIGHT. 241 CI led out shame, shame, on Mr. A., and greatly ap-^ planded me for not eating with him. He rendered himself very unpopular by this mean act, and T shrewdly suspect he never ti'eated another preacher as he had treated me. " Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou visit- est him ?" The Kentucky Conference sat in Lexington again this fall, September 25th, 1822 ; in Maysville, Sep- tember 24th, 1823. Here we elected our delegates to the fourth delegated General Conference, which sat in Baltimore, May 1st, 1824. This was the third General Conference to which I was elected. Our Kentucky Conference was held in Shelbyville, Sep- tember 23, 1824, and up to this time we had approxi- mated to the following number of traveling preach- ers and members : Memb. Trav. Prchrs. Ohio Conference 86,541 122 Kentucky Conference 24,683 92 Tennessee Conference 25,509 87 Mississippi Conference 9,009 46 Missouri Conference 11,773 55 107,515 402 This year closed my twentieth year of regular trav- elino^, from the time I was admitted on trial in the old AYestern Conference in 1804. Then we had one conference, now we had eight ; for the General Con- ference had formed three more in the West, namely : Holston, Illinois, and Pittsburgh ; then we had two bisliops, now we had five ; then we had four presid- ing elder districts, nov/ we had thirty ; then we had thirty-two traveling preachers, now we had over 400 ; then in all the Western world we had 11,877 mem- bers, now we had over 120,000, including the mem- la 242 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF bersliip of tlie Pittsburgh Conference, which pi'operly \)elonged to the West ; then we had in all these United States and the Canadas seven annual conferences, now we had fifteen ; then we had, in the entire Methodist Episcopal Church in these United States and the Canadas altogether, of members, llSjlS-i, of traveling preachers, 400, now we had of members, 328,523, traveling j)reachers, 1,272. Thus you have a very small view of tlie progress and prosperity of the Methodist Episcopal Church in twenty years of her history. In these estimates we make no account of the thousands that were awaken- ed and converted by her instrumentalities, and had joined other branches of the Church of Christ, nor of the thousands that had died in the triumphs of faith and gone home to heaven. When we consider that these United States had just emerged from colonial dependence, and had passed a bloody revolution of seven years' continu- ance, and were yet surrounded by hundreds of thou- sands of bloody savages, hostile to the last degree, and that we were without credit abroad and without means or money at home, we may well join with the vener- able founder of Methodism, Mr. John Wesley, and say that " God had strangely set us free as a nation." And, on the other hand, in reference to the Methodist Episcopal Church, when we consider that her minis- ters were illiterate, and not only opposed and de- nounced by the Catholics, but by all Protestant Churches ; that we were everywhere spoken against, caricatured, and misrepresented ; without colleges and seminaries, without religious books or periodicals, without missionary funds, and almost all other religious means ; and our ministers did- not for many years, on an average, receive over fifty dollars for a support PETER CARTWRIGHT. 248 annually, and a Metliodist preacher's library almost entirely consisted of a Bible, Hymn Book, and a Dis- cipline, may we not, without boasting, say with one of old, " What hath God wrought ?" A Methodist preacher in those days, when Jic felt that God had called him to preach, instead of hunting up a college or Biblical institute, liunted up a hardy pony of a horse, and some traveling appa- ratus, and witli his library always at hand, namely, Bible, Hymn Book, and Discipline, he started, and with a text that never wore out nor grew stale, he cried, " Behold the Lamb of God, tliat taketh away the sin of the world." In this way he went througli storms of wind, liail, snow, and rain ; climbed hills and mountains, traversed valleys, plunged through swamps, swam swollen streams, lay out all night, wet, weary, and liungry, held his horse by the bridle all night, or tied him to a limb, slept with his saddle blanket for a bed, liis saddle or saddle-bags for his pillow, and his old big coat or blanket, if he had any, for a covering. Often he slept in dirty cabins, on earthen floors, before the fire; ate roasting ears for bread, drank butter-milk for coffee, or sage tea for imperial ; took, with a hearty zest, deer or bear meat, or wild turkey, for breakfast, dinner, and supper, if he could get it. His text was always ready, " Be- hold the Lamb of God," &c. Tliis was old-fashioned Methodist preacher fare and fortune. Under such ci]*cunistances, who among us would now say, " Here am I, Lord, send me?" 244 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHAPTER XYIII. REMOVAL TO ILLINOIS. My three years on the Cumberland District were years of immense labor and toil, and of great peace and prosperity to the Church. I had seen with pain- ful emotions the increase of a disposition to justify slavery, and our preachers, by marriage and other ways, became more and more eiitangled with this dark question, and were more and more disposed to palliate and justify the traffic and ownership of human beings, and the legislatures in the slave states made the laws more and more stringent, with a design to prevent emancipation. Moreover, rabid abolitionism spread and dreadfully excited the South. I had a young and grooving family of children, two sons and four daughters ; was poor, owned a little form of about one hundred and lifty acres ; lands around me were liigh, and rising in value. My daughters would soon be grown up. I did not see any probable means by which 1 could settle them around or near us. More- ovei", I had no right to exjfect our children to marry into wealthy families, and I did not desire it if it could be so ; and by chance they might marry into slave families. This I did not desire. Besides, I saw there was a marked distinction made among the ])eople generally, between young people raised with- out work and those that had to work for their living ; and though I had breasted the storms and suffered the hardships incident to an itinerant life for more PETER CARTWRIGHT. 245 than twenty years, chiefly spent in Southern Kentucky and Western Tennessee, and though I had just as many friends as any man ouglit to have, and hundreds that claimed me as the humble and unworthy instrument of their salvation, and felt not the least fear that I should not be well supported during life as a Methodist preachei*, the whole country having grown up into improved and comfortable living ; and although many, very many of my friends in the Church and out of the Church remonstrated against the idea of my moving to a new country, yet, after much prayer and anxious thought, I very clearly came to the conclu- sion that it was my duty to move ; and although the thought of leaving thousands of my best friends was severely painful to me, and sometimes almost over- whelmed me, and shook my determination, yet I saw, or thought I saw, clear indications of Providence that I should leave my comfortable little home, and move to a free state or territory, for the following reasons : First, I would get entirel}^ clear of the evil of slavery. Second, I could raise my children to work where work was not thought a degradation. Third, I be- lieved I could better my temporal circumstances, and procure lands for my children as they grew up. And fourth, I could carry the Gospel to destitute souls that had, by their removal into some new country, been deprived of the means of grace. With these con- victions, I consulted my wife, and found her of the same mind, and in the spring of 1823, with my brother-in-law, R. Gaines, a local preacher, and old Father Charles Holliday, set out to explore Illinois in quest of a future home. We made the journey on horseback ; packed horse feed, and, in ]3art, our own provisions, as best we could, and camped out several times. We knew the 246 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF country was thinly settled, especially the northeastern, north, and northwestern parts of the state ; and our inclination led us in these directions. "We took our course, without roads, up the Big Wabash Yalley, till we struck the Illinois River above Fort Clark, (now Peoria City ;) thence wound our way north of said river, through a part of what was then called the Military Tract ; recrossed the river at what is now called Beardstown, (then there was only one solitary family and a small cabin,) and made our way up the Sancfamon River to a small settlement on Richland Creek, in Sangamon County, the then extreme north- ern county in the state, to the place on which I now live, and where I have lived ever since I moved to the state, and at which I expect my friends will deposit my mortal remains in our family cemetery. Here I found a very decent family, with a small im- provement, having a double cabin, about the best the country afibrded. They were settled on Congress land; and, indeed, though the land had been surveyed by government, it had not been brought into market. I gave him two hundred dollars for his improvement and his claim ; bought some stock, and rented out the improvement, with a view to have something to live on in the fall of 1824, when I expected to move to it. "We then retraced our steps homeward through Springfield. Tliere were in this place, now the seat of government, a few smoky, hastily-built cabins, and one or two very little shanties called " stores," and, with the exception of a few articles of heavy ware, I could have carried at a few loads all they had for sale on my back. When we returned home, I made sale of my little property, all with a special view to our removal in 1824; and at the conference, which sat PETER CART WRIGHT. 247 in Shelbyville, Kentucky, I asked and obtained a transfer to the Illinois Conference, from Bishop Rob- erts, and was appointed to travel the Sangamon Circuit. When the conference adjourned, and I was about to leave the body of preachers of the Kentucky Conference, many of whom I had labored with foi* ten, fifteen, or twenty years, it seemed to me that I never felt such a rush of feeling before. As we took the parting hand, our eyes mutually filled with tears. Few of us ever expected to meet again tiL we meet at the judgment-seat. I shook their hands, made my best bow to the brethren of the Kentucky Conference, asked an interest in their prayers, and hastened away home ; and in a few days all my little plunder was packed up and my family mounted, and we started for Illinois. Although the Illinois Conference, at the General Conference, had been stricken ofi" from Missouri Con- ference, yet the annual meeting this fall of both these conferences was to be held at Padfield's, Looking- glass Prairie, October 23, 1824. It was my intention to meet this conference on my way to Sangamon County ; but I was prevented b}^ the following fatal accident on our way. Just before we struck the prairies, the man that drove my team contrived to turn over the wagon, and was very near killing my oldest daughter. The sun was just going down ; and by the time we righted up the wagon and reloaded, it was getting dark, and we had a difiicult hill to descend, so we concluded to camp there for the night, almost in sight of two cabins containing families. I was almost exhausted reloading my wagon ; the even- ing was warm, and my wife persuaded me not to stretch our tent that night; so I struck fire, and 248 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF kindled it at the root of a small, and, as I tliouglil, sound, tree. We laid down and slept soundly. Just as day was appearing in the east, the tree at the root of which we had kindled a small fire fell, and it fell on our third daughter, as direct on her, from her feet to her head, as it could fall ; and I suppose she never breathed after. I heard the tree crack when it started to fall, and sprang, alarmed very much, and seized it before it struck the child ; but it availed nothing. Although this was an awful calamity, yet God was kind to us ; for if we had stretched our tent that night, we should have been obliged to lie down in another position, and in that event the tree would have fallen directly upon us, and we should all have been killed instead of one. Tlie tree was sound outside to the thickness of the back of a carving knife, and then all the inside had a dry rot ; but this we did not suspect. I sent my teamster to those families near at hand for aid ; but not a soul would come nigh. Here we were in great distress, and no one to even pity our condi- tion. My teamster and myself fell to cutting the tree off the child, when I discovered that the tree had sprung up, and did not press the child ; and we drew her out from under it, and carefully laid her in our feed trough, and moved on about twenty miles to an acquaintance's in Hamilton County, Illinois, where we buried her. Here I will state a fact worthy of record. There was in the settlement a very wicked family, total strangers to me and mine. The old gentleman and two sons heard of our affliction, and they hastened to our relief, and every act of kindness that they pos- sibly could do us was rendered with undisguised and undissembled friendship ; and they would on no ac- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 249 count have any compensation. This was true friend- ship, and it endeared them to me in a most aifectionate manner. I met and conversed with them years aft- erward ; and although they are now dead and gone to the spirit-land, I hope they will be in heaven rewarded for their kindness to us in our deep and heart-rending affliction ; for surely this was giving more than " a cup of cold water" to a disciple. By the blessing of Providence, we prosecuted our journey ; and on the loth of November, 1824, we arrived where we now live. Sangamon County was not only a newly -settled coun- try, but embraced a large region. It was the most northern and the only northern county organized in the state. It had been settled by a few hardy and en- terprising pioneers but a few years before. Just north of us was an unbroken Indian country, and the Indians would come in by scores and camp on the Sanga- mon River bottom, and hunt and live there through the winter. Their frequent visits to our cabins cre- ated sometimes great alarm among the women and children. They were a very degraded and demoral- ized people, and the white people were very much to blame in dealing out the lire-water so freely among them. But the whites kept advancing further and further into their country, and the Indians kept con- stantly rece- purpose was unalterably fixed to go ahead. ^l " Brother," said I, '' as there is no road, get on yom"?; horse and ride a little distance with me, till I can clearly see the point of timber that is to guide me." He readily consented, and did so. We rode two miles, and the point of timber was plain in view. As he turned back he said, " 1 should not be surprised if I never saw you again." " "Well," said I, " if I fall, and you never see me again, tell my friends that I fell at my post, trying to do my duty. Farewell." ^(j ijnJ ^yldBiimbB 98oqi;' I had a fine, large, faithful horse under me, and a Divine Providence above me, and in a few minutes after my friend and myself separated, I felt that I had nothing to fear. On I moved ; sometimes in and sometimes out of sight of my landmark ; sometimes nearly swimming in the little branches, but every step I left the prairie in the distance, and neared my point of timber. There was so much water, and the ground was so soft, I could make but slow progress ; but every time I rose on the high ground, from the low valleys in the prairie, my point of timber seemed nearer and nearer still. At length, about three o'clock, I reached the timber in safety ; rode up and hailed the cabin, but there was no person at home. I saw in the distance, about fourteen miles oflT, my next point of timber, and contiguous to the place of holding my quarterly meeting. I concluded to make PETER CARTWRIGHT. 829 a hard push and go through that afternoon ; but here was the large creek to cross, only two hundred yards ahead of me. I concluded to go above the timber and cross it ; but when I came to it I found it had swollen and spread out at least two hundred yards on the level ground. I could not tell how far I would have to swim on my horse. I rode in about one third the apparent distance across. My horse was nearly swimming. I concluded it would be too far for me to risk a swim on horseback. It occurred to me that " prudence was the better part of valor," so I retreated. I then pursued the creek down the timber, in search of a drift or tree across the stream, where I could carry my things over, and then return and swim my horse, without wetting all my traveling apparatus. At length I found a tree that had been felled across a narrow part of the creek, that I thought answered my purpose admirably, but by this time it was nearly night, and if I got safe over the creek I could not make the distance to the next point of timber, and should have today out without food for myself or my horse. I came to a halt, and thinking that the occu- pants of the cabin I had just passed would be in at night, I concluded to retrace my steps and get quar- ters for the night. So back I came to the cabin, but still there was no one at home. I concluded, at home or not at home, I should lodge there that night. So lown I got, opened the door of the cabin, and usher- \d myself in. I found they had covered up some fire n the ashes, to keep in their absence, which made me still hope they would come home some time that night. I went out and stripped my horse, and put him up and fed him, and then my next care was for something to eat myself. By this time I had a good appetite. I went and made up a little fire, and in a 380 AUTOBIOGKAPHT OF small corner cupboard, made of clapboards, back- woods iasliion, to my great joy I fomid a pan of corn bread, nicely baked, and, thongli cold, it relished , well. In one corner of tlie wooden chimney there hung some excellent dried venison. I pnlled out some coals and broiled my venison, and had a hearty meal of it. And now, thought I, if I only had a good cup of coiFee, I should have the crowning point gained of a good and pleasant meal. In looking about in the cupboard, I found a tin bucket full of excellent honey, in the comb. I took it out, got some water in a tin cup that was on the shelf, sweetened the water with the honey, and found in it an excellent substitute for coiFee. There was a nice clean bed, in which I slept unusually sound. Next morning I rose early, fed my horse, prepared my breakfast, much after the fashion of my supper, sad- dled my horse, and started on my journey. "When I came to the creek it had fallen consider- ably, but was still swimming. I carried all my travel- ing fixtures over perfectly dry ; stripped myself, went back, mounted my horse, went over safe, dressed my- self, knelt down and oiFered my sincere thanks to God for his providential care over me, and the mercy he had showed me, and went on my way shouting and happy. I arrived at the place of the quarterly meeting, and found the few scattered members, six in all, and about eight who were not members, and these comprised the whole settlement, save one family who lived close by, the head of which was a great persecutor of the Methodists. He said he had moved there, in that new and out-of-the-way place, especially to get rid of those wretched people called Methodists, but he had scarcely got into his rude cabin before here was the FETEK CAKTWRIGHT. 331 Methodist preacher, preaching hell fire and damn^ tion, as they always did. On Monday morning I went over to see him. He was a high-strung Predestinarian in his views; be- lieved, or professed to believe, that God had decreed everything that comes to j^ass. After introducing myself to him, he presently bristled up for an argu- ment. I told him I had not come to debate, but to invite him to the Saviour. He said he could not re- ceive anything from me, for he cordially despised the Methodists. I told him if God had decreed all things, he had decreed that there should be Methodists, and that they should believe precisely as they did, and that they were raised up by the decree of God to torment him before his time, and that he must be a great sim- pleton to suppose that the Methodists could do or be- lieve anything but what they did ; and now, my dear sir, you must be a vile wretch to w^ant to break the decrees of God, and wish to exterminate the Method- ists; that if his doctrine w^as true, the Methodists were as certainly fulfilling the glorious decrees of God, which were founded in truth and righteousness, as the angels around the burning throne ; and several admonitions I gave him, and, by the by, he had some feeling on the subject. I talked kindly and prayed with him, and left. After I left, he began to think on the topics of conversation, and the more he thought the more his mind became perplexed about these eternal decrees. When he would sit down to eat, or ride, or walk the road, he would soliloquize on the subject. After cut- ting off a piece of meat and holding it on his fork, ready to receive it into his mouth, he would say: " God decreed from all eternity that I should eat this meat, but I will break that decree," and down he would dash 332 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF it to the dogs. As lie walked the paths in the settle- ment and came to a fork, he would say, "God from all eternity decreed that I should take the right-hand path, hut I'll break that decree," and he would rush to the left. As he rode through the settlement, in coming to a stump or tree, he would rein up his horse and say, " God has from all eternity decreed that I should go to the right of that stump or tree, but I will break that decree," and would turn his horse to the left. Thus he went on until his family became alarmed, thinking he was deranged. The little settlement, also, was fearful that he had lost his balance of mind. At length, deep conviction took hold of him ; he saw that he was a lost and ruined sinner, without an in- terest in Jesus Christ. He called the neighbors tc come and pray for him, and, after a long and sore conflict with the devil and his decrees, it pleased God to give him religion, and almost all his family were converted and joined the Methodist Church, and walked worthy of their high and holy calling. At another quarterly meeting in this mission on Sunday, we had twenty-seven for our congregation, and yet the scattered population were all, or nearly all, there for many miles around, and when we ad- ministered the sacrament on Sabbath, we had just seven communicants, preachers and all. Brother Barton Handle, now a superannuated member of the Bli- nois Annual Conference, was the missionary. Though a man of feeble health and strength, yet he was faithful in hunting up the lost sheep in this new and laborious field of labor. He suffered many priva- tions and hardships, but he endured all as seeing Him who is invisible, and I have thought that he was one among the very best missionaries I was ever ac- quainted with. He did great good in this new and PETER CARTWRIGHT. 833 rising country, and laid firmly tlie foundation of future good, whicn the increasing and now densely populated country has realized. Long since this mission has formed many large circuits and self-sup- porting stations, and no doubt many, in the great day of retribution, will rise up and call Brother Handle blessed, and he will hail many of his spiritual children in heaven from this field of labor. Brother Eandlo was the first missionary that was sent to, and formed this mission, and, at the close of his year, he returned seventy-five members. The Kock Island mission was formed in 1832, and Philip T. Cordier was appointed missionary. Ho was a man of feeble talents, unstable, and did but little good. He was finally expelled. I do not know what has become of him. On my first visit to Eock Island Mission, which was chiefly located in what was then called Wells's settlement, a few miles above the mouth of Rock Eiver, the river had been very high, but was fallen considerably. There w^as an old ferry-boat at the lower ford. The ferry-man was a very mean man, charged high, and imposed very much on travelers. Some thought the river might be forded, others thought that it would swim. I was a total stranger, and although I had no money to pay my ferriage, yet I did not wish to swim if I could well avoid it, so I rode up and hailed the ferryman. I asked him if the river was fordable. "No," said he, " it is swimming from bank to bank nearly, and it is a very dangerous ford in the bar- gain." " Well," said I, " what do you do with strangers who have no money ? I am out, but shall return this way on Monday. If you will ferry me over you shall then be sure of your pay." 384 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF " I won't do it," said he. " You must leave some- thing in pawn till you return, or I will not set you over." " What shall I leave ?" '' Your overcoat," said he. "No, sir; perhaps I shall need it before that time, and if you will not trust me I am afraid to trust you." " Well," said he, " you can't get over. I won't trust you." I felt a little indignant, and turned off, saying, "My horse is a much better feri-y-boat than your own, and he'll trust me." So I determined to take a swim. Just as I turned oif from the ferryman I saw a man on horseback ride down to the river's edge on the other side. He waded his horse in, and came over without swimming at all. This stranger told me there was no better ford on any river in the Avorld, and that there was not the least danger on earth. I told him what the ferryman said. " Ah," said he, " you have made a blessed escape, for if you had left your overcoat, you never would have got it again. He is a great rascal, and makes his living by foul means." So I passed over in safety, and had the pleasure of keeping my overcoat. When I got to Brother Wells's I found a good little society, all in*peace, and we had a very pleasant little quarterly meeting. Here, on the north side of Rock River, on the rising ground from the Mississij^pi boitom, stands the site of one of the oldest Indian towns in the north or northwest. It is a beautiful site for a city. There were to be seen lying, bleached and bleaching, the bones of unnumbered thousands of these poor, wild, and roaming races of beings. It was the center of the vast, and powerful, unbroken, warlike tribes of PETER CAKTWKIGHT. 335 the IS^ortliwest. This particular spot was claimed by the notorious Black Hawk and his tribe. If they had been a civilized people, and had known the real arts of war, it would have been utterly impossible for the Americans to have vanquished and subdued them as they have done. When I looked over the fields in cultivation by the whites, where the ground had, for ages, been the country of thousands of Indians, a spirit of sorrow came over me. Had they been an educated and civilized people, there no doubt would now be standing on this preeminent site as splendid a city as I^ew-York. But they are wasted away and gone to their long home. I saw a scattered few that were crowded back by the unconquerable march of the white man. On another visit to a quarterly meeting on the Eock Island Mission, Brother H. Summers, a trav- eling presiding elder in the Eock Eiver Conference, accompanied me. We had a pleasant meeting, and it was believed that good was done. I had taken and distributed a good many religious books in the mission, which were eagerly sought for by tlie com- munity. Brother Summers and myself concluded to cross at the upper ford on Eock Eiver. About mid- way in the river was a very slippery rock, which could be avoided by keeping up stream considerably, but somehow I missed the safe track, and my horse got on this slippery rock, and all of a sudden he slipped and fell. My saddle turned, off I went, and the first thing I knew I saw my saddle-bags floating down with great rapidity, for the water ran very swift. I left my horse to get up as best he could, and took after my saddle-bags. I had a tight race, but overtook them before they sunk so as to disappear. They were pretty well filled with water. My books 836 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF and clothes had all turned Campbellites, for there was much water ; and I escaped, not by the sldn of my teeth, but by the activity of my heels. My horse rose, and, with all the calmness of old Diogenes, waded out, and left me to do the same. Brother Summers could not maintain his usual gravity, but I assure you all his fun was at my expense. I had scarcely a dry thread about me, but on we went, and reached Pope Eiver settlement that night. The Galena Mission, I think, was formed in 1827 It was a singular providence, somehow, that, notwitli- standing Galena was in my district for several years, yet, by high waters, sickness of my horses, myself, and family, I was never able to reach a single appoint- ment in Galena, and to this day I have never seen her hills, walked her streets, or explored her rich mineral stores or mines, and although I have always borne the name of a punctual attendant on my appointments, it seems strange to me that I never reached that interest- ing point. In the fall of 1834 and 1835, William D. E. Trotter rode and preached on the Henderson River Mission ; he was my son-in-law. On one occasion when I at- tended one of his quarterly meetings,, there was no parsonage, and but few families comfortably situated to board with. During the meeting it rained almost constantly, and then turned cold, and there fell a considerable quantity of snow. I was in my gig or one-horse sulky. As I was to return home from this quarterly meeting, my daughter concluded that she would go with me, and spend a few weeks witli her mother. I told her I knew the streams were very high, and it was doubtful whether we could get along. She said she thought if I could get along, she could. So we started in inv two-wheeled vehicle. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 337 In a few miles we readied Spoon River. At a little village called Ellisville, the river was very full and rapidly rising; no ferry-boat, no comfortable house to stay at. One of the citizens of the village had a canoe ; but how was I to take my carriage over a rapid stream on a canoe ? The man said he could do it; and, rather than stay for any length of time among a drunken, swearing, rowdy crowd, I conclud- ed to try it. Down we went ; I took out my horse, took off the harness, and took the harness and all the traveling appendages into the canoe; took in my daugliter; took my harness, bridle, and led my horse in, and swam him over, by the side of the canoe. I landed all safe, and then returned with the manager of the canoe for my carriage; we rolled it into the water, centered it as well as we could; balanced it, and I held on to it while he j^addled and managed the canoe ; and over we went safe and sound ; geared up, hitched to, and started on through the mud for Lewistown, and got there safe. We put up with Judge Phelps, a fine man, and his wife an excellent woman, and very friendly family ; and we were not jnly made welcome, but comfortable. That night it snowed, and covered the ground several inches, ^ext morning we started early, and crossed tlie Illinois Biver just above the mouth of Spoon River, which we had crossed the day before. We met some travelers in the afternoon, who told us that the waters of the Sangamon River were out for five miles, and that we could not reach the ferry-boat without swimming. We then turned our course up Salt Creek, which, emptied into the Sangamon River above where we had intended to cross it. Just before sundown we reached Salt Creek, where was a miserable old rotten ferry-boat, and Salt Creek out of its banks a oob AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF mile. The feiTj-man told us he could ferry us over t]>*i main chamiel of the stream, and he had no doubt we could wade out without swimming if we could find the way. It was at least a mile to the bluff; he said^ if we kept the road we would swim. We could only tell where the road was by a little space along, clear of weeds and grass. He said if we kept on ground where we could see the tops of the weeds and grass, there was no danger, but if we could not see tliese, not to venture, for there were many ponds clear of weeds and grass as well as the road. This seemed to me to be a very dangerous undertaking. But my daughter urged me on. I had great confidence in my horse ; he was large and strong, and an excellent swimmer ; so over we went. There were a few rods of earth uncovered with water ; and then we took water for the bluffs. We could see very distinctly the windings of the road by the little space that was clear of w^eeds and grass ; but presently we would come to a large space clear of weeds and grass ; these we took to be ponds, and would wind round them and come back to our watery road. In this tedious way we got along slowly, though making all the speed we could without injuring my horse. As we neared the bluffs, darkness was closing in on us very fast ; at length we got within about three rods of the bluffs, and we could not see the tops of weeds and grass, neither to the right nor left, nor in front; I turned up stream, and then down stream, but all my pilots had disappeared. I was brouglit to a stand. Said I to my daughter : " Let's swim it ; Gray will ferry us over safe." " Agreed," said she. Said I, " Take a firm hold of the gig, and sink or swim, never let go, and Gray will make land." PETEIl CARTWRIGHT. 389 So ill I drove, when, behold ! it was not swimming, aTid my liorse waded out safe. We then had fonr miles to go, without road or pilot, and very dark. I took my course by the evening star, and soon arrived at a friend's house; was kindly received and comfortably entertained by my old brother. Dr. Ballard, in Kew- Market, then Sangamon County. He has long since fallen asleep, left earth for heaven, and is reaping his reward among the blessed. I have thus given a small sketch of some of the perilous scenes through which early Methodist preach- ers had to pass, to show the Methodist preachers of the present day, the difference between walking on Turkey carpets, and eating yellow-legged chickens, and walking on mud and water, and eating nothing for days at a time. The Fort Edwards Mission was formed, I believe, in 1832-33. D. B. Carter was the first missionary appointed to this mission; he returned at the next conference fifty-three members. Brother Carter was a man of small literary acquirements. When he professed religion he could not read a hymn intelli- gibly, but believing God had called him to preach the Gospel, he industriously applied himself to books, and soon learned to read very well. He was not a brilliant or profound theologian ; but he was a pious, zealous, useful minister of Jesus Christ ; and during his short ministerial career, many were the seals of his ministry. He was much beloved in life, and greatly lamented in death. After a few years of zealous, useful labors, the fell disease, consumption, seized on him ; he lingered in a superannuated relation a year or two, and then died a peaceful and happy death. Many in the great day of judgment will rise up and call him blessed. 340 AUTOBIOGPvAPHY OF Tlie Fort Edwards Mission lay np and down the east bank of the Mississip])i, from Qnincy City to Fort Edwards, -which stood where the city of Warsaw now stands ; thence up the Mississippi to the celebra- ted foot of what is called the Lower Rapids, where, in after times, was erected the idolatrous city of l!^an- Yoo, under the supervision of the grand impostor Joseph Smith, who was and is claimed as the Mor- mon ProDhet. PETER CARTWRIGIIT. S41 CHAPTER XXII. MOBMONISM. pEEivnT me to make a few remarks about the blas- pliemoiis organization called the Mormons, or Latter- day Saints. The original absurdity and trifling char- acter of Joe Smith and his coadjutors, is a matter of history, known and understood of all the intelligent reading community that have sought information on the subject, and therefore need not be stated here by me. But there are a few facts I will state that have come under my own personal knowledge ; for it has fallen to my lot to be appointed to travel in the region of country in Illinois most infested with this imposture. After the Mormons were driven from Missouri for their infamous and unlawful deeds, they fled to Illinois, Joe Smith and all, and established themselves at Kauvoo, or the foot of the Lower Rapids, on the east side of the Mississippi. At an early day after they were driven from Missouri and took up their resi- dence in Illinois, it fell to my lot to become acquaint- ed with Joe Smith personally, and with many of their leading men and professed followers. On a certain occasion I fell in with Joe Smith, and was formally and officially introduced to him in Springfield, then oiir county town. We soon fell into a free conversa- tion on the subject of religion, and Mormonism in particular. I found him to be a very illiterate and 342 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF impudent desperado in morals, but, at the same time, he had a vast fund of low cnnning. In the first place, he made his onset on me by flat- tery, and he laid on the soft sodder thick and fast. He expressed great and almost unbounded pleasure in the high privilege of becoming acquainted with me, one of whom he had heard so many great and good things, and he had no doubt I was one among God's noblest creatures, an honest man. He believed that among all the Churches in the world the Meth- odist was the nearest right, and that, as far as they went, they were right. But they liad stopped short by not claiming the gift of tongues, of prophecy, and of miracles, and then quoted a batch of Scripture to prove his positions correct. Upon the whole, he did pretty well for clumsy Joe. I gave him rope, as the sailors say, and, indeed, I seemed to lay this flattering unction pleasurably to my soul. "Indeed," said Joe, "if the Methodists would only advance a step or two further, they would take the world. We Latter-day Saints are Methodists, as far as they have gone, only we have advanced further, and if you would come in and go with ns, we could sweep not only the Methodist Church, but all others, and you would be looked up to as one of the Lord's great- est prophets. You would be honored by countless thousands, and have of the good things of this world all that heart could wish." I then began to inquire into some of the tenets of the Latter-day Saints. He explained. I criticised his explanations till, unfortunately, we got into high de- bate, and he cunningly concluded that his first bait would not take, for he plainly saw I was not be flat- tered out of common sense and honesty. The next pass he made at me was to move upon my fears. He PETER CARTWEIGHT. 343 said that in all ages of the world the good and right way was evil spoken of, and that it was an awful thing to fight against God. "l^ow," said he, " if yon will go with me to Kanvoo, I will show you many living witnesses that will testify that they were, by the saints, cured of blindness, lameness, deafness, dumbness, and all the diseases that human flesh is heir to; and I will show you," said he, " that we have the gift of tongues, and can speak in unknown languages, and that the saints can drink any deadly poison, and it will not hurt them ;" and closed by saying, " the idle stories you hear about "US are nothing but sheer persecution." I then gave him the following history of an en- counter I had at a camp-meeting in Morgan County, 4ome time before, with some' of his Mormons, and assured him I could prove all I said by thousands that were present. The camp-meeting was numerously attended, and we had a good and gracious work of religion going on among the people. On Saturday there came some twenty or thirty Mormons to the meeting. During the intermission after the eleven o'clock sermon they collected in one corner of the encampment, and began to sing, and they sang well. As fast as the people rose from their dinners they drew up to hear the singing, and the scattering crowd drew u]3 until a large company surrounded them. I was busy regula- ting matters connected with the meeting. At length, according, I have no doubt, to a preconcerted plan, an old lady Mormon began to shout, and after shout- ing a while she swooned away and fell into the arms of her liusband. The old man proclaimed that his wife had gone into a trance, and that when she came ^0 she would speak in an unknown tongue, and that 344 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF he would interpret. This proclamation produced considerable excitement, and the multitude crowded thick around. Presently the old lady arose and began to speak in an unknown tongue, sure enough. Just then my attention was called to the matter. I saw in one moment that the whole maneuver was in- tended to bring the Mormons into notice, and break up the good of our meeting. I advanced instantly toward the crowd, and asked the people to give way and let me in to this old lady, who was then being held in the arms of her husband. I came right up to them, and took hold of her arm, and ordered her peremptorily to hush that gibberish ; that I would have no more of it ; that it was presumptuous, and blasphemous nonsense. I stopped very suddenly her unknown tongue. She opened her eyes, took me by the hand, and said, ''My dear friend, I have a message directly from God to you." I stopped her short, and said, " I will have none of your messages. If God can speak through no better medium than an old, hypocritical, lying woman, I will hear nothing of it." Her husband, who was to be the interpreter of her message, flew into a mighty rage, and said, " Sir, this is my wife, and I will defend her at the risk of my life." ^ I replied, "Sir, this is my camp-meeting, and I will maintain the good order of it at the risk of my life. If this is your wife, take her off from here, and clear yourselves in five minutes, or I will have you under guard." The old lady slipped out and was off quickly. The old man stayed a little, and began to pour a tirade of abuse on me. I stopped him short, and said, "Not an- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 845 otlier word of abuse from yon, sir. I have no doubt yon are an old tbief, and if your back was examined, no doubt you carry the marks of the cowliide for your villainy." And sure enough, as if I had spoken 'by inspiration, he, in some of the old states, had been lashed to the whipping-post for stealing, and I tell you the old man began to think other persons had visions besides his wife, but he was very clear from wishing to interpret my unknown tongue. To cap the climax, a young gentleman stepped up and said he had no doubt all I said of this old man was true, and much more, for he had caught him stealing corn out of his father's crib. By this time, such was the old man's excitement that the great drops of sweat ran down his face, and he called out, " Don't crowd me, gentlemen ; it is mighty warm." Said I, " Open the way, gentlemen, and let him out." When the way was opened, I cried, " Kow start, and don't show your face here again, nor one of the Mormons. If you do, you will get Lynch's law." They all disappeared, and our meeting went on prosperously, a great many were converted to God, and the Church was much revived and built up in her holy faith. My friend, Joe Smith, became very restive before 1 got through with my narrative ; and when I closed, his wrath boiled over, and he cursed me in the name of his God, and said, "I will show you, sir, that I will raise up a government in these United States which will overturn the present government, and I will raise up a new religion that will overturn every other form of religion in this country !" " Yes," said I, " Uncle Joe ; but my Bible tells me * the bloody and deceitful man shall not live out half 846 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF liis days ;' and I expect the Lord will send tlie devil after you some of these days, and take you out of the way." " No, sir," said he ; " I shall live and prosper, while you will die in your sins." " Well, sir," said I, " if you live and prosper, you must quit your stealing and abominable whoredoms !' Thus we parted, to meet no more on earth ; for in a few years after this, an outraged and deeply-injured people took the law into their own hands, and killed him, and drove the Mormons from the state. They should be considered and treated as outlaws in every country and clime. The two great political parties in the state w^ere nearly equal, and these wretched Mor- mons, for several years, held the balance of power and they were always in market to the highest bid der ; and I have often been put to the blush to see oui demagogues and stump orators, from both political parties, courting favors from the Mormons, to gain a triumph in an election. Any man or set of men that would be mean enough to stoop so low as to connive at the abominations of these reckless Mormons, surely ought to be considered unworthy of public office, honor, or confidence. But this is the way with all demagogues, and if our happy and glorious Union is destroyed, it will be done by these office-seekers, who go for their ow^n little insignificant selves, while the true love of country is an eternal stranger in their traitorous hearts. One fact I wish here to mention, that ought to be made public. When Joe Smith was announced a candidate for President of these United States, almost every infidel association in the Union declared in his favor. I traveled extensively through the Eastern states and cities, as well as in the West, that year ; PETER CARTWRIGHT. 347 and I must say tliis was literally true, as far as I con- versed with, or obtained reliable information of those infidel associations or individuals. Does not this speak volumes ? and ought it not to teach the friends of re- ligion an impressive lesson ? Great blame has been attached to the State, the citizens of Hancock County, in which Nauvoo is situ- ated, as well as other adjoining counties, for the part they acted in driving the Mormons from among them. But it should be remembered they had no redress at law, for it is beyond all doubt that the Mormons would swear anything, true or false. They stole the stock, plundered and burned the houses and barns of the citizens, and there is no doubt they privately murdered some of the best people in the county ; and owing to the perjured evidence always at their command, it was impossible to have any legal redress. If it had not been for this state of things, Joe Smith would not have been killed, and they would not have been driven with violence from the state. Kepeated efforts were made to get redress for these w^rongs and outrages, but all to no purpose ; and the wonder is, how the people bore as long as they did with the outrageous villainies practiced on them, without a resort to violent measures. I claim to know all about the dreadful conduct of the Mormons, and could state in detail the facts in these cases, but think it unnecessary. This much I think it my duty to state, at least to palliate the seeming high-handed measures of our wronged and oppressed citizens. In the fall of 1833, our Illinois Conference was held in Union Grove, Padfield's, St. Clair County, September 25th. It fell to the lot of Bishop Soule to take this Western tour, in the summer previous to our conference. He came to my house on his Western S48 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF round of conferences. He traveled in a hvo-horse car- riage, with an excellent span of horses, and he need- ed such, for the Missouri Conference sat in Arkansas Territory, at Salem, Washington County, a long way in the interior, and w^est of the Mississippi. He had mountains to climb and large rivers to cross, through a sparsely-populated country. My son-in-law, Wil- liam D. R. Trotter, rode the Blue River Mission, which was in Pike and Calhoun Counties, and lay directly in the bishop's route. My quarterly meet- ing was in this mission. Trotter, the missionary, was at my house, so we started in company with the bishop. After we crossed the Illinois River, we had a hilly country to pass through to get to the quarterly meeting, almost without roads. So steep were somfe of the hills, and so deep the hollows and ravines, tha'' we had to loose the horses from the bishop's carriage and let it down by hand ; then hitch on and drive up the hills. It seemed to me that if these were episco- pal honors, I would beg to be excused from wearing them; and really it appeared to me that it was enough to discourage a bishop himself. But those w^lio know Bishop Soule, know him to be a man of indomitable courage. After much labor to man and beast, we got safe to the quarterly meeting. The bishop stayed with us over Sabbath, and preached two excellent sermons, which had a good effect on the congregations ; and the curiosity of many was gratified, for if circum- stances had not transpired to bring him to. our camp quarterly meeting, they would have lived and died without ever seeing a Methodist bishop. Our Western country, in certain locations, was, in 1832 and 1833, fearfully visited with that dreadful scourge, the cholera. On Monday of our camp-meet- PETEK CARTWRIGHT. 349 ing, a veiy severe case of cholera took place with a hearty young man, that terminated fatally in eiglit or ten hours. The people generally believed it to be contagious ; hence we deemed it most prudent to close the meeting, though our prospects for a good meeting were very encouraging. Bishop Soule, with great labor and fatigue, prosecuted his journey, and reached the Missouri Conference, but was taken sick with a violent attack of fever, so that he did not reach our conference till the last hour of its session. The conference had elected me as their president. We had done all our business, and the council had made out all the appointments, and we v^^ere just about adjourning, when the bishop arrived. I sent a mes- senger to him, and inquired of him if he wished to say anything to the conference ; but he declined coming into the room, and requested all those who had been elected to office to wait until he had rested a little, being much fatigued, and he would ordain them. They did so, and were ordained ac- cordingly. At this conference, in the fall of 1833, the brethren in Jacksonville, though few in number and compar- atively poor, petitioned for a stationed preacher. Tlieir request was granted, and Thomas J. Starr was appointed tlieir preacher. Few and poor, however, as the brethren in Jacksonville were, there was a great improvement, in point of numbers and wealth, from the time of their first organization as a class till now. I am sorry that it is out of my power to give the date of the organization of the first class in Jack- sonville, but I think it was in 1827, when it was em- braced in what was then called the Mississippi Circuit, and Thomas Handle and Isaac House were the circuit preachers. In the course of this year, the first quar- 350 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF terly meeting ever held in Jacksonville was held in a log-house, owned by old Father Jordan. It was held np stairs, and I well remember it was an interesting quarterly meeting. In 1831 the Jacksonville Circuit was formed from a part of the old Mississippi Circuit, and John Sinclair, now of the Eock River Conference, was the circuit preacher ; but from the rapid growth of the town, and increase of population, the Method- ists have two large churches and pastoral charges, and there are many more churches in the city, be- longing to other denominations. The Presbyterians have a flourishing college located here, and the Meth- odists have a female college, numerously attended. There is also another flourishing female college in Jacksonville, but to what denomination it belongs, or whether to any particular one, I am not prepared to say. The Illinois State Hospital for the Insane, the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, the Institute to Educate the Blind, all under the fostering care of the state, are located in Jacksonville. Lideed, it is the Athens of Illinois, and speaks loudly in favor of t]ie state, and of the citizens of Jacksonville and surrounding country in particular. These institutions have high claims on all benevolent sympathizers in human woe, and all the real friends of a sanctified literature that will issue streams of light and life, to bless unnum- bered thousands of our fallen race. Our Illinois Conference, for 1834, was holden at Mount Carmel, October 1st. This year, the brethren in the town of Rushville desired to be organized into a station, and pledged themselves for the support of a preacher. I consented, and appointed T. ]N". Ralston, and it has remained a station ever since. At one of our early camp-meetings in Schuyler County, Rushville Circuit, there was a general relig- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 851 ious excitement. Many professed religion and join- ed the Churcli. Among the rest was a very in- telligent and interesting young lady, a Roman Catho- lic. She was deeply convicted, and knelt at the altar and prayed fervently for mercy, and, after a sore con- flict, she found peace in believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Her conversion was a very clear one. She joined the Methodist Church, and desired me to bap- tize her. I inquired of her whether she had not been baptized. She told me she had been baptized by the Eoman priest, but she was aware of her own knowl- edge that the priest was a very wicked man, and that she did not believe he had any right to administer the ordinances of the Church on account of his wicked- ness, and, therefore, she was dissatisfied with her bap- tism. After mature reflection on the subject I bap- tized her, and she proved to be a worthy member of the Church. 362 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP CHAPTEK XXm. CONVERSION OF A FAMILY. In the course of this year, 1834, we had a camp- meeting in Knox County, Henderson River Mission There was a goodly number tented, and a fine turn out of people, for the number of settlers in this new and rising country. Our encampment was pitched in a beautiful little grove, on an eminence, surrounded by prairie on every hand. There was in this settlement an interesting and in- telligent family from one of the Eastern states. Tlie younger members of the family consisted of several young men and young ladies. Tlie young people liked the Methodists, and were deeply convicted ; the old people, particularly the old lady, were very much opposed to them. Living, as they did, close by tlie camj) ground, they put their Yankee ingenuity to work to keep their children away from the meeting ; but finding they could not accomplish it, they at once determined to pitch their tent on the camp ground, and then they thought they would have a better op- portunity to watch the children, and counteract any influence we might exert upon them. They pretend- ed to be very friendly, to save appearances. The old lady, for the purpose of disarming me, treated me very kindly, and invited me to eat with them, which I did. In the meantime one of the daughters, who was deeply convicted, told me all about her mother's opposition to the Methodists, and her schemes to pre- PETER OARTWRIGHT. 353 vent her children from being influenced to become religious. One Saturday evening I invited the seekers of religion to come forward to the altar for the pray- ers of the Church. Two of her daughters came for- ward and knelt in prayer. A younger sister, almost as much opposed to the Methodists as her mother, went into the altar with a vial of hartshorn, and while her two sisters were trying to pray she slipped the hartshorn to their nose, in order to drive them up and prevent their seeking religion. I very soon detected her in her operations, and took hold of her hand, wrenched the vial from her, led her out of the altar, and told her if I caught her in there any more on such business, I would pitch her out and publicly ex- pose her. While I was talking to and praying with these two young ladies, and others, I saw the old lady, their mother, come and take her seat outside of the altar, immediately opposite her daughters, and if at any time she thought I was not watching hei*, she would kick them in their sides to drive them up. I watched her very closely, and when in the act of kicking them, [ took hold of her foot and gave her a strong j)ush backward, and over she tumbled among the benches. Being a large corpulent woman, she had some consid- erable tussel to right herself again. So in this way I defeated the scheme of the devil once more. The girls became very much engaged, but while there were man}^ still pressing to the altar, and my attention for a moment was called off, the old lady contrived to get them out of the altar into the tent. As soon as I dis- covered what was done, I gathered two or three good singers and praying persons, and followed them into the tent, and commenced singing ; I then gave them 23 354 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF an exhortation; then said, "Let us pray," and called on the father of the girls to pray for his children, but he refused ; I then called on their mother to kneel down and pray for her children, and she refused. In the meantime two of the boys, as well as the two girls, became very much affected, and cried for mercy ; and presently the third daughter, that had used the harts- horn in the altar, got awfully convicted, and begged all present to pray for her, as she would be lost and damned forever. This was too much for the old peo- ple ; they became awfully alarmed, and w^ept bitterly ; and you may be sure the whole tent was in a mighty uproar. The singing, praying, and exhortations were kept up nearly all night. Four of the family were powerfully converted, and the sectarian devil in the old father and mother was effectually disarmed, and from that blessed night they became a religious family ; all joined the Methodist Church, and, as far as I know, walked worthy of their high vocation. May they all prove faithful till death, and then receive a crown of life. While on the Quincy District — the town of Quincy was a ver}^ small and sickly place — I remember spending near two weeks in it when, if my recollec- tion serves me, there was but one family where there was no affliction. In some families there w^ere one, two, or three confined to their beds with fever, and sometimes the whole family were sick together, and not one able to help another. I went from house to house, not only to minister to their temporal wants, but to pray with them, and point the sick and dying to Christ. Many died, and it was with great difficulty that we could muster enough persons able to bmy the dead. There was one case which, in a very special manner. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 855 affected my mind. Under the hill, close by the brink of the river, there was what was called a tavern. It was a poor, filthy place at best ; the general resort of boatmen, and, in a word, all kinds of bad company resorted to this house. A young man, from some of the Eastern states, had come out to explore the West, and was taken sick on the boat, on the river, and was left at this miserable house. He was a professed Christian, and a member of the Methodist Church. Xo medical aid could be obtained, no nurse, and, in a word, no care was taken of him. In this deplorable condition, he heard that there was a Metliodist preacher in town, visiting the sick. He sent for me, and I went to see him. He told me wlio he was, where his parents lived, and that he had a consider- able sum of money with him, and he wanted me to take charge of it, for he was sure if it was known lie had money, he should be robbed of it. I took charge of his money, told the landlord to give him all the attention he could, and I w^ould see him paid. Tlie sick man said he w^as sensible he must die, but that lie was not willing to die at that house, and begged me to have him removed, if possible. I knew of a very comfortable place, a few miles in the country, and caused his removal there. Here he lingered for a while, and then died. He had requested me, in case of his decease, to have him decently buried, pay out of his money his tavern bill, his funeral expenses, and write to his parents, that they might come to get his clothes and money. I did as requested. His younger brother came, got his money and clothes, and although it was a mournful dispensation to his relatives, yet it afforded them great comfort to know that lie died among friends, though strangers. Tliis is one among many cases of the Idnd that 366 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF from an early day came under my notice, in which enterprising men have come to the far West, liave been taken sick, and died among strangers, uncared for. We had a camp-meeting in Adams County, Quincy Circuit, and it was numerously attended. There was a gracious work of religion going on among the peo- ple, and there was a p>retty clever, intelligent old o'entleman, who had moved into the settlement from Kentucky, who, in that State, had been a Baptist preacher, but had got his mind confused with Alex- ander Campbell's dogmas about experimental religion. He had a fine family, and some of them knew what real religion was. He and fiimily attended our camp- meeting. He was very fond of argument on almost all theological subjects. He tried to get me into de- bate during the meeting, but I told him I was there for other and better business. He denied the opera- tions of the Spirit, its testimony, bearing witness with onr spirits ; that we are the children of God, and that all those happy feelings professed by Christians were nothing but excitement ; that there w^as no religion in it. On Sunday night a most tremendous power fell on the assembly, and a general shout went up to heaven from hundreds of Christians. Among the crowd of happy and shouting Christians this gentleman's wife and daughter were exceedingly happy, and shouted aloud. The old gentleman could not stand it; he fled behind the tent, lighted his pipe, and tried to smoke away his bad feelings. After laboring in the altar a long time, I stepped back to get a drink of water, and there sat this old Campbellite preacher, and the cloud of smoke from his pipe was fearful ; he seemed to be insensible of what he was about, and the pipe and to- PETER CARTWRIGHT 357 bacco were paying tribute to liis reveries at a mighty rate. I stepped up to liim and tapped him on the shoulder, and said, " Come, Mr. , go with me, and I will show you more happy Christians than you ever saw among the Campbellites in all your life." " Sir," said he, ^' it is all delusion ; they are not happy." " Eut," said I, '' your wife and daughter are among the foremost shouters in the crowd. Come," said I, "you must come with me to the altar; I want to pray for you there, that you may get religion, and be hap- py too. Come, sir, I want to see you converted, and shouting-happy." I took him by the arm, to lead him to the altar, but he drew back. I gathered him again, and pulled him along; but the moment he saw his wife and daughter shouting, and making toward him, he tore loose from my grasp, and actually ran. Poor man, he was so confused by fishing in the mud- dy waters of Campbellism, that he lost his mental balance. He would not yield to the Spirit of God, and submit to be an humble, shouting, happy Christ- ian. Sometimes he w^ould talk rational ; sometimes quote, and apply the Scriptures right; then, again, he became skeptical. But the great difficulty was, the pride of his professed ministerial standing would not let him yield, and renounce his errors. Thus he worried on for a considerable time, and was carried into the whirlpool* of doubt and unbelief. His friends talked to him, but talked in vain. He became more and more flighty in his mind, till at length, in a paroxysm of insanity, he shot himself. This event fell like a thunderbolt on his family and the surrounding community ; and proYes that it is a hard thing to fight against God. 3«58 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHAPTEE XXIY. MISSIONARIES FROM THE EAST. About this time there were a great many young missionaries sent ont to this country to civilize and Christianize the poor heathen of the West. Tliey would come with a tolerable education, and a smat- tering knowledge of the old Calvinistic system of theology. They were generally tolerably well fui'- nished with old manuscript sermons, that had been preached, or written, perhaps a hundred years before. Some of these sermons they had memorized, but in general they read them to the people. This way of reading sermons was out of fashion altogether in this Western world, and of course they produced no good effect among the people. The great mass of our Western people wanted a preacher that could mount a stump, a block, or old log, or stand in the bed of a wagon, and without note or manuscript, quote, ex- pound, and apply the word of God to the hearts and consciences of the people. The result of the efforts of these Eastern missionaries was not very flattering ; and although the Methodist preachers were in reality the pioneer heralds of the cross throughout the entire West, and although they had raised up numerous societies and churches every five miles, and notwith standing we had hundreds of traveling and local preachers, accredited and useful ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet these newly-fledged missionaries would write back to the old states hardly anything PETER CARTWRIGHT. 359 else but wailings and lamentations over the moral wastes and destitute condition of the West. These letters would be read in their large congre- gations, stating that they had traveled hundreds of miles, and found no evangelical minister, and the poor perishing people were in a fair way to be lost for the want of the bread of life ; and the ignorant or uninformed thousands that heard these letters read would melt into tears, and their sympathies be greatly moved, when they considered our lost and heathenish state, and would liberally contribute their money to send us more missionaries, or to support those that were already here. Thus some of these missionaries, after occupying our pulpits, and preach- ing in large and respectable Methodist congregations, would write back and give those doleful tidings. Presently their letters would be printed, and come back among us as published facts in some of their periodicals. 'Now, what confidence could the people have in such missionaries, who would state things as facts that had not even the semblance of truth in them ? Thus I have known many of them destroy their own Qsefulness, and cut off all access to the people ; and, indeed, they have destroyed all confidence in them as ministers of truth and righteousness, and caused the way of truth to be evil spoken of. On a certain occasion, when these reports came back known to contain false statements, the citizens of Quincy called a meeting, mostly out of the Church, and after dis- cussing the subject, pledged themselves to give me a thousand dollars per annum, and bear all my travel- ing expenses, if I would go as a missionary to the New-England States, and enlighten them on this and ot;][ier subjects, of which they considered them pror 360 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF foundly ignorant. But, owing to circumstances be- yond my control, I was obliged to decline the accept- ance of their generous offer. If it had been consistently in my poAver, how glad- ly and willingly would I have undertaken this labor of love, and gloried in enlightening them down East, that they might keep their home-mannfactured clergy at home, or give them some honorable employ better suited to their genius, than that of reading old musty and worm-eaten sermons. If this matter is rightly looked into, it will astonish every well-informed man to see the self-importance and self-complacence of these little home-manufactured fellows. If they would tarry at Jericho till their beards were grown out, it certainly would be more creditable to themselves, and to all others concerned, and especial- ly to the cause of God. It will be perceived that in the fall of 1834, the Galena and Chicago Districts were formed, which gave us six presiding-elder districts in our Conference. Our Conference met in Springfield, October 1st, 1835. At this conference I was returned to the Quin- cy District, which now consisted of the following ap- pointments, namely: Pittsfield, Quincy Circuit, Quin- cy Mission, Rushville Station, Kushville Circuit, Can- ton, Fort Edwards Mission, Henderson River Mission, and Knoxville Mission — 8. At this conference in Springfield, we again elected our delegates to the General Conference, which was holden in Cincinnati, May 1st, 1836. To this General Conference I was elected ; and it was the fifth General Conference in which I was entitled to a seat by the suffrages of my brethren in the ministry. At the General Conference of 1832, that body had granted the privilege to the "West to publish a relig- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 361 ious paper at Cincinnati, on tlie hard condition that we obtained five thousand subscribers. However^ by strong efibrt we obtained that number, and Thomas A. Morris was its first editoi*. At the General Confer- 'ence of 1836, he, as well as Brother Beverly Waugh, and Doctor Fisk, were elected Bishops of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, and Doctor C. Elliott, the present incumbent, was elected editor of the Western Chris- tian Advocate, John F. Wright, our Western Book Agent, and Leroy Swormstedt, Assistant Book Agent. It was at this General Conference of 1836, that the ground was taken by a majority of the delegates from the slaveholding states, that slavery was right, and a blessing, instead of a curse, to the slaves themselves. We had from the North, O. Scott and his coadjutors, who were ultra abolitionists ; and we had some warm debates on the subject. The Southern delegates met in private caucus to devise a plan of separation from the Methodist Episcopal Church, unless we would so modify the Discipline as to tolerate slavery, or make it no bar to membership or office in the Church. This movement was headed by the Bev. William A. Smith, of Virginia, and others of the same cloth and kidney. I was invited by John Early, of Virginia, now bishop of the Southern Church, to attend one of these cau- cuses. I went. Some of them took strong ground, and urged a division, or a separation from the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. Others of them said they would never consent to a division ; that they would rather suflfer martyrdom than to divide the Church. Finally, I think they did not harmonize on any plan of division at that time ; but William A. Smith said to me, he never would be satisfied unless we would agree to expunge everything from the Discipline of the Methodist Church on the subject of slavery; and 862 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP true to the dark 23rinciples of his creed, he never rested until he divided the Methodist Church ; and at the late General Conference of the Church, South, they swept, as with the besom of destruction, everv rule from their Discipline on the subject of slavery and only lacked a few votes of erasing from the Gen eral Kules that part which forbids " the buying and selling of men, women, or children, with an intention to enslave them." This rule the advocates of slavery at the South have always interpreted to apply to the slave-trade, and that trade alone. Taking them to be sincere in this interpretation of this General Rule, what is the conclusion that we must draw from their late move in their General Conference? It is, plainly, that they wish ev^ry disciplinary barrier moved out of the way, and the slave-trade, with all its damning, mur- dering influences, revived again, notwithstanding it is denounced by all Christian philanthropists, and made piracy by the laws of our happy country ; not- withstanding all their pretensions to patriotism, their love of country, and all their law-loving and law- abiding professions, as being " obedient to the powers that be," they would open the way to revive this abominable traffic in human souls and bodies ; and while this slave-trade stands reprobated by every Christian nation that deserves the name, and has the broad seal of reprobation set on it by God himself, they wish to see its dark wheels set in motion again, without let or hinderance. And why should they not desire this, if they are sincere in their expressed opinions ? They tell us that slavery "is a political, domestic, and religious bless- ing ;" if so, why not enter into the slave-trade, whole- sale and retail ? go with armed ships, kidnap human PETER CARTWRIGHT. 863 beings by the thousand, bring them to America, sell them into perpetual bondage? Never mind the part- ing of husband and wife, parents and children ; the encouraging the savage ferocity of these poor degraded heathen. Tell them the Christian religion sanctions their bloody wars among themselves ; ahd that it is to make Christians of them that you buy and trans port them to " the land of the free and the home of the brave." Have no scruples of conscience about the thousands that are murdered in these wars, insti- gated by Christians, or that die on their passage from the land of barbarism to this Christian land of uni- versal freedom ; " the great end will sanctify the means." Crowd the slave ships, or '' floating hells ;" all, all is to better their condition. It is a god-like deed of mercy, and why should not Methodist preach- ers, bishops and all, have a large share in this benev- olent and Christian aifair ? Who can forbid ? And let the officers of these slave vessels never forget to tell these savage tribes that there is at least one very popular Church in America that sanctions all these operations, and will justify them ; namely, the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, South. Prior to the General Conference of 1836, the run- mad spirit of rabid abolitionism had broken out in some of the Eastern and I^orthern conferences; and Methodist preachers were found by the dozen to quit their aj^propriate fields of labor, and their holy calling of saving souls, and turn out and become hired lectur- ers against slavery. So zealous were they, that they forgot their pastoral duties ; and they went so far as violently to oppose colonization as a slaveholding trick. Dr. Fisk was a good man and true, and was as much opposed to slavery as any of them, yet he was for occupying real Methodist preacher 364 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ground, and bearing his plain, honest testimony against the moral evil of slavery, and not meddling with it politically, only in a constitutional way. He, seeing that this rabid abolitionism would rivet the chains ol slavery the tighter, rouse the jealousies of the slave- holders, and disrupt the Methodist Church, flung himself into the breach, and met those lecturers in open combat ; vanquished them in argument, and compelled them to retreat, or bolt, and set up for themselves. O. Scott and his coadjutors formed themselves into a separate party organization, calling themselves the " True "Wesleyans ;" but long since they have found, to their sorrow, that they misnamed the brat, for the secession that they produced was a very feeble, little, illegitimate child. But they nursed it till it took the rickets ; and the last I heard of it, it was fast w^asting away, and " the last state of it is worse than the first." Under these circumstances. Dr. Fisk stood in the general confidence of the Methodist Episcopal Church, North and South, East and West ; and although he was not present at the General Conference at Cincinnati, yet when we were about to elect three new bishops, Dr. Winans, of Mississippi, a thorough Southern man, and a great defender of slavery, rose, and in open conference nominated Dr. Fisk for episcopal honors ; and if I am not greatly mistaken, nearly the entire Southern delegation voted for him, and he was elected by a great majority of the members of the General Conference. But Dr. Fisk, thinking that the episco- pate was strong enough without him, declined being ordained, and lived and died without episcopal conse- cration. It is a pity that more Methodist preachers do not follow the illustrious course pursued by Dr. Fisk. Then we should benefit the slaves more than we do. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 365 At the General Conference of 1836, tliere were six new conferences formed; two in the West, namely, Arkansas and Michigan, and four in the East, naniel}^, Erie, Korth Carolina, Oneida, and ]^ew-Jersey. The number of members in the West was about 262,690 ; our traveling preachers in the West had increased to 1,069. The number of members in the Eastern con- ferences was about 396,000 ; their traveling preachers numbered about 3,560. Total membership, 658,690 ; total traveling preachers, 4,629. Our increase in the West, in four years, was something like 45,000 ; in traveling preachers we had increased about 300. The increase in the Eastern conferences, according to the Minutes, was 14,000 ; their increase in traveling preachers was something like 200. Total increase through the connection, in four years, 59,000. Thus, I think, without any disposition to boast in the least degree, I may say, in the fear of God, that, under the Divine guidance of the Great Kedeemer, the Methodist Episcopal Church, in point of pros- perity and increase of number in her ministry and membership, stands without an equal in the Protest- ant world since the days of the apostles. O, that she may keep humble, and never move her old land- marks ! Our venerable Bishop M'Kendree, of whom I have spoken freely in another part of this narrative, who labored long and suffered much as a traveling preacher, had closed his mortal probation on March the 5th, 1835. At the General Conference at Cincin- nati, in May, 1836, Bishop Soule preached the funeral sermon of this eminent minister and unrivaled bisliop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. That sennon has been published and thrown broadcast over the world, and I therefore have no need to say anything 866 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF in relation to its merits. But I wish to say a few brief things of Bishop M'Kendree himself. If my information be correct, he was born in King "William Comity, Virginia, 6th of July, 1757. In an extensive and glorious revival of religion, under the ministerial labors of John Easter, a real son of thun- der and of consolation too, M'Kendree embraced re- ligion and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. In a few months he was licensed to preach, and was appointed to a circuit. He was very diffident and distrustful of his own abilities as a preacher. The members of the Church did not receive him kindly. This he told me himself, and under the discourage- ment he met w^ith from his brethren, he left his cir- cuit, conceiving that he was mistaken about his call to the ministry, but he fell into good hands among the preachers, and they advised, cheered, and com- forted him, and soon he entered the w^ork again. These were the times of the schism created in the Church by James O'Kelly, wdio had a great influence over M'Kendree, and for a little while he inclined to leave the Methodist Episcopal Church and go with this popular schismatic. But he was not hasty, and narrowly watched the spirit and course of O'Kelly, until he became thoroughly satisfied that O'Kelly was of a wrong and wicked spirit, and that the great moving cause of O'Kelly's disaffection was disap- pointed ambition. He then gave up O'Kelly, fully satisfied that Bishop Asbury and his preachers were right, and from this to the day of his death he never wavered or doubted on the grand land-marks of Episcopal Methodism. Bishop M'Kendree was the gentleman as well as Christian minister. He was a profoimd theologian, and unders-tood thoroughly the organic laws of ecclesi PETER CARTWRIGHT. 36'' astic government ; he was a dignified, shrewd parlia. mentary presiding officer, a profound judge of human nature, and one of the strongest debaters and logi- cal reasoners that ever graced an American pulpit. At an early period of his ministry he was transferred to the Western Conference, and, considering the hardships, privations, and suiFe rings of frontier life, and the delicacy of his constitution, he bore it all with great cheerfulness and resignation, and truly he was, in his feelings and habits, a Western man and a Western bishop. When his end drew near, death found him duly prepared for his change, and on his dying pillow and amid surrounding friends, he was enabled to proclaim, "All is well." He died ip Sumner County, Tennessee State, at his brother's^ Dr. M'Kendree, and was buried in his brother's fami ly burying ground, where all that is mortal of Bishop M'Kendree will repose till the general resurrection. Dr. Jennings, of Baltimore, was employed to write his life for publication, and after making some prog- ress in the work, declined its prosecution any further. Then the General Conference of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, in 1840, requested Bishop Soule to prepare a history of his life and labors for publica- tion, but by some strange neglect. Bishop Soule de- layed doing so till the unhappy division of the Church, and then Bishop Soule seceded from the Methodist Episcopal Church, and joined the Church, South, and I suppose if ever the life of Bishop M'Kendree is pub- lished at all, the Methodist Episcopal Church will be deprived of the benefit of it. It is to be regretted that this work has been so long delayed, and we think unnecessarily so. SiS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP CHAPTEK XXV, THE NEW-SCHOOL PREACHER. In the fall of 1836, our conference was liolden in Kushville, Illinois State. Bishop K. K. Eoberts at- tended and presided. My field of labor had for four years been the Quincy District. My constitutional time was out, and I was again appointed to the San- gamon District, which was composed of the following appointments : Jacksonville Station, Jacksonville Cir- cuit, Winchester, Springfield Station, Sangamon, Flat Branch, Athens, Pecan Mission, Beardstown Mission, nine in all. It will be perceived that Beardstown was this year first formed into a distinct station, and Dr. P. Akers appointed missionary. It will also be noticed that the Blinois Conference, at this date, not only reached to the northern limits of the State, but had spread with the constantly increasing population into Wisconsin and Iowa Territories, and covered, in its missionary stations, almost the entire unbroken Indian country, now called the Minnesota Territory, and we had thirteen presiding-elder districts, and at our an- nual conference, held in Jacksonville, Morgan County, September 2Tth, 1837, we had over one hundred and thirty traveling preachers, and over twenty-one thou- sand members. Any one of our traveling preachers was liable to be sent from the mouth of the Ohio and Wabash Bivers nearly to the head waters of the Mis- sissippi, a thousand or twelve hundred miles, and all the northern part of our conference was frontier work PETER CAETVVRIGHT. 869 or Indian wilds. Hard were our labors, but glorious was our success. This year, 1837, J. T. Mitcliell was appointed to tlie Jacksonyille Station, and we had a blessed revi- val of religion in the station, and a number were added to the Church. At one of our quarterly meet- ings there w^as a minister who was what was called a New-School minister, and he was willing to work any- where. When the mourners presented themselves at the altar of prayer, he would talk to them, and exhort them to " change their purpose," and assured them that all who changed their purpose were undoubted Christians. I plainly saw he was doing mischief, and I went immediately after him, and told them not to depend on a change of purpose in order to become a Christian, but to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with a heart unto righteousness, and they should be saved. Thus I had to counteract the false sentiments inculcated by this I^Tew-School minister. It is very gtrange to me to think these educated and home- manufactured preachers do not understand the plain, Bible doctrine of the new birth better. They say man is a free agent in so far as to change his pur- pose, and in changing his purpose he is constituted a new creature. Tims he makes himself a Cln-istian by his own act without the Spirit of God. This year we had a gracious work of religion in tlie town of Winchester, in the Winchester Circuit. We had no meeting-house or church built there at this time to worship in, and when our quarterly meeting came on the friends had procured an unfinished frame building, large and roomy, to hold the quarterly meeting in. There was a very large concourse of people in attendance. The house was crowded to overflowing ; our seats were temporary ; no altar, no 24 870 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF pulpit, but oar meeting progressed with great interest The members of the Church were greatly revived, many backsliders were reclaimed, and scores of weei> ing and praying sinners crowded our temporary altar that we had erected. Tliere happened to be at our quarterly meeting a fresh, green, live Yankee from down East. He had regularly graduated, and had his diploma, and was regularly called, by the Home Missionary Society, to visit the far-off West — a perfect moral waste, in his view of the subject; and having been taught to be- lieve that we w^ere almost cannibals, and that Method- ist preachei-s were nothing but a poor, illiterate set of ignoramuses, he longed for an opportunity to display his superior tact and talent, and throw us poor upstarts of preachers in the West, especially Method- ist preachers, into the shades of everlasting darkness. He, of course, was very forward and officious. He would, if I had permitted it, have taken the lead of our meeting. At length I thought I would give him a chance to ease himself of his mighty burden, so I put him up one night to read his sermon. The frame building we were worshiping in was not plastered, and the wind blew hard ; our candles flared and gave a bad light, and our ministerial hero made a very awkward out in reading his sermon. The congre- gation paid a heavy penance and became restive; he balked, and hemmed, and coughed at a disgust- ing rate. At the end of about thirty minutes the great blessing came : he closed, to the great satisfac- tion of all the congregation. I rose and gave an exhortation, and had a bench prepared, to which I invited the mourners. They came in crowds ; and there was a solemn power rested on the congregation. My little hot-house reaoer PETER CARTWRIGHT. 371 seemed to recover from his paroxysm of a total fail- ure, as thougli lie had done all right, and, uninvited, he turned in to talk to the mourners. He woukl ask them if they did not love Christ ; then he would try to show them that Christ was lovely ; then he would tell them it was a very easy thing to become a Chris- tian ; that they had only to resolve to be a Christian, and instantly he or she w^as a Christian. I listened a moment, and saw thisheterodoxy would not do ; that it produced jargon and confusion. I stepped up to him, and said : " Brother, you don't know how to talk to mourners. 1 want you to go out into the congregation, and ex- hort sinners." He did not appear the least disconcerted, but at my bidding he left the altar, and out he went into the crowd, and turned in to talking to sinners. There was a very large man, w^ho stood a few steps from the mourners, who weighed about two hundred and thirty pounds; he had been a professor, but was backslidden. The power of God arrested him, and he cried out aloud for mercy, standing on his feet. My little preacher turned round, and pressed back through die crowd ; and coming up to this large man, reached up, and tapped him on the shoulder, saying, " Be composed ; be composed." Seeing, and indistinctly hearing this, I made my way to him, and cried out at the top of my voice, " Pray on, brother ; pray on, brother ; there's no composure in hell or damnation." And just as I crowded my way to this convicted man, who was still crying aloud for mercy, the little preacher tapped him again on the shoulder, saying, •' Be composed ; be composed, brother." I again responded : BT^ AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF "Pray on, brother; pray on, brother; there is no composure in hell " I said to the throng that crowded the aisle that led to the altar, "Do, friends, stand back, till I get this man to the mourner's bench." But they were so completely jammed together that it seemed almost impossible for me to get through with my mourner. I let go his arm, and stepped forward to open the way to the altar, and just as I had opened the aisle, and turned to go back, and lead him to the mourner's bench, the Lord spoke peace to his soul, standing on his feet ; and he cried, "Glory to God," and in the ecstasy of his joy, he reached forward to take me in his arms; but, fortu- nately for me, two men w^ere crowded into the aisle between him and myself, and he could not reach me. Missing his aim in catching me, he wheeled round and caught my little preacher in his arms, and lifted him up from the floor ; and being a large, strong man, having great physical power, he jumped from bench to bench, knocking the people against one another on the right and left, front and rear, holding up in his arms the little preacher. The little fellow stretched out both arms and both feet, expecting every mo- ment to be his last, when he would have his neck broken. O ! how I desired to be near this preacher at that moment, and tap him on the shoulder, and say, "Be composed; be composed, brother!" But as solemn as the times were, I, with many others, could not command my risibilities, and for the mo- ment, it had like to have checked the rapid flow of good feeling with those that beheld the scene ; but you may depend on it, as soon as the little hot-bed parson could make his escape, he was missing. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 373 Our annual conference Avas lielcl in Alton this fall, September 12th, 1838. Owing to the low stage of water in the Ohio River, Bishop Soule was detained on the way, and did not reach Alton till the iburtli day of the Conference. He not being present when we organized, I was elected president of tlie Con- ference till the bishop arrived. In the fall of 1839, onr Illinois Conference was held in Springiield, Sangamon County ; here we elected our delegates to the eighth delegated General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. I was one of the delegates, and this was the seventh General Conference to which I was elected. Our General Conference sat in Baltimore, May 1st, 1840. At this Conference, the unhappy agitation of slavery was revived. The t\vo ultra parties had their repre- sentatives there. The slavery party from the South contended that slavery was no disqualification for the episcopal office. The abolitionists from the North contended that slavery was a sin under all circum- .stances. This party was led on by O. Scott ; and they urged that it should not only be a test of office, but of membership, in the Methodist Episcopal Church in the slaveholding states, as well as the free states. Our Committee on Episcopacy had recom- mended the election of two more bishops ; believing that if we went into an election of these officers of the Church, a conflict on the subject w^ould ensue, and believing that the then present incumbents of that office could discharge all the labors necessary for the healthy action of the Church, I flung myself against the election of any more bishops at that Con- ference. In this, nearly all the conservative mem- bers of the General Conference joined me, and thereby defeated the designs of both the ultra parties, and 374 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF every aspiring expectant for that office, for the time being, and, in all probabiUtj, a rnpture in the Church. At tliis General Conference, the following additional annual conferences were formed: Rock River, North Ohio, Memphis, and Texas, all in the West and Southwest. Rock River Conference was stricken oif from the Illinois Conference, and consisted of the following presiding-elder districts: Chicago, Ottawa. Mount Morris, Burlington, Iowa, Indian Mission^ Plattville, and Milwankie ; eight in number. The Illinois Conference consisted of the following presiding-elder districts, namely : Danville, Mount Yernon, Yandalia, Lebanon, Jacksonville, Spring field, Quincy, Knoxvillc, and Bloomington ; nine in number. We had in Rock River Conference, 6,585 members, and 75 traveling preachers; in Illinois Conference, we had 24,687 members, and 103 travel- ing preachers. North Ohio Conference was stricken off from Ohio Conference ; the Memphis Conference was stricken ofl' from the- Tennessee Conference; the Texas Conference was taken from Mississippi Con- ference, and had three presiding-elder districts, namely : San Augustine, Galveston, Rutersville ; hav- ing 18 traveling preachers, and 1,853 members. Thus yon see in the two original divisions of the work, namely. East and West, the East had sixteen annual conferences ; and the West, with her enlarge- ments, had sixteen annual conferences ; making, in all, thirty-two, besides the Liberia Mission Confer- ence and the Canadas, which were under foreign governments. The Eastern division of the work had, in members, 466,561 ; in traveling preachers, 3,125 ; the member- ship in the West was, 375,433 ; traveling preachers we had, 1,447. Total in members, 841,994; in trav- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 375 cling preachers, 4,572. Increase in four years in the East was, in members, 60,500 ; in the "Western division was over 11,200. Here I wish to remark that the abolition party up to this time had universally, as far as I knew, opposed most strenuously the Colonization Society; and it really appeared to me that if they could not effect an immediate emancipation, and a restoration of the peo- ple of color to equal rights and privileges with the whites, they did not care what became of them. I will state a case. In JSTatchez, Mississippi, the Methodist Episcopal Church had erected a good, substantial church at a considerable cost. The galleries of the church were appropriated for the use and benefit of the colored j^eople. Some time in 1839 or 1840, a fearful tornado had swept over the town of J^atchez, and done a great deal of damage; and among the rest, it had well-nigh overturned the Methodist Church, so that it was not safe to worship in it. The society was weak, and comparatively poor. In this situation they were deprived of any suitable place to worship in, either the whites or blacks. The delegates from the Mississippi Conference came on to the General Conference, and asked aid of their Eastern brethren, and of the members of the General Conference, to rebuild, or refit their church ; and a collection was taken up in the Conference for this pm-pose; and if my memory serves me, the members of the General Conference gave them over one thou- sandr dollars ; but our abolition brethren would not give anything, alleging that the Church or the Gospel could do no good to either the slaves or slaveholders, so long as slavery existed among them. I went to those members of the General Conference who refused, and tried to reason the case with them ; but all in 8t6 AUTOBIOGEAPHY OF vain. I urged that these poor slaves could not help themselves ; they were m bondage, not of choice, but from circumstances beyond their control ; and we ought not to withhold the Gospel from them, for it was all the comfort these poor slaves could have in this life, or to fit them for happiness in the life to come. But no ; it was upholding and countenancing slavery, and, therefore, their consciences would not let them contribute anything. Now look at it; who does not see that there was a wrong and fanatical spiiit which actuated them, and that their consciences, for solidity and rotundity, very much resembled a ram's horn. But this false view has prevented many, very many, from doing their duty by these pooi children of Ham. '^^ In the fall of 1840-41, I was appointed to Jacksoll ville District; and on September 15th, 1811, our an- nual conference was holden in Jacksonville. Bishop Morris presided. The Jacksonville District embraced the following appointments, namely : Carrollton Sta- tion, Carrollton Circuit, Grafton, Whitehall, Winches- ter, Jacksonville Station, Jacksonville Circuit, and Manchester, eight appointments. In the course of this year, we had a camp quarterly meeting, for the Winchester Circuit, in what was called Egypt. We had a beautiful camp-ground, a few miles from Winchester. Tliere was a general turn-out among the members, who tented on the ground. William D. E. Trotter was the circuit preacher. We had been threatened by many of the baser sort, that they would break up our camp-meeting; and there was a general rally from the floating population of the river, and the loose-footed, doggery-haunting, dissipated renegades of the towns and villages all round. They came and pitched their tents a few PETER CARTWRIGHT. ^77 hundred yards from the camp ground. Many also came m wagons and carriages, bringing whisky and spirits of different kinds, pies, cigars, tobacco, etc. We had many respectable tent-holders and proper officers on the ground, but I plainly saw we were to have trouble, so I summoned the tent-holders and friends of good order together, and we adopted rules to govern the meeting, and then urged them, one and all, to aid me in executing those rules for the maintenance of good order. But I thought there was a disposition in some of the friends to shrink from responsibility, and that they must be roused to action. When we were called to the stand by the sound of the trumpet, I called the attention of the congregation to the absolute necessity of keeping good order. 1 stated that my father was a Revolutionary soldier, and fought for the liberties we enjoyed, and all the boon he had left me was liberty ; and that, as the responsible officer of the camp-meeting, if the friends of order and the sworn officers of the law would give me backing, I would maintain order at the risk of my life. My lec- ture roused the friends of order, and they gave me their countenance and aid ; but the whisky sellers and whisky drinkers, nothing daunted, commenced their deeds of darkness. Some were soon drunk, and inter- rupted our devotions very much. I then ordered several writs, and took into custody several of those whisky venders and drunken rowdies ; but these row- dies rose in mob force, and rescued the whisky selle^ and his wagon and team from the officer of the law The officer came running to me, and informed me of the rising of the mob, and that the whisky man was given up, and was making his escape ; and it appeared to me he was ve^y much scared. I told him to sum- 378 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF mon me and five other men tliat I named, and I would insure the re-taking of the transgressor, in spite of any mob. He did so. We rushed upon them and stopped the team. The man that had transgressed drew a weap- on, and ordered us to stand off; that he would kill the first man that touched him : and as one of the men and myself that were summoned to take him rushed on him, he made a stroke at my companion with his weapon, but missed him. I then sprang upon him and caught him by the collar, and jerked him over the wagon bed, in which he was standing, among his bar- rels. He fell on all-fours. I jumped on him, and told him he was my prisoner, and that if he did not sur- render I should hurt him. The deputy sheriff of the county, who was with the mob, and a combatant at that, ran up to me, and ordered me to let the prisoner go. I told him I should not. He said if I did not, he would knock me over. I told him if he struck to make a sure lick, for the next was mine. Our ofiicer then commanded me to take the deputy sheriff, and I did so. He scuffled a little ; but finding himself in rather close quarters, he surrendered. We then took thirteen of the mob, the whisky seller, and the sheriff, and marched them off to the magistrate, to the tune of good order. They were fined by the justice of the peace ; some paid their fine, some appealed to court. This appealing we liked well, because they then had to give security, and this secured the fine and costs, which some of them were not able to pay. This somewhat checked them for a while, but they rallied again, and gave us trouble. There was one man, a turbulent fellow, who sold whisky about a quarter of a mile off. He had often interrupted us by selling whisky at our camp-meetings. He gener- PETER CART WRIGHT. 379 ally went nrmed with deadly weapons, to keep off officers. I sent the constable after him, but he had a Qiusket, well loaded, and w^ould not be taken. He kept a drinking party round him nearly all night ; liowever, toward morning they left him, and went off to sleep as best they could, and he lay down in his wagon, and went to sleep, with his loaded musket by his side. Just as day dawned, I slipped over the creek and came up to his wagon. He was fast asleep. I reached over the wagon bed and gathered his gun and am- munition; then struck the wagon bed wdththe muzzle of the musket, and cried out, "Wake up! wake up !" He sprang to his feet, and felt for his gun. I said, *' You are my prisoner ; and if you resist, you are a dead man !" He begged me not to shoot, and said that he would surrender. I told him to get out of the wagon, and march before me to the camp ground ; that I was going to have him tried for violating good order and the laws of his country. He began to beg most piteously, and said if I would only let him escape that time, he would gear up and go right away, and never do the like again. I told him to harness his team, and start. He did so. When he got ready to go, I poured out his powder, and fired off* his musket and gave it to him ; and he left us, and troubled us no more. On Sunday night, the rowdies all collected at the Mormon camp. It was so called, because some Mor- mons had come and pitched a tent a quarter of a mile from our encampment, with whisky and many other things to sell. They ate and drank ; and by way of mockery, and in contempt of religion, they held a camp-meeting ; they preached, prayed, called for mourners, shouted, and kept up a continual annoy- 380 4UT0BI0GKAPHY OF ance. They sent me word they would give me ten dollars if I would bring an officer and a company to take them ; that they could whip our whole encamp- ment. They fixed out their watchers. I bore it, and waited till late in the night ; and when most of our tent-holders were retired to rest, I rose from my bed, dressed myself in some old shabby clothing that I had provided for the purpose, and sallied forth. It was a beautiful moonlight night. Singly and alone I went up to the Mormon camp. When I got within a few rods of their encampment, I stopped, and stood in the shadow of a beautiful sugar- tree. Tlieir motley crowd were carrying on at a mighty rate. One young man sprang upon a bar- rel, and called them to order, saying he was going to preach to them, and must and would have order, a( the risk of his life. Said he, " My name is Petei Cartwright ; my father fought through the old war with England, and helped to gain our independence, and all the legacy he left me was liberty. Come to order and take your seats, and hear me !" They obeyed him, and took their seats. He then sung and prayed, rose up, took his text, and harangued them about half an hour. He then told them he was going to call for mourners, and ordered a bench to be set out; and it was done. He then invited mourners to come forward and kneel down to be prayed for. A vast number of the crowd came and kneeled, more than his bench could accommodate. This self-styled preacher, or orator of the night, then called lustily for another bench ; and still they crowd- ed to it. A thought struck me that I would go and kneel with them, as this would give me a fine chance to let loose on them at a proper time ; but as I had determined to rout the whole company and take their PETEE CARTWRIGHT. 381 camp single-handed and alone, I declined kneeling with the mourners. So this young champion of the devil called on several to pray for these mourners ; he exhorted them almost like a real preacher. Several pretended to get religion, and jumped and shouted at a fearful rate. Their preacher by this time was pretty much exhausted, and became thirsty. He ordered a pause in their exercises, and called for something to drink ; he ordered the tent-liolder to bring the best he had. Just at this moment I fetched two or three loud whoops, and said, " Here ! here ! here, officers and men, take them ! take them ! every one of them, tent-holders and all !" and I rushed on them. They broke, and ran pell-mell. Fortunately, five or six little lads were close by, from our encampment, who had been watching me raise the shout, and rushed with me into their camp ; but all the motley crowd fled, tent-holders and all, and the lads and myself had not only peaceable, but entire possession of ali their whisky, goods, chattels, and some arms, and not a soul to dispute our right of possession. Thus you see a literal fulfillment of Scripture, "The wicked fleeth when no man pursueth ;" or, " One shall chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight." There are but very few hardened wretches who disturb religious worship but what at heart are base cowards ; this I have proved to my entire satis- faction throughout my ministerial life, for more than fifty years. I will here say, on Monday, the day after the rout of the Mormon camp, the power of God fell on our congregation, and the whole encampment was lighted wdth the glory of God. The Church, or members of the Church, were greatly blessed, and felt fully compensated for all the toil and trouble that 382 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF they had been at in pitching their tents in the groYe and waiting upon the Lord a few days and nights. Hardened sinners were brought to bow before the Lord, and some of them were soundly converted. And I w^ill record it to the glory of the stupen- dous grace of God, that the young man wdio had been the ringleader in the ranks of these disturbers of God's people, and the mock preacher in the Mor- mon camp the night before, was overtaken by the mighty power of God, and awfully shaken as it were over hell. He fell prostrate before God and all the people he had so much disturbed and persecuted, and cried for mercy as from the verge of damnation, and never rested till God reclaimed him, for he was a wretched backslider. I had known him in Ten- nessee, and had often preached in his father's house. Of the disorderly fellows who had been arrested and filled^ and had appealed to the court, hardly one of them came to a good end, or died a natural death ; some ran away to Texas, some w^ere stabbed in affrays of different kinds ; it seemed as if God had put a mark on them, and his fearful judgments follow- ed them even into strange and distant lands. When their appeals came on for trial in court, there were two distinguished lawyers who volunteered to con- duct the prosecution against them ; one of them was the lamented General Hardin, of Morgan County, who afterward fell in Mexico in General Taylor's army, at the memorable battle of Buena Yista, while fighting, or contending with Santa Ana's unprincipled min- ions ; but he died like a brave soldier and subordin- ate officer. Peace to his memory ! He was consid- ered a worthy member of the Presbyterian Church, and a stanch friend to good order. The other lawyer, Mr. Sanbourn, though somewhat PETER CART WRIGHT. dissipated at times, was a talented gentleman of the bar, and a friend to religious order. These gentle- men, without fee or reward, volunteered their services to prosecute these wretched disturbers of the worship of God, and by their eloquent appeals to the jurors made these transgressors quail before the public bar of their country ; and these suits, first and last, cost those offenders against the morals of their country over three hundred dollars, showing them clearly that the way of the transgressor is hard. I must re- mark here that I was much pleased with the decision of Judge Lockwood, who presided at the trial ; his decision was substantially this, that no matter what the articles were that were sold at a j^lace of worship, if it disturbed the peace and quiet of the w^orship- ers, it was punishable by the statute that was enact- ed for the protection of worshiping assemblies ; that as a free people, where there was no religious test, we had a right to assemble and establish our own forms, or rules of order, and that anything which infracted those rules of order made to govern a worshiping congregation, the law made a liigh misdemeanor, and therefore those who transgressed tliose rules were punishable by the law. Our present law to protect worshiping congregations is too loose and ob- scure. In the hands of good officers of the law, the present statute will protect people in the sacred right to worship God ; but in the hands of corrupt officers it is often construed to screen offenders, and thereby give encouragement to disorderly persons to trample with impunity on the rights of religious people. I have often wondered why legislative bodies of men should be so reluctant to pass a stringent law on this subject. If people don't like the forms of wor- ship of any religious denomination, let them stay 884 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF away ; but if they will attend tlieir religious assem- blies, tliey ought to behave themselves; and if they will not behave and conform, they ought by law to be compelled to do it, or punished severely for tram- pling under foot the rights of a free people assembled for the express purpose of peaceably worshiping God. The good book is right when it declares, "When the wicked bear rule the land mourneth," and that " righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people ;" but we still hope to see better days, better laws, and better administrators of law. The Lord hasten it in his time. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 385 CHAPTEK XXYI. CHURCH IN A CABIN. In the fall of 1842 our Illinois Conference was holden in "Winchester, Scott County, September 14th ; Bishop Koberts presided, and I was continued on the Jacksonville District. The reader will indulge me in saying a few things about my own immediate neighborhood. "When I settled here in 1824, there was no society nearer than five miles on Rock Creek, to which place my family had to go for circuit preach- ing and class-meeting every Sunday, if they attended anywhere. There was in my immediate settlement but one single member of the Methodist Church, be- sides my own family. This member was a widow lady, a very fine woman, and I think a consistent Christian. The country was entirely new and almost in a state of nature : we had no churches to worship in ; nearly all the citizens lived in newly-built cabins. "We thought we would open our cabin for preaching, and did so, and invited the neighbors to come and hear the word of God, and worship with us. I formed a small class of about twelve, including three of my own family, and we kept circuit preaching in our humble dwell- ing for fourteen years, during which time our little class continued with various successes and depres- sions from year to year. Sometimes by emigration we increased considerably, and then, when these new emigrants would select homes for themselves, and 25 386 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF move ofl*, we would be reduced almost to tlie number with wbicli we started. About tins time my wife's bealtli was very poor, so tliat entertaining preaching every two weeks, and class-meeting every Sunday, became a little too much for her strength. I determined to build a church ; but how was it to be done ? The society was small and poor, the citizens outside of the society were comparatively poor, and not friendly to the Methodists; but I determined to build a house to worship God in, and accordingly I opened a subscrip- tion, had trustees appointed, gave a lot of ground to build the church on, and subscribed one hundred dollars toward its erection. But when I presented my subscription paper to neighbors round, there were many objections and excuses ; some wanted it for school purposes as well as a Church ; some said if I would make it a Union Church for all denominations, they would then help, but they would not give any- thing if it was to be deeded to the Methodist Episco- pal Church. To these objections I answered, ]^o, friends ; a church should never be a school-house ; and as for a Union Church, I never knew one built on this principle but what became a bone of conten- tion and created strife, and ended in confusion ; that a church should always belong to some religious de- nomination that would take* care of it, and I was going to build a church for the Methodists ; if they would help me I w^ould thank them ; and if they did not see proper to do so, I would try without their help as best I could. Our help amounted to but little, but we commenced, and finally succeeded in building a neat little church, twenty-four by thirty feet, which cost us about six hundred dollars, of which I had to pay about three hundred. I strug- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 387 gled hard, and sometimes tliouglit my load was too heavy to get along with, but my creed was never to back out unless I found myself wrong. Shortly after we finished the house. Brother Heath, now of California, and Brother H. Wallace, of the Griggsville District, Illinois Conference, were our cir- cuit preachers, and it pleased the Lord to pour out his Holy Spirit upon our congregation and settlement generally, and we had a glorious revival, resulting in about forty conversions and accessions to the Church. I then thought that the use I had made of the $300 in building the church, was the best investment I had ever made in all my life. We called the house " Pleasant Plains Churcli." Long since our little church became too small, and we have enlarged it so that it is now thirty feet by fifty. Our society increased so that a division has taken place, and another very respectable church has been built a few miles ofi", and the two societies num- ber near one hundred and eighty members, and the time is not distant when another church must be erect- ed a few miles south of the old stand. See what the Lord has done for us, under all the forbidding circum- stances that attended our little history in the last thirty years. Praise the Lord ! I beg leave here to say that the first church, as far as I know, ever built in Sangamon County and San- gamon Circuit, was on Spring Creek, six miles west of Springfield. It was really a log-cabin, about eight- een feet by twenty, with a log partition cutting ofi' a small part of it for a class-room. Here was one of the oldest classes ever formed in Sangamon Circuit. In this little house the society met and worshiped for many years ; and, on the lot donated for the church and burying-ground, the circuit erected a large and AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF comfortable camp ground, and many, very many, glorious camp-meetings were held here, and I may safely say that hundreds of souls were born into the kingdom of God on this consecrated ground ; and many of those who sung and shouted the high praises of God on this ground have long since fallen victims to death, and are now employed in singing praises to God and the Lamb, around the throne in heaven. This camp ground was called "Watters's Camp Ground." He lived near it, but years gone by lie left the Church militant for the Church triumphant above. This spot is sacred to me, as several of my children were converted on it, and many of my best friends in heaven, as well as on earth, were converted here, and we have sung, and prayed, and shouted together, and I have a strong ho]3e that we shall shortly sing together in heaven, and this singing and shouting will last forever. Amen. In 1840-41, Alton Station, that had been attached to the Lebanon District, Charles Holliday presiding elder, was attached to the Jacksonville District, K. Hobart in charge. In the fall of 1812-43, IST. S. Bastion and C. J. Ilouts were, a]3pointed to Alton. Our quarterly meeting came off in the dead of this winter ; and although it was bitter cold weather, we had a good congregation, and Divine power was present to heal. Many were converted and deeply penitent, and we found it necessary to protract the meeting. Mourners, in crowds, came to the altar for the prayers of the Church. Eight in the midst of our revival, the keeper of the Eagle Tavern took it into his heart (not head, for that was nearly brainless) that he would stop our revivals; so he proclaimed that he was going to have a splendid free ball the next evening at the Eagle Tavern, and disi3atched his runners and ticketed nearly the PETER CARTWRIGHT. 389 wLole city. Among the rest lie sent me a ticket to the church, where we were having a very good meeting. Just before the congregation was dismissed I rose in the pulpit and read my ticket to the ball, and then announced that I could not attend the Eagle Tavern ball, for the reason that I was going to have a Methodist ball in the church the same evenintr, and requested the whole congregation to attend the Methodist ball, and get as many more to come witli them as they could ; that my invitation they might consider as a free ticket; that I was sure we would have a better fiddler than they possibly could scare up at the Eagle Tavern. The thing took like wild- fire. The wickedest persons in the congregation elec- ticiieered for the Methodist bail, and cried out shame on the tavern-keej)er. When the evening came, after all the drilling and drumming of the tavern-keeper, he could not get ladies enough to dance a four-handed reel. He succeeded in getting two little girls and some men, and these mean fellows had well-nigh danced the children to death. Our church was crowded to overflowing. That night the arm of the Lord was made bare, and the mighty power of God was felt through the numerous crowd. Many came to the altar as weeping penitents, but rose therefrom with triumphant shouts of " Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good-will toward men," I now beg leave to relate an incident which oc- curred at this meeting ; I will do it as delicately as I well can. Among the crowd that came to the altar there were many women, and among tliem two good- looking, well-dressed young ladies, who were deeply affected ; it seemed as if the great deep of their hearts was broken uj). I was informed that they were under Ill-fame, and an old sister in the Church was so dis- 390 AUTOBIOGEAPHY OF tiirbed about them that she wanted me to drive them from the altar, for fear we should be reproached and bring down persecution on the Church. I told her to be quiet, and let them alone, " For," said I, " they must have religion, or be lost forever." But the old sister would not rest ; she ran to Brother Bastion and told him. He was a very sensitive man. He came to me and whispered, telling me they must be ordered away directly ; it would ruin our meeting and stop the work. I begged him to let them alone. " Now," said I, " brother, on the other side of the altar there are a dozen men that, in all probability, are guilty of as base conduct as these young women ; why don'i you go and drive them from the altar ? Do let them alone. Do you go and talk to the men, and I will attend to these females ; they must not be driven from the altar of prayer." But two of our old, squeamish sisters, when I turned away from Brother Bastion, re- newed their importunities with Bastion, and, while my attention was called to regulate the congregation^ Bastion went and ordered these two w^omen from the altar. They retired away back to a vacant seat and sat down, and wept bitterly. As soon as I discovered what was done, I followed those women to their seats, and talked with them and encouraged them, saying, " Although you may be rejected by mortals, God will not reject or spurn you from his presence. Mary Magdalene had seven devils, yet Christ cast them all out ; the man in the tombs had a legion of devils in him, but Christ dispossessed them all." They asked me to pray for them. " Yes," said I, " with all my heart," and we knelt down and prayed. It seemed as if their hearts would break with the sorrow and anguish they felt ; and then, to punish those sensitive old sisters, I went and made them come and pray for PETER OARTWRIGHT. 391 them, and before we closed our meeting one of them professed to be converted, and I have no reason to doubt it. The other left the house weeping. She never returned to our meeting. Perhaps she was for- ever lost on account of this uncalled-for rebuke. The next time we opened the doors of the Church, to take in members, a number came and joined. This young woman, who had experienced religion, ad- vanced to the foot of the altar, but would not come and give me her hand. I saw she wanted to join, but was afraid, not having confidence to do so ; and she said, afterward, she thought the Church would not receive her. I went to her, took her by the hand, and asked her if she did not desire to join the Church. She said, with streaming eyes, '' Yes, if the Churcli can possibly receive me, and grant me the lowest seat among God's people." I lived to see this woman in other and after years, and with firm and unfaltering steps she lived up to her profession, and thoroughly redeemed herself from degradation, in the estimation of all who knew her. Kow, dear reader, think of it. Did Christ reject the woman taken in adultery, or the woman of Samaria at the well, or any other poor wretched sinner, male or female, that ever came to him with a broken and contrite heart ? Think of the significant words of the poet, " Kone are too vile, who will repent. Out of one sinner legions went, The Lord did him relieve," &c. It is a little singular why men, and women too, should feel such sensitiveness concerning females of ill-fame more than they do in relation to men ; espe- cially when they make efibrts to reform their lives 392 ' AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF and live religions, but it is so, though I cannot see any just reason for it. This conference year, 1842-43, Avas a memorable one in many parts of our beloved Zion. Jacksonville District shared largely in revival influences. Several hundred were soundly converted, and over five hun- dred joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in the bounds of the district. We not only had the above- named revival In Alton, but Brother Bird had a pros- perous year on the Carrollton Circuit ; Brother J. B. Houts considerable prosperity on the "Whitehall Cir- cuit ; Brother Grubbs had a fine revival in the Jack- sonville Station, but perhaps it was a jubilee to the Winchester Circuit, under the labors of Brother Gor- man Allen, and those that worked side by side with him pretty near the whole year. Naples, a beautiful little town on the east bank of the Illinois Kiver, was one of the appointments in the Winchester Circuit. The citizens were kind and friendly ; but, with a few exceptions, they were very wicked, and had long resisted and rejected the ofi'ers of mercy ; but at a protracted meeting gotten up and superintended by Brother Allen, this wicked little town was awfully shaken by the power of God ; many tall sons and daughters of dissipation were made to quail under the power of God. From day to day, from evening to evening, they crowded the place of worship, and, with unmistakable signs of penitence, prostrated themselves at the mourners' bench. The cries of the penitent and the shouts of the converted were heard with awe and wonder by the wicked mul- titude that stood around. Deism gave way, TJniver- salism caved in, skepticism, with its coat of many colors, stood aghast, hell trembled, devils fled, drunk- ards awoke to soberness, and, I may safely say, all PETER CARTWRIGHT. 393 ranks and grades of sinners were made to cry out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?" The cries of penitents were not only heard in the church, but in the streets, in almost all the houses, by day and by night. Many were the thrilling inci- dents that attended this revival in IS'aples. More than one hundred were converted, and joined the Church, and the whole face of the town was changed ; and although some of them fell back into their old habits of vice, yet many of them stood firm as pillars in the house of God. The subjects of this revival were from the child of ten or twelve years to the hoary-headed sinner that stood trembling on the verge of the grave. Before this meeting closed in Naples, which was crowned with such signal success, our quarterly meet- ing commenced in a little town in the same circuit called Exeter. There Satan had long reigned without a rival, wickedness of all kinds abounded, and what made it the more deplorable, the wickedness of the people was sanctified by a Universalist priest or preacher, who assured them all of eternal salvation in heaven, irrespective of their moral conduct here on earth. I have thought, and do still think, if I were to set out to form a plan to contravene the laws of God, to encourage wickedness of all kinds, to cor- rupt the morals and encourage vice, and crowd hell with the lost and the wailings of the damned, the Uni- versalist plan should be tlie plan, the very ]3lan, that I would adopt. What has a Universalist, who really and sincerely believes that doctrine, to fear? Just nothing at all ; for this flesh-pleasing, conscience-sooth- ing doctrine will not only justify him in his neglect of duty to God and man, but gives fallen nature an unlimited license to serve the devil with greediness, 394 A JTOBIOGRAPHY OF in any and every possible way that his degenerate, fallen soul requires or desires. A few years ago I had a neighbor who professed to be a confirmed Universalist. He contended with me that there was no devil but the evil disposition in man, and that there was no hell but the bad feeling-s that men had when they did wrong; that this was all the punishment anybody would suffer. When this neighbor's father lay on his dying bed, (a confirmed Universahst, professedly,) there was a faithful minis- ter of Christ believed it his duty to r^'^^it this old Uni- versalist, and warn him of his danger, and try to awaken his conscience, if not seared, to a just view of his real situation. The minister, however, failed in his faithful attempt and well-meant endeavors* for the old man, then on his dying pillow, was greatly offended at the preacher, and told him he did not thank him for trying to shake his faith in his dying moments. This neighbor of mine, and son of this old, hardened sinner, was greatly enraged at the preacher, and cursed and abused him in a violent manner. A few days after the demise of the old man, he, in a furious rage, began to abuse and curse the preacher in my presence, and said, '^ D n him, I wish he was in hell, and the devil had him." I stopped him short by saying, "Pooh, pooh, man, what are you talking about ? There is no hell but the bad feelings that a man has when he does wrong, and no devil but the evil disposition that is in man." Thus answering a fool according to his folly. "Well," said he, " if there is no hell, there ought to be, to put such preachers in." "l^ow, sir," said I, " you see the utter untenableness of your creed, for a man, even in trying to do good PETER CARTWRIGHT. 395 honestly, draws down your wrath, and, in a moment, you want a hell to put him into, and a devil to tor- ment him, for giving you an offense, and for doing what no good man ought to be offended about. But God must be insulted, his name blasphemed, his laws trampled under foot, yet he must have no hell to put such wretches in, no devil to torment him. ISTow I would be ashamed of myself if I w^ere in your place, and let the seal of truth close my lips forever here- after." Although he was confounded, he still clave to his God-dishonoring doctrine, waxing worse and worse, till it was generally believed he was guilty of a most heinous crime. But to return to the narrative. From the first ser- mon in Exeter, at the quarterly meeting, there were visible signs of good, and although the weather was intensely cold, yet our Church was crowded beyond its utmost capacity. The power of God arrested many careless sinners, and waked up many old form- al jrofessors of religion. There was a large corn- pan f of young unfledged Universalists who came to loo'*: on and mock ; and so ignorant were they, that t}".oy did not imagine they would run into any pos- sible danger of taking these "Methodist fits," as they el exclusively to the rich, and leaving the poor to perish without the means of salvation; and the poor under this arrangement find the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus Christ, more fully than they can on any other plan, namely, "Blessed are the poor, for they have the Gospel preached unto them." Moreover, it is the disciplinary duty of our bishops to ordain our deacons and elders, and to travel at large throughout all our conferences, and to have a general supervision of the whole work ; and in order to qualify them to act wisely and prudently in changing and appointing the thousands of itinerant preachers to their respect- ive fields of labor, it is required of our bishops to be constant itinerants themselves ; and according to the provisions of the Discipline of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, if our bishops at any time cease to travel^ at large throughout the connection, supervising and superintending the general interests of the whole Church, they shall forfeit the right to exercise the duties of their ofiice. And right here it may not be amiss to notice, in a few words, the supremely ridiculous and slanderous statements that are constantly emanating from the pulpits and presses of some of the prejudiced denomi- nations, against the absolute and despotic power of our bishops. Tliey state that our bishops give all the law of the Church, and that our preachers and people are bound to bow to their dictum, under pain of expul- sion ; and that all the Church property is deeded to the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Kow, eo far from this charge being true, I assert, without any fear of successful contradiction, that a Methodist PETER CARTWRIGHT. 413 bisliop lias not 'even 51 vote in any of tlie rules or regulations of tlie Church, nor even a veto power on any rule passed by the General Conference ; and as for the charge of the bishops having all the property of the Church deeded to them, this old, stale falsehood has not now, nor ever had, the least foundation in truth to rest upon ; for I will venture to say that if the whole United States and territories were examined with a search warrant by the entire marshaled hosts of the bigoted and malicious propagators of these falsehoods, that not one solitary case can be found where the Church property is deeded to the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Why do our opponents so constantly and so recklessly j^ersist in reiterating these false charges ? Have they no sense of honor or of shame left them ? But none are so blind as those that will not see ; and I solemnly fear that those wretched editors and pamphlet writers will have a very fearful account to render in the day of retributive justice. But they cannot meet us in the open field of manly and honorable debate, and there- fore they resort to the pitiful fabrication of false statements in hope of gulling the ignorant part of mankind. We have said, up to this time, 1844, no very seri- ous division had taken place in the Methodist Episco- pal Church. It is true, there were a few restless spirits, ministers, that had tiled off and raised little trash-traps called Churches, such as O'Kelly, Still- well, Hammett, the Radicals, or self-styled Protestant Methodist Church, and the Scottites, or, as they call themselves, the True Wesleyans. But in all these secessions, there never had been a difference of opinion on the cardinal doctrines of the Gospel propagated by Mr. Wesley, and unanswerably defended by the 414 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF sainted Fletcher. So may it continue to the end of time ! The Methodist Episcopal Church, from its first or ganization, was opposed to slavery ; and from 1784 to 1824, in her various rules and regulations on slavery, tried to legislate it out of the Church ; and she suc- ceeded in getting many of the slaves set free, and bettering the condition of thousands of this degraded race. But the legislatures of the different slave states greatly embarrassed the operations of the Church by narrowing the door of emancipation, and passing un- just and stringent laws to prevent manumission. At this course of legislation, many of the citizens of the free states took umbrage, and commenced a dreadful tirade of abuse on the South, and threw the subject into the arena of politics. This unholy warfare of crimination and recrimination has been carried on with unjustifiable violence, until we are almost brought to a civil war, and the integrity of our happy Union is in imminent danger. How it will end, God only knows. On the first of May, 1814, our General Conference met in ]^ew-York. From 1824 to this time, our rules on slavery had remained the same. The Northern preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, some of them, had taken the ultra ground that slavehold- ing, under all circumstances, was sinful, and therefore, law or no law, practicable or impracticable, all slave- holders, under all circumstances, should be expelled. However, the more prudent and far-seeing part of our ministers and members of the Church saw that this was totally wrong, and threw themselves into the breach, and prevented a fearful division of the Church; and the fog and smoke of run-mad clerical abolition- ism ended in a feeble secession under O. Scott & Co., and a few of the same cloth and kidney. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 415 In the meantime, slavery in the South had been rapidly gaining strength, by stringent legislative acts and ministerial advocacy. More and more did the legislatures of the South block up the way to practi- cable emancipation. This threw the North into a fearful rage ; hence there was a mutual crimination and recrimination, and both ultra parties threw the subject into the political arena, and appealed to Csesar instead of going to God in humble prayer, and asking Divine direction on this fearful question. Tliere had at no time been a slaveholding preacher elected to the office of bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, nor was there ever a time within my remem- brance when a slaveholder, as such, could have been elected bishop without giving strong assurances that he would emancipate his slaves ; for the plain reason, to say nothing about the evil of slavery, he never could travel at large through the connection, as the Discipline required, acceptably, as a slaveholder. There were many eminent and distinguished minis- ters in the Southern conferences, some of whom would, no doubt, have been elected to the office of bishop but for their being slaveholders. Bishop An- drew had been elected to that office in 1832, by the General Conference, but it was because we verily believed him free from the evil of slavery ; and but for the same cause of slavery, I have no doubt others of our Southern ministers v\rould have been elected to that office. "When we met in General Conference in Kew-York, Bishop Andrew, by marriage and other- wise, had become connected w^ith slavery. This fact came upon us with the darkness and terror of a fear- ful storm, and covered the whole General Conference with sorrow and mourning. Those of us w^ho believed slavery an evil, though not sinful in all cases, saw at 416 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF once that it was utterly impossible for Bishop xlndrew to travel at large through the Methodist connection, and discharge the important duties of that office with accej)tability and usefulness, unless he would give the General Conference assurances that he would, as soon as practicable, free himself from this impediment. But this he absolutely refused to do. Our Southern brethren took the strong ground that slavery was no impediment to the official relation of a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The true course that the General Conference ought to have j)ursued toward Bishop Andrew, was to have arraigned him for improper conduct, as the Discipline provides for the trial of a bishop, and suspended him from all official acts ; and then, if they of the South were disposed to secede, let them secede and set up for themselves. Then all the humbuggery about a division line, and of the Church property, would have been saved. And if the division or secession of the Church had been left to the vote of our Southern brethren, it would have been a poor little thing ; and I think that every unprejudiced mind must see clearlj^ that the secession from our beloved Church was brought about by a set of slaveholding Methodist preachers, and not by slaveholding members, led on by a slaveholding bishop ; and every one acquainted with the circumstances of this dreadful rupture in the Church, and with the actions and course of Bishop Soule, will see that he was the leading spirit in the whole affair. However I may forgive, I shall never forget the un- justifiable course that Bishop Soule took in dividing the Methodist Episcopal Church. To talk about the General Conference having power to divide the Church and to form a division line, that PETER CAKTWKIGHT. 417 tlie ministers from either side slioiild not cross to bear the tidings of salvation to their dying fellow-men, is certainly the climax of absurdity ; and then to force the members on either side of this line, north or south, to hold their membership in a division that was not of their choice, is despotism in the superlative degree. Could the Pope of Eome more completely demand passive obedience and non-resistance than did the Gen eral Conference of 1844 in this monstrous act ? And yet the very ministers composing the General Confer- ence who, in conjunction with their fellow-laborers in the ministry, had praised the Methodist Episcopal Church as the best Church in the world, and had taken an active part in taking into said Church the hundreds of thousands that composed her membership, assumed lo themselves the power to divide said Church, and draw a line, and say to preachers and members, " Thus far shalt thou come, and no further." I sincerely thank God, upon every remembrance of the acts or doings of the General Conference of 1844 on this matter, that my little abilities were put forth to prevent this catastrophe, though I was found greatly in the minority. Yet, I am glad to say, it was an honorable minority, which, by the w^hining syco- phancy of the South, and uncalled-for sympathy of the North, were overwhelmed by the vote of the majority. I say here again, as I have elsewhere said in this narrative, that the General Conference of 1844, and all the General Conferences that ever existed, had no more power to divide the Church than I, as an individual, had; and it is my deliberate opinion that the members of the General Conference who con- cocted and completed this measure of so-called divis- ion of the Church, ought to refund the whole amount of money gained by the South in the Church suits, 27 418 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF and let the poor, superannuated preachers, then* wives and children, and the widows and orphans of our ministers that have been left nearly destitute of the means of living since the death of their faithful hus- bands and fathers, have it as a fund for their support. It is as clear to me as a sunbeam that the General Conference had no constitutional right to form this sham line of division that they did, and thereby force thousands of our pious and devoted members south of that line to take their membership in an openly avowed slaveholding Church, or remain forever with- out Church privileges; and when the piteous wail- ings of these forsaken members, thus cut off from the Church of their early and only choice, came up for four years, is it any wonder that tlie General Con- ference of 1848, that sat in Pittsburgh, should vir- tually declare the action of the General Conference of 1844 unconstitutional, and declare that line null and void, to all intents and purposes, and once more autliorize om- preachers to go, without limitation or restriction, " Into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." JSTow, although this is not to be wondered at, when we consider the sympathetic, re- ligious appeals made to that body from our lost mem- bers in the dreadful wilderness of slave territory, still there is a wonderful and marvelous thing that con- founds all my sense of justice, truth, and righteousness, still existing in the Methodist Episcopal Church ; that is, that there are to be found members, preachers, and editors of our Church papers, that, with run-mad violence, opj)ose the reorganization of conferences in slave territory, and are unwilling to send, or support our preachers that are sent to preach, the Gospel of the Son of God to these misguided and blind slave- holders, or to the poor, degraded, ignorant thousands PETER CARTWRIGHT. 419 ot slaves that have souls to be saved or lost forever. I am fully aware that here I tread controverted, enchanted, and disputed ground; but, perhaps, as this may be the last opportunity that I may have this side the grave to be heard on this subject, I beseech my readers, whether they agree or disagree with me in my sentiments on this vexed question of slavery, to hear me for a few moments without " malice pre- pense" or aforethought, as to the history of the rup- ture in the Methodist Episcopal Church, at the General Conference of 1844. I beg leave to refer all con- cerned in this matter to the most excellent history of the great secession, published by Dr. C. Elliott ; a book which, large as it is, ought to have a place in every library of the Methodist Episcopal Church. If they will get this book, and turn to chapters xx, xxi, pages 286-318, they will find all the facts concerning the acts and doings of the General Conference of 1844, detailed with an impartial and truthful particularity worthy of all commendation ; and, indeed, the book throughout is a valuable w^ork, and should be in the hands of every preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. I wish to say here, I was born and raised in a slave state, or states, and for more than sixty years have been acquainted with the sentiments of the Methodist Episcopal Church preachers and members on the subject of slavery. I have seen thousands of poor slaves converted to God ; I have, I verily believe, also seen thousands of slaveholders soundly converted to God, whose fruit in after life gave ample evidence of the genuineness of their religion ; and since I have had a mature judgment on the subject of slav- ery, I have steadfastly believed it a great eyil, and without boasting I will say, I have been the agent 420 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF or instrument of freeing scores of the poor slaves, and not only of their emancipation, but also of the coloniza- tion of many of them, returning them to their own coun- try free and happy. But this all took place before the legislatures of the slave states blocked up the way, by stringent laws, to practicable emancipation. These stringent laws of the legislatures of slave states were passed chiefly from" two causes: iirst, their inherent love of oppression ; and, second, from the extreme and violent manner of intermeddling with the legal rights of the slaveholders in the South by the rabid abolition- ists of the jSTorth. And now, I would soberly ask, Wliat lias all this violent hue and cry of prescriptive aboli- tionism done for the emancipation of the poor de- graded slaves? Just nothing at all; nay, infinitely worse than nothing. It has riveted the chains of slavery tighter than ever before ; it has blocked up the way to reasonable and practicable emancipation ; it has engendered prejudice ; it has thrown firebrands into legislative halls, both of the state and general gov- ernments; millions are expended every year in angry debates ; laws for the good of the people are neglect- ed ; time, talents, and money thrown away ; preju- dice, strife, and wrath, and every evil passion stirred up until the integrity of the union of our happy country is in imminent danger; and what has it all amounted to? ]^ot one poor slave set free; not one dollar expended to colonize them and send them home happy and free ; and such is the unchristian, excited prejudice, that mobs are fast becoming the order of the day. Presses demolished ; preachers of tiie Gospel, hailing from free states, are hunted down by blood-hounds in human shape; they are tarred and feathered, and threatened with the rope if they do not leave in a few hours ; and such is the prejudice PETER CARTWRIGHT. 421 produced by the angry and unchristian fulminating thunders of this one-eyed and one-idead, run-mad pro- cedure, that the Gospel is well-nigh totally denied in slave states to both owners and slaves in many places. But I think I hear you say. Let slaveholding preach- ers preach to these slaves and slaveholders. But if slav- ery is a sin in all circumstances, how can slavehold- ing preachers successfully preach the Gospel to these jX)or sinners ? Well, say you, let the devil take them all. O no, God forbid ! there surely must be a better way; these poor slaves surely are not to blame for their condition. Are there no bowels of mercy to yearn over them? Many of these slaveholders, from circumstances beyond their control, are not radically slaveholding sinners ; above all men that dwell in the South, they are entitled to our pity and commis- eration, and we should surely carry the Gospel to them, and our skirts will not be clear of their blood if we do not. Do we reclaim drunkards by telling them that they steal their rum, and lie in the meanest way of all men to get their intoxicating beverages ? No, verily ; we pity them, reason with them, and knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men ; and when all moral suasion fails, do we say drunkenness is the open door to all sins, and therefore it is the sum of all villainies, and that they cannot be made Chris- tians ? 'No. When all moral suasion fails we try by legal enactments to put the temptation out of their way, and urge them to become Christians. Do we induce sinners to reform, repent, and be converted, by abusing them, and telling them of all their dirty deeds, and saying it is impossible for persons guilty of such dirty crimes to become Christians ? E"o, we 422 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF •warn them, in a Christian spirit and temper, to flee the wrath to come ; we assure them that the happy gates of Gospel grace stand open night and day, ttnd that Clirist will turn none away empty tliat will come unto him; for wdiosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And we urge them to seek the Lord wliile he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. I blame no man for believing that slavery is wrong and a great evil, and every reasonable man must deprecate its existence; and I know that there are thousands of our Southern slaveholding citizens that not only believe, but know from daily experience, that it is a great evil, and would willingly make any rea- sonable sacrifice to rid themselves and their happy country of it. And I believe, from more than twenty years' experience as a traveling preacher in slave states, that the most successful way to ameliorate the condition of the slaves, and Christianize them, and finally secure their freedom, is to treat their owners kindly, and not to meddle politically witli slavery. Let their owners see and know that your whole mis- sion is the salvation of the slaves as well as their owners, and that you have not established any under- ground railroad, and that it is not your mission to abduct their slaves. In this way more is to be done for the final extirpation of American slavery than all others put together, for these ultraists breathe nothing but death and slaughter. I will further state that it is my firm conviction that every Methodist preacher sent as a missionary herald to labor in slave territory, ought to be instruct- ed by the ruling authorities of the Church not to med- dle with slavery, but to attend strictly to his spiritual mission. This is the way the Wesleyan mission cum- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 428 mittee instructed their missionaries sent to labor in the West Indies, where slavery abounded in its worst forms; and if those missionaries were known to dis- obey those instructions, they were immediately re- called ; and although these missionaries were tied up to tlie one grand object of Christianizing the people, yet finally the Gospel leaven so mightily worked, that slavery w^as abolished, and universal freedom triumphed and prevailed. Let us hope that this will be the case with American slavery ; and after having expended all our wrath without availing anything worth talking about, let us now henceforth use Chris- tian weapons, and Christian weapons alone, and the mighty monster will fall. I do solemnly declare, that no circumstance ever occurred concerning the welfare of the Church, which afflicted me so sorely as the transactions of the General Conference of 1844. It seemed to me that I could not survive under the painful fact that the Methodist Church must be divided, and all the time of the pro- tracted debates I knew, if the Southern preachers fail- ed to carry the point they had fixed, namely, the tol- erance of slaveholding in the episcopacy^ that they would fly the track, and set up for themselves. And in that event, many souls would be injured, and per- haps turn back to perdition ; and that war and strife would prevail among brethren that once were united as a brotherly band, and that they must of neces- sity become a slavery Cliurch. And I the more deeply regretted it because any abomination sanctified by the priesthood, w^ould take a firmer hold on tlie community, and that this very circumstance would the longer perpetuate the evil of slavery, and perhaps would be the entering wedge to the dissolution of our glorious Union ; and perhaps the downtall of this great 424 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF republic. And though I stood alone among the dele- gates, mj colleagues, of my own beloved Illinois Con- ference, in my vote against all these revolutionary and divisive measures in the General Conference, it afforded me great pleasure to learn that my course in the General Conference was approved by an over- whelming majority of the preachers and members of our conference. And it still affords me unspeakable pleasure to know that I shall not have to answer be fore my final Judge for the sin of dividing the Method ist Episcopal Church, a Church that, under God, I am indebted to for all I have and am ; a Church that I have spent a long life in trying to build up, and for the prosperity of which I have made sacrifices, and in the communion of which I have enjoyed so many unspeakable privileges, and all the comfort and pleas- m'e, worth calling so, in this life. This Church I love, and want no other on earth, and in her fellowship I hope to live and die, and with her members, and all other fellow-Christians, I hope to spend a blissful eternity in adoring God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, in the enjoyment of redeeming grace and dying love. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 425 CHAPTER XXYin. RESTRICTIVE RULE AND SLAVERY. In the fall of 1844, our conference was held in the town of Nashville, Washington County, Il- linois. Here the concurrence of the Conference was asked in the measures of the General Conference. Brother Stamper and Brother Berryman, who had voted with the South, took their stand for concur- rence, and I took my stand for non-concurrence ; and after we had debated the subject fully, the vote was taken, and there was a handsome majority in favor of non-concurrence. So the measure failed in our con- ference, and it failed throughout all the annual conferences of obtaining a three-fourths vote for con- currence ; and th.e restrictive rule remained as it was, the recommendation of the General Conference to the contrary notwithstanding. IS'ow, the plain state of fact was this : The main body of the members of the General Conference knew, and many of them openly said on the Gen- eral Conference floor, both Northern and Southern members, that the General Conference had no power either to divide the Church, or the property or avails of the Book Concern, or the Chartered Fund, and the act of the General Conference to divide the property or funds of the Methodist Episcopal Church was only passed provisionally. They knew it was unconstitu- tional, and their design was to change the restrictive rule, or constitutional clause of the Discipline, so as 426' AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF to allow this division of tlie property, and proceeds of the Book Concern, and Chartered Fund of the Method- ist Episcopal Clmrch. But how was this change to be brought about in a constitutional wav ? Answer. See Discipline, Part L, Chap, ii, Sec. ii, Ans. 6, thus: "They (the General Conference) shall not appropriate the produce of the Book Concern, nor of the Charter Fund, to any purpose other than for the benefit of the traveling, supernumerary, superannuated and worn- out preachers, their wives, widows, and children. Pro- vided, nevertheless, that upon the concurrent recom- mendation of three fourths of the members of the several annual conferences, w^ho shall be present and vote on such recommendation, then a majority of two thirds of the General Conference succeeding shall suffice to alter any of the above restrictions, excepting the first article : and also, whenever such alteration or alterations shall have been first recom- mended by two thirds of the General Conference, so soon as three fourths of the members of all the an- nual conferences shall have concurred as aforesaid, such alteration or alterations shall take effect." The General Conference of 18M recommended an alteration in this sixth restrictive rule of the constitu- tion of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and sent round to all the annual conferences for a three fourths vote of concurrence. Kow, notwithstanding this was the favorite measure of the South, and not- withstanding every member of all the seceding slave- holding Conferences, save a solitary one, voted a con- currence with this unreasonable recommendation, yet when the votes of all the annual conferences were counted, they fell far short of a three-fourths vote of concurrence. Does it not, therefore, shock all the honorable, high- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 427 minded feelings of mankind, to know that the public functionaries of justice could be so corrupt as to de- cide against the Methodist Episcopal Church in those Church suits in favor of the Southern seceders, the self-styled and self-constituted Methodist Episcopal Church, South? I hope I may be indulged in a few remarks on this vexed question of slavery. I hold myself to be an unflinching conservative Methodist preacher. I know that slavery is an evil, and a great evil, and although the South denies this ground, and their interested cry is abolition ! abolition I that is, with many of them, this cry has never moved me one inch. I can only pray, " Lord, forgive them ; they know not what they do." ]^ine tenths of them, members and preachers, came into the Methodist Episcopal Church with their eyes open, with our General Rules, and other rules, all open before them ; if they did not like them, they should not have joined the Church. If they joined not know- ing the rules, when they came to the knowledge of them, and then thought them radically wrong, they should have peaceably retired, or withdrawn, and not have rended the Church, and thrown her into violent commotions ; and turn round and abuse the Church that under God, w^as the means of their salvation. They always had tangible evidence that the Methodist Episcopal Church would never tolerate slavery in one of her bishops, and they had no just right to complain when the General Conference arrested Bishop Andrew, and gave as the sense of that re- spectable body, that he should desist from the exercise of his episcopal functions, until he rid himself of that impediment. As a prudent Christian bishop, he should have done this of his own accord. On the other hand, the ultra abolitionists of the 428 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF North, or anywhere else, have no right to complain of me and others, and deny us the dignified privilege of being conservatives, and hurl their anathemas against us, and bring a railing accusation against us of "pro-slavery, pro-slavery!" And, indeed, they treat us with less decent respect than God permitted Michael the archangel to treat the devil, for he did not allow Michael to bring a railing accusation against his Satanic Majesty ; but permitted him only to say, '-''The Lord rehiikG tlieeP Mr. Wesley never made slave- holding a test of membership ; and when, in 1784, the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized, slavery was not made a test of membership ; it never has been a test of membership, from the apostolic day down to the present. I ask, then, what right have these Babel builders to introduce a new test of mem- bership in the Methodist Episcopal Church? They, like the South, joined the Methodist Church under her present rules on slavery, and did it with their eyes open. Why did they join her? And, if they were ignorant of our rules on slavery when they joined, after they informed themselves, and did not, and could not, become reconciled to those rules or the Church, why did they not peaceably withdraw or leave, and not keep the Church in an eternal agita- tion and confusion? thereby prejudicing the slave- holders in the South, cutting off our access to them and their slaves, rending the Church, embroiling the whole nation, which threatens a rupture of our na- tional union, and the destructive ravages of civil war. Before, and at the time of the Southern secession, there were three of our Church papers, with three Methodist preachers as editors of those papers, in the South, paid for their services out of the funds of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They were elected and PETER CARTWRIGHT. 429 paid to spread religious knowledge, and defend the doctrines and the usages of the Methodist Episcopal Church ; but how did they act, and discharge the highly responsible duties of their office ? It is true, they wrote many good things; but it is also true, that they put into requisition all their tact and talent to abuse the Church which was ffivino- them their bread, denouncing her as an ultra abolition Church. Now, was this the course that honorable, high-minded Christian ministers should have taken ? Surely not. Well, since this glorious inconsistency attached to the South, we have elected editors in the North and Northwest, under precisely the same circumstances as the Southern editors who have lived on the pap of iho. Church ; and they have opened their batteries, de- nouncing her as a pro-slavery Church. " O Consist- ency, thou art a jewel!" If these editors were con- science stricken on these subjects, why did they not resign their editorial offices, and set up independent sheets, and vent their spleen against the Methodist Episcopal Church on their own responsibility, and support themselves ? The middle ground between these ultra extremes is what I call conservative ground ; that is, we say, in the language of our most excellent Discipline, that slavery is a great evil ; and the grand question is, What shall be done for its extirpation ? Now, I sup- pose it will be admitted on all hands, that to do as the Southern preachers have done, that is, to plead that it is right, and justify it by the word of God, is not, and cannot be the way to extirpate this evil. On the other hand, if wc inquire, what has ultra abolition done to extirpate this great evil, what must be the truthful answer ? It is simply this : With the exception of a few negroes that they have abducted, 430 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF enticed to run away, or have been transported on their underground railroads to Canada, to starve, and to be degraded worse than with their lawful owners ; and the very few runaway slaves that, by mob vio- lence, and in contravention of law, they have kept from their legal owners, they have net secured the emancipation of a single slave, from Passama- quoddy to the Gulf of Mexico ; nay, so far from it, they have greatly retarded the eiForts of the coloniza- tion societies everywhere ; they have poisoned the minds and inflamed the wrath of slaveholders in the South, until a decent man, and especially a minister, hailing from a free State, can hardly pass, or repass, in a slave territory, without the risk of a suit of tar and feathers, and even pulling hemp by the neck oc- casionally. And this mighty mountain of the North, that for years, yea, many years, has been heaving, bellow^ing, and groaning, in mighty pain, to be de- livered, has brought forth; and what is it? a pooi little, insignificant m-o-u-s-e ; while conservative Methodist preachers, in many instances, who have inherited slaves, have set them free, or colonized them in Africa. We have gone to slaveholders in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, in a peaceful Christian way ; and while w^e nevei* ceased to bear an honest testimony against the moral evil of slavery, (but did not meddle with it politically,) we successfully persuaded many of these slaves and slaveholders to turn to God, and obtain religion ; and we got hundreds and thousands of these poor slaves set free. Let the many emancipated slaves, and their former owners in the above-named states, bear w^itness to the truth of what I here record. This is the firm and impregnable ground for a true conservative to stand upon ; and this ground will save PETER CARTWRIGHT. 431 tlie Gimrcli, tlie Union, the slave, and tlie slaveholder ; and I would not exchange it for all the nltraisms of the North and South put together, and a thousand such. In connection with this subject I wish to say a few things concerning a meeting I accidentally fell in with in Cincinnati, I think in 1848; I do not think I heard the name of the meeting ; if I did, I have for- gotten it ; but when I give a very feeble description of it, j)erhaps some of my readers may be able to christen the brat, for it was surely begotten in the regions, or sprang from the soil of " Bigheadism," and the little thing's disease had turned to the " Stiff com- plaint ;" or, in other words, I found the meeting to be composed of a heterogeneous mass of disafiected, cen- sured, or expelled preachers, that is, the speakers were mostly from the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist Churches. The house was filled with almost all sorts, sizes, and colors; black, white, and yellow, men women, and children. They had called to the chair one of their number as moderator. If my memory is correct, the first speaker that rose and addressed the motley crowd, said he had been so many years a regular pastor of a Baptist Church in Kentucky, that he had used all his talents and influence to resist the damning influence of slavery, but was overruled in every attempt. He stated that the ministers and ruling members had often met, conversed, and de- bated the subject, but he was overruled every time. They would not turn slaveholders out of the Church, nor make slaveholding a test of membership; and after having his righteous soul vexed for years w4th their filthy conversation and conduct, he felt it was his duty to come out of the Baptist Church. He then warned the members of said Church, and all others, to come out of all slaveholding Churches : " Come 432 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF OQt, come out; touch not, taste not, and handle not the unclean thing." This speech was received with applause by the listening crowd of many colors. Next arose a Mr. S h. He said he was a Prot- estant Methodist, but had been a member and minis- ter of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and traveled as such for years. He had also fought slavery for a lOng time to get it out of the Church, but always failed, for they loved the accursed thing ; and that the Methodist Episcopal Church was, to all intents and purposes, a slaveholding and a slavery-approving Church. The crowd clapped him while he cried, "Come out, come out of her, my people," and his speech was greatly apj^lauded by the mixed multi- tude, colored and all. Tlie third speaker was a Presbyterian preacher. He said he had experienced the same trials, conflicts, and debates with his brethren in the Church, that his two brethren who had spoken before had waded through, but all of no avail; his conscience would not let him remain a member or minister of a slave- holding Church any longer ; he must come out ; and exhorted all people to " Come out, and be ye clean, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, saith the Lord, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, saith the Lord." After this there arose on the floor a very respecta- ble-looking man, and replied to most of the statements of these three come-outers, and he showed very clear- ly, and by irresistible arguments, that the ground they took was a false ground, and that they, or the principles they advocated, were clearly disorganizing and revolutionary in their nature, and in all their tend- encies. There was a clerical gentleman sitting at my side, who said that from personal knowledge he could PETER CARTWRIGHT. 433 say that all three of these men who first addressed the audience, were under charges of immorality when they pretended to come out of their Churches on ac- count of slavery. I have seen a great many such preachers as above described. When their bad conduct could not be borne with in their respective Churches any longer, and the disciplinary excisions were about to be in- flicted on them, they fled, picking some flaw, or alleging some dreadful wrong in the Church as they ran and cried, " Come out, come out of her !" O, the infant Church of Christ, how it sufiered in its very minority by the unfaithfulness of its ministers. In the very first little conference of preachers that was organized, Judas turned traitor and betrayed the blessed Saviour. Peter, perhaps the boldest of the twelve, denied him with horrid oaths and bitter curses. What do you suppose the astonished ten thought under these appalling circumstances? Judas relented, and hung himself for the dreadful wrong he had done against the innocent Saviour. Peter felt compunc- tion and wept bitterly ; was mercifully reclaimed or converted from his apostasy, and, for mtiny years of persecution and trial, strengthened his brethren. What a fearful account will unfaitliful preachers, who have torn, rent, and divided the Church of God, have to give in the day of judgment, when the blighting curses of Heaven shall fall on their un- faithful and devoted heads. Lord, save us from un- faithfulness. On my way to conference at Nashville in the fall of 18M, I was suddenly taken ill with a real shaking ague in a large, extensive prairie, ten miles across, and shook so severely that I could not sit in my eulky. I got out and lav down on the grass, and 28 434 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF really thoiiglit I should die for want of water. 'No house or water near, no human being approached me to aid me in any way; but after about two hours my shaking abated, and I traveled some ten or twelve miles to a camp-meeting which was in progress at Brother Gilham's camp ground, where I lingered a day or two. There was a botanic doctor on the ground, wlio lived in Alton City. He kindly took me to his house, and, in a few days, checked my disease. The preachers all left me, being anxious to be at confer- ence, which was to commence on the Wednesday following. They, as well as myself, were totally in despair of my reaching the conference. I was very anxious to get there, for the great question, so far as our conference was concerned, was to be settled of concurrence or non-concurrence with the recom- mendation of the General Conference. I waited till Friday morning. I prayed for strength to go to conference, and, while praying, a strong im pression was made on my mind that I could get there I rose from my knees and determined to try. Tlie doctor remonstrated against my attempting to go, but I deliberately told him I was going if I died in one mile. "When he saw I was determined to try it^ he put up some medicine, and I got a good brother to drive my horse for me and started, and, strange a9 it may appear, I mended every mile, and on Sunday morning I reached the conference, and was able to attend to business the balance of the session, and especially to take a part in the debates, and carry the vote in favor of non-concurrence. This circumstance I have always looked upon as a kind interposition of Providence ; and, indeed, the defeat of this project by the annual conferences was directed by God himself; and could the Methodist Episcopal Church have got- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 435 ten justice .n tlie civil courts, according to the true merits of the case, the ill-gotten gains of the Southern secession would have been small; but I predict that it will not prosper with them. My appointment this fall w^as to the Bloomington District, which was composed of the following ap- pointments, namely : Bloomington, Mount Pleasant, Monticello, Clinton, Havana, Fancy Creek, Decatur, and Postville. This was a gloomy conference year. We had very little revival influence in our district, or in the conference, and, indeed, scarcely any through- out the Methodist Episcopal Church. Tlie delegates of the General Conference from the Southern confer ences returned home, and appointed mass meetings in every direction, and poured out the vials of wrath upon the Methodist Episcopal Church, especially the majority of the members of the General Conference. They declared that w^e were all abolitionists, and drummed up a convention of the preachers from the slaveholding conferences. Bishop Soule presided in it, sitting calmly on the ignited clouds, and directing the thunder-storm ; and though that convention, by solemn vote, renounced the jurisdiction of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and formed themselves into a sey^arate organization; and though Bishop Soule declared in the General Conference of 1844 that he would not be immolated on a jNTorthern or Southern altar, but on the altar of the Methodist Episcopal Church; now, notwithstanding all this and a thou- sand times as much, he had the very uncommon Kardihood to come round and preside in our confer- ences which had not seceded, and persisted in this course, lending all his aid and influence to the seces- sion, until the Ohio Conference gave him a glorious ouster, and refused to let him preside over them. I 4M AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF had prepared this dose for his honor if he had attend- ed the Rock Eiver or Illinois Conferences, bnt after the rebuff the Ohio Conference gave him, prudence, with him, for once prevailed, and he did not attend our conferences, but Bishop Morris attended and pre- sided in them. There never were more unfair and foul means re- sorted to by any set of ministers to divide and destroy a Church, than was resorted to by many of these slave- holding preachers in the South ; and I cannot help blaming Bishop Soule more than all the rest. I shall always believe that the goodness of Bishop Andrew's heart was such that he would have voluntarily pledged himself to the General Conference that he would, as soon as practicable, remove the impediment ; and if he had done this, it would have been hailed, and hailed with a shout, by the delegates from all the ad- hering conferences, the few ultra-abolitionists not ex- cepted. If he had done so, how much better would it have been for himself, for the South, for the Method- ist Episcopal Church, and, indeed, for our distracted country at large ! and perhaps the blessedness of such a course in Bishop Andrew would have told with thrilling effect on the surrounding millions in other governments; and unborn millions, of future genera- tions, would rise up and call him blessed. Though he might be dead, and gone to heaven, yet his noble, magnanimous. Christian example would have told in tones of thunder on an ungodly and oppressive world; and the lucid hght of his Christian example would have shone with brilliant splendor, and the example thus set by a Methodist bishop would have said to all the world, "Follow me, as I have followed Christ." The bishop in this case should have known no man, or set of men, after the flesh. I know the preachers PETER CAIITWRIGHT. 437 friendly to slavery clung to him and his case as a for- lorn ho^^e, and as the last resort to carry their point with ; namely, slavery in the episcopacy ; and a fairer subject they never could have had ; for although we think Bishop Andrew did wTong in this matter, and greatly erred, yet we love him, and think him a good man, and that he was every way worthy of the office of a bishop, slavery excepted. My heart has bled at every opening pore, at the untold mischief this rupture in the Methodist Epis- copal Church has and will produce, from the very nature of things, (I mean fallen nature.) The Southern preachers will, in self-justification, throw the blame on the preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and thereby poison the minds of a great majority of the slaveholding South ; for they are as rabidly in favor of slavery as the extravagant abolitionists are against it. With the two extreme parties there is no middle ground ; for each of them, assuming that they are infallibly right, cry out, " They that are not for us are against us." I have contended with these two extremes for many years, as a preacher of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, and I have often been astounded beyond measure at the absurdities and inconsistencies of these extreme belligerent parties ; but why should I ? It is as certain for extremes to engender absurd- ities, inconsistencies, and self-evident contradictions, as for efiects to follow causes, or for like to go to like philosophically. As one of these extremes has re- nounced the jurisdiction of the Methodist Episcopal Church, leaving the middle ground ministers and members of it completely and altogether in the range and raking fire of the artillery of the Northern ultras, I have indulged in the fond hope that these ISTortherr. abstractionists would, if they cannot be reconciled to 4SS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF conservative, consistent Metliodiim, as it was from the beginning, go and set up for themselves, and let the old, conservative Methodist Episcopal Church alone ; but no, they seem determined to agitate, and keep on agitating, till they drive us into another inglorious secession, and they remain in peaceable possession of the hard earnings of all the labors of conservative Methodist members and preachers from the beginning. But no, I can tell them for their comfort, if they are within the reach of comforting considerations, if this is their aim, they need not put any flattering unction to their souls on this ground, for the Methodist Episcopal Church " Has fought through many a battle sore," and she " Expects to fight through many more," and will stand as she is, and as she has always been ; and w^iile there is a splinter from a shattered plank of the old Methodist ship Zion, I intend to hold on to her with a dying grasp, and if necessity compels, w^ith our dying breath cry to all around, "Don't give up the ship !" I am devoutly glad that there is an overruling Providence, where we may place our hope and con- fidence ; and though we cannot see through or com- prehend the permissive providences of God, yet if we can, under all circumstances, trust God aright, we are assured that " all things shall work together for good to them that love him." May not this slavery seces- sion from the Methodist Episcopal Church be over- ruled by a Divine Providence, and react, and show that the wisdom of men is foolishness with God? and under the overruling intei positions of the Almighty, PETEi; CAIIT WRIGHT. 439 hasten iu its time tlie total extinction of slavery, that has so long placed a foul blot upon the fair escutcheon of our country? Who knows, or can divine? Let us look to God, and constantly and ardently pray, " Thy kingdom come ; thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven ;" use spiritual weapons, and leave all events to God. It will be found, on an examination of our Minutes, that the year before the great Southern secession, the increase of membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church was over one hundred thousand ; that in the year of and after the secession there was a decrease of over thirty-one thousand members. A great many of these w^ere along what was called the line, in the border conferences, who were not numbered in either division ; and a great number, from the confusion and dissatisfaction that arose in the Church from this rup- ture, attached themselves to other Churches; and perhaps many went out that never returned to either division, nor did they seek membership in any other brancli of the Christian Church, and perhaps were lost forever. What an awful thought ! These were the fearful, legitimate results of schism ; and, indeed, this dreadful rupture in the Methodist Church spread terror over almost every other brancli of the Church of Christ; and really, disguise it as we may, it shook the pillars of our American government to the center, and many of our ablest statesmen were alarmed, and looked upon it as the entering wedge to political dis- union, and a fearful step toward the downfall of our happy republic; and it' is greatly to be feared that the constant agitation and unscrupulous anathemas indulged in Vy frenzied preachers and unprincipled demagogues, political demagogues, that seek more for the sDoils of office than the freedom of the slave or tho 140 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF good of tlie country, will so burst the bonds of broth- erly love and the real love of country, that all the horrors of civil war will break upon us shortly, and firebrands, arrows, and death, be thrown broadcast over the land, and anarchy, mobs, and lawless des- peradoes reign triumphant ; and then the fair fabric of our happy republic will be tumbled into ruins, and the liberties that our fathers fought for, and that cost the blood and treasure of the best patriots that ever lived, will be lost forever. I would beg imploringly all honest-hearted lovers of their country, and the liberties we enjoy, to unitedly stand up against every device, stratagem, and political combination, whether secretly or openly carried on, by dishonest intriguers, to ruin our country. PETER CARTWEIGHT. 441 CHAPTEE XXIX. TRAVELING PRAIRIE m WINTER. In the fall of 1845, our Illinois Conference wa8 held in Springfield, September 3d; Bishop Morris presiding. I was returned to the Bloomington Dis- trict, which remained pretty near as before. This district lies in a vast, fertile prairie country, inter- spersed with delightful groves, and at this time was but sparsely populated ; but since has rapidly filled up and improved. The district then extended from the mouth of the Sangamon River, where it emp- ties into the Illinois River, and up said river to near the mouth of the Mackinaw River; thence east to Bloomington, and still east to the head of the San- gamon River; thence with said river to its mouth. There was also a part of the Decatur, and the entire of Monticello Circuits, south of this river, appended to the district. In the dead of winter, or in the spring floods, it was tolerably hazardous to go through and around this district, and very laborious to go round it four times in the year. In the winter of 1845^6, my round of winter quar- terly meetings commenced ; there had fallen a deep snoW; turned warm, and rained in torrents; then sud- denly turned intensely cold ; the streams mostly froze over, and nearly the whole face of the country was one continued sheet of ice. This storm came upon me at or near Bloomington, the north edge of my 442 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF district. My next quarterly meeting was sontli of the Sangamon Elver, sixty or seventy miles distant. My friends dissuaded me from making even an at- tempt to go to it. I well knew it was hazardous in the extreme ; but I, as a traveling preaclier, liad from the beginning of my itinerancy, seldom ever made a disappointment, and had a very great aversion to these disappointments, having always made it a determined point, if possible, to fill my appointments; and if difficulties surrounded me, I never knew whether I could overcome them or not, till I tried ; so to try w^as my motto ; and if, after using due dili gence in trying, my way was so insurmountably hedged up that I could not accomplish impossibili- ties, I in the main felt contented and happy ; for, in my early career as a traveling preacher, I learned this happy lesson not to fight against Providence. So in despite of the importunities of my friends I set out. My way lay mostly through a dreary and uninhab- ited prairie, with a small blind path, which, in many places, was rendered invisible by the snow and ice ; but, fortunately for me, my way led south, be- tween two large branches, not far to my right and left ; and these being considerably swollen by the late rains, and then suddenly frozen over, I found to be a better guide than my blind path; for when I would miss my path, and veer too much to the right, I would meet my branch frozen over, and wheel to the left again ; and so it would be when I would get off tho track to the left hand. Thus guided, I measured about twenty miles, and about one o'clock I hove up to a point where these two branches met and formed a large creek, which was overflowing its banks, and was swimming from bank tc bank. For many miles back I had not passed a solitary house, but right PETER CARTWRIGHT. 443 here was a little, old, solitary smoky cabin, and a poor, dirty, ragged family, hovering and shivering over a small fire. The man, the head of the family, was gone out hunting. I was hungry, and asked for food ; but the good woman informed me she could not give me anything to eat, for the best of reasons, they had nothing for themselves. I looked around, and plainly saw 1 could not quarter there that night. But how to get on to the settlement about six miles ahead was the question. The woman informed me, if I could cross the branch which had guided me to the right as I came there, and then would take the tim- ber along the margin of the large creek, into which my branches emptied, for my guide, in about seven miles I would come to houses. But how to get over this branch was the puzzle. It was at least one hun- dred yards across, being swollen with the last rains, and it was frozen over, but would not bear my horse. So I paused a minute, and thought over my condition. I plainly saw I must retrace my steps till I could cross this branch, and if I could not cross it at all, I must return to the settlement from whence I had started. So I got in my buggy, cracked my whip, and started back. In the course of a mile or two, my branch narrowed considerably, which inspired me with cheering hopes. I made several attempts to cross the branch, but my horse broke through, and with great difficulty I would retreat ; and after retreating four or five miles, my branch spread out largely, and became very shallow ; so in I ventured. My horse broke through, but from the shallowness of the water, I got safely across; and leaving the branch to the left, and wheeling again south, took it for my guide, and pres- ently came to the main creek, which leaving to my 444 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF left, urged on my way for the settlement ; and though I had to cross many ponds frozen over, and many branches in the same condition, my horse nearly worn down, and myself cold, hungry, and much fa- tigued, about dark I came up to a cabin, and it looked BO much like the one I had left in the point that I passed on. Tlie second cabin I came to, looked better; and though a total stranger in this region of the country, when I hailed at the gate, who should come out but an old class-leader and exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal Church, whose acquaintance I had made some time before at a distant quarterly meeting. He saluted me as one blessed of the Lord, bid me a cordial welcome, and so did his fine sisterly wife and children. My horse was put up, and well cared for; and soon a good backwoods supper that abounded in all the substantial of life, was on the table. We sat down, and I partook with a relish only known to a wxary, hungry man. We had prayers, and the most of us got shouting happy ; and one of his interesting sons, while we w^ere all engaged in prayer, was solemnty convicted, and after praying in mighty agony for several hours, the Lord blessed him with a powerful sense of the forgiveness of his sins. For hours? we sung, prayed, and shouted together, then I retired to rest, and I slept as sweet and sound as if I had been bedded on a divan of King Solomon's palace. This young man shouted and praised God nearly all night. This is the way God converts sinners in the back- woods, and a very faint specimen of the w^ay that Western pioneer Methodist preachers planted Meth- odism in the valley of the Mississippi. This good old brother remained a few years among us, and witness- ed a good confession ; left the world with a triumphant PETER CARTWRIGHT. 445 Gliout^ fell asleep in Jesns, and went home to glorj ! IS^ext morning I started on to iny quarterly meeting, and just as I got to the bridge, on the main Sangamon River, the high water had surrounded it, but not deep enougli to swim my horse, who waded through, and I passed over safely, and got to my quarterly meeting in good time ; and although the weather was disagree- able, yet the people crowded out. The word of God took hold on sinners, many of them wept, and cried for mercy, and found by happy experience, that Christ had power on earth to forgive sins. About twenty-eight were soundly converted to God, the most of whom joined the Church, and Methodism was planted here firmly, never to be destroyed, I humbly trust. I have often thought of this scene, and many similar scenes through which I have passed, during my protracted ministry ; and when I look back on them my heart grows warm, and swells with gratitude to my heavenly Father for the sanction he has given to my poor little ministry amid all the sacrifices and Bufierings through which I have passed, as a Meth- odist itinerant preacher ; and to his holy name be all the glory, both now and forever ! In the Bloomington District I had many warm personal friends, many members that I had received into the Church in Kentucky, and some, in whose houses I had preached in the days of my comparative vouth ; and although it was a hard district for me to travel, my family living entirely beyond its bounds, yet I was much attached to this field of labor and the brethren, preachers, and people. Some of these old members had fought side by side with me in Ken- lucky and Western Tennessee, where and when ^iethodism had many glorious triumphs over slavery, 446 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF whisky, and superfluous dressing. These were her internal foes ; but she not only triumphed over these enemies, but she triumphed over her combined hosts of inveterate and uncompromising sectarian enemies, and attained an elevated position in the affections of very many of the best citizens of those states. ]N^ow, many of those brethren who sung, prayed, and preach- ed to and with us, have fallen asleep in Jesus, and sing and shout in heaven ; while a few, and compara- tively very few of us old soldiers, linger on the shores of time, still fighting under the banners of Christ ; and our motto is, '' Victory, or death !" Our next annual conference sat in Earis, Edgar County, Illinois, September 23d, ISiG ; Bishop Ham.- line presiding. Our next, at Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois, September 22d, 1847; Bishop Waugh presiding. During the three years I was on the Bloomington District we had general peace and some considerable prosperity. During the last conference year that I was on this district, some incidents oc- curred, which I will relate. My winter's round of quarterly meetings com- menced at Bloomington ; Brother Samuel Elliott was preacher in charge, and it was his second year. There had fallen a very deep snow, which had greatly blocked up the roads ; and by some strange forgetfulness in me, I started for my Bloomington quarterly meeting a week too soon ; it w^as very cold, and I had an open bleak prairie to travel through. The first day, I rode about forty miles, and late in the evening I arrived at a very friendly brother's house, I ut, behold ! when I went in, I found a large company, consisting of parts of several families, that had taken shelter'undei this friendly roof, from the severe cold and pitiless storm of snow that had fallen ; but all was as pleasant PETER OAKTWRIGHT 44T as could be expected in a crowd, in very cold weather. "When we came to retire to rest, it was found that all the beds had to be put into requisition, to accommo- date the females ; w^hat was to be done with the five or six men of us that composed a part of the company ? Our accommodation was cared for in something like the following way. A large fire was made np, and plenty of wood brought in to keep it up all night. Large buffalo robes and quilts were spread down be- fore the fire, and plenty of blankets and quilts for covering; and after praying together, w^e all retired to rest, and though our bedding was hard, we slept soundly. Rising early next morning, I mounted my horse, and started on my w^ay to Waynesville, a little village which gave name to one of my circuits. Brother John A. Brittenham w^as preacher in charge. He saluted me in good brotherly style, and inquired which way I was traveling. I informed him I was bound for the Bloomington quarterly meeting. He said, " That meeting is not till Saturday week ; so Brother Elliott informs me." I was surprised, and immediately turned to the District Book, and found it even so. Well, what was now to be done ? Shall I retrace my steps, two days back home ; and then travel over this dreary cold road here again ? Or what shall I do 'i Said Brother Brittenham, " Stay with us, and let us have meeting every night till just time for you to reach your quarterly meeting in Bloomington." " Agreed," said I. This was a very wicked little village. The Church was feeble, and greatly needed a revival. We sent out, and gathered a sn.all congregation, and tried to 448 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF preach to them ; and there were some signs of good. Next night our congregation was considerably larger, with increasing evidences of good. The third night our house was not sufficient to hold the congregation ; and there were mighty displays of the power of God. Some shouted aloud the praise of God ; some wept. Our altar was crowded with mourners, and several souls were converted ; but, notwithstanding, the place was made awful by reason of the power of God ; some mocked, and made sport. Among these were two very wicked young men, ringleaders in wickedness. After interrupting the congregation, and profanely cursing the religious exercises of the people of God, they mounted their horses, and started hoi^e. After, or about the time of their starting home, they made up a race for a trifling sum, or a bottle of whisky, and started off, under whip, at full speed; but had not run their horses far, till the horse of the most daring and presumptuous of those young men flew the track, and dashed his rider against a tree, knocked the breath out of him, and he never spoke again. Thus, unexpectedly, this young man, with all his blasphemous oaths still lingering on his lips, was suddenly hurried into eternity, totally unprepared to meet his God. The tidings of this awful circumstance ran with lightning speed through the village and country round; an awful panic seized upon the multitude, and such weeping and wailing among his relatives and people at large, I hardly ever beheld before. There was no more persecution during the protracted meeting, which lasted for many days ; and it seemed, at one time, after this calamity had fallen on this young man, that the whole country was in an agony for salvation. Many, very many, professed religion PETER CARTWRIGHT. 449 and joined the Church, but the exact number I do not now recollect. Before our meeting closed here, Brother Elliott, who had kept up a series of meetings in Bloomingioii, preparatory to the quarterly meeting — which meetings had been greatly blessed — met me in Waynes v^ille, and we returned to the battle-field in Bloomington again. Our meetings were recommenced, and, with constantly increasing interest, were kept up night and day for a considerable length of time. Many w^ere convicted, reclaimed, converted, and built up in the most holy faith. Of the number of conversions and accessions to the Church I do not now remember, but it occurs to me that it was seventy or eighty. Brother Elliott's labors were greatly blessed in this charge, tlie last year of his pastoral labors there. Another incident occurred, while I was on this dis- trict, which I feel disposed to name. There were a good many settlements and neighborhoods in the bounds of the district where the people had become, in opinion, Universalists, and, judging from their morality, or rather their immorality, this doctrine suited them well ; and it is a little strange, but no stranger than true, I say, without any fear of contra- diction, the most of these Universalists had been members of some Christian Church, and had back- slidden and lost their religion, if ever they had any. In the course of my peregrinations I fell in with one of their preachers, who really thought himself a mighty smart, talented man, and was ready for debate, in public or private, on all occasions. His assumed boldness gave him great consequence with his hood- winked disciples. He was very loquacious, and had some clumsy play on words. After conversing with iiim a few minutes, I took my line, common sense, and 29 450 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF sounded him. He affected to have great veneration for my gray hairs ; but I soon found his veneration for my gray hairs arose more from a fear of my gray arguments than otherwise. He was a man of slendei constitution, and had been, and was then, greatly afflicted with sore eyes, and was threatened with the total loss of sight. He, in the com-se of our conver- sation, said there could not be any such being as a personal devil, who could be everywhere present at one and the same time, tempting mankind to evil ; and as for a future place of punishment called hell, there was no such place ; that the temptations of man arose from his fallen nature and not from the devil, and the punishment that man w^ould suffer for his evil doings he suffered in this life, and these sufferings con- sisted in the compunctions of conscience for his moral delinquencies, and in his bodily afflictions. " Well," said I, " my dear sir, if your argument is a sound one, I must draw very unfavorable conclusions in reference to the magnitude of your crimes." " Why so ?" responded he. "Well, sir, for a very good reason. As to youi moral delinquencies, and your compunctions of con- science, they are best known, perhaps, to yourself; but as to your bodily afflictions, as a punishment, I think I can draw very fair inferences, for I cannot conceive of a greater bodily affliction than the loss of sight; and as your vision is almost gone, and you have expressed your firm belief that you will lose your sight altogether, I must, if your doctrine be true, number you among the greatest sinners on earth, for God is too wise to err, and too good to inflict un- deserved punishment." I tell you his stars and stripes were not only dropped to half mast, but trailed in the dust PETER CARTWRIGHT. 451 Tliere were some evil reports about this preaclicr and a certain landlord's lady who kept public enter- tainment. Another Methodist minister and myself called to stay all night at this honse, as we were on a journey. The landlord was from home. We were known to this lady, but she charged us tolerably high, and, Universalist as she was, I think her conscience smote her a little for charging preachers, and she began to make a kind of apology for doing so. She said, " Mr. Cartwright, I suppose you will think it a little strange that I charge Methodist preachers, but you need not, for I charge my own preacher, Mr. ." '• O, no, madam," said I ; "not at all, not at all. If reports about you and Mr. , your preacher, be true, such a course, perhaps, is right, and I have money enough to pay all Universalist bills, and they ought to have it, for all the happiness they will ever sec is in this life ; there is none for them in the life to come." You may depend upon it apologies ceased, and a dumb dispensation came over our fair hostess. ISTow, who does not see, from these rather desultory incidents, the legitimate fruits of a false foundation that proposes to save all mankind, irrespective of the moral temperament of the heart ? or, in other words, who does not see the fatal error of the fallacious argu- ments that go to prove the final salvation of all man- kind, without repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? How many poor, self-deluded souls are leaning on this broken sta:ff, and will never be awakened to a sense of their true condition till they hear the dreadful communication: "The great day of His wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand?" In the fall of 1847, at our annual conference, in Jacksonville, our election of delegates to the General 452 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Conference that sat in Pittsbnrgli in 1848, came off, and, for the ninth time, it pleased the members of the conference to return me one of its delegates. This General Conference was, on many accounts, a very interesting one, and especially on account of the state of things that had grown up under the late rupture in the Church. The Southern preachers had gone from the General Conference of 1844, with predetermina- tion to renounce the jurisdiction of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was all planned and determ- ined on before the delegates left New-York. This is a fact clearly settled, and admits of no doubt. But how does this course of conduct agree with the solemn pledges publicly given to the General Conference by the Southern delegates, that, on their return home to their different fields of labor, they would, if possible, allay the agitation in the South ? and if there was a rupture, it should be of imperious necessity, and not of choice ? Did they do this ? Was there a single Christian eifort put forth to accomplish this ? O, no .' never, never ! But a very different course was pur- sued. Tlie toscin of war was sounded ; the Methodist Episcopal Church was denounced as an Abolition Church, and the cry of self-defense was heard every- where, from Virginia to Florida and Louisiana. To arms ! to arms ! ye great American people, or these abolitionists of the Methodist Episcopal Church will be down upon you, and come and steal all our negroes ! Tlie convention at Louisville was called, a con- vention of delegates from the slaveholding confer- ences; and the delegates appeared in regular uni- f'.>rm, equipped and armed according to law. The yoke of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a ram- pant abolition Church, was thrown off; a separate organization was formed ; their General Confer- PETER CAKT WRIGHT. 453 ence was appointed ; Bisliop Soule seceded from tlie Methodist Episcopal Church, went over and joined them, and acted as o;eneralissimo. Bishop Andrew, unhnrt by the dreadful extrajudicial act of the aboli- tion General Conference of 18M, appears with all his pontifical robes, shining rather brighter by the aboli- tion rubbing that he had gotten ; two more slave- holding bishops elected ; a jubilant song was sung to the tune and words of. Farewell to abolitionists, negro stealers, and all the croakers of the North. And, after heaping upon the Methodist Episcopal Churcii all kinds of abuse, and every opprobrious epithet tiiat the fiery burning vocabulary of the South could afford, the Southern General Conference, in the plen- itude of their goodness and wisdom, sent a delegate to the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held in Pittsburgh, in 1848, asking a mutual and reciprocal fraternization between the Churcli, North, as they misnamed us, and the Church, South. Now, unprejudiced reader, what do you think of this? A better man and better Christian gentleman the whole South did not afibrd than Dr. Pierce, their messenger on this embassy ; but the Methodist Epis- copal Church was caricatured, abused, slandered, and in every sense maltreated by the South ; and while they were wounded and bleeding at every pore, is it to be wondered at that this embassy failed, and that every single member of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of 1848, voted against fraternization ? If they would undo the wrongs they had inflicted, and take back their hard speeches, and bind themselves to a Christian course in future, then, and not until then, could the Methodist Episcopal Church think of a Christian fraternization. The constitutional vote having failed to be obtained 454 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF from the annual conferences, in order to render valid an alteration of tlie sixth restrictive feature of the Constitution, laid doAvn in our Discipline, all the doings of the General Conference of lS4i, with re- spect to a division of the Church, the property or funds of the Church, or a line of separation, were, to all intents, purposes, and constructions, null and void ; but still the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of 1848 were unwilling that any act on their part should be wanting, to settle peace- ably these Church difficulties ; they, therefore, asked again the concurrent three-quarter vote, of all the annual conferences, to a peace measure, to stop all, or prevent any litigation on the property question ; but before our bishops had time to submit this m.easure to the annual conferences that remained firm in the union of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the South- ern commissioners commenced a ^uit, thereby render- ing all peaceful constitutional efforts on her part vain. The unjust decisions on these suits are well Imown, and will form part and parcel of the history of our country, and especially of the unjust judicial decisions of the court against the Church. At the conference held at Jacksonville, September 22d, 1847, my appointment was to the Springfield District, which was composed of the following ap- pointments, namely: Springfield Station, Taylorsville, Sangamon, Petersburgh, Beardstown, Carlinville, Hillsborough, and Sharon Mission. During this con ference year, 1847-48, we had some splendid revivals, and an increase of over five hundred members in Springfield, under the faithful labors of Brother J. F. Jaquess. Great good was done, and many souls were converted, and added to the Church ; and, although some of these promising youths that joined the Church, PETER CARTWRIGHT. 456 under hopeful prospects, through persecution and other unfavorable causes, fell back into theii- old habits, and made shipwreck of faith, a number stood firm, and ornamented their profession, and one of them is now an acceptable traveling preacher in the Illinois Conference. Taylorsville Mission shared, in a considerable degree, this year, in revival in- fluence, under the labors of L. C. Pitner, preacher in charge. In Petersburgh, there was also a good work, and a considerable number converted, and a very neat church erected, that does honor to the village, under the industrious efforts of Benjamin INewman, preacher in charge. In the Ml of 1848, om* conference was held in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois; Bishop Moms pi^siding. In the course of this year, there was a good religious influence felt in the Sangamon Circuit, especially in several of the Southern appointments, that are now included in the Chatham Circuit. W. S. M'Murray was very successful here in winning over to Christ many precious souls. There were many conversions, and large additions to the Church ; and though he has gone to his reward, he will long live in the affections of many in the bounds of the then San- gamon Circuit. He succeeded in erecting a decent church on Sugar Creek, and the Society honored him in calling it, ^^M'^ Murray ChajpeV^ Brother M'Murray, his wife, and three of his chil- dren, were all violently attacked with the cholera, and in a few days of each other, they fell victims to its violence; but he will long live in the aftec- tions and remembrance of many, especially of those whom he was the instrument, under God, of convert- ing. Peace to his memory! and may the Lord take care of, and provide for the three oi*phan 456 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF children that Brother and Sister M'Mun*ay left behind. In the fall of 1849, our conference was held in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois; Bishop Janes pre- siding. This year I was returned to the Springfield District. There were no great revivals in the bounds of the district this year, though the Church in the main was in a peaceful, healthy condition ; some con- versions, and some increase in the membership. I beg leave here to devote a few lines in giving a small sketch of our German work. It is only a few yearr since it pleased God to awaken and convert Dr. Nast^ now editor of the German V Apologist." He came to America a German rationalist, or infidel. He was awakened and converted under the labors of the ministry of the Methodists. He was soon licensed to preach, and was the first German missionary to thou- sands of our foreign German population. God soon gave him seals to his ministry ; sent his awakening, convincing power, and powerfully converted some of his countrymen. He also raised up some of these new converts to preach the Gospel to the Germans ; and with Dr. JSTast and his co-laborers the German Mission started. Soon, circuits were formed, and the work of God spread through Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Illinois. God raised up faithful and able German preachers, to carry the tidings of salvation to their perishing countrymen that were here, or coming by tlie thousand to America. Many who were Catholics, Lutherans, rationalists, and infidels, were happily converted to God ; the work spread and increased, till stations, circuits, and districts were formed, and are still forming ; and they come the nighest to old- fashioned, or primitive Methodism, of any people I ever saw. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 457 I was once in conversation with Brother Jacoby, and advising him to Americanize his German Meth- odists, when he said to me, " There are three things that must be done to a German before you can s^et him right. He must first be converted in his head, for his head is wrong. Secondly, he must be con- verted in his heart, for his heart is wrong. Then, thirdly, he must be converted in his purse, for his undue love of money makes his purse wrong. If," said he, " we can convert him in all these respects, we can soon Americanize him and make a good Meth- odist of him, and then he will stick." It will be remembered that these Germans in the West all belong to the Ohio, Indiana, Kock Kiver, and Illinois Conferences. They are doing great good, and have been greatly prospered by the Lord. Thou- sands of the Germans can be reached by preachers of their own language, that can never be reached by English preachers. They need our aid and encour- agement. Let us hold them up, and the good they a,re destined to do, and the hundreds of thousands that they may be, and will be, instrumental in bringing to the knowledge of the truth, are far beyond our most sanguine calculations. Many of them are poor, and many avaricious, and either cannot or will not sup- port the Gospel till they are converted ; then they will gladly and cheerfully give according to their ability, and by our aiding them now, and supporting missionaries to labor in those missionary-fields till they are converted and able to become self-support- ing, we shall do a good work. What a blessing it is to have ministers to meet those foreigners when they land on our shores, and tender them salvation in their own language. I do not believe we can invest our missionary donations 458 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SO as to do as mncli good anywhere else as by applying it to the support of ministers to preach to all foreign- ers that are crowding to our happy country ; and, by the by, this is a much cheaper plan than to fit missiona- ries to go to foreign lands, and there undergo the tedious process of learning their languages, or of preaching to them through an interpreter; and our missionary appropriations will go further, and accomplish more good. And when I consider the good already done among the foreign population that are here in oui midst from different nations, it gladdens my heart. I have been a close observer of the efi'ect the Gospel has had upon these foreigners, so far as they have come under the influence of the usages of the Meth- odist Church. Their close attendance on and atten- tion to class-meetings, prayer-meetings, love-feasts, family prayer, and, in a word, all the means of grace, are worthy of all commendation; for I know close attention to these means of grace, is the reason of the great success of the Methodist Church in other and former years ; and the want of attention to these duties in our members now, is the grand cause of the deadness and barrenness of the Church. In the fall of 1850, September 18th, our conference was held in Bloomington, M'Lean County, Illinois ; Bishop Hamline presiding. During this conference year one of our old, well-tried, and faithful preachers, Charles Holliday, had fallen a victim to death. I had been long and intimately acquainted with him. We had long lived and labored together, and nothing contrary to Christian love ever existed between us that I know of. I was called upon to preach his funeral sermon before the Conference, and did so as best I could from the short and unexpected notice given me that I had it to do, and perhaps I cannot say any- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 459 tiling about this good old brother better than to tran- scribe, substantially, what is said in his obituary, printed in our General Minutes, namely : "Kev. Charles Holliday died March 8th, 1850, in his seventy-niuth year. He was the son of James and Mary Holliday, and was born in the city of Bal- timore, Maryland, November 23d, 1771. His parents were members of the Presbyterian Church. They not only trained him up in its doctrines and moral discipline, but his education was conducted with special reference to his entering the ministry in that Church. His parents dying while he was in his minority, he abandoned the idea of entering the min- istry, and turned his attention to secular pursuits. At what age he became ]3ious we have no specific in- formation. In the month of May, 1793, he Avas united in marriage to Miss Sarah Watkins, a lady of good understanding, sound and discreet judgment, who afterw^ard became a devoted, pious, and faithful Christian. The day after they were married, they, in company, united w^ith the Methodist Episcopal Church, and commenced family devotions the same evening. In 1797 he received license as a local preacher. His license was regularly renewed annu- ally from that time until September 30tli, 1809, at which time he was admitted on trial in the traveling: connection in the Western Conference, and appointed to the Danville Circuit. In October of the same year he was ordained deacon by Bishop Asbury. In 1810 he was appointed, to the Lexington Circuit, where he remained two years, and was ordained elder by Bishop M'Kendree, October 11th, 1811; in 1812 he was appointed to Shelby Circuit ; in 1813 he was appointed Presiding Elder of Salt Eiver Dis- ti'ict, where he remained three years ; in July, 1^16, 460 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF being bereaved of his pious and faithful wife by death, who left him with nine children, he found it neces- sary to locate. The certificate of his location is dated September 7th, 1816, signed by Bishop M'Kendree. In the former part of the year 1817, he entered into a second marriage with Miss Elizabeth Spears. This lady, wdio still lives, proved to be a devoted w^oman and wife, and a kind mother and faithful guardian to liis children. His family being now provided for, he was readmitted into the traveling work in 1817, and ap- pointed to the Cumberland District, Tennessee Con- ference, where he remained four years. From 1821 to 1825, he labored as presiding elder on Green River District, Kentucky Conference; in the fall of 1825 he took a transfer to the Illinois Conference, and was appointed to the Wabash District, where he continued to labor till the meeting of the General Conference of 1828, at which time he received the appointment of book agent at Cincinnati, in which he continued eight years. At the close of his term of service as book agent he was transferred to the Illinois Conference, and, in 1836, was appointed pre- siding elder of the Lebanon District, where he con- tinued two years. He was appointed presiding elder on the Alton District in 1838, which w^as the last district on which he labored. He continued in an effective relation to the Conference, filhng such small appointments and doing such work as his declining strength would permit, until 1846, when he was granted a superannuation, and in this relation he re- mained until the close of his useful life. He attended the conference in Quincy in September, 1849. On his way to that conference he was attacked with disease of tlie kidne3^s, from which he never recovered. Although his sufferings in this his last illness were PETER CARTWRIGHT. 461 extreme, he frequently exulted in tlie grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which enabled him to bear so much suffering without complaining. He retained his reason to the last. It had been his practice, for thirty years, to pray three times a day in his family, and from his devotional spirit we wonder not that his sun of life set in great peace." In summing up the character of our lamented Brother Holliday, we may say, that there are few traits of real excellence that he did not possess in an eminent degree. As a preacher he was clear, sound, and practical. When he indulged in doctrinal con- troversy, although he was decided, and expressed his views in strong language, he w^as always kind and loving to his opponent ; in all the relations of hfe^ as a husband, a father, a pastor, a friend, a companion, he was a most lovely and interesting man, and in the sufferings and disappointments of life, his conduct was characterized by that " charity that suffereth long and is kind." His end was peace, and many in the day of eternity will rise up and call him blessed. Thus lived and thus died, one of our old members of the Western Conference, the only conference, at the time of our brother's commencing his itinerant life, that was in this natural as well as moral waste, or in the valley of the Mississippi. The death of Brother Hol- liday was a solemn dispensatian to me, and having to preach his funeral sermon to the whole conference, as well as many others, and having but a few minutes' no- tice, and no time to prepare, it was a tremendous cross, and I have always feared that I did not do justice to the life, labors, and Christian virtues of this man of God ; but under the circumstances I did the best I could, and ask a kind indulgence of the congregation for all the defects of that performance. Let us unitedly 462 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF join, and devoutly pray, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his," as said the text on that occasion ; and if this prayer is answered, we shall soon reach the place wdiere funeral dirges are never sung, and death never enters. In the fall of 1851, September ITth, our confer- ence sat in Jacksonville ; Bishop AVaugh presiding. Here we elected our delegates to the General Con- ference which was to sit in Boston, May 1st, 1852 ; and although the Indiana Conferences, Rock River, Iowa, and Wisconsin, had grown up, and were organ- ized into separate conferences that once belonged to the Illinois Conference, yet, from the rapid increase of population in the state, and from the increase of members, and especially the increase of preachers, both English and German, it was found indispensable to divide again, and form a Southern Illinois Confer- ence ; and the delegates were instructed accordingly. It pleased the Conference to elect me as one of this delegation. This was the tenth time I had been hon- ored with an election by the several annual confer- ences, of which I was an humble member, to repre- sent the interests of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the General Conference. Bishop Hedding, our honorable senior bishop, who died April 9th, 1852, was, at the date of our Confer- ence, lingering, with no hope of surviving but a few days. Bishop Hamline's health also being extremely precarious, all the efficient work of superintending the interesting concerns of the whole Church, devolv- ed on Bishops Waugh, Morris, and Janes. We all knew that several additional bishops must be elected at our General Conference of 1852. From this view, together with the infirmities of increasing years of Bishop Wangh, he delivered us a very impressive PETER CARTWRIGHT. 463 address at the close of the Illinois Conference, stating that it was probable this was the last time he should ever preside in our midst. This address greatly af- fected the whole Conference, for the bishop had pre- sided among us with great acceptability, and we hon- ored and loved him greatly. We all remembered that our beloved Bishop "Waugh had gone in and out among us blameless, and that we had been greatly ben- efited by his counsels, and the impartial manner in which he had presided among us; and we always found him orthodox in the doctrines and discipline of the Church. He was always accessible to the hum- blest preacher or member among us, and we found him to be what I believe constitutes an old-fashioned Methodist bishop; he raised no new standards in doc- trine or discipline, but urged us to " mind the same things, and w^alk by the same good, old Methodist rules." So may all our bishops do. In the fall of 1851, my four years having expired on the Springfield District, I was appointed to the Quincy District, where I had traveled fifteen years before; then my district extended from the mouth of the Illi- nois River to Galena, and, indeed, as far north as was inhabited by the whites ; and yet further still, into the Indian country, where I superintended the mission among the Pottawattomies. My district was then between four and five hundred miles from north to south, and I suppose would average one hundred miles from east to west. I then thought the district a small one, for when I was first appointed to a district in the Illinois Conference, in the fall of 1826, my district commenced at the mouth of the Ohio Eiver, and extended north hundreds of miles, and was not limit- ed by the white settlements, but extended among the great, unbroken tribes of uncivilized and unchris- 464 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF tianized Indians ; but now in 1851 liow changed was the whole face of the country. The district was composed of the following appointments, namely : Quincy Station, Columbus, Warsaw Mission, Chili, Pulaski, Rushville Station, Rushville Circuit, Havana, and Beardstown Station, about one hundred miles from east to west, and I suppose would average from tliirty to forty from north to south. There was no district parsonage and accommodations near its center. I lived entirely out of its bounds, and had the Illinois River to cross and recross five or six times each quarter, and the ravages of many years were upon me, so tJiat I found it as hard to travel this small dis- trict as I did my first district in the Conference, which covered more than two thirds of the geograph- ical boundaries of the state. The country liad not only greatly changed, in rising glory and strength, but I had greatly changed also; my strength was fail- ing, so that I dreaded a journey of one hundred miles more than I formerly did one thousand. I was well pleased with my appointment on many accounts. I was much gratified to see the growing improvements of the country ; the dense population ; the great in- crease in the membership of the Church ; the large spacious churches that were built ; and in addition to all this, I met hundreds that I had taken into the Church in former years, when a new country tried men's souls. They gave me a cordial reception, and welcomed back their old presiding elder, aad gave me unmistakable evidences of their friendship and brotherly love. But, notwithstanding all this, and a thousand good things that I could say with truth and sincerity, I found that Methodism, in some places, had gone to seed, and was dying out, and, to use our back-woods PETEK CARTWRIGHT. 465 language, some of the prominent and leading members of the flock had become butting rams, or jumping ewes, or sullen oxen, or kicking mules. These things gave us trouble. One of my j)reachers, for some cause unknown to me, had become greatly prejudiced against me ; he was appointed this year to the War- saw Missionary Station. This young, flourishing little city of Warsaw stands on the eastern bank of the Mississippi, hard by the Fort Edward military post. We had a small, though respectable little society here, but no church to worship in. The brethren had rented a little, old, dilapidated frame, every way imsuitable, and in an out-of-the-way place. The Presbyterians had a small church; and when our quarterly meeting came on, they offered it for our use. The preacher in charge accepted the offer, but said perhaps we might j^i'otract the meeting. They replied we might have it as long as we pleased ; we might go on and protract the meeting if we saw prop- er. The family of my preacher I was not acquainted with; and he, being prejudiced against me, had made a bad impression on the mind of his wife against me. However, she came to meeting, and the Lord blessed her, for she was a very good woman. The Lord also reached the heart of their interesting little daugliter, and she joined the Church. After this, the preacher's wife expostulated with him, and told liim to lay aside his prejudices against me, alleging that I must be a o'ood man, for the Lord had blessed and was blessins: my labors in a powerful degree. The old brother surrendered, and gave up his prejudices, and we be- came very friendly. The power of God fell on the congregation almost every coming together ; and we had crowded congre- gations by day and by night. Several were awakened &^ AUTOBIOGBAPHY OF and converted. We protracted the meeting, and intended to extend it over several Sabbaths; bnt were cut short by official information that the congre- gation who owned the church wanted to nse it them- Belves after Friday night. We concluded our meeting, thankful for small favors ; but did firmly believe that this unceremonious deprivation of the Presbyterian or Congregational church arose from jealousy, or fear of our success. If we judge wrong in this matter, we devoutly hope to be forgiven by the Lord. The quarterly meeting which we have been speak- ing of was holden the first days of February, 1852. Our expulsion from the church, in the manner above stated, created considerable dissatisfaction, and pro- duced a determination, both in and out of our little society, to build a church that we could call our own, without the danger of being turned out of it at any time. Accordingly, a lot was selected, and a subscription opened to accomplish this desirable object, and from the amount subscribed by the citi- zens, together with several hundred dollars obtained abroad, we succeeded the next year in erecting a neat little brick church to worship in ; and our quarterly meeting the next year was held in it, namely, the first Sabbath in February, 1853. This meeting was at- tended with great power. James I. Davidson was preacher in charge this year, whose labors were greatly blessed and owned of God. I tried to preach during our protracted quarterly meeting about ten times, to large and crowded congregations. Sinners were deeply convicted, and a great many, I verily believe, obtained religion. Over twenty joined the Church, among them some good, respectable citizens, whom we hope to meet in heaven, and unite in prais- ing God forever. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 467 But right here I wish to saj, that in most of onr revivals many men and women of bad habits and ill- fame become operated on, profess religion, and join the Church. This has long been, and now is, a great objection by many to these revivals, and it has been the cause of considerable persecution to the Church. But it should be remembered that the economy of the Church, in saving souls, is compared by Jesus Christ himself to a fisherman casting his net into the sea, and inclosing a multitude of fish, both good and bad. But who ever condemned the fisherman, because his net gathered bad as well as good fish ? or who ever drew the erroneous conclusion that the net was bad, because there were some bad fish inclosed in it ? The net is to be thrown, the fish, bad and good, are to be inclosed, and then the net is to be drawn to shore, on dry land, and all alike, both good and bad, taken from their natural element. Then, and not till tlien, the process of assorting them is to commence. The Methodist Church, in our humble opinior, stands, in this respect, on preeminently Scriptural ground. They give every sinner a chance, and take them on probation for six months, not as members, but under the care of the Church, on trial for membership ; and surely, if they do not in that time give satisfactory evidence of their sincerity and fitness for membership, it is not likely they ever will. Well, if they do not in that time give satisfactory evidence that they are in good earnest in seeking their salvation, what then V Expel them ? 'No ; for they are not members to expel. What then? We simply drop them, and consider them no longer probationers for membership ; leave them where we found them ; we have at least tried to do them good, and have done them no harm. This is tlie safety-valve of the Methodist Episcopal 46S AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Church ; six months on trial for membership. How dreadfully have other sister Churches been troubled in their mode of operation ! They generally believe that a Christian can never fall away so as to be finally lost, and that it is wrong to receive any into the Church who are not Christians. Well, in order to get people into the Church, they are often found hurry- ing them into a profession of religion when they have none ; and then, when such fall away, with what astonishing mortification they have to confess they were mistaken ; that these souls were deceived ; that they never had any religion ! and yet they hurl their anathemas at Methodist preachers for taking persons as probationers for membership without religion, while they have actually done infinitely worse, for they have taken them into the Church as full mem- bers, and as Christians too, when they were not. Now, if our economy is wrong, what must theirs be ? God bless the citizens of Warsaw, and increase their mercies a hundredfold, for the many acts of kindness shown to me the two years I was laboring among them. In the fall of 1841, Milo Butler, a transfer from the Michigan Conference, was appointed to the i^astoral charge of the Quincy City Station. It was constituted a station under my former presidency in the Quincy District, and had existed as a station for more than fifteen years. The Church had ebbed and flowed, Sometimes in prosperity and sometimes in adversity. There were some fine, substantial members here ; but they at this time, 1851, were in a cold state, evidently on back ground. Brother Butler was greatly afiiicted, and so were his family, tliis year. He labored faith- fully, according to his strength. We had a small refreshine: in the Church this win« PETER CARTWRIGHT. 469 ter, chiefly under the acceptable labors of Brother Wilson, brother-in-law to Doctor Butler. L. C. Pit- ner was appointed to Quincy Station in the fall of 1852; and during the months of December, 1852, and January, 1853, a glorious revival broke out, such as had never been in Quincy before. It really seemed as though it would at times overwhelm the whole city. High and low, rich and poor, old and young, bowed before the mighty power of God. Many of almost all kinds of education became the subjects of the convert- ing grace of God, and joined the Church ; and when our second quarterly meeting came off, in January, our Church, though large, was filled at love-feast to its utmost capacity. The city mission charge, under the pastoral care of James L. Crane, belonging to the Griggsville District, shared largely in this blessed re- vival, and our German Methodist Church caught the holy fire ; and it was supposed that over one thousand were converted and added to the difi'erent charges and Protestant Churches in the city of Quincy during this happy year. Most of them have proved faithful, and are honoring the profession they have made ; but some of them have fallen asleep in Jesus, and are numbered with the Church above. During the two years I was on this district, we had good times in Kushville Station and Rushville Cir- cuit, Ripley Mission, Pulaski, and Columbus Cir- cuits; a number were converted and joined the Church in all these places. About the 20th of Sep- tember, 1852, we had a camp-meeting at Sugar Grove, in the bounds of the then Columbus Circuit. Broth- ers J. I. Davidson, Butler, and Pitner came to our aid, and labored like men of God ; but what was bet- ter still, the Lord came and made one in our midst. The word was preached in demonstration of th^ 470 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Spirit and the power of God ; the Church was greatly built up, and many sinners were convicted and soundly converted, and about sixty were added to the Church. This conference year was a great and prosperous one to the Church ; and the two years I spent on the Quincy District, I number among the most pleasant of my life. Still we had some trials and disputes in the Church which gave us trouble, but the Lord, we trust, overruled all, and great good was done ; the Church increased in numbers, in deep piety, in close attention to her peculiar institutions that God has so long blessed and prospered. My strength was failing from increasing years, and long and constant itiner- ant labors ; I lived on the east end of the district, and I had to cross the Illinois Eiver very often, which in winter was frequently frozen over for months, and in spring the banks were overflowed; and I had often to ferry five miles across the water extending from bluff to bluff; and when the winds w^ere high, I have been detained for days together, causing me to risk my life, and to miss my ap- pointments. Under these circumstances, I was im- pelled to ask the bishop to change the form of the district, and make the river the line. Our Conference in the fall of 1852 was held in the town of Winchester, Scott County, Illinois ; and in the fall of 1853, the 12th of October, at Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois. Bishop Scott was our presiding bishop, and a pleasant president he was. It was at this Conference the above alteration in the Quincy District was made, and the Pleasant Plains District formed. This district was composed of the fol- lowing appointments, namely : Beardstown Station, Ikferedosia (now Concord) Circuit, Havana, Jackson- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 471 ville Circuit, Sangamon, Virginia, and Island Grove : a very pleasant, convenient little district indeed. I had now been a traveling preaclier for more tlian forty-nine years, and was sixty-eight years of age. I had been appointed presiding elder by Bishop As- bmy, at the first Tennessee Conference, held in Fount- ain Head, in the fall of 1812, which is now forty- three years since ; and in all these forty-nine years of my life as a traveling preaclier, I had never asked of the appointing power of the Church for any appoint- ment, nor for any accommodation in an appointment; and although some of my brethren have thought that I was greatly favored with accommodating appoint- ments, I here call upon all the bishops that have given me my appointments for more than fifly years to bear me witness that the appointments given me by them, were unasked for by me. At this conference at Beardstown, in the Ml of 1853, for the fii*st time in my life, I did ask to be ap- pointed to the Pleasant Plains District, if appointed to a district at all, but at the same time said I would greatly prefer a small circuit. Let Bishop Scott and his council bear witness in this matter. There was another strong reason, aside from my age and infirm- ities, that urged me to ask this accommodation ; namely, that I might gain some time to write this sketch. But, alas ! leisure time to write seems to be almost out of the question with me ; I am appointed on so many conference committees, have to attend so many dedications of churches, to preach so many funeral sermons, besides all the important duties of the district, that leisure time with me is a very rare thing. And such have been my Church engagements, and such the length of time between the occasional hours or days devoted to this narrative, that when I have 472 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF recommenced writing I had entirely forgotten what I had written last, especially the connection of subjects; and this has cost me a great deal of labor and loss of time ; hence if there are some repetitions, unconnect- ed incoherencies, I hope they will be regarded and inspected with this motto : 'That mercy I to others show, That mercy show to me." 1 think it about time now to return and say a few things about our General Conference of 1852, which sat in Boston. When in Pittsburgh, at the General Conference of 1848, the [N'ew-England brethren plead- ed hard for the General Conference of 1852 to be ap- pointed in Boston, they alleged that !New-England had never had a General Conference. I observed to Brother Crandall, and other ISTew-Englanders, rather jocosely, that, judging from the Yankees that I had seen out in the West, I was a little afraid to venture myself in the General Conference among the Bos- tonians ; for almost all that I had seen in the West had assumed such high ground, professed such mighty ed- ucational attainments, that we poor illiterate Western backwoods preachers could hardly hold an intelli- gible conversation with them ; and that we were afraid to start any proposition whatever; and wlien we met them, we could only stand and look at them, and make ready to answer questions. To this. Brother Crandall pleasantly replied, " Why, sir, you have never seen a genuine Yankee in the West ; those you have seen are runaways, or pretend- ers or impostors ; they are an adulterated set of scape- gallows fellows; but come to Boston, and we. WJiL show you a real live, green Yankee." «-iu9Y sj .: < ^*vyery well," said I, ''we'll go for Boston." . PETER CARTWRIGHT. 473 "When a number of the delegates from different Conferences met in New-York, on their way to Boston, we took the cars, a crowd of ns together, and on our iron horse snorted toward the land of the Puritan -metropolis, leaving the Empire City and State far behind. Just about the time we entered the limits of the State of Massachusetts, our conductor proclaimed a halt of ten minutes ; I dashed out without my hat ; I wanted water, and as I had no relish for being left by the cars, I ran and w^atered, and with a quick step returned, and took my seat. I discovered that a good many of the preachers were indulging in a hearty laugh, and, as I thought, at my expense. Said I, '' Gentlemen, what are you laughing at ?" One, somewhat composing his risibilities, answered, " How dare you enter the sacred, classic land of the pilgrims bareheaded ?" " My dear sir," said I, " God Ahnighty crowded me into the world bareheaded, and I think it no more harm to enter Massachusetts bareheaded than for the Lord to bring me into the world without a hat." There were several ladies sitting hard by, though I had not observed them ; they pulled down their vails, and chuckled over my speech for miles. "When we got to Boston, I expected to see no one that I had ever seen but a few of the Methodist preachers that I had become acquainted with at the General Con- ferences of former days ; but I was very agreeably disappointed in this respect, and especially when I learned that Mr. Merrill, with whom I had formed a pleasant acquaintance at M'Kendree College, Illinois, some years past, was then living in Boston, and had petitioned for -Dr. Akers and myself to board with 4T4 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF liim during General Conference. This Brother Mer- rill was the son of Rev. John A. Merrill, a fine old Methodist preacher of olden times, with whom I had been long acquainted, who had borne the glad tidings of the Gospel successfully to thousands ; witnessed a good confession, lived faithful, died happy, and has gone safe home to heaven. I found myself very agreeably situated in this kind and generous family. Brother Merrill was intelligent, easy, and pleasant in conversation. His friendly little wife was kind, courteous, and easy in her manners ; and her mother, a fine, intelligent old lady. All were easy, familiar, and agreeable. We were also favored with the com- pany of Brother J. F. Jaquess, who was collecting books for the female college in Jacksonville. My fear was, that I would get into a family that were cold, stiff, and distant in their manners. One of these formal, distant, ceremonious families was always a prison to me, and well calculated to make me feel unhappy, and far from home; but it was otherwise here The second Sabbath in Boston, I was appointed to preach at Church-street Church at eleven o'clock. I took for the text, Hebrews x, 22. We had a large congregation; several preachers present; and sup- posing that most of my congregation had hardly ever seen or heard of me, and that they were an educated people, and had been used to great preach- ing, I put on all the gravity that I well could com- mand ; I tried to preach one of my best sermons, in a plain, grave, sober manner ; and, although I never thought myself a great preacher, yet I really thought I had done very near my best that time. Well, when I came down from the pulpit, a brother preacher in- troduced me to several of the prominent members of PETER CART WRIGHT. 476 the congregation ; and as I was introduced to them, they asked me very emphatically, "Is this Peter Cartwright from Illinois, the old Wester pioneer ?" ^^ I answered them, '' Yes, I am the very man. " Well," said several of them, " brother, we are much disappointed ; you have fallen very much under our expectations; we expected to hear a much greater sermon than that you preached to-day." " Well, brethren," said I, " how can it be helped i I did as well as I could, and was nearly at the top of my speed." t^i^. + I tell you this was cold encouragement; Ileit great mortification; I hastened to my room and prayed over it a while. That night they had appomted me to preach at North Kussell-street. There was a full congregation, and a good many preachers present. I readforthetext,Jobxxii,21. I had asked God for help; and when I took my text, I determined to do my very best, and did so; but failed, as in the forenoon, to meet the expectations of the people. And as I came down into the altar, I was again introduced to some Df the brethren ; and although they did seem to doubt Ihat I was Peter Cartwright from the West, the old pioneer, yet they, in cold blood, informed me that 1 had fallen under their expectations, and as good as told me that my sermon was a failure. Now was not this too bad? I tell you they roused me, and pro- voked what little religious patience I had; and I rather tartly rephed to one, that I could give people ideas, but I could not give them capacity to receive those ideas, and left them abruptly; and m very gloomy mood retreated to my lodgings, but took but little rest in sleep that night. I constantly asked my- self this question, Is it so, that I cannot preach « or 476 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF what is tlie matter ? I underwent a tremendous cru- cifixion in feeling. The next day, I told Dr. Cummings not to give me any other appointment in Boston during the General Conference, " for," said I, " your people here have not got sense enough to know a good sermon when they hear it." The Sabbath following I spent in Lynn, and had good meetings ; then I went the next Sabbath to Fall River, and preached for Brothere Allyn and Upham, and had a pleasant time. Some time in the following- week, old Brother Taylor came to me and told me I must preach at his church the next Sabbath, at the Bethel Charge ; and said. Dr. Akers and Brother J. F. Wright had both tried to j^reach in his church, and both failed ; " and," said he, " you are the forlorn hope. If you flash, no other Western preacher shall preach in my church any more during the General Conference." Said I, " Brother Taylor, you need not think that any of us Western men are anxious about preaching to 3^ou in Boston ; your w^ay of worship here is so difi'erent from ours in the West, that we are confused. There's your old wooden god, the organ, bellowing up in the gallery, and a few dandified singers lead in singing, and really do it all. The congregation won't sing, and when you pray, they sit down instead of kneeling. We don't worship God in the West by proxy, or substitution. You need not give yourself any trouble about getting a Western man to preach in your church ; we don't want to do it, and I do not think that I will try to preach in Boston any more, unless you would permit me to conduct the services after the Western manner." Said Brother Taylor to me, " Brother, you must PETER CARTWRIGHT. 477 preach to us at the Bethel ; and," said he, " roll up your sleeves, and unbutton your collar, and give us a real Western cut." My reply was this : " If you will let me regulate your congregation, and preach as we do in the West, I have no objection to preaching to your congrega- tion, or anywhere in Boston." " Yery well, at it you go," was his reply. In the meantime, I had learned from different sources, that the grand reason of my falling under the expectations of the congregations that I had ad- dressed was substantially this : almost all those curi- ous incidents that had gained currency throughout the country, concerning Methodist preachers, had been located on me, and that when the congrega- tions came to hear me, they expected little else but a bundle of eccentricities and singularities ; and when they did not realize, according to their anticipations, they were disappointed, and that this was the reason they were disappointed. So on Sabbath, when I came to the Bethel, we had a good congregation ; and after telhng them that Brother Taylor had given me the liberty to preach to them after the Western fashion, I took my text Matthew xi, 12 ; and after a few commonplace remarks, I commenced giving them some Western anecdotes, which had a thrilling effect on the congregation, and excited them immoderately, I cannot say religiously ; but I thought if ever I sav/ animal excitement, it was then and there. This broke the charm. During my stay after this, I could pass anywhere for Peter Cartwright, the old pioneer of the West. I am not sure that after this I fell under the expectations of my congregations among them. I will say that a more generous, hospitable, and social people I never found anywhere than in Boston. 4T8 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Their sociability and friendly greetings reminded me more of our Western manners than anything I ever found among total strangers, and many of them are sincere, devout Christians; but their mode of worship I do most solemnly object to, so far as their pews, promiscuous sittings, and instrumental music are con- cerned. The salaries of their organists and choirs are expenses unjustified by the word of God. I also take exceptions, in many instances, to the moral character of the persons employed in these departments. The evils that result from mixed sittings of male and fe- male, which are always attendant on the pew system, are neither few nor small. Tlie choir practice de- stroys congregational singing almost entirely, and has introduced the awkward and irreverent practice among congregations of turning their backs on the sacred desk, and facing about to the choir, and this whole system has a tendency to destroy the humble practice of kneeling in time of prayer, and contrib- utes largely to the Church-dishonoring practice of sitting while the prayers of the Church are offered up to God. I shall not attempt a labored argument here against these evils, for I suppose, where these practices have become the order of the day, it would be exceedingly hard to overcome the prejudice in fa- vor of them, though I am sure, from every observation that I have been able to make, that their tendencies are to formality, and often engender pride, and de- stroy the spirituality of Divine worship ; it gives precedence to the rich, proud, and fashionable part of our hearers, and unavoidably blocks up the way of the poor ; and no stumbling-block should be put in the way of one of these little ones that believe in Christ. I found the Bostonians to be a liberal people in their contributions for benevolent purposes. It fell PETEli CARTWRIGHT. 479 to my lot to be a solicitor for pecuniary aid to erect a church in Warsaw, Quincy District, Illinois Confer- ence, and the members of the General Conference and citizens of Boston gave me several hundred dollars for that object. I will close this chapter by saying that the General Conference that sat in Boston, in 1852, was the tenth General Conference which I attended, or was elected to. These General Conferences had sat in Cincinnati, Pitts- burgh, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New-York ; and though we were treated very friendly in all these cities, yet the General Conference in Boston was more highly honored by all classes of citizens than any that I ever attended ; and, sure enough, to use the trite saying of Brother Crandall, I found live, green Yankees by the thousands, and some of them very talented, and most of them well educated ; the poor among them are cared for, the children are gathered up in all directions and sent to school ; but, after all, it would make a Western man laugh, in spite of his gravity, to hear a New-Englander talk of his great farm, containing all of two acres, and hear him tell, how much it cost him to remove the stone off the farm, how much to manure it, how much to cultivate it ; then the sowing of the products, the marketing of it, and the real product in cash. They will really talk scientifically about it. I could not but think of the contrast, for we have some farmers in Illinois that have from one to five thousand acres in their farms, in active, actual, productive, profitable cultivation. Hail, Boston ! live forever. 4M AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CHAPTER XXX. GENERAL CONFERENCE IN BOSTON. The General Conference of 1852 was held in Bos- ton. Our old beloved Bishop Hedding had jnst died and left us. From the precarious state of Bishop Hamline's health, and despairing of a recovery, he ten- dered to the General Conference his resignation of the office of bishop, to which we had elected him in 1844, and we accepted his resignation, and, as we have else- where said, we had but three bishops left. Brothers Waugh and Morris were getting pretty well advanced in life, and Bishop Janes, though in the prime of life, was failing from his excessive labors. Our Church was extending throughout this vast continent, and in Liberia, Germany, South America, and other different and distant nations ; and as our Discipline very prop- erly provides that our bishops should travel at large throughout the connection, it was clearly seen that we must strengthen the episcopacy by electing a suf- ficient number to visit, personally, all parts of our widely-extending connection. Accordingly, a resolu- tion was adopted with great unanimity, that we elect four additional bishops; and after exchanging and in- terchanging our opinions and views concerning the men proper to be set apart to this office, it was de- clared, with great unanimity, that Brothers Scott, Simpson, Baker, and Ames be elected, A difficulty had taken place in the Ohio Confer- ence concerning a pewed church. One of our good PETER CARTWRIGllT. 481 preacliers, in aiding and defending those brethren that were in favor of the pew .system, had been considered guilty of imprudence, and the Ohio Conference pass- ed a vote of censure on this brother, and from this lie appealed to the General Conference. The debates on this appeal brought on the controversy on the subject of pews. The General Conference cleared this broth- er from the censure. Then followed sundry motions to change the Discipline on the subject of pewed churches; and, finally, our old, well-tried rule was changed to what it is in our Discipline now. This was a real Yankee triumph. However, many of the members of the General Conference voted for this change, hoping to stop one source of Church litiga- tion hereafter, and they may so far succeed as to pre- vent any future appeals to the General Conference ; but they have, at the same time, opened a thousand doors for strife and contention, in all cases where there is any considerable division or difference of opinion on the subject in our societies. The pew system is inevitably at war with the best interests of the Church, for no honorable, high-minded man, who is poor, and unable to buy or rent a pew, but w^ill feel himself degraded to intrude himself into a pewed church ; and that form of worship adopted in any Church which goes to exclude the poor, contravenes the Divine law, and prevents the realization of that blessedness that God has provided for the poor. Fifty years ago there was not a member or preacher among the thousands in the Methodist Episcopal Church that thought of having a pewed church. But since the Church has risen in numerical strength, and be- come wealthy, this system of pewed churches is fast becoming the order of the day. The pew system oiust necessarily be extremely ofiensive to the Lord's 31 482 AUTOBIOGEAPHY OF poor, and we slioulcl all remember tlie words of Jesns Christ, that it were better that a millstone were hanged about our necks, and we drowned in tlie depth of the sea, than that we should offend one of those little ones that believe on him. For mj own part, I always feel embarrassed when, as a stranger, I enter a pev/ed church, and how mortifying it is to be directed by the sexton to some back, dirty, or dingy seat, and I involuntarily ask, "Are ye not partial?" Leaving the pew system for future adjudication of the Church, w^e sincerely hope that its evils will, with the pious, work its entire overthrow, and the restora tion of free seats in all the Churches, which so admi rably agrees w^ith a free Gospel. I hope, if I make a few remarks right here on the speculations published not long since in the IN'ational Magazine, by its talented editor, on the qualifications of the bishops of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, it will not be considered the unpardon- able sin. Brother Stevens seems to think that our present bishops, at least some of them, have talents of too high a grade to be buried in the unimportant and comparatively small official duties of their office, and that it would be better to select men of less use- ful, business talents to perform the small duties of a bishop, reserving those men of a high grade of talent for more important business matters or interests of the Church. I must confess that the position my respect- ed brother takes took me rather by surprise, but my surprise was not so much at the talented editor of the National taking this position, as at the position itself; but then, why should I be surprised at any position taken in this educational, advanced age of the wor*i, seeing that I am an old dispensationist, and fifty years behind the times? I have been acquainted personally PETER CARTWRIGHT. 483 with every bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Chnrch (^ave Dr. Coke) from lier coimiiencement to the pres- ent, and thougli I have awarded to all of onr bishops a liigh grade of talent, yet it never entered my mind for the iirst time that any of them had any talents to sj »are, or that were not necessary to be brought into retpiisition to superintend all the important interests of the Methodist Episcopal Chnrch. When I consider the responsible duties of a bishop in our Church, to constantly travel at large throughout the entire bounds of our ministerial fields of labor, to oversee the tem- poral and spiritual interests of the whole Chui'ch, to assign, from year to year, the thousands of ti-aveling preachers to their most appropriate fields of labor, and many other important duties too tedious to enu- merate in this connection, I must frankly say I have never had the first spasm or fear of getting men of too high a grade of talent, yea, of business talent, to per- form the functions of their otfice with credit to them- selves and promotion of the best interests of the Church of God. Moreover, though I may not admire the manner of these speculations of my beloved and talented editor, yet, should they tend to check the high aspirations of disappointed expectants, some good may result. It is a trite saying, that revolutions never go back- ward ; but if the speculations of my brother are not di iving things backward, then I must be very much in the dark. But the theory we have just noticed very forcibly reminds me of what is alleged to be the custom of the members of the Estabhshed Church of England, namely : If parents have a smart and promising son, or sons, he, or they, are selected for the bar, or for the medical department, or some other prominent position, ani they are educated accord- 481 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ingly ; but if they have a stupid boy, tliat promises very little usefulness to the world, or at least promises to shine not ver}' brilliantly, he is immediately desig- nated for the ministry, for then he can be supported by the state, and not by his acceptable and useful talents. O, what a reproach to the Gospel of the Son of God, and what a withering curse to the Church ! At our conference at Beardstown, October 12th, 1853, as I have already said, I w^as appointed to Pleasant Plains District, and bade an affectionate adieu to Quincy District. I do not know that I was ever appointed to any field of labor that I felt more attached to than I did to the Quincy District, and should have been glad to have spent at least two years more ; but the best of friends in this life must part ; we part, however, with a blessed hope of meet- ing in another and better world. I hardly ever left a field of ministerial labor but I felt sorrowful, and indulged in very gloomy reflections. Here are hun- dreds of my best earthly friends, whom I have lived and labored with in great peace and harmony ; we have preached and prayed together; often been happy and shouted the high praises of God together, many of whom are my spiritual children that God has given me. We have labored and sufifered to- gether, but now^, for the last time, we splice hands, and bid each other finally farewell, till w^e meet in the general resurrection. When I remember how swift time flies, and how soon God will call his sufi'er- ing children home, then and there let us meet, where painful separations forever cease. Before I close this feeble sketch of my long life, 1 wish to give a very brief sketch of a few of my fellow- laborers who sufl:ered long and endured much in spreading Methodism in these Western wilds, and PETER CARTWRIGHT 486 therebj rescue from oblivion their names and worthy deeds, that generations to come may know tlieir in- .:lebtedness to the early pioneer Methodist preachers, for the moral order in a great and good degree that pre- vails in the vast regions of the West. Whatever may be justly attributed to education and other instru- mentalities, the present, as well as future generations, owe, and will owe, a debt of gratitude to the indom- itable courage and pious labor of early suffering Methodist preachers for the great and good order of tliis vast wilderness. When they entered it as preachers of the Gospel, very few ministers of any other denomination would brook the hardships and undergo the privations that must necessarily be en- dured in preaching the Gospel in these sparsely popu- lated and frontier regions. But hardly had the early emigrant pitched his tent, raised his temporary camp, or log-cabin, when the early Methodist traveling preachers w^ere there to preach to them the unsearch- able riches of Christ ; and how many thousands who had w^ithstood the offers of life in the old settlements or states, have been followed into the wilderness by these early Methodist preachers and won over to Christ. Many ministers of other Churches w^aited till flourishing towns, villages, and populous settle- ments had formed and improved the country, and could give them a good fat salary ; and then they came and entered into the labors of these old pio- neers. People, unacquainted wdth frontier life, and especially frontier life fifty or sixty years ago, can form but a very imperfect idea of the sufferings and hard- ships the early settlers of these Western states under- went at that day, when Methodist preachers weat from fort to fort, from camp to camp, from tent to tent, from cabin to cabin, with or without road or 486 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF patli. ^Ve walked on dirt floors for carpets, sat on stools or benches for chairs, ate on punclieon tables, had forked sticks and pocket, or bntcher knives, for knives and forks, slept on bear, deer, or bnifalo skins before the fire, or sometimes on the ground in open air fo^r downy beds, had our saddles or saddle-bags for pillows instead of pillows of feathers, and one new suit of clothes of homespun was ample clothing for one year for an early Methodist preacher in the West. We crossed creeks and large rivers without bridge? or ferry-boats, often swam them on horseback, or crossed on trees that had fallen over the streams^ drove our liorses over, and often waded out waist- deep ; and if by chance we got a dug-out, or canoe, to cross in ourselves, and swim our horses by, it was quite a treat. O, ye downy doctors and learned presidents and professors, heads of the Methodist literature of the present day, remember the above course of training was the colleges in which we early Methodist preach- ers graduated, and from which we took our diplomas! Here we solved our mathematical problems, dechned our nouns and conjugated our verbs, parsed our sentences, and became proficient in the dead lan- ffuaires of the Indian and backwoods dialect. Suppose these illiterate early Methodist preachers had held back, or waited for a better education, or for these educational times, where would the Method- ist Church have been to-day in this vast valley ol the Mississippi ? Suppose the thousands of early set- tlers and scores of early Methodist preachers, by some Providential intervention, had blundered on a Biblical Institute, or a theological factory, where they dress up little pedantic things they call 2:))-eachers ; sup- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 4S7 pose je we would have known them from a ram's horn ? Surely not. Jesse "Walker, known to thousands in Illinois, Mis- souri, Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky, was a native of Virginia. His age has gone from my recollec- tion. His commencement as a preacher was in the local order, and as such he moved to West Tennessee. This was about the time of the great Cumberland revival ; and though he had a very limited education, and his preaching powers were not very profound, yet he could preach a plain, practical sermon ; and he was a powerful exhorter. In the fall of 1803 Brother Walker was received on trial into the traveling connection, in the Western Conference, and appointed to travel the Red River Circuit, in Cumberland District ; John Page was his presiding elder. He was this year blessed with glo- rious revivals, and received a great many into the Church. In 1804 he was appointed to the Livingston Circuit. This was a new field of labor which I had formed the year before under the elder. Here his family was greatly afflicted, and he lost by death two of his children; but Brother Walker's labors were greatly blessed, and many seals were added to his ministry. In 1805 he remained on the same circuit, with Hartford Circuit attached to it. Plis labors this year were greatly blessed. A great number were convert- ed and joined the Church. In 1806 Brother Walker was appointed to Hartford Circuit; this was also a prosperous year in many additions to the Church. In 1807 lie was appointed to the Illinois Circuit, for it will be seen, that the Illinois and Missouri States both belonged to Cumberland District. Here he entered the prairie wilderness, and spent a successful 488 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF year on that circuit. In 1808 he was appointed to Missouri, still further in the wilderness of the West ; as usual, he had several revivals. In 1809 a new district was formed, called Indiana District, embrac- ing Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri States, and J. AValker was appointed to Illinois Circuit. In 1810 and 1811, he was appointed to, and traveled with ac- ceptability and usefulness, the Cape Girardeau Cir- cuit, in Missouri. In the fall of 1811 the name of the Indiana was changed to Illinois District, S. Parker, presiding elder; and in 1812, Brother Walker was appointed to the Illinois Circuit again. It should be recollected, that in 1812 the General Conference sat in 'New York ; this was the first dele- gated General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At this General Conference, the Western Conference was divided into two, called Ohio and Tennessee Conferences. In 1815 the Missouri Dis- trict was formed; and in 1817 he was appointed to that district. Right here it should be remembered, that the General Conference which sat in Baltimore, May 1st, 1816, divided the Tennessee Conference, and formed a Missouri Conference. The Missouri Conference was composed of two presiding-elder districts, namely, Illinois and Missouri, though it embraced four states, namely : Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The Missouri District covered two states west of the Mississippi, Arkansas and Mis- souri. Tlie Illinois District covered the states ot Illinois and Indiana. These four states were all fron- tier ground.; desperate, long, lonesome rides, and little or no support for preachers or presiding elders; and if our districts were as large and hard to travel now as then, we should not have as many young aspiring expectants for that office as abound in our PETER CARTWRIGHT. 489 conferences. In 1818 and 1819, he carried success- fully the Gospel to thousands of the scattered frontier settlers in Missouri and Arkansas, and many in the day of judgment from those poor frontier regions will rise np and call him blessed. S think it was in the fall of 1819 onr beloved old Brother Walker, who had traveled all his life, or nearly so, came over to our Tennessee Conference, which sat in Nashville, to see us ; but, O ! how weather-beaten and war-worn was he ; almost, if not altogether, without decent apparel to appear among us. We soon made a collection, and had him a decent suit of clothes to put on; and never shall I forget the blushing modesty and thankfulness with which he accepted that suit, and never did I and others have a stronger verification of our Lord's words, "Tliat it is more blessed to give than to re- ceive." In 1820 he was appointed Conference Mis- sionary, and sustained the relation of missionary to the Missonri Conference from 1821 to 1824. He was instructed, in 1824, to pay attention to the Indians in the bounds of Missouri. During these years of extensive missionary travel, he visited St. Louis, which was almost wholly given to Eomish idolatry. There was no Methodist society or church in the city, and perhaps no Protestant church in the place. It had been settled from an early day with French Catholics. In his visit to this place, he saw its deplorable moral condition, and resolved to seek a way to carry the Gospel to its perishing thousands. But how was he to do it? and how was he to be supported while doing it ? Means of support he had none. He made it a matter of prayer, and asked aid of God. Accordingly, he made his stand in the city, and took up a day school of A, B, C s:jholars, by 490 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF wliicli he supported himself, and all he made over he applied to the erection of a small church, which, if my memory is not at fault, was the first Protestant house of w^orship in the city. God did not despise the day of small thin^;s, but crowned his eiforts with signal success, so much so, that he not only succeeded in building a church, but gathered a congregation in it, and raised a Methodist Society which remains to this day ; and Methodism has spread through the city, so that there are many charges, and a good many splendid churches erected, and several thousand mem- bers in the different branches of Methodism. In 1824 the Missouri Conference was divided by the General Conference, which sat in Baltimore. The Illinois Conference was organized. Brothei Walker was appointed missionary to the settlements between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, and to the Indians in the vicinity of Fort Clark, (now Peoria.) He traveled extensively, and preached through this entire new country, raised several socie- ties, one at Fort Clark, penetrated into the Indian country, visited their chiefs, made known his wishes to establish missions and schools among them, and met a friendly reception by their chief men, espe- cially among the Pottawattomies ; and in 1826 he was appointed missionary to that tribe of Indians. He was continued in this mission in 1827 and 1828, and having obtained a grant from the Indians to a section of land, he built houses, opened a farm, preached to the Indians through an interpreter, estabhshed a school, and had some prosperity ; and had it not been for the corrupting influences of white men, in selling whisky to the Indians, and corrupt white men that cheated the Indians out of their annuities, there is no doubt but these Indians would have become civilized PETER CART WRIGHT. 491 and Christianized. "What a fearful account these unprincipled white men will have to render at the judgment for the demoralization and destruction of the Indians. I thank God, during my superintendence of this mission, w^hile Brother Walker was missionary imongthem, we had the pleasure of seeing the hopeful conversion of several of them, and of baptizing them, and receiving them into the visible Church of Christ. In 1828 Brother Walker was succeeded in the mission by Brother Isaac Scarritt, and was sent to the Peoria Circuit, where he labored with his accus- tomed usefulness and acceptability. In 1829 he was returned to the mission among the Pottawattomies, which was located on Fox River, about twenty miles from Ottawa, where it empties into the Illinois River. In the meantime, the government had bought out the Indian claim ; and although the Church had spent some thousands of dollars in its establishment, we lost it. The mission premises were reserved for one of the half breeds, and Brother Walker was, in 1830, ap- pointed to Chicago Mission, where he succeeded in planting Methodism in this then infant city. In 1831 he was appointed to the Des Plaines Mission, and organized many small societies in that young and rising country. In 1832 there was a Chicago District formed, of mostly missionary ground. Brother Walker wa's super- intendent of this missionary district, and missionary to Chicago town ; and although he was well stricken in years, and well-nigh worn out, having spent a comparatively long life on the frontiers, yet the old man had the respect and confidence of tlie whole community; and in 1833 was continued in the Chi- cago Missionary Station. This year closed his active itinerant life. He had done effective and efficient 492 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF service as a traveling preacher for more than thirty years, and had lived poor and snifered much ; had won thousands of souls over to Christ, and built up and firmly planted Methodism for thousands of miles on our frontier border. In 1834, he asked for and obtained a superannuated relation, in which relation he lived till the 5th of October, 1835, and then, being at peace with God and all mankind, and having fought a good fight, and finished his course, and kept the faith, he was ready for the messenger, and left the world in holy triumph ; and his redeemed spirit rose triumphantly, and entered heaven, to be hailed and welcomed home by the thou- sands to whom, in the Divine economy, he had been the honored instrument of salvation ; and I hope to meet him in heaven before very long. He was the first minister who, by the authority of tlie Meth- odist Church, gave me my first permit to exhort. We have fought side by side for many years ; we have suflfered hunger and want together; we have often wept, and prayed, and preached together ; I hope w^e shall sing and shout together in heaven. Peace to his memory ! Samuel H. Thompson was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, March 16, 1786. He had a pious mother, who very diligently instructed young Samuel in the general principles of our holy religion, according to the Calvinistic views of the Presbyterian Church, for which Church through life he entertained a high regard, though he repudiated the Calvinistic doctrines. He received a good common English edu- cation for that early day, and was considered an honor- able, high-minded young man. In his eighteenth year he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, as a seeker PETER CARTWRIGHT. 49S of religion. For two years lie sought an experimental knowledge of the forgiveness of his sins; and while engaged, in secret prayer, a peaceful answer was granted to him, though not such an evidence of par- don as he desired ; but shortly afterward, during family prayer, he obtained a clear evidence of the regeneration of his fallen nature, and immediately commenced exhorting his associates to seek God, and was licensed to preach. In the fall of 1810 he was received on trial as a traveling preacher, in the Western Conference, holden at Cincinnati, which was then the onl}^ conference west of the mountains. He was appointed to the Whitewater Circuit, Indiana District, Ohio. Here young Thompson was received kindly, and preached successfully. In 1811 he was appointed to the ISTolliechuckie Circuit, in East Ten- nessee ; in 1812, to Clinch River Circuit. In both these circuits he labored zealously, and was useful. In the fall of 1812, he was ordained a deacon. At the division of the Western Conference, he fell into the Tennessee part, and in 1813 was appointed to the Knoxville Circuit, where his labors w^ere greatly blessed. In 1814 he was appointed to Christian Circuit, and there were in this circuit added to his ministry many seals. In the fall of 1814 he was ordained an elder, and in 1815 he was appointed presiding elder of the Mis- souri District. He remained on this district in 1816. Vast was the frontier country that Brother Thompson explored on this district ; and he successfully planted the standard of the Gospel and of Methodism in many log-cabins and frontier settlements, and won many laurels for his Master in this wilderness of the West, and the Lord gave him many souls for liis hire. At the General Conference of 1816, the Missouri 494 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF Conference was stricken off from the Tennessee Con- ference ; and in 1817 he was appointed to tlie Illinois District, which covered almost all the inhabited party of the State of lUinois and Sonthern Indiana. He remained on this large district two years, and was aggressive in all his ministerial labors, organizing many societies in this new and rising conntry. In 1819 he was appointed to Shoal Creek and Illinois Circuits, joined together, where his labors were greatly blessed. Money was scarce through all this Western country, but Brother Thompson sufiered on, through penury and want. In the meantime he had manned, and had a young and growing family to provide for. In 1820 he remained on the Illinois Circuit, and was instrumental in greatly building up the Church. In 1821, Brother Thompson was again placed on the Missouri District as presiding elder, where he re- mained two years, still laboring and sufiering foi his Master, and planting Methodism in many new settlements, and many claimed him as the honored instrument of their salvation ; and many were the thrilling shouts of new-born souls brought into the liberty of the Gospel on the tented camp-ground, as well as from- the log-cabin. From 1823 to 182G, Brother Thompson was stationed on the Illinois Dis- trict, Illinois Conference, which covered more tlian two thirds of the geographical boundaries of the state ; but with unfaltering steps he traveled nigh.t and day, seldom missing his appointments, through cold and heat, floods or snow-storms. His labors were greatly blessed, and there is very little doubt that he was the most popular and useful preacher in the state. Hundreds, if not thousands, from the Illi- nois District, in the great day of judgment will hai] our beloved brother, and call him blessed. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 495 From the hard fields of labor occupied by Brother Thompson, his poor fare, the privations he underwent, and his extraordinary zealous pulpit labors, the very many hardships and sufferings he endured incident to a new country, his fine constitution began to give way, and he found it necessary to relax his efforts in some degree. Accordingly, he asked for and obtain- ed a supernumerary relation, and in that relation, in 1827, he was appointed to the Illinois Circuit, Avhere his labors were fully equal to his strength. In 1828 he was continued on the same circuit, and in 1829, having recovered his health a little, he was made ef- fective, and appointed to the Shoal Creek Circuit. The Lord gave him a prosperous year, and made him a blessing to many souls. In 1830 there was a new district formed, called the Kaskaskia District, and Brother Thompson was appointed presiding elder. He traveled this district in 1831 and 1832, abundant in labors and usefulness. In 1833 he was appointed traveling agent for the Lebanon Seminary, and ac- quitted himself honorably. In 1834 he was appointed to the Lebanon Circuit, and although he had preach- ed for many years to the most of his congregations, yet the Church hailed him as a brother beloved, and his ministry was profitable, and he proved a blessing to many. In 1835 Brother Thompson sustained a su- perannuated relation to the conference, and the rest from his energetic labors this year gave him some in- crease of strength, and he wanted to spend that strength in doing good, and his relation in 1836 was changed to supernumerary, and he was appointed to Alton Station. He was this year only partial in his labors; his constitution was fast giving way. Accord- ingly, in 1837 he sustained a superannuated relation again. But his soul was restless when out of his 496 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF field of ministerial work; accordingly, in 1838, ho asked to be made effective, but the Conference gave him a supernumerary relation, and he was appointed to labor in the towns of Yandalia and Hillsborough ; in 1839 he was again appointed to Alton City Sta- tion, as supernumerary ; in 1840 he was appointed to labor in the Belleville Station, where he labored but little. His physical powers evidently were fast giving way, and in 1811 he was placed in a super- annuated relation, which relation he continued to sus- tain until his redeemed spirit returned to God who gave it, which happened on the 19th of March, 1812. Brother Thompson labored hard, and suffered mucli, for more than thirty years. His field of labor for those years embraced large portions of Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas States, much of which was new and on the outskirts of civilization, destitute of means of comfortable sup- port. In these respects his zeal, like a quenchless fire, urged him on night and day, over desert wastes, tow- ering mountains, rapid^ rivers. He often suffered hunger and almost nakedness in quest of lost and wandering sinners to bring them back to God, and thousands now in heaven will praise God forever that this self-sacrificing Methodist preacher taught them the way to life in their mud hovels and smoky cabins. The last year of his eventful life, his health almost entirely gave way, and while confined to his bed, from which he never rose, such was his ardent thirst for the salvation of souls, that he requested to call in the neighbors, and to be propped up in his bed, and to preach one more sermon to them before he left for heaven. His desire was granted ; the room was crowded, and such a sermon hardly ever fell from the lips of mortal man. The power of God fell on PETER CARTWRIGHT. 497 the congregation ; they wept aloud, and fell in every direction, and many will date their start for heaven to that sermon. And now, having delivered his last message, he said, '' My work is done, and I am ready to go at my Master's bidding." During the few lingering moments that he remain- ed he gave unmistakable evidence that he was at peace with God, and all mankind, and that he had a complete victory over the fear of death. He contin- ued in this heavenly frame of mind until he sweetly fell asleep in the arms of Jesus, and quietly breathed his last and went up to glory. Brother Thompson was a gentleman as well as Christian. He was faith- ful in the administration of the Discipline of the Church; very firm, but mild. He was courteous in manner, had a nice regard to feelings, but remarka- bly faithful in reproving whatever he thought wrong in saint and sinner. He had but few personal enemies ; his soul breathed the true spirit of Christian kindness and love. He has left beliind him thousands that claim him as the honored instrument in their conver- sion, and if they are faithful I have no doubt will meet him in heaven with shouts of victory forever and ever. John Dew was born on the 19th of July, 1789, in the State of Virginia. In the days of his youth he embraced religion and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he remained a worthy member during life, and being deeply impressed that it wa^. his duty to preach the Gospel, he was recommended by ]iis class, and obtained license to preach as a local preacher, and then joined the traveling connection in the Ohio Conference. In 1813 he was appointed to the Salt Eiver Circuit, in Ken tuck v, and was blessed 4SS AUTOBIOGllAPHY OF v/itli success. The first year of his itinerancy, 1814, lie was appointed to the Jefferson Circuit, and labor- ed with acceptability and usefulness to the Church, In 1815 he traveled the Madison Circuit; here he g-ave good proof of his call to the ministry, and the Lord owned and blessed his labors. In 1816 he traveled the Guyandotte Circuit, and had seals to his ministry. Tliis fall he located, and remained local for eight years, but was an industrious and useful local preacher, and was the means of doing much good in several parts that he visited. He preached with great acceptability in the southern part of Kentucky and the Illinois State. In the fall of 1824, Brother Dew was readmitted into the traveling connection in the Illinois Conference, and he was appointed to travel the Illinois Circuit. Here he labored faithfully, and did good. In 1825 he was continued on the same circuit, and at the close of this year was transferred to the Missouri Conference, and appointed presiding elder of the Missouri District. In 182T he was stationed in St. Louis Cit}^ In 1828 he was transferred back again to Illinois Conference, and appointed superintendent and conference collector for the Pottawattomie Mission on Fox Kiver. He was active, vigilant, and useful in this field of labor. In 1829 Brother Dew was ap- pointed to the Galena Station, in the extreme north- w^est corner of the Illinois State, at least four hundred miles from home ; and such was the poverty of the country at that time, for it was new and just in its forming state,.that he provided for his family where they were, and spent most of this year almost entirely from home. His labors were blessed in this new field of toil, and he was instrumental in planting Methodism firmlv there. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 499 m 1830 lie was appointed to the Lebanon Circuit, and he acquitted himself as an able and useful min- ister of the Lord Jesus Christ; edified and built up the Church greatly. In 1831 he was appointed to Shoal Creek Circuit, with our beloved Bishop Ames, and long will he live in the recollection and Christian remembrance of the Methodists of Shoal Creek Circuit. In 1832 he was again appointed to the Lebanon Circuit, and though he had labored long and preached much to that people, yet they received him as a mes- senger from God and a brother beloved, and he was useful. In 1833 he was appointed to the Kaskaskia Circuit, wliere he was the instrument of great good, and souls were converted to God. Brother Dew was continued on this circuit in 1834-. From the hard fields of labor that he had occupied, and the little support he had received, with a young and growing family, in 1835 he located, to gather means of support, and to enable him to reenter the itinerant field, for his soul was filled with holy fire, and he longed to spread the news of salvation from pole to pole. In 1836 he was appointed President of M'Kendree College; and in 1837-38 he was readmitted into the traveling connection, and appointed to the Carlyle District as presiding elder. In 1839 he was appoint- ed to the Lebanon District, where he finished his useful life, after an illness of about two weeks. On the 5th of September, 1840, he left these mortal shores for a better world, relying confidently on the goodness and mercy of God for his salvation. He left an amiable wife and seven children, and an ex- tensive acquaintance and circle of devoted friends to lament their loss. Brother Dew had a fine order of talent as a 600 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF preacher, was a strong theological debater, had a clear and sound mind, and was well qualified to de- fend the doctrines of the Bible against infidelity, and the doctrines of Methodism against all sectarian assailants. He was popular, and useful as a preacher, labored hard, suffered much in spreading the Gos- pel, lived beloved, and died lamented by thousands ; but his end was peace, and he has gone safe home to heaven, to reap his eternal reward. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 501 OHAPIEK XXXI. GENERAL CONFERENCE IN INDIANAPOLIS. In October, 1854, our Illinois Annual Conference was held in Springfield, the seat of government, and I was reappointed to the Pleasant Plains District. This was a year of general peace, and some prosperity to the Church. I think we numbered about four hundred conversions in the district this year; and nearly that number of accessions in the membership of the Church. In October, 1855, our annual confer- ence was held in Paris, on the eastern side of the state, and I was returned for the third year on the Pleasant Plains District, which was now enlarged from seven to ten circuits and stations. Our districts in all the Western world are very different from down East and Northeast. There they have from thirty to forty appointments in one presiding elder's district; most of their quarterly meetings are held on week- days or evenings, not embracing a Sabbath. The presiding elder goes round mostly to preside in trials of complaints or appeals, and as a kind of fiscal agent. Thus, no matter how talented he may be, his labors and usefulness as a preacher are thrown into the shade of comparative obscurity ; and by the anti- Methodistic usages of these large districts the pre- siding elder's office is not appreciated, nor can it be on this plan : hence the hue and cry against the office. In the vast West there is a Sabbath embraced in every quarterly meeting appointment, and a pre- 602 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF siding elder's services are properly appreciated ; and if these Northern innovators would go back to the old landmarks of itinerancy, and not make so many little pop-gun, forty-dollar stations, the usefulness of pre- siding elders would now be as it w^as in the palmy, prosperous days of olden times. 'No wonder preach- ers and people complain under the circumstances ; the regular work is cut up into so many little and comparatively unimportant stations, and so pooi withal, that the support of the ministry is fast becom ing burdensome. Go back to old Methodist preachei usage ; let every quarterly meeting embrace a Sabbath^ and then the old itinerant missionary will work well y but persist in cutting up the work, and making little- stations, then appeal to the cupidity of these small fields of hibor, and you may expect the table of the General Conference to groan under the petitions of the oppressed, to change the office of presiding elder, till Congregationalism is the order of the day. This annual conference was the fiftieth that I was entitled to a seat in, and during a half century I had never missed attending but one of our annual sessions, and I missed this one by sickness. At this conference we elected our delegates to attend the twelfth dele- gated General Conference, which sat in Indianapolis, May 1st, 1856. I was elected, among five other dele- gat^es, and this made the eleventh time I Avas elected to represent the interests of the Methodist Episcopal Church in that body. Tliere were over two hundred and twenty delegates in this General Conference, from California and Ore- gon, and all parts of the United States and territories. We had also delegates from the Wesleyan Methodists in England, and from Canada; also from Ireland; Brother Jacoby, from Germany, was also present. PETEIl CARTWRIGHT. 503 From tlie unhappy political agitations of our coun- try, we had anticipated troublous times in the General Conference, especially on the subject of American slavery. Many of our preachers who were strongly opposed to slavery, had suffered themselves to become too much excited by designing demagogues. Now it ought to be distinctly understood by all the people, and especially by Methodist preachers, that these demagogues care very little about human liberty, or the freedom of the poor down-trodden African. 'No; they are after the loaves and fishes, or the spoils of office; and while they are riveting the chains of the poor negro ten times tighter than ever before, and threatening to rupture this Union, what do they care, if they can ride triumphantly into office and suck the public pap? Just nothing at all. But on this, and almost all other long-tried and prosperous regulations of our beloved rules and disciplinary regulations, there were found aboard the old ship ministers enough to keep the old, well-tried vessel w^ell trimmed, and leaving in the distance these innovators and spoilers of ancient Methodism. So may it ever be. Just so sure as a leaden ball tends to the earth in obedience to the laws of gravity, so sure the multi- plying of our stations tends to locality and Congrega- tionalism. Better, far better, for the Methodist Church this day that we never had a station. Put all the work in circuits, and put on as many preachei-s as the people need, and are able to support, and let the Church be blessed with the spice of variety and a constant interchange of preachers. There were several changes in the vital economy of the itinerant system of the Methodist Episcopal Church by which we have successfully spread the Gospel without a 604 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF parallel in the history of any branch of the Christian Church since the apostolic day. I hope to he borne with while I make a few remarks on these matters. At our late General Conference there were some of the preachers who wanted a change in the time a preacher might remain in a station or on a circuit, namely : from two to three years. They urged the propriety of this change ; First : Because it would drive him to reading and study in order to keep up a variety for his hearers. Secondly : That two years was too short a time to become acquainted with his flock, so as to become a profitable pastor. Thirdly : They urged that the Canadian Methodist Church, our own child or the daughter of Episcopal Methodism in these United States, had lengthened out the time that a preacher might remain in the same charge from one to five years, and that the Wesleyan Methodist Church in England, who is the grandmother of the Canadian Methodist Church, had changed the term of service, and that it worked well ; therefore it would work well among us. To this I reply. First.: That from fifty years' experi- ence, I find that the return of a preacher, even the second year, to an appointment is not as profitable as the first. Secondly : If a preacher from sheer neces- sity is to be driven to his books, and study in order to keep up an interesting and profitable variety, there will be but little pastoral duty performed, and but little spirituality in these forced sermons, and a great deal of his preaching will be mere lecturing, and but little real spiritual sermonizing. Thirdly : The Cana- aian Methodist Church, our child or daughter, when she requested to be set ofl" as a separate Church from us, on account of the civil disabilities under which she labored, instead of following the illustrious foot- PETER CARTWRIGHT. 605 steps of her mother, the Methodist Episcopal Church in these United States, in relation to the time that her preachers might remain in a charge for consecutive years, flung herself into the arms of her grandmother, the Wesleyan Methodist Church in England, and as the grandmother is generally supposed to be some- what in dotage, and seldom, if ever, qualified to raise grandchildren aright, it is reasonable to suppose that these Canadians borrowed this radical innovation on the itinerant plan of the Methodist Episcopal Church from a dotard grandmother; and however well it may work in Canada or old England, it can have no other effect in these United States but to localize our preachers, and finally destroy our itinerant system ; and whenever this is done, farewell to the triumphant success of the Methodist Episcopal Church. There was another regulation introduced into our late General Conference on which I wish to remark ; I mean the admitting into membership and ordaining preachers who are appointed to presidencies and pro- fessorships in our universities, colleges, and various institutions of learning, without having traveled a single day, or having a pastoral charge as a traveling preacher ; these men, without undergoing any of the privations or sacrifices of an itinerant life, are settled down with large salaries. Our colleges are rapidly multiplying, and I hope they will continue to do so, but who does not see that in a few years our local agents, presidents, and professors may form even a majority of our annual conferences, and then the itinerant system will be very much like a man riding a race with the reins of his horse's bridle tied to a stump. It is wrong, fundamentally wrong. The itinerant should be kept pure and unencumbered, and we should Iook out men to serve tables, or education 606 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF if you please, but our itinerant men should give them- selves wholly to the ministry of the word. These are politically and religiously perilous times, and there is a solemn crisis on the Church, but I hope God will guide the ship of State and Church. But surely this is no time to abandon old and long-tried usages for novel experiments. PETER CARTWRIGHT. 607 CHAPTEK XXXII. CONVERSION OF AN INFIDEL DOCTOR. Somewhere about thirty-five years ago, while I was traveling on the Cumberland District, in "West Ten- nessee, there lived a Dr. , who was wealthy, and immensely popular as a practicing physician. He had a large practice ; he was gentlemanly in his man- ners, hospitable, and kind. His family were very re- spectable; his wife was a devoted Christian and a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They lived in afiluence ; they were benevolent and liberal in the support of the Gospel. I was intro- duced to the doctor and his amiable family at a camp-meeting, which was held a few miles from his residence. Having a few days to rest between my camp-meetings, the doctor and family cordially in- vited me to spend those rest days at his house, and I consented to do so. When our camp-meeting closed, in company with several other preachers, I repaired to the doctor's habitation. We were received cor dially and treated princely. There was everything earthly to make one comfortable. The family, black and white, were called in to family worship night and morning, and when we surrounded their bountiful table we were invited to ask a blessing, and to return thanks. The next morning, after we had breakfasted, as we were seated in the parlor, the doctor informed me that he was a total unbeliever in the Christian religion; that he had read the Bible through and AtJTOBlOGRAPHY OF through again and again, and that he could not re- ceive it as a revelation from God ; that he liked the morals that the Christian system inculcated; he liked to encourage the Gospel, because of the good moral influence it had upon mankind ; that he felt it not only a charity, but a positive duty to support the Gospel ; first, because it taught a pious reverence to- ward God ; secondly, because it breathed peace and good will to all mankind ; thirdly, because it taught truth, virtue, honesty, and benevolence in all the civil, social, and moral relations of man as he stood accountable to his God, and as he stood connected with or related to all mankind. Now, my gentle reader, you may well imagine thai I felt a little surprised, and that I felt greatly the need of right words, or rather strong arguments and soft words, and, after pausing for a moment, I looked the doctor full in the face and said, " Doctor, I hope you believe there is a God. Do you ?" " Certainly," was his reply. " Doctor, do you believe that God is too wise to err, and too good to inflict pain or misery of any kind on his innocent and unoff'ending creatures ?" " Certainly I do, sir." " Well now, doctor, will you be good enough, lay- ing the Bible aside, to tell me how a wise and good God could push into existence a race of human beings, subject to all kinds of mental, moral, and j^hysical wretchedness, misery, and woe ? If he is wise, just, holy, and supremely good, how could innocent man, coming immediately from the j)lastic hand of his God, be filled with so many unholy and impure passions as we see human nature heir to ?" "I must confess," said the doctor, ^'I cannot account for it; it is wrapped in inexplicable mystery." PETER CARTWRIGHX- 509 " Well, doctor, seeing God is supremely good and wise, and seeing that man is limited in all his powers of mind and body, and subject to so much misery and so many errors in judgment and practice, can we not well imagine that God, who is the supreme sonrce of all moral excellence, and whose tender mercies are over all his works, would be moved by the benignant laws of his own eternal nature, after having created man for his own pleasure, with all his liability to err and his susceptibility to evil, would be prompted to give to this feeble race a rule of faith and practice ? And what else is the Bible ? Kay, would it not throw eternally into the shade all the perfections of God, at whose almighty fiat teeming millions of erring human beings have taken their existence in the world, and who have no power to control or prevent their own existence, if that God should leave these millions to wander in the mazes of animal passion without a well-defined revealed rule of faith and practice ?" Tlie doctor paused, and made a sorry reply. I saw I had made a breach in his supposed impregnable wall, behind which he had intrenched himself, with all his boasted infidelity. I saw there was not a moment to be lost ; and with haste I commenced re- adjusting my battering-rams, that in my next onset I might widen the breach, and enter the citadel, and take my infidel doctor prisoner, and silence all his opposition to truth, when all of a sudden he said, *' Mr. Cartwright, I know you are a man of reason and good sense ; and I think I can prove to you, beyond the power of successful contradiction, that there is no such thing as experimental religion, and that it is all imagination and delusion." " Yery well, doctor ; try it." 510 AUTOBIOGKAPHY OF " Well, sir," said he, ^' does not all knowledge, either human or Divine, depend upon sensible evidence ?" " Yes, sir." "Does not faith, human or Divine, depend on credible evidence?" " Yes, sir." "Well," said he, "I will state a plain, misophisti- cated case. Suppose you were called upon, as a judge or juror, to decide a case in litigation, and there were five witnesses introduced, all of them honorable, high-minded men, whose veracity was never called in question, and who stood unimpeached and unimpeachable everywhere ; whose known integ- rity and intelligence were admitted on all sides ; and suppose a matter in controversy was brought before you, and these five witnesses were introduced as credible evidence ; and one of the witnesses deposed to the facts as stated by the plaintiff. A., and then the other four came forward, and with equal clearness deposed to the facts as claimed by the defendant, B. Now, sir," continued the doctor, " all things being equal, so far as the intelligence, truth, and veracity of the witnesses are concerned, how would you decide the case? Would you not instantly decide that all the probabilities and all the possibilities were in favor of the four who deposed to the facts stated by the defendant, and that the one lone witness who deposed to the facts claimed by the plaintiff must, to a certainty, be mistaken ?" I replied, " It is altogether likely I should give judgment for the defendant, B." " Well, now, sir," said the doctor, " you contend that the Christian religion is an experimental fact, and that all Christians have sensible evidence of a PETER CARTWRIGHT. 611 change of heart, which you call religion. Man has five senses, namely, seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling. On the united and concurrent testimony of these five senses, or witnesses, all knowledge of experimental religion depends; and all professions of the knowledge of facts that cannot be proved by these witnesses, must be fallacious, and, therefore, a deception. Now, sir," said the doctor, "permit me to ask you a few serious and solemn questions ; and I demand honest and unequivocal answers, direct. Did you ever see religion ?" I answered, " ]^o." " Did you ever hear religion ?" " Ko." " Did you ever smell religion ?" " ISTo." " Did you ever taste religion ?" " 1^0." " Did you ever feel religion ?" " Yes." " ]^ow, then," said the doctor, with apparent tri- umph, " I have proved, beyond a doubt, by four respectable witnesses, that religion is not seen, heard, smelled, or tasted ; and but one lone, solitary witness, namely, feeling, has testified that it is an experimental fact. The weight of evidence is overpowering, sir, and you must give it up." I paused, and seemed to be astonished, and greatly perplexed; but recovering myself a little, I said, "Doctor, are you willing that your principles and professional practice shall be tested by the same ar- ray of testimony as you have adduced to overthrow revealed religion?" " Yes, sir." " Well, sir, you profess to understand the science 512 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF of medicine. Yoii have had, and now have, a large and lucrative practice. You profess to have cured various and complicated diseases, and to have re- lieved and removed many pains, in the complicated forms in which they have attacked the human system; and you have amassed a princely fortune by your successful practice." "All true," said the doctor. " Well, sir, do you not know that you have been playing the hypocrite, and practicing a most wretched fraud on the gullibility of the people?" " Ko, sir," he replied, very fiercely. " Why, doctor," said I, ''a man of your profound science and research must certainly know that there is no such thing as pain in the human system; and though ignorant people have thought so, yet you know better; and whenever you have visited poor dupes, that thought they were in great pain, and administered medicine to them, and thus persuaded them that you, by your medical skill, had removed their pains, and charged them large bills, you cer- tainly knew you were practicing a fraud on them, and getting their money under a false pretense ; for you certainly knew that there was no such thing as pain." Said the doctor, rather fiercely, " I certainly know no such thing, sir." I replied, " Well, doctor, I will ask you a few ques- tions if you please, and I demand honest and prompt answers." " Very well, sir," said the doctor. " Well, sir, did you ever see a pain ?" " ISTo, sir." " Did you ever hear a pain 2" "No, sir." PETER CARTWRIGHT. 513 " Did you ever smell a pain ?" ''No, sir," ." Did you ever taste a pain?" " E"o, sir." " Did you ever feel a pain V' '^ Certainly I did, sir." By tliis time I had well-nigh taken the wind out of the doctor's sails, and his countenance betrayed confusion, but I rallied him, and said, " Do not be alarmed, doctor ; four respectable witnesses have tes- tified that there is no such thing as pain in the hu man system, and but one lone witness has deposed that there is ; therefore, the idea of there being pain in the ]3hysical system of man is fallacious, and there is no reality in the thing ; and you ought to go and restore the money you have taken from them, and ac- knowledge the fraud you have practiced on them, and do so no more ; and I charge you, as an honest man, to do it, and quit those fraudulent practices." During almost all this conversation with the doctor, his wife and family sat around and listened with pro- found attention, and I frequently saw the tears cours- ing down the cheeks of the doctor's wife. The doctor became mute, and remained silent for a considerable time. I turned my conversation to the doctor's wife and children. Just at that moment the Lord, in a very powerful manner, blessed the pious wife of the doctor, and she shouted aloud and blessed God for re- vealed religion. She ran and threw her arms around her husband's neck, and exhorted him, with stream- ing eyes and words that burned, to be reconciled to God. I said. Let us all kneel and pray. The doctor fell on his knees and wept like a child, and prayed fervently. The great deep of his heart was broken up, his infidelity gave way, and, for the first time in 33 614 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OP his life, he wept and prayed. All day after this he seemed to be melted into childlike simplicity. He fled to the woods, and earnestly sought salvation. That night, after prayer, he retired to bed, but not to sleep, for he prayed as in agony ; and abont midnight God spoke peace to his troubled soul, and we all awoke and got up, and joined in prayer and praise. Such thrilling shouts I seldom ever heard from the lips of mortal man. His conversion was the begin- ning of a glorious revival of religion in the settlement, and many were the souls saved by grace. Many of the doctor's slaves obtained religion, and many others of the slaves in the neighborhood. The doctor fitted out and sent most of his slaves to Liberia. Thank God that I ever had the privilege of preaching the Gospel to slaves and slaveholders. Eeligion always makes better slaves and better masters, and will se- cure the freedom of more slaves than all the run-mad abolitioliism in the world. The doctor shortly after was licensed to preach, and lived a pious, useful life. God gave him many seals to his ministry. He has long since fallen on sleep, and gone home to Abraham's bosom, while I am left to linger on the shores of time a little longer ; but while I pen this little sketch my heart grows warm with holy fire ; and I hope soon to meet the doctor and his lovely family in heaven, with many, very many, of the spiritual children God has Amen. PETER CARTWRIGHT. MJ^ CHAPTEK XXXni. METHODIST USAGES. I WISH to say a few things in this chapter on the usages of the Methodist Episcopal Church. When 1 joined the Church, her ministers and members were a plain people; plain in dress and address. You could know a Methodist preacher by his plain dress as far as you could see him. The members were also plain, very plain in dress. They wore no jewelry, nor were they permitted to wear jewelry, or superflu- ous ornament, or extravagant dress of any kind, and this was the rule by which we walked, whether poor or rich, young or old ; and although we knew then as well as we do now, that the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ did not consist in dress, or the cut of the gar- ment, yet we then knew and know now that extrav- agant dress and superfluous ornaments engender pVide, and lead to many hurtful lusts, directly at war with that humility and godly example that becomes our relation to Christ, that so preeminently becomes Christians. Moreover, when we look around us, and see the perishing millions of our fallen race dying in their sins for the want of a preached Gospel, and that this Gospel is not sent to them for want of means to support the missionary, may we not well question whether we are doing right in the sight of God in adorning our bodies with all this costly and extrava- gant dressing? Would it not be more godlike or Christianlike to give our money, laid out in these 516 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF unnecessary ornaments, to send the Gospel to the poor, perishing millions that have souls to be saved or lost forever, and will not God hold us accountable for the use of those means and moneys that he has given us ? and vrould not the simple fund that might be created by disposing of the ornaments of the mem- bers of the Methodist Church alone, send the Gospel to hundreds of thousands, who must perish in all prob- ability for the want of this little Christian sacrifice by the professed lovers of Christ? The apostle James says, " Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all t« the glory of God." Kow apply this rule to your consciences, and I have no doubt your piety will decide in favor of the sacrifice you ought to make, and the good example you ought to set. The duty of family prayer is a very important one to the Christian. God has given the head of the family a very important and responsible position. It is a question very fairly settled, that from the early ages of the Christian religion, family prayer was re- quired and expected of all who professed godliness. If we are to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and if we and our household are professionally bound to serve the Lord, how can we be innocent before God and our families, and habitually neglect this duty ? One of the great wants of the Church at this day is the want of more family religion ; and has not God threatened to " pour out his wrath and fury upon the families that call not on hia name ?" How many happy thousands of children will bless God forever for family prayer, or, in other words, for praying parents, who, morning and evening, called their little ones around them, and bowed down before God, and prayed with and for them. O, parents, think of the happy results of the discharge PETER CARTWRIGHT. 61? of this duty? Many of your children will thank you in heaven forever, for praying for them in your families. And yet I am sorry to hear that many of the mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church shamefully neglect this sacred duty of praying in their families. How shall we answer it to God? Is not this one among many other reasons, why so many of our members feel almost entirely unprepared to enter into the work of the Lord in times of revival, when God pours out his Spirit and convicts sinners among ns? and perhaps if we prayed more at home, we would be better prepared to hear the Gospel of our salvation when we attend Church. Let no business, let no company that visits you, turn you away from or cause you to neglect this duty ; have your family altar firmly fixed, and your sacrifice always on it, and then look up, and in the very act of asking, expect God to send down the holy fire and consume your sacrifice, be it great or small. I long to see the time come when God shall abundantly revive family re- ligion in the Church ; then, and perhaps not till then, shall w^e see better and more glorious times of the work of God among us. Prayer-meetings have accomplished great good, as practiced in the Methodist Episcopal Church ; but are they not growing into disuse among us? Some of my earliest recollections are those Methodist prayer- meetings, where men and women, young and old, prayed in public. We know there have been fash- ionable objections to females praying in public, but I am sure I do not exaggerate when I say I have often seen our dull and stupid prayer-meetings suddenly changed from a dead clog to a heavenly enjoyment, when a sister has been called on to pray, who has 518 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF reverently bowed and taken up the cross, and utter- ance was given her that was heavenly, and she prayed with words that burned, and the baptismal lire rolled all arbund, while the house and all the praying company were baptized from heaven, many sinners, tall and stout-hearted sinners, have been brought to quake and tremble before God, and have cried for mercy, and while crying have found peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Many weeping mourners in those prayer-meetings have found the blessed pardon of all their sins ; the mem bers of the Church have also been greatly blessed and have gone on their way rejoicing in the Lord. One of the best revivals I ever knew was com- menced and carried on by a prayer-meeting among the members of the Church without any preaching at all. The society felt that they were on back ground, and they covenanted to meet every evening for a Aveek, and have public pra3"er and pray for a revival. The first night God met them and blessed many of their souls ; the second night the Lord very powerfully converted two souls ; the meeting went on then for about twenty days and nights, and from one to twelve were converted at every coming to- gether. The Saturday and Sunday on which their meeting closed, they sent for me to gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost. On Saturday I read our General Rules, and explained them, and showed the principles of the Methodist Episcoj^al Church. On Sunday I preached on baptism, and opened the doors, and received one hundred and nineteen into the Church, and baptized forty-seven adults and thirty children in the altar, and then marched off to the creek and immersed twenty-seven, making in all one hundred and nineteen accessions on trial, and one PETER CARTWBIGHT. 619 hundred and four baptized ; this was the fruit of a prayer-meeting. Class-meetings have been owned and blessed of God in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and from more than fifty years' experience, I doubt whether any one means of grace has proved as successful in building up the Methodist Church as this blessed privilege. For many years we kept them with closed doore, and suffered none to remain in class-meeting more than twice or thrice unless they signified a de- sire to join the Church. In these class-meetings the weak have been made strong; the bowed down have been raised up ; the tempted have found delivering grace ; the doubting mind has had all its doubts and fears removed, and the whole class have found that this was " none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven." Here the hard heart has been ten- dered, the cold heart warmed with holy fire ; here the dark mind, beclouded with trial and temptation, has had every cloud rolled away, and the sun of righteousness has risen with resplendent glory, " with healing in his wings;" and in these class-meetings many seekers of religion have found them the spirit- ual birth-place of their souls into the heavenly family, and their dead souls made alive to God. Every Christian that enjoys religion, and that de- sires to feel its mighty comforts, if he understands the nature of them really, loves them and wishes to at- tend them. But how sadly are these class-meetings neglected in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Are there not thousands of our members who habitually neglect to attend them, and is it any wonder that so many of our members grow cold and careless in re- ligion, and finally blackslide? Is it not for the want of enforcing our rules on class-meetings that their 620 AUTOBIOGKAFHY OF usefulness is destroyed? Are there not a great many wordly-minded, proud, fashionable members of our Church, who merely have the name of Method- ist, that are constantly crying out and pleading that attendance on class-meetings should not be a test of membership in the Church? And now, before God, are not many of our preachers at fault in this matter ? they neglect to meet the classes themselves, and they keep many class-leaders in office that will not attend to their duty ; and is it not fearful to see our preach- ers so neglectful of their duty in dealing with the thousands of our delinquent members who stay away from class-meetings weeks, months, and for years? Just as sure as our preachers neglect their duty in enforcing the rules on class-meetings on our leaders and members, just so sure the power of religion will be lost in the Methodist Episcopal Church. O for faithful, holy preachers, and faithful, holy class-lead- ers! Then we shall have faithful, holy members. May the time never come when class-meetings shall be laid aside in the Methodist Episcopal Church, or when these class-meetings, or an attendance on them, shall cease to be a test of membership among us. I beg and beseech class-leaders to be punctual in at- tending their classes, and if any of their members stay away from any cause, hunt them up, find out the cause of their absence, pray with them and urge them to the all-important duty of regularly attending class- meeting. Much, very much, depends on faithful and religious class-leaders; and how will the unfaithful class-leader stand in the judgment of the great day, when by his neglect many of his members will have backslidden, and will be finally lost ? PETER CARTWRIGHT. 621 CHAPTER XXXIY. CONCLUSION. In 1803, or fifty-three years since, next fall, I started to travel and preach the Gospel, being employed by a presiding elder, in my eighteenth year. I traveled five years as a single man. I then married, and have traveled forty-eight years as a married man. My wife has had nine children ; seven daughters and two sons. We raised eight of those children ; lost one lovely little daughter in her minority, but have lived to see all the rest married, though one has died since she married, but died in peace. We have now living thirty-eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchil- dren. All our children are in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and, we hope, are trying to be religious ; sev- eral of our grandchildren are also in the Church, and trying to serve God and get to heaven. Forty-eight years ago, I was appointed presiding elder by Bishop Asbury ; and, with the exception of a few years, have been presiding elder up to this time, and am perhaps the oldest presiding elder in all the Western country. I have seen fifty-three sessions of annual conferences, and never missed but one. I have been elected to eleven General Conferences, from 1816 to 1856. When I started as a traveling preacher, a single preacher was allowed to receive eighty dollars per annum, if his circuit would give it to him ; but single preachers in those days seldom received over thirty or forty dollars, and often much less ; and had it not 522 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF "been for a few presents made us bj the benevolent Iriends of the Church, and a few dollars we made as marriage fees, we must have suffered much more than we did. But the Lord provided ; and, strange as it may appear to the present generation, we got along without starving, or going naked. I wish here to give a statement of my success, and loss and gain, as a Methodist traveling preacher, for fifty-three years, though I know it will be imperfect ; but it shall be as perfect as my old musty and rusty account scraps will permit. And in the first place, I have lacked, in the fifty-three years, of my disciplin- ary allowance, about $5,000 ; loss in horses to travel with, §1,000 ; loss in the sale of religious books, $200: loss in money, of which I was robbed, $150 ; loss in clothing stolen from me, $50. Total loss, $6,400. I sold about $10,000 worth of books : my per cent age on these books would net me about $1,000 ; made in marriage fees, $500 ; presents in money, clothing, horses, etc., $500. Total, $2,000. Given by me for the erection of churches and par- sonages, $500 ; given to Missionary Society, Bible Society, Sunday-school Union, and other benevolent societies, $800 ; given to universities, colleges, etc., for education, $700 ; given to superannuated preach- ers, their widows and orphans, and other necessitous cases, $300 ; given unfortunate persons, burned out, $500. Total, $2,300. I have traveled eleven circuits, and twelve districts; have received into the Methodist Episcopal Church, on probation and by letter, 10,000 ; have baptized, of children, 8,000 ; of adults, 4,000. I have preached the funerals of 500, and now, after all I have done or can do, and although I know well what a Methodist preachei's suffering life is, and have known what it PETER CARTWKIGHT. 523 is to suiFer hunger and poverty, and also what it is, in some small sense, to abound, I feel that I have been a very unprofitable servant. For fifty-three years, whenever appointed to a cir- cuit or district, I formed a plan, and named every place where and when I preached ; and also the text of Scripture from which I preached ; the number of conversions, of baptisms, and the number that joined the Church. From these old plans, though there are some imperfections, yet I can come very near stating the number of times that I have tried to preach. For twenty years of my early ministry, I often preached twice a day, and sometimes three times. We seldom ever had, in those days, more than one rest day in a week ; so that I feel very safe in saying that I preached four hundred times a year. This would make, in twenty years, eight thousand sermons. For the last thirty-three years, I think I am safe in saying I have averaged four sermons a week, or at least two hun- dred sermons a year, making, in thirty-three years, 6,600. Total, 14,600. I was converted on a camp-ground, elsewhere de- scribed in this narrative ; and for many years of my early ministry, after I was appointed presiding elder, lived in the tented grove from two to three months in the year. I am sorry to say that the Methodist Episcopal Church of late years, since they have become numerous and wealthy, have almost let camp-meetings die out. I am very certain that the most successful part of my ministry has been on camp-ground. There the word of God has reached the hearts of thousands that otherwise, in all probability, never would have been reached by the ordinary means of grace. Their prac- ticability and usefulness have, to some extent, been 524 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF tested this year, 1856, in my district, Pleasant Plains^ and I greatly desire to see a revival of camp-meetings in the Methodist Episcopal Chnrch before I go hence and am no more, or before I leave the walls of Zion. Come, my Methodist brethren, you can well aiford to spend one week in each year, in each circuit, or station, on the tented field. But there must be a general rally ; it will be but a small burden if there is a general turn out, but if a few only tent, it will be burdensome, and will finally destroy camp-meetings altogether. May the day be eternally distant, when camp- meetings, class-meetings, prayer-meetings and love- feasts shall be laid aside in the Methodist Episcopal Church. And now I must draw this imperfect history of my life to a close. I am in the seventy-second year of my natural life. I have lived to see this vast West- ern wilderness rise and improve, and become wealthy without a parallel in the history of the world ; I have outlived every member of my father's family; I have no father, no mother, no brother, no sister living; I have outlived every member of the class I joined in 1800; I have outlived every member of the Western Confer- ence in 1804, save one or two ; I have outlived every member of the first General Conference that I was elected to, in Baltimore, in 1816, save five or six ; I have outlived all my early bishops ; I have outlived every presiding elder that I ever had when on circuits; and I have outlived hundreds and thousands of my co- temporary ministers and members, as well as juniors, and still linger on the mortal shores. Though all these have died, they shall live again, and by the gi'ace of God I shall live with them in heaven forever. Why I live, God onlj knows. I certainly have toiled PETER CARTWRIGHT. 525 and snfiered enougli to kill a tlioiisand men, but I do not complain. Thank God for liealth, strength, and grace, that have borne me np, and borne me on ; thank God that during my long and exposed life as a Methodist preacher, I have never been overtaken with any scandalous sin, though my shortcomings and imperfections have been without number. And now, I ask of all who may read this imperfect sketch of my eventful life, while I linger on these mortal shores, to pray for me, that my sun may set without a cloud, and that I may be counted worthy to obtain a part in the first resurrection, and may, O may I meet you all in heaven ! Farewell, till W8 meet at the judgment ! THB END. SUNDAY-SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS, 200 Mulberry-street, New-York. Ralph and Robbie. gi ^'dk of (Bnxb f ictg. BY THE AUTHOR OF "ROLAND RAND." 18mo., pp. 135. Four niustrations. (Y. L., 606.) Price, $0 21. This is a capital story well told, and I will be read with pleasure by all teaching many valuable lessons. It 1 the children. Addie Oakland; ^r, C^ariljJ i^Qt ^xm gloab to f appntess. 18mo., pp. 136. Six Illustrations. (Y. L., 607.) Price, $0 22. This is the story of a lovely girl I happiness in making others happy, whose heart was filled with the Every little miss in the land should spirit of love, and who found her I own it. Faithful Nicolette; #r, tljt Jrcnclj 'gmst, 18mo., pp. 179. Six Illustrations. (Y. L., 628.) Price, $0 25. This is a charmingly written little book, translated from the German by Mrs. Myers. It illustrates the fidelity of a servant, the cheerful submission of two lovely children to great trials, and the providence of God in earing for those who trust in him . We shall be disappointed if the name of Good Nicolette does not become a household word in thou- sands of families. The volume has several very superior engravings. The Itinerant; BY MRS. C. M. EDWARDS. 18mo., pp. 299. Six Illustrations. (Y. L., 626.) Price, SO 32. "This," says the Sunday School Ad- vocate, "is a charming volume. I know you will like it, for it teaches many beautiful lessons of piety and wisdom, and relates many touching facts in a manner that will please amazingly. It will also move you to tears. If it does not, your hearts are harder than mine. I should be almost afraid of that boy or girl who could read it without shedding tears over its pages." SUNDAY-SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS, 200 Mulberry-street, New-York. The Prompter; 18mo., pp. 288. Twelve IHustrations. (Y. L., 631.) Price, $0 28. This volume is made up of short I jileasure and profit in its pages. It stories, anecdotes, pretty poems, deserves a place in every Sunday- etc. No child will fail to find both j school library. A Book for Boys. 18mo., pp. 272. Nine Ulustrations. (Y. L., 632.) Price, $0 30. This volume contains several sto- ries of boys who raised themselves to eminence by force of industry and good character. It is a very interesting volume. The boys will read it with a relish. Ellen and Sarah; #r, ih Samplers anb ol^er ^toms. 18mo., pp. 204. Eight Illustrations. (Y. L., 629.) Price, $0 26. This volume contains three well- j niskerry " is especially fine. I< written stories of good and bad will be very popular with the cbil- children. The " Fisher-Boy of In- | dren. Sunday-School Facts: Comprising Inxibtuts illustrative of tl^e ^alu« m)i Importance of t^e ^unbag-^djool Institution. In Four Parte. BY REV. J. T. BARR. 18mo., pp. 205. (Y. L., 633.) Price, $0 25. The thrilling facts in this volume will delight and profit the children, and they will also furnish the teacher and the preacher with ex- cellent materials for illustrating Sunday-school addresses. No Sun day-school library will be complete without it. l'Je31