LIFE AND TIMES
OF
WILLIAM M'KENDREE,
BISHOP OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
BY  ROBERT  PAINE,'D.D.,
BISHOP OF THE MIETHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH.
I N TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
NasjbtIrc, tenn.:
PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH.
1874.




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by
ROBERT  PAINE,
in the District Court of the United States for the Middle District of Tennessee.
STEREOTYPED AT THE SOUTHERN METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSF,
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.




TO THE
METHIODISTS IN AMERICA,
I  s UEDICATED BY
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY
zote aitt~rt.








INTRODUCTION.
THE General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, at its session in Columbus, Georgia, May,
1854, requested Bishop Paine to write the biography of
Bishop McKendree.  The Conference was happy in its
selection of a biographer of the venerable Bishop. Dr.
Paine was for many years intimately associated with Bishop
McKendree: he traveled thousands of miles with him;
frequently heard him preach; assisted him in the preparation of his addresses to the General and Annual Conferences, and other important papers; he was familiar with all
his views of the constitution and polity of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and gave them his cordial indorsement;
he was, though comparatively young, the particular, confidential friend of the Bishop, and entertained for him the
most devoted affection and veneration; and he still cherishes for his memory, as a son in the gospel, the most profound regard. He was thus eminently qualified to write
his, biography.
Bishop Paine was a member of every General Conference from 1824 to 1844, at which session the Church was
provisionally divided.  He was consequently acquainted
(5)




6                  INTRODUCTION.
with the leading men of the Church who were associated
with Bishop McKendree, and whose characters are appropriately and impartially sketched in these volumes. In
this work, indeed, will be found a history of the Methodist
Episcopal Church down to the time of the death of Bishop
McKendree, as he was identified with its principal movements from the beginning.
Bishop Paine has wisely allowed Bishop McKendree to
be, to a very great extent, his own biographer —having
made great use of his Diary, Journals, and other MSS.
These extracts exhibit the devotion and zeal of Bishop
McKendmee and his associates-the work is thus of immense
value to their successors in the ministry, who, it is hoped,
by its perusal, will be stimulated to reproduce the selfsacrificing spirit and labors of those holy men.
Tnos. O. SUMMERS.
Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 1, 1869.




PREFACE.
BIsorP MCKENDREE was the first native American
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He served it
long, faithfully, and efficiently. His ministerial life began
with the early history of the Church, extended through the
period of its greatest trials, and closed after its perfect
development as a great ecclesiastical organization.  The
time when he ceased "at once to work and live," was
marked by unusual prosperity and peace in our Communion. While Bishop Asbury was preeminent in founding and spreading Methodism  in America, to Bishop
McKendree may be justly awarded the distinction of carrying forward the work, and securing its permanency and
success by his remarkable legislative and administrative
abilities. He combined in a high degree the prescience and
strong common sense required in a legislator, and evinced
also the highest ecclesiastical statesmanship in his administrative acts; and then his unshrinking submission to all the
sacrifices and labors which the system of government exacted of him, and his profound and uniform piety, gave
great moral force to the cause which he adorned and beautified by his life and labors. He loved the Church-the
whole Church. He lived and labored for it, and for nothing else; and his name and character is the common heritage of Methodism, especially of American Methodism.
It is from this stand-point the author has attempted to
(7)




8                     PREFACE.
write his "Life and Times." He was painfully aware of
the difficulties of his task, and as he has not been able fully
to satisfy himself, he cannot hope to satisfy all others. He
has, however, endeavored honestly and impartially to do
his duty to all concerned. He trusts that this attempt to
perpetuate the memory and the influence of a great and
good man, and of his co-laborers, may contribute to a more
perfect history of our fathers, and promote zeal and primitive Methodistic devotion in the ministry and membership
of the Church.
Bishop McKendree has been dead thirty-four years. His
biography ought to have been published long since. At his
death he bequeathed "all his papers of every description to
Bishop Soule, to be used at his discretion, under the advice
of the Rev. T. L. Douglass;" but neither of them wrote a
line as his biographer.
At the General Conference. of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, in 1854, Bishop Soule called attention to
this subject, and stated that, owing to his afflictions and the
want of leisure, he had not been able to write the biography of his venerated and departed friend, and despaired
of ever being able to do so; and thinking it ought to be
done, he desired to turn over the task to another. At the
concurrent request of the Bishop and the General Conference,
the writer reluctantly consented to undertake the work.
Nearly the whole of the first volume was ready for the
press in 1859, but its publication has been delayed by
various circumstances to the present time. The second
volume is in press, and will soon be published-thus concluding the "Life and Times of William McKendree."
The work is sent forth with an earnest wish that it may
contribute to the glory of God and the cause of pure
religion.
Aberdeen, Miss., July 28, 1869.




CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Birth - Parentage - Occupation - Residence - Character of
the family: their circumstances-Father-Mother-Their
children -William - Lucinda - Dorotha - Frances: her
marriage by Bishop Asbury: character and death-John
-Thomas-James-Nancy D.: like the Bishop-Family
love................................................. 17
CHAPTER II.
McKendree becomes a soldier and an officer in the army of
the Revolution-At Yorktown-Early life-EducationIntellectual character-His early moral and religious character-The Church and clergy —His account of himselfJoins the Methodists-Is discouraged, and retires-Convictions renewed under John Easter-Conversion-Temptation-Revival under Easter-Opposition. to it-Easter's
manner-Success-Other eminently useful preachers of
that day: Garrettson, Ellis, Watters, Hull, Cooper, Moore,
Richard Whatcoat, Jesse Lee, Philip Bruce.............,....   25
(9)




10                      CO0TENTS.
CHAPTER III.
Letter from W. McKendree to Bishop Asbury, in 1803 —His
conversion-Entrance on the ministry —Joins the Virginia
Conference-Misled by Mr. O'Kelly —Returns to the work 43
CHAPTER IV.
Mr. McKendree joins the Virginia Conference, 1787-Appointed to Mecklenburg Circuit-Burchett, Massie, Valentine Cook, and John McGee admitted the same timeNumbers in Society-Conference of 1789-Cumberland
Circuit-Conference of 1790-Ordained deacon-The Council a failure-Appointed to Portsmouth Circuit-Rev. D.
Jarratt-Extracts from Diary........................... 67
CHAPTER V.
Extracts from his Diary-Preaches two hours-Vessels in a
gale-Feels like a wanderer-Conversions-Preaches in
the open air-In Portsmouth and Norfolk —Bands —Very
busy —Children's class-Duty to baptized children —Selfdedication-Emancipation-Is changed to another circuit
-" Power"-Good-breeding-New circuit —His course of
life................................   90
CHAPTER VI.
McKendree's Diary-Fasting-Reproof —Mr. O'Kelly attacks
the Council —His course-Itinerancy-Tobacco-Prepara



CONTENTS.                      11
tion for preaching- Selecting and changing texts-Different kinds of style-The kind for the pulpit-O'Kelly's
Convention-The regular Council-Mr. Asbury gives it
up-McKendree visits his father-Meets Bishop Asbury
— Is delighted-Mr. Wesley's death-Dr. Coke goes to
England-MocKendree ordained elder Dec. 25, 1791........ 109
CHAPTER VII.McKendree appointed to Greenville Circuit in 1791-General Conference, 1792-O'Kelly withdraws and dies-McKendree declines the work, but soon resumes it-Asbury
appoints him to Norfolk-Conference in Petersburg in 1773
-TraveIs three months with Asbury-Union CircuitPhilip Bruce, Presiding Elder-Tobias Gibson, his colleague-Conference in 1794 at Mabry's-John Kobler —
Conference, 1795-Is made Presiding Elder-Continued
three years-1798 he presides in the bounds of Baltimore
Conference-In 1800 Bishop Asbury takes him to the West
— Large District-Difficulties-Labors-Usefulness-1801
travels through the wilderness with Asbury-In 1804,
General Conference-Jerks-Dancing-Shaking Quakers
-Seceders from  Presbyterian Church — Marshallites -
Stoneites-McKendree chief conservator of Methodism
in the West....................................s........   135
CHAPTER VIII.
McKendree presides at the Western Conference, 1804Bishop Whateoat's death, 1806-McKendree in Illinois
and Missouri —Review of the work in the West-Delegated




12                      CONTENTS.
General Conference needed-A Bishop wanted-New York
plan to elect one-Defeated by Virginia Conference-General Conference, 1808-McKendree made Bishop-His
qualifications-Dr. Coke's letter.............................. 169
CHAPTER IX.
1808 an era in Methodism-Bishop McKendree's first tour
and first Conference at Liberty Hill-Action on slaveryThe South Carolina Conference-First missions to slavesTwo Virginia Conferences-Philadelphia and New York
Conferences-Steam-boat excitement —New England Conference - Camp-meetings at Pike Run, Zanesville, and
Collins's Camp-grounds -Western Conference at Cincinnati, September 30, 1809-Extracts from  his JournalMethodists taxed for the benefit of Congregationalists in
Connecticut-His presidency-Dr. Coke-His overture to
Bishop White in 1791 explained and vindicated-His proposal to divide the work with Bishop Asbury-His death
and character..........................................   205
CHAPTER X.
Bishops MeKendree and Asbury go from  Cincinnati to
South Carolina Conference-Thence to Virginia Conference
— To Baltimore-Easton, Pennsylvania-New York-New
England — Genesee Conference- Camp-meeting Conferences-Through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee-Bishops Asbury and McKendree go on horseback to South CarolinaWinter tour-Letter from Bishop Morris-Method-Mrs.




CONTENTS.                      13
Mabry's letter-Attends various Conferences-Letter to
Bishop Asbury about stationing the preachers-General
Conference of 1812-Presiding-elder question-No Bishop
elected-Earthquake —War-Letters......................... 247
CHAPTER XI.
Difficulties and comforts —New York Conference-New England Conference changed on account of war-Tendency
of selling pews-Genesee Conference —Ohio — Steubenville-Tennessee Conference-Cannot attend Louisiana,
Conference-T. L. Douglass-Bishops Asbury and McKendree on slavery-Blackman's position on the subjectHe goes as chaplain to volunteers at the call of General
Jackson-Wm. Burke's letter- South Carolina and Virginia Conferences-" Official decisions "-Buxton - New
York Conference-Bishop Asbury's opinion of Bishop
McKendree's sermon'-Joshua Marsden in United States
-He applies for employment-Resigns it-Why?-Bishop
Asbury's condition-His Will —Why he expected to live
long-Painful round of Conferences in 1814-Bishop McKendree's fall —Wounding hip and ribs-Tennessee Conference held at camp-meeting in Logan county, Kentucky
-Neither of the Bishops can be at the Mississippi Conference-Genesee Conference-Tornado-Gets to Cincinnati-South Carolina-Virginia-Maryland-Pennsylvania
-Asbury preaches-Found Dr. Coke at Albany, New
York-Ohio Conference at Mechanicsburg —"Long, earnest talk "-Bishop Asbury crosses Alleghany sixty-two
times-Both Bishops attend the Tennessee ConferenceSeparated never to meet again on earth-McKendree at
South Carolina Conference-Asbury within thirty miles-.




14                      CONTENTS.
Very feeble-Hammet's people return-Virginia Conference at Raleigh-Bishop McKendree's father dies-Balti;imore Conference-Bishop Asbury absent, and preaches his
last sermon in Richmond, Virginia-His death-Bond's
letters inclosing Asbury's views and last letter to McKendree —His person and character................................ 283
CHAPTER XII.
Bishop Asbury's Valedictory-His Birth —Death-BurialRemains removed to Baltimore.............................  310
CHAPTER XIII.
General Conference of 1816-Bishop McKendree's addressGeorge and Roberts elected Bishops-Sketches of themBishop McKendree's Journal-The work divided-New
York and Kentucky Conferences-Bishop McKendree organizes the Missouri Conference-McKendree and George
at South Carolina Conference —Changes made by General Conference-From  Middlebury to Tennessee-Norton rejoins him-To Mississippi Conference on horseback
— McMahon and wife with him-Mississippi Conference at
Midway, 1817-To South Carolina Conference-Griffin
with him —Difficulties of trav-eling-Crossing the Chattahooche-General Gaines-Indian murders-In SpartaMyers-Conference in Augusta, Georgia-Roberts arrives
-They go to Virginia Conference in Norfolk-Dr. Phoebus
-Travels alone, and leads a pack-horse-In Tennessee.-Visits South-west extensively —Ohio Conference of 1818
— Missouri-Troubles: at Tennessee Conference-Writer's




CONTENTS.                        15
first acquaintance with him-Starts to Mississippi Conference withi Seaton and Edge-The shock-Very much affected - Mississippi Conference — Back to TennesseeBishop Roberts's letters —Notes on preachers' qualifications-Dr.: Emory-Letters between them —Their subsequent intercourse..........................................., 346
CHAPTER XIV.
General Conference of 1820-Address of Bishop McKendree-Authorized to travel at his discretion —A Bishop to
be elected-J. Soule elected-Presiding-elder questionPositions of the Bishops-" Compromise"  or "peace
measure" —Soule desires leave to decline-McKendree's
statement-Facts-Powers of General and Annual Conferences and Bishops-Soule's letter-Bishops confer-Prepare to ordain Soule —The resolutions suspended —Bishop
McKendree's appeal to the Annual Conferences-Precedent for it-Soule declines-His reasons-The other- Bishops to do the work next four years-Bishop McKendree
troubled, but resolves to do what he can —Gets to Tennessee Conference............................................... 396
CHAPTER XV.
Bishop McKendree's appeal to the Annual Conferences as
to the suspended resolutions-The Southern and Western
Conferences consent-Five others reject it-It fails-By
whom, and why-Wesleyan Repository-Mutual RightsMethodist Protestant Church-Journal resumed-Henry




16                        CONTENTS.
Smith's narrative-Visits extensively - Preaches at campmeeting-He goes South-South Carolina ConferenceJ. Soule's letters —Dr. Capers's letter-His character and
influence-His second letter-The era of missions-Cherokee and Choctaw-Missions to slaves-Bible and Sundayschool Societies.......,........................................ 443




LIFE AND TIMERS
OF
BISHOP M'KENDREE.
CHAPTER I.
Birth - Parentage - Occupation -Residence - Character of the
family: their circumstances-Father —Mother-Their children
-William - Lucinda - Dorotha - Frances: her marriage by
Bishop Asbury: character and death-John-Thomas-James
-Nancy D.: like the Bishop —Family love.
WILLIAM MCKENDREE was born in King William
county, Virginia, about forty miles north-east of
Richmond, July 6, 1757.  His parents, John and
Mary McKendree, were both natives of the same
State. His father was a planter, and William was
brought up in the same occupation. He was not
only taught the art of husbandry, but was also
trained in early life to habits of industry and frugality.
Our history of the McKendree family begins with
the birth of William, the eldest child, while residing in King William county; but before he was
VOL. I.                       (17)




18            LIFE AND TIMES OF
seven years of age, they removed to James City
county, about sixty miles south-east of Richmond,
and near Williamsburg, the well-known seat of
William  and Mary College.  A few years afterward, they again changed their place of residence,
and settled in Greenville county, upon Meherrin
River, and near the southern boundary of the State.
Here they remained for many years. Their pecuniary condition was not such as, in Virginia, would
be called wealthy; although, from incidental allusions found in the Bishop's Diary, as well as from
other reliable sources of information, they were
doubtless in comfortable and independent circumstances. They were a plain, industrious, and moral
family, without pretensions to fame or extraordinary talents; yet, even in the "Old Dominion,"
holding a reputable position for intelligence, integrity, and honorable estimation.
John McKendree, the father of the Bishop, seems
to have been in every respect a most worthy and
exemplary man. To make provision for the wants
of his large family, and to guide them by precept
and example to honor, usefulness, and piety, were
the great objects of his efforts. With strong domestic affections, and without any desire for notoriety, he led an humble, industrious, and religious
life. In 1810, he removed from Virginia to Sumner
county, Tennessee, in company with his son, Dr.
James MclKendree, his son-in-law, Mr. Charles
Harris, with their families, and his two unmarried
daughters. In October, 1815, this venerable and
excellent man gently breathed his last, leaving a




BISHOP M'KENDREE.             19
dying testimony to the truth and power of religion
corresponding with his exemplary life. He died
on his eighty-eighth birthday.  The patriarch was
buried near the residence of his son James, in Sumner county, Tennessee, in a retired and beautiful
rural locality, and beneath the wide-spread branches
of a cluster of venerable forest trees. It is said
that the Bishop was often heard to express a wish,
should he die near there, to be buried by the side
of his venerated father; and as he did die at the
very place, he was interred there, and his mortal
part still reposes in that consecrated spot.
Mary, the mother of Bishop McKendree, was a
great sufferer. About the year 1769, she became so
prostrated by severe affliction that she was ever afterward confined to her room, and generally to her
bed. Her health, however, gradually improved, so
that she was able to oversee her domestic affairs,
devolving upon her daughters the more active duties of the household. But, although an invalid,
and confined to her room for twenty years, her example of patience, her tact in planning and direct.
ing her domestic duties, and her kind and Christian
manners, were of inestimable value to her family.
Such sweetness of temper, so many sensible lessons
upon the proprieties of life, and such a consistent
exemplification of the purity and power of religion
as she exhibited throughout these long years of
affliction, made an ineffaceable impression upon
her children; and doubtless that impression was
stronger from the fact that these lovely traits
were seen in a fond and su.ffering mother. But this




20            LIFE: AND TIMES OF
deeply afflicted lady, having been mercifully spared
to train her young family for twenty years after she
became a hopeless invalid, was at last permitted to
rest from her sorrows, and to die in the triumphs
of Christian faith. Her death occurred in 1789.
The memory of his patient, tender, bed-ridden,
and yet resigned and happy mother, lingered in the
heart of her devoted son to his latest hour, and always associated with the name of mother all that
is pure and lovely in humanity sanctified by Christianity.
The children of this family were1. William, the subject of this biography.
2. Lucinda, who married Jesse Jordan, and died
in Virginia, about 1778, leaving an only child. This
child was a daughter, who upon the death of her
mother, was taken into her grandfather's family,
and treated as his own child.
3. Dorotha, married to Mr. Charles Harris, in
1797, and who with her husband followed the fortunes of the family to the West. She had four children, and died in Alabama, in her seventy-fourth
year.
4. Frances, born June 22, 1763; converted in
July, 1778; was married to the Rev. Nathanael
Moore,' October 12, 1815; and died near Columbia,
Tennessee, January 3, 1835. Bishops Asbury and
McKendree were both present at her marriage, having called to spend a few days with the family while
making a tour of the Western Conferences. The
following characteristic notice of the event is found
in Bishop Asbury's Journal, in October, 1815:




BISHOP M KENDREE.            21
"' Tuesday, 10. —At James McKendree's: Nathanael Moore has come to take away our Sister Frances
McKendree. All parties are pleased..... On
Thursday, I officiated at the marriage of Nathanael
Moore and Frances McKendree.  We believe it is
of the Lord. They are a worthy couple, and nearly
of an age."
The marriage-license of these persons is found
among Bishop McKendree's papers, signed by David Shelby, Clerk, and certified by Bishop Asbury,
as solemnized by him, October 12, 1815.
Bishop McKendree exceeded all men I have ever
known for keeping all papers that fell into his hands.
Why this was not filed in the clerk's office, I cannot conjecture. Perhaps it was forgotten.
From a personal acquaintance with this estimable and pious lady, the writer formed the opinion
that, as to intellect and sensibilities, she very much
resembled her brother, the Bishop. A week spent
at her house, in 1824, in company with Bishop
McKendree, afforded the opportunity of witnessing
her piety and patience under affliction, as well as
her attachment to her almost idolized brother.
And from an extended obituary notice of her, prepared by the Rev. Thomas Logan Douglass, and
inserted in the Methodist Magazine for 1826, this
history of the McKendree family has been principally derived. The materials of this history are
understood to have been furnished by the Bishop
himself.
Her death was a remarkably calm and happy one.
Her beloved and honored brother was permitted to




22            LIFt AND TIMES OF
be with her for many days during her long and
painful decline, and was with her at her death.
And who that has ever heard his soft and sweetly
musical voice at the bed of a dying Christian, but
can appreciate the privilege of having such a counselor at such a'crisis? Nor is it-strange that so
conscientious and devoted a Christian, consoled
and instructed by one so dear to her, and so eminently capable of soothing and strengthening her,
should have been found composed and triumphant
when the solemn hour of her exit arrived. Such
was her end. She had no child.
5. John was the fifth child.  He removed to
South Carolina, and died in the city of Charleston,
November 28, 1817, aged fifty-three years.  His
wife preceded him to the grave about six months.
They left four children —Thomas, William, John
Dudley, and Lemuel Joseph.
6. Thomas: he also went to South Carolina, and
died in that State, October, 1817, on Cooper River.
He left two children, John James and Caroline.
7. James, the seventh child, married in 1792,
always lived in the vicinity of his parents, and
brought up a large and respectable family.  His
house was the Bishop's home, if he can be said to
have had a home, who spent his whole time as an
itinerant. At his house their father died; there the
Bishop closed his eventful and useful life; and
there, in a few years afterward, James and Frances
were interred by his side, to await " the resurrection of the just."
8. The eighth and last child was Nancy ID. In




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            23
many respects she greatly resembled her eldest
brother. In mind, heart, and manners, she, seemed
to be his counterpart. Like a ministering angel,
she devoted herself to the welfare of others. She
watched over and soothed her father during the
long period of his decrepit old age, attended her
sister Frances in her protracted sufferings, and was
the constant and favorite nurse of the Bishop in his
last years, and particularly in his final illness. Indeed, her father, Frances, and William, literally died
in her arms.
The Bishop may not have been aware of the fact,
but she was evidently his favorite. He had too
much sense and too large a heart to exclude any
one of those who held the same relation to him from
his warm and fraternal love; but could he help
loving Nancy more than the rest?  She loved him
as only a pure-hearted, orphan sister can love a
noble and fond brother. Toward the latter part
of their lives, they had little else of earthly objects
to love. There was a sameness of condition-for,
like him, she never married-a congeniality of
taste, temperament, and mind, which strongly knit
them together. She sympathized with him in his
anxieties about the Church, as well as in his other
mental and bodily afflictions, entered with liveliest
interest into his feelings of entire consecration
to the one high and holy end of his life, and
doubtless felt, more than any one else could feel,
a sisterly pride in his position, his worth, and his
usefulness. They were, truly, kindred spirits.
Having lost all her nearest relations, she too




24            LIFE AND TIMES OF
passed away, in 1838, to reuinite, doubtless, with
her precious brother, and to join the " great multitude whom no man can number."  She was buried
at the head of the Bishop's grave. Pleasant in
life, in death they are not divided.
A peculiarity which marked the McKendree family, and displayed itself on many occasions, must
have been cherished while the children were all
around the domestic hearth.  The allusion is to
their very strong family love. In the course of this
biography, we shall find abundant evidence of the
strength of this principle in several members of this
amiable and pious family- especially in William,
Frances, and Nancy. And who can estimate the
importance of this principle?  Without it, society
loses one of its surest guaranties, and religion one
of its most potent class of motives.
It is- the great principle of moral gravitation,
binding society together, giving bliss and sanctity
to our homes, and preserving order and harmony
in the body politic. It cultivates the noblest instincts of our nature, opens new and pure fountains of enjoyment, restrains our impetuous and
dangerous passions, and, regulated by enlightened
and earnest piety, almost restores to earth again
the long-lost pleasures of paradise.




BIStIOP M KENDREE.                25
CHAPTER II.
McKendree becomes a soldier and an officer in the army of the
Revolution-AtYorktown-Early life-Education-Intellectual
character-His early moral and religious character-The
Church and clergy-His account of himself-Joins the Methodists- Is discouraged, and retires - Convictions renewed
under John Easter-Conversion Temptation-Revival under
Easter-Opposition to it-Easter's manner- Success-Other
eminently useful preachers of that day: Garrettson, Ellis, Watters, Hull, Cooper, Moore, Richard Whatcoat, Jesse Lee, Philip
Bruce.
MR. MCKENDREE was about twenty years old when
the memorable struggle of our, Revolution began;
and  although from  his extreme modesty he very
rarely alluded to the fact in the latter part of his
life, yet there can be no doubt that he took a decided part in that eventful and glorious war which
resulted in our independence.  Itumor had  connected his name with Bruce and other early Methodist preachers as having been engaged in the Revolutionary War on the side of his country, but until
his death called before the public the evidence of
the fact, the part he had -borne was generally unknown, except among his old acquaintances.  In
the Western Methodist of 1835, a long and wellwritten obituary of Bishop McKIendree appeared,
in which it was said of himn: "He was an adjutant
VOL. I.-2




26            LIFE AND TIMES OF
in the levies of his native State during the latter
part of the Revolutionary War, and was in the cornmmissary department, and showed his accustomed
energy of character in making impressments of
cattle and food to sustain the allied armies of Washington and Rochambeau at the siege of Cornwallis
at'Yorktown."  The Rev. Henry Smith, in his
"Recollections of an Old Itinerant,"  p. 59, says of
the Bishop: "He had been in the Revolutionary
War, and was at the battle of Yorktown when Cornwallis was taken. In 1820, I passed with him over
the ground, and he showed me where his camp was."
And the same author, in a letter to the writer, dated
Baltimore county, Maryland, Feb. 6, 1855, says uponthis point: "From  what Bishop McKendree told
me, he belonged to a company of volunteers raised,
I presume, in his own immediate neighborhood.
They were present at the siege of Yorktown: he
pointed out to me the place where they were enca-mped when, in October, 1820, I traveled with him
over the ground. He spoke-of exercising their
horses when they expected to be called into
action, etc." The fact is also stated in the sketch
of Bishop MeKendree given by Dr. MeClintock,
p. 69, and also the "Life of McdKendree," written
by Benjamin St. James Fry, p. 14, who says: "When
the war of the Revolution was commenced, and the
call went forth for volunteers, as might readily be
expected, he was found among those who took up
arms in the cause of liberty. The extent of his service in the army is not known, but it is certain that
he attained to the rank of adjutant, and was for a




BISIHOP M KENDREE.           27
time at least connected with the commissary department."  He continued with the army for some
years; indeed, the war virtually closed with the
surrender of Lord Cornwallis on Oct. 19, 1781, although a general peace was not proclaimed until
April 19, 1783.
The writer was for many years as familiar with
Bishop McKendree as any one could be who was so
much his junior. He was his traveling companion
and amanuensis for several months at a time; passed
with him by short stages through Tennessee, North
Carolina, and Virginia, over several battle-fields of
the Revolution; visiting the vicinity of Mount Vernon; talking with him occasionally about his recollections of Washington, and the war of independ-.
ence; sitting with him in Washington's family pew,
which had the initials of his name still upon its
door; but in all these long and solitary rides, and
these familiar conversations upon kindred topics,
he never heard him allude to his own services in
the Revolution. Perhaps he was afraid of appearing vain of his reputation as an officer in the noble
struggle for national independence, and wished to
set an example of modesty and humility. In him
the soldier of civil liberty was merged in the nobler
character of a true and valiant soldier of the cross.
Having done his duty to his country in the capacity
of a patriot soldier, he was contented, and never
boasted of his feats, nor sought a pension for his services. Worldly honors and riches were far- below
his aim.
Bishop McKendree's early life seems not to have




28            LIFE AND TIMES OF'
been distinguished by any very remarkable incidents. He grew to manhood at a period in our colonial history unfavorable to mental culture. There
were very few schools then in Virginia competent
to give a good English education, while only three
or four colleges had been founded in America, and
only one in his native State.
His education, therefore, was such as the country
schools afforded-perhaps neither better nor worse
than was usual with those who, like himself, belonged to the middle class of society. That he was
not a classical scholar, nor, when he entered the
ministry, a good English scholar, we have no wish
to conceal; but he had a fair rudimentary education
-had taught school-had a quick apprehension, a
sound and discriminating mind, and such a refined
taste as gave great accuracy to his selection and use
of words. Combined with these qualities was his
ardent desire for knowledge, and his tenacity of
purpose in the pursuit of it; -and then, after he had
taken upon himself the vows of the ministry, he
drew " all his cares and studies this way "-being
"diligent in prayers, and in reading of the Holy
Scriptures, and in such studies as help to the knowledge of the same, laying aside the study of the
world and the flesh."  This concentration of mind
and heart upon the work of his vocation soon began
to develop his intellectual power.
Nor must we leave out of the account that element of all true greatness,, known as common sense,
which he possessed in an eminent degree; destitute
of which, whatever other qualifications he might




BISHOP M'KENDREE.             29
have had, he could not have wielded the influence
that he exerted as a preacher and a bishop. This
quality of mind is displayed in the calm and just
exercise of the reasoning powers, in the skillful
adaptation of means to an end, and in the prudent
use of such means. It implies a ready apprehension
of the characters of men, and of the motives that
actuate them.  Its possessors usually exhibit selfreliance and firmness, and are distinguished for
sound practical views.  Call this shrewdness, good
judgment, common sense, or whatever else, it is an
all-important qualification for success in every department of life; and in none is it more requisite
than in a Christian minister, and especially in a
bishop. Without it, the most splendid talents in a
preacher are frequently useless, and sometimes worse
than useless-they but give notoriety to his errors,
and thus elevate him to render his fall the more obvious. The history of many a brilliant mind furnishes a striking illustration of the truth of these
remarks.  The comets which blaze athwart our
field of vision, attracting for awhile every eye, and
causing the beautiful constellations to pale before
their gorgeous splendors, soon retire into obscurity,
and leave our planet to its former nightly gloom;
and then the lately obscured and forgotten stars resume their office, lighting up the dome of the Creator's sublime temple of the natural universe with
the sheen of their thousand lamps. Give me the
less brilliant but constant stars in preference to the
more glaring meteor and the fiery comet.
Few men have been more distinguished for sound




30            LIFE AND TIMES OF
and unsophisticated judgment than Bishop McKendree. The want of early advantages threw him
upon his own resources, induced self-reliance, and
a manly independence in the investigation of truth,
and in the expression of his convictions.
Of his school-boy days we have no minute account. We only know the boy by the man. We
confess we have heard him quoted as an instance
of those who develop slowly the faculties which
eventually distinguish them as preachers and logicians, but whose early pulpit-efforts discourage the
hopes of their friends.
Doubtless there have been many examples of this
kind; nor do we makze any claim to precocious
smartness on behalf of Bishop McKendree. It may
possibly be true that some of his friends were disappointed by his early performances; yet, if his
powers developed slowly at first, it is certain that
the rich, ripe fruit at last appeared in abundance,
and continued to mature beyond the ordinary term
of human life-presenting a result which heightens
our respect for the dignity of our common nature,
and the character of our holy religion. But we are
constrained to say that we do not believe his early
life, and especially his early ministry, evinced a
want of mental quickness: It is a legend which
may have comforted many a lazy and unpopular
young preacher, but, so far as can now be known,
is without foundation. The evidence is to the contrary. That he was modest, timid, and exceedingly
sensitive, and that his taste was in advance of his
capacity to execute, insomuch that his hesitation in




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            31
selecting words seemed sometimes almost stammering, we have no doubt; but that he was a dull boy,
or an unpromising young preacher, we resolutely
deny. Those only could think so who did not know
him, or were incompetent to judge him.
The God of nature gave him not only a quick
and logical mind, strong common sense, and an insatiable thirst for all useful knowledge, but so much
of the imaginative faculty as enabled him to array
the vivid conceptions of his mind in striking and
appropriate topics; and yet these powers were so
balanced by a keen sense of the ridiculous and the
sophistical, and so regulated by his love of order,
by an instinctive perception of propriety, and by
an enlightened conscience, that in his mature years
he presented as fine a specimen of a gentleman, a
Christian, and a bishop as this or any other country
has ever produced. Such a character is the product
of native talent, mental culture, and divine grace.
If either be deficient, the pattern is spoiled. We
would not disparage the ministry. On the contrary, we regard the Protestant ministry as the most
unselfish, pure-minded, and useful class of society.
The world could poorly afford to do without them;
and yet, that there are so few among them whose
whole lives exhibit an elevated and commanding apprehension of the nature and ends of their vocation,
is matter of humiliation; but that there are some
who evince such a beautiful coincidence between
profession and practice, and such ability and perseverance in the discharge of duty, calls for gratitude.
Our divine Master raises up some such in every




32            LIFE AND TIMES OF
age, as if to show of what our poor humanity is
capable under the influence of his gospel.
His own account of himself, as well as the statements of others, agree in representing him to have
been virtuous and comparatively moral. His parents were members of the Church of Englandmoral in their deportment, and regular in their attendance upon the ordinances. Of course, the family was brought up under the religious instructions
of that Church, which was then the prevailing religion of the Southern colonies. The standard of
Christian morals was, however, very low at that
day; for when the clergy were given to ease, attending horse-races, balls, wine-parties, and indulging
in dancing and card-playing, it might be expected
that the religious training of the youth of the
Church would be sadly defective. By common
consent, it has been called an era of spiritual darkness, both in Europe and America. The Church,
notwithstanding her doctrinal orthodoxy, and her
boasted beautiful formulas, was laboring under a
moral paralysis. In vain did a few of her gifted
and truly pious ministers strive to resuscitate her.
Whitefield, the Wesleys, and their coadjutors, with
almost superhuman eloquence and power, essayedc
to arouse and reinimate her; and although they
accomplished much good, and laid the foundation
for a great reformation, yet, as a Church, she either
coldly frowned upon these, her best friends and
truest sons, or openly denounced and persecuted
them. Her doors were everywhere shut against
them. Her clergy cheered on the rabble, who,




BISHOP M'KENDREE.             33
finding their vices denounced and their consciences
alarmed by the plain and fervid appeals of these
holy men, were ever ready to resort to the most violent means for the purpose of silencing them. Their
solemn protestations against their alleged defection
toward the Church, and their oft-repeated assertions
of love to it, and of their seeking its reformation in
spiritual matters alone, were disregarded.  Those
in authority denied the necessity of a revival, and
contemptuously spurned both them and their services, and in the same breath with which they
sought to degrade these heroic men of God, they
justified the fashionable follies and prevailing vices
of the times.  Thus the distinction between the
Church of Christ and the world was either utterly
obliterated, or was seen only in the external observance or non-observance of the ceremonies and sacraments. In morals, the line of division was invisible. Yet, even under such unfavorable circumstances, young McKendree was restrained from
gross immoralities, and preserved a character for
virtue and morality.
The following is his own account of this period
of his life: " I do not recollect to have sworn more
than one profane oath in my life, yet, as far back as
memory serves, I am conscious of the prevalence
of evil passions-of a heart disposed to wickedness
-so that, notwithstanding the restraints by which
I was kept within the bounds of a respectable morality, my heart was far from being right with God.
It was'deceitful, and desperately wicked.'  Of
this deplorable state of things I became exquisitely
2o




84            LIFE AND TIMES OF
sensible by reading the Holy Scriptures in school,
when I was a small boy.  For want of proper instruction, my apprehension of God the Redeemer,
and of the Holy Scriptures, was very superficial.
I literally'understood as a child,' and with the
simplicity of a child I yielded to the dictates of
conscience, refrained from what appeared to be
wrong, and, as a child, endeavored to imitate those
holy men of God, as set forth in the Scriptures."
Bishop Soule, from whose sermon on the death.
of Bishop McKendree, delivered before the General
Conference in 1836, we quote, adds: "H lad these
impressions been cherished by pious instructors,
and by parents, who had the power as well as the
form of godliness, there can be little doubt that this
pious youth, like young Timothy, would'from a
child' have'known the Holy Scriptures,' in such
a manner as to have become I wise unto salvation,
through faith which is in Christ Jesus,' and thereby
prepared the way for his entering upon the arduous
duties of the ministry at a much earlier period than
he did; but for want of such helps, and in consequence of opposition and discouragement from
those who should have taught him  the way of
righteousness, and aided him to walk therein, at this
tender age, his impressions were weakened, conscience became more inclined to slumber, and his
religious resolutions were shaken.  But still the
fear of God did not forsake him."
It was about the commencement of the Revolution that the Methodist preachers (then under the
direction of Mr. Wesley) first visited that section




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            35
of Virginia in which the McKendree family resided.
Willialn was then about nineteen years of age, possessed of exquisite sensibilities, and a heart all
buoyant with anticipation.  The ministry of the
word was attended with the power of the Spirit,
and many were convinced that these were the servants of the Most High God. The early religious
impressions, which in a great measure had become
extinguished in the mind of this interesting young
man by the amusements of the world. were now
revived and strengthened. He "yielded to conviction, and resolved to lead a new life."  In conformity with this resolution, he proposed to unite with
the Methodist Society as a seeker of religion, and
was received on trial; but here again his resolution was shaken, and, halting by the way, he failed
to obtain the prize. His own undisguised representation of his case clearly shows the danger of
awakened persons, associating with those companions, however civil they may be, who- neither fear
nor love God, especially before age and experience
have fortified the heart.
"But my attachment to worldly associates," says
Bishop McKendree, "who were civil and respectful
in their deportments had grown with my growth,
and my conviction was not accompanied with sufficient firmness to dissolve the connection; and their
conduct being accommodated to my reformed manners, I continued to enjoy the friendship, both of the
Society and of the world, but in a very imperfect
degree. They continued to counteract and impair
each other, until the love of the world prevailed,




86             LIFE AND TIMES OF
and my relish for genuine piety departed. I peaceably retired from the Society, while my conduct
continued to secure their friendship."
The narrative of Bishop Soule proceeds: " In
this situation, with no material change in his religious state, except a gradual decline of concern for the
salvation of his soul, he continued for several years;
but his abiding conviction of the importance and
necessity of religion, and his exquisite sensibility to
consistency of character, preserved him from gross
immoralities, and prevented a rapid progress in the
way of sin. In the year 1787, he being about thirty
years of age, a powerful and extensive revival of
religion commenced in Brunswick Circuit, in which
he lived, under the ministry of that devoted servant
of God, the Rev. John Easter. In the course of
this year, Mr. Easter added about twelve hundred
members to the Church.
This year (1787) was the period of his conversion
to God-the year in which he received that inward
and spiritual revelation of the Son of God, which
is an indispensable qualification for preaching his
unsearchable riches. This great change is thus described by his own pen: "My convictions were renewed; they were deep and pungent. The great
deep of my heart was broken up;' its desperately
wicked nature was disclosed, and the awfully ruinous consequences clearly appeared. My repentance
was sincere. I was desirous of salvation, and became willing to be saved upon any terms; and after
a sore and sorrowful travail of three days, which
were employed in hearing Mr. Easter, and in fast



BISHOP M'KENDREE.            37
ing and prayer, while that man of God was showing a large congregation the way of salvation by
faith with a clearness which, at the same time, astonished and encouraged me, I ventured my all
on Christ. In a moment my soul was delivered of
a burden too heavy to be borne, and joy instantly
succeeded sorrow. For a short space of time I was
fixed in silent admiration, giving glory to God for
his unspeakable goodness to such an unworthy creature."
But, alas! although this change was great and
glorious-although conscious of sensible comfort,
and, at the same time enabled to cry, "Abba,
Father"- yet his experience accords with but too
many, in this, that the delightful state of his emotions was presently succeeded by doubts as to thedepth and reality of the change. In this state of
temptation he continued six weeks; then a new
and overwhelming blessing removed all doubt, and
assured him of peace and pardon. The enemy had
suggested that it was presumptuous to believe that
so important a work could be accomplished so soon,
if at all; and the vast interests which the profession
of religion involve made him correspondingly fearful of a mistake in relation to it. His temptations
were strengthened, doubtless, by the denunciations
which he often heard of those "strange zealots "those " irregular lay-preachers "-who, ignoring the
doctrine of a personal and unbroken succession of
three distinct orders in the ministry, and the indispensableness of ordination from such supposed monopolists of all clerical authority, dared to preach




38-           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Christ crucified to their fellow-men; for, unfortunately, there were those then, as now, and as there
were in the beginning of the Christian Church, who
were ready to forbid all others from casting out
devils who "follow not us."  B3ut if Christ, who
actually did daily cast out devils, so pointedly reproved this proscriptive spirit in the apostles, with
what language would he speak to those now who
would hinder others from doing the good which
they either cannot or will not do? Surely those
who claim the exclusive right to preach, and to save
souls, ought to be remarkably zealous in their voca-tion; and even then, if they would imitate the
Master, they should not refuse the cooperation of
any who truly " cast out devils;" for if they who
cast them out in his name "cannot speak evil" of
Christ, surely Christ's apostles cannot speak evil of
those who " do the works of Christ."
This revival, which began under Mr. Easter, and
of which young McKendree and thousands of
others became the happy subjects, was a novelty
to many. Most of the clergy of the Established
Church opposed it publicly, and ridiculed it in private. The great body of the Church stood aghast
at it. It was "wild-fire," "self-delusion," or "hypocrisy." No doubt hundreds of honest and conscientious persons thought they were doing Godc
service in striving to repress,what they regarded as
a "religious frenzy."  In their estimation, Mr.
Easter, and all those who, like him, strove to arouse
the torpid consciences of sinners, and proclaimed a
present pardon, and an internal evidence of that par



BISHOP M'KENDREE,           89
don, were disturbers of the peace of society as well
as heretics. To the Churchman, both the preacher
and his matter were offensive-the first wanting the
odor of succession, the latter, at the same time,
condemning his profession, his experience, and his
practice. To the honest and devout Calvinist, having in. his mind Calvin's'"horrible decree," the
earnest offer of Christ's death and mediation, as
means available by faith for the salvation of all men,
without distinction and without reservation, seemed
presumptuous, if not profane; so that, in whatever
else they disagreed, Churchmen, Calvinists, and
Quakers, united in condemning those who seemed
to be " turning the world upside down."  Still the
people flocked by hundreds and thousands to hear
them, and multitudes became the subjects of this
strange work. Their plain, earnest, and scriptural
appeals to conscience; their solemn and devout
manners; their disinterestedness, and the extraordinary faith and dauntless moral courage which
Easter and his associates exhibited, and, above all,
the wonderful power which attended their ministry,
were well calculated to excite attention. And they
did excite attention. The private houses, old-field
school-houses, and the few meeting-houses where
circuit-preaching had been ordinarily heard, were
soon found insufficient to contain the immense
throngs of eager listeners. The barns were resorted
to, but were soon found to be too small. To the
groves-Nature's own temples-the crowds repaired.
The villages were emptied of population; the mechanic laid aside his tools; the farmer stopped his




40            LIFE AND TIMES OF
plows, and mounted his family upon the horsessometimes two and three upon a horse-servants,
and those who could find no other means of conveyance, started on foot. The roads were crowded.
The vicinity of the place of worship was covered
with horses and vehicles, and thousands gathered
around the temporary pulpit, and held their breath
to catch every syllable of the man of God.
Mr. Easter was a man of great purity of life; of a
sound mind, and deep religious feelings; and what
he clearly apprehended and strongly felt, he spoke
with the confidence of one who knows he delivers a message from God. He never indulged in
metaphysical discussions, and rarely in doctrinal expositions. His themes were repentance, salvation
by faith in Jesus Christ, and the witness of the
Spirit. His preaching was of the experimental and
practical kind; his manner hortative. Those who
knew him, revered and loved him. When, upon
such an occasion as adverted to above, he arose in
the immense congregation, his appearance and manDner inspired awe. His piercing black eyes, his awful
earnestness, and his almost miraculous faith, arrested
every hearer, and transfixed the most careless. His
sentences, in the beginning of his addresses, were
short, and his language solemn and pointed. There
was no mannerism nor circumlocution. He was
full of his subject, and intent only upon the rescue
of sinners from  impending wrath.  At once he
went to work, invoking the presence and power of
God, admonishing Christians to pray, and when his
faith was "mighty," assuring them that souls would




]BISHOP M' ENDREE.           41
be converted there that day. Then lie would begin
his appeal to sinners. Their depraved and guilty
condition, their duty, the necessity for decision, and
the consequences involved, together with the means
and evidences of pardon and regeneration, were
concisely and overwhelmingly exhibited. Htis voice
was of wondrous pathos and power-now soft as an
iEolian harp, while persuading the hesitating, or
soothing the penitent; anon ringing out like the denunciations from Mount Ebal, when successive peals
of curses reverberated against the incorrigibly impenitent; and then again, "in language sweet as
angels use," whispering to the believing penitent
blessings richer and more abundant than ever died
away in soft and melodious echoes from Mount Gerizim over the beautiful Valley of Shechem-and yet
his whole manner was natural and unstudied. He
would have despised himself if he had felt conscious
that he was aping the orator, or seeking aught but
the salvation of his hearers. His communion with
God was too intimate to allow any less serious or
worthy motive; for he who walks closely with God,
will be fearfully earnest while pleading with man.
The power of the Almighty attended his efforts.
The pious portion of his audience sustained him by
their prayers, and rose with him in faith and zeal
as he increased in fervor and force, until the immense concourse, agitated by the conflicting emotions of consternation, grief, and joy, at last could
restrain themselves no longer, and gave vent to the
long-pent but now resistless feelings of their hearts.
Some fled with alarm, others felt as if impaled,




42            LIFE AND TIMES OF
while many fell to the ground as if stricken with a
sudden bolt from heaven. Many were happily converted while he was speaking, until at last some
fresh accession to the number of penitents, or converts, would so swell the wave of emotion that his
voice would be drowned; and then mingled shouts,
prayers, and songs would rise like the peans of victory and the wail of the wounded over a battle-field.
Such were the scenes often witnessed in those
days; and let others call it confusion, fanaticism,
or whatever they may please, I believe it to have
been the work of God, and pray that such scenes
may never cease in the Methodist Church. And
let all who revere his memory recollect that Bishop
Mc]Kendree was a subject of this glorious work.
Surely his life and his death might be regarded as
a vindication of such revivals.
Nor was John Easter the only Methodist preacher
of that era eminent for piety, talent, and usefulness.
Among many others deserving to be held in lasting
remembrance, we may mention Freeborn Garrettson,
Reuben and Ira Ellis, William Watters, Hope Hull,
Ezekiel Cooper, Mark Moore, Richard Whatcoat,
Jesse Lee, and Philip Bruce. Indeed, the list could
be readily swelled to a multitude. Many of them
were not only remarkable for native intellect, but
were highly respectable as to scholarship.




BISHOP M KENDREE.              43
CHAPTER  III.
Letter from W. McKendree to Bishop Asbury, in 1803-His conversion-Entrance on the ministry-Joins the Virginia Conference-Misled by Mr. O'Kelly —Returns to the work.
AMONG the papers of Bishop MctKendree is the
following highly interesting communication. It appears that Bishop Asbury had repeatedly urged him
to give a narrative in writing, of the kind, and it is
addressed, therefore, to him, and was written in
1803. As it was prepared with some care, and
gives a more minute account of his early life, and
also of his conversion, his call to the ministry, and
of a very interesting incident of his life in connection with the secession of the Rev. James O'lKelly,
than can be found elsewhere, the letter is given
in full.  The reader will pardon the repetition, in
substance, of a part of the last chapter.
RESPECTED FRIEND AND BROTHER:-You have repeatedly requested me to give you a written circumstantial account of the dealings of God with
my soul, my call to the ministry, and some of the
most remarkable events of my life.  Until very
lately I have indulged such an aversion to writing
about myself, that I did not intend to comply with
your request; but your solicitation, having been




44            LIFE AND TIMES OF
seconded by others-this, together with a thought
that my own soul may be quickened thereby-first,
by meditating on past mercies and blessings while
I call to mind my former exercises and God's tender mercies and gracious dealings with my soul;
and, secondly, should you see proper to send it to
the press, that I may derive benefit, in future, from
reading what the lapse of time and trouble might
make me forget: these considerations have triumphed over my natural aversion to the task. I
shall therefore attempt a plain and simple narrative, and cast it as my mite into the treasury.
It is now fifteen years that I have been in the
traveling ministry-from the year 1788 to the present date —in which time I have traveled extensively
through Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and the
territory west of the Ohio, now State of Ohio; as
also some parts of North and South Carolina.
The first divine impression that I remember to
have been under was when I was a school-boy.
By reading the exercises and practices of holy men,
as related in the Bible; of their holy lives-prostrating themselves before the Lord-praying and
conversing with Jehovah, and the Lord God speaking to and comforting them, my soul was filled
with such a sense of his majesty and goodness as
awed my feelings into reverence. And I had such
ideas of the condition of those holy men, that my
heart glowed to be like them.
I would frequently seek solitary places in the
woods, there fall upon my face and weep freely
while I thought I was talking to Jehovah. This




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            45
practice I followed until I became so serious that I
was taken notice of. The school-master (who was
a vain man, and boarded at my father's) and others,
began to laugh at me, and make remarks, and
finally laughed me out of all my seriousness. I
then heedlessly pursued the pleasures of the world,
and do not remember to have had any more serious
impressions for several years. My own experience
has led me to care for those who are under religious
impressions in their early days. Many are their
dangers-great is the blessing of proper instructors;
and the want of these is, in all probability, the
cause of much infidelity.
The next religious impression which I distinctly
recollect, was occasioned by hearing the following
verse sung:
Ye sons of Adam, vain and young,
Indulge your hearts, indulge your tongue;
Enjoy the day of mirth, but know
There is a day of judgment too.
"The day of judgment " left an impression on my
mind. It sunk deeply into my thoughts, and interrupted my peace for many days; but it gradually
wore away, and I once more freely enjoyed the
pleasures of youth.
Some time after the Methodist preachers came
into the neighborhood, a revival of religion took
place: my father, mother, and several others became
professors of religion, and many joined the Church.
I was then deeply convinced of sin, and resolved to
set out and serve the Lord. For some time I was




46             LIFE AND TIMES OF
very serious, but after awhile my religious concern
gradually abated, and I insensibly glided into the
spirit of the world, and drank deeper into the practice thereof than I had ever done before. In great
compassion the Lord still extended his mercy to me,
and checked my thoughtless career by a severe
attack of the bilious fever. I was brought to view
death as at the door; all human help seemed to fail.
I now viewed myself as within a step of eternity,
and alas, I was without God! I had no hope of
future happiness! I was convinced that, dying as I
was, I should be eternally miserable, and, to complete my astonishment and wretchedness, I could
not indulge a hope of obtaining mercy in that situation. I considered myself as one who had preferred the service of the devil to the enjoyment of
religion, to the very last; and now to ask God to
pardon my sins, and take me to himself, when I
could serve myself no longer, appeared to be the
most unreasonable thing in the world.
I therefore utterly despaired of mercy, unless God
should be graciously pleased to raise me up froim
my bed of affliction, and thus grant me an opportunity to seek his face. For this I earnestly prayed.
While sore-belabored with pain, the world appeared
insignificant, and of trivial consequence; indeed,
could I have purchased peace by giving the whole
world, the price then seemed to me inconsiderable.
But even while it seemed to myself that I was so
willing to embrace mercy upon any terms, I well
remember a thought that threw me into confusion
by showing me my error. The following idea was




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           47
suggested: "If the Lord would raise you up, and
convert your soul, would you be willing to go and
preach the gospel?"  At this nature shrunk, will
refused, and I trembled when I found myself indisposed to prompt obedience.
Yet I continued to plead, and the Lord raised me
from the jaws of death, "covering the bones with
young flesh." But alas, how weak are resolutions
springing from fear! As my strength returned,
I lost sight of my danger, and the resolution, which
I thought was so firm, weakened in proportion. At
last I lost the desire, and returned to my old companions and the business of the world.
In this situation I continued'until the great revival of religion took place in Brunswick Circuit,
under Mr. John Easter, in 1787. On a certain Sabbath I visited a gentleman who lived in the neighborhood; he and his lady were going to church, to
hear a Mr. Gibson, a local Methodist preacher. It
was, of course, during the Revolutionary War,
when the church was open to any occupant —the
clergy having abandoned their flocks and the country, and fled home to England. Upon my going to
the house of my friend, he declined going to church;
sent a servant with his wife, and we spent the time
in reading a comedy and drinking wine. Mrs.
stayed late at church, but. at last, when we were
impatient for dinner, she returned, and brought
strange things to our ears. With astonishment
flushing in her countenance, she began to tell whom
she left "in a flood of tears," who were "down on
the floor," who were "converted," what an "up



48            LIFE AND TIMES OF
roar" was going on among the people, cries for
mercy and shouts for joy, etc. She also informed
us that Mr. John Easter was to preach at that place
on the following Tuesday. My heart was touched at
her representation. I resolved to seek religion, and
began, in good earnest, to pray for it that evening.
Tuesday I went to church, fasting and praying.
Mr. Easter preached from John iii. 19-22, "And this
is the condemnation, that light has come into the
world," etc. The wvord reached my heart. From this
time I had no peace of mind; I was completely
miserable. My heart was broken up, and I saw
that it was evil above all things, and " desperately
wicked." A view of God's forbearance, and of the
debasing sin of ingratitude, of which I had been
guilty in grieving the Spirit of God, overwhelmed
me with confusion.
Now my conscience roared like a lion. "The
pains of hell got hold of me." I concluded that I
had committed the "unpardonable sin," and had
thoughts of giving up all for lost. For three days
I might have said, "' My bed shall comfort me, then
thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me
through visions, so that my soul chooseth strangling
and death rather than life." Job vii. 7-15. But
in the evening of the third day deliverance came.
While Mr. Easter was preaching, I was praying as
well as I could, for I was almost ready to despair
of mercy. Suddenly doubts and fears fled, hope
sprung up in my soul, and the burden was removed.
I knew that God was love-that there was mercy
even for me, and I rejoiced in silence.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            49
Mr. Easter confidently asserted that God had converted my soul; but I did not believe it, for I had
formed to myself an idea of conversion-how it
would come, and what must follow; and what I
then felt did not answer to my idea. Therefore, I
did not believe that I was converted, but I knew
there was mercy for me, and I greatly rejoiced
in that. However, I soon found myself in an uncomfortable condition, for I immediately began to
seek and expect a burden of sin, answerable to my
idea, in order to get converted. But the burden
was gone, and I could not recover it. At times I
had flashes of joy, yea, felt the life and power of
living faith; but as soon as I would advert to my
conversion, faith would fail, hope languish, and
comfort die, because I doubted my conversion.
With desire I sought rest, but I thought that greater
distress than I had felt must precede that blessing,
and therefore refused to be comforted. And thus,
sir, for several weeks I experienced all the anguish
of grasping at an object of the greatest importance,
and missing my aim-of laying hold of life and
salvation, then falling back into the vortex of clisappointment and distress, until I may say I was as
a lone "sparrow on the house-top;" "my teeth chattered like a swallow, my bones were pierced in me
in the night season, and my sinews took no rest."
Job xxx. 17.
But deliverance was at hand.  Mr. Easter came
round, and his Master came with him, and in the
time of meeting the Lord,' who is merciful and
kind, blessed me with the wilness of the Spirit; and
voL.. —3




50            LIFE AND TIMES OF
then, sir, I could rejoice indeed-yes, with joy unspeakable and full of glory!
Within twenty-four hours after this I was twice
tempted to think my conversion was delusive, and
not genuine, because I did not receive the witness
of the Spirit at the same time.
But I instantly applied to the throne of grace,
and, in the duty of prayer, the Lord delivered me
from the enemy, and from that day to this I have
never doubted my conversion. I have pitied, and
do still pity, those who, under the influence of certain doctrines, are led to give the preference to a
doubting experience, and therefore can only say,
"If I ever was converted," "I hbpe I am converted," "I fear I never was converted," etc., but
can never say, " We know that we have passed from
death unto life."  In this respect, "darkness, in
part, has happened to Zion," but I hope the time is
not far distant when truth and religion shall
triumph over error and form.
Not long after I had confidence in my acceptance
with God, Mr. Gibson preached us a sermon on
sanctification, and I felt its weight. When Mr.
Easter came, he enforced the same doctrines. This
led me more minutely to examine the emotions of
my heart.  I found  remaining corruption —em
braced the doctrine of sanctification, and diligently
sought the blessing it holds forth. The more I
sought the blessing of sanctification, the more I
felt the need of it-and the more important did
that blessing appear. In its pursuit, my soul grew
in grace and in the faith that overcomes the




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          51
world. But there was an aching void which made
me cry,'Tis worse than death my God to love,
And not my God alone.
One morning I walked into the field, and while I
was musing, such an overwhelming power of the
Divine Being overshadowed me, as I had never experienced before. Unable to stand, I sunk to the
ground, more than filled with transport. My cup
rani over, and I shouted aloud.
Had it not been for a new set of painful exercises
which now came upon me, I might have rejoiced
"evermore;" but my hear't was enlarged, and I saw
more clearly than ever before the danger of an unconverted state. For such persons I prayed with
anxious care. At times, when called upon to pray
in public, my soul would get into an agony, and
the Lord would, in great compassion, pour out his
Spirit; souls were convicted and converted, and
Zion rejoiced abundantly in those days. Without
a thought of preaching, I began to tell my acquaintances what the Lord had done for me, and could do
for them. It had its effect, and lasting impressions
were made. Thus I was imperceptibly led on until
the preachers and people began to urge me to speak
more publicly. This brought on a painful affliction
of mind.
While I have meditated on the subject with a disposition to submit, if it was the will of the Lord to
call me to preach, the Scriptures have opened to
my mind, and presented me with such lively pic



5T2 LIFE AND TIMES OF
tures of virtue and vice, and their consequences, as
would fill me with " painful joy and pleasing smart;"
and I would be almost ready to say, "'Here am I,
send me." But when I would reflect on appearing
in public with the qualifications which I possessed,
I felt deeply humbled and greatly discouraged. The
importance of the cause, and what it might suffer
from an incompetent and an injudicious advocate,
made me fear that my exercises were not from God
-that he never would call such a creature as I was
to preach his gospel. Thus worried and distressed,
I have fallen on my knees, and with many tears
begged the Lord to take me to heaven, and so put
an end to the doubtful case. My mind was entirely
diverted from my temporal concerns, and wholly
devoted to the subject of religion.
On a certain day, as I sat at a table, my father
stepped in and addressed me thus: " William, has
not the Lord called you to preach the gospel?" I
answered, "I cannot tell; I do not know what a
call to preach the gospel implies." He added, "I
believe he has, and I charge you not to quench the
Spirit." For a moment I was as one thunder-struck.
We both shed tears. I asked him why he thought
the Lord had called me to preach the gospel. He
answered, "While you lay sick of the fever" —alluding to my illness already mentioned-" when the
doctor and all your friends had given you up for
lost, I was greatly afflicted at the thought of your
dying in your sins. I applied myself to the throne
of grace, and prayed incessantly. While I was on
my knees, the Lord manifested himself to me in an




BISHOP M'KENDREE..58
uncommon manner, and gave me an assurance that you
should live to preach the gospel, and I have never lost
my confidence, although you have been too careless."
He then repeated his caution not to quench the
Spirit.
In this undetermined condition of mind I continued until it pleased the Lord to lay me upon a
bed of affliction. Mr. Easter visited me. On the
next day, when they were about starting to meeting,
he prayed for me-not as men generally pray, but
in a manner and with a zeal peculiar to himself.
Under his prayer I was blessed; my soul was filled
with joy. He proceeded to tell the Lord that "the
harvest was great, but the laborers were few"-that
I had been urged by the Spirit, but had refused to
obey. He prayed the Lord to raise me up, and
thrust me into his vineyard. I recovered; and
from that time I spoke more frequently and
freely in public, and the Lord condescended to
encourage me by blessing both my hearers and
myself.
In the ninth month after I received the witness
of my acceptance, the District Conference came on.
It was held in Petersburg, Virginia. Mr. Easter
requested me to fix myself and attend the Conference. I did so, and he kindly took me to his lodging. Upon his going to the Conference-room, he
invited me to come up at a certain hour and see the
preachers. I went accordingly, and the first thing
after prayer was to read out the preachers' stations;
and you announced that I was appointed to Mecklenburg Circuit, with Philip Cox.




54            LIFE AND TIMES OF
This, I confess sir, was an unexpected shock; but
your gentle manner of proceeding with the young
preachers presently restored me to a degree of ease.
When dismissed, I was walking in another room,
when my Presiding Elder came in, and discovering
my agitation, took me in his arms and said, "While
you were standing before the Conference, I believe
God showed me that he had a work for you to do,"
and repeated, "Don't deceive me," in the most feeling manner. This, sir, had the most happy effect.
It determined my unsettled mind. I only wanted
to know what was right, to do it as well as I could.
I had the fullest confidence in the preachers, and in
reflecting upon the character and judgment of those
who had recommended me, and of the Conference
who had admitted mbe, strengthened by what the
Presiding Elder, with flowing tears, had just said
to me, I resolved to reject my doubts, submit to
their judgment, take the work to which I was appointed, and fill my place as well as I could. Thus,
after more than eight months of painful suspense,
my heart was "fixed," and I set out for my circuit.
But before I enter upon the ensuing part of my
own history, suffer me to make some observations
on what I have witnessed respecting my muchloved friend and father in the gospel, John
Easter.
When Mr. Easter came to Brunswick Circuit,
there was very little appearance of religion in our
neighborhood. Upon his coming, a revival took
place, and in the course of the year about two hundred and fifty joined the Church within ten miles




BISHIOP M' KENDREE.                55
of where we resided, and about eighteen hundred*
were added in the circuit.  Mr. Easter possessed
an uncommon degree of faith.  It was objected to
him, that "instead of praying, he commanded God,
as if the Lord was to obey man."  The followinlg
is a specimen of what I was an eye-witness.  While
preaching to a large concourse of people in the
open  air, at a time  of considerable  drought, it
began to thunder, a cloud approached, and drops of
rain fell.  IHe stopped preaching, and besought the
Lord to withhold the rain until evening —to pour
out his Spirit, convert the people, and then water
the  earth.  He then  resumed  his subject.  The
appearance of rain increased-the people began to
get uneasy-some moved to take off their saddles;
when, in his peculiar manner, he told the Lord that
there were " sinners there that must be converted
X Bishop McKendree leaves the number blank, and it is filled
from the following authority:
"The year 1787 is gratefully remembered in the Methodist
history of Virginia, for the most extensive and glorious revival of
religion that ever occurred in the State." " The accounts which
have come down to us of that powerful manifestation of the Spirit
represent it as almost miraculous."  " But although the work of
the Lord was generally revived, its most powerful manifestations
seem to have been confined to the District over which the Rev.
James O'Kelly presided; and in this District, the most powerful displays of spiritual influence were witnessed in the Brunswick, Sussex, and Amelia Circuits. In each of these circuits
great multitudes were turned to the Lord. In Sussex Circuit
about sixteen hundred were converted; in Brunswick, about
eighteen hundred; and in Amelia, about eight hundred."-Life
and Times of the Rev. Jesse Lee, pp. 204, 205; also, History JA
E. Church, by Dr. Bangs, Vol. I., pp. 263-267.




56            LIFE AND TIMES OF
or be damned," and prayed that he would "stop
the bottles of heaven until the evening."  He
closed his prayer, and assured us, in the most confident manner, that we might keep our seats-that
it would not rain to wet us; that " souls are to be
converted here to-day-my God assures me of it,
and you may believe it." The congregation became composed, and we did not get wet; for the
clouds parted, and although there was a fine rain
on both sides of us, there was none where we were
until night. The Lord's Spirit was poured out in
an uncommon degree, many were convicted, and a
considerable number professed to be converted that
day.
Mr. Easter excited great attention. Hundreds,
and sometimes thousands, attended his appointments. Frequently, while he was preaching, the
foundations of the place would seem to be shaken,
and the people to be moved like the trees of the
forest when shaken by a mighty tempest. Many
were 1" the slain of the Lord," and many were made
spiritually alive. If my memory serves me, four
hundred were converted at a four-days' meeting.
But Satan's kingdom did not suffer this loss without a struggle. Powerful, and sometimes fierce,
was the opposition Mr. Easter had to contend with;
but the Lord gave him grace according to his day.
In the midst of a congregation, a man stepped to
Mr. Easter, caught him by the bosom, and raised a
horse-whip over his head. In that position, a few
words passed between them. Mr. Easter began to
pray, but when his prayer was ended, his antagonist




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          57
was gone. Mr. Easter proceeded with his meeting
without farther interruption.
On another occasion, he reproved a man who was
at a few yards' distance, on an elevated seat in the
congregation. The man, as afterward appeared,
had covenanted to abuse the preacher, and for this
purpose had armed himself with a club, which he
shook at the preacher. Another and a sharper reproof followed. The enraged man approached Mr.
Easter, brandishing his weapon, with vengeance
flashing in his countenance. The preacher calmly
said, "I regard the spilling of my blood for the
sake of Christ no more than the bite of a fly," but
warned the furious man of the most awful consequences on his own part.  The man was near
enough to strike him, but Mr. Easter dared him to
strike, telling him what God would do if he laid
the weight of his hand upon him. The man's
countenance changed-he presently turned round
and walked off. "I told you the devil is a coward," said Mr. Easter, as the crest-fallen man withdrew. These, sir, may serve as specimens of the
displays of divine power which attended the ministry of that dear friend of ours.
In 1788, I was appointed to Mecklenburg Circuit.
This was a fortunate station for me. Mr. Cox, with
whom I was appointed to travel, was an instructor
and father to me. The old professors knew how to
sympathize with young preachers. It looked to me
like they wished to bear a part of the cross for me.
In this circuit there were many deeply-experienced
Christians, by whose walk and conversation I prof3*




58            LIFE AND TIMES OF
ited much. I hope I shall never forget how sweetly
they used to talk of the triumphs of grace and the
love of Jesus. After a sufficient trial, I expected
the preachers would be convinced that I never
would make a profitable preacher; that I should by
that means returns to the comforts which I had left
behind. But the year rolled round, and I was
"continued on trial." The dear people seemed unwilling to part with me, for we had spent some
sweet moments together.
In 1789, I took my station in Cumberland Circuit,
Virginia, where I traveled part of the year, and then
was moved by the Presiding Elder to Mecklenburg,
an adjoining circuit, where I traveled the year before.
During this year my doubts with regard to my
call to the ministry subsided in a great measure. I
began to enjoy a tolerable degree of comfort in my
calling. The members of the Church were very
kind, and we saw, in some degree, the fruit of our
labor. The old members were quickened, and new
ones added.
But a painful affliction of another nature arose.
A divisive spirit began to torment us. Methodism
had progressed beyond all expectation. The few
Church-regulations which were adapted to the infant state of the Church would by no means cover
all the cases that a rapid increase of preachers and
people brought forth. The year before, a delegated
number had been appointed to form regulations to
meet our present difficulties.*  They had met.
* The Council.




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          59
Our Presiding Elder (James O':Ielly) was one of
the number. And they had unanimously agreed
to a plan which was to be laid before the Conferences of the year, to be adopted or rejected. But
before the Conference came on, Mr. O'Kelly
changed his mind, and began, in our private interviews, to inform me of the imminent danger of
near-approaching ruin which our then flourishing
Church would in all probability suffer; that this
mischief had itself a cause, which, according to unequivocal indications, was the want of religion in
a party of leading characters in the ministry-yourself, sir, at the head of them-whose unbounded
thirst for power and money, as I understood him, was
to pull down destruction on the Church of God.
I then had, and still have, a tender regard for
the prosperity of Zion, and watched whatever I
thought would injure her, with a jealous eye. I
examined what our delegateshad done, and formed
the best judgment I could, according to my information, and disapproved of the plan.'This gave
weight to the private representation of my Presiding Elder.
On my way to the Conference in Petersburg, I
fell in company with him and several other preachers, who held a consultation on the way, and also
after we reached town, and pretty well determined
the business before it came up for action in the
Conference. HIowever, you arrived and laid that
business before us. The result was, as you very
well know, we rejected it altogether, and refused to
adopt any accommodating plan.




60            LIFE AND TIMES OF
But I was somewhat disappointed; for instead of
breaking out like a tyrant, you proposed us all for
deacon's orders. We elected each other, and the
greater number of the preachers of that District
were ordained to the office of deacon, and appointed to the several circuits, with our former
Presiding Elder at our head, on the south side of
James River.
In 1790, I was appointed to travel with Jesse
Nicholson, on Portsmouth Circuit; but was removed, and spent the latter *part of the year with
William Spencer, on Surry Circuit. This was a
year of much comfort to my soul. I found an affectionate people indeed: many were deeply experienced saints, who were a blessing to me. "As
iron sharpeneth iron," so did the conversation of
those brethren provoke me to love and good works.
I found father, mother, brother, and sister, indeed
and in truth. It was my meat and drink to employ
my spare moments in study. Fasting and prayer
was a pleasure.  I had an almost uninterrupted
heaven below. The work of the Lord prospered
in our hands, particularly in the latter part of the
year.  A  considerable number of members was
added to the societies. When elders rule well,
they are to be counted worthy of double honor, and
esteemed very highly in love for their work's sake.
But alas, my greatest affliction in those days came
from where I ought to have had comfort! When
my old friend (Mr. O'K.) visited us, much of the
spare time was taken up in private communication
and consultation, the subject-matter of which was




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            61
"the manners of a party which more and more
manifested the badness of their policy and principles, and must," as he said, "'sooner or later, inevitably ruin the Church of God." The result was a
proclamation, summoning all the preachers to meet
in Mecklenburg on a certain day.
It was in the interval of Conference, and was a
new thing among us; but the occasion was thought
to be of such importance as to justify it. We met
according to order, and formed a council.  Our
Elder told us much. He met with some opposition,
but this gave much pain. A conclusion was formed
in opposition to the offensive "party," and our old
friend thought the preachers left much united, with
one or two exceptions, who were supposed to be
"creatures of the party."  Our demand was a General Conference.
I really loved God, and sought the welfare of his
Church, and was therefore disposed to listen to
her complaints. The old gentleman (Mr. O'KI.) I
looked upon as her friend-her mouth; and so
great was my confidence in him, that his word was
next to gospel with me. I heard him, and believed
what I heard. Upon hearing one side of the story
only, so far as I received the report, I had to give
up my confidence in the "party preachers" —or
the "Bishop and his creatures," as they were
called.
Perhaps you may remember, that about this time
I informed you that I had lost confidence in yourself. At least, I shall never forget your answer,
which was, "I do not wonder at that, brother:




62            LIFE AND TIMES OF
sometimes we can see with our eyes; sometimes we
can see only with our ears."
But, alas! with the loss of confidence, I began
insensibly to lose my love for "the Bishop and his
creatures" —in reality, my best friends, misrepresented; which prepares the way and leads into the
worst of miseries. And this, sir, I conceive to be
one of the broadest, foulest blots of the schismatic
spirit. For "God is love, and whoso dwelleth in
love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  And "by
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples,
because ye love one another."  But love began to
fail.
At the next Conference, (1791,) I was stationed on
Amelia Circuit. Here, as well as I remember, our
Conference was changed from the spring, and the
next was appointed to meet on Christmas holiday.
I have nothing of particular importance to remark
on this station. I enjoyed peace of mind, and comfortable fellowship with those among whom I labored. We began to have some hope of a General
Conference, to adjust our conflicting opinions; and
our fears began to subside.
December, 1791. -Conference  met at Lane's
Chapel. Peace seemned to gladden our hearts.
We were informed that a General Conference was
to meet the following November; that differences
were adjusted, and our old friend was satisfied.
I expect you have not forgotten the joy that appeared in the Conference among the young preachers. Here I was ordained to the office of an elder,
and appointed to Greenville Circuit, which went




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            63
through my old neighborhood. This was the first
station that I felt my will opposed to. It fixed me
in the midst of my old acquaintances, many of
whom were in our societies before me, and considered themselves my superiors. It was a sifting
time in those parts, and I expected some of them
would have to be excluded. This I feared they
would not bear from me, which was the cause of
my unwillingness to go to that circuit. But in this
I was disappointed. I believe I never went through
the business of a circuit with more ease. Although
many were turned out, there were no fixed prejudices in consequence of the administration, that I
know of. True, we had but few additions to the
Church this year; yet we had many sweet and
precious meetings. The work of sanctification revived.  While I was preaching from  "Sanctify
them  through thy truth-thy word is truth," a
local preacher cried aloud for the blessing. When
I came to that place again, he professed to be sanctified, and zealously and profitably enforced the
doctrine. I went home with him from meeting.
He conversed of death as a thing familiar and at
hand. He professed to have only one wish, which
was that he might be favored with a quick passage
from this to the other world. He was a smith by
trade. I parted with him to see him no more. Before I returned again, he was killed by a flash of
lightning, in the presence of several persons, while
standing over his fire. Thus the Lord granted his
desire, and took him to rest.
Happily disappointed in my expected troubles on




64            LIFE AND TIMES OF
this circuit, blessed with refreshing showers of
grace, and, as I thought, with peace among ourselves, our old friend came round. Our hearts were
glad at the sight. But instead of confirming the
peace we were told of at the last Conference, and
training me up in the way I ought to go, alas! the
old subject was introduced, and I was informed that
you were not sincere in the peace concluded; that
it was a political contrivance-the real design being
to gratify your ambition, by a method which was to
ruin the Church. I was unfortunate enough to
believe the report, and from this time counteracting measures were consulted.
In November, 1792, the General Conference came
on. Soon after I left my circuit to attend it, I fell
in company with our Elder, and one or two others.
At Col. Clayton's the number increased. William
Spencer and S. Cowles were sent forward-only
two were permitted to continue in company with
the Elder. I was one of the favored number. We
arrived at the seat of the General Conference, and
were appointed to lodge together.  Conference
commenced. Division of sentiment, indeed! Our
lodging-room was a council-chamber. Evil was determined against the Connection, justified by the
supposition that the Bishop and his creatures were
working the ruin of the Church to gratify their
pride and ambition.
The old gentlemen broke off.' I and some others
obtained liberty of the Conference to return home,
and set out for Virginia. We had many consultations, were often confused in our deliberations; and




BISHOP M KENDREE.            65
the rest of the company having left us, the old gentleman and myself traveled the greater part of the
way together. He unfolded his plan. It was to be
"a glorious Church"-" no slavery," etc., etc.
But it was founded upon the supposition that a ruinous government was being introduced by the revolutionizing Conference he had left. The supposed
design of the Bishop answered to the root, and the
more ingenions of our cabinet discovered the
trunk and all the branches of this tree.  It was
"dark" —it was "popery"! It was a horrible thing!
But different conclusions followed. One S. ID.
resolved to attend the approaching District Conference, and take his station. Three broke off from
the Connection, and set up in opposition to it.
Neither of. these methods would satisfyl me. I
therefore refused to take a regular station at Conference, because I expected to reject the "monstrous system" when it should appear; but ~inet you
and the Presiding Elder a few days after Conference, and took a station.
I was stationed in the city of Norfolk; and 0 how
was I surprised, in the course of the year, to find the
form of discipline entirely different from what I had
expected, and also to find just cause to begin to
withdraw my confidence from my old and best-beloved friend! Now I began to feel like one out at
sea without a compass. Urged by my professed
friend to leave my station and not appear at Conference, and shot at by some of my real but injudicious friends, my condition was delicate and
unpleasant. But Ira Ellis, my Presiding Elder,




66            LIFE AND TIMES OF
was a comfort to me. From  him  I obtained information and counsel which were of inestimable
value to me in my dilemma. In fine, it is my opinion that the Church is much indebted to Infinite
Goodness for a man of his wisdom and prudence at
that day.
On this critical station the Lord was singularly
good to me. In the midst of my confusion, I had
access to the throne of grace, and was enabled to
preach. Mercy and power attended the word, and
the people were blessed; so that I had refreshing
cordials in the midst of many bitter draughts.
WM. MOKENDREE.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.                67
CHAPTER IV.
Mr. McKendree joins the Virginia Conference, 1787-Appointed
to Mecklenburg Circuit-Burchett,. Massie, Valentine Cook,
and John McGee admitted the same time-Numbers in Society
-Conference of 1789-Cumberland Circuit-Conference of 1790
-Ordained deacon-The Council a failure-Appointed to Portsmouth Circuit-Rev. D. Jarratt-Extracts from Diary.
EVERY genuine conversion to God is characterized
by love to God and. man; and as the first leads to
adoration and filial obedience to the divine will, so
the second induces an earnest desire for the welfare
of others, and efforts to do them good. They are
at once the evidence of Christian experience, and
the guarantee of practical goodness.  The demonstration of their existence, and of their divine
origin, is seen in the purity of the lives of those
who profess conversion, for "every man that hath
this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is
pure." These traits of regeneration were exhibited
by young McKendree.  In the artless narrative
given from  his own pen, in the preceding chapter,
we have had portrayed his conviction, conversion,
and sanctification. Shortly after his profession of
religion, he began to converse with his friends and
associates, telling them what God had done for his
soul], and persuading them to come to Christ. He




68             LIFE AND TIMES OF
could not be silent nor idle. Christ was so precious,
religion so important, and sin so ruinous, he must
speak and work. Fealty to God and duty to his
neighbor demanded it. Soon he was found taking
part in the public religious exercises, such as prayermeetings, love-feasts, and class-meetings. Fruits of
his labors began to appear; many were convicted
and converted. Presently his mind became painfully excited upon the subject of preaching; and
the fact that many of his most devoted and intelligent friends, both in the laity and among the
preachers, believed he was called of God to the
ministry, increased this excitement. Mr. Easter,
his spiritual father, fully concurrrd in this sentiment, and urged him to go with him around the
circuit.  He yielded and started, but became so
increasingly fearful lest he should go without the
divine warrant for his mission, that he gave way to
his fears, and returned home before the round was
completed. Deeply did he love the cause of God,
but so humble were his views of his fitness for the
holy office, that he shrunk from it. He had been
taught to associate a classical education and a theological training with the exercise of the ministry.
He had only an English education.
And then, the responsibilities of the ministry
were alarming to his sensitive and modest mind.
Afraid to go forward, and yet dreading the result of
refusing to do so, he was, to use his own language,
"tossed to and fro." XWhile in this distressed state
of mind, the Virginia Conference came on, and,
unable to attend to business on account of the




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           69
anguish of his spirit, he went to Petersburg, the
seat of the Conference. He had been converted
only about nine months, and had no formal recommendation. The preachers and Presiding Elder,
who knew him well, recommended him for admission on trial in the itinerant work. The Conference session was held with closed doors, and he
seems not to have been aware of the result. At
the close of the Conference, the doors were thrown
open, and visitors entered the room-he among the
rest. Bishop Asbury, after his usual concise and
solemn address to the preachers, proceeded to read
out the Appointments, and William McKendree was
announced for Mecklenburg Circuit. This was certainly a summary process, for there is no evidence
that he had either been recommended to the Conference by the Society, or licensed as a local
preacher. And as he never located, he never was
a local preacher.
After a severe mental struggle, and with many
misgivings as to his call and fitness for the work,
he determined to undertake it; and having resolved
to make the attempt, with an humble and trembling
heart he entered at once upon its duties. His name
therefore appears for the first time in the General
Minutes as having been " received on trial" in the
Virginia Conference in 1788'The following is his
own statement of his feelings at this period:
"I went immediately to the circuit to which I
was appointed, relying more upon the judgment of
experienced ministers in whom I confided than in
ally clear convictions of my call to the work; and




70            LIFE AND TIMES OF
when I yielded to their judgment, I determined not
to deceive them, but to retire so soon as I should be
convinced that I was not called of God; and to
conduct myself in such a manner that, if I failed,
my friends might be satisfied it was not for want
of effort on my part, but that their judgment was
not well founded. This resolution supported me
under many doubts and fears, for entering upon
the work of a traveling preacher neither removed
my doubts nor the difficulties that attended my
labors. Sustained by a resolution to make a full
trial, I resorted to fasting and prayer, and waited'
for the kind friends who had charge of me to dismiss me from the work. But I waited in vain. In
this state of suspense my reasoning might have
terminated in discouraging and ruinous conclusions,
had I not been comforted and sustained by the
manner my aged and experienced brethren received
me, by the manifest presence of God in our meetings, and by communion with my Saviour in private
devotion. In this way I became satisfied, at last,
of my call to the ministry, and that I was moving
in the line of duty."
The Rev. M. Thrift, of Petersburg, Virginia,
among several incidents in the life of Mr. McKendree, with which he has kindly favored the
writer, gives the following facts: "The first sermon ever preached by him was at the house of
Robert Venable, in the county of Prince Edward.
During his first year's labor, he was much depressed in spirits, and was on the point of relinquishing his work as an itinerant, but his friends



BISHOP M' KENDREE.          71
and especially the Venables-encouraged him to go
on. He was greatly beloved wherever he labored.
One great cause why he obtained such a firm hold
upon the affections of the people, was his mild and
conciliating manners."
James O'Kelly was his first Presiding Elder, and
Philip Cox, who had the charge of the circuit, was
his first colleague. Mr. Cox seems to have been an
excellent man, and proved a great blessing to his
less experienced associate. His piety, prudence,
amiability, and perseverance were of inestimable
importance in forming the habits and molding
the character of his junior brother. He was fortunate also in having his first year's work among
such a community as he found on Mecklenburg
Circuit.
The prominent members of the Church sympathized with him, esteemed him highly, and sustained
him by their counsels and their prayers. His fears
and doubts began gradually to subside. The conviction deepened in his mind that to preach the gospel
was essential to his own happiness; and as he was
constrained to believe that his efforts were crowned
with the blessing of God in the conversion of souls,
his feelings became much relieved as to his duty
before the year closed.
The whole number of Methodists in America
when Mr. McKendree joined them-white and colored-was only about twenty-five thousand. The
following year (1788) added fifty per cent. to this
number, giving the result of the glorious revival in
Virginia.  The number of preachers increased




72             LIFE AND TIMES OF
nearly in the same proportion: forty-eight were admitted on trial at this Conference.
His first year's work closed. God had been with
him, and his charge was reluctant to part with him.
The agony of his mind was subsiding, the clouds
were beginning to give place to sunshine, and his
heart was becoming satisfied to work, and, if need
be, to suffer and die in the Lord's vineyard.
Among the number admitted on trial with Mr.
Mclendree at the Conference in 1788, were Henry
Burchett, Peter Massie, Valentine Cook, and John
McGee; all of whom, like himself, were, in after
years, laborers in the West. The first two, after
having toiled and suffered for a few years in the
western frontiers, died in the work —and died in
great peace. The remains of the first repose in an
old grave-yard, overgrown with briers and bushes,
in the midst of a large field, about three miles below
Nashville, Tennessee. Some kind hand erected a
simple tomb-stone, and inscribed it with his initials.
His biography says of him —and it is among the
earliest found in the Minutes —" He was a gracious,
happy, useful man, who freely offered himself for
four years' service on the dangerous stations of
Kentucky and Cumberland. He was one among
the worthies who fieely left ease, safety, and prosperity to seek after and suffer faithfully for souls.
His meekness, love, labors, prayers, tears, sermons,
and exhortations will not be soon forgotten." He
died 1794.
Mr. Massie also died near Nashville, and his resting-place is about three miles south-west of that




BISIIOP M' KENDREE.          73
city. After laboring faithfuilly in the ministry for
three years, "he obtained what he desired-a sudden death-by falling from his seat," and immediately expiring. He was a deeply afflicted, devout,
and useful -man.
Valentine Cook, after traveling in the Virginia
Conference several years, came to KIentucky, and
was a remarkably devoted and useful preacher. He
was a learned man-rather eccentric in his manners,
mighty in the Scriptures, and labored extensively
and very successfully in planting Methodism in the
West.  His memory is a sweet savor throughout
the region of his labors. The author has reason to
remember him, and to revere and love him. He
sleeps in the soil of Kentucky.
John McGee was one of the principal instruments
of the great revival of 1800 in the West, and was
distinguished by his sternly simple manners, his
purity of life, and the power of his appeals to the
heart.  He was father-in-law  to Thomas Logan
Douglass, and died at an advanced age, in Smith
county, Tennessee, greatly and justly respected.
Such were the men with whom Mr. McIKendree
entered the ministry. That band, remarkable for
their primitive simplicity of deportment, their
gravity, zeal, and fidelity to their mission, have all
passed away; their privations, toils, and persecutions are over. The battle was a hard one, but it
is ended, and they have the victory which insures
an eternity of bliss.
At the Virginia Conference, held in Petersburg,
andwhich began April 20, 1789, Bishops Coke and
voL. —4




74             LIFE AND TIMES OF
Asbury were both present. Mr. McKendree received his appointment to the Cumberland Circuit,
with John Barker in charge as his colleague, and
James O'Kelly for his Elder. His field of labor
lay on James River, and principally in Washington
county, Virginia. This seems to have been a very
agreeable circuit, and he found here many. kind
friends, and was, generally, warmly received. But,
as was customary at that period, he was taken from
that circuit after he had been there six months, and
was returned to Mecklenburg, the scene of his labors
during the previous year. This fact is evidence of
the error of the tradition which represents him as
having been an unacceptable young preacher, inasmuch as his Presiding Elder would not have reappointed him to the same field of labor, where he
must have known he would not be well received,
and consequently not useful.
We have, however, but little reliable information
as to his course during this year. That he was a
close and methodical student, punctual to all his
engagements, and devoted to his work, none will
doubt who knew him. With characteristic modesty, he confesses that he was not only treated with
marked kindness by his charge, but that he " saw
fruit of his labors." One important fact is clearly
developed in his history: that during this year he
became fully satisfied that it was his duty to preach
the gospel, and that he dismissed all those harassing fears which had tormented his mind upon this
subject. Henceforth we shall find him unreservedly
and cheerfully giving all his energies of soul and




BISHOP M' KENDREE.                 75
body to his holy vocation, until he "ceased at once
to work and live."
The Conference was again held at Petersburg, in
1790, and began on the 14th of June.  Here he was
admitted into full connection, and ordained a deacon.*  Mr. Asbury, in his Journal, says of this
Conference: "All was peace until the Council was
mentioned.  The young men  appeared to be entirely under the control of the Elders, and turned
it out-of-doors. -I was weary, and felt but little
freedom to speak on the subject.  This business is
to be explained to every preacher; and then it must
be carried through the Conferences twenty-four
times-that is, through all the Conferences for two
years."
The Council here alluded to had been originated
* The following is a copy of the original certificate of his ordination:
Know all Men by these Presents, That I Francis Asbury,
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, under the protection
of Almighty GOD, and with a Single Eye to his Glory, by the
Imposition of my Hands, and Prayer, did, on the day of the date
hereof, set apart
William  MctKendree
for the office of a Deacon in the said Methodist Episcopal Church
-a man whom we judge to be well qualified for that work; and
do hereby recommend him to all whom it may concern, as a
proper Person to administer the ordinance of Baptism, Marriage,
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. In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my Hand and Seal, this fifteenth day of June,
One thousand seven hundred and ninety.
FRANCIS Lseal] ASBURY.




76            LIFE AND TIMES OF
the year before, and was designed as a remedy fol
two difficulties. 1. The great extension of the
work rendered it quite inconvenient for all the
preachers to meet together annually.  2. Each
Conference claimed the right of a distinct and separate power, and regarded nothing as binding, except the ordination and stationing of the preachers,
unless sanctioned by all the Conferences.  The
condition of the Conferences was somewhat similar
to that which the several States of our Confederacy
held to each other before the adoption of the Federal Constitution.  The various Conferences, although allied to each other by agreement as to
creed, and the moral and religious objects of Methodism, and also by recognizing the authority of the
Bishops as chief pastors in conferring ordination
and making the appointments, claimed and exercised supreme control upon all questions not expressly intrusted to the Bishops and the General
Conference. As a matter of course, no rule or regulation affecting the general interests of the Church
or the itinerancy could be made, changed, or repealed-nor could any new enterprise be attempted
-until it had been agreed to and adopted by each
Annual Conference. To avoid these serious inconveniences, and promote unity and efficiency, the
plan was adopted to hold a Council, consisting of
not less than nine, of which the Bishops and the
Presiding Elders throughout the Connection should
be members.  This General Council, representing
the whole work, was invested with "authority to
mature every thing they shall judge expedient. 1.




To preserve the general union. 2. To render and
preserve the external form  of worship similar
throughout the Connection. 3. To preserve the essentials of Methodist doctrines and discipline pure
and uncorrupted. 4. To correct all abuses and disorders. And, lastly, to mature every thing they
may see necessary for the good of the Church, and
for promoting and improving our colleges and plan
of education." This plan, in the absence of a delegated General Conference-which seems not yet to
have been thought of- was certainly an improvement upon the state of things previously existing.
But unfortunately there was a provision in the plan
which not only required unanimity in the Council,
but which, moreover, declared that "nothing so assented to by the Council shall be binding in any
District until it has been agreed upon by a majority
of the Conference held for that District."  These
provisions neutralized the utility of the whole arrangement. By requiring all the acts of the Council to be adopted by the District Conferences,
nothing was gained, as to time, over the old system.
And, as unanimity could scarcely be expected among
so large a number of independent bodies, in reference to complicated measures connected with the
interests of a Church spreading over the continent,
there was likewise no increased security for the
harmonious and effective cooperation of the whole
body. The object of these unfortunate provisions
was a laudable desire to maintain Conference-rights;
but it was done at the sacrifice of union and energy.
The manner by which the objects of its authors




78             LIFE AND TIMES OF
was sought to be secured, rendered the plan liable
to attacks, and exposed them to the shafts of the
captious. As a political arrangement, it was a
blunder-being not at all adapted to the necessities
of the, Church or the spirit of the times. It attempted to unite-without any sinister design on
the part of its pure-minded advocates-the aristocratic with the most unlimited democratic element. A "ifaturing Council," composed of Bishops
and their appointees, was the aristocratic principlethe purely democratic feature was found in the fact
that each District Conference had an unqualified
veto power. This plan might answer for the Independents, and for all who adopt the Congregational
system of Church-government, but could only result in discord and disaster in a Church which
seeks to accomplish the benevolent mission of
Christianity by a concentration of her influence.
In justice to Mr. Asbury, and those who concurred with that sagacious and pure-hearted man in
recommending this measure, it should be stated that
at first all the Conferences received the plan with
approbation, and under a different state of things,
and with some modifications, it would have been a
very useful arrangement; but after two years' trial,
it was abandoned by common consent.
The first session of this Council was held at
Cokesbury, on the 1st of December; 1789, consisting of Richard Ivy, from Georgia; 1R. Ellis, South
Carolina; E. Morris, North Carolina; Philip Bruce,
Northern  District -of Virginia; James O'Kelly,
Southern District of Virginia; L. Green, Ohio; Nel



BISHOP MI'KENDREE.             T9
son Reid, Western Shore, Maryland; J. Everett,
Eastern Shore; John Dickens, Pennsylvania; J. 0.
Cromwell, New Jersey; and Freeborn Garrettson,
New York. Bishop Asbury says, "All our business
was done in harmony and love."  "The concerns of
the college," "the printing business," "economy,"
"union," "funds for our suffering preachers on
the western firontiers," etc., were subjects  discussed and acted on at this meeting; and no doubt
their action was wise and necessary. But alas! we
have already seen how easily all their schemes were
rendered abortive by the action of the Virginia
Conference.
There is much significance in the laconic remark
of Bishop Asbury, attributing the defeat of the
"Council" to the influence of the Elders over the
young preachers. We have already seen that Mr.
James O'Kelly was a member of this Council, was
present at its session, and sanctioned its suggestions. But, unfortunately for his reputation, asi
well as for the peace of the Church in Virginia, he
had scarcely returned to his District before he
changed his mind and began a course of systematic
opposition. Whether this desertion of his colleagues, and, at first, covert war against the very
measures he had sustained in the Council, resulted
from a conviction of their impropriety, or of opposition to the Council itself, or (which is more
probable still) from jealousy of Bishop Asbury's
growing influence, coupled with  an inordinate
thirst for popularity, must be left to the decision of
the reader. But certainly his subsequent conduct




80             LIFE AND TIMES OF
exhibits him  in a very questionable light.  If
opposed to the principle involved in the organization of the Council, he had time and opportunities enough to form and express his convictions,
without subjecting himself to the charge of gross
inconsistency. If his objections were founded on
the acts of the Council, he should have opposed
them in the session of the Council, where one dissent would have defeated them. But we are constrained to the conclusion that other and less
worthy motives dictated his factious course. He
may not have been fully aware of the secret springs
of his feelings and actions at the beginning of his
defection, but charity itself, although it can "cover
a multitude of sins," can scarcely be so blind as not
to perceive that his course is irreconcilable with
candor and Christian integrity.
He was an old preacher, of fine talents, and
wielded a great influence over the younger preachers. He had evidently laid the train for the ruin of
Bishop Asbury's favorite plan, and the explosion
began at this Conference. This was, however, but
the beginning-the end is not yet.
At the Conference of 1790, Mr. McKendree was
appointed to Portsmouth Circuit, with Jesse Nicholson for his colleague, and James O'Kelly for his.
Elder.  His narrative of this year's work, of his
transfer to Surry Circuit, and of the pleasure and
spiritual profit he enjoyed, have been stated in his
letter to Bishop Asbury.
The Diary of Mr. McKIendree, which now lies
before the writer, begins May 7, 1790.




BISHOP M' KENDREE.            81
To those who recollect the manners of Mr. Mce
IKendree after he became a bishop, it may be surprising to learn that one who was usually placid, so
philosophically self-possessed and bland, whether in
the parlor, the pulpit, or in the chair, was remarkable for the austerities which he imposed upon himself, and the fervor, almost verging upon excessive
enthusiasm, which marked his early ministerial history. A few quotations from his Diary are given,
not certainly to condemn, but to illustrate truthfully the depth and earnestness of his piety and zeal:
"Friday, May 7, 1790.-This being fast-day-a day
I much delight in, because it is a day on which
Jesus often feeds my soul-I rose early, while it
was yet dark, and went into the field for prayer and
meditation-returned to the house, and after family
prayer, sat down closely to reading, writing, and
prayer.  The day proved very rainy.  I have no
watch; and having risen so early, and a few persons having come too soon, we mistook the time
of day, and began the meeting: a precious meeting
we had indeed." This meeting, it seems, was held
in a private house, and after they had closed the
exercises, and had waited an hour or two, and
"just as dinner was set, the people began to
come to meeting."  Mortified at his mistake, but
not discouraged, he postponed the dinner-arrangements, and proceeded to hold another meeting.
This seems to have been the better of the two, for
he adds, "The great Jehovah poured heaven all
over us, until I, as well as the rest, was filled, overrun," etc., etc.
4*




82            LIFE AND TIMES OF
"Saturday, 8th. —Deep solemnity and heart-agony
rested on me. O how I pant after more of God!
Went to meeting; found very few; spoke from,'0
Absalom, my son, my son!' etc. Felt like I wanted
to send'rivers of tears' to the ends of the earth;
returned and went into the preacher's room, and
Jesus met me. All my sorrow was emptied into
his bosom, and I had access to a throne of grace."
Having gone into the woods on that afternoon to
read and pray in solitude, he says, "My heart
burned, but this did not suffice. I tried this way,
and that, until at last I got into an agony of prayer.
O agony! O pain!-0 sweet pain! O how the
flesh dreads agonizing prayer!  But I am convinced
there is no getting nigh nor keeping close to God
without it."
"Sunday, 9th. — Had a comfortable time in the
morning, and set off with some brethren to lovefeast at Brother Young's meeting-house; had sweet,
refreshing showers by the way; got within a few
miles, and saw such numbers on the way, and the
road so trodden, I felt an awe; and Satan offered
me a temptation, but I absolutely refused to receive
it; turned into the woods, and in a beautiful valley
fell at Jesus' feet.  He opened heaven, and filled
my soul with such victorious joys, that the fear of
men and of devils vanished. As I stepped into the
door, I felt like God was there," etc.  "At night
had prayer-meeting-a time of the Lord's powerChristians shouting, and my soul delighted," etc.
" Went to bed about 11 o'clock. The Lord waked
me, as usual; regardless of interrupting preachers




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            83
or people, I praised the Lord, and went to bed
again." This is an allusion to his habit of rising
from his bed every night for devotion.
"Monday, 10th.-Waked at the break of day; addressed the throne of grace; went over a quarter
of a mile to a fine stream, and listened to the murmuring waters, and singing birds; sent a volley of
praise to Jesus, with strong cries for such things as
I stood in need of. Began searching my heart by
the following questions:
" 1. For what have I left dear parents, family connections, and all that is dear to me? Ans. Not for
applause, nor money, nor ye.t to spread my name,
nor for any sinister view; but 1. For peace to my
soul; 2. To obey God; without which I cannot
keep peace; and, 3. If by any means I may be
helpful to sinners in my generation.
"2. Why do you exert yourself in reading, praying, and meditating so much? Ans. Not to merit
heaven, nor to recommend me to God's favor, nor
yet'to be seen of men;' but to become more and
more acquainted with the word of God, and the
Spirit of God.
"3. How long do you intend to stand it? Ans.
As long as I breatlhe."
On the 18th, Mr. O'Kelly came to his appointment, and preached for him; and from the following remarks in his Diary, no doubt Mr. O'Kelly
endeavored privately, and under the guise of confidence, to weaken his attachments to Mr. Asbury
and the government of the Church. He wrote
thus:




84            LIFE AND TIMES OF
"But, poor preachers! when they come together,
and begin to unbosom themselves, and look into
their distresses, there is grief indeed! Such a time
of trouble I have not felt. HFeavy clouds rising; thunder begins to rumble, and lightning flash: such gloomy
prospects 1 never saw before," etc.
WYhat a pity that one so pure and artless should
be brought under the influence of a jealous, sour,
intriguing old preacher! Here is more of it:
c"Wednesday, 19th. -Brother O'KIelly preached
again: surely, the greatest sermon I ever heard.
The dear old man got his bitter cup sweetened, and
his soul inflamed. This evening the preachers got
together again, and the griefs returned again: went
to bed sorrowful."
Yes, here is an elder poisoning the minds of the
young preachers against Mr. Asbury, and other
holy men, assuming extraordinary piety and love
for Methodism, leading these unsuspecting souls to
regard Mr. Asbury as despotic and mercenary, and
plotting the overthrow of the very system for which
he had lately voted in Council. What a Presiding
Elder! A wolf in charge of lambs!
On Thursday, June 10th, he took leave of his
charge, and started for Conference; met with Mr.
O'Kelly, and continued with him to Petersburg.
On the way, fell in company with a good many of
his brethren going to Conference. Of course, Mr.
O'Kelly could not lose so good an opportunity to
carry out his miserable designs. Here is the indication of it:
"Friday, 11th.-Brother O'Kelly preached from




BISHOP M'KENDREE.                85
Rom. xi. 33.  We had great preaching, but not so
happy a time as I have seen; here met with several
other preachers; went on after preaching, twelve or
fifteen miles, to Brother P.'s. Had some weighty matters brought before us," etc.
Who doubts but the "weighty matters brought
before" them  were presented by the Elder? that
the object was to afflict and depreciate Bishop Asbury, and the old preachers who agreed with him,
by "throwing out of doors" at the ensuing Conference the recommendations of " the Council?"  This
is the way the elders got the'" control of the young
preachers."   What a lesson does the subsequent
history of this man teach to ecclesiastical demagogues! Let young preachers beware of such men.
The following extract may be interesting as illustrative of early Conference scenes:
"'Monday, June 14, 1790. - Got to Petersburg;
found Conference sitting,* and the young preachers
going through their examination; and to my comfort heard eighteen or twenty received without a
blemish, after standing their time of probation. In
the evening, Bishop Asbury read his letters from
different quarters, which gave accounts of the great
work of God going on. The Lord made it a time
of sweetness and power to us in general. At the
* This Conference was most probably held in a private house,
as I learn by a letter from the late A. Dibrell, dated Norfolk,
Virginia, Jan. 26, 1855, that " Bishop McKendree was ordained
deacon in the house of Mr. Gressett Davis-the house now occu
pied by his daughter, Mrs. Follett. There was at that time no
Methodist Church in Petersburg."




86            LIFE AND TIMES OF
adjourning of the Conference, Mr. Jarratt, an Episcopalian preacher, who was with us, went to prayer,
and a time of shouting we had."
"Tuesday, second day of Uonference.-WeV had a precious time in the morning. Mr. Jarratt preached at
11 o'clock. After preaching, seventeen preachers,
being elected, were called, and presented to the
Bishop to be ordained deacons. Such a sight I never
saw before.  It was a solemn time indeed, and
seemed to affect the extensive congregation. For
my own part, I think I was never thus affected before. Felt fresh desires and stronger resolutions
than ever I experienced before to live to God altogether. The world this day seemed to be left very
far behind, and my soul encompassed with light."
His parchment, signed by Bishop Asbury, dated
June 15, 1790, certifies that he was one of these
seventeen; although, from an excess of modesty,
he does not say so.  "A  solemn time, indeed!"
Doubtless it was peculiarly so to him. It was the
hour of his public consecration to the ministry, and
of the irrevocable vow of self-dedication to the
"one work" of saving souls. The impression of
that hour never was erased -that solemn vow never
violated. Like Wesley, Coke, and Asbury, he gave
all his time and energies, to his latest hour, to that
most noble of all works.
The Conference over, Mr. McKendree started
immediately to his new field of labor, and reached
it in time to fill the first appointment- Sunday,
June 20th. Notwithstanding the length of the extracts already given from his Journal, we must give




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            87
one or two more in this connection, as evincing his
course during this year.
"Saturday, 26th.- Awoke this morning at my
usual time, and found myself much disordered;
thought it was prudent to indulge my debilitated
body with'a little more sleep, and a little more
slumber.' But I soon found a fire shut up in my
bones struggling for vent. I sprang up, fell on my
knees, and Jesus answered,'Here am I.' I read
five chapters on my knees (as usual) with deliberation, and in deep meditation, praying for every five
verses, and found heaven all around me. I was
made so sensible of God's goodness that I sunk into
nothing before him, and every breath — and thought
seemed to be prayer or praise; could scarcely help
from bursting into open praise before my strange
brethren. My heart melted like wax, and my soul
was overwhelmed with gratitude."
In the evening, after Brother Nicholson had
preached for him, he says:
"We went on the sea-shore. So noble a scene
never before saluted my eyes!  As I approached
the foaming, raging sea, I observed the waves had
their'bounds,' and their Almighty Creator was
presented. to my mind. I cried out, Who would
refuse to worship such a God as this? All earthly
objects appear small, except such as raise great
thoughts about God."
The incidents noted in his Journal, under date
of June 30th, present a new phase in his character,
and evince that he possessed both physical and
moral courage.




88            LIFE AND TIMES OF
"Wednesday,30th.-Had three hard places to preach
at, where there are no societies. The second, only
last Sabbath, produced hundreds of hearers; somne
drunk, some cursing and swearing, and others offering the preacher grog; while he was —as he said
-on his best behavior, for fear of a whipping. This
set -me all on fire —felt as though a whipping, for
Christ's sake, would be sweet, with faithful dealing
with such rebels. I went, and out they came. Nobody said to me,'Alight,''Come in the house,'
or'Sit down;' (it was a private dwelling-house.)
I went right in, put down my things; fixed the
table to stand by. I felt a fire in my bones, and
began preaching from Luke xvi. 23,'And in hell
he lifted up his eyes, being in torments.' They
seemed to hear with great attention. I did not
spare them in the least-many deep sighs mixed
with tears. A cloud came up, and it began to
thunder fearfully. I claimed the thunder for my
God, and bid defiance to every other power-daring
the rebels then to say one word. The Lord made
it his time to pierce many of their hard hearts. I
came off clear-rode through the rain, rejoicing, to
Cross Roads, and rested from my labors."
One or two more extracts from his Journal will
suffice for the present.
"Monday, July 5th.-Sprung from bed at the crack
of day, when all lay sleeping around me. Hurried
away with my Bible to the open fields, overspread
with the curtains of heaven, and prostrated myself
before the Deity. Felt less than nothing; wrestled
in prayer; run through the fields of meditation;




BISHOP M' KENDREE.           89
read ten chapters on my knees, praying fervently
every five verses. The Lord bowed the heavens,
and came down to visit me-poured out salvation
until my soul was fuly delighted," etc.
"Saturday, 10th.-The attributes of the Lord, the
providence of God, all the holy angels and the
myriad prayers of thousands of saints are my friends,
and on my side. Storms and calms, pain and ease,
persecution and prosperity, life and death-you all
belong to me through Jesus Christ. Glory, hallelujah!  Jesus is my beloved. Enough, enough!
What can daunt my soul when Jesus says,'Go'?
I'll'run to and fro' at his command, in ease or pain,
and count the sufferings of this life not worth mentioning in comparison of the transcendent glories
to be revealed."
And so he did run until he found that glory.




90              LIFE AND TIMES OF
CHAPTER V.
Extracts from his Diary-Preaches two hours-Vessels in a gale
-Feels like a wanderer-Conversions-Preaches in the open
air-In Portsmouth and Norfolk-Bands-Very busy-Children's class-Duty to baptized children-Self-dedicationEmancipation-Is changed to another circuit —" Power"Good-breeding-New circuit-His course of life.
As the leading object of this biography is to give
a full and faithful portraiture of this honored and
excellent minister of God, no apology can be necessary for quoting so frequently from his Diary. It
would be an unpardonable display of vanity if the
writer were to substitute; his own description of
the man for the intellectual and moral daguerreotype which his own writings furnish us.  Wte quote
his Diary again:
"Thursday, 15th.-Feel so little and mean.  I go
through a round of duties, but with so little life, I
blush and ask pardon.  Rode fifteen miles-found
a large congregation; preached two hours, and
thought the time short. The word had a sweet
effect. Went into class-meeting; the people pressed
up-stairs and begged to be permitted to come in;
had- a good time —several joined the Church."
The next sentence reveals the fact that, even at
that time, he was subject to a determination of




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           91
blood to his brain, which, in the decline of life,
often afflicted him so much as to disqualify him for
any mental or physical labor: "Was obliged to go
to bed before the meeting was over; ate no dinner;
kept my bed until night; was bled, and found some
relief." This indisposition continued several days,
although he was able to attend his appointments,
and had some refreshing meetings.
"Monday, 19th.-Preached at Annapolis to an attentive people. After meeting, took myself to solitude; found much sweet communion with the Lord
on a river bank; wrestled in prayer; reading and
meditating, the place became awful. A  heavy
cloud arose very hastily; the waves ran high; vessels hove in sight under furled sails; I sat and
looked on: never in my life did the great Jehovah
appear so awfully powerful; my soul shuddered.
But in the midst, his providential care filled me with
praise. The rain and clouds soon obscured the
view; I returnied to the house and cast myself at
Jesus' feet in prayer. During the balance of the
day I found continual peace in my soul-although
I mourn on account of my little progress in the
divine life, and see so few souls getting converted.
Lord, revive thy work!'Turn again our captivity,
O Lord, and we will praise thee!'"
The next quotation indicates a state of feeling in
which many itinerant preachers can sympathize.
He was a wanderer from home and loved friends
for Christ's sake. Like his great Master and prototype, "he had not where to lay his head."  The
morally sublime and benevolent object of his mnis



92             LIFE AND TIMES OF
sion was not always appreciated by those for whose
salvation he labored. And even when the melancholy feeling arising from a sense of dependence
-among strangers, which he here expresses, may have
been groundless as regards the hospitable disposition of the people, yet how natural and pardonable the emotion!
"Tuesday, 20th.-Find myself still very poorly
and in much pain, yet I must go on, for I have no
place to rest my aching head. Ye sweet birds, sing
on; make your nests and raise your young in peace;
but I am beholden to others for a place of shelter
and rest. Rejoice, ye foxes; sport, ye active lambs;
the God of nature smiles upon you." But sensible
that such a strain of feelings may easily mislead
him, he checks them by adding, " Beware of reasoning with Satan'!
O faithless soul to reason thus,
And murmur without end!
Did Christ expire upon the cross,
And is he not your friend?
Your Saviour is your real friend
To tell your secrets to,
On his advice you may depend
In every thing you do.
Found a large congregation-'lifted my heart to
Jesus; he answered. In the beginning it was painful to speak, but I soon got well. The power of
the Lord came down-the word was like fire among
the people: some that never heard a Methodist before, (as I was informed,) sunk to the floor and cried
for mercy. God bless these yielding sinners! If I




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           98
go among them, they crowd around me to see who
can talk to me. Fourteen mourners on the floor,
and two sprung to life! At night the -people
thronged out, and among the rest a bitter enemy of
the Methodists. The Lord poured out his Spirit.
Just as I began to exhort, one was converted and
sprung up; a shout bursted in the congregation, I
turned round, and caught the old persecutor in my
arms. I called upon him to repent, and told him
he would be damned if he did not."' Wednesday, 2lst.-So many people came to meeting, I was compelled to take my stand under a tree
in the open air. About the middle of the sermon,
one fell to the ground. It was a solemn time;
joined ten in Society. Although no appointment
had been made for meeting, I was astonished to see
a large house crowded with people after dark. I
risked my health, preached, and found the Lord
as evidently present as perhaps I ever did in my
life. The God of Elijah answers by fire! Two
souls sprung into life-one backslider professed
to be reclaimed, and others lay almost like dead
men. This being a new preaching-place, the
people were amazed, and gazed as if they saw
wonders."
The next three days he spent in Portsmouth and
Norfolk, attending class-meetings, and preaching
when well enough to do so, but still laboring under
debility and pain. Mention is made of Brother
Nicholson in Portsmouth, and Martin in Norfolk,
as preachers in charge of these places. In the
former place he became acquainted with a Brother




94            LIFE AND TIMES OF
George, and " found him and his family very kind
and pious."
"Tuesday, 27th, and Wednesday, 28th. —A  little
comforted in meeting, but generally feel much backwardness to my duty, which is painful to me-but
not half painful enough. Lord, increase my faith,
inflame my desires; like a mighty magnet draw
my whole nature toward thee, that I may run after
thee in full stretch, with an earnest and expanded
heart, and take the kingdom of heaven by humble
violence! Amen, amen."
"Thursday, 29th.-O, this leanness! and the
worst of all is, I am too contented in it, and too
much at ease. O Lord, pour fire into my soul, and
heart, and bones! Shut it up there until every
power is inflamed! iLet me wrestle, and fight, and
die, rather than sink into a formal spirit of religion!"
The next quotation is a characteristic one:
"Monday, 2d. —Rest-day; arose early; applied
myself closely to study. There are several persons
present with whom I have been in company for
several days, and have endeavored to provoke them
to good works; I hope I have succeeded. Last
evening I formed five bands, one of which wept
over their leanness, and started with renewed zeal.
This morning, at breakfast, they told me they rose
at midnight, walked a mile, and held a band-meeting,
while I layr asleep. I stood confounded and ashamed."
The following extract from  his Diary, dated
Thursday, Aug. 4, 1790, illustrates the character
of our fathers in the itinerancy, and the secret of
their success:




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           95
"Rose'early; poured out my soul in prayer and
praise; rode to Portsmouth; met the other preacher,
and at twelve o'clock met class; had a comfortable
time. Rode into the country and preached at four
o'clock P.M. The power of the Lord was amongst
the people; deep solemnity rested on the whole
congregation; about twelve or fifteen down crying
for mercy. One was converted, and appeared to be
as happy as a creature can be. Ieturned to town,
preached at eight o'clock, and went to rest at halfpast ten o'clock, much fatigued in body, but with
perfect calmness of soul."
Again he writes, "Friday, 5th.-Set out soon;
rode twenty-five miles; preached, met class, and
classed seventeen children."
How suggestive is the closing remark! And may
not the inquiry be both pertinent and important
just here, whether, as Methodists, and especially as
Methodist preachers, we are doing our whole duty
to our children? Sunday-schools have done much
for them; but ought not the children of our people
to be placed more fully under the pastoral oversight
of our preachers in charge? Should they not form
children's classes, meet them regularly, instruct,
exhort, and pray with and for them? So did young
MdcKendree. Is it not time we were all awake to
the importance of this work?  Christ loves "the
little children" —is angry at those who forbid their
coming to him-says he is their King, and his
kingdom is composed of, or belongs to, such-for
"of such is the kingdom  of heaven"-presents
them as models to which adults must be assimilated,




96             LIFE AND TIMES OF
that they may enter the kingdom —thus recognizing
their right to the privileges of citizenship in his
kingdom, and of their eternal salvation except
upon a forfeiture of these blessings. Thus we understand the great Master; so the great body of the
Christian Church understood him down to the Reformation. Hence the undisputed recognition of
their right to baptism by the early Church.
And now, we baptize them, and have don6 with
them! Surely a good shepherd will take care of
the lambs of his flock. Christ's lambs should have
our care.
On Saturday, Aug. 28th, after preaching and attending the burial of a friend, he received a packet
of letters, and among them was one from "a friend,"
which seems to have excited him greatly. Whatever may have been the design of this communication, it became a spur to his devotional feelings, and
called forth the following strong expressions of renewed dedication of himself to the service of God:
"I feel fresh courage; the'spur' provokes (i.e.,
excites) me; heaven allures me —the Father draws,
and Jesus bids me come. And what shall prevent?
Shall tribulation, affliction, or persecution? No. Is
any thing too much to give up, or too dear to part
from? Shall chief friends or near connections stay
me? No.  Shall honor or pleasure?  I spurn
them. Shall the riches of Peru or the gold of
Ophir be thought equal to thine eternal love, O
Lord? And, with all the rest, I cheerfully nmake
the surrender of soul, flesh, and blood, and, at thy
command, father and mother, brothers and sisters,




BISHOP M'KENDREE.              97
houses and lands, and the yoke broke, and the oppressed
go free.  And my life, adorable Jesus, is at thy
disposal! All these do I view as valueless when
they rise between thee and me. And now, O Lord
God Almighlty, grant me one request, for Christ's
sake; give me grace; give me power cheerfully to
leave them all at thy comnmand."
Two remarks, suggested by the above quotation,
may- not be considered inappropriate:
1. Without a frequent and solemn reconsecration
of himself and of all he has to the service of God,
no preacher is fitted for his holy work.
2. There is doubtless an ink-ling of his feelings
on the subject of emancipation in the above phrase,
"The yoke broke —the oppressed go free."
Mr. MecKendree, in common with the whole body
of his colleagues in the Methodist ministry, and
perhaps in the membership, was doubtless sternly
opposed to the African slave-trade, then carried on
extensively. The feelings of Mr. Wesley and of
Dr. Coke were well understood upon this subject.
Iunmanity shuddered at the injustice and cruelty
connected with it. South Carolina, while a British
province, passed an act prohibiting the farther importation of slaves, but Great Britain rejected it.
The province of Virginia repeatedly remonstrated
with the crown of England against it, and begged its
discontinuance, but British selfishness protected the
traffic, and, assisted by New England, carried it on,
until the South was filled with captured Africans.*
* The colony of Virginia, beginning as far back as 1699, passed
twenty-three acts to repress the slave-trade.
VOL. I.-5




98             LIFE AND TIMES Of?
In her petition to the British throne in 1772, the
following language is used:
"We are encouraged to look up to the throne
and implore your Majesty's paternal assistance in
averting a calamity of the most alarming nature.
The importation of slaves into the colonies from
the coast of Africa, hath long been considered a
trade of great inhumanity; and under its present encouragement, we have too much reason to fear, will
endanger the very existence of your Majesty's
American dominions.
"Deeply impressed with these sentiments, we
most humbly beseech your Majesty to remove all
those restraints on your Majesty's governors of this
colony, which inhibit their assenting to such laws which
might check so very pernicious a commerce."
These petitions availed  nothing.  The reply
which had been made to South Carolina-that
the slave-trade was beneficial and necessary to the mother
country, and which was given to the attempts to
abolish the trade in Jamaica in 1765, and repeated
in 1774-that "we cannot allow the colonies to
check or discourage a traffic so beneficial to the
nation"-seenms to have been the settled policy of
England up to the period of our Revolution. Indeed, "the inhuman use of the royal negative"
against the action of the colonies, upon this subject,
is specified in the very first clause of the original
Virginia Constitution, as a reason of her separation
froml the mother country; and the first Assembly
after the adoption of the Constitution prohibited
the traffic.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            99
Nor let it be forgotten that the United States
Government interdicted the trade from her ports
thirteen years before Great Britain did-'that she
made it punishable as a crime seven years before,
and that she fixed the period of non-importation
while Britain was still allowing and encouraging it
in her colonies; and that Northern ships and capital were deeply interested in the trade. Thus to
Old England and New England the South almost
wholly owed her slaves, and but for Southern opposition to their " capture " and the horrors of "the
middle passage," the African slave-trade would not
have been so soon abolished.
Sympathizing with the prevailing feeling upon
this subject, Mr. McKendree was decidedly opposed
to the slave-trade. Humanity and religion branded
it as cruel and odious. Mr. Wesley, and all the
early preachers whom  he sent to America, were
conscientiously and openly in opposition, both to
the "trade" and the relation of slavery.  The
number of slaves then in the colonies was comparatively small, and it was thought their emancipation was practicable; hence, under those influences, many Methodists in the slave regions
felt constrained to evince their sense of the injustice of capturing and enslaving the unfortunate
Africans by emancipating all they owned. In this
way thousands were restored to nominal freedom.
As the number of slaves increased, and the difficulties of the effort became more and more evident,
this first strong emotion was, in a degree, repressed,
by reflecting upon the impossibility of restoring




100           LIFE AND TIMES OF
them to their native home, in Africa; the miseries
which such a restoration would involve, their incapacity for the enjoyment of the rights of freemen
here, and the degradation and wretchedness of
those upon whom the experiment had been tried.
Public sentiment thus gradually settled down in
the unwelcome conviction that the relation was
inevitable; and thus thousands who viewed the
acts of their capture and deportation with horror,
and who would have done any thing practicable to
prevent their introduction into America, finding
the question of their emancipation a problem for
which no feasible solution had been presented by
statesmen and philanthropists, came to the conclusion that, to those necessarily involved in the relation
of masters, the wiser and better plan was to treat
them with humanity, give them the advantages of
the gospel, and await the developments of Providence.
Many, however, not so familiar with the difficulties which environ the subject, and impelled by their
sympathies, continued to advocate emancipation at
whatever risks to society and to the slaves themselves. Their consciences were implicated, and they
felt they must bear their testimony against " the
evils of slavery"-forgetting that to modify and
control an evil, and to make it conduce to good, is,
in some cases, the best and only safe remedy for it.
We have no wish to conceal the fact that Mr.
McKendree, at this period of his life, and for many
years afterward, was opposed both to slavery and
the slave-trade. Nor do we pretend that he was




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           101
ever the advocate of the one or the other. He was
too intimately acquainted with the delicate and
dangerous nature of the subject, too wise and prudent, and withal, loved both his country and the
whole Church too much to become, at any period
of his life, a public and violent agitator of this
question. He was opposed to becoming the owner
of slaves, and no doubt would have set them free
if his father had given him any. When he wrote
the words quoted above, doubtless he was at heart
an emancipationist, as-were most of his colleagues
and friends. He was such upon principle; and if
maturer years, more extended observation, and'a
riper judgment, effected any change in his views
and feelings upon the subject, which is said and believed to have been the case, such a change implied
nothing inconsistent with the purest and most disinterested emotions of Christian philanthropy. It
was not that he loved the slave less, or less detested
the slave-trade, or that he was more a friend of slavery, but that he became more sensible of the fact that
the highest interests of all concerned made it his
duty to refrain from the agitation of the question.
Nothing is more evident than that in his later years
the agitation of this subject in the Church deeply
disquieted and distressed his heart. Slavery, he
regarded, as it existed in the South, an infinitely
less evil than civil war and ecclesiastical strife. He
was born and brought up amidst slaves; his parents
and all his nearest kindred were owners of theme
Hie had witnessed the growth of the slave poptulation, had seen the effects of slavery, and of emanci



102            LIFE AND TIMES OF
pation, both in the free and the slave States; every
plan which human ingenuity had devised for "the
extirpation of the great evil of slavery," he had
duly considered; and with his ample sources of information, he came to the conclusion that under his
surroundings it was best for him, in view of all the
difficulties and dangers involved, to let the subject
alone, except in so far as he was bound by the
word of God to insist upon the duties pertaining
to the relation of both the master and the slave.
As an evidence of the modification of his sentiments on this question, by more extended observation, when his growing infirmities rendered it
necessary that he should have a servant to attend
upon him, he consulted with his friends, the Rev.
Dr. A. L. P. Green and Mr. Elijah Boddie, about
the propriety of purchasing a servant for this
purpose; but they dissuaded him  from  it, and
he dropped the subject.
Justice to him demands that we add, that since
our acquaintance with him began, until his death,
he was the fast friend of colonization-not with
the expectation that by this means they would all
be speedily transferred to Africa, but that the free
colored people might find a congenial home, and
become instrumental in evangelizing their fatherland.
Such was the consistent course of the man whose
early Diary we are tracing, and which closes his
account of himself, August 28, 1790, with these
characteristic remarks:
"I enjoy the testimony of an inoffensive con



BISHOP M'IENDREE.          103
science; and this is my continual rejoicing,'that in
simplicity and godly sincerity I have had my conversation in the world.'"
Having been directed by his Presiding Elder to
exchange work with another preacher, he notices
the fact in his Diary, and confesses his reluctance
to do so, because of the strong mutual attachment
which knit him and his charge together. To one
so constitutionally modest and retiring as he was
known to be, and as he was to a peculiar degree in
his early ministry, it must ever have been an affliction to leave a devoted circle of friends and brethren, and go amidst strangers. Yet he hesitated
not-it was the custom of the times, and he was
not a man likely to innovate the rules he had promised to keep, nor to claim a personal exemption
from a common duty.
" Sunday, Aug. 29, 1790. — With a heaven of
peace in my soul, I preached at B. Meeting-house,
from Prov. i. 12-26. The power of the Lord came
upon me, and his word was like fire shut up in my
bones. Some hard hearts trembled; others ran from
the power. This is the way the devil keeps possession of the people here: as soon as the power is displayed, he leads the sinners off. I went after them,
but they bristled up in a bunch and opposed and
condemned the work. I reasoned with them until
they were softened, and begged them, if they condemned me, at any rate to spare the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Christ.  I then drew vouchers from
the Scriptures, which made them look about. I farther said, You think I ant wrong, and I think you are




104            LIFE AND TIMES OF
not right; but God knows who is right, and he will
presently judge us all-and I know Jesus is in my
soul. I then began to shout, and they turned
pale, kindly shook my hand, and bade me Godspeed."
God forbid that the time shall ever occur in the:
history of Methodism when the preachers shall
cease to feel the holy fire which glowed in the heart
of young McKendree, or become ashamed to defend the work of the Holy Spirit!  Should such,
unfortunately, ever take place, then, however
learned and eloquent they may be, however numerous, rich, and respectable our membership -may become, the`"power" will depart from us, revivals
cease, and the divine Shekinah will no longer
gleam upon our altar. God of our fathers, give us
poverty, reproach, and persecution, rather than
this! Take not from us an earnest, spiritual, and
faithful ministry, with those demonstrations of our
divine calling which our fathers enjoyed in the conversion of sinners and the sanctification of believers! Let thy "power" abide with us to the end of
time!
Omitting to notice the details of the succeeding
week, as given in his Diary, evincing constant
toil and much holy joy, we anxiously follow him
to his new field of labor. Here is his account of
his introduction to his new charge:
"Sunday, Sept. 5, 1790. —Took my new circuit, at
N. Tavern-preached to a' pretty serious and attentive people, but strangers to me. After meeting T
felt, for a little while, like I must make application fol




BISHOP M KENDREE.          105
some place to lay my head; but before I did so, a
very genteel person stepped forward and gave me
an invitation. I thankfully accepted the offer, and
soon found it was to a lawyer's — one of the first
families. The sweetness of this people's spirit has
entirely won me. I am more than ever convinced
that good-breeding is an accomplishment next to
grace. Instead of leaving the room to avoid the
presence of the preacher, they give me their company when I can spare time from retirement, and
introduce subjects for conversation which interest
and instruct. Indeed, they so won my affection
that when I took my evening walk, I felt deeply
engaged for them, and cried out,' O Lord, give me
this people!' 0 that I may meet every member of
this precious family in the kingdom  of glory!
Amen."
This was a very ~good beginning, and the new
circuit seems to have been one' of more refinement
and intelligence than the old one. Will our youthful soldier find himself relaxing in self-denial, simplicity, and zeal, now that he is mingling with the
more polished and wealthy portion of society?
What happened to the victorious followers of Hannibal after the battle of Cannse, has often since
occurred to the young soldier of the cross, and
hundreds of preachers who had won favor by their
zeal, simplicity, and devotion to their Master, have
been ruined by prosperity, smiles, and flattery.
Not such, however, was his fate-the secret of his
strength in resisting these influences will be found
in the divine' grace which he sought with great hu5*




106           LIFE AND TIMES OB
mility and constant self-denial, and in his unceasing
labors in the ministry.
The succeeding week, he seems to have suffered
a good deal from an attack of fever and ague; but
on Monday, Sept. 13th, he resumes his Diary:
"Remained poorly, but traveled and strove to
preach-have had lovely meetings-Christians in a
flame. My exercises have been various. I want to
serve God with all my soul, and dedicate all my gifts
and substance to the Lord. But 0, I do often see
and feel my failures, and set out afresh to amend;
yet have to mourn that I am not what I ought to be!
My example is not so reserved and holy as it ought
to be! How unbecoming for a Christian, especially
a Christian minister, to laugh! O Lord, thou that
seest me now while writing, and knowest how I
want to love thee with all my heart, and serve thee
with all my strength, pardon my misgivings, pity
my weaknesses, and graciously restore me to the
strength of'a perfect man in Christ Jesus'! Endear thyself to me, O Lord, until I shall be inflamed
with love, and be ready to lay down my life for
thee at any time! Lord grant it! Amen."
Let his sons in the gospel read and consider the
following language in his Diary, dated Thursday,
Sept. 16, 1790:
"Preached-rmuch life and activity in religion,
and pressed the subject of holiness with much
diligence. Some proclaimed their fresh resolutions to go forward, and acknowledged former
backslidings.  I felt the weight of St. Paul's
language, lest after'I have preached to others, I




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           107
myself should be a castaway.' O what dangers I
see in a preacher's resting in merely talking about
and pressing it upon others, and yet, for want of
spiritual exertions and repeated fastings, he may be
losing the power of religion in his own soul! O
Lord, while I minister to others, I pray thee give
me to eat and live of'the things of the altar,' lest
I die! 1 Cor. ix. 13."
Daily self-denial, frequent, fervent, and protracted
prayer, "in fastings often," "preaching the word in
season and out of season," reproving, rebuking,
exhorting, as "need required and occasion was
given," combined with a constant study of the
Bible and devout meditation, were the means by
which our fathers in the ministry "wrought wonders."  Their preaching was plain and in faith:
they felt the force of the momentous truths which
they uttered. They realized the presence of' God,
and expected the aid of the Holy Spirit to attend the
divinely-appointed means. They looked for present
effects, and they were not disappointed. Sinners
were convicted and converted under the word, and
the lukewarm and self-satisfied were stimulated to
seek for holiness. God honored the men, by giving
them the signs and seal of his favor, who honored
him by their confidence in his truth and power. So
it has ever been, and so it will be to the end of
time.
We give the following quotation as another instance of the course he pursued:
"Saturday, Sept. 18th. —Rose early. After morning devotion and family prayer, I returned to




108            LIFE AND TIMES OF
my room and read five chapters in Deuteronomy on  my knees, praying fervently, every
five verses, for the Spirit and life of the word.
Precious and awful meditations rolled through my
mind. I turned my eyes, and behold, all under the
sun is'vanity;' hence the conclusion that true religion and good health are the greatest blessings on
earth."  He adds, at the close of the day, "This
being watch-night, and having to watch alone, I
went to my room. After prayers for the band-connection, fell to reading the' Saints' Rest;' and really,
before I got through the account of'the hinderances to heavenly-mindedness,' my heart ached.
I wrestled and begged the Lord for power over my
last enemy. I mourned my time out, and. went to
bed pained and distressed for more of God."
The reader doubtless understands, here, the allusions to the band-society, and the custom of its
members to pray for each other at stated times, and
also to the watch-night usage, which required its
members to devote the night-at least until after
twelve o'clock-to devotion.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.                109
CHAPTER VI.
MeKendree's Diary-Fasting-Reproof-Mr. O'Kelly attacks the
Council —His course — Itinerancy  Tobacco - Preparation for
preaching-Selecting and changing texts-Different kinds of
style-The kind for the pulpit —O'Kelly's Convention-The
regular Council - Mr. Asbury gives it up - McKendree visits
his father-Meets Bishop Asbury-Is delighted-Mr. Wesley's
death-Dr. Coke goes to England-McKendree ordained elder
Dec. 25, 1791.
As the Diary of Mr. McKendree embraces but a
short period of his useful life, and may be interesting and edifying to many of our readers, we subjoin
farther extracts:
"Wednesday, Sept. 22,1790.-Early in the morning,
spent an hour on my knees in fervent prayer, reading God's word, and praising my adorable Saviour.
It was a time of heavenly joys to my soul.  From
ten o'clock A.M. to half-past one o'clock, I spent in a
lonely, awful swamp, in wrestling, agonizing prayer.
But surely God and his holy ones were all around
me, heaven burst into my bosom, and glory filled
my soul."
Again: "O  how  sweet is Christian  fellowship
below!  Blessed be God for the uniting spirit of
love I feel to Jesus and his people!  O blessed be
God that ever he formed a militant Church! Glory




110           LIFE AND TIMES OF
to his name that he ever received such a poor unworthy worm as I into his Church-privileges! How
I am blessed!'I had rather be a door-keeper in the
house of my God than to dwell in the tents of
wickedness'  that I would."
The practice of fasting at regular periods, it is
feared, is, like some other very excellent usages
among the old Methodists, becoming less strictly
observed of late than formerly. Then the habit,
among the preachers especially, was to fast every
Friday-some added Tuesday —and those who were
too feeble to fast throughout the entire day, abstained until evening.  The quarterly fasts were
kept by all the members. Mr. McElendree was
punctual and rigid in all these observances. Hence
he says:
"Friday, Sept. 24th.-Having to ride fifteen miles
and preach, I had some temptations to breakfast,
but resisted them; and though I suffered on account
of abstinence, yet the cross vanished, and I suffered
less than usual on my fast-days. Praise and power,
honor and glory to God! He has not forgotten to
be gracious, but made one in our midst. The meeting lasted four hours, when one of the mourners
sprang up, praising God for snatching him as'a
brand from the burning.' O how like heaven is
the place where God revives his work! "
Sunday, Sept. 26th, seems to have been to him a
day of some labor and trial. He preached to a'm:;lmber of professors" of religion, "pressing the
subject of holiness" upon them; but it was found
impossible to engage their attention, and he inti



BISHOP M'KENDREE.          11I
mates that the indifference was owing to an increasing spirit of formality. Indeed, so dissatisfied was
he with the result of his efforts, and with the subsequent idle and worldly conversation of the members, that he could not eat his dinner, but proceeded
to Brother Berryman's, a distance of twenty miles,
expecting to meet his Presiding Elder, J. O'Kelly.
In this hope, however, he was disappointed, although
he found Brother William Spencer there, with whom
he enjoyed sweet Christian communion. During
the whole of this Sabbath afternoon ride he was
harassed by temptations, nor found relief until
shortly before he reached his destination. He had
preached and held class-meeting in the forenoon,
and left the house of his friend, who had invited
him to dinner, not only without eating, but sorely
vexed. His ride was fatiguing. He found Brother
Spencer "shut up in a little room, and very sick,"
and the brethren already collected there for meeting.
To add to his excitement against worldly-mindedness in the Church, poor Spencer complained bitterly against the trifling conversation of those who
had assembled.  Hence Mr. McKendree, having
"to hold meeting, took occasion to lecture pointedly upon Sabbath-breaking and levity of deportment." The offenders hung down their heads;
some were very penitent, while Brother Spencer
and himself "were refreshed and comforted."  To
reprove sin is sometimes as much a duty as to proclaim glad tidings, and not unfrequently requires
far more moral courage; for while no one ever so
delighted to comfort and bless men as did our di



112           LIFE AND TIMES OF
vine Master, yet even he occasionally dealt in anathemas, until a stranger might have supposed that
he never used any other trumpet than that of
"cursing."  But alas for frail humanity!  How
slight an incident may give a tinge to our emotions,
and how often do we mistake the suggestions of
our own morbid sensibilities for the impulses of
duty! "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are
of," was the Saviour's reply to the prayer for fire
to consume a village which had refused to receive
him. He turned and rebuked his disciples, and
quietly went to another village. How perfect the
portraiture of heavenly excellence is Christ's character, as exhibited in the Bible!  He was more
afflicted by the wrong temper of his disciples than
by the disrespect shown himself, and felt that it
was more important they should be right than that
he should be popular. Wrong actions in others do
not justify wrong tempers in us; for if Christ's
ministers continue right, the errors of the world
may at last be corrected; but if they go astray, the
recovery of the world is hopeless. Doubtless Mr.
McKendree but discharged a pastoral duty in the
rebuke he administered in this case, and it is to be
hoped that while he performed a painful duty, the
manner in which it was done was also right.
On the next day —i. e., Monday, 27th-Mr. O'Kelly,
the Presiding Elder, came, and preached on John
xvii. 7: "Sanctify them  through thy truth: thy
word is truth."  " He opened the doctrine of sanctification to my great satisfaction. In his first head
of doctrine, which was to show for whom Christ




BISHOP M' KENDREE.         118
prayed, the people seemed sweetly happy; but in
the second, which was to show why his prayer is
not answered, and what sanctification is, the congregation became unfeeling. We had a melting
time at sacrament, and then the poor miserable Council
took up all our time until ten o'clock at night."  Alas for
Mr. O'IKelly!  Again at the miserable work of
prejudicing the young preachers placed under his
charge against the very measure for which he had
voted in General Conference; and doubtless inveighing against the motives and administration of
the honest, laborious, and unselfish Asbury; drilling his inexperienced and unsuspecting "young
men to throw the whole affair out" at the approaching Conference, and thus covertly laying the train
whose explosion was to rend the Conference and
the Church! Yet even this unsuspecting young
preacher, who had been introduced into Conference
by him, out of whose District he had never traveled,
and to whom he looked up as to a model minister
and Christian gentleman, even he is disgusted and
worried with the oft-repeated introduction of the
subject.  What a poor return. does Mr. O'I(elly
makle to Bishop Asbury and the Church for the
confidence and respect they evince in giving him a
position which he employs to their injury! Unacquainted with the bishop, inexperienced in the wiles
of ambition, or the feelings of jealousy, and comparatively ignorant of the government of the
Church, our young preacher's guileless heart and
earnest piety are not proof against such influences.
Indeed, his very love of the Church stimulates to a




114           LIFE AND TIMES OF
more intense dislike of the man he is taught to
regard as a tyrant. Mr. O'Kelly was a hot emancipationist. Sanctification was his theme in the
pulpit, and detraction of Mr. Asbury his employment out of it. Like most ambitious and disappointed men, he had a high appreciation of his own
importance, and fault-finding and defamation seem
to have been henceforth his daily work until he
seceded. The wonder is that he did not ruin more
of the young preachers than he did: perhaps their
very ingenuousness and honesty of heart, which he
abused to prejudice them against Bishop Asbury,
were the means of their being disabused when they
came to know him better. Surely, whatever diversities of opinion may exist upon other topics between the different organizations of the great Methodist family in America, they must ever agree and
attest that Francis Asbury was, under God, an
apostle of Jesus Christ to them all.
In a few days, however, Mr. O'KIelly left the circuit, and Mr. MclKendree resumed his labors. lIe
confesses that he felt less inclination for his duties,
" and very much concerned about the present aspect
of our Church-government." Left to himself, and
continuing his course of study and labor, his sky
soon became bright again; for shortly afterward we
find him saying, of an appointment which he
reached with great difficulty, "In the first prayer
my soul caught fire; felt light, life, and power in
preaching; the place fairly trembled with the engagedness of the people; Christians shouted, and
sinners wept." Of course, he held a class-meeting.




BISHOP M' RENDREE.          115
"The people went out for class-meeting, but before
the door was shut, some carne back into the house.
I talked with them, and they resolved to seek the
Lord. We had a sweet meeting, blessed be God!
I hope the labor of this day is not in vain. I feel
complete victory in my own soul, thanks be to the
Lord!"
The itinerant system of preaching is of divine appointment, and unquestionably John Wesley, and
his sons in the gospel, may justly claim in this respect to be in the "apostolic succession."  The great
Master traveled and preached. His last command
was, "Go;;" and " as ye go, preach."  "And they
went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord
working with them." Christ had promised to "be
with them  unto the end of the world."  He was
with them, and has ever been with their faithful
successors in doctrine, experience, and labors.  This
system is not only necessary as a means of diffusing
the word of life among all the scattered population
of the globe, but it is the great school for training
and perpetuating an efficient and holy ministry.
Without it, the world would be much poorer, and
the Church would suffer an irreparable loss. True,
it is a system often involving exile from "father
and mother, brother and sister, houses and lands,
wife and children;" it devolves labor, care, and,
not unfrequently, affliction and poverty, upon those
who engage in it, and sometimes even the loss of
life itself; but it must never be abandoned. No
cost is too great which is necessary to spread " the
glorious gospel of the blessed God," and "save the




116            LIFE AND TIMES OF
souls for whom Christ died."  The richest gems,
the brightest intellects, the most precious lives, the
hardest labors, and greatest sacrifices, find their
safest and best investment in this godlike work. If
archangels were permitted to assume our form for
a season, and select their vocations, they would become traveling ministers. They would leave to
others to be kings, statesmen, generals, philosophers, and jurists, and, like their and our great
Lord, throw all their time and energies into the
harvest-field, where souls are reaped for the heavenly garner. Nor would they care much whether
their fields of operation might be rich or poor, refined or rustic: if they might have any preference,
it would be for the places where their labor might
be most needed and most effective.
The emotions of the "good and faithful" itinerant preacher are various and peculiar. Impelled
by a conviction of duty which will not allow of
indolence or silence, trembling under a sense of
the delicacy and responsibility of the ministerial
office, deeply and even painfully sensible of his
want of qualification for the proper discharge of
its various duties, and, sometimes, almost overwhelmed with the: discouragements and trials peculiar to the itinerant pastor's work, he needs and
must have a frequent baptism of the Holy Ghost to
sustain him. And while a consciousness of his
personal acceptance with God, and a conviction
that the path in which he is treading, although
often rugged and thorny, is nevertheless the way
of duty, may enable him to'bear "the burden of the




BISHOP MI KENDREE.          117
Lord" bravely and cheerfully; yet when he sees no
fruit of all his toils and cares, but meets with indifference among the unconverted and neglect on
the part of his members, ah, then he must have a
firm faith in the truth of God's promises, or he will
falter in his course. But, on the other hand, when,a soothing manifestation of the Holy Spirit is given
him, and the seal of divine approval attests his
call to the ministry, in the conversion and sanctification of souls, who so happy as he? Then he feels
that the longest life is too short, and his utmost
energies too small a contribution to so great and
glorious a work. Such were the struggles and such
the triumphs of young McKendree, and such has
been the history of many an humble, laborious
traveling preacher, who, like him, lived to work for
God and souls, until he died to rest for ever.
The next quotation illustrates his zeal, and
evinces his opposition to the "needless self-indulgence" of the use of tobacco-an opposition which
he maintained through life.
"Thursday, Sept. 30, 1790. —Rode to Brother
Andrews's, and met a few people. The Christians
were not engaged, and the sinners looked impudently wicked. I strove to be faithful, and was
plain in class-meeting.  Some seemed a little
moved, but so soon as meeting was over and they
were out of class, one had a pipe, another was after
a chew of tobacco, and the women with their snuffboxes, until my soul. was grieved."
"Preparation for the pulpit" is frequently talked
about, both among preachers and others; and as



118           LIFE AND TIMES OF
suredly every preacher should "study to show himself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed-rightly dividing the word of
truth."  For this purpose he should read and inwardly digest such books as may conduce to this
end, and by no means be guilty of the presumption
of supposing that the Spirit of God will as readily
give his sanction to an undigested ebullition of
fancy and rant as to those sermons which are the
result of profound and pious study. But there is
one kind of preparation for which our early preachers were remarkable, and to which, under God, they
were to a great degree indebted for their wonderful
success in winning souls; a preparation for which
neither learning nor eloquence-nay, nor every
possible literary and mental accomplishment-affords a substitute. Of course, it is the preparation
of the heart and soul. The following quotation from
his Diary shows how the subject of this biography
sought this qualification:
"October 2d.-Being already at my preachingplace since eight o'clock, I have been with Jesus in
this beautiful forest, in deep exercise. My book is
sweeter than common. O what spirit I find in the
word of the Lord! I read it much, and with great
delight-often on my knees. I take my flight-on
wings of faith and love still mounting higher to
the celestial world. One half hour humbly prostrate on my face, to converse with eternity! And
such deep views and bright conceptions of eternal
things I never had before in all my life. But I
must go-, the congregation is assembled, and my




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            119
watch says eight minutes to twelve o'clock. Farewell, sweet and solemn place! Lord Jesus, go with
me! Amen. Amen."
And is it surprising that He who promised, "Lo,
I am with you," should verify his promise to such
a minister? The Lord Jesus was with him-blessed
his labors, honored him with a long and useful life,
and after enabling him to exhibit a consistent example and adorn various offices in the ministry, dismissed him from earth, and received him to himself.
Should the example of this holy man be the means
of perpetuating his spiritual, self-denying, and laborious course among his sons in the gospel, the
writer's highest desire will have been attained in
preparing this work for the press.  May they, at
least, ever remember that nothing can supersede the
necessity of preparing their HEARTS and SOULS for the
pulpit, by devout reading and study of the Bible, fervent
and frequent prayer, self-examination, and holy meditation! AWe do not depreciate the highest mental
training-the higher the better; but without this
spiritual preparation, the highest is far too low for
that service in which "we are workers together with
God."
The following week was devoted to preaching,
visiting the sick, and his usual routine of religious
exercises. Twice during the time he preached to
congregations of colored people, and was much
gratified both by the opportunity and the effect.
I:He expresses surprise and gratitude for the cordial
hospitality he received, and particularly for the solicitude evinced by the wealthy and intelligent. but




120            LIFE AND TIMES OF
unconverted, for his company-thinks it an omen
for good, and resolves to use it for their spiritual
welfare.  "Visited Mr. Hardy, who was very ill,' of
a long hard fever,' and being invited to preach to
those who waited on the sick, gladly embraced the
opportunity, and addressed them from'Ye must be
born again.'"
He notices the following incident as occurring
this week. It seems that Robert Green, preacher
on Calvert Circuit, had visited Mr. McKendree's
circuit and preached at one of his meeting-houses
the day before. "I had fixed my mind upon a text
in the morning, but while going into the house, my
mind began to float. During singing, my subject became entirely foreign to my feelings, and another
presented itself to my mind. I took it, and, blessed
be the Lord! I felt a tolerable degree of liberty,
and my own soul was comforted. After meeting
was over, I told Brother Green my exercises concerning the text, when he replied,'The text you
lost I preached from here yesterday.'"
The plan of selecting a text as soon as possible,
and always after prayer and proper reflection upon
the character and condition of the audience, is certainly judicious; nor should it be changed, after it
has been maturely considered, for a mere whim;
yet every preacher, except perhaps those who read
their sermons or deliver them from memory, (and it
is to be hoped their number among us is small,) will
occasionally find himself afloat, (boatman's phrase,)
and have to fasten to another text. Sometimes the
subject is found inappropriate to the audience, but




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            121
more frequently, as in the case of Mr. McIlendree,
it becomes tame to the feelings, or partially beclouded. Then another theme presents itself with
more vividness to the mind, and the change is effected. But let the young preacher beware lest he
fall into Charybdis in avoiding Scylla; for it does
not follow, because one thought associated with the
new text may strike his fancy, or because it ray
seem to be a more impressive theme, that he will be
more likely to discuss it profitably. Too many
choose their texts as silly men do their wives; for
-dbjects have their drapery as well as persons. The
first business of the preacher is to give the meaning
of God's word. He should therefore seek to find
out the import of his text, and then determine
whether the lessons he can fairly deduce from it
are likely to be appropriate and useful to his audience. In most cases the extemporaneous preacher
who has studied and matured his subject, without
having memorized it, has a decided advantage.
Let us not, however, be misunderstood on this
subject. We hold that every preacher should cultivate his memory and chasten his style; and as
nothing contributes to the latter more than the use
of the pen, of course he should write- sermons.
Neither would we object to his memorizing one of
his own composing occasionally, or to his reading
it on an extraordinary occasion. But such cases
should be exceptions-the general rule being "to
study the subject thoroughly, and then depend upon
his resources for language to express his ideas."  In
this way he will form the habit of thinking while
VOL. i.-6




122            LIFE AND TIMES OF
extemporizing, and at the same time all the mental
faculties which oratory requires, having been cultivated by previous study, will be improved and
adapted to the occasion. The pompous, the elaborate, and the rustic styles of speaking are unfit for
the pulpit.  The first aims to be impressiveavoids short words as a prudent man does contagion-affects the sublime, but is simply ridiculous,
and seeks to carry the citadel by high-sounding
nonsense. He attempts to do a large business on a
small capital. Words, gestures, and voice, are his
merchandise, while his stock of ideas is very de-.
ficient; or if perchance he should be heard to utter
some scraps of blank verse, a stanza of sonorous
rhyme, or a sentence or two a little less magniloquent than his usual inflated style, it may be taken
for granted that he is disingenuously appropriating
the product of another's mind to his own benefita species of petit larceny not unfrequent with such
speakers, and for which they deserve to be impaled
by public contempt. The second is too learned and
philosophic, too stiff and artistic. This is our amateur preacher. His terms are refined and unusual.
He employs, like some young doctors, scientific
and technical words, which common people do not
understand. He copies "Plato and Epictetus," not
St. Paul nor St. Paul's great Master. Such a
preacher may be styled a "beautiful speaker,"
"learned," and "elegant,"  and some may be the
more impressed with his greatness because they
cannot understand hinm, and therefore suppose he
must be a very deep man; but his efficiency is about




BISHOP M'IENDRIEE.          123
equal to a beautifully-painted and neatly-fashioned
wooden gun. "Verily he has his reward" in the
admiration of the fashionable and silly, who applaud him as they do their favorite actor at the
theater, though far less warmly, and are benefited
about as much by the performances of the one
as the other, with  this  marked difference as
to immediate results, that the one puts them to
laughing and crying on Saturday night, while the
other simply puts them to sleep on Sabbath. The
third uses puns, wit, anecdotes-confines himself
to no rules of rhetoric, logic, or grammar- glories
in thinking for himself, and has a contempt for
the pretensions of the first and the prudery of the
second class.
The proper style for the pulpit, and indeed for
every kind of public speaking, is such as rises spontaneously from the subject; and it is indispensable
that the subject should be clearly conceived and
deeply inipressed upon the heart. Then, in one of
a cultivated mind, emotion will certainly suggest
appropriate language. Without passion there is no
true eloquence; and passion prompts to natural and
simple forms of expression. Sublimity must exist
in the ideas, or no language can produce them.
The eloquence of our Saviour, and of the writers of
the sacred volume, gives the noblest specimens.
The most sublime and important truths ever conceived are here uttered in the most simple words.
And if, at any time, glowing imagery is employed,
it results from  the fervid condition of'the mind
under the contemplation of glorious ~nd awful




124           LIFE AND'TIMES OF
truths which struggle for utterance. Nor is this
vehemence of the mind incompatible with a certain
degree of calmness and self-possession so necessary
to instruct and guide an audience. Preaching the
gospel is the highest office in which the human
faculties can be employed. It is a solemn and holy
work. "Woe" to him who trifles with it, as well
as to him who "preaches not the gospel of Christ."
The above reflections were suggested in connection with the history of Mr. McKendree's life. He
seems to have had constantly before his mind the
apostolic admonition: "Study to show thyself approved unto God-a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed-rightly dividing the word of truth."
We have seen in what way he studied.the Bible,
how diligent he was in all the duties of a preacher
and pastor, and also how he fasted, watched, prayed,
and struggled in the pursuit of personal holiness;
and we confess that we have drawn more largely
from his Diary, that his successors in the ministry
may, for all time to come, have before them his
example to incite them to zeal and diligence. His
style of preaching was remarkable for clearness and
persuasiveness. Few preachers studied the shades
of difference in words as he did, and his language
was transparent; the idea was distinctly seen, while
the words employed in exhibiting it, served only as
a medium of intellectual vision. He was always in
earnest. His soul was pervaded with a sense of God,
and his heart yearned for the conversion of his
fellow-men. He felt " called of God" to this work,
and nothing ever diverted his mind, his heart, or




BISHOP M'KENDR]EE.          125
his physical energies from it. It was the one great
end of his life; and that life, so admirable for its
beautiful consistency and moral sublimity of purpose, so pure and useful, so full of labor and moral
heroism, was the product of "faith unfeigned"and that faith was of " the operation of God through
the Spirit."
What a commentary does such a life afford on
the truth and excellency of the Christian religion!
Friday, Oct. 8, 1790, found him quite unwell, and
fasting aggravated his sufferings. He, however,
tried to preach. After dinner felt better- "had
meeting at night for the black brethren," and found
amongst them the life and power of religion.
"How the world destroys the happiness of white
folks!"
"Saturday, Oct. 9th.-Out in the woods by break
of day, reading, praying, and meditating. Had
great delight in the Scriptures, and felt very happy.
Preached a close, heart-searching sermon to a serious
congregation; held class-meeting."
"S:unday, 10th.-Rose at three o'clock A.M.; family prayer at four-a time of heavenly sweetness to
our souls. Went into the lovely fields when the
blushing morn is dispersing gloomy night; breathed
the sweet morning air with the love of God in my
soul. About sunrise I began, and preached to
about thirty persons, from,'And the angel said
unto the women, Fear not ye, for I know that ye
seek Jesus, which was crucified: he is not here, for
he is risen, as he said.' My dear Master gave me
to feel what I preached. Love-feast for the band




126           LIFE AND TIMES OF
society followed. 0 how the saints did shout and
tell the wonders of redeeming love! But had a
cold time at public-meeting."
"Monday. —Rest-day. Spent my time in reading,
writing, prayer, and meditation, except a little for
conversation with my brethren. At twelve o'clock,
in my general prayer for mankind, I prayed particularly for the preachers. Bless the Lord for the
degree of conformity I feel to the Lord's will! O
give me universal conformity and perfect resignation! In the evening walked to a distant grove
and prostrated myself at the feet of the awful Jehovah. Met my brethren in covenant prayer; my
soul all on fire."
"Tuesday and Wednesday. — Comfortable peace;
no temptation nor powerful exercise, but a heaven
of calm, sweet peace, and a continual rejoicing that'in simplicity and godly sincerity I have had my
conversation in the world.' Solitude is pleasant;
meditation delightful; and my Bible is food for my
soul."
"Thursday, 14th. —iad a comfortable morning.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, for his great mercy to
feeble, unworthy me! I am surely one of the least
of thy followers, and am not meet to be called a
preacher. And then I am so backward in duty,
and so unfaithful in it."
"Friday, 15th.-Set out fasting; rode twenty miles;
found a pretty large congregation; felt the spirit of
preaching; but up rides a strange Elder-would not
preach for me. O how the cross began to bear me
down! Lord, what is man? Preached; my blessed




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           127
Master made the cross light. Visited the precious
family of Brother Hill after dinner; met a black
class to my comfort, for they seemed perfectly
happy, anid had'a good report.' "
From the following Sunday to Thursday he was
sick, and says that while others seem to find the
time of affliction a season of joy, it is not so with
him, but a time of trial-yet, upon close examination, finds no condemnation for known sin; "have
had some weeping times this week."
E The ensuing week seems to have been a period
of bodily affliction and labor, yet was he happy and
exultant. On Friday, Oct. 22d, he "arose quite
unwell-rode twenty miles fasting; preached, and
held class-meeting-had a glorious time; several
were much wrought on; one joined Society, but
none converted. At seven o'clock the moon was
eclipsed-thought of the day of judgment."
Saturday, Oct. 30th.-Quarterly-meeting began on
his circuit. "Rose at two o'clock A.M.; could not
lie in bed longer; read my Book, prayed, and medi-'
tated. To-day Brother Paup preached a beautiful
sermon; Brother Spencer followed. At night it fell
to my lot to hold meeting; Christians were happy,
backsliders cut to the heart, and one soul sprung
into life. My cup was filled to the brim."
Sunday, 31st, was a blessed day-early exercises,
as usual; "a sweet and awfully glorious time at
sacrament; a great many communicants. Brother
Paup preached to the white congregation; I went
into the grove with the black people, and of a truth
Jesus was there."




128            LIFE AND TIMES OF
Perhaps I have tired the patience of my readers
with the minute details of Mr. MeKendree's Diary.
My object is to present a true portraiture of his
character, with an earnest desire that his exemplary
and profound piety may be useful to the Church,
and especially to young preachers. Having  given
a specimen of his daily life and labors, I shall not
henceforth use his Diary very often, except to mark
important incidents in his history.
"On Thursday, Nov. 4th, met the preachers in
conference at Brother Young's; twenty-two preachers present, and by nine o'clock agreed to send no member to Council, but stand as we are until next Conference:
Brother O'Kelly preached." This was not the regular session of the Annual Council, but was a convention, called by "proclamation of Mr. O'Kelly,
inviting the preachers to meet in Mecklenburg"the object being to forestall the approaching Council. It should be borne in mIind that the Council
was a favorite measure with Bishop Asbury-that
Mr. O'Kelly had already, by letters, prejudiced Dr.
Coke against it, and that he had been untiring in
his efforts to array the Virginia preachers against
it. Early on the next day, Friday, Nov. 5, 1790,
the Conference assembled again: the document
which had been ordered was presented, approved,
and directed to be forwarded to the Council; thus
placing the Virginia Conference almost in the position of seceders.
The regular session of the Council was held, for
this year, in Philip Rogers's house, Baltimore,
Dec. 1st. In view of the opposition of Dr. Coke,




BISHOP M'KENDREE.'         129
and the disorganizing tendency of Mr. O'Kelly's
course, Bishop Asbury, "for the sake of union,"
gave up the Council, and they resolved not to send
any "recommendatory propositions" to the Conferences-thus letting it silently pass away.
Having taken an affectionate leave of his old:
circuit, he started immediately for a new field of
labor, to which he had been changed, as was then
customary, by his Presiding Elder.  Taking his
father's house on his route, he gladly embraced the
opportunity of visiting home, and spending two
delightful days with his beloved kindred. H3e was
"comforted" and refreshed by the visit, and felt
very' thankful for the opportunity."  His pleasure
was, however, diminished by the illness of his
youngest sister, and the dangerous indisposition of
his aged father. When the hour came for his departure, there was a struggle in his heart. Fain
would he have lingered awhile amid the scenes of
his early life, and watched by the beds of his sick
sister and father; but duty called him away to
preach among strangers the gospel of Christ, and
with tears and prayers, commending his loved ones
to God, he turned his back again upon his peaceful
home, and felt that the preacher had triumphed
over the man.
His course during this year was similar to the
year previous. Traveling, studying, preaching,
holding class-meetings, fasting, and visiting his
charge from house to house, were his daily history.
"Rose early, lit my candle, and found the same
sweetness in devotion and in reading the Lord's
6*




130           LIFE AND TIMES OF
word. Spent this day and until eleven o'clock
at night in closely studying the Scriptures, and
reading Church-history, with great delight. Rode
through piercing wind and a hard rain twelve
miles, which gave me a violent pain in the head.
Tempted to omit'watching' on account of headache, but concluded that the more costly the sacrifice, the stronger is the proof of sincerity. Every
night has been a watch-night with me for some
time," etc. These quotations evince the spirit with
which he prosecuted his mission.
During this year he seems to have had a great
many meetings with the black people, and to have
enjoyed himself greatly in his labors among them;
thus giving an example worthy the imitation of
every minister of Christ.
On Dec. 31, 1790, while Mr. McKendree and
others were holding a meeting at Brother M.'s,
Bishop Asbury arrived there. He had been making
a tour in the lower part of Virginia-had preached
in James City and in the city of Williamsburg, and
after crossing James River in a boat, the bottom of
which was covered with ice, had rode through a
snow storm for several miles. Coming to Brother
M.'s, he "found Brother Paup preaching, and the
people shouting."  The good old Bishop says, "I
preached on Ephesians v. 17-19. I afterward had
an interview with Brother Paup, and a more full
account of our disaffected brethren."  Indeed, so
soon as he entered the District of Mr. O'Kelly, he
says, "I heard some painful circumstances relative
to our disaffected brethren. I leave these things to




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           131
God," etc.  Mr. O'Kelly had scattered discord
broadcast over his whole District, and was likely to
disaffect the whole Conference. Ite ought not to
have been continued upon the District a day after
he evinced his design. It was Bishop Asbury's
leniency, not to say timidity, that gave to this dangerous man the opportunity of doing so much mischief. It would have been better to deprive him at
once of the District. He had already gone too far
to retract, and nothing was gained, but much lost,
by attempts at conciliating him.
Mr. McKendree, who had spent all his time as a
preacher under Mr. O'Kelly, was accustomed to
hear Bishop Asbury alluded to by his Elder as
ambitious and aristocratic; and in proportion to his
confidence in the latter, the former was depreciated
in his estimation. Still he was honest and candid;
and this interview must have awakened doubts in
his mind as to the justness of his Elder's representations. His account of this meeting with the Bishop
is as follows:
"Our reverend Bishop arrived, gave us a most
excellent discourse, at the close of which the power
of the Lord came down on the -people."
"Saturday, Jan. 1, 1791. — Bishop Asbury, two
other preachers, and myself rode about sixteen
miles. The wind was very keen, and the snow
about eight inches deep; our poor horses were
much fatigued, and ourselves pierced with the cold.
We got to Mr. Blunt's. I am astonished at the
Bishop's sweet simplicity and uncommon familiarity.
Love appeared to sweeten all our conversation.'"




132           LIFE AND TIMES OF
"Astonished at the Bishop's sweet simplicity! " And
why? Forsooth, because he had often heard him
represented as austere and despotic.  Yes, the
pure and noble Asbury —the father of American
Methodism-whose life was one continuous sacrifice —one long, yearning struggle of soul, body, and
spirit for the peace and prosperity of Zion, and ivho
literally fell a victim to unselfish and never-ceasing
toil in the Master's cause —even he astonished Mr.McKendree by his simple and familiar manners i And
yet this favorable impression was soon to be erased
by the unfortunate Presiding Elder, to be renewed
again, however, and grow stronger during many
years of associated labor, and even until the grave
had closed upon the remains of the wise and good
old Bishop.
The death of Mr. Wesley, which occurred March
2, 1791, deeply affected the Methodists in America,
as well as in England. They felt as a large and
affectionate family feels in the loss of a father.
Their enemies had predicted that this event would
be speedily followed by the dissolution of the Connection, and many of their friends were fearful of
the same result. WfHen the sad intelligence reached
the United States, Dr. Coke and Bishop Asbury
were traveling together through Virginia. The
Doctor immediately resolved to return to England.
Before -his departure, however, he and Bishop Asbury attended the Virginia Conference in Petersburg, April 20th, and "the affair of the Council
was suspended until a General Conference." This
seemed to give satisfaction even to Mr. O'Kelly,




BISHOP M KENDREE.           133
and the session was peaceful and happy. The time
of holding the Conference was here changed from
the spring to the winter, and the ensuing Conference was appointed to be held in December. Of
course, Mr. McEKendree attended the Conference.
HIere he was appointed to Amelia Circuit, with
John Baldwin as his colleague, and Mr. O'Kelly
again as his Elder.
As the Diary of Mr. McKendree, to which reference has so often been made, leaves here a chasm in
his history, we have no other account of the manner
in which he conducted himself during the remainder of this year, but his own general statement.
"I enjoyed peace of mind and comfortable fellowship with those among whom I labored."
The Conference began at Lane's Chapel, Dec. 23,
1791 —Bishop Asbury presiding. Dr. Coke was
still in England. Bishop Asbury says, " This Conference began and ended in peace;" and doubtless
this was greatly promoted by the announcement
that a General Conference would be held the ensuing year. Mr. O'Kelly and his friends seemed satisfied. On Sunday, Dec. 25, 1791, Mr. MclKendree
was ordained elder by Bishop Asbury, as appears
from his parchment of ordination now before me.
And now, having followed his history up to the
period of his induction into the full office of the
ministry, and from the stand-point which his biographer occupies, contemplating the remainder of
his long, useful, and exemplary life and labors, we
are forcibly impressed with the conviction that few
ministers of Christ have ever taken upon them the




134           LIFE AND TIMES OF
solemn vows of the ordination service more thoroughly penetrated with a conviction of their holy
and sublime import, or have given such evidence of
their inflexible purpose to keep these vows inviolable to life's last hour. Happy for the Church and
the world if all his brethren would follow him as
he followed Christ.




BISHOP M KENDREE.                 135
CHAPTER VII..McKendree appointed to Greenville Circuit in 1791 —General
Conference, 1792-O'Kelly withdraws and dies-McKendree
declines the work, but soon resumes it —Asbury appoints him
to Norfolk —Conference in Petersburg in 1773-Travels three
months with Asbury-Union Circuit-Philip Bruce, Presiding
Elder-Tobias Gibson,. his colleague-Conference in 1794 at
Mabry's-John Kobler-Conference, 1795-Is made Presiding
Elder-Continued three years-1798 he presides in the bounds
of Baltimore Conference-In 1800 Bishop Asbury takes him
to the West-Large District-Difficulties-Labors-Usefulness
-1801 travels through the wilderness with Asbury-In 1804,
General Conference - Jerks - Dancing - Shaking Quakers -
Seceders from Presbyterian Church-Marshallites-Stoneites
-McKendree chief conservator of Methodism in the West.
AT the Lane's Chapel Conference, held in Southampton county, Virginia, Dec. 23, 1791, Mr. McKendree was appointed to the charge of Greenville Circuit, with Joel Tucker as his "helper." Several things
conspired to make him reluctant to enter upon the
duties of this charge. It was the circuit in which his
relations and many of his old acquaintances resided: there he was converted and began his ministry.  He was aware that it would be necessary to
execute the rules of the Discipline upon many who
were " older members of the societies than himself," some of whom considered themselves his




136           LIFE AND TIMES OF
" superiors;" and fearing they would not bear from
him this wholesome and important moral regimen,
he felt strongly opposed to this appointment when
first announced. But as there was no alternative,
except a cowardly backing-out of the respoznsibilities which, in God's providence, had been devolved upon him, he determined to undertake his
duties in humble dependence upon his divine Master. He was soon convinced that his fears were
groundless. His old friends received him warmly,
the community evinced their respect for him by
attending his ministry, and treating him in every
respect with the attention which his pure personal
character and his holy office demanded; and although he was compelled, in the discharge of his
duty as preacher in charge, to exclude many from
the Church, he says that "'no fixed prejudices in
consequence of the administration resulted. True,
we had but few additions, yet we had many sweet
and precious meetings. The work of sanctification
revived," etc.
The letter of Mr. McKendree to Bishop Asbury.
already quoted, reveals the fact that his happiness and usefulness at this time were diminished by prejudices engendered in his mind by Mr.
O'Kelly, his old friend and Presiding Elder, who
attacked- the character of Bishop Asbury —more
than insinuated that he was insincere and ambitious, and that the ruin of the Church could be
prevented in no other way but by "counteracting
measures."
The General Conference met in Balti more, Oct.




BISHOP M' ENDREE.                   137
81, 1792.* This was the first Conference of the kind
held since the organization of the Church in 1784,
and was composed of all the traveling preachers in
full connection.  And it continued to meet quadrennially in the same capacity, and with the same
almost unlimited power, until the session of 1800,
when the terms of membership were restricted to
those who  had  traveled four years, and  in  1808.the delegated General Conference was substituted
for this meeting of the whole body of the preachers.
*In 1858, Bishop Morris, in an article in the Christian Advocate and Journal, said, "If any regular sessions (of the General
Conference) were held in 1788 and 1792, the Minutes were not
printed-probably not recorded, and are lost. It is presumable
they were held, and that they were held in the autumn."  To
which F. S. DeHass replies: "The Bishop is right in his presumption that they were held, and held in the autumn. But we
are happy to say the Minutes are not entirely lost, and at some
future day we may give the Minutes of these two important Conferences in full. The first met Sept. 10, 1788-the other Nov. 1,
1792."
We think that the Bishop and Mr. DeHass are both in error as
to 1788-the former as to his " Presumption," the latter as to his
facts. There is no evidence that a General Conference was held
in 1788. There was a Conference held in Baltimore on Sept.
10th of that year, which continued from Wednesday until Sunday; but it was not a General Conference, but the annual session
of the Baltimore Conference. The "Council" plan was introduced; the Bishops and Presiding Elders met instead of a General Conference, from about 1788 to 1792, when that plan was
superseded by a regular General Conference, or Convention. The
delegated General Conference, it will be remembered, was pro.
vided for in 1808. If Mr. DeHass can give us the Minutes of
the Conference of 1788 "in full," or even in part, we shall be
greatly surprised.




138           LIFE AND TIMES. 0F
The Conference of 1792 was a very important session. The several Annual Conferences had agreed
to meet to review the condition of the Church, to
revise and adopt such rules and measures as might
be found proper, and to settle certain questions
which threatened the peace, if not the very existence, of the Church. The body was comparatively
a large one, representing every part of the Connection, and in this respect was the first General Conference after the organization of the Church in
1784. Dr. Coke and Bishop Asbury "presided conjointly over their deliberations." Mr. McKEendree,
accompanied by Mr. O'Kelly, went to Baltimore to
attend its session.  They lodged together: their
room became the place for the meeting of Mr.
O'Kelly's discontented friends. The result of the
caucus was an attempt to restrict the power of the
Bishops in the appointment of the preachers. For
this end Mr. O'Kelly brought forward a resolution,
giving to "any preacher who may think himself
injured by the appointment of the Bishop, the liberty to appeal to the Conference."  After three
days' animated discussion, the resolution was lost
by a large majority. Next morning he signified in
writing to the Conference that he should withdraw
on account of the failure of his motion. Throughout this whole proceeding Bishop Asbury behaved
with his usual modesty and propriety. He resigned
the chair to Dr. Coke, and absented himself from
the Conference, that the members might be under
no restraint on account of his presence. This decision by the great body of the preachers them



BISHIIP M KENDREE.          139
selves, in favor of continuing the appointing power
in the hands of the Bishop, after having tested the
system for many years, was a signal vindication,
both of the administration and their devotion to
the great cardinal feature of Methodism —its itinerancy.
But Mr. O'Kelly had gone too far to retract.
In vain did the Conference send Freeborn Garrettson and two other members to dissuade him
from secession, and reassure him of their good-will
-Dr. Coke in vain sought to pacify his feelings in
a personal, private interview-nothing but division
would do him. He broke off, left the city, and induced Mr. McKendree and some others to leave
with him.
All except Mr. O'iKelly, however, asked and
obtained permission to return home without giving notice as to their ulterior purposes.  Indeed, so far as they were concerned, they do not
seem to have had any fixed purpose.  They had
many consultations upon their journey home.
The latter part of the trip, Mr. McKendree was the
only companion of his late Presiding Elder. He
unfolded his plan to his young protege. It was,
to have "a republican, no slavery, glorious Church!
Bishop Asbury was a pope; the General Conference
was a revolutionizing body; the Bishop and his creatures were working the ruin of the Church to gratify their pride and ambition!"
Indeed, there is a strong probability that, knowing he would be impeached on account of his denial of the distinct personality of the holy Trinity,




140            LIFE AND TIMES OF
he felt himself "in a strait between expulsion and
secession."*
The Conference adjourned on the 14th of November, after having revised the Discipline with "regard to its subject-matter as a manual of Christian
duty, and as to the form and arrangement of the
book itself; but not effecting its fundamental laws
or doctrines."
On the 26th of November, Bishop Asbury opened
the Conference for the Virginia District, in Manchester. The interval between the. General and
the Annual Conferences was too short to afford
time for the removal of the feeling excited at the
General Conference. Sympathizing deeply with
his old, and apparently his best friend, imperfectly
acquainted with the subject of Church-government,
and, with the docility almost of a child, confiding
in the misrepresentations of Mr. Asbury's character, and of the consequences likely to result to the
Church from the action of the General Conference,
as instilled into his mind by Mr. O'IKelly, Mr.
McKendree respectfully wrote to the Conference,
declining to take an appointment for the ensuing
year. At the suggestion of Bishop Asbury, the
Conference generously agreed that Mr. O'Kelly,
"in view of his age and services," should receive
his annual salary of ~40, as when he traveled in
the Connection, provided he should not excite
divisions among the members; and he actually
received his salary for a part of the year. But, un* Life and Times of Jesse Lee, p. 26.




BISHOP M KENDREE.           141
fortunately, he resolved to rend all the ties that
bound him to the Church, and set up in opposition
to it his ideal "glorious Church." I need not repeat the sad narrative of his.subsequent historyof the prejudices he excited against the Bishop and
the Conference; of his too successful effobrts to
draw off disciples after him; of his waning influence, until he lost the confidence and affections of
the people almost altogether; and of his death, in
1826, in the 92d year of his age, preceded by a very
touching interview  between Bishop Asbury and
himself. It is a melancholy story, and it is hoped
may never be repeated in the future history of our
Methodism.
Shortly after the close of the Virginia Conference, Bishop Asbury passed through the neighborhood of Mr. McKendree's father. The mind of
young McKendree was ill at- ease about his duty,
and having had an interview with the Bishop, he
was treated with great kindness, and invited to
travel with him awhile.  The invitation was accepted, and as they went from one of the Bishop's
appointments to another, through the eastern portion of Virginia, they calmly and fully discussed
the subjects of Church-government — especially
Methodist government-the late attempt to change
the system, the course and design of Mr. O'Kelly,
and the consequences likely to result to himself and others.  Bishop Asbury did not correspond to the description which Mr. McKendree
had heard of him.  Instead of being austere,
proud, ambitious, and bent upon subjecting the




142           LIFE AND TIMES OF
liberties of the membership and the ministry to his
will, he was surprised to find him humble, devout,
self-denying, and unceasing in his efforts for the
welfare of the Church. He soon understood, too,
the evil consequences which would inevitably follow the adoption of Mr. O'Kelly's late favorite
measure-the ruin of the General Superintendency,
and of the whole itinerant system. The spell of
the enchanter was broken; humbled and mortified'
at his own weakness, with characteristic candor, he
confessed his error, was received again into the confidence of the noble and warm-hearted old Bishop,
and at once sent to the city of Norfolk as the
stationed preacher. This is the amount of Mr.
M'Kendree's defection. He had been perplexed
and bewildered by the misrepresentations of his
Presiding Elder-"cast down, but not destroyed."
He did not withdraw  from the Church or the
ministry. His itinerancy was temporarily suspended, at his own request, but after about a month
he resumed his position and his work in the ranks
with his late associates, having become a wiser
man. His love of the Church and the purity of
his motives were unquestionable. The mental and
religious struggle through which he passed in this
affair led him to examine more critically the system of Church-government recommended by Mr.
Wesley and adopted by the General Conference of
1784, and resulted in strengthening his attachment
to the existing institutions of the Church, and fixing him inflexibly against all sudden and serious
changes in its polity. Disaffection to Methodism,




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           143
it has been said, is a dis'ease which never attacks a
member or minister but once in his life. If he recover from this attack, he is in no danger of it
any more. And so it was with Mr. McKendree.
Henceforth he was ever among the most zealous,
able, and consistent advocates of its polity, never
wavering nor ceasing to defend and promote the
welfare of the Church, with all the energies of his
soul and body, to the day of his death.
The name of William MclKendree appears in the
"Minutes of 1793," in charge of Norfolk and
Portsmouth.  His own concise account of this
year's work is as follows: "Though it was a year
of contention and much confusion, I enjoyed peace
with the members of the station."  This contention
and confusion were no doubt mainly owing to the
efforts of Mr. O'Kelly and his adherents to prejudice the community against the Church, and draw
off its membership. It was a time of trial. Many
excellent members and some useful preachers, influenced by their respect for Mr. O'Kelly, and not
fully apprehending the subject, were misled and
abandoned the Church. Church-relations and family ties were rudely sundered-love and harmony
were succeeded by "strife and every evil work,"
and the enemies of Methodism exulted at the prospect of witnessing the fulfillment of its predicted
dissolution. And although the principal agent in
this deplorable secession soon saw that his plan was
a failure, so far as regards his usefulness, or the
ruin of the Church he had deserted, yet within
the bounds of his old District, and among many




144            LIFE AND TIMES OF
of his old friends, he wrought irreparable injury.
Many long years have scarcely yet obliterated the
painful results of that day upon the descendants of
those who were so unfortunate as to have followed
him. Indeed, no one gained any thing by this
schism, while the Church, the community, and even
the agitators themselves, were injured.
The lesson enforced by this sad occurrence is,
that a needless rending of Church-relations is a
great evil. To justify it, there must be a conviction that its doctrines or its economy are unscriptural, or its administration subversive of the high
and holy ends of Church-organization.  Duty to
the Church itself, as well as fealty to its Head, may
demand the sacrifice of union, when the Church
departs from the precepts of the Bible and sets herself to a course which must work the ruin of the
great object of her organization; but woe to those
who for trivial causes or selfish ends seek to divide
the Church of God!
At the ensuing Conference, which was held in
Petersburg, November 25, 1793, his character was
passed as blameless-fifty-five, preachers present,
Bishop Asbury presiding. His appointment for
the next year was to Union Circuit, with Nicholas
Waters as his helper. Tobias Gibson was also appointed to this circuit for one quarter. It seems
that at this Conference he offered to travel awhile
with Bishop Asbury, that his offer was accepted,
and that the quarter spent in the company of that
excellent and wise man was very profitably em
ployed. At the close of the three months, he en



BISIIOP M'KIENDEE.          145
tered upon the work assigned him, and Tobias
Gibson, according to a previous arrangement, became the Bishop's traveling cormpanion. Union
Circuit was in the State of South Carolina, and his
Presiding Elder this year was Philip Bruce, of
precious memory. We have no record of the manner in which he conducted himself upon this circuit, but doubt not he manifested his usual zeal and
industry, and was useful in getting souls converted
and building up the Church.
iHeretofore separate Conferences had been held
tn Virginia, North and South Carolina; but by
agreement among them, they were all to imeet at
Petersburg on the 25th of November, 1794. The
small-pox prevailing in that place at the time, the
Conference was held at " Sister Mabry's," in Green-!,ille county-about eighty preachers present, and
Bishop Asbury presiding. At this Conference, he
iwas appointed to Bottetourt Circuit, Virginia,
ander John Kobler as his Presiding Elder. HIere
again we have no written data of his course; but
as he was considered worthy and faithful by his colleagues, we have a right to presume that neither
his character nor his manner of life changed for
the worse. And this inference is strengthened by
the fact that at the next Conference, held at Salem
Chapel, Mecklenburg county, Virginia, November
24, 1795, he was appointed, by Bishop Asbury, Presiding Elder over a very important District, in the
Virginia Conference.  He had now been eight
years a regular itinerant preacher. He had won
the esteem of every community among whom he
voL. I..-7




146           LIFE AND TIMES OF
had labored, and enjoyed in a high degree the confidence and love of the preachers. He had been
studious, prompt in the discharge of every duty,
zealous, and laborious. His standard of morals
and religious experience had been the Holy Scriptures. He had sought and found the blessing of
sanctifying love, and in every manner had made
"full proof of his ministry."  Now he was called
to preside over a District, and at the same time was
placed as preacher in charge of a circuit; for in
those days, "the higher the office, the harder the
work."  The next year, his District was greatly enlarged, and he was found to be admirably adapted
to this work of supervising the operations of the
preachers and the general interests of the Church
within his District. He remained upon it three
years. As Presiding Elder, his sphere of useful
labor was greatly enlarged. His District extended
from the Chesapeake Bay over the Blue Ridge and
Alleghany Mountains, and embraced an extensive
region of territory upon the western waters. The
rides were long, and the charge required much
preaching and devolved upon him  many cares.
The following is his own account of these three
years of sacrifice and toil:
"I was blessed with many friends on this District, abundant in kind offices, and some of them
able counselors.  We were blessed with a revival
of religion; many professed to obtain regenerating
grace, and joined the Church. The members provoked one another to love and good works, and
their advancement in the divine life was evident.




BISHOP M KENDREE.          147
But the abundant labors and care which the charge
imposed were too great for my strength. My
studies were partially prevented by attention to
other branches of duty, and my nervous system
was somewhat impaired. But I was fully compensated in having intimate union and communion
with the adorable Saviour, and the increasing prosperity of the Church at once invigorated my zeal
and increased my joy in the -Lord."'
In 1798, he was appointed to a District lying in
the bounds of the Baltimore Conference, contiguous
to that he had traveled the three preceding years,
and which was almost as large as the former field
of his labors. It extended from the Chesapeake Bay
over the Blue Ridge, and terminated at the foot of
the Alleghany Mountains. This was to him a year.of labor and trials; but he says "they were forgotten in the overwhelming communion with God, and
reviving interviews with my followers. Here I
found fathers and mothers in Israel, by whose example I was edified and comforted."
Following the narrative of Bishop Soule in his
funeral discourse already adverted to, we proceed to
say, that in the spring of 1800, he was returned to
the District from which he had been taken the year
before, and, in the fall of the same year, Bishops
Asbury and Whatcoat passed through his District,
and took him with them to the Western Conference,
which met at Bethel, Kentucky, in October, 1800.
Here he was appointed to the oversight of the
whole Conference, in the character of a Presiding
Elder of the District which embraced the State of




148           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Kentucky and that part of Virginia west of the
Great Kanawha River, East and West Tennessee,
and all the settled territory west of the Ohio River,
including what is now the State of Ohio, and an
extensive mission in the State of Illinois. The
Natchez Mission was also connected with this
charge. He had now to travel about fifteen hundred miles to compass his District, and the whole
of it, with the exception of East Tennessee and
Western Virginia, was a new and rapidly populating country. This was a field of labor and enterprise. well suited to the enlightened views and
ardent devotion of this excellent minister of Christ.
It was a work worthy of St. Paul, and which required the zeal of an apostle to accomplish it. He
entered into it with a deep sense of his dependence
upon divine aid, and with that vigorous and persevering activity which, by the blessing of God,
was attended with abundant success. It should be
remembered that a very large portion of the country embraced in his new charge was just being
settled with emigrants from the old States, who
were subject to the discomforts common to the first
settlers in all new countries. Small companies of
these emigrants would locate themselves in neighborhoods many miles remote from each other,
without any method of intercourse but the pocket
compass, trees marked with the ax, or the tops of
bushes bent down and half broken. These were
the landmarks and highways of our McKendree
through a large part of the Valley of the Mississippi.
It was his wise and benevolent plan, with the




BISHOP M'ENDREE.            149
handful of preachers in his charge, to advance with
the population of the country, and to plant the
standard of the cross, and preach Jesus and the
resurrection in the frontier settlements.
In the prosecution of this plan, he and his noble
band of fellow-laborers had necessarily to encounter and overcome many formidable difficulties.
They were frequently ministers of gospel consolation to the people in their camps and cabins, in the
woods and canebrakes, before their fields had been
opened sufficiently to raise a comfortable support
for their families. In getting to them, for the want
of roads or paths, they were conducted through the
trackless woods; and for want of bridges or boats,
they swam rivers and creeks. They carried their
provisions for man and beast on their horses, cooked
their simple meals in the wilderness, slept at night
upon their blankets, and under the open sky: owls,
bears, wolves, and panthers were their serenaders,
and sometimes the wily and cruel Indian dogged
their steps by day, and hovered around their campfires at night, to steal or kill as his sagacity might
dictate. In the morning, if spared, they raised
their hearts in gratitude, and went on their way
rejoicing.
But let us hear his own description, drawn from
experience, of the Methodist traveling preacher's
life in the Western frontier-work:  "While on the
way through these frontier settlements, if we came
to a creek or river, we had the privilege of swimming it; and when safely landed on the other bank,
it was a consolation to reflect we had left that ob



150            LIFE AND TIMES OF
struction behind, and that the way to the next lay
open and plain before us. If night overtook us
before we could reach a house, it was our privilege
to gather wood where we could find it, make a fire,
eat our morsel, and supplicate a throne of grace
with as free access as in a palace or a church. Being
weary, we rested sweetly and securely under the
divine protection; and when we arrived at our destination, if the accommodations were of the humblest kind, we had the inexpressible satisfaction of
being received with a hearty welcome, and accommoodated with the best the family could afford; and,
though very inferior in the estimation of the delicate and those accustomed to sumptuous fare, yet
all the real wants of nature were supplied. We ate
heartily, slept sweetly, and rejoiced with the pious
and affectionate people who received and treated
the ministers of the gospel as angels of God; and,
above all, when the time arrived for us to deliver
our message, the people flocked together, and
seemed to want to hear what God the Lord would
say. The prayers of the pious ascended the hill of
the Lord; divine power attended the preaching of
the word; sinners were convicted, many were converted to God, and the Church was enlarged and'built up in the faith once delivered to the saints.'"
In conclusion, he says: "My appointment required
much riding. I preached often, and sustained a
great charge; and yet I esteem those among the
happiest days of my life. Strange as it may seem,
there, in the midst of exposure and many privations, my impaired constitution was restored, and




BISHOP M KENDREE.           151
my general health greatly improved. I enjoyed
peace and consolation through faith, and was enabled to walk with God."  Eight years of Mr. McKendree's life-i. e., from 1800 to 1808-were spent
in this way while presiding over the work in the
wilds of the Western frontier. They were years of
almost inconceivable hardship and toil, but of grleat
usefulness and happiness. His being selected for
this post by Mr. Asbury seems to have been providential, for scarcely another man could have been
found combining so many qualifications for this delicate and difficult field of ministerial labor.
It evinced that great peculiarity in Mr. Asbury's
character, by which he seemed almost intuitively to
read the characters of men, and was thus enabled
to select the proper preachers for the appointments.
Never was a more felicitous appointment made
than was the selection of this devoted servant of
Jesus to the Western work. His deep piety and
fervid zeal, his intimate knowledge of the doctrines
and discipline of the Church, his remarkable capacity to govern, and to infuse into the preachers
his own spirit; his almost morbid love of order, and
his methodical manner of conducting business; his
wonderful astuteness and quickness of apprehension, combined with a grave and yet most prepossessing personal appearance, and his wonderful power
of illustrating whatever he sought to teach-all
concurred to mark him as preeminently the man
for the people and the country. God seems to
have raised him up for this very position; and while
thousands have already blessed God for it, future




152           LIFE AND TIMES OF
generations of Methodists in the West and South
will look back with gratitude to his influence in
building up and extending the work of God in thlis
wide field of his operations. How much Methodism
owes to him for its success in this region, can never
be known until the light of eternity shall reveal it.
Never did the Church more urgently need an
able and devoted leader to guide and control its
operations than did the vast District to which Mr.
McKendree was assigned at the Western Conference
of 1800. Indications of religious quickening had
occurred in several sections of the country in 1799;
and in 1800, what is familiarly known as "the great
revival in the Western county," took place. Bishop
Asbury had not visited them since 1793. The District had been left without a Presiding Elder at
their last Conference; the circuits which were very
large had but one preacher, and local preachers were
quite scarce. Among the latter, however, the names
of John McGee, Nathanael Harris, Benjamin Northcut, Philip Taylor, and others deserve notice; while
amnonig the few itinerants scattered over the region,
William  Burke, Henry Smith, John Sale, John
Page, Thomas Wilkerson, and others not so well
knlown, were bold and powerful ministers of Christ.
Among the Presbyterians, Messrs. McGready, Win.
McGee, (brother to the Methodist preacher,) Rankin, and HIodge, deserve honorable mention for their
talents and usefulness in this revival.
If the history of this glorious work had not been
already given to the public, it might be profitable
to trace the progress and results of it, but as that




BISHOP AI'KENDIREE,        153
has been done with sufficient minuteness by several
writers, we shall only add that it seemed to burst
forth almost simultaneously in various places in
Kentucky, and in that part of Middle Tennessee
bordering upon the line of Kentucky. Cane Ridge,
Red River, and Bourbon county, tKentucky, were
specially the places where the work received a
mighty impulse.  Meetings began to be held all
over the country, attended by immense crowds of
most deeply-excited hearers.  The tPresbyterian
and Methodist preachers labored together as brethren; a "union" was formed; the. large meetings
were placed under the charge of committees, who
were to appoint the preachers to the pulpit, and supervise the exercises as representatives of the two
Churches. Camp-meetings sprung up as a convenience, if not a necessity. The revival spread with
unparalleled rapidity and overwhelming power;
meetings were prolonged day and night for eight or
ten days successively, and many thousands in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio were the trophies of
the work. As might be expected in so wide-spread
and general a state of religious excitement, there
were excesses and irregularities among some of the
subjects. The exercises known as jerks and dancing
appeared, although discountenanced generally by
the more intelligent and sedate part of the ministers and members. A great deal of enthusiasm was
excited, and doubtless some fanaticism also; yet a
vast amount of good was accomplished, and many
who seemed to act from impulse, and ran into excesses in manifesting their emotions, became steady
7*




154           LIIFE AND TIMES OF
and consistent Christians, and closed life ill peace
and hope. The Churches had a fresh baptism, and
were united in fraternal love. Unfortunately, however, the peculiarities of Methodism-class-meetings, love-feasts, and the regular operations of the
itinerant system —were suspended for the occasion,
under the influence of the "union agreement;"
and the supposed Arminian tendency of the Cumberland Presbytery, and their refusal to withhold
licenses from men who were useful and acceptable
to the coimmunity, but were not classically educated, brought about a serious and permanent
division of the Presbyterian Church.
This refusal on the part of the Cumberland Presbytery to abide by the requirements of their Church,
resulted in the secession of some excellent ministers, and the organization of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. This Church having materially
modified the Calvinism of the "Westminster Co'nfession," and adopted an itinerant system of preaching, has accomplished much good in the West and
South, and continues to evince that it is a true
branch of the living Vine.
Mr. McKendree arrived in this country when this
religious excitement was at its height, and passed,
along with his venerable traveling companions,
through Kentucky, and down to Nashville, Tennessee, preaching with great power and success wherever he went. The more he surveyed the field of
his future labor, the more was he impressed with
the exceeding delicacy and difficulty of the task before him. He clearly saw that the time of sifting




BISHOP M KENDREE.                   155
and of trial was at hand-that the existing state of
things could not endure-the union would soon terminate, and that the least impropriety on the part
of any of the preachers would be quoted as a violation of the "agreement."   He resolved, if he could,
he would avoid this odium; and owing to his prudence and firmness, the Methodists came honorably
out of this entangling alliance, and the parties resumed the proper and independent exercise of their
respective  Church-regulations  without a  serious
breach of esteem and brotherly love.*
Mr. McKendree was now  in  a  position which
called forth all the qualities of his mind and heart,
and taxed to their utmost capacity the energies of
his manly and vigorous body. His eminent piety
and punctual attention to all the rules of holy living, made him an admirable example both for
* Our McKendree's advice to preachers and people was, " Hold
fast to your doctrine and discipline.  Others may get along
without rule, but we cannot."  This was wholesome and seasonable advice, and was attended to. It gave offense to some, but
was a means of keeping us together, and we prospered. But,
mournful to tell, those who got above creeds, forms, and confessions, while they professed to be Christians, went from one extreme to another, till three of their most zealous and flaming ininisters (Presbyterian) landed in Shakerism-one, if not more, became an Arian-one, at least, went among the Christ-ians, and
the rest held fast or returned to their Confession of Faith.-F-.
Smith's Recollections of an Old Itinerant, pp. 59, 60.
The Presbyterians in Cumberland managed their revival much
better, for when they could no longer subscribe to every part of
their Confession of Faith, they organized an independent Presbytery, into which they admitted men of gifts and usefulness, without requiring a collegiate education, etc.-P. 60.




156            LIFE AND TIMES OF
preachers and members, and gave force to his office
and his character.  His clear apprehension  of
biblical doctrines, his thorough acquaintance with
Methodism, his tact in simplifying to the most
ordinary capacity any subject which he had studied, his persuasive and winning manners, united
to a remarkable power of close and logical analysis,
blending at the same time the tenderest pathos with
an occasional burst of the sublime and even the terrible in his moments of earnest and impassioned
eloquence, made him a model preacher, and, by the
blessing of God, gave great efficiency to his ministrations.
Yet all these qualifications, however important
to his usefulness as a preacher, would not have insured his success as the presiding officer in a great
moral and religions enterprise. And happily these
were not all, nor were they his chief qualifications,
for the post he occupied. He had a mature mind,
a sound judgment, a determined will, and (what is
of infinite importance to one in his position) could
arrange and plan his work with a view to ulterior
results, with almost unequaled skill; and what he
planned with so much wisdom, he executed with
equal ardor and perseverance. Nothing diverted
his attention from the work of God. He had no
family ties demanding his attention; and the pecuniary condition of those most nearly related to him
was not such as to give him anxiety. As to wealth
and honor, he "spurned them."  Personal ease had
no allurements for him. If ever a human heart
loved Jerusalem  above its chief joy-loved it




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            157
with all the tenderness and strength of a pure,
deep, and filial affection, and " drew all its cares and
studies this way," his was that heart, and the Methodist Church was to him as a precious mother. Ile
cared little about aught else.  lie firmly believed
that Methodism, in its doctrines, was the simplest
and best exponent of Scripture truth, that its
mnoral regimen was practical Christianity, and its
polity-especially its great itinerant system  of
preaching the gospel, sustained by an efficient, impartial, and practical general superintendency —was
the best plan yet devised for the universal diffusion
of religious truth; and honestly and cordially believing thus, he threw himself into the ranks of the
brave and true-hearted who gave themselves -" a
living sacrifice" to the noblest of causes, under the
conviction that he had nothing too good to give to
such an object, and that a short life is not too long
to "apply wholly to this one thing."  So had he
vowed in his solemn ordination, and that vow he
kept.
The late Rev. James Gwin, himself a resident of
Tennessee, and for many years a useful traveling
preacher under Mr. McKendree, made the following
remarks in reference to his peculiar qualifications
as a Presiding Elder on frontier work:
"Brother McKendree, having been appointed to
the charge of the western work, soon formed a plan
to carry the gospel to every neighborhood.  Ile
employed as many local preachers and exhorters as
he could, to visit the uncultivated regions; and they
went forth, and the Lord went with them, and the




158           LIFE AND TIMES OF
tidings of salvation were -soon heard in almost
every settlement. In traveling through the barrens of Kentucky, he found a place where preaching was needed, and sent that excellent man, John
McGee, to it. He preached, a gracious revival followed, a society was raised, and a church built.
As I commenced about this time to speak in public,
he sent me to visit the new settlement, and I continued preaching from place to place until our
Conference came on; then I was received into the
traveling connection on trial. The business of
Jesse Walker and myself, who were received at the
same time, was to enlarge the work..... The work
spread rapidly-for until then there was but one
circuit in all the region about Nashville and Gallatin. Red River and Barren Circuits were soon
formed, then Green River and Roaring River Circuits were added, and Brother Walker went on
forming circuits west and north until he reached
the Ohio River, and Brother McKEendree devised a
plan to carry the gospel west of the Ohio to the
Mississippi River. And as Louisiana had been purchased and:brought into our government, he sent
Brothers Walker and Lewis Garrett to make a
trial in that region, where they soon succeeded in
planting the standard of the cross."
Dr. Bangs (History M. E. Church, Vol. II., p.
111) says:
"Mr. McKendree was the life and soul of this
army of itinerants. Wherever he went, both by
precept and example, he aroused the lukewarn to
diligence, confirmed those who stood in the faith,




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          159
and alarmed the fears of careless sinners, by his
powerful appeals to their consciences.  By this
means many local preachers who had moved into
the country were induced to forsake their secular employments and enter the ranks of the itinerancy.''
The District to which Mr. McKendree was appointed in 1801 was called Kentucky District-this
being the first time that names were given to Districts. Its limits, however, as we have already
seen, were far from being restricted to the State of
Kentucky.
The ensuing Conference was held at Ebenezer,
in East Tennessee, beginning on the 31st of October, 1801.  Bishop Asbury was present, and says
in his Journal, "Our brethren in Kentucky did
not attend; they pleaded the greatness of the work
of God."  Mr. McKendree was returned to his former District.  Natchez was now added to his District,
and Tobias Gibson, of precious memory, was sentf to
that work as the only itinerant preacher in all that region. The next Conference was held at Strother's,
or Station Camp, in Sumner county, Tennessee,
October 2, 1802, and again the aged but indefatigable Asbury was present, although too much afflicted to be able to preach. He says, however, "I
was able to ordain by employing Brother McKendree to examine those who were presented, and to
station the preachers." The Minutes for this year
show that the work was steadily advancing in the
West, insomuch that it was now found necessary to
divide it into three Districts-Holston and Cumber



160            LIFE AND TIMES OF
land being added to Kentucky, Mr. McKendree
continuing upon the last.
Bishop Asbury continuing in very infirm health,
and suffering great pain from exposure and long
rides on horseback, Mr. KcKendree accompanied
him on his return to the East, through East Tennessee. Bishop Asbury, in his Journal, speaks
most respectfully and gratefully of his kindness to
him  on this trip, and frequently alludes to his
preaching. "Brother McKendree made me a tent,"
says Bishop Asbury, in this wilderness journey,
"of his own and John Watson's blankets, and happily saved me from taking cold, while I slept
about two hours under my grand rmarquee. Brother
McKendree threw his cloak over the limb of a tree,
and hie and his companion took shelter underneath
and slept also. I think I will never mnore brave the
wilderness without a tent."  After some time he
adds, "I have been sick for twenty-three dcays-ah,
the tale of woe I -might relate! My dear McKendree had to lift me up and down from my horse,
like a helpless child. For my sickness and suffering, I conceive, I am indebted to sleeping uncovered in the wilderness.... On Monday, 8th
November, I parted from my dear McKendree."
Mr. McKendree spent this year in his usual manner. IHe attended Conference at Mount Gerizim,
Harrison county, Kentucky, October 2, 1803. The
work was enlarging in the West, and the tide of
emigration so astonishingly rapid that Bishop Asbury found it necessary to form  a new District
north-west of the Ohio River, with William Burke




BISHOP M' RENDREE.              161
as Presiding Elder.  Mr. McKendree remained on
the ]Kentucky, John Watson on the Holston, and
Lewis Garrett was placed  upon the Cumberland
District.
As this closed his fourth year upon the Kentucky
District, let us' advert to the increase of the membership which had occurred within the bounds of
his original District.  The General Minutes show
that in 1800 there were only 1,941 whites and 116
colored.  In 1804 there were 11,141 whites and
734 colored.  Instead of 1 District there were 4;
instead of 11 traveling preachers, they now numbered 45.  So wonderfully had the work extended
and the membership multiplied, that we are constrained to say, "What hath God wrought!"' Our
McKendree had contributed in a large degree to
this unparalleled success, and, with his noble colleagues, deserves to be held fdr ever in grateful rerilembrance by the Church.
On May 7, 1804, the fourth regular General Conference began in Baltimore, and closed the 23d.
Bishops Coke, Asbury, and Whatcoat were present,
and, of course, presided. One hundred and seven
preachers took their seats as entitled to membership.*  William Burke, Thomas Milligan, and John
*As Mr. McKendree was not present at this General Conference, its acts are not necessarily connected with his biogi'aphy;
yet it may not be out of place to say that the principal business
of the session was a careful revision of the whole book of Discipline-that it was taken up seriatim, and every chapter and section calmly and critically reviewed, and passed by an almost
unanimous vote. It was the general impression among the old



162              LIFE ANDI TIMES OF
Watson were from  the Western  Conference.  It
seems that Mr. McKendree had intended to go to
this Conference, as every preacher who had traveled
four years had  a right to  do; and that he received money to pay his expenses to it; but from
some cause-probably because he thought it more
important to stay and attend to his charge, or probably because he preferred to assist Mr. Burke-he
declined going, and handed the money over to the
latter, adding  something  from  his  own  scanty
purse.
It is impossible to estimate properly the importance of the service which this faithful and wise
servant of Jesus Christ rendered to the cause of
religion, and of Methodism, without considering
the peculiar state of things in the West about this
period.  The revival which  began in 1799, and
spread like a mighty inundation during several
years until it extended over nearly all the populated sections of the West and  South-west, and
aroused the whole Methodist family in Europe and
America to new and more vigorous efforts, seemed
to have so excited the minds of many persons upon
the  subject of religion  as to offer an  occasion
est and most influential members of the body, that the General
Conference ought to be constituted on the plan of an equalized
representation, according to a proper ratio, with delegated powers.
Indeed, it seems this was the prevailing sentiment, but, inasmuch
as it had not been expected by all the Annual Conferences that
this change would now be made, and as no plan had been matured
or was presented for this purpose, nothing decisive was done in
1804 —leaving to the ensuing General Conference to arrange it.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.             163
for the operation of seceders, fanatics, and impostors. Not only was it necessary to defend the
Church against the attacks of some of the old traveling preachers who sought to revolutionize it by
openly advocating in the West Mr. O'Xelly's notions of Church-government, to sustain our doctrines against Calvinism  and its Antinomian sequences, and the ordinances in opposition especially
to the popular declamation on the subject of baptism, but it was equally necessary to guard against
the excesses which too frequently accompanied this
glorious revival of the work of God * —excesses
which astonish and humiliate us who are so far
removed from their transaction, but some of which
it is even now far easier to denounce than to account for, and which were still more difficult to prevent while the whole community were like a forest
agitated by a tempest. Unfortunately, some of
those having a high reputation for piety, and even
some eminent ministers of the gospel-especially
among the Presbyterians-gave the sanction of their
example to such unseemly bodily exercises as jerking, jumping, running, dancing, and barking. Many
pious but mistaken persons identified these violent
spasmodic actions with the revival itself, and were
ready to doubt the piety of a preacher who might
seek to prevent them. Alas for our boasted philosophy when we are suddenly brought under the infiu* The Rev. Henry Smith, in.his Recollections of an Old Itinerant, (p. 50,) bears his testimony to the value of Mr. McKendree's efforts in these respects.




164           LIFE AND TIMES OF
ence of novel and powerful impulses! especially
when subjects of a mysterious and spiritual character engross the mind. Excitable and superstitious
natures, under such circumstances, are often swept
from the moorings of reason and common sense,
and drifted out into the dangerous sea of fanaticism.
Such persons too often become the victims of the
cold and selfish impostor, who, under pretensions
to piety and zeal, opens in the temple of God
a kind of moral brokerage, in order to speculate
upon the errors and misfortunes of society! To add
to the list of troubles, about this time a company of
Shaking Quaker preachers, from New York, came
among them with their new-fangled doctrines and
high pretensions to spiritual impulses. Their pretended zeal and piety misled many persons, and
among others several valuable Presbyterian ministers, and a number of unwary members. Mr.
Rankin, who had been very active and useful in the
great revival, abandoned the Presbyterian Church,
and soon became a leader among them. About this
time another portion seceded from the Presbyterian
Church, who were called by different names-such
as Marshallites, Stoneites, Schismatics, etc. These
affected extraordinary zeal, denounced Confessions
of Faith, Church-discipline, adopted immersion as
the exclusive mode of baptism, and were understood
to have imbibed sentiments derogatory to the divinity of the Redeemer, with other tenets which affect
the essentials of Christianity. Here, again, Presbyterian ministers seem to have led off in these
dangerous innovations. But amidst this convulsion




BISHIOP M' KENDREE.:165
in the religious community, the Methodists kept on
the even tenor of their way, adhering to their excellent Discipline, and uniformly teaching that system  of doctrine which they had long since learned,
and which was not only the popular but the useful
doctrine of the revival.*  William  McKendree, although not distinguished like some of his associates
as a " revivalist," in the popular sense of the term,
* The venerable Itenry Smith narrates, in his Recollections of
an Old Itinerant, the following facts in connection with this subject:
" By the recommendation of Dr. C-, Mr. McNamar, a Presbyterian minister, and, of course, a Calvinist, went to hear our
McKendree. The subject that day was, the extent of the atonement and salvation by faith in Christ. Mr. McNamar was so
charmed with the simple eloquence of the preacher and the force
of his arguments, that he said in himself as he went home, This
is a doctrine that is calculated to do good. It so wrought upon
his mind that shortly afterward, perhaps the next Sabbath, he
began upon the sapme heavenly theme in his own congregation,
and the mighty power of God came down upon him and his congregation, and many of them  fell to the floor under it-the
preacher among the rest. To the congregation this was strange
work, but not so strange to the Methodists, for, thank the Lord,
we kept the fire burning in the midst of surrounding darkness
and opposition. Some of the Methodists began to talk to those in
distress, and also sung and prayed; bhut some of the elders (who
were still on their feet) said,' If it is the Lord's work, let him do
his own;' but they replied,'The Lord works by means,' and persisted. Some soon found peace, and began to rejoice. As there
was some crowding among those who were down, one said,'Do n't
tread on Mr. McNamar.' He heard it, and cried out,'Yes, let
them tread on me, for I deserve it. 0 if I and my congregation
had been called to judgment a few weeks ago, what would have
become of us?' This (he adds) was the beginning of the revival
in the Eastern part of Kentucky."-Pp. 53, 54.




166           LIFE AND TIMES OF
yet was evidently and confessedly the leader and
planner of their operations, the ablest defender of
the doctrines and polity of the Church, and the
chief conservator of its union and harmony. His
counsels gave confidence, his presence inspired the
timid with courage, and his self-sacrificing and consistent course exemplified and honored the character of Methodist itinerancy. With him as leader
under God, the preachers and people felt certain of
success.
Justice to his fellow-laborers requires it to be
said that they were worthy of their captain. And
surely, with Bishops Asbury and Whatcoat as chief
counselors, and with such colleagues as William
Burke, Learner Blackman, Jesse Walker, John
Sale, Thomas Wilkerson, Henry Smith, Tobias
Gibson, Jacob Young, Lewis Garrett, James Gwin,
John Page, John A. Granade, John Watson, and
others of like piety and zeal, the- cause of God
was in as safe hands as frail humanity often affords.
And now that they have all passed away, with not
a solitary exception-Gibson and Blackman having
fallen early and suddenly, while Burke, Wilkerson,
and Garrett have but recently sutnk into the grave,
as the sun goes slowly down on a long summer's
eve —we may be excused from saying, that in labors,
privations, practical sense, profound piety, true eloquence, and wonderful success in their holy calling,
they were a noble band, and deserve to be held in
perpetual remembrance. What if they lived poor,*
* From a memorandum-book, very neatly kept in Mr. McKen



BISHOP M KENDREE.                   167
and died "'unhonored and unsung" —their graves
scattered all over the great valley where they toiled
and "fell at their posts," with few stones to mark
dree's hand-writing, showing " moneys received from 1799 to 1804
inclusive," we make the following synopsis, premising that the
salary of a preacher from 1784 to 1800 was $64 per annumequal to ~19 4s.-and was raised to $80 at the General Conference of 1800:
" Salary deficient four quarters 1799, on the Northern District
of Virginia, ~5 15s. lid."
Within that period he charges himself with "private gifts
worth ~3 6s. 6d."-socks being valued at from 7s. 6d. to 6s. per
pair-and then, out of the pittance of about $40 which he received on a hard year's work, he "gave away to the poor, and
other charitable objects," about $10 more; so that he subsisted
that year on $30, or drew upon his own private funds for the remainder; and yet his cash account for that year shows that his
actual cash-expenses amounted to ~15 Os. 10~Ld., exclusive of traveling expenses, gifts, etc. This was almost double the amount he
received in cash, clothes, etc.
His memorandum from 1800 to Oct., 1801, shows that, although
his salary was raised to $80 per annum, he only received three
dollars the first quarter, and two dollars for the next. The whole
deficiency of this year was ~17 15s. 10d. —showing that he received during his first year's work as Presiding Elder in the West
about twenty dollars only- all told-while his expenses in traveling from Virginia to the West, and for necessary clothing and
fare, must have greatly exceeded this amount. His receipts for
the next year amounted to $43 67-making a deficiency of $36 23
for 1802, etc., etc. Nor let it be forgotten that he charges himself in the above with all cash and clothing received as private
gifts. Such was then the rule, and he always obeyed the law of,
the Church. Of course, traveling preachers who began to travel
poor, remained poor while they itinerated.  "As poor, yet
making many rich-as having nothing, and yet possessing all
things."




168           LIFE AND TIMES OF
their places of repose-yet their " record is on high,"
and their recompense both sure and glorious. They
trusted all to God; and will he not vindicate his
own truthfulness? They loved the Church dearer
than their own lives, and their names must never
be forgotten.




BISHOP M KENI)REE.             169
CHAPTER VIII.
McKendree presides at the Western Conference, 1804-Bishop
Whatcoat's death, 1806-McKendree in Illinois and MissouriReview of the work in the West -Delegated General Conference
needed —A Bishop wanted-New York plan to elect one-Defeated by Virginia Conference -General Conference, 1808McKendree made Bishop-His qualifications —Dr. Coke's letter.
HAVING followed the history of the subject of
this biography to the fall of 1804, we may pass
along with the remark, that on the 2d of October
of this year the Western Conference  again met
at Gerizim, near Cynthiana, Kentucky.  Bishop
Asbury having been taken ill on his way to the
West, neither he nor Bishop Whatcoat, who accompanied him, was able to attend the session.  The
failure of the Bishops to reach the Conference, and
also to designate any one to preside, devolved upon
the Conference the election of its President, and
Mr. McKendree, having received the vote of the
Conference, performed the duties of the office most
admirably.  Several preachers were admitted on
trial at this Conference who subsequently attained
considerable notoriety, and most of whom are
known to have been very estimable and highly
useful men. Among them were Samuel Parker,
the sweet singer in Israel, and a fine specimen of
VOL. I.-8




170            LIFE AND TIMES OF
"nature's noblemen" improved by divine grace;
Peter Cartwright, a fearless, rough, and ready man,
who still lives, and has recently written his own
biography; Miles Harper, my first colleague, a
man of fine order of mind by nature-a revivalist,
with rare gifts for declamation, a voice of unsurpassed melody, and of great physical capacity to
sustain the labor of the saddle, the pulpit, and the
altar, and who, if he had combined with all his
other qualities greater self-command, might have
stood among the foremost; James Axley, whose
firmness verged on sternness, and his candor on
rudeness, but withal a devoted, laborious, good
man-kind of heart, honest in his prejudices, and
eccentric from the want of early advantages; and
Thomas Lasley, the humble and faithful preacher,
and traveling companion of Bishop Asbury, who,
with Gibson, Blackman, and Bowman, was a pioneer in Mississippi and Louisiana, whose long and
useful life has but recently closed.
This, like all the other years of his itinerant life,
seems to have been laboriously and efficiently employed in the duties of his holy office. The revival
was-still prevailing in many sections of the western
country, and thousands were annually being converted to God. His District occupied all his time
and energies, and the cause of God prospered. 
On the 2d of October, 1805, Conference convened
in Scott county, IKentucky. Bishop Asbury presided, and the session was a peaceful and happy
one. Mr. McKendree was this year transferred to
the Cumberland District, after having been five




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            171
years on the Kentucky District-for, although some
slight changes had been made, yet it remained substantially the same work. And this seems to be a
violation of the rule introduced in 1792, limiting
a Presiding Elder's term of service on a District to
four years. I cannot therefore explain it.
The Cumberland District was not only a new
field of operations for him, but it was a much more
extensive one, and embraced more of the frontier
work; for it included not only all the populated
portion of Middle Tennessee, but an appointment
in Illinois also. The increase of members reported
for this year justifies the conclusion that the preachers within the District were faithful and acceptable,
and we doubt not the Presiding Elder did his part,
as usual, of hard service.
The Western Conference for 1807 was held at
Ebenezer Church, Greene county, East' Tennessee,
September 20, 1806, from which he was returned to
the Cumberland District. Bishop Asbury attended
this Conference, and in his Journal he says, "Sunday, 14th, I preached at the stand in the woods.
Brother McKendree followed. It was a season of
feeling.... Saturday, 20th, Western Conference
began, and ended on JIMonday. There are fourteen
hundred added within the bounds of this Conference — fifty-five preachers stationed-all pleased."
Again, "'The brethren were in want, so I parted
with my watch, my coat, and my shirt."  Bishop
Whatcoat having  died* in July, 1806, Bishop
*Richard Whatceato  was born in Gloucestershire, England,




172               LIFE AND TIMES OF
Asbury preached his funeral-sermon at this Conference, as was his custom  at all the Conferences
of the year.  This was a year of great labor and
privation with Mr. McKendree, for he not only attended his regular appointments in  a very large
District, but made a missionary tour into Illinois
and Missouri.  Jesse Walker had been sent to Illinois, and John Travis to Missouri, and both appointments were  attached  to  Mr. McKendree's
District.  The following narrative of this tour, by
the  Rev. James  Gwin,*  may  be  interesting  to
those who  delight to  trace the  footsteps of the
brave pioneer preachers:
"In the year 1807, Brother McKendree, A. Goddard, and myself set out to visit the settlements of
1736; became an itinerant preacher in 1769; came to the United
States in 1784; was ordained by Mr. Wesley previously; assisted
in the ordination of Mr. Asbury; was elected Bishop in 1800;
and died in Dover, Delaware, 5th July, 1806, a holy, faithful
man.
* The following statement appears in Bishop Asbury's Journal,
relating to this beloved friend:
" Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1808.-Yesterday I returned to James
Gwin's and preached here to-day with great delight to a very
feeling congregation.
"Above all the persons of my acquaintance, Brother James
Gwin has distinguished himself most friendly to my comfort.
Understanding that I have a dependent father and sisters, he presented me with three hundred acres of excellent land, for which
he only required me to advance an inconsiderable sum for the
State charges, and farther takes upon himself the trouble of
opening a plantation and building a cabin for their reception. O
that the Father of mercies may remember and reward him and
his for all his kindness to me I "




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          173
Illinois. We crossed the Ohio River, took the wilderness, and traveled until night. Not being able
to get to any habitation, we camped out. Brother
MceKendree made us some tea, and we lay down
under the branches of a friendly beech, and had a
pleasant night's rest. Next morning we set out
early, traveled hard, and got some distance into the
prairie, and here we took up for the night. This
was a night of trouble. After we had taken a
morsel to eat and offered up our prayers to God,
we lay down to rest and fell into a deep sleep.
About eleven o'clock Brother McKendree awoke, and
found our horses were all gone. After some search,
we found they had passed over a small stream and
had taken back the way we had come. Not knowing whether they had been stolen or had left of
their own accord, leaving Brother McKendree at
our camp, Brother Goddard and myself went in
pursuit of them. As the night was dark, we got
dry bark, which afforded us a tolerable light. We
followed their tracks across the prairie, and overtook them about eight o'clock next morning, having
traveled fifteen miles on foot. The next night we
reached the first settlement —tarried a day thereand crossing Kaskaskia River, we reached Turkey
Hill, and lodged with an old Brother Scott. Here,
we met with Jesse Walker, who had formed a circuit and had three camp-meetings appointed for us.
After resting a few days, we set out for the.first
camp-meeting. In twelve miles we reached the
Mississippi, and having no means of taking our
horses across, we. sent them back, crossed the river,




174           LIFE AND TIMES OF
and, with our baggage on our shoulders, went to the
camp-ground, having fallen in with Brother Travis
on the way. About forty were converted at this
meeting."
Here we have a specimen of the risks and fatigues endured by the Methodist itinerants in the
West at that day. "There were giants in those
days." Let us pursue the narrative.
"From this camp-meeting we returned across
the river to Judge S.'s, who refreshed us and sent
forward our baggage in a cart to Brother Garrettson's, where our next meeting was to be held —
which was called the Three Springs. We arrived
on Friday morning on the camp-ground, which
was situated in a beautiful grove surrounded by
a prairie. A considerable congregation had collected; for the news of the other meeting had gone
abroad, and produced much excitement. Some
were in favor of the work, and others were opposed
to it. A certain Major had raised a'company of
lewd fellows of the baser sort' to drive us from
the ground. On Saturday, while I was preaching,
the Major and his company rode into the congregation and halted, which produced considerable confusion and alarm. I stopped preaching for a
moment, and quite calmly invited them to -be off
with themselves, and they retired to the spring for
a fresh drink of brandy. The Major said he had
heard of these Methodists before; that they always
broke up the peace of the people wherever they
went; that they preached against horse-racing,
card-playing, and every other kind of amusement.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.         175
However, they used no violence against us, but determined to camp on the ground and prevent us
from doing harm. But at three o'clock, while
Brother Goddard and I were singing a hymn, an
awful sense of the divine power fell on the congregation, when a man with a terrified look ran to.me
and said,'Are you the man that keeps the roll?'
I asked him what roll.'That roll,' he replied,'that people put their names to who are going to
heaven.' I supposed he meant the class-paper, and
sent him to Brother Walker. Turning to Brother
Walker, he said,'Put my name down, if you
please,' and then fell to the ground. Others started
to run off and fell-some escaped. We were busy
in getting the fallen to one place, which we effected
about sunset, when the man who wished his name
on the roll arose and ran off like a wild beast.
Looking round upon the scene, and listening to
the sobs, groans, and cries of the penitents, reminded me of a battle-field after a heavy battle.
All night the struggle went on. Victory was on
the Lord's side; many were converted, and by sunrise next morning there was the shout of a king in
the camp. It was Sabbath morning, and I thought
it the most beautiful morning I had ever seen. A
little after sunrise, thie man that had run off came
back, wet with the dews of the night and with
strong symptoms of derangement. At eleven
o'clock Brother MclKendree administered the holy
sacrament; and while he was dwelling upon its
origin, nature, and design, some of the Major's
company were effected, and we had a melting time.




176           LIFE AND TIMES OF
After sacrament, Brother McKendree preached to a
large congregation, all the principal men of the country, and all in reach who could get there, being present. His text was' Come, let us reason together,' and
perhaps no man ever managed the subject better, or
with more effect. His reasoning on the atonement,
the great plan of salvation, and the love of God,
was so clear and strong, and was delivered with
such pathos, that the congregation involuntarily
arose to their feet and pressed toward him from all
parts. While he was preaching, he very ingeniously adverted to the conduct of the Major, and remarked,'We: are Americans, and some of us have
fought for our liberty, and have come here to teach
men the way to heaven.' This seemed to strike
the Major, and he afterward became friendly, and
has remained so ever since.
"This was a great day. The work became general-the place was awful, and many souls were
born of God. Among the rest was our wild man.
His history is a peculiar one. He lived in the
American Bottom, had a fine estate, and was a professed deist. He told us that, a few nights before
we passed his house, he dreamed that the day of
judgment was at hand, and that three men. had
come from the East to warn; the people to prepare
for it; that so soon as he saw us he became alarmed,
believing we were those men; and having ascertained where we were from, who we were, and
where going, he came to the camp-meeting. He'
became a reformed and good man."
Brother Gwin's narrative continues.: "We went




I3SHOP M'KENDREE.-         177
to Goshen Camp-meeting. Here we had comfortable camps, and an arbor large enough to shelter
seven hundred persons, in the form of an L. The
stand was in an unsheltered spot, between the
two squares. We had also a small log meetinghouse, in which our first quarterly-meeting was
held. Preaching began on Friday, and was kept
up regularly. The people having heard of the revival at the other meetings, flocked out in great
numbers, many to see the strange work. Some
brought brandy and cards for their amusement during the meeting. On Friday and Saturday the word
preached seemed to do little good. An awful cloud
seemed to rest upon us. In passing the door of the
preachers' tent, I saw Brother McKendree alone,
bathed in tears. I stepped in, and he said to me:'Brother, we have been preaching for ourselves and
not for the Lord. Go, brother, and preach Christ
crucified to the people.' My heart was deeply affected. We fell upon our knees and implored the
help of God. This was about sunset. I preached
at candle-lighting. My text was,'Behold the man.'
It commenced raining shortly after I began to
preach; and, as the audience was under shelter, I
did not stop, although exposed to the rain. My.
heart was fired and my tongue loosened in an unusual manner.' For a few moments nothing but
sobs and sighs were heard among the people; at
length the whole congregation seemed suddenly
smitten with the power of God. Many fell as in
battle, and were presently raised, to tell of pardoning mercy, and encourage others to seek the Lord.
8*




178           LInE AND TIMES OF
We continued all night in the work. On the next
day-Sunday-nine o'clock A.M., the Lord's-supper
was administered. It was a memorable day, and
eternity only will reveal the result. One conversion deserves particular notice. An Indian, of the
Chickamauga tribe, on a hunting trip, fell in with
us at our camp-meeting. I will give his own acoount of his conversion-he said:' When I saw so
many people, I thought I would stop and get some
whisky; and while you were talking in the rain, I
was standing by a sapling, and there came on me a
mighty weight, too heavy for me to stand under. I
caught the sapling, but my hands would not hold
it, and I fell to the ground: while there, blackness
came over me; I tried to get away, but could not
until about daylight. I thought surely I had been
drunk; but then I remembered I had nothing to
drink, although I concluded not to go back; yet
when they began to sing, something drew me back,
and before I knew it, I was among them again,
and then the same weight came on me, and the
darkness; I fell to the ground and thought I was
about to die. I tried to get up, but was too weak.
At last a white man came and talked over me, and
while he was talking, it got lighter and lighter,
and every thing looked whiter than the sun could
make it look. The heavy load and the blackness
all left me; Ifelt glad in my heart, and jumped up
and felt light!'"  Brother Gwin says that he saw
the poor savage when he arose, and as he knew but
few English words, he cried in ecstasy, "Good, good,
good!"




BISHOP M'XENDREE.           179
The narrator adds, that arrangements were made
to send this Indian to school; that he soon learned,
to read and write, and that at the last account of
him he was trying to "walk in the light."
"On Monday, the last day of the meeting, one
hundred joined the Church."
Mr. McKendree has also left a concise reference
to this tour, in which he notices the following facts:
The camp-meeting they attended across the Mississippi River, and consequently, in the present State
of Missouri, was the first meeting of the kind ever
held on the north-west of the Mississippi River,
and that they walked about forty miles in getting
to it. Hle farther says: "Four Sabbaths excepted,
I have attended popular meetings every week since
the beginning of February, in which time I have
rode about 2,700 miles through the wilderness to
the Illinois and back, spent considerable time in the
most sickly part of that and this country, and yet,
blessed be God, my health and strength have been
preserved." This trip occupied about two months,
and was the commencement of a glorious revival
across the Ohio, and upon both sides of the Mississippi.
Such was the manner of life of the devoted McKendree and of his indefatigable and heroic associates, such their faith and zeal, and such the
wonderful success with which God crowned their
"labor of love."
The ensuing Conference was held in Chillicothe,
Ohio, September 14, 1807.  Bishop Asbury, then
our only Bishop in America, was present, and says




180           LIFE AND TIMES OF.
of it: "On Monday we opened our Conference in
-great peace and love, and continued until Friday.
A delegation of seven members was chosen to the
General Conference. There were thirteen preachers added, and we found an addition of two thousand two hundred members to the Society in these
bounds; seven deacons were elected and ordained,
and ten elders; two preachers only located, sixtyfive were stationed."
Mr. McKendree was doubtless reappointed to the
Cumberland District, but as the General Conference, which changed his relation, came on before
the Minutes were published, the name of his successor, James Ward, is put down as its Presiding
Elder.
As this year closes the labors of Mr. McKendree
as Presiding Elder, let us briefly review the progress
of the Church in the West since he took charge of
the only District it contained in 1800. Then there
were 1,741 members, white and colored; now (i.e.,
1808) the Western Conference numbered 16,887
members. Then Mr. McKendree was the leader of
the only band-a forlorn hope, cut off from the
rest of the work by an extensive wilderness,
full of warlike and cruel savages, having only
eleven preachers. In 1808, that one District had
expanded into five, with sixty-six preachers; and
the cause of God was advancing and gaining firm
footing throughout the vast Valley of the Mississippi. The Methodism planted by the heroic and
holy pioneer preachers in this region was truly
Wesleyan; no wild and spurious offshoot of the




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           181
original stock, producing fanaticism and degrading
its disciples, but a genuine root of the true vine
which Paul planted, Apollos watered, which Luther
pruned, and Wesley nourished, and whose fruitful
foliage was now rapidly spreading over England,
the West Indies, and the great Western Continent.
Its fruit was healing the chronic ulcers of the
nations. It introduced order, social and moral, it
subdued the vices, restrained the passions and
vitiated appetites, refined the taste, enlightened the
minds of men, and spread peace and happiness
through society. It instituted an unequaled system
of propagandism-the very plan introduced by the
great Master himself, and called forth the moral
heroism of martyrs in its ministers. Its doctrines
were scriptural, its forms and ceremonies simple
and significant, its spirit catholic, its discipline,
strictly evangelical,, and its system of government
subordinated to the great cardinal object of spreading scriptural holiness over all lands by an itinerant
ministry. No wonder it succeeded; it would have
been far more wonderful if it had not. Every attribute of the Godhead was on its side, and every
intercession of the world's Redeemer was virtually
a prayer and a pledge of its triumph. The highest
interests of humanity were involved in its efforts,
and some of the purest and noblest of earth sacrificed their earthly all in its behalf.
At the Western Conference held in Chillicothe,
Ohio, in September, 1807, to which we have already
adverted, seven delegates were elected to represent
the body in the approaching General Conference,




182              LIPE AND TIMES OF
five of whom attended it.  They were William McKendree, William  Burke, John  Sale, Benjamin
Lakin, and Elisha W. Bowman. The New England
Conference also sent seven representatives, while
from New York there were nineteen; South Carolina, eleven; Virginia, eighteen; Baltimore, thirtyone; and Philadelphia, thirty-two-making in all
one hundred and twenty-five, instead of one hundred and twenty-nine, as stated by Dr. Bangs and
Dr. Lee, both of whom  give the Western Conference eleven instead of seven.*
The General Conference which begant May 6,
1808, in Baltimore, was the most important session
which had ever been held.  The organization of
the Church, so far as respects the inauguration of
the Episcopal form of government by the Christmas Conference of 1784, which was hastily convened, and, of course, was not a general attendance
of the preachers, particularly as to the Conferences
remote from the place of its session, was certainly
an important event, whether we call it a General
or Special Conference. Its acts were acquiesced in
by the whole Church, and were authoritative. But
it was soon evident that, in order to give unity, harmony, and efficiency to the Church, something more
* Bangs's History M. E. Church, Vol. II., p. 195; Life and Times
of the Rev. Jesse Lee, p. 431; Asbury's Journal, Vol. III., p.
268; Life of Bishop Roberts by Dr. Elliott, pp. 156-8; Life of
Bishop Hedding, p. 171.
t Dr. Bangs and Dr. Clark have both erred as to this date. See
History M. E. Church, Vol. II., p. 195; Life and Times of Bishop
Hedding, p. 171.




BISHOP Mi KIENDREE.          183
was indispensable; for however unanimous in doctrines and in the outlines of Church-polity the
preachers and members appear to have been, and
really were, and however strong their attachment
to the Bishops, as general superintendents of the
whole work, yet while each Annual Conference
claimed the power to change any part of the Discipline, not excepting even the Articles of Faith —the
basis of their organization-it must be evident that
some other and stronger bond was necessary than
yet existed to insure permanent union. The itinerant general superintendency feature of the system
was, it is true, a highly conservative element, and
the respect and regard felt by all for the character of
Mr. Asbury was a guaranty against a disruption of
the body, except under strongly-exciting circumstances. Such circumstances might arise, and that
good and far-seeing man, in common with other
wise and devoted friends of the Church, felt exquisitely the importance of introducing the principle of representation into the government, and by
restricting the Conferences in their separate capacity from the exercise of a direct power over
fundamental questions, to concentrate this authority, under constitutional provisions, in the representative body. The condition of the Church at
this period was somewhat similar to that of the'civil government of the thirteen colonies during
the Revolutionary War, and until the formation
and adoption of the Federal Constitution. And as
the highest principles of patriotism induced Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, Jay,.and




184,    LIFE AND TIMES OF
Madison to advocate a Constitutional Union in the
place of.the old Confederation, so, actuated with
the highest sense of piety and duty, our Asbury,
Lee, McKendree, Bruce, Burke, Cooper, Soule, and
Garrettson united their efforts to concentrate the
law-making department of the Church in a General
Conference, under constitutional "limitations and
restrictions."
The conviction was so strong among the older
and wiser members of the Connection, that, as we
have seen, "the Council" system was introduced
with a hope that it would answer the ends proposed.
But it failed in 1792, not less from its own intrinsic
imperfection than on account of the opposition it
encountered from Mr. O'Kelly. In the General
Conference of 1804, the propriety of a delegated
representative body was felt and admitted, but as
the preparatory steps had not been taken for the
immediate introduction of the principle, by common
consent the plan was deferred until 1808, when all
the Conferences could meet the question after mature deliberation.  It was therefore understood
throughout the whole Church, that at this Conference the organization of the Church should be completed by some general measures which would effect
a centralization of power in a delegated body having supreme legislative jurisdiction. Indeed, the
sense of insecurity was so strongly and generally
felt in reference to the Episcopacy. itself, after the
death of Bishop Whatcoat in 1806, and the failure of the health of Bishop Asbury, consequent
upon the excessive: fatigue and anxiety devolved




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          185
upon him, that many of the preachers thought
it advisable to call a special convention of
seven delegates from each Conference, for the
exclusive object of electing another Bishop, lest
the death of Mr. Asbury before the General Conference of 1808 might endanger the stability of
the Church. With this view, " a plan agreed upon
by the New York Conference, to organize and establish a permanent Superintendency over the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States, and
recommended to the other six Conferences for their
concurrence," was carried round to the Conferences,
and laid before them by Bishop Asbury. This plan
proposed that the forty-nine delegated members, or
electors, should convene in Baltimore, July 4, 1807,
"for the express purpose, and with full powers, to
elect, organize, and establish a permanent Superintendency, and for no other purpose." The original
document now lies before the writer.
" Signed by order and in behalf of the unanimous
voice of the Conference.
"FREEBORN GARRETTSON,
"EZEK. COOPER,         Committee.
"SAMUEL COATE,
"FRANCIS WARD, Sec'y.
"Done at New York, May 22, 1806."
Appended to this circular are the following interesting entries in the autographs of the subscribers:
"The New England Conference concur with the
proposal made by the New York Conference, for




186           LIPFE AND TIMES OF
-calling a delegated General Conference on July 4,
1807, for the express purpose of strengthening the
Superintendency. Yeas, 28; nays, 15.
" THO. BRANCH, Sec'y."
"The Western Conference concur with the proposal made by the "-etc., etc. "TUnanimity."
"VWM. BURKE, Sec'y."
"The South Carolina Conference concur "- etc.
"Two members only excepted."
"LEWIS MYERS, Sec'y."'"Virginia Cooference, Newbern, Feb. 6, 1807.The New York Conference having written a circular letter tV the several Annual Conferences, proposing a plan to strengthen the Superintendency,
the letter was read in this Conference yesterday, and
a vote taken-' Shall we consider the subject?'
Only seven were in favor of the motion. The subject was called up again to-day, and a second vote
was taken: fourteen were in favor of it.  It is
therefore the decision of Conference not to be concerned in it.
"Signed in and by order of the Conference.
" P. BRUCE,
" JESSE LEE,
" THOS. L. DOUGLASS, Sec'y.
"There were 34 members at the Conference; 33
were present when the vote was taken, and the absent member said he would have voted for it if he
had been in the room.
" TOS. L. DOUGLASS, Sec'y."




BfISIHOP MM.KENDRE. —       187
There is also an original paper, under date of
Newbern, North Carolina, Feb. 8, 1807, expressing
the dissent of Philip Bruce, Stith ilMead, Thomas L.
Douglass, and John Buxton to the action of the Virginia Conference in refusing to take into consideration the circular of the BNew York Conference.
" It appearing to us both injudicious and impolitic
to refuse hearing a debate on any thing which so
nearly concerns the general welfare and union of
our Church, more especially as we must from principle avow the propriety of equal representation;
secondly, respecting their refusing to hear the letters from our brethren composing the six preceding
Conferences to ours in answer to Dr. Coke," etc.
They, however, attribute the course pursued by the
Conference " to the state of our Conference, being
composed of more than one-third young men, and
the vehement outcries of'Rebellion' -' Worse
than Burr' —' Of Forswearing''Dividing the
Connection!' etc., etc., raised  by two of our
elder brethren, (J. Lee and D. Hall,) which so
alarmed the young men that they were afraid to
hear or see the letters, or submit to the debate upon
the address from New York."
Mr. Lee's resistance of this measure has been
justified by the results of the General Conference
ensuing, and vindicated by his able biographer.
It was an- extraordinary measure to meet a contingency which did not occur before the meeting of
the body which had the legal control of the question, and might have been a dangerous precedcnt.
And it may well be feared that if this evident neces



188-          LIFE AND TIMES OF
sity for General Conference action had been anticipated in 1807, the attempt to introduce the representative principle in 1808, and to impose a constitutional check both upon the Annual and General
Conferences, might not have been successful, inasmuch as their necessity would not have been so
imperatively felt.  So that, however grieved Mr.
Asbury may have been at the defeat of this attempt
to call a General Conference, yet, as it resulted in
rendering evident the indispensableness of a delegated General Conference to the permanency, unity,
and efficiency of the Church, and thus contributed
to this most important result, neither he nor others
could regret the failure. I confess, however, I have
not found any evidence that Bishop Asbury felt very
great solicitude about the matter-certainly there is
none in the remarks made in his Journal about the
Virginia Conference, for there is not the remotest
intimation that he "labored" at all for that'" dangerous plan," much less that he "labored hard"
for it.
The failure of the New York plan by the nonconcurrence of the Virginia Conference, did not
deter the former Conference from sending a Memorial to the General Conference in favor of organizing a delegated body to meet at regular periods.
The vast extent of the work, the number of elders,
each of whom was entitled to a seat, the loss of
time, the great expense of all who should attend,
the preponderance which the Central Conferences
had always enjoyed and would always have in the
number of members, besides the inutility of so




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           189
large a body for legislative purposes, and finally,
the necessity for it as a bond of union to the several
Annual Conferences, were clearly and strongly set
forth.  It was the great question of the Conference, and upon its fate rested the prosperity, if not
the future existence, of the Church.
The Memorial was referred to a Committee of
fourteen - two from  each Conference.  William
McKendree and William Burke were chosen from
the Western Conference. On Monday, the 16th,
the Committee reported in favor of the measure,
submitting a plan for a delegated General Conference substantially the same as that now found in
the third section of the Discipline. Dr. Elliott,
in his Life of Bishop Roberts, says: " On the filst
meeting of the Committee, they conversed largely
on the provisions which their report to the Conference should contain. After considerable deliberation, they agreed to appoint a sub-committee of
three to draft a report to be submitted to Conference-subject, however, to such additions or modifications as a future meeting of the whole Committee might see fit to make. The sub-committee consisted of -Ezekiel Cooper, Joshua Soule, and Philip
Bruce. WVhen the sub-committee met, it was agreed,
after a full exchange of sentiments, that each should
draw up a separate paper comprising the necessary
restrictions or regulations in the best way he could,
and that each should present his form in writing,
and they would then adopt the one deemed best,
with such amendments as might be agreed upon.
Whlen the sub-committee met to examine their




190               LIFE AND TIMES OF
plans, Mr. Cooper had his regularly drawn up, Mr.
Soule also  had one, but Mr. Bruce had nothing
committed to writing.  On comparing the two papers, Mr. Bruce fell in with the main points of the
one brought forward by Mr. Soule.  Mr. Cooper
pleaded for his own with his usual ability, but he
finally agreed to Mr. Soule's plan, with some slight
additions or amendments suggested by the others.
At the next meeting of the whole Committee,
although the plans of Messrs. Cooper and Soule
were both before them, Mr. Soule's was adopted by
all the members, with some slight modifications."
Suffice it to say, that when the report came before
the Conference, a long and animated debate ensued.
Some were in favor of representation by seniority,
and others of the election of delegates. The report
favored the elective principle, and the remote Conferences were generally in favor of it, but the central ones, such as Baltimore and Philadelphia, were
opposed to it. It was rejected on the 18th, by 57
yeas, 65 nays.*   Very  great dissatisfaction  was
* Mr. Cooper's plan differed from Mr. Soule's on the third Article, by saying, "They shall not do away Episcopacy, nor reduce
our ministry to a Presbyterialparity;" while Mr. Soule's was as
it now stands in the Discipline. The Committee of fourteen approved the latter, and reported it to the Conference. The prominent advocates of Mr. Cooper's plan in the Conference were himself and John Wilson. Mr. Lee is understood to have opposed
the whole thing upon the plea of " Conference-rights," leading to
ic electioneering," etc., and to have defeated' it temporarily by advocating seniority in preference to the election of delegates. When
the subject was reconsidered, Mr. Soule, seconded by George
Pickering, moved to amend the first Article by inserting " senior



BISHOP M' KENDREE.                191
manifested at this decision, and the New England
and Western members having previously agreed to
leave upon the failure of this effort, the New England delegates arose and asked leave to retire and
return to their work, as they could be of no farther
use in  the Conference-giving  assurance, at the
same time, that they would not create any difficulty
in the Church, but peaceably go home and attend to
the duties of their work.  Wm. Burke arose and
made the same request for the Western Conference
delegates.  Six members from  New England and
two from the West retired in a body, and began to
make preparations for their journey.  But Bishop
Asbury and Mr. Mcllendree sought an interview
with them and others sympathizing with them, and,
aided by the wise and prudent Elijah Hedding, prevailed on them to wait a day and see if a reconsideration of the question could not be effected leading to a different result. They did remain: the
report was again taken up. The delegates from
the Central Conferences —two of which constituted
almost a majority of the whole body —saw that it
was necessary to adopt it to save the integrity of
ity or choice "-thus leaving the mode of obtaining the delegate to
the discretion of the Conferences. Mr. Lee was silent after this,
and it passed by a large majority. The biographer of IMr. Lee,
to whom the writer feels deeply indebted for his able and reliable
work, claims that the third Restrictive Article originated with Mr.
Lee. This error may be readily accounted for by the fact that
Mr. Lee moved its adoption in Conference, as Mr. Soule had reported it. But Bishop Soule undoubtedly originated it. The above
explanations are from the lips of Bishop Soule himself.




192            LIFE AND TIMES OF
the Church; and after mature deliberation and
considerable discussion, a compromise was agreed
upon between Messrs. Soule and Cooper, representing the elective and seniority parties, by giving to
the Annual Conferences respectively the right of
selecting their delegates in either way, and then the
general plan of a delegated Conference was adopted
almost unanimously. And it is a striking illustration of the undue importance sometimes given to
a mere abstraction to an impracticable principle,
that no Annual Conference has ever sent a delegate
to any General Conference since then, upon the
ground of seniority, and yet this was the point upon
which the whole question mainly hinged at last.
"Thus," says Dr. Elliott, "to a very considerable
extent we owe to; Bishop Soule the restrictive regulations-or rather, the Constitution of the Methodist Episcopal Church-which exhibits a degree of
wisdom and prudent foresight that characterizes
men of the first mental powers. In fact, those whro
know Bishop Soule would expect from  him the
wise deliberation necessary to produce such a measure as the Constitutional Restrictions of the Methodist Episcopal Church."*
Thus was this great measure consummated, and
the harmony and unity of the Church secured, in
so far as written constitutions and compacts can insure unity in civil or ecclesiastical bodies.
The very infirm state of Bishop Asbury's health,
together with the absence of Dr. Coke and the
death of Bishop Whatcoat, created a strong desire
* Life of Bishop Roberts, p. 159.




BISIHOP M'KENDREE.           193
to "strengthen the Episcopacy," by the election of
one or more Superintendents. And after a motion
had been made to elect the Presiding Elders by
the Conferences, instead of their being appointed
by the Bishop, and another to elect seven Bishops,
(one to each Conference,) and still another to elect
two, and they had all failed by a strong vote, it was
finally moved, and carried almost unanimously, to
elect and consecrate one. On the same day-i. e.,
12th May, 1808-the Conference proceeded to vote
by ballot, and it was found that out of one hundred and twenty-eight members present, William
McKendree had received ninety-five votes, and was
therefore declared elected; and on the 18th of May*
he was consecrated, in Light Street Church, by
Bishop Asbury, assisted by the Rev. Messrs. Freeborn Garrettson, Philip Bruce, Jesse Lee, and
Thomas Ware.
The following is a copy of his Certificate of Ordination:
"K[now all men by these presents, that I, Francis
Asbury, originally of Great Britain, in great Barr
Staffordshire, the Parish of Handsworth, for some
years a member of the Methodist Society, and a
local preacher; afterwards a member of the British
Conference. In the year 1771 I came a Missionary
to the British Provinces in America: afterwards
General Assistant, and I had the oversight of the
Methodist Society's. On the 27th day of DecemDr. Bangs, Dr. Lee, Dr. Clark, Benjamin St. James Fry, etc.,
etc., all mistake the day of his ordination.
VOL. I.-9




194           LIFE AND TIMES OF
ber, 1784, at a General Conference in Baltimore,
after being ordained Deacon and Elder, I was
elected to the office of Superintendent or Bishop,
by the unanimous voice of the General Conference
held in Baltimore, December 24, 1784. The following persons assisted in my ordination, viz.,
-Thomas Coke, Doctor of Civil Law of Jesus College in the University of Oxford, Presbyter of the
Church of England, Superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America, by the ordination and appointment of Mr. John Wesley, and
other clergymen of the Church of England; also
assisted in the ordination, William Otterbine, Minister of the German Presbyterian Church, and
Richard Whatcoat with Thomas Vasey, regularly
ordained Elders by John Wesley: these four solemnly set me apart for a Superintendent of the
Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States
of America. AND now be it known to all whom
it may concern, that WILLIAM MCKENDREE was ordained Deacon in the year 1790, and I did set him
apart to the office of an Elder by my hands, in December of the year 1791. I HAVE, this eighteenth
day of May, one thousand eight hundred and eight,
set apart William McI(endree,* by the laying on of
hands and prayer, assisted by Freeborn Garrettson,
Philip Bruce, Jesse Lee, and Thomas Ware, all of
them Elders in the Church; to the office and work
of a Superintendent or. Bishop of the Methodist
" Born in King William county, State of Virginia, July 6th,
1757.




BISHOP M'ENDREE.            195
Episcopal Church, (after he had been elected by a
majority-i. e., 95 out of 128 members of General
Conference,) as a man whom we judge well qualified for the office of a Superintendent, and one of
the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
and fit to preside over and Feed the Flock of
Christ, so long as his spirit, practice, and doctrine
is such as becometh the Gospel of Christ, and he
shall submit to the Discipline and order- of the said
Methodist Episcopal Church in America.
"And I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this
eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eight.
"FRANCIS ASBURY. [seal.]
" JESSE LEE,
" FREEBORN GARRETTSON,
" THOMAS WARE,
CPHILIP BRUCE.
"Done in Light Street Church, BALTIMORE, State of MARYLAND."
The historian of the Church, the venerable Dr.
Bangs, to whom the whole Methodist family in
America is indebted for his able and impartial labors in this department, as well as for his valuable
services in promoting the general interests of the
Church in other respects, thus speaks of this election:
"Mr. McKendree had been commended to the
attention and approbation of the Conference by a
long, laborious, and faithful service in the itinerant field of labor, during which time God had set
his seal to his ministry in a most remarkable man



196           LIFE AND TIMES' OF
ner.... It was from this field of labor (the West)
that Mr. McKendree came to the General Conference in 1808. And such was the confidence inspired in his wisdom and integrity, in his zeal and
prudence in promoting the cause of God, and such
a halo of glory seemed to surround his character,
that the finger of Providence appeared to point to
him as the most suitable person to fill the office of
a Superintendent."*
-When Mr. McKendree entered the Conference,
he had been so long and so far from the central
part of the Church, that his old friends were not
prepared to appreciate the improvement he had
made, while to the younger members of the body
he was almost unknown even by name; so that
none but his recent colleagues and -Bishop Asbury
were aware of his powers as an orator and a divine
-powers which had been matured by self-denial,
close study, and the constant practice of earnest,
prayerful, evangelical sermonizing, amidst the hardships and dangers of a hardy pioneer life. But
having been appointed to preach at the Light Street
Church on the Sabbath before- the Coriference began, he tremblingly complied. Dr. Ba'ngs thus describes the speaker's manner, the occasion, and the
result:
" The house was crowded with strangers in every
part, above and below, eager to hear the stranger;
and among others, most of the members of the
General Conference were present, besides a number
of colored people who occupied a second gallery in
* Bangs's History M. E. Church, Vol. II., pp. 236-238.




BISHOP M' ENDREE.          197
the front end of the church. Mr. McTKendree entered the pulpit at the hour for commencing the
services, clothed in very coarse and homely garments, which he had worn in the woods of the
West, and, after singing, he kneeled in prayer.
As was often the case with him, when he commenced his prayer he seemed to falter in his
speech, clipping some of his words at the end,
and occasionally hanging upon a syllable, as if it
were difficult for him to pronounce the word. I
looked at him not without some feeling of distrust
-thinking to myself,'I wonder what awkward
backwoodsman they have put in the pulpit this
morning, to disgrace us with his mawkish and uncouth phraseology?' The feeling of distrust did not
forsake me until some minutes after he had announced his text, which contained the following
words:'For the hurt of the daughter of my people
am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken
hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead? is there
no physician there? why then is not the health of
the daughter of my people recovered?' Jer. viii.
21, 22. HIis introduction appeared tame, his sentences broken and disjointed, and his elocution
very defective. He at length introduced his main
subject, which was to show the spiritual disease of
the Jewish Church, and of the human family generally; and then he entered upon his second proposition, which was to analyze the feelings which
such a state of things awakened in the souls of
God's faithful embassadors; but when he came to
speak of the blessed effects upon the heart of the




198           LIFE AND TIMES OF
balm which God had prepared for the healing of
the nations, he seemed to enter fully into the element in which his soul delighted to move and have
its being, and he soon carried the whole congregation away with him into the regions of experimental religion.
"Remarking upon the objections which some
would make to the expression of the feelings realized by a person fully restored to health by an application of the'sovereign balm for every wound,'
he referred to the shouts of applause so often heard
upon our national jubilee, in commemoration of
our emancipation from political thraldom, and then
said,'How much more cause has an immortal soul
to rejoice and give glory to God for its spiritual deliverance from the bondage of sin!' This
was spoken with a soul overflowing with the
mnost hallowed and exalted feelings, and with an
emphasis that was like the sudden bursting of
a cloud surcharged with water. The congregation was instantly overwhelmed with a shower of
divine grace from the upper world. At first, sudden shrieks, as of persons in distress, were heard
in different parts of the house, then shouts of
praise, and in every direction sobs and groans.
The' eyes of the people overflowed with tears,
while many were prostrated upon the floor or lay
helpless on the seats. A very large, athletic-looking preacher, sitting by my side, suddenly fell upon
his seat, as if pierced by a bullet-and I felt my
heart melting under emotions which I could not
resist.




BISHOP MiKENDREE.           199
"After this sudden shower, the clouds were dispersed, and the Sun of righteousness shone out
most serenely and delightfully, producing upon. all
a present consciousness of the divine approbation;
and when the preacher descended from the pulpit,
all were filled with admiration of his talents, and
were ready to'magnify the grace of God in him,'
as a chosen messenger of good tidings to the lostsaying in their hearts,'This is the man whom God
delights to honor.'"
Bishop Asbury, who was present, was heard to
say that the sermon would make him a Bishop, and
his prophecy was verified on the 12th of May, for
upon that clay he was elected, it being the same day
upon which the resolution passed to elect one. The
majority by which he was elected was the largest
any Bishop has ever received, except Bishop Asbury. He was the first native American elected to
that office in the Methodist Church, and was fiftyone years of age.: However inexpedient-it may appear for a Church
to elect a man to an oflice so important upon an impulse, apparently so sudden, yet in the present case
the selection was wise. WTith the exception of Mr.
Asbury, no preacher in the Connection combined so
many qualifications for the office. His piety was
deep and uniform; he was single-hearted, magnanimnous, generous, and of most refined and exquisite
sensibility. With the discipline and government
of the Church he was thoroughly acquainted; probably more familiar with ecclesiastical law than any
of his contemporaries.As a preacher, he was in



200            LIFE AND TIMES OF
ferior to none in the clear comprehension and able
advocacy of doctrines, in lucid and natural description of religious emotions, and in close and searching application of Christian ethics to their practical
developments in the daily walks of life, while in the
power and effectiveness of his ministrations he
stood as a prince among his brethren. Nor was
there any rudeness in his manners. He had en.
joyed the benefit of highly-cultivated society in the
Old Dominion-was acquainted with the courtesies
of social life, and without sacrificing the simplicity
of his character, there was something in his manners which won the esteem of all with whom he
came in contact, and impressed them with the conviction that while he was a true gentleman, he was
also a true and noble specimen of a Christian minister. His fine personal appearance-about six feet
high, exquisitely proportioned-his beaming, prominent, mild dark eyes, black hair, delicate, white
skin, and noble Grecian contour of face and forehead,
were remarkably prepossessing. His voice was
clear, soft, and highly musical; and when, in his
happiest moments in the pulpit, I have looked into
his face, all radiant with intellect, and smiling in
every feature, with the reflected piety and benignity of his full and happy soul, and listened to the
accents of that most lute-like and persuasive voice,
I have thought that I never heard such a voice, or
so felt the charm of truth and the attractions of
piety. The whole man seemed to speak. And then
there were associated with the words he uttered his
long, self-sacrificing career, his unsuspected purity




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          201
of life, his unmurmuring submission to hardships
for the purpose of preaching Christ, and his daily
exemplification of the power and loveliness of pure
religion. Indeed, two thoughts seemed to have engrossed the man's nature.  Other preachers occasionally seem to speak and act as if they have
other important interests in this world apart from
religion, but he seemed to have always in view only
two great thoughts -Christ and the Church. To
glorify God in the salvation of men, and build up
the Church, were all he cared much about. Every
thing else seemed to him too trivial to excite his
heart or engage his energies.  Truly might he
have said, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten
me up."
Such was the man called by the voice of the
Church to the Episcopal office. How this unexpected honor affected him, we may conceivewhen
we learn from the Rev. L. Garrett, that upon his
election, at the late Western Conference, to preside
in the absence of the Bishop, he wept like a child,
and would fain have declined the distinction.
Bishop Asbury, too, alludes to the dejection of
"dear Brother McKendree" on account of his election to the Episcopal office. His -Diary is silent here.
He was like one stricken by a bolt from the sky,
and was too much paralyzed with the unexpected
event to sit down calmly and chronicle his own
election. Great questions of duty, high and holy
thoughts of love to God, his Church, and the salvation of his fellow-men, excluded all other considerations; and until these solemn questions were settled,
get




202               LIFE AND TIMES OF
and he had fully given himself to the duties of his
new and holy office, his pen refused to record his
daily history.  And even after he had entered upon
his work and resumed his Diary, not one allusion
did he make to this solemn event of that Conference until some time afterward.* IIe had wholly
given himself to God, in obedience to the voice of
the Church, and, with characteristic modesty, slips
out of the city as soon as possible, and begins, or
rather, renews his career of travel, toil, and suffering, never to end until "the weary wheels of life
at last stand still."   If he had sought the office,
he would have been unworthy of it. But having
neither sought nor expected it, he submitted "to
be servant of all," and, with as little parade as possible, went about his Master's work.
Dr. Coke, so soon as he heard of the election of
Mr. McKlendree, wrote him  the  following  congratulatory letter. For the first time he was not
present at the General Conference, nor ever afterward visited the United States, the election of Mr.
~ The following extract from his Journal, of a later date, shows
his feelings at this period:
"At this General'Conference my brethren -saw proper to enlarge my sphere of action, and this at a time of life when, in my
opinion, if any thing, it ought to be diminished. This necessarily increased my labors, multiplied my cares, and fixed me
in a position to have more sorrow. At times I felt resolved
not to submit, but when it came to the point, I was afraid to
refuse; I dare not deny. And while still deeply conscious that
I did not possess qualifications adequate to the important station, yet, confident of support from my brethren, and relying
on divine aid, I reluctantly and tremblingly submitted."




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           203
McIKendree superseding the necessity of his services
here, while his time was fully occupied at home.
And, although there is reason for thinking he might
have preferred to make America his home, yet he
cordially greets the brother who takes his place,
and ingenuously bears his testimony to his fitness
for the office:
"Tenby, South Wales, October 5, 1808.
To  BisHOP MCKENDREE: —I write to you, my
very dear brothler and friend, not to congratulate
you on your election to the office of a Bishop, (for
I believe you regard not office nor honor any farther
than you may serve God thereby,) but to express
my regard for you, and the pleasure I feel (notwithstanding what I have written above) at your being
united to my old and venerable brother, Asbury, in
the great work in which he is engaged. I am
persuaded God has chosen you to help my dear
brother, and that you will go on with him in perfect union in blessing the American Continent
under divine grace.
You are mild: you are moderately and properly
reserved, and do not aim at an overbearing exercise
of power. I have not had a large acquaintance with
you, but your person and your voice are fresh to
me, as if you were now with me in the same room,
and I greatly mistake if I do not taste your spirit.
Go on, brother, walking with God and united to
him. Your field of action is great. You have,
perhaps, ten thousand pulpits open to you. But the
grand point, which must be engraven continually
on your forehead, as it were, and on your heart, is the




204           LIFE AND TIMES OF
harmony and union of the Methodist Connection
in America. God bless you! My dearest wife joins
me in love to you. Pray for us.
I am, very dear brother and friend, yours affectionately and faithfully,        T. COKE.
P. S. Please write to me.
Bishop Asbury, in his Journal, Vol. III., p. 280,
alludes to the "electing of dear Brother MecKendree
assistant Bishop," and says: "The burden is now
borne by two pair of shoulders instead of one; the
care is cast upon two hearts and heads." Most
willingly did he divide the honors of the Episcopacy
with his colleague-the labor and care were worrying him to death.




BISHOP -M KENDREE.                205
CHAPTER IX.
1808 an era in Methodism-Bishop McKendree's first tour and
first Conference at Liberty Hill-Action on slavery-The
South Carolina Conference-First missions to slaves-Two
Virginia Conferences-Philadelphia and New York Conferences — Steam-boat excitement- New England ConferenceCamp-meetings at Pike Run, Zanesville, and Collins's Campgrounds —Western Conference at Cincinnati, September 30,
1809-Extracts from his Journal-Methodists taxed for benefit of Congregationalists in Connecticut-His presidency-Dr.
Coke-His overture to Bishop White in 1791 explained and
vindicated-His proposal to divide the work with Bishop Asbury-His death and character.
THE General Conference of 1808 gave very great
satisfaction to the members and friends of the
Church.  It completed the work begun in 1784, by
placing the Articles of Religion, the General Rules,
and the Itinerant Episcopal Form of Administration, as well as the rights of preachers and members, beyond the control of the Annual and General
Conferences, except under certain "limitations and
restrictions," and reserving the Articles of Religion
from their control for ever.  This act, giving constitutional permanency to the fundamental principles of Methodism, was crowned by the substitution  of a  delegated  representative body in the
place of mass-meetings of the Elders. And then




206           LIFE AND TIMES OF
the election and consecration of a man so universally respected and beloved as McKendree to be
associated with Bishop Asbury, gave great confidence in the stability and harmony of the Church
in future. It was an era in American Methodism.
The Church had now placed herself in a position
of internal peace as to any immediate cause of dissension, and of external union and strength, which
quieted the fears of many an anxious heart, and
called forth a general expression of gratitude to
God from all her borders. The members of the
Conference having dispatched their business with
remarkable unanimity and affection, returned to
their respective fields with fresh zeal and courage,
having nobly done their duty to God and the
Church; and the whole Connection seemed to enter
upon the work with renewed vigor.
Immediately upon theclose of the General Conference, Bishop Asbury, with HIenry Boehmr as his
traveling companion, started through Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky, to the first Conference for the year, to be held near Nashville, Tennessee; while Bishop MIceendree went through
YWestern Virginia and East Tennessee, West Tennessee, crossed the Ohio River, passed through a
portion of Illinois, and crossing the Mississippi
River above its junction with the Missouri, entered
the State of Missouri, and joined his old friend,
Jesse Walker, in holding a camp-meeting, beginning on July 28, 1808, and pushing still farther west, crossing the Missouri River one hundred miles above its mouth, they held another




BISHOP I'KENDREE.'          207
camp - meeting at Big Spring on the 12th of
August.
His account of a part of this journey is as follows:
"Saturday, 23d, Sunday, 24th, Monday, 25th, July,
1808- Camp-meeting in Illinois Circuit, Indiana
Territory.-On Tuesday morning last we left Kentucky, with four days' provisions for mnan and beast;
crossed the Ohio River, and entered the wilderness.
We were six in company-J. Ward, T. Lasley, Z.
Maddox, M. Shelby, and J. White. Lying out was
no hardship, but the water was extremely bad, and
the flies intolerable.  Some had attempted to go
through the prairies, but had turned back, and ad-'vised us not to try it; but we resolved to go, trusting the Lord. On the third day the flies afflicted
us sorely, when a kind Providence sent a strong
breeze and blew them all away. After twelve
hours a shower of rain succeeded, and blessed man
and beast with water to drink.
"On Friday, a little after dark, we got to Brother
Scott's in the settlement. The old people were
gone to the camp-meeting, about fifteen miles off,
but the children received and treated us kindly.
On Saturday morning, one of the most affecting
scenes I ever witnessed occurred.  As we drew
near to the encampment, about thirty of the neighbors fell in with us. We rode two deep, and a
number of excellent singers went' in front. We
were all glad, and as we moved, they sang delightfully,' with the- Spirit, and with the understanding.'
And as we approached, the congregation met us




208           LIFE AND TIMES OF
with open arms, and welcomed us in the name of
the Lord. The Lord was in our midst, and it was
like sitting in a heavenly place." Many were
converted at this meeting.
"Saturday, July 30, including llonday, Aug. 1Camp-meeting in Missouri Circuit.-This is a frontier settlement, lying in the fork of the Mississippi
and Missouri Rivers, where, until lately, the Methodists were unknown-it being under the Spanish
and papal governments until transferred to us by
the French. Last year we formed a circuit here,
and the prospect of a gracious reformation was
truly pleasing, until a preacher of the Baptist order,
and another of those calling themselves Christians,
came among the people, and stirred up such strife
that the reformation seemed to be at a stand. But
the Lord manifested himself at this meeting to their
overthrow and the reviving of the work of grace."
"Sunday, Aug. 7th.-From the above camp-meeting we crossed the Missouri, and held a meeting
near a French village; had a refreshing time; several were converted, and the meeting lasted till night.
This place became the beginning of a circuit on this
side of the river.
" I continued down the river, and crossed the Mississippi at St. Louis, and so upon the other side to
Goshen. Here we had a solemn time. The people
were dying of flux: seven open graves in the
church-yard; one interred after we assembled."
"Friday, 12th-14th.-Camp-meeting at the Big
Spring. The foundation of a good and great revival was laid at a camp-meeting when we visited




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           209
here last year. The people received us as angels
of God, and the Lord blessed us with many conversions. On Monday, as the sun rose I preached, and
then started for Kentucky. An Indian who got
converted when I was here last year, and has taken
up with the white people and gone to school, stood
at a distance Mid looked on until he could refrain
no longer; then rushed through the crowd, caught
me around the neck, and cried aloud, saying,-' I see
your face no more.'  We rode forty-five miles,
lodged in the wilderness, and rested in peace."
His tent at the camp-meeting up the Missouri
was made by sewing the preachers' saddle-blankets
together, and spreading them over a pole, supported
by forks placed in the ground like soldiers' tents.
One end of the tent was closed with green boughs, the
other was left open, and in front of it a fire was
made. His food was bread, and flesh broiled on
sticks by the fire. Returning though the territories
from the Big Spring Camp-meeting, and lying out
in the forests two nights, he recrossed the Ohio
River, attended a camp-meeting in Kentucky, and
another at Fountain Head, Tennessee, on Aug. 26th,
near the house of his old friend, James Gwin.
Worn down with fatigue and exposure, he was
taken sick, and for more than two weeks was able
to do but little. On Sept. 24th, he joined Bishop
Asbury at Strother's, and, passing through Nashville, came to Liberty Hill, where the Western Conference began, Oct. 1, 1808. "Thus in four months,"
says Bishop Soule, "he had rode on horseback
fifteen hundred miles, a considerable part of




210           LIFE AND TIMES OF
the journey without roads, bridges, or boats, frequently swimming creeks and rivers, sleeping many
nights in the woods, with heaven for his covering,
and earth for his bed."
The first extensive frontier visit of a Methodist
Bishop was attended with happy results. Many
had conceived the Bishops to be men clothed with
power dangerous to society. They had considered
them ecclesiastical dignitaries, inaccessible to the
people, surrounded with wealth and pomp, and
ruling with almost absolute authority. Bishop McKendree's appearance and manners were well calculated to correct such views, and remove the prejudices formed under such misrepresentations. Thousands flocked to see and hear the "Methodist
Bishop." But how were they disappointed! Instead of costly and fashionable costume, his dress
was of the plainest mode and of common materials. Instead of austerity of manners and the
signs of ecclesiastical power, they found him grave,
but affable, familiar, and persuasive; gentle to all
men, ready to participate with ease and sweetness
of temper in the circumstances of the poor and
afflicted, and ever intent upon diffusing happiness
in every circle of society in which he moved.
The Conference at Liberty Hill was held at a
camp-meeting-the preachers lodging on the encampment, while the Bishops, in view of Bishop
Asbury's feeble health, stayed at the residence of
Colonel Green Hill. This gentleman was an old
acquaintance of theirs, an estimable local minister,
a revolutionary officer, and a simple-hearted and




BISHOP  M'tKNDREE.           211
devoted Christian. The writer knew him well;
spent the first night of his itinerant life at his
house in 1817, and can never forget the godly counsel and fatherly treatment he received from this
venerable man during the first year of his ministry.
He lived to bring up a large and highly reputable
family; several of his descendants, including a son
and one or two grandsons, became useful preachers,
and almost the whole large circle of his posterity
have realized the truth of God's word, which promises the divine blessing to the " children's children "
of pious parents. It is related of this excellent
man, that during the Revolutionary War, when
North Carolina, his native State, was overrun by
the British, the Provincial Assembly committed its
public treasure to his hands, and that by dodging
and hiding from his pursuers, he succeeded in preserving it; and after all danger was over, restored
every cent of it to the proper authority. And as
his early life had been distinguished by integrity,
patriotism, and piety, so his old age was venerable
and useful. There is a moral beauty and sublimity
in the gradual decline of a truly good and noble
old man, who, passing away full of years, ripe in
wisdom, and rich in grace, descends serenely and
triumphantly into the grave, amidst the regrets and
veneration of society. Such was the life and such
the death of Green Hill. The writer and Mr. Hill's
old friend, the Rev. Turner Saunders, preached his
funeral-sermon on the spot where the Western Conference of 1808 was held.
"As there was but one Conference at that time




212            LIFE AND TIMES OF
in the West, the traveling preachers collected here
from Holston, Natchez, Opelousas, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, covering a
vast field of labor-an immense theater for missionary enterprise. To supply this extensive and extending field of itinerant operations, some fifty-five
preachers had been employed the preceding year.
Many of these had been toiling on the frontier settlements, and had come hundreds of miles to Conference, fatigued with travel, enfeebled by affliction,
exposure, and labor; bare of clothing; in moneymatters almost penniless-really itinerant, houseless
wanderers-but they brought cheering intelligence
of opening prospects, of religious revivals, and
growing spiritual prosperity."*  Bishop Asbury
laconically says, "We have had 2,500 increase;
there are seven districts, and a call for eighty
preachers."
At this Conference Bishop McKendree began the
exercise of his office as President of an Annual
Con'ference. Henceforth the whole United States
and the British Provinces in Canada were the theater of his labors. He at once evinced remarkable
ability in presiding over the Conferences, and in
every other respect fully met the expectations of his
friends. A better president never occupied the
chair of an Annual or General Conference.
While the writer would gladly omit all allusion to
the unfortunate subject of slavery in this work, if
he could do so as a faithful biographer, it is perhaps
* Dr. Green, in Biographical Sketches, p. 112.




BISHOP M' KENDREE.           213
his duty to advert to it in this connection, premising his remarks with this single observation: he
recognizes Bishop MicKendree's character as a legacy to
the whole Methodist family in America, and would not
willingly and needlessly exasperate the already too
much excited feelings of this family by aught he
might say upon this topic. He would infinitely prefer to be a peace-maker to being a partisan.
The first Methodist Conference in this country
was held in Philadelphia, June, 1773, but neither
the "General Rules," which, in connection with the
"Articles of Religion," constituted the basis of
"our Society," nor any act of the first six Conferences, contained a word on the subject of slavery. And
doubtless the clause which was substantially retained in these Rules so long, was not inserted by
any Conference, but was an unauthorized interpolation effected by the famous "Council" in 1789.
As early, however, as 1780, the Conference began to discuss the subject, asking, " Ought not this
Conference to require those traveling preachers who
hold slaves to give promises to set them  free?"
And, in connection with a sweeping denunciation
of slavery, the Conference "passed their disapprobation on all our friends who keep slaves, and advise their freedom."  Here the matter rested without any express law upon the subject until the Conference which began at Ellis's Preaching-house,
Virginia, April 30, 1784, and ended at Baltimore,
May 28th following, when this action took place:
"Ques. 12. What shall we do with our friends that
will buy and sell slaves?




214           LIFE AND TIMES OF
"Ans. If they buy with no other intention than to
hold them as slaves, and have been previously
warned, they shall be expelled, and permitted to
sell on no consideration.
" Ques. 13. What shall we do with our local preachers who will not emancipate their slaves in the
States where the laws admit it?
"Ans. Try those in Virginia another year, and
suspend the preachers in Maryland, Delaware,
Pennsylvania, and New Jersey."
Here for the first time the law and the penalty
are clearly laid down. Again:
"Ques. 22. What shall be done with our traveling
preachers that now or hereafter shall be possessed
of slaves, and refuse to manumit them where the
law permits?
"Ans. Employ them no more, making it obligatory
upon'every member of our Society' to emancipate his slaves, prescribing the age at which the
slave shall be free, and adding,' No person holding
slaves shall in future be admitted into Society, or to
the Lord's-supper, till he previously complies with
these rules concerning slavery.'"
Two years are given to Virginians to consider the
expediency of compliance. Again:
"Ques. 43. What shall be done with those who
buy or sell slaves, or give them away?
"Ans. They are to be immediately expelled, unless
they buy them on purpose to set them free."
But at the ensuing Conference the execution of
these rules was suspended —indeed, it is understood that Bishop Asbury, perceiving the harm




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           215
likely to result from them, advised the preachers
not to execute them; long before the expiration of
the year.  These rules were dropped, and have
never reiippeared in the Discipline. Indeed, the
whole subject was dropped until 1796; but in the
meantime the General Rules were interpolated, as
we have already stated, in 1789. The Conference
in 1796 gave authority to the Annual Conference to
adopt what course each might think proper within its
own bounds, "respecting the admission of persons
to official stations in the Church;" and, in case of
future admission to official station, security was to
be required of those who held slaves, f'or their
emancipation, as the laws of the States and the circumstances of the case might admit. In 1800, the
rule was introduced, requiring "any local preacher,
who may become an owner of a slave, to emancipate
him, conformably to the laws of the State, under the
penalty of a forfeiture of his ministerial character."
The course pursued in 1804, on this subject, was
less stringent than that of the two preceding General Conferences; and the General Conference of
1808 struck out of the Discipline all that related to
slave-holding among private members, and substituted
the following: " The General Conference authorizes
each Annual Conference to form their own regulations relative to buying and selling slaves."
Under this law, the Conference which met Oct.
1, 1808, at Liberty IIill, Tennessee, took up the subject, and, as they were somewhat at a loss what to
do, they requested the Bishops to give them a written opinion upon the subject. Bishop Asbury pre



216            LIFE AND TIMES OF
sented and read a paper, suggesting caution and
moderation, and discouraging legislation upon the
vexed question. When he finished, there was an
evident indication of dissatisfaction-indeed, it is
said "the audience hissed him." The good and wise
old gentleman replied, suiting the action to the
word, "0 well! I can tear it up."*  Bishop McKendree then read his opinion, which substantially
favored the rule that was so long in existence in the
M. E. Church, and the Conference acted in accordance with his suggestions. Now, while fidelity to
truth requires this exposition of Bishop McKendree's views upon this subject, at that period of his
life, it is equally due to him and to truth to say,
we have evidence that he lived to greatly modify,
if not, as the writer believes he did, change his
opinion upon the propriety of ecclesiastical legislation upon the question of slavery.
In his Autobiography, p. 156, the venerable Joseph
Travis, formerly of the South Carolina, and late
of the Memphis Conference, relates the following
incident in reference to the views of the Bishop in
his later years:
"I well recollect, one day when we were alone, he
[Bishop McKendree] smilingly turned round to me
and said:'Brother Travis, what' shall we do with
this part of Holy Scripture?  1 Tim. vi. 1-7.t
"Let as many servants as are under the yoke, account their own masters worthy of all honor; lest the
* The Rev. Wm. Burke is our authority for this incident.
t Mr. Wesley's translation.




BISIOP M'KENDREE.           217
name of God and his doctrine be blasphemed. And
they that have believing masters, let them  not despise them, because they are brethren: but rather do
them service, because they are faithful and beloved,
partakers of the benefit.  These things teach and exhort. If any teach otherwise, and consent not to
sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
to the doctrine which is after godliness, he is puffed
up knowing nothing, but being sick of questions
and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, contentions, evil speakings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of
the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from
such withdraw thyself."' I perceived the design of
the question, and plainly answered it: the good
Bishop did not demur nor oppose my views of the
text. I verily believe that had Bishop MecKen dree
been alive at the division of our Church, he unhesitatingly would, with Bishop Soule, have adhered
to the Southern side. I was intimate with Bishop
McKendree, knew his sentiments in full in relation
to Church-government, as also his feelings for the
Southern branch of the Church, and the public may
rest satisfied that he- was no Abolitionist."
We give an extract from a letter of Bishop Asbury to the Rev. T. L. Douglass, as it relates, in
part, to this Western Conference and to Bishop Mc1Kendree; it is dated Nov. 2, 1808: " Prospects in the
West exceedingly great. If we are correct, 3,437
increase; eighty-four preachers stationed; seven
Districts, two of them new.  We have a tract of
country superior to the thirteen United States, now
voL..- 10




218           LIFE AND TIMES OF
under the oversight of the Western Conference...
Since (General) Conference, Brother Bishop McKendree has traveled, I presume, eighteen hundred
miles through New Virginia, Kentucky, Indian Territory, to Missouri and Tennessee, East and West.
Our Western Conference was held in camp order in
the woods, seven days. Prospects in Missouri are
great and good. Bishop McKendree has magn fied his
office, and penetrated farther to the West than I have,
already. From the Western Conference we have
traveled rapidly-we were chiefly together. We
hope to strike off a thousand or twelve hundred
miles before the South Carolina Conference."
The Diary of Bishop McKendree shows that, in
company with Bishop Asbury, he started from
Liberty Hill the day after the Conference rose, and
passing by Dr. Tooley's, J. Winton's, in East Tennessee, and through Buncombe county, North Carolina; and continuing eastward, crossing the south
fork of Catawba, he attended a camp-meeting at
Williamson's on the 11th of November; thence
turning into South Carolina, he preached at Devenport's Meeting-house, at Sardis, Heath's; Camden
to James Rembert's, in Sumter District, where he
attended another camp-meeting, and thence went
on to Charleston, where he remained preaching in
the different Churches —i. e., Cumberland and
Bethel —fom the 30th of November to the 12th of
December. Bishop Asbury says that "Bishop McKendree was three days and nights on the Camden
Camp-ground; and there was a powerful work
among saints and sinners."




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          219,
From Charleston they went through Augusta to
John Bush's, in Green county, Georgia, and opened
the South Carolina Conference, at Liberty Chapel,
next day —i. e., December 26th. This, too, was
a camp-meeting Conference, held in midwinter,
closing on Jan. 1, 1809.  Three missionaries were
appointed at this Conference: "one (M. P. Sturdevant) to Tombigbee; one to Ashley and Savannah,
and the country between; and one to labor between
Santee and Cooper Rivers..... Here was the
beginning of the missions to the slaves in South
Carolina."  People were there in tents, who had
come one hundred and fifty miles. "Preaching and
exhortations; singing and prayer, without intermission, on the camp-ground; two or three thousand
present; many souls converted."  Increase of members in the bounds of the Conference 3,088.
From the seat of the South Carolina Conference,
the Bishop and Brother Boehm passed through
Augusta and Camden, to Fayetteville, North Carolina, crossing at Cashaway Ferry, where they realized the " mercy of not being thrown into the
river, like poor iilliard Judge."
Continuing their route, and- preaching at every
opportunity, they visited Wilmington, Newbern,
and Washington, and reached Tarboro, North
Carolina, on the last day of January. The Virginia
Conference began there on the next day. Bishop
McI~endree was now among his old acquaintances;
preached admirably, and ordained the Elders.
Bishop Asbury says there were but three rmarried
preachers in tl:-is large Conference. He notices the




220            LIFE AND TIMES OF
fact that "the blacks are kept from us because their
masters are afraid of the influence of our principles;" and very significantly asks, "Would'not an
amelioration in the condition and treatment of slaves
have produced more practical good to the poor
Africans than any attempt at their emancipation?"
Ah! the question -of "practical good" was rarely
thought of in discussions upon this subject, by
those who were not familiar with the difficulties
which really environed it.*
The following characteristic notice of the manner
in which a part, at least, of this long and tiresome
tour was made, is given in Bishop Asbury's Journal':
"' We are riding in a poor thirty-dollar chaise, in
partnership, two Bishops of us; but it must be confessed that it tallies well with our purses. Well,
but we have great news, and we have great times,
and each Western, Southern, and the Virginia Conference will have one thousand souls truly converted to God. Is this not an equivalent for a light
purse?  And are we not well paid. for starving and
toil?  Yes; glory to God!"
Truly, eighty dollars a year must have been a scanty
supply for the purse, when every cent which clothing and traveling apparatus cost, besides every
other outlay, not really included in -" traveling expenses," had to come out of it! But what was
money or comfort to such men, in pursuit of
ends so high and holy?
Fromn  Tarboro, North' Carolina, Bishop  Mc* This was written three years before the late war.




BISHOP M'IENDREE.         22
Kendree proceeded, through deep snow, to Harrisonburg, Virginia, calling at his father's, in
Greenville county, Virginia, spending a day there
and preaching twice on that day; thence through
Petersburg and Richmond to Fort Republic. His
Diary shows that on the 2d of March he opened
the Virginia Conference at Harrisonburg, and that
it closed on the 8th. The General Minutes show
that the Virginia Conference had been appointed
to meet at Tarboro, North Carolina, on the ]1st of
February; and we have seen that a Conference was
held then and there, which Bishop Asbury calls the
Virginia Conference, and both of the Bishops notice
the fact that another Conference was held at I-Iarrisonburg. Perhaps it had been previously agreed
that for the convenience of the preachers traveling
remotely from Tarboro, another session of the
Virginia Conference should be held at HIarrisonburg. The Appointments made at both places are
published as belonging to the Virginia Conference.
This is believed to have been the only instance of
the kind which occurred after the election of
Bishop McIKendree.
The Bishops went from this place to Alexandria,
"through deep snow, which fell on the 13th of
March." Bishop McKlendree preached on Prov. i.
23. On the 18th, to Georgetown; and Sabbath,
the 19th of March, he preached in Washington
City twice-his texts being Heb. x. 35, 36; Ezek.
xviii. 3. He preached in Baltimore on the 21st,
and next day at "The Point."  His texts were Matt.
vii. 3; 2 Cor. xv. 58. Thence, traveling and preach



222           LIFE AND TIMES OF
ing nearly every day, they went through Wilmington, Delaware, to Philadelphia, where the Conference began on the 3d of April, and closed on
the 10th; Bishop McKendree preaching six times
during the session.
From  the Philadelphia Conference they proceeded North, passing through Burlington, Trenton, etc., to New York, which they reached on the
9th of May, and opened the Conference on the 10th.
On the 12th Bishop McKendree preached in John
Street Church, on 2 Cor. v. 20; on the 14th, at
Bowery, on Rom. i. 16; in Brooklyn in the afternoon, on Rom. viii. 34; and again at John Street
on the 19th, (being the last day of the Conference,)
his text being 2 Cor. vii. 10.
From New York, where their "attention was
strongly excited by the Steam-boat-a great invention"- they traveled every day-Sundays always
excepted-from the 19th of May to the 14th of
June, when they reached Monmouth, ])istrict of
Maine, the seat of the New England Conference.
This trip, which occupied twenty-one days' traveling, can now be made in as many hours, and
without any serious fatigue. In making it, they
passed through Newcastle on the 22d of May; on
the 30th, Middletown, Connecticut. On Sunday,
the 3d of June, Bishop McKendree preached his
first sermon in Boston-Ps. xxxiv. 19; the next
day, in Lynn; on the 8th, in Portsmouth-2 Tim.
iii. 5.
The New England Conference lasted five days.
"Eighty-two preachers received appointments, forty




BISHOP M'ENDREE.          223
of whom composed the Conference." From Monmouth Bishop McKdendree came through Canaan,
Dartmouth, Lansingburg, Albany, and Schenectady,
to Kingsbury, where he again fell in company with
Bishop Asbury, who had come by another routeboth of them  having preached nearly every day
since they parted at the New England Conference.
Leaving Brother Boehm to accompany Bishop Asbury, Bishop McKendree passed on through Auburn, Geneva, and Greensburg, to "Dr. Wheeler's,
on the fork of Youghiogheny," where he and Bishop
Asbury attended Pike Run Camp-meeting, at which
Bishop McKendree preached every day. The meeting was one of great usefulness. Thence, again
parting with Bishop Asbury, (who proceeded to
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,) he visited Washington
and Middletown - attended a quarterly-meeting;
camle to Steubenville on the 24th of August, and
to Zanesville, Ohio, on the 29th. On the 23d and
24th of September, he assisted in holding a campmeeting near Chillicothe, preaching each day with
decided effect. On the 13th of September he got
to John Collins's, of precious memiory, and spent
from the 15th to the 18th inclusive at a camp-meeting at P. Gatch's. The next week he assisted at
Collins's Camp-meeting, and on the 27th of Septernber reached Cincinnati. Here the Western
Conference began on the 30th of September-thus
completing his first Episcopal tour of visitation to
the Annual Conferences.
The following extracts from  the Journal of
Bishop McKendree, beginning at the close of the




224           LIFE AND TIMES OF
New York Conference, May, 1809, may be interesting to many:
"On Wednesday, the 10th of May, Conference
met in New York. We had much harmony, peace,
and love among the preachers; but business was
done in the most desultory manner, owing to an
entire abandonment of manner, and a flood of
words. There were some attempts to correct these
errors, in order to facilitate business, but they
proved ineffectual. However, we had a comfortable degree of the divine presence, but not many
converted.  About seven o'clock on Friday, the
19th, (Bishop Asbury's Journal erroneously says the
15th,) Conference concluded; and, in my opinion,
the business might all have been done in six days.
"LIhere I met with a very unexpected act of kindness. Brother Sandford, from Belleville, finding I
have to travel alone, presented me with his son
Aaron, an amiable youth about seventeen years of
age, to travel with me, and that too at his own expense.
"Saturday, May 20th.-We left New York after
breakfast, in company with Joseph Crawford, and
reached the White Plains in the afternoon. Here
I had a fill view of the ground and the situation of
the armies where the battle was fought at this
place.
"Sunday, 21st.-Preached in the meeting-house on
the battle-ground; had a melting, comfortable time.
"Saturday, 27th.-My rides have been long. Rode
through much rain; preached nine times, to small,
lonely congregations, in the course of this week —




BISIOP M'KENDREE.            225
have enjoyed much peace of mind, but suffered
some unnecessary pain on account of foolish reasonings.
"Sunday, 28th.-Preached twice in Middletown,
Connecticut, and administered the sacrament. The
first was a lifeless sermon, and, as far as I can
judge, as unprofitable to others as it was uncomfortable to myself.  The last was comfortable to
me, and, I suppose, profitable to some.
"Saturday, June 3d.-In accordance with a plan
devised for me, I have taken a circuitous route
through Old and East Hartford, Ellington, Wilbraham, Brookfield, and Worcester, to Waltham; but
no appointments having been made for me, I have
had a week of affliction and disappointment, except
in Ellington. There Dr. Steel procured me a good
congregation, and I hope good was done.  Here
the Presbyterian congregations tax the Methodists'
to build their meeting-houses-seize and sell their
property to pay,the Presbyterian minister. The
traveling preacher on this circuit is not always exempt from these polite acts of Presbyterian charity.*
"Sunday, June 4, 1809.-Yesterday evening I
reached this place, (Waltham, Massachusetts,) and
Brother Bernis having sent out and collected a
congregation, I preached to them at three o'clock.
"Jffonday, 5th.-I set out this morning with the
pleasant expectation of meeting Bishop Asbury in
Boston, fourteeen miles distant; from which place,
according to our general plan, I was to have the
* The Congregationalists were popularly called Presbyterians,
10*




226            LIFE AND TIMES OF
pleasure of his company to Monmouth, about ano
hundred and fifty miles. We met, but what was my
disappointment when, before I was seated, the old
gentleman, in a very pleasing mood, presented me
with a new plan, which directed us to different
routes. Accordingly, after a few hours, we parted.
I followed directions, and moved on as I could, and
in a day or two he came after me, on the same road,
the greater part of the way.
"Saturday, June 10th. —Brother Heath's, in Searboro.  I have passed through nearly all the seaport towns in my course, and preached in Boston,
Lynn, and Portsmouth, this week. There is a
beautiful prospect of religion in Portsmouth, the
seat of government for New Hampshire. I heard
more doctrinal sentiments and more breathing after
holiness expressed in a love-feast here than in any
other place I have visited lately. This society has
been raised, and a meeting-house purchased, by
George Pickering, in the course of this year.
"Of late I have been considerably afflicted. In
general I enjoy peace of mind, but I do not enjoy
that depth of religion which I believe it is the
Christian's privilege to possess.
"Sunday, 11th. —I preached  in Scarboro in
the morning; rode eight miles and preached in
Portsmouth in the evening. The Lord is present.
Here the horse of Brother Sandford failed, and he
determined to return; consequently, I have to
travel alone. Rode in company with Brother Joel
Winch from  Portland to Monmouth.  He is an
agreeable young man.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.         227
"The New England Conference commenced on
Thursday, 15th, and closed on the evening of the
fourth day. This is an amiable body of preachers,
having many difficulties to encounter and much
love to support them.
"Thursday, 29th.-From Monmouth to Barnard.
Have been blessed with the company and attention
of Brother Branch, the Presiding Elder. IHe is a
steady, pious, friendly man-his words few and
profitable. Had a few meetings on our trip-a
most comforting one this evening.
"Saturday, July 8.-At Kingsbury. From Barnard I have rode from twenty-five to forty miles a
day, and preached at Rutland, Willstown, Ash
Grove, Lansingburg, Albany, Schenectady, and
Kingsbury. But the fatigue has so overcome me
that I have to stop a day and take physic. We
have labored and suffered much through this country, but there is now a prospect of reaping the fruit
of those who went before us.
"Sunday, June 16, 1809. —Capt. David Dorsey's,
Lyons, between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. In
consequence of confused plans, I had no regular
appointments this week. It has been a time of affliction and trial. After losing more than an hour
in crossing Lake Cayuga, and riding twenty-five
miles, I reached this place at twelve o'clock, just
after the people left the meeting-house; but a very
considerable congregation was collected at five
o'clock, to whom I preached with satisfaction to
myself, and I hope some were benefited.
"Sunday, 23d.-On the evening of last Sabbath it




228            LIFE AND TIMES OF
began to rain, and continued without intermission
for forty hours. The streams rose so high, I could
not go on. But few ventured to cross the outlet
to-day; but I preached to a respectable congregation in Brother Dorsey's dwelling-house. Although
I am altogether at a loss to know how I am to get
through this difficult country now, and my plan of
appointments has fallen through, I have enjoyed
peace of mind. Happily situated, in an agreeable
family, I have recovered my strength considerably, and feel resigned to the providence which
awaits me.
"Saturday, 29th.-Amaziah Sutton's, on Lycoming
Creek. On Monday I preached at Geneva. Here
Brother Draper was kind enough to meet and conduct me through the difficulties.  On Tuesday
morning we started, and crossed the Canandaigua
Lake and village, through [Bath; crossed the Conhocton at the painted post-Canestio, Tioga, to the
Block-house; crossed the mountain and descended
the Lycoming to this place. I have enjoyed serene
peace this week. To God be all the glory!
"Sunday, 30th. —Preached in the meeting-house
at eleven o'clock, and in the court-house at Port
William at four o'clock in the afternoon.
"Saturday, August 5th. —Thomas Waston's. On
Monday morning I set out in pursuit of my appointments, intending to spend the next Sabbath
in Bedford. We ascended the west branch of the
Susquehanna, took up Eagle Creek to the ironworks, and reached this neighborhood on Thursday
evening; and learning it is forty or fifty miles out




BISHOP Mi'KENDREE.         229
of my way to go by Bedford to Pittsburgh, I determined to spend the Sabbath and preach here.
Through the week have had unusual religious enjoyments-have been very kindly entertained by
strangers who seemed glad to see me.
"Sunday, August 6th.-Preached at George Hyskell's Meeting-house, to a large and attentive congregation-hope the labor was not in vain. Rode
six miles, through the rain, to Benjamin Johnson's.
"Monday, 7th. Ascended the Alleghany, through
Burgoon's Gap, and lodged on the mountain, but
the entertainment was intolerably bad.
"Tuesday, 8th.-Rode through rain for several
hours-road extremely bad, on account of deep
mud, rocks, and water; lodged at James Wakefield's, but was afflicted by a few nien who had
drunk a quart of whisky each in the harvest-field
this day.
"On Friday, the 11th of August, I reached the
camp-ground on Pike Run, in Washington county.
Here I got into my appointments, after losing a
whole week on this side of the mountain, on account of the flood. At this encampment there
were between thirty and forty wagons, and eighty
or ninety camps and tents.
" On Sunday, 13th, there were two or three thousand people on the ground; but such a proportion
of worthless creatures, if I may judge by their behavior, I never saw at a place of worship before.
On Friday and Saturday we had comfortable seasons- some converts; but from twelve o'clock on
Sabbath the work put on an awful appearance, and




230           LIFE AND TIMES OF
continued without intermission the greater part of
the night.
"Monday, the 14th, was a very rainy day, but a
great many serious people attended. The work
was very considerable through the afternoon and
night.
" On Tuesday morning the sacrament of the Lord'ssupper was administered to about three hundred
and fifty communicants; after which it was proposed to ascertain the number of converts at this
meeting, but such was the excitement of the people, it was not attempted."
Bishop Asbury also was present at this meeting,
having arrived there on Saturday evening. He
preached once-2 Cor. vi. 20; Bishop MeKendree,
four times —Ex. xix. 10, 11; Isa. xii. 6; Deut. xxx.
19; and 1 Cor. xiii. 13.
From this place the Bishops proceeded westward, taking different routes for the Western
Conference -Bishop Asbury going through Pittsburgh, and Bishop MeKendree passing through
Washington, Pennsylvania, Steubenville, Zanesville, Chillicothe, Ohio, and reaching Cincinnati on the 27th of September. Before reaching
there, however, he attended one quarterly-nieeting, near Middletown, and three more campmeetings —the first near Chillicothe, the second
at P. Gatch's, and the last at John Collins's. At
these meetings he preached nearly every day, and
even when traveling, usually preached either in the
day or at night where he might lodge. Such were
the zeal, the industry, and labor of our fathers;




BISHOP M KENDREE.           231
and thus was Methodism planted in this country.
That such efforts were successful is not surprising.
God was with them. If we would retain what they
gained, we must love and labor like them. It is
not enough to say we have John, or Francis, or
William  for our father: without their faith and
works we are not of them nor like them. What
would a modern star preacher think of traveling,
and laboring, and suffering, like Asbury and
McJKendree-on horseback round the continent
annually? Yet they did this for many successive
years.
Bishop McKendree introduced a new style of
things, in presiding over the Annual Conferences;
for while Bishop Asbury always presided with dignity and impartiality, yet he was regarded by the
preachers as a father, and did not on all occasions
adhere strictly to the " Rules of Order," in the management of Conference business. His age, his long
services, and his intimate acquaintance with the
whole work, and with the workmen, gave him a
position no one else could reasonably expect to occupy, and relieved him from the necessity of attending rigidly to parliamentary usage. But Bishop
McKendree felt that his relation was in some respects a different one. Many of those over whom
he was called to preside were older and more experienced than himelf, and would be far less likely
to submit to him, as they had done to Bishop Asbury, than to be controlled by rules made by the
Conference for the transaction of its own business.
Besides, he was a man of method, as was evinced in




232           LIFE AND TIMES OF
every thing he did and' said, and had long since
come to the conclusion that a close adherence to
established rules, by deliberative bodies, is not only
a protection to the minority and the president, but
is calculated to expedite business. He therefore
made himself familiar with the rules which obtain
among such bodies, and insisted upon each Conference adopting and adhering to them. And as he
was prompt, impartial, and courteous in deciding
all such questions of law and order as properly devolved upon him, he soon became, in the estimation
of the whole Connection, a model president. This
first round, made in company with his venerated
senior collecague, exhibited the contrast in'their
manner of conducting business, and evinced his
fitness for the office of president. And it is believed-that during the whole of his Episcopal career
he was rarely, if ever, known to make an official
decision from which a majority dissented. The
secret of his success in this respect v'as that he
thoroughly understood the Discipline and usage of
the Church, and was perfectly familiar with the
rules of debate. Thus was he enabled to detect the
least divergence from, law and order; and his selfcommand, combined with a prompt yet mild and
conciliatory mode of address, inspired confidence
and gave much weight to his decisions. We have
often heard the opinion expressed by those competent to judge, that Bishop McKendree was unsurpassed in Church or State as a presiding officer;
and the writer, who has the misfortune never to
have seen Bishop Asbury in the chair, is decidedly




BISHOP M'KENDRVE.           233
of the opinion that he has never seen any one who
so impressed and controlled a body of men as
Bishop McKendree -did in his palmy days. There
were always quietness, order, and a respectful manner among all the members of Conference, where
he presided.
The name of Dr. Coke is too intimately connected with American Methodism to allow it to
disappear suddenly from any work which professes
to give a general account of Methodism during the
latter part of the eighteenth and the former part
of the nineteenth century. And as we have on
several occasions adverted to his official relation to
American Methodism, and shall present the reader
with several letters from him to Bishop McKendree,
we hope it may be pardoned if we now bring up
the history of this noble-hearted minister from the
General Conference of 1804 to the present date.
It appears that Dr. Coke never visited America
after 1804. Indeed, after the death of Mr. Wesley,
in 1791, his services in England were regarded as
almost indispensable, especially in connection with
the Foreign Mission work.  Hence, in the address of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference to
our General Conference in 1804, they earnestly
solicited the return of the Doctor; and the General
Conference consented to the request, with the
proviso, "That he shall hold himself, subject to the
call of three of our Annual Conferences, to return
when requested; but, at farthest, that he shall. return, if he lives, to the next General Conference."
Tile improved state of Bishop Asbury's health,




234. IFE AND TIMES OF
together with the assistance he now received in the
General Superintendency of the work, by the election of Mr. Whatcoat, rendered it less important to
detain the Doctor. Immediately upon his return to
England, from his ninth and last visit to America,
he entered most zealously and efficiently upon his
work as Superintendent of Missions. His operations embraced both home and foreign missions;
and, by his indefatigable efforts in obtaining funds
from friends to the cause, and from his own private
fortune, he succeeded in supporting them, contrary
to the fears of many of his brethren. If his schemes
seemed occasionally too visionary, his astonishing
success in raising money to sustain them, seemed to
justify his views and silenced objections. Having
married an estimable and wealthy lady, April 1, 1805
-Miss Penelope Goulding Smith-he addressed
a circular to his American brethren in June, 1805,
announcing his marriage, and proposing to reside
permanently with them "on the express condition
that the seven Conferences should be divided betwixt us —(i. e., Bishop Asbury and himself)three and four, and four and three, each of us
changing our division annually; and that this plan,
at all events, should continue permanent and unalterable during both our lives."
Allusions have frequently been made, from certain quarters, to an overture made by Dr. Coke to
Bishop White in 1791, for a union of the. Methodist
Episcopal with the Protestant Episcopal Church;
and he has been severely blamed on the one hand as
having taken an unauthorized and rash step; and




BISHOP M' KENDREE.-         235
on the other, his proposition has been regarded as
a confession of the defectiveness of his ordination
and of the organization of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. In mitigation of the censure of some,
and in refutation of the inferences of others, it
ought to be remembered that the period when Dr.
Coke conceived this purpose was one of peculiar
gloom in the history of American Methodism. It
was the year of Mr. Wesley's death; and, although
the Church in America had been organized in 1784,
yet the constitution of the Church had not been
secured against infringement by the provision for
a regularly returning delegated General Conference, acting under restrictions and limitations. It
was also about the time of Mr. O'Kelly's secession.
These things combined to alarm Dr. Coke; and,
without having hinted the matter to Mr. Wesley,
or consulted his colleague, or any other Methodist
minister, he acted from  the impulse of the hour.
His object, doubtless, was to strengthen the Church
by the union, and prevent a convulsion, which his
fears had magnified into a terrible approaching
calamity. But his proposition, unauthorized and
indefinite as it was, and which, perhaps, he had not
himself elaborated fully in his own mind, looked
to a union of the Churches, and not to a dissolution
of either of them. Nor is there any evidence that,
in anyevent, he had become willing to disavow his
ordination. He did not intend "a dereliction of
ordination, sacraments, and the Methodist Discipline, but a junction on proper terms."  Bishop White
respectfully entertained the Doctor's plan for con



236            LIFfl AN-D TIMES; OY
sideration; but, of course, it failed. The Doctor
himself, upon more mature reflection, perceived the
impracticability, not to say folly, of this act, and requested the Bishop to burn his letter, which he regarded as private and confidential. But it seems
that Bishop White and his friends did not regard
the correspondence in this light, and after the
whole affair had been kept secret from 1791 until
1804, it was made public. We do not accuse the
Bishop of violating a moral or honorable obligation;
and, as it seems he did not feel precluded, by a
sense of propriety, from  giving it to the world, it
was hardly to be expected that others, less scrupulous and liberal than himself, would suffer so good
an opportunity to pass without using it, to give their
Methodist neighbor the thrust ecclesiastic. But
was there any sin, or real degradation, in proposing
an honorable union between two young Churches,
not separated by any serious differences in doctrine
or ritual? The writer has reason to believe that
some excellent and talented clergymen, and many
of the best members of the Bishop's Church,
would not have been horrified at such a union even
a few years ago-a thing which he regards as neither
practicable nor desirable now, if it ever was.
The following original letter, written by Dr.
Coke to Bishop Asbury upon this subject, has been
found among the papers of Bishop McIKendree, and
is now, for the first time, given in full* to the press.
*Dr. Emory, it seems, had seen a copy of this letter, and
makes a few quotations from it in his "Defense of Our Fathers."




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          237
The Doctor had but recently heard of the use which
had been made of his correspondence upon this subject, and gives his version of his motives and acts in
the premises:
Near Leeds, February 2, 1808.
VERY DEAR BROTHER AND FRIEND': -For some
time you got the start of me in letters; but of late
I have got the start of you. Perhaps I may not
hear from you till after the General Conference.
I have heard there has been a paper-war concerning Ha letter I wrote in 1791 to Bishop White.
But I did every thing with a pure intention. We
had then no General Conference. You were then
the only center of union; and you yourself saw the
danger the infant Connection was in, which induced
you, I doubt not, to lay the plan of an Annual Council at Cokesbury. I differed, it is true, in sentiment, from  my dear venerable brother in that
respect; but, as I before observed, you laid that
plan from a full conviction it was absolutely necessary to do something for the security of the union
of the body. I was fully convinced of the same
necessity, and did then really believe (though I do
not now) that a junction with the Episcopal Church,
on proper terms,, would, under the blessing of God,
answer the end.
I never applied to the:Convention for reconsecration. I never intended that either you or I
should give up our Episcopal ordination.  I did
believe that a junction, as above, would very much
enlarge our field of action, and that myriads would,
in consequence of it, attend our ministry, who were




238             LIFE AND TIMES OF
then much prejudiced against us.  My proposals
secured our Discipline in all points, and the independence of our places of worship.  I had no
thoughts of deciding on any thing (it would have
been the greatest folly to  have indulged  such
thoughts) without your full consent, and the consent
of the General Conference, which was to be held
the next year, to determine on the case of James
O'IKelly's division. I only wanted to put things in
a train. The proposal met with the approbation
of the Bishops of the old Episcopal Church in
America, but was thrown out by the lower house of
Convention, as Mr. Ogden informed me. But all
this was merely in the way of preparation; for it
would have been absurd- to have brought the
business before the General Conference. (which, for
what I knew at that time, might never meet again)
without knowing the minds of the old Church.*
It was at that General Conference, which was held
on the case of James O'iKelly, that it was resolved
to have, in future, regular General Conferences.
But I now see that the failure of my plan, which
was laid down from the purest motives, was for the
best.. You yourself, my dear brother, never loved
the American Church more than I have done, I
verily believe, (excuse me for saying so,) though I
grant you have had more opportunities of serving
*Bishop Coke, as an Englishman, naturally identifies the
Protestant Episcopal Church with the Colonial Church of England, " the old Church;" though, in reality, the Methodist Episcopal Church in America was organized before the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States.




BISHOP IM'KEN~I'REE.       239
it.  However, I do conjure you, my brother, by
the glory of God, and by every motive which
can proceed from declarations of affection, on your
part as well as mine, by every Christian grace, by
our union in the Church, and particularly the
honor of Him who is the great mystical, real, and
spiritual Head of us both, that you do not suffer
my character to be injured at the next General
Conference.
I shall say no more, but leave the whole to God.
Our work in the United Kingdom goes on well
— very well. We have not those astonishing, refreshing times which you have in your camp-meetings; but there is a secret, gradual, and deep work
on all hands, which, when it comes to be opened
and examined at the Conference, gives an increase
of ten thousand-nine thousand, etc. And this is
the more extraordinary, as there is nothing heard
of but war. One hundred and thirty thousand
sailors just voted for by the Parliament for the
ships-of-war, and an immense military force. And
among all these descriptions of men, there are but
few who are born again. And yet the work increases! Let God have all the glory!
My precious wife and I are continually on the
wing. We have no home but God, and he is indeed our home, our constant home, our comfortable home, our dwelling-place, our tabernacle,
our heaven here below, our all in all.  Glory,
for ever glory be to his name! She unites with me
in love to you and our brethren, the preachers.
God bless you! Pray for us.




240            LIFE AND TIMES  OF
I am, my dear, esteemed friend, yours affectionately and faithfully,                T. COKE.
After the able and satisfactory vindication of Dr.:Coke, and of American Methodism, by Dr. Bangs,
and especially by the late Bishop Emory, in his
"Defense of Our Fathers," no explanation or defense can be necessary upon this point. Those
wishing to see a full exposition of this whole affair, may find it in Bishop Emory's work, referred to above.
Dr. Bangs, in referring to the proviso in Dr.
Coke's letter, calls it a proposition "to become a
resident in America, on the condition that the Conntinent should be divided into two parts; one of
which to be under his superintendency, and the
other under the superintendency of Bishop Asbury."
(History M. E. Church, Vol. II., p. 179.) And Lgrabee repeats the same view in his "Asbury and his:Coadjutors," Vol. I., p. 326. The writer confesses
that, guided by these authorities, he had always
done Dr. Coke the injustice of believing that he had
proposed a permanent territorial division of the work;
whereas, he only proposed a plan for permanent alternation with Bishop Asbury, in superintending the
Conferences. An original printed circular, with
the autograph of Dr. Coke, dated June 1, 1805,
now lying before him, first relieved his mind of the
impression that the Doctor had proposed so injudicious and unconstitutional a condition as the
words of Dr. Bangs seem to express. The fact is,
Dr. Coke did not think he ought to abandon his




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           241
useful position in England unless he could occupy
such a relation to the work in America as would
give him an opportunity of at least equal usefulness. He therefore proposed to be considered as
Mr. Asbury's equal in administration, as he was in
office; for heretofore he had not, in a single instance, presided over a Conference, nor stationed
the preachers, except in the presence and under the
supervision of Bishop Asbury. Should he make
America his home, he required to be regarded as
on a parity with his colleague. The errors of Dr.
Coke, in making this proposition, were: First, he
ignored-undesignedly, doubtless —the position and
claims of Bishop Whatcoat, who was still living,
and was greatly and justly loved, and who was then
actively engaged in the duties of his office. The
Doctor, doubtless, regarded him as superannuated.
Second, he called upon the preachers to divide the
work; whereas, the Bishops, by an arrangement of
their own, can annually distribute the work of
visiting and supervising the Conferences. No doubt
Bishops Asbury and Whatcoat would have gladly
recognized him as their equal in every respect, and
would possibly have agreed to such an alternating plan of superintendence as has been practiced
in America for many years. But their concurrence
was not asked by the Doctor, and neither the Annual nor General Conferences, much less the
preachers, in their individual capacity, possessed
the authority to control the question. Such an interference might have had a baneful influence as a
precedent, leading to the destruction of "our plan of
VOL. I. — 




242           LIFE AND TIMES OF
itinerant General Superintendency."  Third, this
plan was to last as long as he and Bishop Asbury
should live, which would have been violated by the
election of another Bishop during that time, however necessary it might be to have another. Of
course Dr. Coke did not come back to the United
States, as the Annual Conferences did not urge him
to do so, in view of the condition upon which he
proposed to come, notwithstanding the death of
Bishop Whatcoat, in 1806, leaving Bishop Asbury
alone, rendered his services very desirable. The
Doctor remained in England, and was both useful
and popular; and American Methodism was, perhaps, not greatly retarded by his declining to
come.
A reply to Dr. Coke's circular was adopted by the
Baltimore Conference, March 17, 1806. The copy,
which was carried by the Bishops to the Annual
Conferences, is before me, signed by the committee
who prepared and reported it, viz., George Rloberts, David Hill, Enoch George, Nelson Reed, and
Alexander McCaine; and by Joseph Toy, Secretary.
We do not admire its temper, and think it unnecessarily and unjustly severe. To some of its doctrines we are decidedly opposed, while we approve
its main object and its general bearing. It is a rare
document.
There is also before us the reply of the Philadelphia Conference to the Doctor's circular, which,
while it plainly and firmly declines the terms
upon which he proposed to return to America, yet
does so in the most mild and respectful language.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           243
It is a model document - dated Philadelphia,
April 19, 1806, and signed W. P. Chandler, Secretary.
About 1806 Dr. Coke finished his great work"Commentary on the Bible"-which he had undertaken in compliance with the request of the Wesleyan Conference of 1792.
Dr. Coke may be justly styled the father and
founder of the Domestic and Foreign Missions of
our British brethren; at least, so far as they were
not the direct result of the itinerant system under
Mr. Wesley. He is entitled to the credit of having founded and sustained the mission in the
British Colony at Sierra Leone, Africa. Having
failed in his first attempt to establish a mission
among the heathen Africans, his attention was afterward called to the fact, that some negroes, who had
been carried, at the close of our Revolution, by the
British troops and Tories, from the United States
to Nova Scotia, had finally been colonized at Sierra
Leone, and that some of them, having been
Methodists in America, had introduced religious
worship among the colonists, had formed a society,
and built a chapel, he immediately resolved to
supply them. with a preacher. Hence the origin of
British missions among the Africans. He advanced
three thousand dollars to furnish the outfit of this
mission; and for the outfit of the East India Mission, he offered thirty thousand dollars, if so much
should be found necessary.
For many years, by his personal influence, he sustained missions in the West Indies, Nova Scotia, the




244           LIFE AND TIMES OF
1Norman Isles, Ireland, Wales, Gibraltar, and the
destitute portions of England; and it was only
a short time before his death that any permanent
and reliable organization, for raising missionary
money, was devised by the Wesleyan Methodists.*
Dr. Coke does not seem to be chagrined by the
course pursued toward him in America, in declining
his proposition; for at the General Conference he
substantially renews his former proposal, if his
services should be deemed imperatively necessary.
His kind, congratulatory letter to Bishop McKendree upon his election, already quoted, is another
evidence of his sincerity and magnanimity.
It is foreign to our purpose to follow, in detail,
the history of this great and good man; suffice it
to say that, after having devoted a life of singular
purity and energy to the cause of God, to which he
had given an amount of money out of his own
purse, which might be regarded, even in England,
as a large fortune, he projected the East India Mission. On Dec. 30, 1813, he, in company with a
noble band of missionaries, embarked for India, and
on May 4, 1814, he died on board the ship. His
body rests under the Equator, in the midst of the
Indian Ocean, but we doubt not his ardent and holy
soul has found a home in the "Father's house."
He died of apoplexy, suddenly and alone in the
night, in his sixty-seventh year.
Dr. Coke was very low of stature, but finely pro* Larabee, Vol. I.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           245
portioned. His voice was feminine, and remarkable
for melody and distinctness. He was a ripe scholar,
a ready debater, quick in his apprehensions, impulsive in his emotions, and a delightful preacher. He
was fitted, both by nature and habit, to an active
life. One great passion reigned over his life —it was
a noble one: it was, to do good by spreading true
religion over the earth.  Methodism  owes him
much. In England, Mr. Wesley found him a very
useful helper; and after that great reformer passed
away, the Doctor was of infinite service in uniting
the Society, and guiding its missionary operations.
American Methodists should never forget the man
who came to help Asbury and Methodism, as did
La Fayette to sustain Washington and Congress in
the Revolution. Nor was his love for us a sudden
or a transient feeling.  He crossed the Atlantic
nine times; and, although he did not remain long
at a time, yet his talents and influence were ever
ready to be employed for our welfare.
His peculiarities were the result of his temperament, and of his English education. His virtues
were many and great. In connection with the constellation of the world's benefactors, his name will
glitter in the historic firmament, like a bright and
beautiful star, for ever. His body rests amid the
pearls which pave the Indian Ocean; its deep, blue
waves sing his requiem, but his monument is the
missionary enterprise of English and American
Methodism; and at the resurrection of the just,
myriads from Africa, Europe, America, and the
islands of the sea, will hail him blessed.




246               LIFE AND TIMES OF
"Servant of God, well done I
Rest from thy loved employ;
The battle fought, the vict'ry won,
Enter thy Master's joy!"
The voice at midnight came;
He started up to hear;
A mortal arrow pierced his frame:
He fell, but felt no fear.
Soldier of Christ, well done!
Praise be thy new employ;
And while eternal ages run,
Rest in thy Saviour's joy.




BISHOP Mi'KENDREE.               247
CHAPTER X.
Bishops McKendree and Asbury go from Cincinnati to South
Carolina Conference-Thence to Virginia Conference-To Baltimore-Easton, Pennsylvania-New York-New England —
Genesee Conference - Camp-meeting Conferences-Through
Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee-Bishops Asbury and McKendree
go on horseback to South Carolina —Winter tour-Letter from
Bishop Morris-Method —Mrs. Mabry's letter-Attends various
Conferences-Letter to Bishop Asbury about stationing the
preachers-General Conference of 1812-Presiding-elder question-No Bishop elected-Earthquake-War-Letters.
BISHOPS MCKENDREE and Asbury, accompanied
by William  Burke and others, left Cincinnati, the
seat of the late Western  Conference, on Oct. 9,
1809.*  As usual, in those days, their appointments
were in advance of them, and it became necessary'for them to start at midnight in order to get to
Mount Gerizim in time to meet their engagement.
Passing on through Kentucky and preaching
alternately, they visited Lexington and Springfield,
through Green and Barren counties; Bishop Asbury, however, taking the direct route from Lexington to South Carolina, through East Tennessee, and
Buncombe county, North Carolina, while Bishop
* At this Conference "about 80 preachers were stationed, 14
rejected, 9 located, increase 2,366." - Asbury's Journal.




248           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Mc]Kendree turned aside to visit his relations near
Nashville, Tennessee. On this trip he called upon
his old friends, James Gwin, Henry Tooly, Elmore
Douglass, William Woodward, and others. From
Nashville he started to Charleston, to attend the
South Carolina Conference; and passing through
the upper part of Alabama, then inhabited by the
Cherokee Indians, we find him at Benjamin Watts's,
in Jackson county, Georgia, on the 9th of November; on the 13th, at Hope tHull's; the 16th, at James
Meriwether's; on the 19th he preached at Athens;
on the 26th, at Greensboro; at Milledgeville on the
30th; at Dudley Hargrove's, his relative, on the 5th
of December; thence by Colonel Foster's, Josiah
Randile's, Weisinger's, to Augusta, reaching Charleston, South Carolina, the 19th.  The Southern
Conference began on Saturday, 23d December, in
the city of Charleston, and held a week. Here he
met Bishop Asbury, and the Conference seems to
have been an interesting and profitable one. On
the 30th, the Conference being over, the Bishops
left Charleston and spent the nightwith Thomas
McKendree, the Bishop's brother, who "fed them
richly." The following Sabbath they both preached
in Fayetteville, North Carolina; on Wednesday, at
Wilmington; Sabbath, Jan. 14, 1810, at Newbern;
21st, at Norfolk, Virginia. Leaving Bishop Asbury, Bishop McKIendree visited his father, and
joined him again at Petersburg, where the Virginia
Conference opened Feb. 8, 1810, and closed on the
14th.
From the seat of the Virginia Conference the




BISHOP M'RKENDREE.         249
Bishops proceeded to Baltimore by different routes,
Bishop McKendree passing through Williamsburg,
Fredericksburg, Dumfries- spending a little time
and preaching in Alexandria, Georgetown, and
Washington City.
The Baltimore Conference for 1810 was held in
the city of Baltimore. It began on the 8th of
March, and lasted eight days. Bishop Asbury was
worn down with fatigue, and otherwise very unwell, and most of the'labor of presiding, etc., devolved upon Bishop Mcelendree. He preached in
Light Street Church at eleven o'clock, on 2 Cor. vii.
12, and on " The Point" at three o'clock, on 1 John
xvi. 17. From the Baltimore Conference they went
to Easton, and opened the Philadelphia Conference,
on the 20th of April, and concluded it on the 27th.
There was a camp-meeting in the neighborhood of
the Conference, and the session was a pleasant one.
The Diary of Bishop McIKendree shows that one of
them preached nearly every day while traveling,
and sometimes both of them.
Bishop McKendree's route to the New York
Conference was through Wilmington, Delaware,
Philadelphia, and Trenton. He reached New York
on the 10th of May, and was fully employed in visiting and preaching until the 21st, when the Conference began. It continued during the week.
The New England Conference for 1810 was held
at Winchester, Massachusetts, beginning on the 6th
of June, and closing on the 10th. From thence
Bishop McIKendree passed through and preached
at Lynn, Marblehead, Boston, (Ileb. x. 35,) Wilbra.
11*




250           LIFE AND TIMES OF
ham, (Prov. i. 23,) West Springfield, Westfield, and
Schenectady, to Lyons Town, where the Genesee
Conference began on the 20th of July. This seems
also to have been a camp-meeting Conference —
"great order and dispatch in business-stationed
sixty-three preachers, and cured some, until then,
incurable cases." In reference to the outcry raised
Dy certain persons against the Bishops for appointing this Conference, charging them with an assumption of power, etc., Bishop Asbury adds, in
his significant and laconic style, "If the outcry of
want of order came from God, the appointment of
the Genesee Conference was one of the most judicious acts of our Episcopacy."
The Bishops, parted company at the Genesee
Conference, each wending his way toward the
South-west, to attend the next session of the Western Conference, in Shelbyville, Kentucky, November 1st. Both of their Journals are before me.
They both attended several camp-meetings on their
respective routes, besides preaching almost daily
and assisting at a goodly number of quarterly-meetings. They were never idle nor uselessly employed.
Bishop McKendree passed through Springfield,
Ohio, attended a camp-meeting on Rush Creek, on
the 18th of August; was at Chillicothe on the 25th;
crossed the Ohio River at Limestone on the 29th;
preached in Lexington, Kentucky, on the 31st, (1
Sam. iii. 18;) recrossed the Ohio at Old Trace on
the 12th of September; was taken sick next day,
but was able to preach at Jeffersonville on Sabbath,
the 15th, (Rev. iii. 20;) attended a camp-meeting




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          251
at Ferguson's from the 21st to the 24th of September; visited Jesse Head, B. MclHenry, M. Lasley,
Quessenbury, Pope, etc. From the 5th to the 8th
of October, he attended the Nashville Camp-meeting, held at Liberty Hill, and the Fountain Head
Camp-meeting from the 19th to the 22d of October,
and enjoyed the society of his relations and his old
friends Gwin, Blackman, and others.
The Western Conference was held this year. in
the field of his former usefulness. It began on the
1st of November, and continued eight days. It
was a session "of great peace and good order."
The second day, "Friday, was a day of humiliation
and fasting.  Twenty-six were admitted, ninetyfive stationed-the increase is four thousand." The
Conference over, the Bishops started for the fardistant Southern Conference. Even the venerable
Asbury, old, feeble, and afflicted as he was, found it
necessary to exchange his sulky for the saddle, in
order to traverse the wilderness and get safely over
the mountains and streams which had to be encountered in this long midwinter trip.
On Sabbath, the 18th of November, both of the
Bishops were at Bishop McKendree's father's; but
the next day they were off for South Carolina.
Their route led by John McGee's, Dr.Tooley's, and
J. Winton's, in East Tennessee, through Buncombe
county, North Carolina, in deep snow, etc. Bishop
McKendree and John McGee started at five o'clock
and rode twenty-five miles in the piercing cold, over
the Buncombe Mountains, to an appointment at
Edney's, and Bishop McIKendree preachecld —Jer iv.




252           LIFE AND TIMES OF
14. Continuing their toilsome and most unpleasant journey, they arrived at Columbia, South Carolina, in time to open the Conference on Saturday,
December 22d. "Order, peace, and love," characterized the session. About eighty preachers were
stationed.
[But it would be tiresome to the reader to follow
the daily toils of this devoted man. Let the above
suffice as a specimen.
With the Journal of Bishop Asbury and the
Diary of Mc]Kendree before the writer, he is more
than ever impressed with the sentiment that all
great practical, useful men are remarkable for
method and painstakingy. The truly great man attends to little as well as great things. See this
Diary —how neatly kept! as legible now, after the
lapse of half a century, as if written an hour since;
every day filled up with the name of the person
with whom he stayed, the distance traveled, the
meeting-house in which he preached, (his text given
perfectly,) where the Conferences were held, how
long, etc., etc. And when it is remembered that
he was almost constantly in the saddle, frequently
starting before day and traveling until dark, often
in dirty and uncomfortable taverns, never having
more than a day's rest in the month, and consequently without the quietude or facilities of keeping a regular journal, it is astonishing that he was
able, from year to year, to commit so many facts to
paper in so regular and consecutive a manner.
The love of order was a striking trait of Bishop
MclKendree's character; so that while he seemed




BISKIOP M'KENDREE.          253
constantly intent upon great and important matters,
he was never known to neglect the minute affairs
of life. A remarkable instance of this, and one
strikingly illustrative of his scrupulous regard for
the rights of others, is given in the following letter
of Bishop Morris, addressed to Bishop Soule in
1836:
BROTHER SOULE: —The following anecdote, though
unimportant in itself, may possibly serve to illustrate one peculiar characteristic of Bishop McKendree —namely, his scrupulous attention to the rules
of propriety in little things. You may use it or
not, as may seem proper to yourself.
Many years ago-the precise time not recollected-one day in Conference, Bishop McKendree
asked me for the loan of a pencil. I handed him
the only article of the kind I had. It was a very
small cedar pencil, perhaps two inches and a half
long, and less in diameter than a common rye-straw,
with a plain brass head. It was used primarily as
a pin, to fasten a small pocket memorandum-book,
and to make notes on the same. The original
value of the article could not have been more than
three cents. Of so little importance was it to me,
that I did not miss it at all, nor remember the
transaction again until a year afterward, when the
Bishop, one day in Conference, beckoned to me,
and on my approaching him, handed me the pencil,
which he had kept for me on a tour of some thousands of miles, having perhaps forgotten to return
it at the proper time. As the business of Confer



254            LIFE AND TIMES OF
ence was in progress, he gave no explanation, but
the sight of the pencil and a moment's reflection
brought the whole transaction to my mind, and afforded a theme of profitable meditation upQn the
character of a man who, amid the trials and perils
of his extended journeys, and his numerous and
daily cares respecting the Church over which he
exercised his general superintendency, could still
charge his mind with so small a matter.
He that would succeed in carrying out the principles of a great sysem, must attend punctually to
all its little details, as did Bishop McKendree in
regard to Methodism.
Yours respectfully,
THOMAS A. MORRIS.
Meadville, Penn., August 17, 1836.
The trait in Bishop McKendree's character, so
happily illustrated in the above anecdote by Bishop
Morris, was developed in many ways. It displayed
itself in the systematic arrangement of all his business. He was a man of method. He could not
preach, debate, or converse satisfactorily without
regard to it. His plan of traveling and preaching
on the way must always be prearranged. His traveling equipage, whether he went on horseback or
in a carriage, was ever most carefully adjusted.
His horse was never neglected, nor could he retire
to rest after having been exhausted by a long and
wearisome day's journey, until he knew he had received the best possible attention. As " a righteous
man regardeth the life of his beast," so this good




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          255
man-regarded the comfort of his horse. This was
strikingly displayed in the provision made by his
will for the support of his faithful "old Gray."
His clothes were packed in his saddle-bags, or
carriage-trunk, by his own hands —for who could do
it so neatly?  His papers were folded, labeled, and
put up as he only could do it. In.his dress and address, you perceived in a moment the neatness,
simplicity, and courteousness of a gentleman who
respected both himself and his company too highly
to seem careless of his appearance. And while he
was far from being stiff or unsocial in his manners,
there was always about him a dignified and respectful demeanor, mingled with affability, which bespoke his character and his position. His presence
always commanded respect, and his manners won
the confidence of strangers; so that even those
who loved to ridicule preachers felt constrained to
treat him civilly; and children, reading his feelings
in his face, would instinctively smile, climb upon
his knees, and nestle in his bosom. There was an
indescribable persuasiveness in his manner, whether
in the pulpit or in the social circle. When animated, there was a kind of illumination of his features, reminding one of the gleaming of lightning
behind a thin cloud. Before his tongue uttered the
words, his eyes and mildly radiant face had already
half told what was coming. His sense of propriety
was such that he was rarely known to say or do
any thing of questionable fitness. His delicacy
and sensibility were remarkable. The same mental
peculiarity which dictated order in every thing re



256           LIFE AND TIMES OF
lating to business matters, dress, etc., induced him
to be careful of his words-so that "proper words
in proper places," best defines his sermons and conversations. Hence, too, the ease with which he
could adapt his style and manner to the capacities
and circumstances of his hearers.
The following communication, taken from the
Sunday-school Visitor of 1852, sent to me by the
late Rev. Anthony Dibrell, (of precious memory,)
was furnished by Mrs. Mabry, of Petersburg, Virginia, and was addressed to children. She was the
daughter of Mr. Grissett Davis, in whose house Mr.
McKendree was ordained deacon in 1790, and
where he often stayed. It illustrates several traits
to which reference has been made.
MY DEAR LITTLE CHILDREN: —When I was young,
nothing delighted me more than to hear my mother
tell about old times: presuming you have the same
kind of curiosity, and as I like children dearly, and
like to please them, I will give you some account
of my intercourse with Bishop MclKendree, when
I was a little girl and he a young man.
My father's house was, for many years, and as
long as he lived, a home for Methodist preachers.
At one time, Bishop MclKendree was stationed in
the town in which we lived. I do not remember
how long he stayed at our house, but long enough
for him and myself to become intimate friends. He
was remarkably fond of children. He liked very
much to have his hair combed, and I would stand,L
perhaps an hour at a time, on my little chair, comb-;




BISHOP MI'KENDREE.         257
ing his beautiful black hair, which curled naturally,
and twining it around my tiny fingers. It was all
cut short except behind, and there it was just long
enough to curl. He would almost fall asleep while
I was amusing myself behind him. When I came
to arrange it in front, he would take me on his
knee. And when I was done, a very sweet kiss
would be my reward, and many thanks also. I
would then take my little chair and sit close by
him, and count the buttons at his knees: there
were five at each knee; and he wore buckles on his
shoes, too. I shall never forget his appearance, for,
in my opinion, he was perfectly beautiful. His eyes
were bright and black, and the expression of his
countenance was mild and benignant. He had a
holy, happy look.  I remember one day I had
finished combing his hair, and was playing about
the room, when some one observed there was a
cloud rising. A thunder-cloud was the most terrible thing in the world to me. I always nestled as
closely as possible to my mother, because I thought
she was so good the lightning would not hurt her.
She mentioned to the Bishop how much I was
alarmed, and how sorry she was to see a cloud on
my account. I recollect that he called me to him,
took me on his knees, laid my head on his breast,
and soothed me with the kindest words. When the
sharp lightning came, I would hide my little face
in his bosom, and feel perfectly safe, because I
thought nothing could harm me while near hirr,
although I knew I was sinful-for I cannot remember the time I did not know it, or had not the fear




258           LIFE AND TIMES OF
of the Lord before my eyes. After the violence of
the storm was over, he related an anecdote. There
was, a lady, he said, who feared lightning very
much. She had heard that it never struck little
children; and whenever she saw a cloud arising,
she would gather as many around her as she could.
One day she had one or two on her lap, and several
others about her, and felt safe. A cat and kitten
were lying in the door, very near together, when
there came a severe flash of lightning, which killed
the cat and left the kitten unhurt. It had such an
effect upon. her that she began from that time to
seek religion, and never rested until she found it.
I could tell you a great deal about the impression his
words made upon my heart at that time and in after
years, when I grew up to maturity, but I am not
writing my own history. Perhaps, if you like what
I have now written, and my health will permit, I
may tell you about some of the other Bishops and
preachers. I knew Bishop Asbury, Bishop Whatcoat, Dr. Coke, but never loved any as well as I did
Bishop McKendree.              AN OLD LADY.
It might be unprofitable to follow the narrative
of the Bishop's daily travels and labors through the
year 1811, having given so full an account of his
first two official tours around the Continent; let it
suffice, then, to state that his Diary shows that from
the seat of the Southern Conference, in Columbia,
South Carolina, he started on the 29th Dec., 1810,
for the Virginia Conference, which met at Raleigh,
North Carolina, on the 7th of Feb., 1811; thence to




BISHOP M' KENDREE.         259
the Baltimore Conference, held in the city, from the
20th to the 28th of March; thence to Philadelphia,
where the Conference was opened on the 20th of
April, to New York Conference, in the city of New
York, May 20th to 25th; the New England Confer
ence, at Barnard's Town, Vermont, June 20th to
27th; the Genesee Conference, in Paris, New York,
20th to 25th July-thus closing his third round of
Conference visitations. In looking over the notes
entered in his Journal on these tours, it strikes the
reader that he was a most laborious and punctual
preacher. He seems, for months, to have preached
and traveled almost every day when not actually
holding Conference. Midwinter and summer were,
in this respect, alike to him. Thus, in December
he had two rest-days; in November, none; in January,
two; February, none; March, two; April, none;
May, none; June, none; July, none; August, two;
in September, none; although he attended three
camp-meetings in Ohio during the month, and
preached nearly every day.
Bishop Asbury, as usual, attended all the Conferences, and found time to visit Canada and see the
state of the work there in the interval of the last
two Conferences. The journey, however, was performed in great bodily pain, and he arrived at the
Genesee Conference with exhausted strength and
a complication of diseases. He had traveled sixteen
hundred miles in sixty days. "Sore, lame, and
weary," he got to Paris. He adds: "My spirit rejoiced with dear Bishop McKendree; he nursed me
as if I had been his own babe." Slowly wending




260            LIFE AND TIMES OF
their way westward, inquiring into the condition of
the Societies lying on their routes, and preaching
almost daily, they began their unceasing round of
labor again at the Western Conference, in Cincinnati, Nov. 1, 1811.
It appears from the following letter that Bishop
Asbury, at the close of the Genesee Conference,
which finished the third round of the Annual Conferences since 1808, urged Bishop McKendree to
adopt his plan of stationing the preachers without
consulting the Presiding Elders, to which he objected, but proposed a modification of it as follows:
Cincinnati, Oct. 8, 1811.
BROTHER ASBURY: —I am fully convinced of the
utility and necessity of the council of the Presiding
Elders in stationing the preachers, but you fear individuals will make it difficult, if not impracticable,
for you to proceed on this plan. I am willing
to assist you in the best way I can; and, as I
am in duty bound, so I hold myself in readiness to render the most effectual service to the
Church.  Consequently, I am still willing to accede to the proposition which you made at the
Genesee Conference, if it may be qualified. If
it is still your wish, I will take the plan of stations, after you have matured it —call the Elders to my assistance, and, after deliberate council, report in  favor, or dictate such  alterations
as may be thought necessary.  But I still refuse to take the whole responsibility upon myself,
not that I am afraid of proper accountability, but




BISIIOP M'KENDREE.          261
because I conceive the propositiqn included one
highly improper.
Yours, in the bonds of a yoke-fellow,
W. MCKENDREE.
After the Western Conference, he went to Camden, South Carolina; thence to Richmond, Virginia; thence to Leesburg, Virginia; and thence to
Philadelphia, 18th to 25th of April, 1812, holding a
Conference at each of these places.
Let the reader think of one of these trips, say
from Cincinnati, Ohio, by the way of Lexington,
Kentucky, Nashville, Tennessee, through the Indian
Nation and Georgia, to Camden, South Carolina.
Let him  think of the distance traveled on this
single tour; the cold of midwinter; the mud; the
swollen streams, frequently without bridges or ferryboats; the fatigue of horseback-riding to men from
fifty-five to sixty-eight years old; the discomforts of
road-side taverns; and, in addition to all this, "'the
daily care of all the Churches," and he will have
some conception of their sacrifices and sufferings.
Surely, they must have been more or less than men
to endure all, this, unless it were for Christ's sake.
At the close of the Philadelphia Conference,
Bishop McKendree was taken sick, and was not able
to reach New York until several days had elapsed
in the session of the General Conference.
The General Conference which began in the city
of New York, 1sy 1, 1812, was the first delegated
convention of the Church. Eight Conferences were
represented -by ninety delegates. It was a most im



262            LIFE AND TIMES OF
portant assembly, inasmuch as it not only determined questions of great interest to the welfare of
the Church, but especially as it tested the fealty
of her representatives in the highest judicatory of
the Church to the constitution itself.  Methodism
was about to pass the ordeal which the civil government had experienced in the first Congress under
the Federal Constitution. And, as in the latter
case, the practical application of the constitution
was rendered both more difficult and important on
account of the novelty of the experiment, and the
danger of introducing precedents, which might
lead to disastrous consequences; so, in the former,
the utmost caution was necessary to begin the administration of the newly-adopted organic laws of
the Church conformably to the true intent and spirit
of the Ecclesiastical Constitution.  In both, the
highest qualities of mind and heart were needed.
There was this obvious difference, however, in
the charter under which they respectively acted.
The two governments not only differ in their
origin, nature, design, and mode of operations,
but moreover, while the power vested in  Congress is limited by specific grants of power, to be
exercised for the general welfare, and the means
necessary to execute these specific objects, the delegated General Conference possessed, by constitutional right, all power originally belonging to the
whole body they represented, except certain clearlydefined  prohibitions.  These prohibitions protected the rights and' privileges of the membership and ministry, the General Rules of the So



BISHOP M'KENDREE.           263
cieties, the Articles of Religion, and the Episcopal
form  of our General Superintendency of the
Church. Beyond these three great and vital questions, every thing in the polity of the Church was,
and is yet, under their control.
The eyes of all who loved the Church were
turned, with the most intense solicitude, to the
action of the General Conference of 1812. The
Bishops were to preside alternately as joint presidents of the body; and, fortunately, they combined
the highest confidence of the Church, both as to
their purity of motives and their knowledge of its
true interests. Bishop Asbury's integrity of character and sagacity inspired great confidence, while
all the past history of Bishop McKendree marked
him as equal to the emergency. But Bishop Asbury had heretofore exercised rather the prerogatives of a father than the office of a president,
and had never been remarkable for conducting
business according to the strict Rules of Order.
Who was to inaugurate the new state of things
demanded by the Church? Happily for the Church,
Bishop McKendree was the man for the occasion.
The Rev. Henry Smith, of the:Baltimore Conference-probably the oldest traveling preacher of the
Methodist Church-,in a letter to the writer, dated
February 6, 1855, says upon this point:
"Previous to the first delegated General Conference, May 1, 1812, Bishop McKendree drew up a
plan of business to be brought before the General
Conference. His address was read in Conference;
but as it was a new thing, the aged Bishop (Asbury)




264           LIFE AND TIMES OF
rose to his feet immediately after the paper was
read, and addressed the junior Bishop to the following effect:'II have something to say to you before
the Conference.' The junior also rose to his feet,
and they stood face to face. Bishop Asbury went
on to say,'This is a new thing. I never did business in this way, and why is this new thing introduced?'  The junior Bishop promptly replied,'You are our father, we are your sons; you never
have had need of it. I am only a brother, and have
need of it.' Bishop Asbury said no more, but sat
down with a smile on his face. The scene is now
before me. I believe the Bishops have pursued the
plan ever since."
The address of Bishop Mcdlendree was not
merely a programme.of the business which legitimately devolved upon the body, but was designed
to call the attention of the Conference to the administration of the Bishops, and to the condition
and wants of the Church.
Mr. Asbury had been trained in the Wesleyan
school, and his presidency had been similar, in
some respects, to the British system of holding
Conferences. The sessions held under him had
not been conducted very strictly by parliamentary
rules. Mr. McKendree knew that a careful adherence to order is not only a protection to the
minority and the president, but is essential to the
dispatch of business.  The "new thing" which
surprised the elder Bishop was right in itself, and
most proper as emanating from one who thus modestly disclaimed the prerogatives of a father, and




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            265
voluntarily placed himself under the laws of order
in exercising his office. The General Conference
approved his course; committees were appointed
to draw up Rules of Order and to consider the various topics of Bishop McKendree's address; and
from that time until the present, the sessions of the
Methodist Conferences, both Annual and General,
have surpassed all other ecclesiastical bodies for
their strict adherence to the established rules of
debate, and for the amount of business transacted
in a given time. Indeed, it may well be doubted
whether there is any deliberative body which equals
a Methodist Conference in these respects. The
introduction of this mode of procedure may be
attributed chiefly to Bishop MctKendree. Coke, Asbury, and Whatcoat, were all Englishmen, and, although wise, great, and good, could not conform their
mode of administration to the American idea. The
first native American Bishop, himself a soldier and
an officer in the war of independence, placed himself and his office in harmony with the feelings and
sentiments of his countrymen, by refusing to govern except according to law. He was right, and the
Church owes him a debt of gratitude for his course.
The following address was submitted by Bishop
McKendree in writing: 
To the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
now assembled in the City of New York:
DEAR BRETHREN:-My relation to you and the
* Bangs's History of the M. E. Church, Vol. II., p. 308.
VOL. I.-12.




266           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Connection in general seems, in my opinion, to
make it necessary that I should address you in
some way, by which you may get possession of
some information perhaps not otherwise to be obtained by many of you.
It is now four years since, by your appointment,
it became my duty jointly to superintend our extensive and very important charge. With anxious
solicitude and good wishes, I have looked forward
to this General Conference. The appointed time
has come, and the Lord has graciously permitted
us to meet according to appointment, for which I
hope we are prepared jointly to praise and adore
his goodness.
Upon examination, you will find that the work
of the Lord is progressing in our hands. Our important charge has greatly increased since the last
General Conference. We had an increase of upward of 40,000 members. At present we have upward of 2,000 local preachers, and about 700
traveling preachers, and about 190,000 members.
And these are widely scattered over seventeen
States, besides the several territorial settlements
and the Canadas.
Thus situated, it must be expected, in the present
state of things, that the counsel and direction of
your united wisdom will be necessary to preserve
the harmony and peace of the body, as well as the
cooperation of the traveling and local ministry, in
carrying on the blessed work of reformation which
the Lord has been pleased to effect through our instrumentality. To deserve the confidence of the




BISHOP M KENDREE.           267
local ministry and membership, as well as to retain
confidence in ourselves and in each other, is undoubtedly our duty. And if we consider that those
who are to confide in us are a collection from all
classes and descriptions, and from all countries of
which our nation is composed, scattered promiscuously over this vast continent-men who were
originally of different educations, manners, habits,
and opinions, we shall see the difficulty as well as
the importance of this part of our charge.
In order to enjoy the comforts of peace and
union, we must "love one another." But this cannot abide where confidence does not exist; and
purity of intention, manifested by proper actions,
is the very foundation and support of confidence.
Thus "united we stand"-each member is a support to the body, and-the body supports each member; but if confidence fail, love will grow cold,
peace will be broken, and "divided we fall."  It
therefore becomes this body, which by its example
is to direct the course of thousands of ministers
and tens of thousands of members, to pay strict
attention to the simplicity of gospel manners, and
to do every thing as in the immediate presence of
God. If we consider the nature of our business,
our natural imperfections, and the history of the
Church in all its attempts to reform thee world, it is
scarcely to be expected, in so large a body, that all
will be as strictly evangelical as they should be.
But it is to be hoped that such failures will be prevented as far as possible, both by your action and
your example.




268           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Standing in the relation I do to you and the Connection generally, I feel it a part of my duty to
submit to your consideration the appointment of
the Genesee Conference. And perhaps it may be
for the general good if ins your wisdom you should
think proper to take into consideration a division
of the work in the western country, and a proper
arrangement of the work in general; and the magnitude and extent of the work which the Lord has
graciously pleased to prosper in our hands, may
make it proper for you to inquire if the work is sufficiently under the oversight of the Superintendency, and to make such arrangements and provision
as your wisdom may approve. I would also suggest the necessity of keeping in view not only the
traveling, but the relation and situation also of our
local brethren, and to pursue'that plan which may
render the whole more useful. It may also be
proper to bring into view any unfinished business
of the last General Conference. Hitherto, as a
body, we have been preserved by our well-digested
system of Rules, which are as sinews to the body,
and form the bond of union; but it is evident, both
from experience and Scripture, that even good men
may depart from first principles and from the best
of rules: it may therefore be proper for you to pay
some attention to the administration-to know the
state both of the traveling and local ministry, as it
relates to doctrine, discipline, and practice.
Before I conclude, permit me, my dear brethren,
to express a few thoughts concerning the view I
take of the relation in which I stand to this body.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          269
It is only by virtue of a delegated power from the
General Conference that I hold the reins of government. I consider myself bound, by virtue of the
same authority, to exercise discipline in perfect
conformity with the Rules of our Church, to the
best of my ability. I consider myself justly accountable, not for the system of government, but
for my administration, and ought therefore to be
ready to answer in General Conference for my past
conduct, and be willing to receive information and
advice to perfect future operations. I wish this
body to exercise their rights in these respects.
I take pleasure here in presenting my grateful
acknowledgments for the high degree of confidence
which my beloved brethren have placed in me, and
especially for the able counsel and seasonable sup:
port afforded by many, which has, I believe, with
the divine aid, preserved and supported me.
Dear brethren, such are the effects of our high
responsibility, connected with a consciousness of
my insufficiency, for so high a task, that I move
with trembling. Your eyes, and the eyes of the
Lord, are upon me for good. We shall rejoice together to see the armies of' our Israel wisely conducted, carrying the triumphs of the Redeemer's
kingdom to the ends of the earth; and the Lord
will rejoice to "make his ministers a flame of fire."
In you I have confidence, and on you I depend
for such aid as the wisdom of men can give; and
above all, I trust in divine aid. Influenced by these
considerations, with my situation in full view, I
cannot entertain a thought of bearing such awful




270           LIFE AND TIMES OF
responsibility longer than I am persuaded my services are useful to the Church of God, and feel a
confidence of being aided by your counsel and support, which is for you to give in any way or form
you may see proper. And while I join with you,
my dear brethren, in pyre gospel simplicity, to
commit and recommend ourselves and our several
charges to the special care of the great Head of the
Church, I remain, with sentiments of love and confidence, your servant in the gospel of Christ,
WM. MCOKENDREE.
New York, May 5, 1812.
The following extract from memoranda of Bishop
MclKendree will show his wisdom in this matter:
General Conference, New York, 1812.
The president (Bishop McKendree) invited a
committee of the most respectable and influential
members of that Conference as his council. In doing this, he designedly left out some who were supposed to be his confidential friends, and selected
men of talents of different sentiments as to the
polity of the Church. He stated to them his necessity of counsel on such occasions; complained
of a distant and reserved carriage toward him,
which he thought was improper, and might be injurious; assured them he had no selfish ends, and
then presented them with an instrument of writing
which lhe had prepared as an address to the General Conference. And as it was a new thing among
us, he asked them to consider it attentively, and give,
him their opinion without reserve upon the pro



BISHOP M'KENDlREE.          271
priety of presenting it; and if they thought an address advisable, to examine it critically, and suggest
such alterations or additions as they might think
proper. They examined it, and reported in favor
of the address. The president was pleased with
their freedom and delicacy in suggesting an amendment-he saw the propriety of doing so, and it was
altered on account of its having a particular bearing.                               W. McK.
Bishop Asbury had said at the opening of the
Conference, "I hope very few rules will be made"
-meaning thereby to discourage too much legislation. This was wisely said. The Church has
much to fear from this quarter, and, unfortunately,
has suffered greatly by over-legislating. Indeed,
unnecessary initerferences with individual rights
have always been disastrous to the peace of both
Church and State. If the ends of government are
secured, the less government is felt the better.
There are always, however, restless spirits in every
large assembly, who are ready to lead the more
timid into innovations upon established usages.
And the Conferences of the Methodist Church have
not proved an exception to this remark. Attempts
had been made at every General Conference since
1792, to change the mode of appointing the Presiding Elders. They had always been appointed by
the Bishops, upon the principle that as the Bishops
have the general superintendence of the work, and
are held accountable, directly or indirectly, for the
interpretation and administration of the Discipline




272            LIFE- AND TIMES OF
of the Church, they should have the power to select those to whom, in their absence, this work is
committed-thus associating them with the Bishops
in the oversight of the Church. Those who sought
to change this system wished to make the office of
Presiding Elder elective by the Annual Conferences, and that those thus elected should constitute
the Bishops' "'Council" in the respective Conferences. Mr. O'Kelly had proposed the principle involved in this measure, in the resolution offered by
him in 1792-the rejection of which was the ostensible cause of his secession from the Church. It
was proposed in 1800 to make them elective, and
was lost. This question was brought distinctly be*fore the General Conference of 1808, "while the
constitution drafted by the committee was under
consideration; and a motion having been made to
lay the report of the committee upon the table, and
by the question it was done; and the Presidingelder question, as it was called, was taken up, argued at great length and with much ability, and
lost by a large majority. After this, the consideration of the constitution reported by the committee
was resumed, and it was adopted."
At the General Conference of 1812, the effort
was renewed. Many strong and good men were
its advocates. Among them were Jesse Lee, Asa
Shinn, and Nicholas Snethen.  Two days were
consumed in its discussion, but the Conference
refused to make the change. Bishops Asbury and
McKendree were both decidedly opposed to the
change.




BISHOP M'KENDrPEE.           273
The South and West have always been conservative upon this question.
Its defeat at this General Conference quieted
the agitation for a short period, only to be renewed with increasing violence at each succeeding
General Conference until 1828, when, it is to be
hoped, it was finally laid to rest.
Another topic which excited much interest and
no little controversy at this Conference, was the ordination of local deacons to elder's orders. Some
leading members of the Conference had always been
opposed to the ordination of local preachers, yet
the majority had conferred upon them eligibility to
deacon's orders. Now that it was proposed to graduate the deacons to elder's orders, the opposition
was very strong.  The strongest objection urged
against the measure was, that in view of their relation to worldly business, the Bishops could not consistently require, nor the candidate conscientiously
give, the vow to devote himself'" wholly to this one
thing, (the pastoral ministry,) and draw all his cares
and studies this way."  That the duties of an elder,
as set forth in the ordination formulary, coutemplated a real and active pastorate, and that to confer the office upon those who were known at the
very time to be debarred, both by law and their
relation to secular matters, from fulfilling its duties,
was not only inconsistent in itself, but would tend
to diminish the sense of responsibility in the traveling ministry who should be ordained under the
same vows. On the other side, it was said that if
they were called to the ministry, they ought to be
12*




274            LIFE AND TIMES OF
able to perform all its functions; and that as the
Church had already conferred upon them the inferior office, and especially as they might be more
useful, and their services were much needed, they should
be admitted to the office.  This view prevailed,
and thenceforth the local deacons were eligible to
elder's orders after four years' probation, and upon
their recommendation by the Quarterly-meeting Conference certifying their qualifications and that their
services are needed in the circuits where they reside.
It was also then "provided that no slave-holder
shall be eligible to the office of local elder in any
State or Territory where the civil law will admit
emancipation, or suffer the liberated slave to enjoy
his freedom."
As Bishop McKEendree had, in his address, called
the attention of the General Conference to the
Superintendency, the Committee which was appointed on Episcopacy having taken into consideration the propriety of increasing the number of
bishops, reported that it was not necessary; and the
report was adopted. Thus were these three important questions settled; and after a harmonious session of twenty-two days, the Conference adjourned
to meet in Baltimore, May 1, 1816.
"The Episcopal Committee " requested the Bishops in the General Conference of 1812 to give their
opinions as to the propriety and necessity of electing another bishop; and also as Bishop. Asbury had
been invited by the British Conference to visit England, the Episcopal Committee wished to know if
he contemplated doing so. His reply to these ques



BISHOP M EENDREE.          275
tions, in his own hand-writing, was given to the
Committee, and by them to Bishop McKendree, as
appears by the indorsement of S. G. Roszell. This
was his answer:
New York, May 9, 1812.
MY DEAR BRETHREN: -Whatever I may have
thought or spoken in former times upon strengthening the Episcopacy, I am not at liberty to say to
you at this time, Do this, or that. I am bound in
duty to serve the Connection with all my power of
body and mind, as long and as largely as I can; and,
while I am persuaded that my services are needed
and acceptable, to give up all thoughts of visits out
of the American Continent, I feel myself indispensably bound to the Conference and my colleague,
never to leave them  nor forsake them upon the
above conditions.                F. ASBURY.
The General Conference over, Bishop McKendree
resumed his toilsome work with the prospect before
him of increasing labor and diminished assistance;
for Bishop Asbury was rapidly wearing himself
down by incessant travel and anxiety. When
Bishop McElendree first entered in 1808 upon the
duties of his office, Bishop Asbury proposed they
should both attend all the Conferences, and preside
alternately. But after awhile, having witnessed
the ability of his colleague in the chair, he seldom undertook to conduct the public duties of
his office in presiding over the deliberations of
the Conferences, and confined himself generally
toe the task of stationing the preachers, assist



276           LIFE AND TIMES OF
ing in ordination, and occasional addresses to
the preachers.  Yet his presence and counsel
were highly appreciated by his colleague, and the
preachers generally. But his strength began to
fail very rapidly, and he was often prostrated by
fatigue and sickness. The year following the
General Conference of 1812 found him at every
Annual Conference, and for several years afterward
he continued to drag himself along by the force of
an almost indomitable will, trying to perform, as
heretofore, ihe duties of an itinerant General Superintendent; and as nothing very unusual marked
the history of this year's labor, it is not necessary
to give the details of their travels.
During the winter of 1811-12, the earthquakes
occurred in the Western country. The whole Valley of the Mississippi was violently and frequently
agitated, and the region of INew Madrid, on the
Mississippi River, seems to have been the center
of subterranean convulsion. Fissures opened in the
earth, lakes of considerable size and depth were
formed by the sinking of the ground, all accompanied by a rumbling sound and violent concussions. The effect upon the river itself was such
that at New Madrid boats were wrenched from
their moorings, and submerged by the agitation of
the waves. Many lives were lost. This state of
things continued to occur at irregular intervals for
several months, until the whole country became
alarmed. In many instances this excitement assumed a religious aspect, and a wide-spread and
glorious revival extended through the greater part




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           277
of the Western work, insomuch that the two Conferences (Ohio and Tennessee) into which the Western Conference was divided by the General Conference, reported, in the fall of 1812, a net annual
increase of more than fifty per cent.; so that the
Lord had not only "terribly shaken the earth, but
had also mercifully shaken the hearts of the people."
The declaration of war against Great Britain by
our government, June 18, 1812, and the excitement
naturally growing out of it, had an unhappy effect
upon the work generally, and especially at first in
the Northern and Eastern sections of the country;
and as this state of things continued until January,
1815, the whole country became deeply excited with
military ardor, and consequently less susceptible of
religious impressions. The following letter from
Dr. Henry Wilkins, of Baltimore, an old and highly
esteemed friend, to Bishop McKendree, may be interesting to the reader, not only because of the
good sense and piety it exhibits, but also because
of its allusions to the attack of the British upon
Baltimore, and the patriotism of our preachers and
people:
Baltimore, Aug. 11, 1813.
DEAR BROTHER: —Your letter gave us great consolation to find you are doing so well under so many
disadvantages. Afflictions try both our faith and
our feelings; though I do not see why they should
try the former, for we ought not to expect to be
delivered by faith from the physical elements of the
world; for faith, though so powerful against moral




278           LIFE AND TIMES OF
elements, has not acted against the physical, since
the gospel was fully established in the days of our
Saviour and his apostles. If unbelief would rid us
of affliction, then our faith would be severely tried;
but I believe, and in this you will join me, that religion is best both for soul and body. Since you
were here, I have had a full share of bodily infirmities.
The British are now in sight: a score of ships-ofwar fill up the bay from hence to Annapolis. Kent
Island is in their possession; the little city is in
danger. We are strong: one hundred and fifty
pieces of cannon environ our city-part movable.
We have about eight hundred cavalry, forty-five
hundred infantry-two thousand expected from the
country; a thousand Regulars at Annapolis, who
will march if wanted. I hope with this force no
blood will be shed —the British troops being about
four thousand altogether.
All parties are wishing the British to be expelled.
There is no political division in our Church, though
great coldness, and few conversions. Our ministers
are liked very well. You do better than the market people: they generally couple a fat and a lean
one. You have given us three smart ones out of
four. The fourth, though of pleasing, easy manners, does not show industry in reading: perhaps a
defective eye may give him pain, but without much
reading the city will soon swallow the few ideas a
man has of his own.
I send you some books, and the love of all our
family. I trust we are seeking after true riches, and




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          279
gain some. As to this world, while the war lasts I
must purchase stock in the Bank of Contentment,
which I believe is quite as good as gold. Now
what shall I say but bid you go on in the glorious
path you have set out in, and may your last days be
your best days, and eternal glory be your reward!
Your friend,               HENRY WILKINS.
A characteristic letter from  the venerable and
devoted Freeborn Garrettson was received by the
Bishop at the Genesee -Conference.  It is as follows:
Rhinebeck, June 29, 1813.
MY VERY DEAR BROTHER:-I thought duty called
me to go down to New York immediately after Conference, and direct in fixing matters. [Mr. Garrettson was then Presiding Elder of New York District.] I was sorry to find an unwillingness to receive Brother W. in Jamaica Circuit, and took the
liberty to agree that he and Brother Lyon should
change. I stayed a week in the city, and stepped
down to Maryland; sent a messenger round, and
preached in various places, and had the pleasure of
seeing and visiting many of my friends. I also had
the mortification of seeing the savage-like depredations in Havre de Grace-I may call it the native
place of my ancestors. [This place was burnt by
the British under Admiral Cockburn in 1813.] I
thought it a good time to give them a faithful warning, but O how my heart did bleed to see so many
of them living in fullness, and unconcerned about
their eternal welfare.




280           LIFE AND TIMES OF
I have traveled about seven hundred miles
since our Conference, (May 20,) and preached
to thousands with pleasure and freedom. I must
begin to preach as if every sermon were my
last. In fact, I view myself as a tottering monument of mercy on the brink of eternity. As my
dear Father Asbury observed, I have gone in the
better, though not the best way, the whole of my life.
I have nothing to depend on for salvation but an
interest in the meritorious righteousness of Christ.
In him I have salvation. I spent one Sabbath in
Philadelphia.  They are fond of Emory in the
Academy. I could have wept when I found the
names of Cooper and Sargent like to drop from our
Conference-records. It would have given us pleasure to have had you and Bishop Asbury at our
house. Pray for me. If I cannot follow foot by
foot, I will try to keep hard by, and hope to have
some humble place in our Heavenly Father's kingdom. I profess to love both Church and State;
and if I knew I had a little finger to raise against
the order or union of either, I would cut it off.
God bless you, my dear friend! I feel union with
your spirit. Yours affectionately,
F. GARRETTSON.
We find the following letter in the Life of Bishop
Emory, written by Bishop Mcllendree in reply to
a note Mr. Emory had addressed him at the close
of the Philadelphia Conferencie, 1812. Mr. Emory
was then a young preacher, and the letter is alike
honorable to the writer and receiver:




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           281
Wednesday Morning, April 29, 1812.
DEAR BROTHER: —It is no small gratification to
find you must take an affectionate leave of me, if it
is by note. Your apology for not seeing me more
than supplied the visit, because it was an act of
favor. [The Bishop was quite sick, and not able to
bear company.] Indeed I was weak, and though
much better, I am far from strong now, for I tremble, and have to rest while about this letter.
You ask a place in my prayers. It that is a favor,
you have possessed it ever since I saw you first.
"- God forbid I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you." Dear Johnny, permit me to
tell you that you possess a full proportion of my
confidence and affection. I shall not forget the tenderness and respect, as of a son to a father, with
which you treated me; nor the Christian meekness
and deep humility depicted in your manners-graces
which I hope you will never forfeit your title to.
Jesus was meek and lowly of heart. There was an
expression in your countenance that attracted my
attention, but afforded no satisfactory solution.
Have you injured or impaired your constitution by
ministerial exertions? or has the climate of affliction reduced you? or are you subject to excessive
fasting? Useful fasting is so shamefully neglected,
that a check on that subject should be ministered
and received with caution. But extremes are dangerous. Your friend and brother,
W. MCKENDREE.
Bishop McKendree attended the New York Con



282           LIFE AND TIMES OF
ference at Albany, June 4, 1812; the lNew England
Conference at Lynn, Massachusetts, June 20th; the
Genesee Conference at Lyons Town, July 23d;
various camp-meetings in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee; the Tennessee Conference at
Fountain Head, Nov. 10th; the South Carolina Conference at Charleston, Dec. 19th; the Virginia Conference at Newbern, North Carolina, Feb. 10, 1813;
the Baltimore Conference in Baltimore, March
24th; and the Philadelphia Conference in Philadelphia, April 24, 1813.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.                  283
CHAPTER XI.
Difficulties and comforts-rNew York Conference-New England
Conference changed on account of war —Tendency of selling
pews -Genesee Conference —Ohio - Steubenville-Tennessee
Conference-Cannot attend Louisiana Conference —T. L. Douglass-Bishops Asbury and McKendree on slavery-Blackman's
position on the subject-He goes as chaplain to volunteers at
the call of General Jackson-Win. Burke's letter-South Carolina and Virginia Conferences-" Official decisions " —BuxtonNew York Conference —Bishop Asbury's opinion of Bishop
McKendree's sermon-Joshua Marsden in United States-He
applies for employment-Resigns it —Why?-Bishop Asbury's
condition-His Will-Why he expected to live long-Painful
round of Conferences in 1814 —Bishop McKendree's fallWounding hip and ribs-Tennessee Conference held at campmeeting in Logan county, Kentucky-Neither of the Bishops
can be at the Mississippi Conference-Genesee Conference —
Tornado-Gets to Cincinnati-South Carolina-Virginia-Maryland-Pennsylvania —Asbury preaches - Found Dr. Coke at
Albany, New York —Ohio Conference at Mechanicsburg —
"Long earnest talk "-Bishop Asbury crosses Alleghany sixtytwo times —Both Bishops attend the Tennessee ConferenceSeparated never to meet again on earth-McKendree at South
Carolina Conference-Asbury within thirty miles-Very feeble
-Hammet's people return-Virginia Conference at RaleighBishop McKendree's father dies —Baltimore Conference —
Bishop Asbf.ry absent, and preaches his last sermon in
Richmond, Virginia-His death-Bond's letters inclosing Asbury's views and last letter to McKendree-His person and
character.




284           LIFE AND TIMES OF
THE years 1813, 1814, and 1815 were spent, like
the previous five years of his life, in almost constant
travel, or in holding Conferences. He is forced to
exclaim: "No rest; but little chance to read;
always having company, and few opportunities of
reflection, except on horseback!"  But he found
this state of things as unfriendly to piety as to peace
and quietude. Hard rides, promiscuous crowds at
taverns, a diseased body, and constant anxiety of
mind in view of his responsible position, chafed and
worried him; yet conscious of his own honesty and
purity of purpose, he strove to know his duty, and
to do it without murmuring. Communion with
God and the esteem of the Church were sources of
comfort to his heart during many an hour of trial
and sorrow. If his labors and afflictions abounded,
so did his comforts. He that surrenders his own
will to God, will be satisfied to do or suffer as God
wills.  Happy are they to whom faith gives the
victory over sin and self. The longest life is soon
over, and in its best condition is still a battle; and
not he who suffers least, but he who most bravely
and wisely fights that battle at whatever sacrifice, is
the greatest victor.
Bishop McIKendree presided at the New York
Conference held in Amenia, May 20, 1813, where
some difficulties among the preachers were amicably adjusted through his prudent and conciliatory
manner of conducting the matter, and by the cooperation of Freeborn Garrettson, Daniel Hitt, and
L. Clark. "Blessed are the peace-makers."
"The New England Conference for this year was




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            285
appointed' to be held at New London, but an apprehended attack upon the place by a British squadron,
caused it to be removed to Colchester,* thirteen
miles distant.  It commenced June 31st.  The
business of Conference was done with great dispatch sitting eight hours a day-and concluded on
the fourth day."  He adds: " It is feared that our
preachers and congregations in this part of our work
will drop off like untimely fruit.' They build meeting-houses upon congregational principles, and the
preachers, when they locate, have the art of deriving the benefit. It is reported that they are giving
in to the plan of building very expensive and ornamental houses; selling pews, so that it is made difficult for the poor to hear the gospel; and fixing
the government in the hands of such as may
become owners of pews; so that our itinerant
preachers, as well as the poor, may be excluded
when men of the world may choose to do so. Are
these things so? In part, if not in whole. Has not
this course a tendency to injure the progress of
experimental religion, and destroy the  itinerant
plan? It has."
The Bishops traveled in company to the Genesee
Conference at Westmoreland, July 9, 1813, and the
tour was rendered more than ordinarily pleasant by
the "'remarkably social and familiar manner of
K Bishop Hedding says it was Salem. (See his Life, p. 229.)
Bishop Asbury, in his Journal, says Colchester. Bishop McKendree, in his Diary, says, " The Conference was moved to Brother
Morgan's, in Colchester."




286           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Bishop Asbury."  Nothing unusual occurring at
this Conference, they resumed their long journey
westward. Bishop McKendree says: "From  this
Conference Bishop Asbury traveled more than a
week with me on my appointments. His mind was
greatly taken up with his contemplated Natchez
Conference. He seems determined to go to it, and
is much engaged in planning for his journey."
After holding the Ohio Conference at Steubenville, Sept. 1, 1813, Bishop McKendree pushed on
to Tennessee, in order to spend his spare time with
his aged father, who had removed fromn Virginia
and settled in Sumner county, Tennessee. The
Conference was held at Reese's Chapel, in Williamson county, Tennessee, Oct. 1st, and was a campmeeting Conferencbe. Both of the Bishops were
present.
The propriety of forming a new Conference in
the Mississippi Territory, which had heretofore
been included in the Tennessee Conference, had
been submitted by the Bishops to the previous session of this Conference, and having been approved,
Bishop Asbury had appointed a session to be held
there. It had been his intention to visit it in the
interval between the Tennessee and South Carolina
Conferences. The appointment was not inserted in
the General Minutes, and Bishop McKendree had
doubted the expediency of setting it off under existing circumstances. But it was a favorite notion
with Bishop Asbury, and, as we have already seen,
he had been laying his plans to accomplish it.
When, therefore, the Tennessee Conference opened,




BISHOP M'KENDREE.                287
they were reminded of their advice given to the
Bishops the preceding year, and Bishop McKendree
announced his readiness to go and hold the Conference, if he could obtain company for himself, and
help for the new Conference. Bishop Asbury,
though still extremely anxious to visit that section
of the work, confessed that in view of his health,
the distance, and his apprehension that he might
not only fail to reach it, but put it out of his power
to get to the South Carolina Conference also, he
felt obliged to decline the attempt; and the Conference dissuaded Bishop McKendree from  going,
by a resolution " that it was imprudent to venture
in the present state of Indian hostilities."
At this Conference, the name of Thomas Logan
Douglass, a transfer from the Virginia Conference,
first appeared at the Tennessee Conference.  He
was a native of Person county, North Carolina; had
filled some of the most important appointments in
the Virginia Conference; was an estimable gentleman, a very fine preacher, and a most popular and
useful Presiding Elder.*
* Thomas L. Douglass was of low stature, rotund, and inclined
to corpulency. He was naturally amiable and retiring in his
manners. He had been Presiding Elder several years, a member
of the General Conference of 1812, and was greatly admired for his
eloquence in the city of New York during the session. In private, his deportment was such as to gain the esteem of his associates; in the pulpit, he was charming. Iis voice was remarkable for melody and compass, and was perfectly under his control. He was an excellent divine, had studied the economy of the
Church very thoroughly, and was strong in his attachments to the
old Methodistic polity. He loved the Church, and the Bishops




288           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Two subjects gave the Bishops much trouble at
this Conference-slavery and the war. The Conference was stringent in the application of their
rules against buying or selling slaves. Several
local preachers had been arrested and tried: in
most instances the Quarterly-meeting Conferences
had refused to punish them.  In one case, however, a local preacher was suspended, and appealed
to the Annual Conference. Learner Blackman, his
Presiding Elder, defended him.  He denied that
the general rule applied to the case; urged the inconsistency of receiving and retaining members in
the Church who owned them, and of expelling
those who bought them; said that the purchaser
had made the condition of the slave much better,
and may have been influenced by the most humane
feelings, such as getting husbands and wives, or
parents and children, together; that the Quarterly
Conferences in the Nashville District had, in other
cases, refused to enforce the construction put upon
the law by the Conference, believing that it is no
more a sin for preachers than for members to have
them. He declared that great harm had already
been done by this officious intermeddling with legal
and private rights; and finally, that, as he could see
no moral wrong in it, provided the slave be treated
humanely, he could not and would not conform to
their views of the rule.  Bishop Asbury said
loved and leaned upon him. No man has done more for Methodism in the Tennessee Conference than Mr. Douglass. The writer
loved and revered him as a father; and he knows that Bishops
Asbury and McKendree held him in the highest estimation.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            289.
nothing.  Bishop McKendree, being in the chair,
reminded him that he ought to keep the rule or
change it.  The Conference affirmed the decision
of the Quarterly-meeting Conference.  It is clue,
however, to the body to say, that there was a strong
minority opposed to such a course.
The war was then raging between our country
and England. The Indians on the borders were
committing horrid cruelties; and our private members, and many of our local preachers, fired by
patriotism and a just sense of duty to their country,
rushed, as volunteers, to the scenes of war. A
requisition having been made in Tennessee for
volunteers to protect Louisiana, General Jackson
soon called out a large body; and shortly after the
close of the Conference, Learner Blackman, having
been invited and commissioned by the General to
go with him as chaplain, left his District, and most
faithfully and acceptably labored, as a minister of
God, in this new and trying position. They went
in filat-boats, and his habit was to go from boat to
boat and preach to the soldiers and visit the sick.
The trip was a long one, and they were disbanded
upon their arrival at Natchez, whence Brother
Blackman returned forthwith to Tennessee, and
resumed the duties of his District. This propensity
among the traveling preachers to quit their regular
work and enter the army, gave the Bishops much
trouble, believing that the regular ministration of
the gospel is their proper employment, and that
if this should be neglected, the cause of God must
suffer seriously. In their opinion, both patriotism
VOL. i.-13




-290          LIFE AND TIMES OF
and religion required the traveling ministry to adhere to their appropriate work.
The following letter from  an  early pioneer
preacher in the West, worn down by labor, possesses
a melancholy interest. It was written to the Ohio
Conference through Bishop McKendree:
Cincinnati, Aug. 24, 1813.
DEAR BROTHER: —I have served il the traveling
connection two and twenty years, and, in my weak
and feeble way, have devoted my whole time and
what few talents I have had to the service of the
Church.  I have filled some of the hardest and
most dangerous stations on the frontiers of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. I have missed attending but two Annual Conferences-the first at
Ebenezer, Tennessee, 1801, and the present, 1813. I
have served in four General Conferences, and can
appeal to Him that searcheth all hearts, that, to the
best of my knowledge, I have acted from pure
motives, and with no other design than to promote
the cause of God and Methodism, which I have
always regarded as identical. I can appeal to my
brethren, among whom I have labored, and to my
traveling brethren, who have been associated with
me, that I have not idled away my time in visiting
either friends or relatives.  I have visited my
parents but once, and was then only three weeks
with them. In the seventeen years I have been
married, I have never taken time to go with my
wife to visit her friends and relatives. I have spent
neither time nor money in acquiring property, hav



BISHOP M'KENDREE.           291
ing always considered it beneath the dignity of the
office I was called to fill, and contrary to the rules
and regulations of the traveling ministry. As to
this world's goods, I have comparatively nothing.
I am still free from every encumberance of a worldly
nature. During the time I have labored with you,
I have conscientiously devoted my whole time to
the work, and have avoided every needless expense.
I have reason to bless God that I am what I am-it
is of his unmerited grace. I love God, his people,
and his cause.
I have labored for several years under great affliction of mind. Several times I have determined
to ask for a location. I am not well. Upon the
slightest change of weather I am greatly afflicted
with a complaint of my thorax, so that sometimes
I almost lose my speech. Through the summer I
have thought of locating, but my friends, and my
wife especially, discourage this. Something, too,
within me forbids it when I think of retiring from
the work which I love as I do my life.  If my
brethren can give me a supernumerary relation, I
shall consider myself under obligations to them;
but if not, please grant me a location.
May the God of all grace preside over your
councils!     Your brother,       W. BURKE.
In a private note to Bishop McKendree, he insists
that a stationed preacher should be sent to Cincinnati the next year; that it must not be put back in
the circuit; says they have seven classes and two
hundred members; paid his allowance the past year




292          LIFE AND TIMES OF
without his having said a word to them about it, and
suggests that Brother Lambdin would suit the people very well. He concludes: "And now, my dear
brother, perhaps I may see you no more. When
you left this Conference, I lost a valued friendsuch a one, perhaps, I shall never find again; but
friendship shall live beyond the grave."
These old friends and fellow-laborers have doubtless met, and feel no regrets at having toiled long
and suffered much in their Master's vineyard. Now
their rest and reward are eternal.
At the South Carolina Conference, in Charleston,
Dec. 23, 1812, he says: " The Conference kindly invited me to take one of- their body to travel with
me at their expense." The generous offer was gratefully accepted, and James Norton was recommended
and chosen; and having traveled with the Bishops
twelve months, returned with them to the ensuing
Conference.
At the Virginia Conference, the Bishops were by
vote requested to give an official decision of the
question, "Whether a Presiding Elder could lawfully preside over a committee sitting upon the trial
of a local preacher."  His reply was,'" He can, and
sometimes he ought to do so;" but intimated that it
is usually best not to do so. Bishop Asbury, not
being in the chair, but present, said nothing. The
Conference did not demur.
Here, too, "Brother Buxton having objected to
the recommendations of certain local preachers for
ordination, because the Quarterly Conference which
presented them was composed of very few mem



BISHOP M'RENDEE.           293
bers, and having moved that the Conference determine what proportion of the official members of
a circuit shall constitute a Conference," the president decided the lmotion to be out of order, because it would operate against the rule of the General Conference.
At the New York Conference for 1813, Bishop
Asbury's Journal says:
"Sunday, 23d.-Bishop McEKendree preached. It
appeared to me as if a ray of divine glory rested on
him. His subject was,'Great peace have they that
love thy law, and nothing shall offend them.' The
appearance, manner, and preaching of Brother Mc-:Kendree produced a powerful effect on Joshua
Marsden, a British missionary, who has been present
at our Conference."
The name of Mr. Marsden, since so generally and
favorably known as a distinguished and useful
Wesleyan minister in England, recalls the following facts. This excellent man had been laboring
in Bermuda, West Indies, as a missionary for some
years. Having obtained leave to return to England, his wife and family had come to New York
to visit her parents, and await his arrival; but having been detained longer than he expected, when
he reached the United States the embargo law was
in force-the war spirit was very rife, and he could
not conveniently or safely get back home. Under
these circumstances, he attended the New Yo'rk
Conference, and, as appears from his letters, now
before the writer, applied to the Bishops for employment while he should be detained here. The




294           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Bishops complied with his request; but he was so
harassed and persecuted by political and ecclesiastical zealots, that he felt it his duty to resign the work
temporarily assigned him. His letter to the Bishops
evinced his intelligence, prudence, and piety.
"No cure for old age" was verified in the case of
Bishop Asbury. If indomitable zeal, courage, will,
the utmost temperance, and kindest attention of
physicians and friends, could have preserved his
energies, he would have defied decline. But he
was now approaching his seventieth year, and the
long battle of life was nearly over. If he had gone
by short and easy stages to the more accessible
Conferences, rested when weary and worn down by
travel and disease, and been contented to suffer his
younger colleague to hold the more distant Conferences alone, he might, by divine blessing, have
lingered a few more years. Hosts of friends opened
their doors to him, and urged him to rest himself
and recover his declining health. Rheumatism attacked his feet and limbs. For many weeks, and in
midwinter, too, he could not wear a shoe. Sometimes he had to resort to crutches; was frequently
unable to get into his humble carriage without
help; and often had to preach in a sitting posture.
The pains in his jaws and face were sometimes excruciating; his viscera were disordered; he lost
weight constantly; his extremities were swollen;
and his skin was so shriveled, and his face so pallid,
that when his eyes were closed he looked like a
corpse. And yet he scorned to rest. After a few
hours of fitful sleep he would be up; and the early




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            995
dawn of a cold, blustering, wintry morning would
find him on his way to a distant Conference. If
roots and ruts, rocks and mud-holes, were too severe
upon him, and he had to groan, "My bones, my
bones!" his faithful nurse would place him  on
horseback until he could endure the fatigue of that
mode of traveling no longer. Then, after a little
rest at the first house on the roadside-always closing the interview with prayer and exhortation-he
would resume his route. He felt that he ought to
be at every Conference. And duty was law with
him. He was a soldier, acting under orders from a
Captain who never spared himself; and how could
the faithful soldier take repose on a battle-field,
where prizes more precious than diadems were to be
won or lost? The Church, the preachers, and the souls
of the people-these were the thoughts that nerved
him to go. It was vain to reason with him. Christ
had called and chosen him to be a soldier, and his
" heart, and mind, and strength " he had long since
consecrated to him.
That there was nothing of wild enthusiasm in the
mind of Bishop-Asbury, but- a fervid, intelligent,
and apostolic zeal, like that which actuated apostles
and martyrs, is evident. His Journal shows that he
was fully aware of his condition. Hence, with characteristic brevity and disinterestedness, he says, in
June, 1813: "I have made my will, appointing
Bishop McKendree, Daniel Hitt, and Henry Boehm,
my executors. If I do not in the meantime spend.
it, I shall leave, when I die, an estate of two thou.
sand dollars, I believe. Igive it all to the Book Con



296'         LIFE AND TIMES OF
cern.  This money, and somewhat more, I have
inherited from dear departed Methodist friends in
the State of Maryland who died childless, besides
some legacies which I have never taken. Let all return
and continue to aid the cause of piety."
In August, he adds: "I addressed a'valedictory'
statement of my opinions to Bishop McKendree, on
the primitive Church-government and ordination.
I shall leave it with my papers." The writer having
found this very interesting document among the
papers of Bishop McIlendree, takes great pleasure
in giving it publication.  It seems to have been
prepared with great care, and was left ready for the
press.  That it may not be divided, it is reserved
for the next chapter.
Many years ago, the writer heard Thomas L.
Douglass say that he was much impressed by the
remark of Bishop Asbury, that "he expected to
live to be an old man, because the divine promise
to them who honor their father and mother, applied to
him."  And the evidence is before the writer, that
he was in the habit of remitting annually to his wiciowed mother, in England, while she lived, all he could
possibly spare.  Surely "he inherited the promise."
The next round of Conference visitation was an
unusually painful one to both the Bishops-to Bishop
Asbury, on account of his increasing infirmities;
and to Bishop MecJendree, because of a fall from
his horse, which " severely wounded him in his hip
and ribs." *  This fall prevented him froml presiding
* Bishop McKendree's Journal shows that he attended the
Genesee Conference, at Genoa, July 14, 1814; and that Bishop




BISHOP M'KENDRER.                  297
at the Ohio Conference, and  Bishop Asbury, although present, was too feeble to attempt it.  Nor
did Bishop McKendree recover entirely from  the
effects of this accident for several months; for at
the Tennessee Conference, held at a camp-meeting
in Logan county, Kentucly, in 1814, Bishop Asbury
says: " The injury received by Bishop McKendree
was so great that it is yet doubtful whether he will
so far recover as to be present at the South Carolina
Conference." Bishop Asbury felt constrained to
give up the attempt to visit the Mississippi Conference, lest neither of them should reach the South
Carolina Conference.
"Onward! " however, was the watchword of these
holy and laborious men.  The horrors of an Indian
Asbury was absent, on account of illness-that, in passing from
Genoa, New York, to Ohio, on the 29th of July, his "horse
started suddenly, and threw him with great violence among the
rocks, so that his right hip and side suffered considerable injury. That no bones were broken, is wonderful." He adds:.
"30th.-I was taken in a wagon and carried twelve miles, to my
good friend Thomas Weston's. But the roads were rough, and
I suffered much." Then follows an account of five deliberate attempts to draw blood from him-failing, finally, owing to the
dullness of the old lancet. After confinement to his bed for several days, then using crutches awhile, he attempted to go forward
on his journey; but, after accomplishing one-fourth of a mile, he
was glad to return. The people, however, came to his place of
confinement, and he preached and held class-meeting. After
nearly a month's detention, he started to overtake his appointments.
-,August 25. —He gives an account of a tornado. which overtook
him on the Alleghany Mountains, when limbs and trees fell all
around him. Pushing forward, he got to Cincinnati about the
time the Conference adjourned.
13*




298           LIFE AND TIMES OF
war induced them to avoid the Indian Nation by a
circuitous route-through the upper part of North
Carolina into South Carolina, into Georgia, thence
to Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey-to the New York Conference, at Albany, May,
1815, where Bishop Asbury preached the funeralsermon of Dr. Coke. He says of himself: "Poor,
wheezing, groaning, coughing Francis visited the
Conference chamber on Tuesday and Thursday'."
At the New England Conference, June Ist: "At
Unity poor Francis was shut up alone, as at Albany."*  From  New Hampshire, back he travels
through New York, Pennsylvania-tried to preach
at Little York, but wanted strength-thence again
across the mountains into Ohio, turning aside to
attend a camp-meeting at Mechanicsburg; thence
to the Ohio Conference, at Lebanon, September 14,
1815.
A.bout this period, that "long and earnest talk"
occurred between our two Bishops, "about the
affairs of the Church, and the future prospects," etc.:
"the western part would be the glory of Americawould have live Conferences,"' etc. Yes, venerable
men, in less than half a century from that date, it
will have more than tell times five Conferences! The
Southern division has now thirty Conferences, and
it is presumed the Northern has as many, or more;
and "' still they come."  At the conclusion of that
talk, Bishop Asbury said to his colleague, that,
"having passed his seventieth year, he. found himself
* See Bishop Asbury's letter, June 10, 1815.




BISHOP M KENDREE.           299
unable to keep up with the Conferences."  A most
reluctant admission.  Still on he went, through
Kentucky, to the Tennessee Conference, at Bethlehem, Wilson county, Oct. 20, 1815.  Here he
preached, but says: " My eyes fail: I will resign the
stations to Bishop McKendree." Heretofore, if he
did little else at Conference, he always attended to
stationing the preachers. He knew them all, and
knew their fields of labor; and they had the highest confidence in his impartiality and skill in adapting the workmen to the work. But now he resigns
this almost last effort at active usefulness. He was
now exceedingly emaciated. Consumption seemed
to have united with asthma, rheumatism, and gravel,
to hasten his exit. Yet the brave old pilgrim must
needs follow up the Conferences, and crossed the
Alleghanies, about the sixty-second time, to reach
the South Carolina Conference.  Bishop McKendree's Journal states:
"'Bishop Asbury attended the Tennessee Conference in the fall of 1815, which was the last time
I was blessed with his personal presence. Here
we parted, in hope of meeting again at the South
Carolina Conference, in Charleston. For the advantage of accommodations and a better road,
he went by Knoxville, land I went through the
Cherokee Nation. Bishop Asbury came within
thirty or forty miles, but could not reach the Conference, on account of affliction. Here all the remaining members of Mr. Hammet's church, consisting of a few whites and a considerable number
of colored people, returned to our Church —a thing




300           LIFE AND TIMES OF
much desired by Mr. Asbury, particularly on account
of the colored people, to whom he had acted as a
father for several years.
" The Conference kept up a daily communication
with Mr. Asbury, and he rejoiced at the success of
his long-continued kindness to those solitary and
afflicted people.
"At the close of the Conference he was better,
and, as my arrangements did not permit me to visit
hlim, I pursued my appointments, hoping to see him
at the Virginia Conference; but in this I was sadly
disappointed, and learned, by the result, that our
interview at the Tennessee Conference closed our
joint labors and earthly associations.
" Previously to the Tennessee Conference, Bishop
Asbury was with me, at my father's, in the Fountain Head settlement. While we were there; my
father took his bed, complaining of nothing but extreme debility. In this situation he remained about
two weeks, and died in peace.
"I arrived at Raleigh, North Carolina, in time for
the Virginia Conference, much exhausted by traveling and preaching. Here I received an account of
the death of my father, and that Bishop Asbury's
state of health would not admit of his getting to
Conference.  In addition to these afflictions, the
work of an important Conference devolved on me
alone; but I was graciously sustained, and much
assisted, by an affectionate and very kind body of
preachers.  The Conference over, I pursued my
appointments, still hoping to meet with. Bishop Asbury at the Baltimore Conference.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            301
"The preachers met at the appointed time, and
understood the Bishop's health was very bad. My
health was delicate, but I was mercifully supported.
The preachers felt for me, and rendered me all the
aid they could. Their sympathy was a comfort to me."
The following letter from John Wesley Bond, the
beloved and faithful traveling companion of Bishop
Asbury, inclosing one firom Bishop Asbury to Bishop
McKendree-perhaps the last he ever wrote-will
be read with interest, because it evinces the ruling
passion of the dying Bishop, his love of souls, and
anxiety for the Church.  It was written about a
month before his death, while he was trying, "in
age and feebleness extreme," to reach the General
Conference at Baltimore. In the midst of his deep
and complicated afflictions, although so utterly worn
down that ble alone thought he could travel, and his
best fiiends thought each day's short journey must
be his last, this heroic man still struggled forward,
and with characteristic disinterestedness employs
his thoughts about preachers, and missions, and the
General Conference. Noble old man! a martyr's
zeal and reward are thine.
At Brother William Williams, 18 miles from
Louisburg, N. C., Feb. 29, 1816.
BisHOP MCKENDREE-Dear Brother:-Not knowing where a letter would overtake you, short of
Georgetown, I have deferred writing until now, that
my letter may give you the latest intelligence.
It would be a great gratification to me if we
could get on to the Baltimore Conference; never



302            LIFE AND TIMES OF
theless, I have constantly opposed making the attempt, well knowing that Father Asbury's health
would not admit of it. He is a little better than
when I wrote last, but still very feeble. Last Sabbath, for the first time this year, he spoke to the
society at Brother King's, in Raleigh. He spoke
for some time, and with more strength than I expected.  Brother Hinds's Quarterly-meeting commenced in Raleigh on Saturday last. Brother IHynes
attended, but, having the fever and ague, was unable to preach. Notwithstanding my frequent loss
of sleep, my health is nearly as usual, for which I
cannot be sufficiently thankful.
Respecting my next year's appointment, I need
say nothing more than this: if I am judged worthy,
I am still willing to take my present, or any other
work, which may be thought best. As to my pecuniary demands upon Conference, I have none:
Father Asbury has insisted on bearing these himself. My expenses he has borne hitherto; and he
has paid my quarterage for the first three quarters
-the other le will pay when due.
Your affectionate, though younger and unworthy,
brother in the gospel,            J. W. BOND.
At Brother Matthew Myrick's,
Brunswick county, Va., March 4, 1816.
P. S. Not having had an opportunity of sending
my letter before now, I open it to inform you, that,
respecting the missions,* Father Asbury finds his
*Referring, we suppose, to the German population, to whom
Bishop Asbury wished missionaries should be sent.




BISHOP M KENDREE.           303
heart much set on them. He says he will hazard an
opinion, that you may find in the Schuylkill District
alone not less than one hundred vacant or broken
congregations, and that the ministers they have,
whether regular or irregular, he believes, are just
such as the devil would have them to be. The object, then, is sufficient to claim attention: the main
object is to get men.' He thinks Brothers Folks,
Fechbye, and Swarwalder, ought to volunteer; but
if we cannot get missionaries in the traveling connection, we must get them out of the local. The
work is important, the expense considerable: it will
not do to be taken up and put down lightly. The
printing of so many Hymn-boqks and Disciplines,
together with the support of so many missionaries,
will require a fund of four or five thousand dollars;
but this will be but like lending it to the missions,
for when societies are formed, they will pay it back.
In the meantime they must be supported at the
outset. He wishes the missionaries to make collections, and try to get a living where they labor —always accountable, as every traveling preacher is, to
his Presiding Elder and the Conference for what he
receives.  All the preachers he desires to exert
themselves to make collections for the missionaries;
and he thinks the mite-subscription, properly attended
to, will be competent to make up all missionary
deficiencies. He wants the Conference to say what
they shall be allowed for quarterage and board. He
suggests about $260 to the married, and $120 to the
unmarried men; and that they should have prompt
pay.




304           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Father Asbury thinks there are half a million
of Germans in our country-the poorest and richest
of any people among us; and. that thousands of
Africans among us enjoy the advantages of gospel
means in a much greater degree than they do.
J. W. BOND.
Here follows the last letter of Bishop Asbury, inclosed, as stated above, to Bishop McKendree. It
is suggestive as to the appointments in the Baltimore
and Philadelphia Conferences, and is in the abrupt
style of the senior Bishop:
MY IDEAR SON:-Were it proper and possible, I
should greatly rejoice to be near thee and the Conferences; but perhaps I should weary myself, as I
have done, and hinder more than help you.
1. If I may say any thing of the stations: does
Joseph Frye hold his zeal?  If so, there is no
man more fit to preside in the Monongahela District.
2. If we take up German missions, it must be
spiritedly. I wish we had four men who would offer
freely, and serve faithfully-married or single; our
Hymn-book translated; a thousand copies of Discipline, correct from the General Conference. If they
will not sell, give them away to the people. Send
a missionary to Schuylkill District, Susquehanna,
Carlisle, and Monongahela —Presiding Elders holding cash to pay the missionaries quarterly-the missionaries making collections, and being accountable
for these also to the Conferences.




BISHOP M KENDREEI.             305
I wish the change of Boehmra and IRoberts,* because of Henry's usefulness in German.
We have covered the three hundred dollars to
Virginia Conference. If either Baltimore or Philadelphia is deficient, one or two hundred, we are
ready.
Had I power to be present, the stewards would
have a correct account of all we have received at
Conferences and expended upon road expenses. In
1815 I asked thirty dollars-they sent forty.  The
incredible toil of Wesley Bond is only known to
me: I must reward him. His character is good;
he has attempted to moderate his sermons; preaches
to acceptance —generally beloved by the preachers
and people.
I have written to the General Conference: wish
you to see it.  I have written to Mr. Benson,t and
wish the General Conference to hear a copy of the
letter read.  In great love,         F. AsBURY.
At the close of the Baltimore Conference, Bishop
McKendree started for the Philadelphia Conference,
in company with his old friend, Rev. Nelson Reed;
but, after one day's journey, he was violently attacked with rheumatism.  The disease having apparently abated, after a week, he tried to proceed;
*Robert R. Roberts was then Presiding Elder of Schuylkill
District, and Henry Boehm of Chesapeake District. He suggests
a change of Districts between these men. The former was made
Bishop in about a month.
t This was in answer to a letter from the British Conference,
inviting him to visit England.




.306           LIFE AND TIMES OF
but the first day's travel brought on another attack,
and, finding it impossible to go forward, he submitted td necessity, and was, after awhile, taken to
the house of his old friend, Dr. Wilkins, of Baltimore. Here he stayed until the 2d of May, when
the General Conference began in Baltimore.
While Bishop McKendree was confined to his
bed, between Baltimore and Philadelphia, he received intelligence of the death of his venerated and
beloved colleague. After a partial recovery from
his attack near Charleston, South Carolina, Bishop
Asbury came by easy stages to Richmond, Virginia.
There (March 24th) he preached his last sermon.
On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, he traveled,
being very intent on getting to the General Conference. He got to the house of his old friend, Mr.
George Arnold, on Friday night, about twenty miles
south of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Rain prevented
his traveling on Saturday, and on Sunday he died.
It need scarcely be said that Bishop Asbury's
death was consistent with his life. "I die daily;
I live in God," had been his motto. On Saturday
afternoon, hearing his faithful and never-to-be-forgotten nurse, John Wesley Bond, talking with the
family about having preaching next day, he said,
"You need not be in haste."  This excited their
apprehensions, for they do not seem to have anticipated he would die then. Through the ensuing night he grew worse, but refused to have a
physician, saying the doctor could only pronounce
him dead. Being asked if he had any thing to
communicate, he replied, that having fully ex



BISHOP M'KENDREE.           307
pressed. his mind in relation to the Church, in his
address to the Bishop and the General Conference,
he had nothing more to add. About eleven o'clock
on Sabbath morning, he called on Brother Bond to
sing, pray, and expound the 21st chapter of Revelation, and appeared calm and devout during these
exercises. When he could no longer swallow nor
speak, seeing the distress of his friends, he looked
joyfully at Brother Bond and raised his hand.
When asked if he then felt the victory complete,
exerting all his remaining strength, he raised both
his hands, and in a few minutes died without a
struggle or a groan, as a weary child sinks to sleep
upon its mother's breast. He died on the 31st of
March, 1816.
Thus closed the earthly career of a man who had
spent fifty-five years in the ministry, ten in Great
Britain, and forty-five in America-thirty-two of
them as an itinerant Bishop; a man who had traveled, in the United States, more miles, preached
more sermons, endured more hardships, and had
borne heavier responsibilities than any other minister in America, before or since his time; a man of
astonishing sagacity, and whose life was "without
spot, blemish, or any such thing."  He was a wise,
good, and great man; and Methodism in America
is more indebted to him than to any other man.
Whether viewedas a man, a Christian, a preacher,
or a Bishop, in every respect he seems to have been
as nearly perfect as frail humanity can well be on
earth. But we are not writing his biography, and
his life is his eulogy.




308               LIFE AND TIMES OF
What Moses was to the Church in the wilderness,
as its leader and counselor, Asbury was to American  Methodism.   In  meekness  he  declined  the
honors of the Episcopacy, tendered him by Mr.
Wesley, until urged to it by the unanimous voice
of his brethren.  God endued him  with wisdom  to
organize and rule the infant Church-for nearly
forty years he was its unquestioned earthly head.
But, unlike Moses, he lived to lead the tribes of
our Israel out of the wilderness, and to see them
settled in peace and prosperity over a vast continent. The Jews had but one Moses, and American Methodism but one Asbury. Surely "a prince
and a great man in Israel" died when he passed
away.*
* The description of Bishop Asbury's person, as he appeared in
the first Conference held in New England, in 1792, and the delineation of his character, by Dr. Stevens, in his "Memorials of
Methodism," are so beautiful and true that we cannot resist the
inclination to quote them:
"He was yet short of fifty years of age, and in the maturity of
his physical and intellectual strength. His person was. slight,
but vigorous and erect; his eye, stern but bright. His brow
began to show those wrinkles (the effects of extraordinary
cares and fatigues) which afterward formed so marked a
feature  of  his strongly  characteristic  face.  His countenance was expressive of decision, energy, sagacity, benignity, and was shaded at times by an aspect of deep anxiety,
if not depression. His attitude was dignified and graceful; his
voice, sonorous and commanding.  His parallel for practical
sense and practical energy can scarcely be found. As a ruler of
State or a commander of armies, he would have ranked among
the greatest men of history. We will venture the remark, in all
deliberation, that if ever an impartial ecclesiastical history of




BISHOP M'KENDREE.                  309
this nation be written, Francis Asbury, as well for his personal
character as for being the chief founder of its largest religious
organization, will occupy a position in it above the competition of
any other name whatsoever. During about fifty years, it is estimated that, besides innumerable public exhortations, he preached
upon an average about one sermon a day. He exceeded even
Wesley in his travels-averaging more than six thousand miles a
year. The extent of his journeys during his ministry of fortyfive years in the United States alone, was equal, upon an average,
to the circumference of the globe every four years-and this by
private conveyance, over the worst roads, in the infancy of the
nation. During the last thirty-two years of his life, he presided
in two hundred and thirty-four Annual Conferences, and ordained
about four thousand persons in the traveling or local ministry.' When he commenced his labors in this country, there were about
six hundred members: when he fell, it was victoriously at the
head of two hundred and twelve thousand."'




310           LIFE AND TIMES OF
CHAPTER XII.
Bishop Asbury's Valedictory-His Birth - Death-:-Burial-Remains removed to Baltimore.
THE following is the "Address to the Bishop,"
referred to in Bishop Asbury's dying words. As
Paul in prison addresses Timothy, so the senior
addresses his junior in this epistle. It is the result
of his mature reflection, after much study and long
observation. Some things, especially toward the
beginning, which refer merely to the mode of carrying out his plan, he might have modified, had he
foreseen the future; but as a whole, it needs neither
apology nor explanation. It was evidently designed for the press, and after having been most
carefully and in a most scholarly manner prepared,
was subscribed by his own hand.  It is given verbatim et literatimn.
A VALEDICTORY ADDRESS TO WILLIAM McKENDREE,
BISHOP OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. BY FRANCIS ASBURY.
[Advertisement.]
Speaking to the Genesee Annual Conference, in
your presence, on the subject of Apostolical, Missionary, Methodist Episcopal Church-government, I
was desired to commit my thoughts to writing. I




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            311
feel the more disposed to do this, that I may leave
a written testimony which may be seen, read, and
known when your friend and father is taken from
the evil to come.
SIR: —My advice is, that there may be only three
effective Bishops, as from the beginning, traveling
through the whole continent-each one' to preside
alternately in all the Annual Conferences; one to
preside during the sitting of the same Conference,
the other two to have charge of and plan the stations
and perform ordinations, assisted by the Elders in
both branches. The plan of stations should be subrmitted to the President of the Conferences, in triune order, to give a final decision before it is read
out. I wish to warn you against the growing evil
of locality in Bishops, Elders, preachers, or Conferences. Locality is essential to cities and towns,
but traveling is as essential to the country. Were
I to name cities, such as Jerusalem, Antioch, and
Rome, with all the great cities, both ancient and
modern, what havoc have these made in the
Churches! Alas for us! out of seven hundred traveling preachers, we have about one hundred located in towns, and cities, and small, rich circuits.
Guard particularly against two orders of preachers
-the one for the country, the other for the cities:
the latter generally settle themselves to purchase
ministers, and too often men of gifts and learning intend to set themselves to sale.
I am bold to say that the apostolic order of things
was lost in the first century, when Church-govern



312            LIFE AN!D TIMES OF
menlts were adulterated and had much corruption
attached to them. At the'Reformation, the reformers only beat off a part of the rubbish, which put a
stop to the rapid increase of absurdities at that
time; but how have they increased since! Recollect the state of the different Churches, as it respects government and discipline, in the seventeenth century; when the Lord raised up that great
and good, man, John Wesley, who formed an evangelical society in England. In 1784, an apostolical
form  of Church-government was formed in the
United States of America, at the first General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held at
Baltimore, in the State of Maryland.
You know, my brother, that the present ministerial cant is, that we cannot now, as in former
apostolical days, have such doctrines, such discipline, such convictions, such conversions, such witnesses of sanctification, and such holy tnen. But I
say that we can; I say we must; yea, I say we
have. And can men claim the rights and privileges
of apostles, if they are impostors and not true ministers of the holy sanctuary? Instead of going to
preach, they stay to preach.  Hence it is that
schools, colleges, and universities undertake to
make men ministers that the Lord Jesus Christ
never commanded to be made. The present Episcopal Churches are greatly independent of each
other. All the numerous orders of Presbyterians,
Independents, and Baptists, are also local. If we
wish to see pure and unadulterated Church-history,
let us go to the Acts of the Apostles, and mark the




BISHOP M' KENDREE.         31
characters of those ministers in the time of persecution - such as Paul, Timothy, Titus, Tychicus,
Archippus, Trophimus, Artemas, Luke, Epaphroditus, etc.-men who did honor to themselves as
niinisters of Christ. But there are too many the
opposite of these, whom we can view in no other
light, at present, than as men going into the ministry by their learning-sent by their parents, or
moved by pride, the love of ease, money, or honor.
Are not such moved by Satan, more -than by the
Holy Ghost, to assume the sacred office of the holy.
ministry?  Mark well what a situation the apostles
were in. If unfaithful in the discharge of their
duty, God would condemn and punish theml the
most severely.  On the other hand, the people
were ready to starve, stone, or beat them to death.
Modern priests will please the people, that they
may not be starved or beaten; but will not God
condemn such teachers to everlasting destruction?
We lay no claim to the Latin, Greek, English, Lutheran, Swedish, or Protestant Episcopal Churchorder. It will be seen that we are so unlike them
that we could not stand as related to them. Would
their Bishops ride five or six thousand miles in
nine months, for eighty dollars a year, with their
traveling expense, less or more-preach daily,
when opportunity serves, meet a number of campmeetings in the year, make arrangements for stationing seven hundred preachers, ordain a hundred
more annually, ride through all kinds of weather,
and along roads in the worst state, at our time of life
-the one sixty-nine, the other in his fifty-sixth year?
VOL.. —14.




314           LIFE AND TIMES OF
When the Methodist preachers came first to this
country, one-half of the continent was overspread
with different names and orders of Presbyterians,
Independents, Baptists, English, French, German,
Holland, Scotch, and Irish, with many Quakers.
In the Southern part were Episcopalians. They
had but few churches, and no Bishops. At this
time the Methodists were, among others, not organized, and had not the ordinances among us.
As some in pleasantry said, "We were a Church,
and no Church."  In some places, we communed
with the Episcopalians. In 1779, some of our
brethren in Virginia attempted to organize themselves into a Church; but in 1780, the writer of this
address visited them, when they agreed to suspend
their administration, and with united voice call
upon Mr. Wesley to make some provision for them.
Accordingly, in 1784, our faithful father, Mr. Wesley, ordained Thomas Coke Bishop, or General Superintendent; and Francis Asbury was elected by
the General Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland, December, 1784, General Superintendent —
was first ordained Deacon and Elder; on the 27th
day of December, Bishop, or General Superintendent; Richard Whatcoat in May, 1800; and William
McKendree in May, 1808. Dr. Coke was ordained
Deacon and Elder by two scriptural English
Bishops, and so was John Wesley. Do any ancient
or modern Churches stand on any better ground
than we do with respect to ordination, with John
Wesley's apostolic right? Probably Paul was ordained with Barnabas. Acts xiii. 1-3.




BISHOP MI' ENDREE.          315
Should any ask why we did not seek ordination
from other Churches, we answer them by asking
if we should go to local men to be ordained traveling Bishops. Should we go to Presbyterians to be
ordained Episcopal Methodists? or to Episcopalians,
who at that time had no Bishop, or power of ordination, in the United States, till application was
made to the British Parliament, and that legislative body passed a law for the express purpose,
authorizing their Bishops to consecrate and ordain
Bishops for the thirteen States-of America, in 1785?
Here let'it be observed, that the Methodist was the.
first Church organized after the establishment of
peace in 1783, and that the Protestant Episcopalians
were not organized as a Church until after there
was a law passed by the British Parliament. Or
could we subscribe to Calvinian articles? Surely,
no. Or could we submit to locality?  By no means.
Let local men ordain local men, baptize or rebaptize local men: we must shape our course otherwise, and prepare to meet the different Annual
Conferences from Maine to Georgia and the Mississippi, and to retain all the ancient essential
branches of Methodism, in all its parts; and try
sacredly to maintain our traveling plan, and support a true missionary, apostolic Church. And suppose this excellent constitution and order of things
should be broken, what shall the present or future
Bishops do? Let them do as your noble countryman* did-resign and retire into private life.
* General Washington.




816           LIFE AND TIMES OF
It is a serious thing for a Bishop to be stripped
of any constitutional rights chartered to him  at
his ordination, without which he could not, and
would not, have entered into that sacred office —he
being conscious at the same time he had never
violated those sacred rights. Comparing human
Church-history with the Acts of the Apostles, it
will manifestly appear that the apostolic order of
things ended in about fifty years. With the preachers and people of that- day, the golden order was
lost. But we must restore and retain primitive
order: we must, we will, have the same doctrine,
the same spirituality, the same power in ordinances,
in ordination, and in spirit.
Joseph Pilmoor had been but a short time on his
mission to this country before he saw that it would
not be proper for the Methodists to continue an
Episcopal Society. He was for forming an independent Church of England.  Mr. Wesley was
called for near twelve or thirteen years, repeatedly,
to do something for his people in America. Dr.
Whitehead reproached Mr. Wesley, in writing his
Life, for ordaining preachers in America, unless he
had the voice of preachers and people in America;
yet, if my memory serves me right, the Doctor
grants Mr. Wesley's right so to do, if he had had
their voice; and this he most assuredly had, and it
had been communicated to him by word and letter;
or why did every heart leap with joy, and the members of Society and the congregations in America
embrace our Church-form and order, and by thousands giving up themselves to the ordinances, and




BISHOP M KENDREE.           817
presenting their children for baptism, for nearly
thirty years last past?
You have often heard me say that Church-governments changed with. the Church into strange,
incredible forms-as monarchy, aristocracy, democracy, and legal establishments; when scholars, lawyers, doctors, and peers became bishops, and bishops
became kings, temporal princes and peers, and presbyters became assemblymen and senators: in this
country they become chaplains to Congress; yea,
members of Congress! It will come to this conclusion, that ours is the apostolic plan. But say
you, Are all apostles? Are all that we have ordained holy men? They might have been. Were
Judas, Simon Magus, and Demas faithful unto
death?  Ministers may fall from grace and office;
and no wonder if we, in ordaining four thousand
local, and nearly two thousand traveling, preachers,
should find some to turn out apostates.
Thus I have traced regular order and succession
in John Wesley, Thomas Coke, Francis Asbury,
Richard Whatcoat, and William McKendree. Let
any other Church trace its succession as direct and
as pure, if they can. Does any one doubt the experience, piety, or labors of these men, so long tried,
known, and read of all men, both friends and enemies, for so many years?
William  P. Otterbein, of Baltimore, a regular
Presbyterian-the German apostle to Americawhose piety, labors, and learning were great: this
man of God assisted T. Coke, R. Whatcoat, and T.
Vasey inr the ordination of Francis Asbury. You




818           LIFE AND TIMES OF
will say, If our Church were as pure as the primitive Church, will it not, may it not, like other
modern, decline? I answer, We live in a purer age,
and in a free country. If discipline be maintained,
men that carry sand instead of salt for the sheep
will be constrained soon to leave us, to join some
more honorable, but perhaps fallen, Church, where
they can have more ease and greater emoluments.
We have lived to see the end of such persons who
left us and set up for themselves-witness Hammet
and O'Kelly.
Thomas Haweis, a moderate Episcopalian —fifty
years a beneficed minister-is one of the most impartial historians on the subject of Episcopacy. I
shall close this address with several quotations from
his work, wherein you will see that he, without
knowledge or design, has given the order of Episcopal Methodism  the plume of honor above all
others:
"From the morning spread upon the mountains
to the meridian splendor of the Sun of righteousness, I wish to trace the progress of his gospel
amidst the storms of persecution, till his glory shall
be finally revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Contemptuous infidelity, proud philosophy, bigoted
superstition, atheistical immorality, heretical and
schismatical pravity, may unite their powers against
the child Jesus and his everlasting gospel, but the
gates of hell shall never prevail. His persecuted
Church shall rise. I have continued to prefer an
Episcopal mode of Church-government, unless I




BISHOP M KENDREE.           319
can find a better. I am satisfied that the Methodist
mode of Episcopal government is more apostolic
than the Church of England ever was, will, or can
be, without a radical reformation from its essen..
tial form of locality, written sermons and prayers,
State laws, and human policy." (Vol. I., p. 12, of
his Introduction.)
"When I speak of Episcopacy as most correspondent in my poor idea to the apostolic practice
and general usage of the Church in the first and
generally esteemed purer ages, let no man imagine
I plead for that Episcopacy which, rising very early
on the stilts of practical pride and worldly-mnndedness, has since overspread the earth with its baneful
shadow; or suppose those to be the true successors
of the apostles, who, grasping at power and preeminence over Churches which their labors never.
planted nor watered-claiming dominion over districts, provinces, and kingdoms beyond all power
of individual superintendency." (P. 14.)
Here, Bishop, mark-" planted or watered." We
have planted and watered: although our continent
is three thousand miles in length, we have measured it year after year-embracing fifty-one or two
districts, about six hundred circuits, and nine Annual
Conferences, all which, with very few exceptions,
we have visited. Then, according to our author,
we are apostolic bishops; for we have both planted
and watered, and do water still. As to temporal
power, what have we to do with that in this country? We are not senators, congressmen, nor chaplains; neither do we hold any civil offices.  We




320            LIFE AND TIMES OF
neither have, nor wish to have, any thing to do with
the government of the States, nor, as I conceive, do
the States fear us. Our kingdom  is not of this
world.  For near half a century we have never
grasped at power.
"All united in one Church-fellowship, [so the
Methodists,] under the superintendency of apostolic men at first, and on their decease, the most
distinguished for zeal, wisdom, sufferings, influence,
or respectability of any kind, was called by the suffrage of the elders and people to be their superintendent, president, prceses; hegoumenos, a leader; and
thus tfie name of bishop, (kat' exochen,) on account
of preenminence, became very early appropriate to
one who was primus inter pares; and, as Archbishop
Usher says, differed only in degree of advancement,
and not in order. These were, I apprehend, always from the apostolic days, raised to their station
by the voice of the people and their fellows. They
presided in the deliberations of their several
Churches, with the presbyters, their assessors.
They were deputed to all synods which treated of
ecclesiastical matters; and whilst every congregation judged its own members, they received the
accusations against elders who were charged with
offenses, and censured or removed them.  They
examined the chosen candidates for the ministry,
and with the presbyter, ordained them by imposition of hands. This dangerous eminence marked
them as peculiar victims in days of persecution.
Far, therefore, from being an enviable or desirable
situation, no man dare to aspire after or occupy it,




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          821
but such as counted their lives not dear unto themselves, that they'might finish their course with
joy, and the ministry which they had received from
the Lord to fulfill it,' whether as confessors or
martyrs." (P. 16.)
"The sudden ability of illiterate men of so great
a number in a moment, and with perfection to
speak in all languages-to express themselves with
such propriety and force as not only to be clearly
understood, but impressive on the consciences of
the numerous foreigners then at Jerusalem  from.
every nation under heaven —such a phenomenon
could not but strike the hearers with astonishment,
and afford an evidence of divine agency too incontestible to admit of a rational doubt." (P. 28.)
Now, Bishop McKendree, I will make this remark, that to take this transaction of the Divine
Spirit prophetically, it saith to every minister, "Go
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature;" and that in all ages to come, unlettered
men should be raised up to preach the gospel with
the power of the Holy Ghost sent down from
heaven. One may say, This man speaks well! —ah,
he is a college-taught man! Again it may be said,
This man speaks well: he is a scholar!l But you
are mistaken. He has only a common education
-a plowman, a tailor, a carpenter, or a shoemaker!'
Then he must be taught of God, if he is not taught
of man.  Then we may rationally conclude that
learning is not an essential qualification to preach
the gospel. It may be said, no man but a fool will
speak against learning. I have not spoken against
14*




822           LIFE AND TIMES OF
learning. I have only said that it cannot be said to
be an essential qualification to preach the gospel.
It was once reported that two impostors (Roman
priests) came to England, entered themselves as
porters or draymen, but said they had received the
gift of tongues, and were called to preach. But
Dr. Doddridge, being in the city, was requested to
examine them, and found they were scholars; but
when he examined them in Welsh, the cheat was
found out. And too often the learned priests deceive the people by their learning, or professing so
to be; because the first preachers were blest with
the gift of tongues immediately from heaven: so
that a man must spend four or seven years in learning languages before he is permitted to preach the
gospel. And who is to decide the question?
Their practice and that of our Lord does not
strictly agree.
But to our author.  " The Church at Jerusalem
seems to have been under the presidency of the
Apostle James. The great luminary was now
rising to carry the light of the everlasting gospel
into the heathen nations, and to display a scene of
labors and successes unequaled in the records of
the Christian Church. The greater part of the
Acts contain the account of his (Paul's) life and
labors, recorded by his faithful attendant and colmpanion in the work, Luke the Evangelist. Paul
stands allowedly in the first ranks of eminence-in
nothing behind the very chief of the apostleswhilst the generality of the others were out of the
lowest orders of society, (agrammatoi kai tdiotai,)-un



BISHOP M KENDREE.           323
lettered or private, and laymen-(Acts iv. 13;) men
of no literary acquirements. Paul seems to have
been born in the superior ranks of life." (Pp. 30,
31, 33.)
Thus not many wise nor rich men of the earth,
in the past as well as the present age, have obeyed
the call of the gospel.
"He (Paul) flew as with the wings of a seraph
over the habitable globe; and the vastness of his
success corresponded with the rapidity of his movements, and the indefatigable labors of his ministry.
From Damascus to Arabia, Judea, Syria, Asia
Minor, Greece, and round about Illyricum, he had
fully preached the gospel of Christ.  Returning
with the same unwearied diligence to visit all the
Churches his ministry, had planted, he received a
divine intimation that he must shortly visit Italy
also. And he extended his views into Spain. An
eye (geographical) cast over this immense tract of
country will fill us with astonishment, how one
man's labor could fill so extensive a sphere, and
demonstrates how much may be done when the
Spirit of Jesus animates, and the benedictions of
the Holy Ghost accompanies the word with power
and much assurance. There is one particular I
may not forget, and which we Gentiles are bound
to acknowledge with peculiar thankfulness-that
he is our apostle. A ministry of more than thirty
years was terminated, it is probable, by martyrdom."  (Pp. 36, 37.)
"I regard Paul as the first of human beings, to
whom more are indebted for salvation, under the




324            LIFE AND TIMES OF
great Head of the Church, than to any other
creature. If his labors and preaching, as recorded,
be taken into the account; if we consider his
Epistles to the several Churches-the inestimably
blessed effects of which must be felt and acknowledged in all Churches to the end of time."
(P. 38.)
"It seems to have been a matter decided by the
Church, respecting the two itinerant apostles, that
Paul should go to the Gentiles, and Peter to the
circumcision. I suppose there was great wisdom
herein displayed." (P. 40.)
"A multitude of worthies have their names recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, whose itinerant
labors, with those of Paul, had the most powerful
tendency to spread the Christian faith." (P. 47.)
"'A Church without evidence of the influence and
experience of the operation of the Holy Ghost hath
but a name to live, and is dead; and whatever may
be its forms, or however sound its Confession of
Faith, it hath no more title to be reckoned a Christian Church than a statue or corpse to be esteemed
a living man. The form in which the Church appeared in the best-the primitive age, under the immediate inspection of the apostles and disciples of
the Lord-deserves our consideration. And here,
drawing around me the sacred circle, I wish to confine myself to the words of the Holy Ghost, without- any regard to the traditions of men. And I
shall begin at'Jerusalem. This was the fruitful
womb from whence issued the noble army of martyrs, confessors, and evangelists, who, holding up




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          825
the word of light, diffused the blessings of the glory
of God the Saviour to the ends of the earth.. These
were the fruits of our Lord's ministry during his,
labors in Judea and the adjacent countries. They
consisted  of twelve  men, first chosen, called
apostles, or persons sent. To these were added
seventy others, who were sent out to preach and
teach. They were all endowed with miraculous
powers; and on their return from their itinerancy
through the nation, reported, with triumph, the
wonders they had wrought. About five hundred
brethren were summoned to behold our Lord's ascension into heaven." (P. 52.)
" Three thousand believed on the first day (Pentecost), and myriads followed them. The immensity
of this number affords us two views of their Churchorder: First, as necessarily distributed into various
congregations, no one place being capable of containing such myriads, nor any one bishop or elder
sufficient to administer the ordinances among them.
We accordingly find them  breaking bread from
house to house; (Acts ii. 46;) preaching and teaching in every house, (Acts v. 42,) which seems to
describe the Church at Jerusalem. Second, these
several house-churches formed one united Churchbody under the presidency of James, and not Peter.
(Acts xv. 13.) He was at the head of the first
council. To him Paul addressed himself, (Acts xxi.
18,) when all the elders or presbyters being assembled by him, he reported to, them the happy
success of his ministry among the Gentiles. The
necessity of a president where so great a number




326            LIFE AND TIMES OF
of elders resided, and so many congregations were
formed, seems as natural for the preservation of
order as it appears actually the case in this mother
of all the Churches." (Pp. 54, 55.)
"The care of the poor widows led to the institution of the order of deacons. This originated in a
complaint of real or supposed partiality in the distribution of the alms of the faithful to the native
Jewish widows, in preference to the Hellenists.
(Acts vi. 1.) The apostles themselves being too
much engaged to attend to these temporal concerns,
recommended it to the Church to elect seven persons for the discharge of this office. These were
accordingly chosen by general suffrage, not for
each separate congregation, but for the whole body,
and were set apart by the apostles, after solemn
prayer and imposition of hands, to this service.
Though the care of the widows was immediately
intrusted to them, it prevented them not from being
employed in other labors of love. Philip was an
evangelist, and Stephen a like zealous advocate of
Christ and his cause. In consequence of his boldness in the synagogue of the Libertines, the blood
of this first martyr was shed by the fury of his
enemies; and a great and general persecution following, all the principal disciples were dispersed
except the apostles, who remained at Jerusalem.
(-Acts viii. 1.) These flying in different directions,
everywhere preached the gospel, and with great
success through Judea, Galilee, and Samaria; and
some as far as Antioch, Damascus, Phenice, and
Cypress. They were village-preachers, highway



BISHOP M' KENDREE.          827
preachers, and were not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ. Paul, (Acts xxiv. 23,) in revisiting the
Churches which had been planted principally by
himself, edifies, comforts, and establishes them by
ordaining elders in every Church with prayers and
fasting." (P. 56.)
"Returning through Pisidia and Attalia, they arrived happily at Antioch, communicating the glad
tidings of their success, and of the Gentile Churches
which they had planted. I can only observe here,
that I find in all these widely-dispersed and numerous congregations, no mention made of any appointment but that of presbyters, all cemented in one
bond of union under the supervisal of the great
itinerant evangelists." (P. 62.)
And so it should have continued, and would have
continued, if there had been a succession of a faithful seed of holy men to follow apostolic order, but
as early as the second century they must have their
local bishops, or local apostles.
" Though James was not superior to Peter or the
other apostles at Jerusalem, [he may mean he was
not superior as to age, gifts, or standing; but certainly he was superior, inasmuch as he had never so
publicly denied his Lord,] he had been evidently
appointed to fill the place of president, or primus
inter pares. Yet, neither he nor any of his apostolic
associates assumed to themselves authority to decide
but by the suffrage of the whole body of the
Church.under immediate divine direction." (P. 63.)
Our Annual, or more particularly, our General
Conference, resembles this grand Council at Jera



328           LIFE AND, TIMES OF
salem, where James presided, and all the other
apostles, elders, and brethren solemnly discussed the
cause or causes before them, and James pronounced
sentence according to the unanimous suffrage of
the assembly; and the definitive decree was in favor
of Gentile liberty.
Paul and Barnabas separated for awhile; (Acts
xv. 39;) but probably God overruled this for good,
and perhaps the Churches were more profited by
their distinct labors than if they had traveled in
company.
Dr. Haweis continues: "It is evident that Timothy was still but a youth, (ch. iv. 14,) and whatever
office he sustained, or with whatever gifts he was
endued, he received them  by the laying on of
Paul's hands and of the presbytery. (1. Tim. iv.
14.) Did presbyters then ordain bishops, or were
the terms synonymous?"  Query -Had there not
been two distinct acts in his ordination?  Compare 1 Tim. iv. 14, and 2 Tim. i. 6, " The laying on
the hands of the presbytery." "Stir up the gift
of God, which is in thee, by the putting on of my
hands."  "That Timothy was left at Ephesus with
superintending authority, where there were many bishops, is evident. (1 Tim. i. 3.) He was enjoined
to encourage and honor those who presided over
the congregations well, and especially such as were
more actively laborious in preaching and catechising.
(Ver. 18.) Respecting hands, he was to lay hands
suddenly on no man; and, without partiality. or personal respect, he was to admit none into the ministry but after proper examination and conviction




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           829
of their call and qualifications. tie was also cautiously to receive. and weigh accusations against
elders who should give offense, and pronounce the
sentence due to their unfaithfulness-acts strongly
marking superior jurisdiction; and I hence infer
that particular Churches neither ordained nor censured their own ministers, although they elected
and recommended; and, if faulty, accused them by
two or three witnesses before the great itinerant
evangelists." (P. 76.)
Mark well the similarity of apostolic order and
government and the Methodist Episcopal form of
things!
In the Second Epistle to Timothy, Paul appears
to have "returned again to the house of his prison
at Rome, and ready to be offered up on the altar
of martyrdomn. He had detached his faithful itinerant helpers to a variety of services: [although a
prisoner, yet clothed with the authority of Christ,
he appointed men of God their work:] Crescens,
to Galatia; Titus, to Dalmatia; while Timothy
himself had been left in Asia, from whence he was
shortly to proceed to Rome with Mark, who had
once departed from the work, but had now returned to the labors and dangers of itinerancy.
The principal subject of the Epistle is the dying
charge of the great apostle to his beloved son respecting his own teaching and conduct, and worthy
the attentive consideration of every bishop or pr-esbyter upon earth." (See p. 77.)
Paul's two favored sons, Timothy and Titus, were
his chief companions, and greatly employed in the




330            LIFE AND TIMES OF
regulation of the congregations which had been
raised by his labors.  The postscript of his first
Epistle calls Timothy the first Bishop of the Church
of the Ephesians; but there is no such title given
him by Paul, nor any intimation of his being at
Ephesus but as one of the great itinerant evangelists
— the companion of Paul, and deputed by him to
assist in bringing the congregations into a regular
order of worship and discipline.
"It nowhere appears that Titus was more the
Bishop of Crete than of Dalmatia, (2 Tim. iv. 10,)
or of Nicopolis, (Titus iii. 2,) nor had any fixed
residence or diocese —he being one of the great itinerant evangelists who went about preaching everywhere, in season, out of season. And therefore, as
soon as he had settled the Cretan Church in the
most edifying manner, he was ordered to come
and winter with Paul at Nicopolis, and Artemas or
Tychicus should be dispatched to fill his place in
the Cretan congregations.
"A general superiority in all the Churches which
they visited, appears to have been exercised by
these great evangelists, though none appears stationary in any one place. They ordained, censured,
regulated, were the cementing bond of union to
the different Churches, [so should the Methodist
Bishops be,] maintaining a unity of order and procedure through the whole. They all bore the name
of apostles, (2 Cor. viii. 23,) were everywhere received with reverence, and obeyed with filial affection. [" If any inquire of Titus, he is my partner and
fellow-helper concerning you; or our brethren be




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           331
inquired of, they are the messengers of the Churches
and the glory of Christ."] They assumed no domain over their faith, but were helpers of the joy
of the faithful wherever they went. The gifts,
abilities, and zeal which they displayed, with every
divine temper which adorns the Christian ministry,
could not but give them weight and procure them
influence, by whatever name they might be distinguished; and in every Christian Church, in the
very nature of things, such men must possess superiority, whatever be its constitution. Even where
the most absolute parity is established, to these
their fellows naturally give place. They are the
presidents in all associations; heard with respect,
commanding obedience; capable of swaying the
decisions of their brethren; consulted in all difficult cases, and placed foremost in the hour of
danger. To them  is intrusted the care of eleemosynary distributions for the benefit of the body
to which they belong; and, in private and public,
all concede to them the seal of honor." (P. 78.)
If the Elders that rule well are worthy of double
honor, then the Bishops that rule well must be
worthy of triple honor, especially when they do so
large a part of ruling, preaching, and presiding in
Conferences.
"In the primitive Church, [in speaking or writing,
it was common to consolidate the first Churches
into one, although they consisted of many societies
-so we say the Methodist Episcopal Church,] this
superiority was vested in the apostles and their companions-the great itinerant evangelists, Barnabas,




882           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Silas, Artemas, Tychicus, Trophimus, Titus, Timothy, and many others, chief men among the brethren."
(P. 79.)
Notwithstanding all these were great men in the
Church of God, yet, as we have seen, none of them
were writers.; The Epistle to Titus bears some resemblance to that to Timothy. Men placed in similar situations were called to act under the same
principles, and to employ the same means. If we
are willing, here we may see the propriety of our
Superintendency, Presiding  Elders, as in the
second part of the primitive Church —which order
was lost in the first, and not found again until the
seventeenth century, partially in Europe, but more
perfectly in America, in the organization and establishment of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
"I conclude, as soon as a little society was formed
of Christians, a room was opened for their assembling, and the most apt to teach appointed to minister to them in holy things. [Perhaps not unlike
a class-leader and local preacher in one.] He was a
man of gravity, generally of the more aged, approved by his fellows, and willing to devote himself
to their service. His appointment was signified by
prayer, and imposition of hands by the Apostle.
Paul or some of the itinerant evangelists, and the
presbytery; and without this I meet no ordination.
Every Church [that is, every society] exercised discipline over its own members, to admit, admonish,
or expel. Before these itinerating evangelists all
accusations against offending presbyters were
brought. [These evangelists seem not to have been




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           333
stationary, but to have gone about everywhere,~
chiefly under the direction of the Apostle Paul.]
"These evangelists were usually supported by
the Churches, [or societies,] but often, like Paul,
maintained themselves by their own labors. During
the first ages, the ministry was not appropriated to
gentlemen or scholars. No man was bred to it as
a profession, or went into it for a maintenance.
They were pastors of a different stamp. The stationary presbyters, or bishops, during the lives of
the apostle and his associate evangelists, were under their superintendency. But it will appear very
early in the second century, when the first race of
great itinerants departed, [or were slain for the testimony of Jesus,] that one among the ministers in
every place began to have the name of bishop (k}t'
eiochen) on account of preeminency, with presbyters, his coadjutors, acting with him as one body."
(Pp. 86, 87.)
This leads me to conclude that there were no
local Bishops until the second century —that the
apostles, in service, were Bishops, and that those
who were ordained in the second century mistook
their calling when they became local, and should
have followed those bright examples in the apostolic age. I am not under the difficulties that some
are, respecting the same men who were ordained
Elders being called sometimes Bishops: I am not
sure that what was written to Timothy and Titusthat they themselves must be blameless as Bishops, or
overseers —excluded them from being evangelists.
As to those at Ephesus who were Elders in office,




334           LIFE AND TIMES OF
they were in charge and duty overseers. In some
sense, among us, every leader of a class, every local
preacher, traveling preacher, and every officer in
the Church, may be called an overseer. Bishops,
presbyters, and deacons, seem to have been the
established form in all the Asiatic Churches, in the
second century.
"Hitherto not a man eminent for science or letters had appeared in the Church. All those whose
works have come down to us, bear a stamp of simplicity divested of human attainments. Yet by
these the gospel had been supported in its purity,
afforded a noble army of martyrs, and been spread
to the ends of the earth, from the Pillars of Hercules to the Parthians, from the savage nations of
tbhe North to the Indies and Abyssinia." (P. 146.)'Considering the time and regarding the persons
called to be saints, a learned ministry cannot be
supposed in the primitive Church. The presbyters have been, in general, men simple and unlettered, though full of faith and the Holy Ghostthe qualifications which then determined the suffrage of the several flocks. And after all the fine
things so elegantly written (by the heathen philosophers) about virtue and morals, their own conduct
afibrded a pregnant example of the impotence of
the doctrines which they taught; whilst the Christian bishops not only lived what they professed to
teach, but were every day ready to go to prison and
to death for the name of the Lord Jesus." (P. 126.)
No man counting his life dear who stood for Jesus,
"bold to seal the truth with blood."




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           335
"A learned and ingenious age prides itself on its
superiority in defense of revealed religion, and
apologizes for the Bible; but what hath (this mode)
of arguing proved? The plain story of a plain,
unlettered man, telling of the sufferings of Christ
and the glory which hath followed, with their consequences, hath done more in the way of conversion to real and vital Christianity than all these
great polemics put together. [The learned may
smile in Saul's armor, but give me the sling and
the stone, and the gigantic Goliath falls.] I see the
smile on the wise academician and the contemptuous infidel; but I am not ashamed of that gospel of
Christ which is the power of God unto salvation to
every one that believeth, nor of the sound though
unlearned teacher who, having diligently read his
Bible and been taught of God himself, is blessed
with their conversion."  (P. 148.)
O my son, by diligence, discipline, and faithfulness,
God hath made us a blessing to hundreds and thousands of those who have died within these last
thirty years!  Thus our work and reward have
gone before us, and more work and reward are given
to us daily. Let the Annual Conferences, the Quarterly-meeting Conferences-let the Presiding Elders,
Deacons, and Preachers, all feel their dignity, do
their duty, and especially guard against every danger and innovation. Alas for us, if ever our excellent constitution and order of things be changed or
corrupted!  (It is said that a good old Bishop
prayed that he might be taken away if Arius were
restored; but the heretic himself was taken away.)




8836           LIFE AND TIMES OF
I believe that those who would divide the body of
Christ will be "divided in Jacob and scattered in
Israel."  Thirty years' labor and experience have
taught us something.
Be diligent to see and know how the different charitable contributions are disposed of. Sign no journals of an Annual Conference till every thing is
recorded-every thing appears correctly and fairly.
Should there be at any time failures in any department, such as you cannot cure nor restore, appeal to
the General Conference.  Be rigidly strict in all
things. Examine well those who come as candidates for the ministry. It is ours to plead, protest, and  oppose designing men from  getting
into the ministry. It is the peculiar excellence
of our Church, and the Superintendents' glory and
stronghold, that the character of every minister
among us must undergo a strict examination once
a year. Put men into office in whom you can confide. If they betray your trust and confidence, let
them do it but once. Of all wickedness, spiritual
wickedness is the greatest; and of all deceptions,
religious deception is the worst. Beware of men
who have a constitutional cast to deception. Let
every office, grade, and station among us know his
place, keep his place, and do his duty; then you
need not fear for the ark of G(od. The Lord Jesus
will take care of and support his own cause.
If we have not men of great talents, we have
men of good hearts. Endeavor to obtain and preserve a noble independence of soul-the willing
servant of all, but the slave of none. Put full con



BISHOP M'KENDREE.           337
fidence in men who merit your confidence. Never
be afraid to trust young men: they are able, and
you will find enough willing, to endure the toils
and go through the greatest labors; neither are
they so likely to fail as old men are.
"The simplicity of gospel truth ill accords
with a farrago of rites and ceremonies. Nothing
could  be more unadorned than the primitive
worship. A plain man, chosen from  among his
fellows, in his common garb, stood up to speak,
or sat down to read the Scriptures, to as many
as chose to assemble in the house appointed.
A back-room, and that probably a mean one, or
a garret, to be out of the way of observation, was
their temple. Hymns sung to Christ, as their God,
appeared to the heathens a prominent and striking
feature of the Christian worship. The HIoly Scriptures were read in portions; and the presbyter, or
bishop, or two or three of the congregation who
were endued with talents, spoke a word of exhortation to the people agreeably to the scripture which
hand been read. Prayer from the heart, without a
prompter, followed, to which the people replied
with a loud and audible Amen.  He that led
the worship prayed from  his heart, and out of
its abundance.  I have no doubt the  Lord's
Prayer always made a part of their public services.  The Supper of the Lord closed the devotions of his day. I think it was as constant as
the return of that day, and every member of the
Churches as constantly a participant. A friendly
feast, or meal, called agajpe, from the love and union
voio,. i.- 15




338            LIFE AND TIMES OF
with which they kept it, served at once as an opportunity of ministering an act of charity to the
poor, where all distinctions of rich and poor were
laid aside, and no man took before others his own
supper; but all, with humble equality, acknowledged
themselves members of the living head-Christand of one another." (P. 150.)
" Then, also, I apprehend every man produced, according to his ability, weekly what he had laid by
for charitable purposes, which formed a fund of
oblations under the control of the Church, through
the ministration of the bishop, presbyter, and deacon, for all the various purposes of general good,
such as purchasing the elements for the Lord'ssupper; the provisions for the table of the ayapce;
for the necessaries for the poor; the support of
evangelists; the relief of the persecuted, and for
the welfare of such Churches and persons whose
indigence called for the help of their richer
brethren. As yet, I can perceive no part of this
fund appropriated to pay the salaries of any ministers of the sanctuary, unless he came under the
title of an itinerant evangelist; and being incapable of providing his own maintenance, and wholly
occupied in the gospel-work, was justlyuentitled, as
preaching the gospel, to live by the gospel. I very
much doubt if the bishop, or presbyter, and deacons
received any thing for their labors of love. I am
persuaded they thought their work their best
wages."
"Amidst the flames of persecution kindled with,
and the corruptions and errors broached within, the




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          339
Church continued to raise her sacred head, encircled
with glory, and to enlarge her borders farther and
wider. After the departure of the great itinerant
evangelists to their rest in glory, and on the increasing extent of the Christian Church in every
place, the desirableness of a stationary president
seems to have introduced a change in the government of several evangelical cities and Churches.
The very learned Chancellor King endeavors to
prove that in the largest cities there was but one
Church and one Bishop. I have already given my
reasons for differing from him, and for supposing
the necessity of many house-congregations where
the body of Christian professors was so great; and
as they sought to avoid observation, and to attract,
as little as possible, the attention of the rulers, they
would not, assuredly, in such immense multitudes,
have assembled in one place. That about the
beginning of the second century a bishop appears at the head of a presbytery, can hardly be
doubted, and the name became appropriate to one,
which before all the presbyters had equally borne.
Being now no longer under the superintending care
of the great apostolic evangelists, who went about
everywhere to establish, to preserve the unity of the
Church, and be the cementing bond of the whole
body, the several presbyters and Churches seem to
have chosen one of their own body to supply the
precedence these had before exercised. Whether
the largest cities, as King argues, formed only one
congregation, with many presbyters, or rather, as I
think, consisted of many congregations, with pres



340            LIFE AND TIMES OF
byters in each of them, the whole seems now to
have formed one body under a superintendent (or
episcopus, overseer) chosen by themselves. Every
Church exercised discipline over its own members,
in which the whole assemblage of the faithful gave
their suffrage. Their reverence for their pastors
was great; but clerical dominion had, as yet, found
no place." (P. 126.)
We have a few more thoughts to add. It is my
confirmed opinion that the apostles acted both as
bishops and traveling superintendents in planting
and watering, ruling and ordering the whole Connection; and that they did not ordain any local
bishops, but that they ordained local deacons
and elders. I feel satisfied we should do the
same.  I found my opinion on Acts xiv. 23:
"And when they had ordained them elders in every
Church, and had fasted and prayed with them, they commended them to the Lord."  Titus i. 5: "For this
cause left I thee in Crete, that thou should set in
order things that are wanting, and ordain elders in
every city, as I have appointed thee." That is, do
what Paul has left undone. Mark! it was in the
second visit that Paul and Barnabas established
order: and why was Timothy or Titus sent if elders
could ordain elders? And why had the apostles to
go or send, if it was not held as the divine right of
the apostles to ordain? I shall not unchristian any,Church or Churches that have the truth of the
gospel and the power of God among them, as I
have already said.
The Presbyterian Churches, at the first, should




BISHOP M' KENDREE.'341
have established a moderate Episcopacy and apostolic
form from whence they came-one from the high
steeples of the Church of Rome, and the other from
the high steeples of the Church of England. An
elective, easy government, and a traveling and local
ministry, with a judicious discipline, would have
been better than steeples, bells, schools, colleges,
and universities, to make men ministers whom the
Lord never called. The ninth century appears to
have been the time of midnight darkness. The
light of the Reformation began to dawn in the
eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Reformers
were great men; but such was the state of affairs,
that no doubt there was yet miuch darkness mingled
with the light; hence, it might be said, "All heads,
and no heads."- And I should be more afraid of a
many-headed monster than of a single-headed one.
You know that for four years past I have, with
pleasure, resigned to you the presidency of the
nine Annual Conferences. This has removed a
great burden of care from me, and given me much
ease. You have my letters addressed to you on the
subject. It may be objected by some that our form
of Church-government partakes too much of the
government of the nation. It does not partake of
its nature; but there are some similitudes of form,
but not of nature.  The one is civil, the other
spiritual, and entirely disunited. Our government
being spiritual, one election to office is sufficient
during life, unless in cases of debility, a voluntary
resignation of the office, corruption in principle,
or immorality in practice.




342           LIFE AND TIMES OF
The great diversity of gifts, both among our traveling and local ministry, are happily diffused abroad
by our mode of circulation, to the benefit of hundreds and thousands. Many of our local ministers
are men of approved abilities, with grace and gifts
worthy to fill any pulpit. Many of them travel
hundreds of miles in the year; are gladly received,
and readily employed to preach by their traveling
brethren, and feel themselves at perfect ease, and
completely at home on the different circuits and at
camp-meetings where they visit, having no fear they
will be considered as intruders.
Farther, it may be asked, Is it proper to have no
learned men among us?  Answer-Men who are
well-read I call learned men; and we have men of
learning among us, both traveling and local. Where
are our young men who are bred to the law? and
some are doctors; and many others who are very
studious and making great progress in Latin and
Greek; and many have competent knowledge of
the English language.  Particularly, see in the
British Connection such men as Doctors Cokle and
Clarke; a Benson, Creighton, and others. And in
many instances, men who profess the least know the
most.
A venerable German divine once wrote in Latin
to the English doctors; but he had to complain
that they answered him in English. But you may
say, Would we not derive great advantages from
reading the Scriptures in their original tongues, and
judging of the correctness of the translations?
Undoubtedly; but these advantages are in the




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          343
margins of the best editions of the Bible. As to
our translation, it is, perhaps, one of the best and
most correct upon earth.  To attain to a proper
knowledge of the etymology of all the words used,
even in the Septuagint, I know not how many
languages you must know besides the Latin, Greek,
and Hebrew. If you suggest any thing more, I will
maturely consider it.
My dear Bishop! it is the traveling apostolic
order and ministry that is found in our very consti.tution. No man among us can locate without order, or forfeit his official standing. No preacher is
stationary more than two years; no Presiding Elder
more than four years; and the constitution will remove them; and all are movable at the pleasure of
the Superintendent whenever he may find it necessary for the good of the cause. It is the privilege
of every traveling minister with us to say, "I am not
obliged to serve you another year; I will speak to
the Superintendent, who will not impose me on
you a second year." We must conclude that all the
ancient, imperial, Latin, and Greek Churches were
Episcopal from their foundation to this very day,
though in a crooked, muddy succession; perhaps
all corrupted in ordinances, and many of them in
doctrines; and, in too many instances, the vilest of
men have filled the most sacred offices in the
Church. The Reformed English, Scotch, Danish,
Swede, Episcopal Church, have all corrupted their
ways before the Lord. Let Presbyterians say and
write what they may, as if Episcopacy never existed, it must be granted that in the first, second,




344            LIFE AND TIMES OF
and third centuries many of the Bishops were holy
men, who traveled and labored in the ministry very
extensively, not unlike their grand pattern, St.
Paul, and the other holy apostolical men,- of which
we have good historical evidence-which is all the
evidence that can now be given. To the people of
our day we give ocular demonstration; and the
generations to come may read our Church-records
and Conference-journals, where they shall see what
vast tracts of country we traveled over in visiting
the nine Conferences annually. As to the doctrines
of the Reformation, we have said, in a second reformation they were the real gospel. They have been
well introduced, and complete forms of Churchgovernment established. Presbyterians and Independents were all formed about the sixteenth century.
Finally, farewell in the Lord!
Yours,          FRANCIs ASBURY.
Lancaster county, State of Pennsylvania, Aug. 5, 1813.
This "Valedictory" needs.no explanation nor
apology, and is a properfinale to the life of its great
and good author.
His remains were interred in the family graveyard of Mr. Arnold, at whose house he died; but.
at the request of the citizens of Baltimore, and by
order of the ensuing General Conference, they were
disinterred, removed to that city, and deposited in
a vault under the pulpit of the Eutaw Street Church,
Baltimore. Very properly his honored remains,
with those of Bishops Emory and Waugh, have




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           345
been transferred to the beautiful Mount Olivet
Cemetery, near the city.
Bishop Asbury was born in England, Aug. 20,
1745; entered the ministry at the age of seventeen;
came a missionary to America in 1771; was ordained Bishop, Dec. 27, 1784; and died March 31,
1816. He was the apostle of Methodism to America, and a true scriptural itinerant Bishop.  Two
millions of Methodists in America at the present
revere his memory, and thousands of millions in
ages to come will gratefully claim him as their spiritual ancestor, and the great benefactor of our
country and our race. May his successors in the
ministry and the Episcopacy imitate his purity;
zeal, and fidelity; and the whole American family,
however they may differ in other and less important
respects, approve themselves as his spiritual children by maintaining the doctrines and discipline
which he labored to establish, and imitate the experimental and practical holiness he professed and
exemplified!
15*




846                LIFE AND TIMES OF
CHAPTER XIII.
General Conference of 1816 — Bishop McKendree's address —
George and Roberts elected Bishops-Sketches of them-Bishop
McKendree's Journal-The work divided-New York and Kentucky Conferences-Bishop McKendree organizes the Missouri
Conference-Bishop Roberts organizes the Mississippi Conference —McKendree and George at South Carolina ConferenceChanges made by General Conference —From  Middlebury to
Tennessee-Norton rejoins him-To Mississippi Conference
on horseback-McMahon and wife with him-Mississippi Conference at Midway, 1817-To South Carolina ConferenceGriffin with him-Difficulties of traveling-Crossing the Chattahooche —General Gaines —Indian murders-In  SpartaMyers-Conference in Augusta, Georgia —Roberts arrives —
They go to Virginia Conference in Norfolk-Dr. PhcebusTravels alone, and leads a pack-horse-In Tennessee-Visits
South-west extensively-Ohio Conference of 1818-MissouriTroubles at Tennessee Conference-Writer's first acquaintance
with him-Starts to Mississippi Conference with Seaton and
Edge-The shock-Very much affected-Mississippi Conference
-Back to Tennessee-Bishop Roberts's letters-Notes on
preachers' qualifications-Dr. Emory-Letters between them-'
Their subsequent intercourse.
THE second delegated General Conference met in
Baltimore, May 1, 1816. Out of one hundred and
fifteen preachers elected by the nine Annual Conferences, one hundred and six took their seats in
this body. The recent death of the senior Bishop,




BISHOP M'ENDREE.           347
so long their revered and faithful leader, cast a
gloom over the Conference as well as over the whole
Church. Among their first acts was to make arrangements to remove his remains to the city of
Baltimore, and to read his Valedictory Address.
The address is stated by Dr. Bangs to have been
incomplete, being merely the heads of what he
would have said more fully if his health had permitted, and was directed to the Conference, and
must not be confounded with that to Bishop
McIlendree contained in the last chapter. In a few
days, a vast concourse of the citizens of the city,
with clergymen of other denominations, and the
mnembers of the General Conference, preceded by
Bishop McKendree, followed the corpse of Bishop
Asbury from  Light Street to the Eutaw  Street
Church, where, after a funeral-oration by Bishop
MclKendree, it was deposited as already related.
The death of Dr. Coke in 1814, and the loss of
Bishop Asbury, had left the Church with only one
surviving Bishop, and he was then in a feeble state
of health, and suffering from severe pain as well as
general debility. Bishop McIKendree was, however,
able to preside in the organization of the body, and
before it proceeded to its regular business, delivered
an address " on the general state of the work, and
the necessity of adding strength to the Episcopacy."
This address, of which Dr. Bangs says he could not
find a copy, was as follows:
Baltimore, May 1, 1816.
To the General Conference:
]DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN:-We believe God's




348             LIFE AND TIMES OF
design in raising up the preachers called Methodists
in America, was to reform the continent by spreading scriptural holiness over these lands. The end
is not fully accomplished; therefore our mission is
not out. But there is no reason to apprehend,that
the plan and means which have been adopted and
so successfully pursued heretofore, are not fully
calculated to accomplish the desired object. But,
alas, our success of late falls far short of what we
have had in former days! According to the divine
plan, the prosperity of the Church depends very
much upon the spirit and conduct of the ministry.
It is therefore proper at all times for the General
Conference to pay particular attention to the state
of the ministry and their charge, to remove hinderances, and supply necessary means. To this end
it may not be amiss for your Superintendents to
suggest for your consideration subjects which appear to them closely connected with your peace and
prosperity.
It is useless to have rules and regulations by
which to govern the Church unless they are attended
to, and it is ultimately'with you, whose prerogative
it is to form them, to see and know they are carried
into effect. That the executive authority is conferred on the General Superintendents, is true; but
it is so fixed in order to constitute a proper medium
through which to supply every part of this extensive work with the necessary wisdom and experience
as it relates to gospel doctrines and discipline;
and at the same time to bring the whole administration under your inspection as General Super



BISHOP M' KENDREE.           349
intendents of the work. Therefore an effective
General Superintendency is essentially necessary.
It is the center of union and harmony between the
several members of the general body, and the only
means the General Conference has to carry our
economy into complete operation, and perpetuate
the Episcopal government and the itinerant plan
of preaching the gospel. But such is the manifest
weakness of the Superintendency at present, that it
cannot fully discharge all the duties connected with
this department. You will therefore feel the necessity of affording suitable aid, as you may think
proper.
It was the intention of your Superintendents ta
have visited the Mississippi, conformably to the
arrangements of the last General Conference; but
the hostile disposition of the Indians, and the situation of the country, in the opinion of judicious
brethren, were such as to prevent them in the first
instance, and Bishop Asbury's health in the second;
so that they have done nothing in the formation of
the contemplated Conference. That section of the
work, therefore, remains as it was; but those best
acquainted with it are of opinion that it is essentially necessary to the prosperity of the work that
the Superintendents should visit that section of the
country.
It is our misfortune, in some parts of the work,
to have a ministry always in its infancy, and sometimes very deficient in numbers in consequence of
location; while the hands of those who remain, and
nobly refuse to leave the work, are made to hang




350           LIFE AND TIMES OF
down by reason of the weight of family concerns.
What can be done to prevent the admission of such
into the traveling connection as feel themselves at
liberty to depart from it at pleasure, like men of
the world, who change their pursuits for their temporal interests? To rescue others from such family
afflictions as might be removed consistently with
the spirit of the gospel and our principles of government, and at the same time not to impose improper or unnecessary burdens on the Church of
God, is both a delicate and difficult undertaking;
yet it is presumed to be possible, if wisdom and
prudence conduct the business, and would no doubt
contribute much to the permanency and prosperity
of the work and order established among us. And
while making the inecesssary provision for the
needy, it may be very proper you should notice the
manner of circulating books among our people, and
guard against attempts, should they be made, to
divert the course of our charitable institution to
the personial interest of individuals, and to convert
our worshiping assemblies into places of traffic.
It is with regret that the Superintendents have
to advise measures to stimulate the preachers to a
more uniform attention to the duties of their station. It is presumable that so much more time than
is necessary is taken up in going to and returning
from the Annual Conferences, and in leaving their
charges for other purposes in the course of the
year, that some circuits lose one-fourth of their
time, if not more, and thereby suffer an irreparable
loss.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           351
It is our professed business " to bring as many
sinners as we can to repentance, and with all our
power to build them up in that holiness without
which they cannot see the Lord." In making full
proof of our call to this work, it is expected that
eve should visit from  house to house, as well as
preach the word publicly-to instruct the children,
visit the fatherless and the widow in their affliction,
and to enforce vigorously, but calmly, all the rules
of the Society. Are these points properly attended
to among us?
The management of this important work is with
the Superintendents; and it is for the General
Conference to know the state of affairs, in order to
correct errors, and give tone to the Executive, when
their aid is necessary in carrying the plan into complete effect. Therefore the whole is cheerfully submitted to your inspection.
I remain, as ever, your brother and fellow-laborer,
W. MCIENDREE.
The Committee on the "Episcopacy," appointed to
consider that part of the address which referred to
that subject, brought in a report recommending the
election of two additional Bishops; and on May
14th, Enoch George, of the Baltimore Conference,
and Robert Richford Roberts, of Philadelphia, were
duly elected-the former receiving fifty-seven, and
the latter fifty-five votes, out of one hundred and
six.
Bishop George was a native of Eastern Virginia,
about fifty years of age. IHe was converted under




352            LIFE AND TIMES OF
the ministry of John Easter; began to travel and
preach in 1789. After a few years he went, at the
call of Bishop Asbury, to the Southern Conference,
and labored in South Carolina and Georgia several
years. His health failing, he returned to Virginia,
and about 1800 entered the Baltimore Conference,
where he filled various important appointments and
Districts. IIe was a widower, with four children;
low of stature, but stoutly built. His features were
grave, and expressive of strong emotions; his eyes,
small and deeply seated beneath an overhanging
heavy brow, twinkled, or melted into tears, as the
sentiments he uttered might demand; and his voice
thrilled or softened the hearts of his auditory, as he
poured out his soul with a pathos the writer never
heard excelled; for he can never forget a sermon
the Bishop preached in Tennessee at his first visit
to that Conference in 1817. His text was: "'And
this is the victory that overcometh the world-even
our faith."  There was something in his manner of
address, in the tones of his voice, the subdued yet
earnest and fervid spirit of the preacher, that
affected the whole audience. He explained faith,
and illustrated its victory by Bible incidents, in the
most simple and appropriate style, and blended
arguments with exhortation and appeals to the
understanding with those to the heart, until the
entire assembly seemed to be completely under the
control of his holy eloquence. There was nothing
boisterous in his voice; no remarkable exhibition of
intelligence: least of all was there any attempt at
oratorical display. He was not a " son of thunder,"




tISHOP M' ENDREE.          8538
but of yearning pity and holy sympathy. Ite wept
over sinners; tears were constantly welling up in his
eyes, and without pausing he would slip a finger
behind his spectacles and brush away the blinding
tear, to be replaced by another at the very next sentence. Before my imagination, he seemed to be
another John who had leaned on the bosom of
Jesus, and returned from Patmos, where visions of
heavenly brightness and fadeless beauty had entranced his mind and filled his soul with adoring
love. I was young, and had just begun to preach.
Since then I have heard many impressive sermons
from the best preachers of the land: they have instructed, charmed, and thrilled me, but I have never
heard a man who so strongly wrought upon my
feelings, and kept me bathed in tears from the beginning to the close of his sermon. The image of
that man of God, and the scenes of that hour, are
still vividly fixed in my memory; and yet, with
all his purity, his zeal, and wonderful power
over the heart, it cannot be said that he was well
adapted to the duties of the Episcopal office. Without professing to have a thorough personal acquaintance with him, the writer must be allowed to say
that he was not remarkable for his knowledge of
the polity of the Church: his very kindness of heart
and love of peace inclined him to make concessions
and compromises for the attainment of harmony
which might have been very prejudicial to the general interests of the Church if they had been
adopted.  He was deficient in the methodical
arrangement of his plans, and too indifferent to the




854           LIFE AND TIMES OF
enforcement of rules of order, to make a superior
presiding officer. In these respects he differed entirely from  Bishop McKendree. During a little
more than twelve years he continued to perform
the duties of his office. He was greatly revered
and beloved for his many virtues, and his laborious
and useful services. No one ever questioned his
piety or integrity.  Ile was deeply pious, and of a
most child-like and affectionate heart. He lived a
toilsome and suffering life, and died rather suddenly
at Staunton, Virginia, August 23, 1828, on his way
to the Holston Conference. Short as was the warning, he was found ready and willing to depart;
shouting in his last moments, "Glory, glory! —I
shall soon be in glory! "
Bishop Roberts was a native of Frederick county,
Maryland, and was born in 1778. Ihis parents were
in humble circumstances, having a family of thirteen children, of whom he was the ninth. They
were moral, and respected for their integrity; and
although inclined to the Episcopal Church, were
not professors of religion. The literary advantages
of the Bishop were therefore quite inconsiderable
in early life, although his parents seem to have
appreciated the importance of an education, and
gave him all the opportunities of mental culture
which their moderate means and their locality enabled them  to afford him. When he was about
eight years of age, they removed from Maryland to
Pennsylvania, and settled in a retired valley at the
western base of the Alleghany Mountains, in Westmoreland county. Amid the wild grandeur of their




31BS1HOP M'KENDREE.         855
naw home, away from the bustle and fashion of the
world, he grew to manhood. aUnder the ministry
of the Methodist traveling preachers, he, and his
father's family generally, Wvere converted, and joined
the Church.  Subsequently the family sought a
residence in Shenango Valley, in the north-western
corner of Pennsylvania, where an almost unbroken
and uninhabited forest surrounded them.  Soon,
however, their backwoods section of country began
to be filled up with hardy and industrious pioneers,
and there he began his ministry. In 1802 he was
admitted on trial in the Baltimore Conference, and
appointed to Carlisle Circuit. It was the same
year in which John A. Granade, Frederick Stier,
Joseph Toy, Wm. Ryland, Thomas L. Douglass,
George Dougherty, and Nathan Bangs entered the
traveling connection.  Alas, all of this list of
noble spirits have passed away from earth! But
they all died in faith, and are united with the
general assembly and Church of the first-born.
Mr. Roberts married before he became a preacher,
and his wife proved herself worthy of such a man.
They never had any children.
At the General Conference of 1808, in Baltimore,
he appeared as a member, clad in backwoods style;
but such was the impression produced by his
preaching, that at the solicitation of many of the
riost intelligent and prominent members of the
Church, shortly after the close of the session,
Bishop Asbury directed him to quit his work in
the Western backwoods, and take charge of the
Baltimore City Station. Thenceforth it is useless




356           LIFE AND TIMES OF.
to trace his course; suffice it to say, he was always
acceptable and useful, whether in the cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia, or on the Schuylkill District, as Presiding Elder; from  which last-mentioned work he was transferred by the vote of the
General Conference of 1816 to the Episcopacy.
The writer first saw Bishop Roberts at the Tennessee Conference of 1817, held in Franklin, and
heard him preach in the court-house on Heb. ii. 3.
He was a large man, weighing 220 pounds. His
whole person indicated him to be one of nature's
noblemen.'His features were large, benignant, and
intellectual. His head was of an uncommon size,
his forehead high and massive; his eyes blue or
hazel-colored; his manner of address always easy
and graceful; his voice a deep bass, but soft and
musical. There was nothing constrained or unnatural in its modulation, but it was an earnest and animated conversational tone.  When  excited by
"thoughts that burn," his majestic frame seemed
to expand, his " mind-illumined face" glowed, and
his voice would now swell like the notes of a bugle,
and anon sink into the low and trembling tones of
pity and persuasion; and yet there were no abrupt
or startling variations, but only such as harmonized
with the theme, the words of the speaker, and the
feelings of the audience. The art of oratory he
never studied; and yet occasionally he almost
reached the highest standard of that noblest of all
arts. He practiced the art without knowing it;
for nature and grace made him an orator. The
writer remembers most distinctly two serrons he




BISHOP M'RENDREE.           857
heard him  deliver many years apart-the one in
Franklin, Tennessee, alluded to already, the other
in Huntsville, Alabama. On the former occasion
he held an immense audience as if spell-bound for
more than an hour, while he portrayed the fearful
consequences of neglecting the "great salvation."
In that vast assembly there stood by the side of the
writer a friend from Nashville, Mr. John Price, who
having sought for mercy for months with deep contrition and many tears, had almost sunk into despair.
The writer and other young converts had labored
in prayer and exhortation with him a good part of
the previous night; the remainder of the night
he had spent upon his knees alone in his room.
He went with a heavy heart to the court-house to
hear the Bishop, having refused all sustenance for
many hours. But while the speaker was dwelling
upon the greatness of the salvation tendered to
penitent sinners on the condition of faith in Christ,
my friend stood and listened as if transfixed and
charmed. After a short but eventful mental struggle, the tears gushed from his eyes, a faint smile
stole over his lately dejected countenance, and presently he sunk down with the unutterable peace of
a soul justified by faith. More than thirty years
afterward, this friend of my early ministry was taken
from a steam-boat descending the Mississippi River,
and at midnight was left alone on a wharf-boat at
Vicksburg. A drayman carried him to the hbtel,
which refused to admit him because he had the
cholera; and before day, in an old unoccupied
house, he breathed his last. The black man who




858           LIFE AND TIMES OF
carried him to that house, and was the only human
companion in his last mortal struggle, reported that
he died (as he had lived) in the full triumphs of
"the great salvation."
The other sermon alluded to was preached by the
Bishop in the Presbyterian Church of Huntsville,
Alabama, on Sabbath morning of the Conference.
The text was, "Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." (Rev. xix. 6.) It was a glorious
sermon-worthy of the man and the occasion, and
as worthy of the theme as any I ever heard.
It seems strange to many that men, whose literary
advantages have been so limited as Bishop Roberts's, should make such eminently popular and
useful preachers. Such persons lose sight of the
fact that Mr. Roberts, although only an English
scholar, had a most vigorous mind-read and
studied much after he entered the ministry; was
by nature a graceful and fluent speaker; and that
in the itinerancy of the Methodist Church he
enjoyed the privilege of graduating in one of the
best schools for training young preachers, and making them "able ministers -of the New Testament."
For surely, if success be a test of ability, they may
claim rank with any in the world.
Bishop Roberts was remarkable for modesty,
humility, and simple dignity of manners. He was
surprised at his own popularity as a preacher, and
was humbled rather than elated by the discovery;
and his election to the Episcopacy almost over-.whelmed him. He always shunned notoriety; and,
but for conscience' sake, would have retired to his




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          359
humble cottage-home, in the most secluded portion
of Indiana, and spent his life unnoticed and unknown. Never have I known a man of a more unaffectedly humble and guileless heart, or one to
whom strife and controversy seemed more repugnant. And yet, although so mild and almost apparently timid when a sense of duty to the Church,
to truth, or to the character of a brother required
it, his firmness and moral courage were equal to
any emergency.
He made an excellent Bishop. The only deficiencies under which he labored originated in his
size and his sympathies. Owing to his great weight
he failed, on many occasions, to reach the Conferences at the proper time; and occasionally, to get to
them at all. For, on account of the want of public
conveyances, and the condition of the roads, especially in the West and South, he was obliged to
travel on horseback; and no horse could be found
capable of bearing him through his long tours. Nor
were these long rides much less painful to himself.
His sympathies were so strong that he could not
always resist their influence, even although his
judgment might demur; so that many a truant
young preacher received a mild rebuke, who deserved a severe reprimand. He presided over the
preachers in Conference like a father among his
children; and no Bishop was ever more generally
or deeply loved. His long and wearisome journeys,
his exposure to every change of weather and
climate for so many years, and the never-ending
"care of all the Churches," which came upon




360            LIFE ANDi TIMES OF
him daily, after twenty-seven years of faithful and
acceptable service as an itinerant Bishop, broke
down his vigorous constitution, and he died in the
spring of 1843. His death was peaceful and resigned; his work was done, and he was ready to depart and go to- Christ. And rarely has so pure and
lovely a spirit passed from earth to heaven. A few
of his neighbors were present at his burial, who,
having prepared for him a grave on his own little
farm, quietly laid him away to rest in one of the
most sequestered places in the West.
Subsequently the Indiana Conference consented
to the removal of his remains to Greencastle, the
seat of the Indiana Asbury University; and within
the inclosure of the college-grounds they now repose, awaiting the resurrection of the just.
What a rich legacy has the Methodist family,
North and South, in the character and labors of
their early Bishops! And while we should never
be proud of our succession, we have certainly no
reason to be ashamed of it. May it ever be so in
every- branch of our Methodism!
Such were the men who, by the vote of the General Conference, were made joint Superintendents
with Bishop McKendree. The field of their labor
was also extended by the addition of the Mississippi and Missouri Conferences, making now eleven
Conferences.
Although the war between our country and Great
Britain had been terminated by the Treaty of Ghent,
signed December 24, 1814, yet; the effects of that
struggle continued to be felt for some years after



BISiOP M IKENDREE.          361
ward.  The excitement of the war, and the demoralization which always accompanies it, however,
gradually gave way to a more healthy state of public feeling.  But it is evident that from 1812 to
1816 the Methodist Church was less successful
in increasing her membership and ministry than
during any other equal term before or since.
The Journal of Bishop McKendree notices this
fact in the following statement:
"In 1812, we had 195,357 members, and 688
traveling preachers. In 1816, there were 211,165
members, and 695 preachers-giving an increase of
15,808 members and but 7 preachers in four years."
He proceeds to say: "At the close of the General Conference, my health was so far recovered as
to justify an attempt to resume my labors, especially
as there were two Bishops added, who, I expected,
would relieve me of a great part of the labor; but
neither of them was acquainted with the general
state of the Church, nor with the peculiarities and
difficulties of the Episcopal duties. It was therefore advised that they should attend the first three
Conferences in company, in order to adjust their
views and mode of presiding, so that they might
administer harmoniously when separated. Bishop
Roberts approved of the plan, and went with me."
But, as it was thought to be neither necessary nor
advisable for all the Bishops to attend each Annual
Conference, they made a division of the work
among themselves, "mutually agreeing to attend
the Conferences alternately, thus changing their
work every year; and for the Bishop, whose turn it
VOL. i.-16.




362             LIFE AND TIMES OF
might be to attend a Conference, to be the responsible president of it; and the other Bishops, if
present, to be his counselors. And, if they should
not find it best to attend as counselors, or assistants, for the time being, they were to employ the
intervals in visiting the Churches," etc. Thus was
begun the practice of dividing the work of superintending the Conferences by the Bishops themselves, and also
of alternating-a method which, it is hoped, will be
perpetuated as most consistent with the genius of
our Church-constitution, and best calculated to promote union and perpetuate the itinerancy.
We quote again from  the Bishop's Journal:
"The Bishops are personally responsible for their
moral conduct; but, as General Superintendents,
they are jointly responsible for the administration
of the discipline, or for the management of'the
spiritual and temporal business of the Church,"'
which is subject to their oversight. Conformably
to this view, immediately after the General Conference adjourned, the Bishops met together to arrange their plan of future operations.  Bishop
George proposed a division of the work into three
-Districts, each to take his part or lot. To this the
senior Bishop objected, and proposed that as two
were but just entering upon the important work,
they should all go to.the New York and New
England Conferences, see the state of things, harmonize their views and mode of transacting their
official duties, in order to prevent a difference in
their administrations when apart. Bishop Roberts
acceded to the proposition, but Bishop George had




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          363
business which called for his attention; nor could
he see it'"necessary for three men to go and do
one man's work." From the New England Conference Bishop Roberts, according to the plan proposed, was to return by Baltimore, take his family
to the western country, and meet his colleagues at
the Ohio Conference. From that point they were
to commence their general plan of operation. According to this arrangement, there was an ideal
division of the work into three parts-the senior
Bishop taking the first, Bishop George the second,
and Bishop Roberts the third. Each was bound to
attend his allotted part; not, however, to the exclusion of the other two, who were at liberty to attend officially, if they could do so, or to visit the
Churches as circumstances might direct. Bishop
George fell in with the senior Bishop at the Genesee Conference, at Paris, New York, July 17, 1816;
thence they traveled together through Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio, to Louisville, Kentucky,
the place of the Ohio Conference. Here they met
with Bishop Roberts-all in good health, after long
journeys in very hot weather.
The Conference began on the 3d of September.
It was a very sickly season, and many of the preachers suffered. From this place the Bishops had to
separate in order to organize the lately-constituted
Missouri and Mississippi Conferences. The senior
proposed to attend one, and his junior colleagues
the other, with liberty to select which they would
attend. But it did not suit Bishop George to attend either of the frontier Conferences. The senior




364           LIFE AND TIMES OF
went to Missouri, and Bishop Roberts to Mississippi, which made it necessary for the former to
add to his travel about 1,500 miles, and the latter
about 800. William McMahon consented, in Nashville, to accompany Bishop Roberts to Mississippi,
but they were both taken sick. Bishop Roberts
partially recovered, and, in a very feeble state of
health, pursued his journey, accomplished his work,
and returned safely.
Bishop George went immediately to Georgia, and
improved the time in visiting and preaching to his
old acquaintances in those parts, and then accompanied his elder colleague, whose course, according
to the general plan, commenced with the South
Carolina Conference. By this arrangement, the
Mississippi Conference would have fallen to Bishop
Roberts the following year, which would have imposed too much riding and absence from his family
upon him. To obviate the difficulty, the senior
Bishop volunteered to serve it in his stead.  "At
the South Carolina Conference, held in Columbia,
I accordingly fell in with Bishop George, when we
had a profitable time with the preachers in Conference, a pleasing account of the work in their respective charges, and an edifying time in the
congregations. Bishop George continued with me
the remaining Conferences of my work, and then
entered upon his own course. But instead of relaxing my labors, I continued with Bishop George
to the Conferences in his division of the work, although I had attended them last year with Bishop
Roberts."




BISHOP M{ KENDREE.          365
For the present, leaving these laborious, faithfu'l
men to pursue their toilsome round of duty, let us
take a concise review of the condition of the Church
and the acts of the General Conference. And the
first thing which strikes our attention is the absence
of asperity and undue excitement, as evinced by
the action of the Conference. That there was a
difference of opinion, as there always had been, in
reference to certain measures of polity, there is no
doubt; but perhaps in no General Conference since
1784 had there been more unanimity; so that the
changes which were proposed in the important
principles and mode of administration of the government were rejected with increased majorities,
except in reference to slavery, while the few changes
which were made on points of minor importance were
evidently beneficial. Let us examine a few of them.
The ratio of representation in the General Conference was altered from five to seven.
The proviso at the close of the Restrictive Rules,
which rendered it necessary to obtain "the joint
recommendation of all the Annual Conferences,"
to. enable the General Conference to change any
part of the constitution of the Church, was stricken
out, and "the concurrent recommendation of threefourths of all the members of the several Annual
Conferences who shall be present and vote on such
recommendation," was substituted.
A new clause was inserted in the Discipline,
making it the duty of the Bishop to prescribe a
course of reading and study to be pursued by can.
(lidates for the ministry.




366           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Two new Conferences, as already stated, were
added —viz., Missouri and Mississippi.
The annual salary of a traveling preacher was
changed, in 1800, from sixty-four to eighty dollars;
and in 1816, from eighty to one hundred dollars.
Since 1808, each Annual Conference had been
authorized "to make its own rules about buying
and selling slaves;" but in 1816, the General Conference resolved that "no slave-holder shall be eligible to any official station in our Church hereafter,
where the laws of the State in which he lives will
admit of emancipation, and permit the liberated
slave to enjoy freedom." This was a decided advance.
Of course the vexed question as to the election of
Presiding Elders came up at this Conference, as it
had done before and continued to do for several
subsequent sessions.
"On the 7th of May, Samuel Merwin offered to
amend the Discipline respecting the mode of appointing Presiding Elders, so as to read,
"'Ques. How shall the Presiding Elders be appointed?
"'Ans. At an early period of each Annual Conference, the Bishop shall nominate a person for,each District that is to be supplied; and the Conference, without debate, shall proceed to the choice,
the person nominated being absent; and if the
person nominated be not chosen according to nomination, the Bishop shall nominate two others, one
of whom it shall be the duty of the Conference to
choose.




BISHOP M'RENDRIEE.          867
"'Ques. By whom  shall the preachers be appointed to their stations?
"'Ans. By the Bishop, with the advice and consent of the Presiding Elders.'
"Subsequently, Nathan Bangs offered to amend
the first answer by appending the following words
to it:'And the Presiding Elder so elected and appointed shall remain in office four years, unless
sooner dismissed by the mutual consent of the
Bishop and the Conference, or unless he be elected
to some other office by the General Conference.
But no Presiding Elder shall be removed from office during the term of four years, without his consent, unless the reasons for such removal be stated
to him in the presence of the Conference, who shall
decide without debate on his case.' "*
The whole question was lost by a vote of forty-two
to sixty, showing an increased majority against the
innovation.
We now resume the Journal of Bishop McIKendree, beginning with his tour, in company with
Bishop George, to the New England Conference.
"On our way to the New England Conference, at
Concord, New Hampshire, which met on the 16th
of May, 1817, we traveled two days in full view of
the winter snow on the mountains in that State,
while the people were planting corn at the foot of
the mountain.
"Ifay 15th. —We traveled through a fall of snow
-the weather being so cold that some of our com*Life and Times of Jesse Lee, p. 500.




368           LIFE AND TIMES OF
pany, from the South, had their faces frost-bitten.
From Concord we went to the New York Conference, which was held at Middlebury, Vermont,
June 3, 1817. From the top of the mountain and
highlands in Vermont we saw an abundance of
snow on the mountains in Canada. Our Conference was received and treated in a respectful manner by the citizens of Middlebury, and the Lord
made the preaching of his word by us a blessing to
them. But the Congregational minister manifested
stern opposition; however, we had an official invitation to preach and ordain in the Congregational
meeting-house —it being the largest in the place.
The court, then sitting, adjourned and attended;
we had a large congregation.
"In order to redeem my pledge to attend the
Mississippi Conference, in Bishop Roberts's place,
I parted with Bishop George at Middlebury. At
the head of Lake Champlain we turned a little off
the direct road, to view the British fleet vwhich had
been captured in the lake by Commodore McDonough, September 11, 1814. We thence urged our
way to New York and Philadelphia, visited the
Eastern Shore of Maryland, and went across the
bay to Baltimore. The excessive fatigue of riding
on horseback induced me, while in Philadelphia, to
purchase a light dearborn wagon, which met me at
this place. After a few days we set out again, and
passed through Maryland and Pennsylvania, and
crossed the Alleghbany to Wheeling, Virginia.
Thence, through Ohio and Kentucky, I went to
my brother's, in Sumner county, Tennessee. Here




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          369
I met with my beloved friend, James Norton, who,
at the South Carolina Conference of 1813, was appointed to travel with me; but Bishop Asbury's
aid having failed, I gave up Brother Norton to supply his place. At the General Conference of 1816,
Brother Norton was a member, and seeing I was
afflicted, offered his services as my traveling companion. The offer was thankfully accepted. We
continued together until the fall, and then, to supply the deficiency of a preacher, and by his consent,
he was appointed to Fountain Head Circuit. At his
quarterly-meeting held for that circuit at Stephenson's Meeting-house, October 4, 1817, he resumed
his place as companion in travel.
"As the road we were to take to Mississippi was
not adapted to carriages, we sold our little wagon,
and procured a pack-horse to carry our provisions
through the Indian Nations. We left Fountain
Head in good spirits. In Franklin, Tennessee,
Brother William McMahon and his wife joined us,
on a visit to her father's, Judge Seth Lewis's, in
Louisiana. We were blessed with very agreeable
company. We traveled through heavy rains, and
encountered high waters, not without some apprehension from drunken Indians, but got through
safely. Brother McMahon and his wife pursued
their way to her father's, and we arrived in good
time at Midway, where the Mississippi Conference
began November 7, 1817.
"The Conference was a very agreeable one; but
the rains having continued, we found the watercourses very high. We set out, however, attended
16*




870           LIFE AND TIMES OF
by Thomas Griffin, who conducted us to Fort Claiborne. The creeks and rivers overflowed; sometimes, for miles, the country was inundated.
Ferrymen took us over the streams and through
the woods as far as the boats could go, but occasionally we had to swim. Many were our difficulties before we reached Georgia. The most alarming
were in crossing a creek in Alabama, and at the
Chattahooche River, in the Creek Nation. A
preacher from the South Carolina Conference, who
came to meet and escort us, arrived at the creek alluded to in the evening, and finding it impassable,
remained near, waiting for the water to subside.
We lay in the woods all night, left our camp-fire
early, and arrived at the creek about nine o'clock in
the morning, and found the water very high and
the boat sunk. The ferryman, being stimulated,
obtained additional aid, raised, and bailed, and
calked the boat, and ventured to cross over to our
side. We got the horses on the boat, and off they
pushed, rowing and bailing as hard as they could,
with the water rising in the boat all the time. Our
hopes and fears were nearly balanced. If the boat
should sink, we were to swim. But the Bishop
could not swim; however, he could hold on to the
tail of a horse and let him swim. So soon as the
boat rested on the other shore, the water poured
in at both ends, but men and horses hastened out
while it was sinking. The next night we camped
with a family moving to the West, who knew us.
A hog was killed, and we were comfortably entertained, and had meeting with them.  Another




B3SHOP M KEI N lDSEE.       3ti 1
night we camped with a number of families, and
preached to them. Our journey was made more
pleasant by falling in with a gentleman and his
servant, who were returning to Georgia with an
empty wagop, for the remainder of his family and
property. He generously consented to carry our
provision for ourselves and our horses, and our
horses as well as ourselves were thereby safe from
starvation.
"The Chattahooche is a considerable river where
it runs through the Creek Nation. As a compensation, in part, for the privilege of having a road
through the Nation from Georgia to Alabama, the
United States supplied a good ferry-boat, aad fixed
a substantial rope across the river; but the -late
freshet had swept off the boat, and a very indifferent one had been substituted-so light and narrow
was it that travelers had to take their wagons over
empty, with a wheel on each side in the water. It
could carry over but two horses at a time, and they
must stand lengthwise in the boat, and keep quiet.
Thousands of movers were on the road; and many
carriages and wagons were on the east side of the
river, awaiting their turn to cross. As we were
from the West, we had to wait no longer than the
return of the boat. The first boat took in the two
preachers-i. e., Bishop MclKendree and Brother
[Norton- and their saddle-horses, one of which was
young and restive. After getting out some distance from. the shore, by the bad management of a
ferryman, the boat began to take in water, the ferrymen became alarmed and let go their hold of the




372           LIFE AND TIMES OF
rope, and we were instantly floating down a deep
and very rapid stream, without oars or poles, and
with nothing but a hand-spike or two on board.
Finding our condition so dangerous, we endeavored
to calm the agitation of the black ferrymen, who
had been substituted for the regular Indian ferrymen; and encouraged by our composure and the
promise of a fee, we at last effected a landing on the
same side from which we had started, and about one
hundred and fifty yards below; but the feat was
made with great difficulty, and at the only point
where a landing was practicable. We succeeded in
getting the boat back to the starting-place, and were
finally put across the river after two hours of danger
and detention.  The bank was thronged with
anxious spectators, who cordially welcomed us upon
our safe arrival.
"A part of the Creek Nation was then at war with
our people, and killed one of General Jackson's
soldiers upon one of the nights we lay out, and not
far from us. We were informed of this fact by
General Gaines, whom we met going into the Nation as we were leaving it. But the Lord helped
and preserved us; and, after a toilsome and hazardous journey, we safely arrived at our beloved friend
and brother, Lucas's, in Sparta, Georgia."
Let the reader pause arid think of a tour from
Vermont to Middle Tennessee; thence, on horseback, through Indian tribes, to Louisiana; thence,
amid drenching rains, over swollen streams, and
through g hostile band of Indians, to Georgia; and
this performed by a man advanced in life and in



BISHOP M' KENDREE.           873
firm in health; and recollect, this is but one of the
many similar tours which our Bishops took to carry
out our system of itinerant General Superintendency. Such were the men, and such the labors they
endured for souls and for Christ's sake.
His Journal proceeds: "At Sparta we were about
sixty miles from the place where the Conference
was to meet; and, having some spare time before
us, I determined to rest and recruit my health and
strength, while Brother Norton went to see his
mother, after two years' absence. But the good
people prevailed on me to be contented to rest the
horses, while they took me to popular meetings on
the two following Sabbaths. After having given
the horses nine days' rest, I set out with Brother
Lewis Myers and visited Louisville, about forty
miles from the seat of the Conference, Savannah,
and Charleston, and arrived at Augusta, Georgia,
the day before the Conference began,* making four
hundred miles instead of forty. I had now visited
the Mississippi Conference for Bishop Roberts, as I
promised, intending, after our interview, to return
and visit the Churches in Illinois, and be ready to
take my course of work, commencing with the
Ohio Conference. At the South Carolina Conference we had to manage some of the most delicate
and eventful business. Bishop Roberts's assistance
was greatly needed, especially as it was his special
charge, according to our division of the work.'But
* The Minutes show that this Conference was appointed to be
held at Louisville, July 27, 1818, but it was held at Augusta.




874           LIFE AND TIMES OF
the distance to the Conference was greater than he
expected, and his horse failing, he did not arrive
until the fifth day of the session. The important
business was adjusted in a way satisfactory to
Bishop Roberts; and we were well pleased at
the result, which was peace and brotherly love.
This was B3ishop Roberts's first visit; he knew
neither the country nor the people, and therefore
was desirous I should accompany him to Norfork,
to hold the Virginia Conference. But as this would
add six hundred miles' traveling to my already excessive labors, I was not disposed to do so, and
therefore took leave of him, and set out on my
westward tour. But, reflecting on his situation-a
stranger to the way and the people, his horse with
a sore back, and having barely time to get to the
Conference-after riding five miles I determined
to return and accompany him, if he had not gone.
I found him, and he was delighted. We started
early next morning for Norfolk, Virginia.  Our
time on the trip was diligently improved, traveling
from thirty to forty-five miles a day: rain did not
stop us. Saturday we had our linen washed; Sabbath preached; and thus we pushed on, and got to
Norfolk the day before the Conference opened. The
back of the Bishop's horse was well, and the
preachers and people were glad to see us. 1Here
we unexpectedly met with Bishop George, in good
health, with Dr. Phcebus and his family, from New
York. The Doctor had been appointed a missionary to New Orleans, and was on his way there. The
other Bishops had not been consulted in this ap



BTSHOP M'RENDREE.           875
pointment. The Doctor was approved-the size
and consequent expense of supporting his family
being the only difficulty.  It was supposed that a
thousand dollars would haidly support him, and
he was then without money to bear his traveling
expenses. Bishop George requested me to undertake the management of this business, but I declined; loaned the Bishop one hundred dollars,
and bound myself to raise five hundred dollars in
the West for the support of the mission, if it
should be carried into effect, provided my colleagues
would raise the balance.  Dr. Phcebus was sent
back to New York, and the hundred dollars returned. The Conference closed with encouraging
prospects, and the preachers parted in love. I parted
with my colleagues, and set out for the western country, being about one hundred and fifty miles farther
from my object than when I returned to Bishop
Roberts, in Georgia.  I had the company of preachers from Norfolk to Lynchburg; but from there to
JKentucky I traveled alone, leading my pack-horse
all the way. About the last of March, or the 1st of
April, I arrived safely at my brother's residence,
in Sumner county, Tennessee. Having rested a few
days, I took a young preacher with me, and resumed my plan of visiting the Churches upon our
frontier work. We passed through the south-west
corner of Kentucky; crossed the Ohio River at
Golconda; passed through the southern part of
Illinois; crossed the Mississippi River at Cape
Girardeau, visiting the frontier Churches in Missouri, and intending to see the Churches about




376           LIFE AND TIMES OF:Boone's Lick, but sickness and high water induced
me to stop with Brother Murphy. After a week's
rest, I crossed the Merrimack and Missouri Rivers,
and attended a camp-meeting between the Missouri
and the Mississippi Rivers, where I met Brother
Walker, the Presiding Elder.  Here we held a
profitable camp-meeting, which is the third I have
attended since I crossed the Mississippi River. I had
the pleasure of meeting many of my friends from
the old States, and of seeing the work of the Lord
prospering in the new settlements. We then went
to St. Louis; crossed the Mississippi; visited the
Churches about Turkey Hill, Vincennes, the forks
of White River, and the little towns on the way to
Jeffersonville. Here we crossed the Ohio to Louisville, Kentucky, where I had sent an appointment
for preaching. They had made it a two-days' meeting. I was pleased. The congregation was very
large, and the meeting good. The next appointmnent was in Shelbyville, Kentucky, about thirty
miles distant. From there I visited Frankfort, Lexington, and Maysville, in Kentucky, and as many
congregations between them  as I could.  From
Maysville I crossed over into Ohio, to West Union,
Chillicothe, New Lancaster, Zanesville, Barnesville,
Mount Pleasant to Steubenville, August 7, 1818.
From Middlebury, June 3, 1817, to this place, I
have traveled over a very large tract of country:
my rides have been excessively hard; my ministerial
services in Conferences, camp and quarterly-meetings, added to visiting the Churches through the Districts and circuits, have been abundant, and I am




BISHOP M'KENDREE,           377
now feeling the effects in a manner heretofore unknown to me, and, instead of relaxation, my work
is rather more rigorous. Here, according to our
division, my course begins, and terminates at the
Mississippi Conference.
"The preachers met, and the Ohio Conference
commenced its session at Steubenville, August 7,
1818. All the Bishops were present, in health, and
bore their part in the labors of the Conference.
Joshua Soule, our Book Agent from New York,
attended. Our business was conducted in an orderly and proper manner.
"At the close of this Conference, my strength was
so exhausted that some of the preachers, especially
Bishop Roberts and Brother Soule, objected to my
attempting to pursue my plan of Conference visitation, but having lately visited the Missouri Conference extensively, and the preachers having voluntarily changed the seat of their Conference from
Mount Zion Meeting-house, in Murphy's settlement, to a meeting-house in the forks of White
liver, Indiana, which saved several hundred miles
riding, I concluded to proceed. I would gladly
have accepted a substitute for the Mississippi Conference, but the others were conveniently situated.
Bishop Roberts offered his services for the Mississippi Conference, but I thought his long absence
from his family was a sufficient reason for me to
decline his generous offer.
" I sustained the journey and the business of the
Missouri and Tennessee Conferences much better
than I expected.  At the latter our spirit was




878'         trIE AND TIM S OF
troubled, and harmony interrupted by the conflicting subject of slavery."
The Tennessee Conference, which began Oct.
1, 1818, in Nashville, marks the time of the writer's
acquaintance with Bishop McKendree, and of his
admission odn trial as a traveling preacher. He had
attended the previous session of the Conference in
Franklin, and had traveled the Nashville Circuit
the past'year, under the employment of Thos. L.
Douglass, the Presiding Elder of the District-his
colleague being Miles Harper. Nashville was then
in the circuit, and as the Conference was held in
his work, it afforded him an opportunity of becoming acquainted with all the preachers.  Bishop
McKIendree was the only Bishop present, and was
greatly admired and loved. The Conference held
its session in an office or session-room near the old
Presbyterian Church. It was' not the custom then
to let anybody into the Conference-room except the
members. I remember there was "trouble" and
want of "harmony" at that session, for as I and
many others hung about the premises, we often saw
the members come out of the Conference-room with
a sad countenance, and when they would meet a
confidential friend, a suppressed but earnest and
sad conversation would take place, which indicated
anxiety and sorrow. No one owning slaves could
be admitted unless upon a promise to emancipate
them. This was adopted as a rule of action by a
large party in the Conference, although it could
not always be carried into effect. But in most
cases it was. Dr. Gilbert D. Taylor, a man in every




BISHOP M KENDREE.           379
respect eminently worthy, was refused admission
because he owned slaves, although he avowed his
purpose to set them free —a purpose which he
effected by taking them to the State of Pennsylvania, after having in vain memorialized the States
of Tennessee and Alabama to allow him to emancipate them. Alas for his slaves! Their freedom
was their misfortune.
But let us follow the Bishop. "From this Conference I took John Seaton and Benj. Edge with
me for the Mississippi Conference, and set out in
good spirits. Being indisposed, and intending to
take Carroll's road, we stopped at the fork to spend
the night, but learning we must go seven miles
farther, or lie in the woods the next night, we
went forward. I became very much exhausted, and
a little before we reached the stand I received a very
uncommon shock. My whole system was affected,
and especially my head. I avoided falling from my
horse by easing myself off. After resting on the
grass awhile, I mounted, and went slowly to the
Indian house where I expected to stay all night.
From this place we went by short stages to the
house of Brother Ford, where the Conference was
held. On the first day of the session, October 29,
1818, I presided, but was exceedingly debilitatedowing mainly to my attack, and partly to the error
I committed in having blood taken, and using an
emetic. The second day, the little Conference of
ten members met in my room. I was in bed, but
the president pro tern. sat near my bedside, and the
business of Conference was done properly. It was




380           LIFE AND TIMES OF
a camp-meeting Conference, and on the Sabbath
there was preaching on the camp-ground. I was
taken in a carriage to the camp-ground, and lay on
a bed near the stand during preaching-having
been assisted to the place, and supported by two
preachers while performing the ordination. I was
taken back immediately by my kind and attentive
physician to the house of Brother Ford. Monday
morning the preachers met, received their appointments, and took an affectionate leave of each other
— except Thomas Griffin, John Lane, and Benj.
Edge, who waited a few days to see the progress of
my complaint. After I had endured the third shock,
the doctor said I must not move shortly. Seaton
went to his circuit, Edge stayed with me, and
Brother Lane was to prepare the Minutes, and take
them to Conference in South Carolina to Bishop
Roberts.
"A few days decided my situation. I could not
move. Brother Lane left me, but with one of the
kindest families to be found. Every mark of attention was shown me, insomuch Iwas humbled under
a sense of obligation to the whole family. Sister
Ford was a mother indeed to me, and her daughters
were nursing sisters. A colored lad voluntarily
took to nursing me. He would lie by my bed at
night, and wake up at the slightest noise, and was
in every way the most attentive boy I ever saw.
Brother Edge had been sent to a circuit, but left it
to attend to me.
"Some time in February I ventured to move,
and by short stages reached Colonel Richardson's;




BISHOP M'IENDREE.                  388
was comfortably entertained there and at Brother
Wians's, and especially at Judge McGehee's.  In
March, accompanied by Brother Winans, I ventured
to visit New Orleans, to see the infant Church or
mission there, and returned to my asylum  in Wilkinson county.  The physician advised his patient
to leave that country before summer. For this purpose  my  esteemed  friend, Judge  McGehee, presented me with a light Jersey wagon, which was
generously stored with provisions; and, acconipanied by John Lane and Benj. Edge, I left the State
about the middle of April.* I think it was about
* The following note, in the Bishop's own hand-writing, has
reference to this period of his life, and evinces his candor and
humility. It shows, too, that it is possible to employ our time
and talents faithfully and zealously in the work of God, and yet
be so oppressed and harassed with the details of Church-business,
and the anxieties connected with a highly responsible position in
the Church, as to suffer loss in spirituality-so true is it that
there is no substitute, not even working for Christ and his Church,
which supersedes the absolute necessity of prayer, watchfulness,
and daily communion with God through the Holy Comforter: in
a word, a daily sense of personal religious fellowship with Christ
must be maintained by all preachers and bishops, as well as private Christians, no matter how conscientiously in other respects
they may give themselves to his work, in order to have the witness
of their acceptance with God. So then we may decline in love
and joy in the midst of the hardest labor and greatest sacrifices.
Yea, we may give our bodies to be burned, and yet such zeal will
not do without love to God. The Bishop says:
"During this affliction, I was brought to examine my life in
relation to eternity closer than I had done when in the enjoyment of health.'The spiritual and temporal business of the
Church' has become so complicated, spread out over so vast a
territory, and involves so many responsible and delicate official




382               LIFE AND TIMES OF
ten days after we entered the Choctaw Nation that
we crossed the Tennessee River.  The stands were'few  and  far between;' and  as we traveled  too
slowly to reach them, we lodged in the woods, stopping as weariness dictated. I think we camped out
eight nights, but received no injury from it-indeed,
the trip rather improved my health. The weather,
however, was favorable, and we reached my brother's
in Tennessee safely.
"After resting a few weeks with my brother, I
set out with Brother W. McMahon and wife for the
Harrodsburg Springs, in Kentucky; lodged with
Brother Head, (then  a warm  friend of ours, but
turned against us since;) here I was comforted, and
the water benefited me.   Assisted  from  place to
place, I visited my old friends, preached at times,
attended camp-meetings, and got to the Ohio Con.
acts, that I have been almost constantly mentally employed, and
frequently greatly perplexed and distressed in its management.
In this examination, relative to the discharge of my duties toward
my fellow-creatures, as a man, a Christian minister, and an officer
of the Church, I stood approved by my own conscience; but in
relation to my Redeemer and Saviour, the result was different.
My returns of gratitude and loving obedience bear no proportion
to my obligations for redeeming, preserving, and supporting me
through the vicissitudes of life from infancy to old age. The
coldness of my love to Him'who first loved me,' and has done so
much for me, overwhelmed and confused me; and to complete
my unworthy character, I had not only neglected to improve the
grace given to the extent of my privilege and duty, but for want
of that improvement, had, while abounding in perplexing care
and labor, declined from first love and zeal. I was confounded,
humbled myself, implored mercy, and renewed my covenant to
strive and devote myself unreservedly to the Lord."




BISHOP M KENDREE.                 883
ference, in  Cincinnati, August 7, 1819.  Bishop
George arrived in good health, and the preachers
were well and in good spirits.
"From  the Ohio Conference I returned through
IKentucky by slow and short movements to Fountain Head, in Tennessee.  There Andrew Monroe,
a representative to the ensuing General Conference,
came to  my assistance, and  kindly consented to
continue with me on my trip to Baltimore.  We
arrived in Georgetown, D. C., before the Baltimore
Conference adjourned.  It began March 8, 1820.
The brethren received us with lively expressions
of gratitude to God for the preservation of my
life." *
We have already seen that Bishop McKendree,
while he was ill in Mississippi, sent the Minutes of
the Conference by Brother Lane, to meet Bishop
Roberts at the South Carolina Conference. Brother
The Rev. Andrew Monroe, who is still an effective and useful
traveling preacher in the Missouri Conference, has kindly furnished an interesting account of this trip of a thousand miles.
A part of this contribution is wanting; but we learn the Bishop,
although very afflicted and feeble, went on horseback from Tennessee to Lynchburg, where his friends prevailed on him to go
the remainder of the route to Georgetown, D. C., in a little carriage. Brother Monroe was delighted and edified with the conversation and example of his suffering and heroic companion,
and warmly eulogizes his character as a gentleman, a devout
Christian, a wise man, and a model Bishop. The Bishop devotes
a few words only to this long and toilsome journey. It is regretted that the narrative of Mr. Monrge cannot be had, as the fragment of it contains some striking illustrations of the Bishop's
character and manner of life.




384           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Griffin also wrote to Bishop Roberts, informing him
of the extreme prostration of Bishop McKendree.
The following letter from Bishop Roberts will be
read with interest, not only because of the fraternal
love it breathes, but also because very little of the
composition of that excellent man has been preserved:
Camden, S. C., Dec. 30, 1818.
DEAR BISHOP MOIKENDREE:-With mingled enmotions of sorrow and joy I received the information
communicated by Brother Griffin's letter-sorrow
to hear you are pressed down with a weight of
afflictions so that you could not be present at this
Conference, and joy to find from the same letter
that you are on the recovery. O may the great
Head of the Church shortly restore you to health,
that you may go in and out before his people for
many years!
Our Conference commenced at the time appointed. The members were generally present,
and did their business with considerable dispatch.
Thirteen were admitted on trial as candidates for
the traveling ministry. Three of the number admitted last year were found to be incormpetent, and
were dropped; one departed this life-namely, Absalom W. Phillips; and fourteen have located. So
we have but a partial supply for the present year;
but partial as it is, we have thought proper to send
one (Alexander Talley) as a missionary to Alabama.
I have just received a letter from Brother Mark
Moore, our missionary in New Orleans. He writes
me that prospects are flattering. I have put three




BISHOP M'KENDREE.            385
hundred and fifty dollars in the hands of Brother
Lane, to be applied to the support of that mission.
Brother Lane tells me it is likely to be a very expensive one; but we must support it as well as we
can. Any money I may collect for it, as I go on to
the East, I will place in the hands of the Book
Agents, and take a draft for the Presiding Elder of
the Natchez District, who, I understand, is one of
the committee to superintend the New Orleans
Mission.
There were several letters in the post-office here
directed to you. I opened them all, and found
they were mostly on business relating to the Conference. But three of them were from Ohio-one
from David Young, another from James Quinn, and
the other from Moses Crume. There is a great
work of religion in Brother Crume's District; and
in the upper part of the State, with the exception
of some parts of Brother Finley's District, all
things seem to continue as they were.
There is a good work going on in some parts of
the Virginia and Baltimore Conferences.
In this Conference, the increase of whites, last
year, does not exceed two hundred; and I think
there is a decrease, taking the white and colored
together.  The Conference was, however, rich in
funds, and able to pay off all demands against it.
My sheet is nearly full, and it is now past midnight; so I must close. My health is good, my
mind tranquil, and, I trust, my heart fixed to do the
will of God.
Yours affectionately,       R. R. ROBERTS.
voI,. T.-I 7.




386           LIFE AND TIMES OF
Although Bishop McKendree had generously determined to make the tour to the Mississippi Conference, which resulted so disastrously to his health,
rather than suffer Bishop Roberts to be so long from
his family, yet Bishop Roberts, with equal unselfishness, was willing and ready to undertake it.
The following letter was written after the interview
between them, in which the senior Bishop had volunteered to do this work, and some time before he
had started on his journey:
Steubenville, Ohio, August 11, 1818.
DEAR BISHOP MCK(ENDREE: —May grace, mercy,
and peace be multiplied to you, and every gospel
blessing be yours, in time and eternity!
The reason of my troubling you with these few
lines, is to let you know that the thought of your
going to the Mississippi Conference this fall afflicts
my mind. If you say the word, I am still willing
to go for you; and if you go yourself, and the journey be too great for you, and any thing disagreeable should occur, these lines will bear me witness
that I am not the cause, and keep my conscience
and character clear. I remain, as ever, yours in
the bonds of the gospel,      R. R. ROBERTS.
Surprise has often been expressed at the good
judgment manifested by Bishops Asbury and
McKendree in the appointment of the preachers
to their work; but while we give them credit for
great sagacity in discerning the characters of men,
and in adapting the workmen to the work, it should




BISHOP M' KENDREE.         387
be remembered that they visited the whole work
annually, and that consequently they never lost
sight of a preacher. The following memorandum
found among Bishop McKendree's papers, may
serve to explain this matter:
"The characteristics of the persons admitted on
trial in the Ohio Conference, A.D. 1818:
"Samuel Adams-Married; a man of talents,
though much cannot be expected from him, because
of age and family.
"James Smith-Single, young, pious, moderate
abilities.
- Charles Elliott-Single, young, good acquired
abilities. He is a mathematician, a Greek and
Latin scholar, also has a considerable knowledge
of Hebrew.
"G. R. Jones-Middle-aged, married, though
prepared to travel a length of time-his usefulness
promising.
" L. Swormstedt-Single, about nineteen years of
age, has more than ordinary abilities, has been genteelly raised, is pious and diligent in his studies.
He promises great usefulness.
"A. W. Elliott-Married, aged about thirty years,
has a family of seven children, cannot go far from
home, has useful abilities-a son of thunder."
The Journal and the letters of Bishop McKendree show the high estimation in which this sagacious and good man held the talents and character
of the late Bishop Emory, while he was yet comparatively young and unknown, and the strong
mutual attachment which existed between them.




388           LIFE AND TIMES OF
John Emory was born on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland, in 1789. His parents were intelligent,
highly respected, and pious. His early indications
of unusual mental activity, and of strong convictions of moral obligation, induced his father to
give him a collegiate education. Following the
wish of his father, and the natural bent of his own
mind, he became a student of law in 1805; and he
embraced religion the year following. Shortly afterward (in 1807) he was licensed as a local preacher,
yet pursued his legal studies, and became a practicing attorney. But in 1810, he resolved to abandon the law and give himself wholly to the work of
the itinerant ministry. Providentially, about this
time he met with Bishop McKendree, "accompanied him to Virginia, and thence back to the Philadelphia Conference." At this Conference, (the
venerable Asbury presiding,) Mr. Emory, then just
twenty-one years of age, was received on trial.
It was thus the intimacy and attachment began
between Bishop McKendree and Bishop Emory.
What a blessing it was that the young Timothy had
the privilege of associating with such a Paul in the
beginning of his' itinerant career! How invaluable
to him was such an example of piety, prudence,
and fidelity? The impression seems to have been
indelible.
In 1817, Mr. Emory was selected by the Bishop
as his traveling companion, on a tour of the continent; but, on account of the unwillingness of his
charge to give up their pastor, the Bishop consented
for him to return, after having had his company




BISHOP M'IRENDREE.         389
through the Northern and Eastern Conferences.
Having been stationed the two preceding years in
Washington City, he was elected a delegate to the
General Conference of 1820. It will be seen that
in this body he dissented from the views of the
Bishop and the majority upon the Presiding-elder
question; and although, in the general excitement
which grew out of the proceedings upon this subject, a degree of coolness occurred between him
and his old friend, yet he was appointed unanimously by the Bishops a delegate from the Arnerican General Conference to the British Conference.
Having acquitted himself most honorably, both to
himself and the body he represented, inl adjusting
the difficulties which had sprung up between these
two great divisions of the Wesleyan family in reference to Canada, and having impressed our transatlantic brethren very favorably, he soon returned
to the United States, and resumed his labors as a
traveling preacher.
The following letter shows the cordial correspondence which was kept up between Mr. Emory and
the Bishop, and is in reply to one he had just reeeived from the Bishop. It awakens some pleasant
and melancholy reminiscences:
Washington, April 29, 1819.
REV. AND DEAR SIR:-Your favor of the 5th of
October last, from Nashville, was duly received,
and would have been long since answered if I had
known where to address you.
It was with much concern that I heard of the




390           LIFE AND TIMES OF
arduous and dangerous journey which you then
meditated, notwithstanding your infirmities, the
effect of which we were but too sensibly apprised
of by your absence from our late Conference. I was
not present when Bishop Roberts informed the
Conference of the cause of your absence, (not having then arrived,) but he had the goodness, afterward, to show me your letter to him, from which it
affords me much satisfaction to learn that you had
so far recovered as to be able to ride. That you
may be speedily restored and permitted to visit us
again, is not only my prayer, but I doubt not of
many in this part of your extensive charge.
Our Annual Conference, on the whole, was an
agreeable one. The increase in our numbers was
said to be about two thousand. In this station (in
which I am continued) I think our prospect is still
pleasing. The congregation is large, respectable,
and seriously attentive, and our numbers have increased from 133 (the number returned by Brother
Burch) to over 170 whites, and 48 or 50 colored.
Brother Roszel is our Presiding Elder-we being
now attached to the Baltimore District; Brother
John D)avis, in Georgetown; Monroe, at the Navyyard, and J. Wells in Alexandria.
It will give me much pleasure to hear from you,
if you can, at any time, find leisure enough to write
me a few lines, if it be only to inform me how and
where you are.
My wife, although not personally acquainted with
you, yet begs me to assure you of her affectionate
regards, of which, I must tell you, she has given a




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           391
mother's proof in expressing a particular wish that
you should have baptized our little son had you
been at our Conference, as was expected. She calls
him John; he is now eight weeks old. My Robert,
who is a well-grown, hearty boy, is not now with
me, but I expect to have him this summer. Pardon
me, sir, for this family digression. A stranger
might think I was forgetting myself in writing thus
to you, but you will not.
We hope for an interest in your prayers, and be
assured I remain, as ever, respectfully and affectionately your son in the gospel,      J. EMORY.
P. S. The Baltimore Conference has authorized
the publication of Bishop Asbury's Life, if approved
of by the committee, of which I have the honor to
be one. Dr. Jennings-gives us hope of having the
manuscript soon. They have also authorized the
publication of Bishop Asbury's Journal.
The difference in opinion between the Bishop
and Dr. Emory alluded to, as it involved no loss of
confidence in each other's integrity, was not permitted to quench their esteem or affection. Its effects were temporary. Upon the first opportunity
that presented itself after his return from England,
an interview between them  took place, in which
they interchanged sentiments on the Presidingelder question.  On the next day, Bishop McIKendree sent him the following note:
Sharpsburg, July 13, 1822.
DEAR BROTHER:-The friendly conversation which




392            LIFE AND TIMES OF
you introduced yesterday had for its object the perpetuation of that confidence and harmony by which
we have been so long united, and was therefore
pleasing to me. I am cordially disposed to meet
your advances in the accomplishment of so desirable an object. Nothing short of sin gives me so
mnuch pain as to see and feel a declension in
Christian fellowship. Situated as we are, to understand each other is of vital importance. For this
purpose, your attention is invited to the following,particulars, in order to know whether I understand
you correctly; and if not, I hope you will correct
nie:
1. I understood you to say, in different parts of
our conversation, "It is to be presumed that the
General Conference will not knowingly pass an
unconstitutional law."
2. "That the Bishops have no right to decide
against the decisions of the General Conference:
therefore, if all the Bishops believe an act of the
General Conference to be unconstitutional, they are
bound to submit to the superior judgmient of the
General Conference, and carry the act or resolution
into effect."
3. A decision on the constitutionality of an act,
and carrving the resolution into effect, have exclusive reference to the understanding and judgment of the executive-conscience has nothing to
do with it.
Are the following sentiments (being those the
Bishop had expressed) correct? If-not, please to
point out the errors:




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           393
1. "The executive authority, or the power by
which the Bishops are enabled to oversee the spiritual
and temporal business of our Church, consists in
the power of appointing and controlling the preachers, especially the Presiding Elders."
2. The suspended resolutions transfer the power
of constituting the Presiding Elders from the Bishops
to the Annual Conferences, and invest them with
executive authority.
A direct and plain answer will oblige your old,
sincere, and aggrieved friend,  W. MCKENDREE.
P. S. The above is intended in perfect accordance
with the principles of confidence and brotherly
love.
It is a matter of regret that we have not been
able to find Dr. Emory's reply to these questions,
which was doubtless alike honorable to his head
and his heart. We know, however, that without a
disavowal on the part of either of them of the sentiments they had entertained, their former intimnacy
was renewed, and that their mutual esteem continued to the end of their lives. Perhaps the crisis
which had then arrived in the history of the Church,
and which tested the fealty of her sons, hastened a
reiinion which had never extended to a loss of esteem. In that struggle which was, even in 1822,
already beginning, Dr. Emory, with many others,
who had differed with Bishop McKendree and the
majority in 1820, was found doing valiant and effective service by the side of the faithful old Bishop
in endeavoring to preserve the Church they loved
17*




394           LIFE AND TIMES OF
from the evils of Radicalism. The writer call never
forget the effect produced upon the General Conference and an immense number of spectators by
the reading of his report, as chairman of the Committee on Lay Representation, at the session of
1828. It was a masterly and overwhelming defense of our economy. Indeed, so clear, so strong,
and yet so kind and conciliatory was it, that the
Rev. Asa Shinn, one of the leaders of the Reformers, rose immediately after Dr: Emory had closed,
and moved its adoption, and the printing of five
thousand copies. It is due also to others to say,
that many of those who, with Dr. Emory, had
favored the adoption of the suspended resolutions,
were, like him, found to be faithful and true to the
Church in the day of her trial. And, in the language of his biographer-his own worthy and
lamented son-"When, in 1832, Bishop McKendree, then rapidly hastening to the termination of
his long and honorable career, learned that Mr.
Emory had been elected as his colleague in the Episcopate, he sent for him to come to his lodgings; and,
as he entered the room, the venerable man, rising to
meet him, exclaimed,'Bishop Emory —John Enmory-come to my arms!' and, with an affectionate
embrace, welcomed him to his new office."
Bishop McEKendree did not confound the advocates of the suspended resolutions with Radicals;
and it were unjust to do so.
Dr. Emory, although not a member of the General Conference of 1824, was its Secretary, and was
elected Book Agent-a post which he filled with




BISHOP M' KENDREE.         395
distinguished success until he was made Bishop in
1832.
Although but partially known at the South-having made but one tour of the Southern Conferencesyet such was the high estimate of his character
that several literary institutions in this section of
the country bear his name, and many a sympathizing heart mourned over his untimely death. Indeed, such was the influence which he seemed
likely to obtain over the whole Church, that it has
often been said, If Bishop Emory and Dr. Fisk had
lived until 1844, the separation of the Church might
not then have occurred.




396               LIFE AND TIMES OF
CHAPTER XIV.
General *Conference of 1820-Address of Bishop McKendreeAuthorized to travel at his discretion-A Bishop to'be elected
-J. Soule elected- Presiding-elder question-Positions of
the Bishops-" Compromise" or "peace measure" —Soule
desires leave to decline-McKendree's statement-Facts-Powers of General and Annual Conferences and Bishops-Soule's
letter-Bishops confer-Prepare to ordain Soule-The resolutions suspended-Bishop McKendree's appeal to the Annual
Conferences-Precedent for it-Soule declines-His reasonsThe other Bishops to do the work next four years-Bishop McKendree troubled, but resolves to do what he can-Gets to
Tennessee Con'ference.
THE General Conference which met in ]Baltimore,
May 1, 1820, was composed  of eighty-nine delegates from the eleven Annual Conferences, and was
a very  important session.   By  the  measures  it
adopted, it gave a new impulse to the educational
enterprises of the Church, organized the Missionary
Society, established the system of District Conferences for local preachers, and after having for many
years left the Annual Conferences to manage the
subject of slavery under the General Rule clause as
they might severally think best, again resumed the
task of legislating for the whole Church upon this
subject.  But the principal topic of excitement was




BISHOP MI KENDREE.          397
the Presiding-elder question, and the consequences
growing out of the action of the Conference upon
this subject.
The Conference was opened by Bishop McTKendree in the usual manner-his colleagues, Bishops
George and Roberts, being present. IHe also gave
a written address, stating his views of the condition
of the Church, and suggesting such subjects for
their consideration as he deemed the interests of
the work required.  Oral communications were
also made bv the other Bishops, and they expressed
the conviction that in view of the declining health
of the senior Bishop, and the great extension of the
work, the Episcopacy should be strengthened by
the addition of another Bishop. Committees were
accordingly appointed to consider and report upon
the various important themes of their addresses.
Here we are again reminded that we are indebted
to Bishop McKendree for the custom of presenting
a written Episcopal quadrennial address to the General Conference, and the reference of the topics
contained in it to appropriate committees-a course
which is likely to be followed.
The following is the address of Bishop McKeindree, a copy of which Dr. Bangs says he regrets he
was not able to find, and is perhaps the only copy
extant:
To the General Conference, to be held in Baltimore, May, 1820:
DEAR BRETHREN: —Through sore affliction for
more than eighteen months, my regular course of
traveling and my ministerial labors have been inter



898           LIFE AND TIMES OF
rupted; but in the deepest bodily distress the Lord
has mercifully supported me, and by his graciously
supporting hand I am brought to see the opening
of another General Conference.
So far as I can judge for myself, the burden
which I have been accustomed to bear is too heavy
for my present strength, and I can scarcely hope
that I shall be able soon, if ever, to do as I
have done. I am disposed, however, to do what I
can.
It is probable that excessive labor contributed
much to my affliction.
Friends foresaw and premonished me of the danger; but I acted under a sense of duty, was supported by a pure intention, and have no cause to
reproach myself.
I am deeply sensible of my lack of talents to
render the service which so good a cause and the
important station to which I am appointed continually require; and I am well prepared to submit to
the dispensation, in hope of seeing the mighty task
more amply performed.
Many have been my imperfections and errors;
and no doubt I should have committed more but
for the aid of friends, whose counsel came to the
help of the Lord.  For well-timed support, as
well as for the comforts received from the Lord
and his people, I desire to be unfeignedly thankful.
As my labors have been restricted, my knowledge of the state of things in many places must be
imperfect.  To my worthy colleagues, therefore,
whose privilege it has been to  travel exten



]BISHOP M'KENDREE.           399
sively, I must look to supply the deficiencies of
my address.
From 1784 to 1808 the General Conference was
composed of all the traveling preachers who had
fulfilled the requisite probation.  The preachers,
who met according to appointment, whether many
or few, considered themselves invested with full
power to correct, alter, or change the Discipline at
pleasure; and our system of government passed
the scrutinizing examination of five such Conferences.
The General Conference of 1808, satisfied with
the principles and utility of the system, constituted
a delegated Conference, and by constitutional restrictions ratified and perpetuated our system  of
doctrines and discipline, and the rights and privileges of all the preachers and members; in a word,
all the essential parts of the system of government.
It is presumed that no radical change can be made
for the better at present.
An important advantage resulting from the present state of things, is the power which, through the
responsibility of the General Superintendents, the
General Conference derives, to regulate or correct
an improper administration, to enforce the rules,
and to carry the whole system  of our itinerant
ministry into complete effect. This is undoubtedly
the dictate of wisdom, and evinces the indispensable necessity of an effective General Superintendency.
The increase, since the last General Conference,
according to the Minutes, is 108 traveling preachers,




400          LIFEr AND TIMES OF
and 29,759 members-probably in all not less than
3,800 traveling and local preachers, and 240,924
members. And eight of eleven Annual Conferences have produced an increase of 69 traveling
preachers, and 16,331 members, for the next return.
But the utility of our ministry and plan of
spreading the gospel is not confined to our own
Church. Our example and labors have a beneficial
influence upon other denominations. It must be
admitted that many who were formerly opposed,
not only to our traveling ministry and the doctrines
which are denominated Methodist doctrines, but
also to that experimental and practical religion
which is supported by the direct witness of the
Spirit, and for which we contend, are now warm
advocates for missionary preachers, and speak favorably of virtue and piety, and even imitate us in
many things. Thus the propriety of our system is
admitted; and in this I do rejoice, and will rejoice.
To what can this astonishing change be attributed
with more probability than to the beneficial influence of the example of the Methodist ministry on
other denominations?
Whilst we on our part cheerfully follow the laudable activity of many who are engaged in the important work of obtaining the requisite means, and of
instructing the ignorant, let us carefully guard
against and avoid the destructive doctrine and example of those who stop short of experimental
religion, and who content themselves with literary
and moral attainments, who have not that faith




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           401
which works by love and purifies the heart, and
have but a name to live while they are dead.
To you who observe the lives of professors, and
the superficial manner in which Christian experience is treated by some, and who try all by that
saying, "By their fruits ye shall know them," this will
not appear a severe censure.
The influence of the rich, the. great, the learned,
the powerful, and numerous friends, who have embarked in the defense and circulation of the Bible,
in connection with missionaries, to bear the glad
tidings to the heathen abroad, and to the destitute
at home, at once confounds the opposer, and emboldens the feeble advocate of truth.
When the Church is thus honored, many press
into her service, and partake of her advantages,
without counting the cost, or partaking of her real
joys.
The desirable intimacy which subsists among
different denominations, the terms of admitting
persons of various education and sentiments, and
the danger of being injured by the influence of men
-especially of men of the world professing religion
-will suggest the propriety of a strict examination
of our administration, both as it respects doctrines
and discipline, and experimental and practical religion.
It should not be surprising, if among so many
preachers and people thus situated, you will find a
deficiency in experimental or practical religion, or
in the use of the means.
Among so many, should some, for purposes of




402            LIFE AND TIMES OF
profit, or ease, or honor, require, as in days of old,
an injurious change in our well-tried and approved
system of government, their misguided wishes, it is
hoped, will be overruled by your wisdom and prudence, to whose patronage this invaluable treasure
is so confidently committed.
"God forbid," said St. Paul, "that I should glory,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom  the world is crucified unto me and I unto
the world." Influenced by this principle, we may
desire the best gifts, and ought to support profitable
offices.
An effective General Superintendency is essentially necessary to our itinerant plan of preaching
the gospel. One of your Superintendents is unable
to do the work of an effective man; you will therefore see the propriety of strengthening the Episcopacy.
Your attention is called to the rule which at the
last General Conference was formed to prevent the
distilling of spirituous liquors; and it may be
proper for you to examine our relation to the subject of slavery-particularly in reference to the
transfer of power to make rules and regulations
respecting the buying and selling of slaves.
The regulations which concern the state of
our meeting-houses may likewise need your attention.
To perpetuate a living and respectable ministry,
both traveling and local, is of the fitmost importance. More attention to the qualifications of candidates for the local as well as the traveling minis



BI3SHOP M KENDREE.          403
try, by examination before a judicious committee,
or by other means, might have a good effect.
The acquisition of territory, the extension of
settlements, and the forming- of new circuits, may
call your attention to the boundary lines of some of
the Conferences.
Perhaps we have not paid sufficient attention to
the voice of Providence, calling to a more general,
as well as a more detached, spread of the gospel
among the Indians, and among the destitute of our
cities, and of many remote and scattered settlements. The means have always been within our
reach, as appears from the success of mite-collections, of town and country missions, and of
missionary and Bible societies —all of which are
but improvements on Mr.Wesley's system of penny
collections for the spread of the gospel. At this
moment your attention is emphatically called to this
subject by an address from the Wyandotte Indians,
requesting us to send missionaries among them, by
the' wants of thousands of uninstructed souls in the
cities, towns, and cottages of our widely-extended
country, and by societies already formed with a
design to raise money for such purposes.
Our children, who are partially instructed, and the
thousands of uninstructed children, who, though not
of us, yet are completely within our reach, have an
undoubted claim on our attention. Great and wonderful things might be done for the rising generation by a strict, consistent, and persevering attention.
Had we an enlarged and doctrinal catechism, and




404           LIFE AND TIMES OF
were. this duly used to train the children of the
Methodists so as to establish them in the religion
of their fathers; were proper pains taken to invite
the children of those who constitute our congregations to partake of these benefits; were families
more diligently sought out by our preachers, classleaders, and active young men and women, and
solicited to unite in the good work of saving their
children —by these and such like means as your
wisdom under God may devise, the rising generation may be made early to see the danger and
vanity of the wealth and splendor of the world, and
to appreciate the dignity and happiness of true godliness and intellectual worth. The children of the
Methodists would no more withdraw from the good
cause of God to lend their influence to support institutions and opinions from which their ancestors
thought it their duty to retire; and many who
without this care might become the curse of their
country, would be raised up to be strong pillars in
the house of God.
The Life of Bishop Asbury, which, in consequence
of affliction and a press of business, was not proposed to the last General Conference, is now in a
state of forwardness, and is recommended to your
patronage.
Accept, dear brethren, the affectionate assurance
of my love in the gospel, and my fervent prayers
for your prosperity and peace.
W. MOIKENDREE.
The Committee on the Episcopacy brought for



BISHOP M'KENDREE.           405
ward a report pretty early in the session, approving
the administration of the Bishops during the past
four years, and adding:
"In relation to strengthening the Episcopacy,
they have regarded with deep and affectionate concern the declining health and strength of our senior
Superintendent.'Worn down by long, extensive,
and faithful labors in the service of God and the
Church, your committee feel a solicitude, which
they doubt not is equally felt by the Conference,
that every practicable provision may be made for
his relief and comfort, hoping, by a prudent relaxation from labor for a time, the Church may yet be
blessed with the benefit of his very desirable services and counsel."
Dr. Bangs adds, "Whereupon the following resolutions were submitted by the committee, and concurred'in by the Conference:
"' 1. That it is the wish and desire of this General
Conference that Bishop McKendree, during his afflictions and debility, should travel in such directions, and remain in such places, as he may judge
most conducive to his own health and comfort, and
that he be accordingly, at the close of the Conference, respectfully and affectionately requested so
to do.
"'2. That whenever Bishop McKendree shall
think himself able, it is the desire of this Conference that he should continue, so far as his health
will permit, the exercise of his Episcopal functions
and superintending care.
"'3. That the committee appointed by the last




406           LIFE AND TIMES OF
General Conference to make provision for the families of the Bishops, are hereby continued; and that
the same committee be directed to take into consideration the present state of Bishop McKendree's
health, and to provide for defraying any extra expenses which, in their judgment, his afflictions may
make requisite.'"
These resolutions, so expressive of sympathy and
affectionate esteem, were duly appreciated by the
Bishop, and were remembered with grateful feelings in many an hour of subsequent suffering.
They were as honorable to the Conference as they
were kind and complimentary to him.
This committee farther reported, on the 9th of
May, that (in view of the declining health of the
senior Bishop, and the increase of travel and labor
which would devolve upon the Superintendents)
"it is expedient that one additional General Superintendent be elected and ordained at this General
Conference" —which was adopted by the Conference. And it was on "Saturday morning, May
13th, moved, etc., that the Conference will now proceed to the election of a General Superintendent.
Carried.  Resolved, etc., that before we proceed
to act on the above resolution, the Conference go
to prayer. Carried. Brother Garrettson gave out
a few verses of a hymn, and then prayed. The roll
was called, to ascertain who was absent, and it appeared that the only one absent was Loring Grant,
who was sick. In conducting the election, two persons, viz., S. G. Roszel and D. Ostrander, were appointed to receive the votes. On receiving and




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           407
counting the votes, it appeared that there were 88
votes, and that Joshua Soule of this number had 47
votes; Nathan Bangs had 38. There were three
scattering votes. Joshua Soule was declared duly
elected to the office of Bishop."*
The events which followed almost immediately
upon this election were so important in themselves,
and so connected with Bishop MclKendree's life,
that his biographer hopes to be excused for narrating them with more than ordinary minuteness
and detail. His authorities for his statements are
reliable manuscripts and published documents.
Before the Conference had elected the Bishop,
the Presiding-elder question, as it is called, had
been, as usual, introduced. From the very organization of the Church, there had always been some
raembers in every General Conference who were
desirous of modifying, or taking away altogether,
the power of stationing the preachers by the
Bishops.  Mr. O'tKelly's secession turned, professedly, upon the rejection of his motion, in the General Conference of 1791, to give every preacher an
appeal to his Annual Conference from the appointment of the Bishop. In 1800, attempts were made
to restrict the power of the Bishops. In 1808, as
we have seen, while the constitution of the delegated General Conference was under consideration,
an attempt was made to render the office of Pre,
siding Elder elective by the Annual Conferences.
At the General Conference of 1812, this question
*Extracts from the Journal.




408            LIFE AND TIMES OF
was brought forward by a member of the New
York Conference, and all the delegates from the
New York, Philadelphia, and Genesee Conferences
voted for it. The majority against it was greatly
reduced, being only three-the Southern and Western Conferences having defeated it. "In 1816,
the same fate attended a similar motion, although
one of the Bishops (George) elected at that Conference was known to be favorable to the proposed
change in- the mode of selecting the Presiding
Elders."* The plan of 1816 was, that the Bishop
should nominate and the Conference elect. If the
nominee of the Bishop should be rejected, he was
to nominate two others, one of whom the Conference should appoint. Those thus appointed were
to remain in office four years, unless dismissed by
the mutual consent of the Conference and the
Bishop. The Presiding Elders, moreover, were to
constitute a Council, to assist the Bishop in stationing the preachers. This was rejected by a vote of
38 ayes and 63 nays.
"Early in the second week of the General Conference of 1820, T. Merritt, of New England, seconded by B. Waugh, of Baltimore, moved so to
amend the Discipline that the answer to the first
question in Section 5 of Chapter I.,'By whom.
are the' Presiding Elders to be chosen?' should
read as follows:'Ans. By the Conferences.' After
considerable discussion, (twenty-one speaking-thirteen in favor of the motion,) Ezekiel Cooper moved
*Bangs's History of the M. E. Church, Vol. II., p. 333.




BISHOP M KE NDREE.         409
that it lie on the table, to bring forward one that
he supposed would be accommodating to both parties; which was, that the Bishops should nominate
three times the number of Presiding Elders wanted,
out of which number the Conference should choose
or elect the number necessary. After considerable
debate, a motion was brought forward by Wm.
Capers, seconded by N. Bangs, that a committee
consisting of three from each side should be appointed, to confer with the Bishops on the subject.
This motion prevailed; the committee was appointed
-Bishop George then in the chair. On the side of
the alteration in the government, Ezekiel Cooper,
John Emory, and Nathan Bangs were appointed.
On the side of our present form of government, S.
G. Roszel, Joshua Wells, and W. Capers were appointed.
"The committee met the Bishops, and after conferring with them, came to no agreement, but
appointed to meet next morning. Roszel, Wells,
Bangs, and Capers were in time; the others not
appearing, nothing was done. When the Conference adjourned, at twelve o'clock, Bishop George
desired the committee to meet him in the gallery of
the Eutaw  Church. We met accordingly. Mr.
Cooper, in bringing forward his motion, had observed, it met with his (the Bishop's) approbation,
and, if I am not mistaken, said, in fact, it wvas the
Bishop's motion. Mr. Merritt then stated that he
held in his hand a note from Bishop George, stating
that all hope of an accommodation was at an end.
Some on the old side felt their minds afflicted,l conVOL. I.-18




410           LIFE AND TIMES OF
sidering themselves forsaken by Bishop George.
In the gallery, he went into an explanation, which,
as it respected the note mentioned by Brother Merritt, appeared different from the views it presented
when Merritt mentioned it, but stated he was in
favor of the accommodating plan, and that he could
not see the principle was affected or changed by its
adoption. After considerable details, in which Mr.
Cooper stated he understood him correctly, and
cordially agreed with him, S. G. Roszel observed,
after all that was said, he must confess he did
not. understand him, and wished him to be so
minute in detail that he could not be misunderstood, and asked Bishop George,'Do you mean
that if six more Presiding Elders are wanted, you
are to nominate three times the number, and the
Conference to elect or choose out of that number?
or do you mean that you nominate three, and the
Conference choose one out of the three nominated,
until the number necessary be obtained?' He replied, that was his meaning —i. e., the last-named
plan. On that principle the committee unitedthose members in favor of the old rules having assurances that nothing more would be required.
The report was written by John Emory, and signed
by all the members, and at the afternoon sitting
was brought forward and passed by Conference61, I think, voting for it."*
The following is the report mentioned above:
*Extract from a manuscript "Statement of the Proceedings
of the General Conference of 18.20, by a Member."




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          411
Tuesday, May 19, 3 o'clock.
The Committee appointed to confer with the
Bishops on a plan to conciliate the wishes of the
brethren on the subject of choosing Presiding
Elders, recommend to the Conference the adoption
of the following resolutions, to be inserted in their
proper place in the Discipline:
Resolved, That whenever, in any Annual Conference, there shall be a vacancy or vacancies in the
office of Presiding Elder, in consequence of his
period of service of four years having expired, or
the Bishop wishing to remove any Presiding Elder,
or by death, resignation, or otherwise, the Bishop,
or President of the Conference, having ascertained
the number wanted from any of these causes, shall
nominate three times the number,' out of which the
Conference shall elect by ballot, without debate,
the number wanted: provided, that when there are
more than one wanted, not more than three at a
time shall be nominated, nor more than one at a
time shall be elected: provided also, that in case of
any vacancy or vacancies in the office of Presiding
Elder in the interval of any Annual Conference, the
Bishops shall have authority to fill such vacancy or
vacancies until the ensuing Annual Conference.
Resolved, That the Presiding  Elders be, and
they hereby are, made the advisory council of the
Bishop or Bishops, or President of the Conference,
in stationing the preachers.
EZEKIEL COOPER,       J. WELLS,
STEPHEN G. ROSZEL,    J. EMORY,
N. BANGS,            WM. CAPERS.




412            LIFE AND TIMES OF
"Great joy was expressed at this union. All
now were in fellowship, if words could be taken as
evidence. Many in favor of the old rule did not
vote for it, and being very uneasy, wished it reconsidered.
"A few days afterward, Bishop McKendree came
forward and stated his objections to the rule
adopted, and'had read in the Conference a letter
from Joshua Soule, Bishop elect.  To the sentiments of Bishop McKendree and Mr. Soule those
in favor of a change took exceptions, held a caucus
without consulting those not in favor of the change,
and agreed to arrest the ordination of J. Soule.
Those originally in favor of the old rule (but who
had agreed to the compromise for the sake of peace
and union) considered themselves no longer bound
by any agreement on accommodating measures.
A motion was made to reconsider the vote on the
election of Presiding Elders, and while this was
under consideration, J. Soule, understanding he
was to be publicly opposed, came forward, and by
letter asked liberty to resign. The subject of his
resignation was taken up, and, at the instance of
S. G. Roszel, it was postponed until next morning.
On the motion before mentioned, to reconsider,
there was a tie vote-43 to 43 —Bishop Roberts refuling to give the casting vote.
"A motion was then brought forward to suspend
the resolutions, making the Presiding Elders elective until the next General Conference. This
motion prevailed -45 for, and 34 against it.
"Brother Soule's resignation was then taken up,




BISIIOP M' ENDIREE.         413
and'S. G. Roszel moved that Brother Soule be,
and hereby is, respectfully requested to withdraw
his resignation, and submit to the wishes of his
brethren in being ordained a Bishop.' This prevailed, 49 voting for it. When this was stated by
Bishop George to J. Soule, he still stated his wish
to resign; upon which James Quinn remarked,' We
cannot accept or receive his resignation;' and no
vote was taken on it. Permission, therefore, was not
given him by vote of the Conference to resign. Of
course he stands Bishop elect.
"After Brother Soule's wish to resign, Bishop
George observed to S. G. Roszel, privately, that the
Conference must elect another Bishop, for they
could not cover the work, Bishop McKendree not
being effective. S. G. R1oszel replied that we, the
majority, will vote for no one but Brother Soule.
Then, said Bishop George, you will compel us to
resign. The reply was, We had rather have no
Bishop than one we cannot confide in. On Friday
before the Conference adjourned, Bishop George
observed to S. G. Roszel that Brother Soule would
now serve; that he believed many of the minority
would vote for him; that he had been talking with
Bangs and Iledding. Bishop George then notified
the Conference that they must meet next morning
and elect a Bishop, and that he could be ordained
the Sabbath following. That evening the minority
had a meeting, and came to a determination to address Bishops George and Roberts, requesting them
to decline having another Bishop appointed. This
address Bishop Roberts showed to S. G. lRoszel




414            LIFE AND TIMES OF
after the Conference adjourned.  On Saturday
morning, when the Conference had met, Bishop
George stated that, as it was a late period of the
session, and the minds of some were much afflicted,
they had thought proper to advise not to elect a
Bishop at this time, but the majority could do as
they thought proper. Brothers Capers and Wells
brought forward a motion to elect a Bishop, etc.;
but, after some observations made by Bishop George,
it was withdrawn. S. G. Roszel renewed it. Bishop
George beckoned him to come to him in the altar,
and asked him to withdraw it, that the minority
would not agree to it, or would break off, or something to that effect. It was withdrawn."*
The above statement was made for the information of Bishop McKendree, who, as will appear, was
unwell and out of the city. The author was not
only a member of the Conference, but of the comimittee who conferred with the Bishops and reported
the resolutions, which afterward were known as the
suspended resolutions. The reader will readily
identify him; and, of course, his statement is reliable. Bishop McKendree filed it away, and kept
it very carefully.
We subjoin the following statement from Bishop
MeKendree's Journal, in reference to these transactions:
"The Superintendents requested the General
Conference to give them the assistance of another
* Extract from a manuscript " Statement of the Proceedings of
the General Conference of 1820, by a Member."




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          415
Bishop. The request was granted, the Rev. Joshua
Soule was elected, and the day of his consecration
was fixed by the Bishops, and announced in the
Conference. On account of his health, the senior
Bishop then went into the country until the time
should arrive. After this, the question of transferring the power of appointing the Presiding Elders
from the Bishops to the Annual Conferences, was
taken up and warmly discussed. This would so
manifestly effect a radical change in our system of
government, that it became pretty evident the
motion would be lost; yet the delate was protracted until the time fixed for the consecration was
fast approaching. The Bishop elect was known to
be in favor of the constitutional system of governanent. When the senior returned, in expectation
of attending to the ordination, he was informed
that Bishop George had postponed it, and consequently preparation for the ordination had not been
made. At this late hour the Conference appointed
a committee to consult with the Bishops on this
momentous subject. The Bishop elect was precluded from this consultation by the delicacy of his
position. The senior Bishop disapproved of the
proposed change; the other two were favorable to
some change, the extent not pointed out. At the
adjournment of the first session of the Conference
on the next day, Bishop George invited the committee, who had waited on the Bishops, consisting
of three from each side, to meet him. In this
meeting the proposition before the Conference was
so changed as to authorize the Bishops, when a




416            LIFE AND TIMES OF
Presiding Elder should be wanted, to nominate
three persons, one of whom should be chosen Presiding Elder by the Conference."
When the Conference met again, the long-protracted subject was presented in this new dress as
"a compromise"- "a peace-measure;" and with
but little, if any examination, was passed.
This decision seriously affected the senior Bishop;
forasmuch as he did conscientiously believe that
it was a violation of the constitution, that a principle was ceded by virtue of which the members of
the Church raight be deprived of their constitutional
rights, and the itinerant system of government
entirely changed contrary to the constitution.
Originally, the itinerant preachers exercised unrestricted powers; but they saw proper, in their
wisdom, to constitute a delegated General Conference, invested with such powers as the preachers
collectively deemed necessary to perform the duties
assigned it.  Their powers were expressed.  What is
tot expressed is, consequently, withheld.  From  the
same authority the Bishops derive their powers,
and the preachers and members their rights andc
privileges. And by virtue of the same authority,
arising out of our compact, the powers and rights
of the delegated  Conference, the Bishops, the
preachers, and the members are secured by "the
Limitations and Restrictions" - otherwise called
the Constitution of our Church.
By the same authority (i. e., the convention of the
preachers in 1808) the Bishops were made amenable
to the General Conference for their conduct as Gen



BISHO.P M'KENDREE.          417
eral Superintendents for the spiritual and temporal
business of the Church. To discharge the duties
assigned them, and stand justly amenable as overseers, they are authorized to choose the Presiding
Elders, to appoint the preachers to their work, " and,
in the intervals of the Conference, to change," etc.
But the delegated Conference, by these resolutions,
attempted:
1. To divest the Bishops of a power which they
held by the same authority which created that body
and conferred its powers.
2. To invest the Bishops with power to nominate
persons for Presiding Elders.
3. To invest the Annual Conferences with power
to elect Presiding Elders-all of which are unknown to our Form of Discipline, to the Constitution of the Church, and to Episcopal Methodism.
It follows, from -our view of this subject:
1. That by the same authority by which the Conferences divest the Bishops of the right of choosing
the Presiding Elders, they may deprive the preachers and members of their rights of trial and appeal,
etc., and of any of their privileges as members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church.
2. As the General Conference assumed the power
to give the Bishops the right to nominate, and the
Annual Conferences the authority to elect, the Presiding Elders, they might take away what they had
conferred, and thereby paralyze the itinerant system.
3. As the Bishops alone are responsible to the
General Conference, and as the power to perform
18*




418            LIFE AND TIMES Of
their duties consists mainly in  appointing  and
changing the preachers, this resolution would deprive the General Conference of the power of carrying their own "rules and regulations" into effect, because they could not justly hold the Bishops
accountable for the work after having divested
them of the power to perform it.
4. It manifestly appeared to be an act of usurped
authority, likely to involve a train of alarming consequences.
Under this state of things the senior Bishop drew
up the following as his view of the subject, intending, at a suitable time, to read it to the Conference:
Baltimore, May 22, 1820.
To the Bishops and General Conference, now in session:
On Saturday evening I received a copy of the
resolution which passed on the 19th instant, which,
contrary to the established order of our Church,
authorizes the Annual Conference to elect the Presiding Elders, and thereby transfers the executive
authority from the General SuperintenCents to the
Annual Conferences, and leaves the Bishops divested of their power to oversee the business under
the full responsibility of General Superintendents.
I extremely reget that you have, by this measure,
reduced me to the painful necessity of pronouncing
the resolution. unconstitutional, and therefore destitute
of the proper authority of the Church.
While I am firmly bound, by virtue of my office,
to see that all the rules are properly enforced, I am
equally bound to prevent the imposition of that




BISIHOP M' KENDREE.         419
which is not properly rule. Under the influence
of this sentiment, and considering the importance
of the subject, I enter this protest.
If the delegated Conference has a right in one
case to impose rules contrary to the constitutioni
which binds hundreds of preachers and thousands
of members in Christian fellowship, and on which'
their ownl existence and the validity of their acts
depend, why may not the same right exist in
another? why not in all cases? If the right of infringing the constitution is admitted, what will
secure the rights and privileges of preachers and
people, together with the friends of the Church?
If the constitution cannot protect the executive
authority, in vain may the moneyed institution and
individual rights call for help from that source.
Believing, as I do, that this resolution is unauthorized by the constitution, and therefore not to
be regarded as a rule of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, I consider myself under no obligation to
enforce or to enjoin it on others to do so.
I present this as the expression of my attachment to the constitution and government of the
Church, and of my sincere desire to preserve the
rights and privileges of the whole body.
Your worn-down and afflicted friend,
W. MCKOENDREE.
Shortly before this document was finished, Bishop
Roberts entered his room and presented him with
a paper from the Bishop elect, addressed to Bishops
George and Roberts. Bishop Roberts thought that




420            LIFE AND TIMES OF
the Bishop elect was not disposed to submit to the
authority of the General Conference.  The other
(Bishop McKendree) thought that such a sentiment
would form a serious objection to his ordination,
but did not think it was expressed in the document
nor held by the writer. "It was agreed that Bishop
Roberts should see Brother Soule, and report at a
meeting of the Bishops to be held next morning.
Soule disavowed the sentiment which the letter was
supposed to contain, and stated his views on the
back of the letter in terms too plain to be misunderstood."
The following is the original letter, and postscript on the back of it, alluded to by Bishop McEkendree above:
DEAR BISHOPS: —In consequence of an act of the
General Conference, passed this day, in which I
conceive the constitution of the Methodist Episcopal Church is violated, and that Episcopal government which has heretofore distinguished her greatly
enervated, by a transfer of executive power from the
Episcopacy to the several Annual Conferences, it
becomes my duty to notify you, from the imposition
of whose hands only I can be qualified for the office
of Superintendent, that under the existing state of
things I cannot, consistently with my convictions of propriety and obligation, enter upon the work of an itinerant
General Superintendent.
I was elected under the constitution and government
of the Methodist Episcopal Church UNIMPAIRED. On
no other consideration but that of their continuance




BISHOP M'KENDREE.             421
would I have consented to be considered a candidate for a relation in which were incorporated such
arduous labors and awful responsibilities.
I do not feel myself at liberty to wrest myself
from your hands, as the act of the General Conference has placed me in them; but I solemnly declare,
and could appeal to the Searcher of hearts for the sincerity of my intention, that I cannot act as Superintendent
under the rules this day made and established by the General Conference.
With this open and undisguised declaration before you, your wisdom will dictate the course proper
to be pursued.
I ardently desire peace, and if it will lend to promote it, am willing-perfectly willing —that my
name should rest in forgetfulness.
I remain, with sentiments of unfeigned affection
and esteem, your son and servant in the gospel of
Christ,                          JOSHUA SOULE.
Baltimore, May 18, 1820.
P. S. At the special request of Bishop McKendree, I hereby certify that in the above statement I
mean no more than that I cannot, consistently with
my views of propriety and responsibility, administer that part of the government particularly embraced in the act of the General Conference above
mentioned.                       JOSHUA SOULE.
It is not a little surprising that this document, so
characteristic of the author's candor, conscientiousness, and firmness, should have been imagined to
indicate disloyalty to  the delegated Conference.




422             LIFE AND TIMES OF
Fealty to the constitution, and an honest and manly
protest against its violation, is the highest evidence
of loyalty to the Church and the constitution. This
communication needed no "'P. S."  It is a monumnent to its author.
We proceed with the narration of the events which
followed the presentation of the above cormmunication, as stated in Bishop McKendree's Journal, and,
of course, in his own hand-writing:
"The Bishops met early next morning, and the
communication was atttentively considered. It appeared that the difficulties of the Bishop elect
rested entirely upon the question of the constitutionality of the resolutions; and it was proposed
for the Bishops to express their opinions on their
constitutionality. Bishop Roberts was of the opinion that the resolutions of the Conference were an
infringement of the constitution.  Bishop George
chose to be silent. The senior Bishop considered
them unconstitutional. The next question was the
propriety of ordaining the Bishop elect under existing circumstances.  It was unanimously agreed
that he should be ordained. The time was agreed
upon, and Bishop George was appointed to, prepare
the credentials, and to preach the ordination-sermon.* The senior Bishop then suggested the pro* That this determination to ordain him was not conditional is
positively asserted by Bishop McKendree, and is evident from
the fact that all the necessary arrangements were agreed upon for
it. Not only was Bishop Roberts to take the chair instead of
Bishop George, in order that Bishop George might prepare to
preach the ordination-sermon, and to have the credentials got




BISHOP MKI(ENDREE.                 423
priety of informing the Conference of the state of
things. It was approved, and he was requested to
make the communication, and the Bishop elect,
having been informed of the design, approved of
the course.  Wvhen the president-Bishop Roberts
-had  called the attention of the Conference, the
senior Bishop laid the case before them. The letready, but the Rev. Thomas Mason left the Conference at the
request of the Bishops to attend to the business of having the
parchment printed and prepared for the occasion.  "Ite completed the credentials, fixing the date according to the time announced by Bishop McKendree for his consecration, and Bishop
George notified the Bishop elect to be ready; and Bishop George
certainly would not have done all this if the ordination had been
suspended on a condition." Again: "The Conference did not
understand the ordination to have any conditional reference to
them, or that they had any legislative control over it; therefore a
protest was contemplated-perhaps prepared-to be presented at
the time of the consecration. While these things were going on,
Bishops George and Roberts, who were in favor of carrying the
resolutions into effect, took J. Soule with them to Bishop McKendree's room, in order, if possible, to prevail on them (i. e., McKendree and Soule) to submit to the authority of the General Conference. The senior Bishop avowed his readiness to submit to the
authority of the General Conference, but opposed the want of
legitimate authority as his objection to those resolutions; and addressing Bishop Roberts, said,'You, brother, as well as I, believe
these resolutions an infringement of the constitution.' Such an
appeal, under such circumstances, laid the Bishops, especially
Bishop Roberts, under an imperious obligation, if the statement
were erroneous, to have objected to it; but no objection was
made.  A silent pause ensued.  Since this interview, Bishop
Roberts has not only said the resolutions are an infringement of
the constitution, but that by them'the principle was ceded"'meaning that they assumed the principle of overriding the constition by General Conference legislation.




424            LIFE AND TIMES OF
ter of the Bishop elect to the Bishops was read; the
conclusion of the council of the Bishops, and their
resolution to ordain Brother Soule, were stated, as
well as an intimation of their opinions respecting
the constitutional difficulty. The sentiments of the
Bishop elect having been prepared, and, with a little
modification, having been read, he retired, and the
Conference resumed its business. A warm contest
ensued. The Bishop elect was attacked in different
ways, and sorely pressed; so much so, that at length
he asked leave to decline his ordination. This was
objected to, and he was requested to withdraw his
petition by a larger majority than that by which he
had been elected.  However, after a tedious.and
painful debate, it was announced from the chair
that it was accepted; but that it was accepted by a
vote of the Conference, was not ascertained.
"For the General Conference thus to attack the
Bishop elect, and for the president to suffer him to
be pursued in this way, appeared to the senior
Bishop to be very unfair. The Conference, by the
vote of a respectable majority, had put him into
the hands of the Bishops for ordination. In this
situation he certainly had a right to address a letter
to the Bishops, and when he was involved in difficulties by a subsequent act of the Conference, he
certainly acted an honorable part to inform them
of his difficulties prior to his ordination, and
thereby put it in their power to guard against
future difficulties.  For this letter and its contents
Brother Soule was accountable to the Bishops, not
to the Conference.  Had the Bishops Judged his




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           425
conduct unworthy of the trust confided to him by
his election, they would have returned him to the
Conference with their objections to his ordination.
This would have brought him under the jurisdiction of the Conference, so far as to reconsider and
rescind their vote, or confirm it, and order his consecration.  But instead of this, after a formal examination of the subject, they (i. e., the Bishops)
had admitted his principle, resolved on his ordination, and that nothing might be done in the dark,
they previously informed the Conference of their
design. The General Conference had a right to
take exceptions, but they should have been directed
against the Bishops, and not against the Bishop
elect, who was not accountable to them for this act,
and was then under the protection of the Bishops,
who were amenable to the Conference for their
official acts. For the Conference to undertake to
convince the Bishops of an error in their determination to ordain the Bishop elect under existing circunistances, would have been proper; and as the
Bishops had resolved to ordain him, it would have
been better for the President to arrest proceedings
against Brother Soule, and invited the attack upon
themselves.
"Ultimately the business assumed another form.
The resolutions which were the occasion of all this
trouble were attacked, and finally their operation
was suspended for four years.
" The suspension of these resolutions opened the
way for another effort to save the constitution, to
preserve the peace of the Church, and perpetuate the




426          LIFE AND TIMES OF
itinerant system-obbjects which, in his estimation,
deserve every effort and sacrifice he can make.
This was, to lay the constitutiomality of these resolutions before the Annual Conferences as the only
legitimate and supreme authority to decide in such
cases. To this course he was providentially directed
by a previous case in our administration. Under a
provision in the Discipline, the Bishops formed the
Genesee Conference in 1809. In the Virginia Conference there was an objection to this act, being,
as it was supposed, unconstitutional. The Bishops
submitted the question to the Annual Conferences.
They acted upon it as a proper subject of their decision, and confirmed the act of the Bishops. By
this act, the Bishops and the Annual Conferences
tacitly declared the Annual Conferences to be the
proper judges of constitutional questions; and the
senior Bishop is fully persuaded that, conformably
to the genius of our government, all such cases as
cannot be otherwise adjusted ought to be submitted
to their decision until otherwise provided for by the
same authority on which the present General Conference depends for its existence.
" The senior Bishop, in hope of succeeding in
this good work, prepared an address to the Annual
Conferences, the object of which was to obtain a
decision on the constitutionality of the suspended
resolutions.  If the decision should be in their
favor, they would go into operation as soon as might
be; but if against them, he advised the Annual
Conferences to- give their consent for the ensuing
General Conference to introduce them conformably




BISHOP M KENDREE.           427
to the constitution. This he did, not that he considered the change an improvement of the system
of government, but because, in his opinion, the advocates of the measure had gone too far peaceably to
return without this concession, and that a less efficient plan, properly managed, would answer a better
purpose than a more effective one in the midst of
confusion and contention."
Having followed the narrative of Bishop McIEendree's Journal to a period subsequent to the close
of the General Conference, and thereby anticipated
the result, let us now return, and follow the proceedings of that body more in detail, and in the
regular order of action.
We have seen that J. Soule was elected on the
13th of May; that shortly afterward the discussion
was renewed on the Presiding-elder question, resulting, on the 18th, in the adoption of the compromise resolutions presented by the committee; that
upon the same day J. Soule addressed a letter to the
Bishops, already inserted; and that the Bishops,
with the approbation of the Bishop elect, brought
the letter and the topics it referred to before the
Conference. We have, -moreover, seen that the
newly-elected Bishop tendered his resignation, and
that the Conference declined its acceptance. We
now quote an extract of the Journal:
"Tuesday, May 23, 3 o'clock. —The following was
submitted, signed D. Ostrander, Jas. Smith:
"Whereas, Brother Joshua Soule, Bishop elect,
has signified, in his letter to the Episcopacy, (which
letter was read in Open Conference,) that if he be




428            LIFE AND TIMES OF
ordained Bishop, he will not hold himself bound to
be governed by a certain resolution of this General
Conference, relative to the nomination and election
of Presiding Elders; therefore,
"Resolved, That the Bishops be earnestly requested
by this Conference to defer or postpone the ordination of the said Brother Joshua Soule until he
gives satisfactory explanations to this Conference.
"After some debate, Brother Soule made some
remarks.
"Moved and seconded that this resolution be indefinitely postponed.
"Before the question was taken on this motion,
the resolution was withdrawn.
" Wednesday morning, May 24th.-It was suggested
by Brother Reed, that if we go into the ordination of
Brother Soule, it was now time we adjourn.*  Five
minutes before eleven o'clock, Brother Joshua Soule
rose and expressed a wish that the General Conference should by vote request the Episcopacy to delay
his ordination for some time.
"No order was taken on the subject.
"Bishop George stated that the Episcopacy had
deferred the ordination of Brother Joshua Soule to
some future period.
"Thursday morning, May 25th.-Bishop George
informed the Conference that the ordination of
Brother J. Soule would take place at twelve o'clock
to-day, in this house.
* The ordination was appointed to take place at eleven o'clock
a.M., on this day.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          4.29
"Brother J. Soule presented a communication,
in which he stated his resignation of the office of a
Bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which
he had been elected."
The course pursued by the Bishop elect was dictated by several considerations.
1. His conviction that the constitution of the
Church was infringed by a law which he would be
expected to execute.
2. The Bishops themselves were in trouble. All
of them had agreed to ordain him, and were anxious that he should submit to it; but there is reason to believe that two of them desired this as a
concession to the Conference, and perhaps with the
expectation that he would so far yield his scruples
as, for the sake of peace, to administer the objectionable law; while the senior Bishop desired his
ordination not only because he regarded him as
eminently worthy and fit for the office, (as did also
his colleagues,) but moreover because he had been
lawfully elected, and would resist the unconstitutional aggression which he believed had been made
by the compromise resolutions.  The resignation
was designed in part to harmonize and relieve them.*
3. The Conference was in great trouble. The
majority had, for the sake of peace, adopted a
measure which, upon reflection, they believed unconstitutional. They harmonized with the man
whom they had chosen for their Bishop, and desired his ordination, though they believed he would
*See note on page 422.




430            LIFE AND TIMES OF
not obey the law. Yet they hesitated to repeal the
law, for fear of dissensionis and strife. The resignation of their Bishop elect was designed to relieve
them.
Many of his oldest and most cherished friends
opposed his intention to resign. They urged him
by his love of the Church-of constitutional Methodism-and by the fact that a respectable majority
persisted in demanding his ordination, to submit.
Upon the other hand, the office had no charms for
him. He had a large young family, from whom he
must be almost estranged if he accepted.   ie delighted in the regular pastoral work of the ministry. But above all, he felt that he could not
perform the functions of a General Superintendent
under this new law, and honestly believed that, in
administering this law, fealty to the delegated General Conference would be treason to the Church.
Therefore, to avoid this conflict with the Conference, and an apparently arrogant assumption of
power, he felt constrained to reject the counsels
and entreaties of his friends, and, by resigning his
office, to throw back the responsibility upon the
Conference. It is difficult to conceive the mental
agony which such a train of circumstances would
produce in an intelligent, conscientious, and sensitive mind. The following letter from Joshua Soule
to the Bishops, is an apology for his course, and
needs no explanation:
Bishops McKendree, George, and Roberts:
DEAR BISHOPS:-The course which I have pur



BISHOP M' KENDREE.         431
sued, in presenting my resignation to the Conference, may savor of disrespect to you, and therefore
needs apology.
I spent the night in a sleepless manner, and could
not prepare the communications, which I designed
to make to you and to the Conference, in time to
see you until after Conference hours. Not having
the least intimation or idea of the appointment for
ordination this morning, my intention was to have
seen you together, immediately after the morning
session, and to communicate to you first my
resignation, and to the Confereuce at the opening
of the afternoon session. But on coming to the
Conference, I learned that the ordination was notified for this morning; and in order to prevent improper excitement as to the time appointed for
ordination, I presented my resignation to the Conference when I did.
I hope you will not pass a severe censure on me
until you shall hear the reasons which have led to
this measure. Yours most respectfully,
JOSHUA SOULE.
May 25, 1820.
We now resume the extracts from the General
Conference Journal.
"May 25, 3 o'clock.-At the opening of the
Conference, Brother Joshua Soule expressed a
wish that the Conference would come to a decision on his letter of resignation, offered this
morning.
"Moved and seconded that Brother Joshua Soule




482           LIFE AND TIMES OF
be requested to withdraw his resignation. This
motion was withdrawn.
"Moved, etc., that the Conference do not express
their decision on the subject before to-morrow
morning. Carried.
"Friday, May 26, 3 o'clock.- The letter of
Brother Soule to the General Conference, in which
he tendered his resignation, being called for and
read, it was moved and seconded that the Conference accept the resignation. Withdrawn.
"Moved that Brother Soule be, and hereby is,
requested to withdraw his resignation, and comply
with the wishes of his brethren, in submitting to
be ordained-signed S. G. Roszel, S. K. Hodges.
Carried 49 ayes.
"Brother Soule, having come into Conference,
again stated his purpose to resign. His resignation
was accepted."
No formal vote, however, seems to have been taken.
The following letter to Bishop McKendree was
written by Joshua Soule about this time, and reveals the writer's mental agony, under the trying
circumstances of his position. It was a private and
confidential communication, vindicating his resignation against the importunities of his friends and
the objections of his opponents. It is like its author.
DEAR BISHOP MCK]ENDREE:-I cannot doubt you
will think me sincere when I assure you that the
labor of my mind, in the extraordinary situation in
which I am placed, has weighed down my spirits,




BISHOP M' KENDREE.:          433
and, in some measure, broken down that firmness
of resolution which dignifies the human character,
and of which, I trust, I have not been altogether
destitute while I have encountered that portion of
adversity which, in the administrations of Providence, has fallen to my lot.
I entered the Methodist Episcopal Church when
I was but a child. I have grown up in her bosom,
and my attachment to her institutions has increased with my increasing years. My happiness
has been ingrafted on her communion, and I have
contemplated her apostolic order with admiration
and delight.  The constitution which secures her
government, and guards the powers and privileges of
her ministers and members, I have ever held sacred.
To touch it in any other way than that which is provided
in the constitution itself, awakens my sensibility and
gives me indescribable pain. In this state of things
the important question is, How shall I act?  0 that
wisdom from above might guide my decision!
I was elected to the office of a Superintendent whlien
the constitution and government were untouched; but,
by an extraordinary train of occurrences, between
my election and consecration to office, a law has
been passed with special reference to the Episcopacy, which, in my judgment, transfers an imnportant executive prerogative from the Episcopacy
to the Annual Conferences, and-which law I cannot
conscientiously administer, because I firmly believe
it fo be unconstitutional, and therefore doubt mly
right to administer it. If I receive the imposition of
hands, under these circumstances, without an open
VOL. I. —19.




434            LIFE AND TIMES OF
and honest declaration to the body which elected
me, how shall I sustain the character of INTEGRITY?
What shall I answer when, in the course of my administration, I am placed at issue with the law? I
have seriously reflected on the subject of a partial
(sectional) visitation of the Conferences. I have attempted to analyze this in relation to our plan of
itinerant General Superintendency, and I perceive
a dissonance which I cannot harmonize.  I apprehend that my path, should I proceed, would inevitably lead me to a point where I should be at
issue with my predecessors and seniors in office. I
declare to you, my dear sir, that these considerations, connected with the train of consequences
which must follow, drink up my spirit and involve
me in a torrent of difficulties and responsibilities
which that portion of fortitude that Providence has
imparted to me is not sufficient to sustain. If this
is weakness, I am weak.
HIad I been ordained previously to the passing of that resolution, my path would have been
marked with  sunbeams; it is now  quite otherwise.
By many I shall be considered an enthusiast,
and shall, probably, sink in the estimation of all;
but my conscious integrity I hope to retain as long
as I live. And, rather than practice the least deception, I will cheerfully suffer the loss of all I hold
dear on earth.
From these considerations, the final decision of
my mind (not unaccompanied with prayers and tears)
is, that I cannot receive the imposition of hands without




-BISHOP M KENDREE.            45t
a full and undisguised development of my situation to the
General Conference.
To every man who spoke to me on the subject,
previous to my election, I uneqa:ivocall declared my
entire adherence to the old-established plan, and that
I stood or fell with the constitution and the government. I
believe no one can say, with a knowledge of my
sentiments, that I have deceived any man.  I have
betrayed no trust.
I cannot say that I feel no sensibility at the
thought of losing the confidence of those friends to
whom I have been bound by the most sacred ties
for a succession of years; and if I am doomed to
sink in your estimation, suffer me to entreat you to
consider fully the difficulties of my situation, and
ascribe to the frailty of human nature that which,
I most solemnly assure you, is dictated neither by
perverseness of will nor impurity of motive.  And
whatever loss I may sustain in your confidence,
permit me to beg that I may live in your prayers.
JOSHuA SOULE.
The day on which the resignation of the Bishop
elect was declared to have been accepted, was
marked by another very important act-the suspension, by vote of the General Conference, of the Presiding-elder resolutions. This, of course, created
a good deal of excitement. And yet, now that the
occasion has passed away, and we are prepared to
look more calmly into this matter, who can doubt
but that onr both sides there was an honest difference of opinion among brethren equally good and




4-36          LIFE AND TIMES OF
true? Who doubts that Garrettson, Cooper, Bangs,
Hedding, Pickering, Emory, and Waugh, and their
colleagues, on one side; and Collins, Capers, Andrew, Roszel, Reed, Soule, and their associates,
on the other side, were aiming with equal zeal and
integrity to promote what they sincerely believed
to be the permanent interests of the Church?
All but one of them have now gone to the Church
triumphant, and have embraced each other as
fellow-laborers on earth and heirs of the promises
above. Or who can doubt that McIlendree, George,
and Roberts were alike sincere in their views of
Church-polity, however differing as to the means
of securing the end at which they with equal purity
of motives aimed? That McKendree and Soule
were right in their sentiments, the writer believes;
but he also believes they were all right at heart.
Upon the resignation of the newly-elected Bishop,
the question came up as to the ability of the Bishops to perform the necessary labor of visiting the
Conferences and the other duties of General Superintendents for the ensuing four years. All seemed
impressed with the conviction they could not do it,
and some were anxious to have another election.
The minority thought that no one would likely be
elected who would give satisfaction to the whole
work, and therefore that it was best to postpone the
election until the next General Conference.
On the next day — 27th of May-a protest was sent
to the Bishops against entering into another election, signed by thirty members. The original paper
is before the writer, in the hand-writing of Dr.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          437
Bangs, with the signatures attached of many prominent members of the New York, New England,
Genesee, and Philadelphia Conferences.
The reasons assigned are the agitations created
by the recent election and resignation, and the excitement growing out of the suspension of the Presiding-elder resolutions, producing such a state of
feeling as precluded the deliberation necessary to
such an act. They suggest that "it would be placing any man in a very hazardous situation to put
him, at this time, into the Episcopal chair." They
also complain of the majority for the manner in
which they secured the suspension of the Presidingelder resolutions "on yesterday, by obtaining the
signatures of said majority;" and that now they are
so leagued together that they can and will carry
any measure they choose, however obnoxious to the
feelings and views of the minority.  They therefore say, "We most earnestly wish the present session to come to a close." The fact is, the majority
would have voted for no one but Joshua Soule, and
as that, under the existing circumstances, would
have been afflicting to him, and perhaps add to the
unpleasant agitation of the Conference, there was
a general inclination to put off the election, if it
could be done without too serious detriment to the
work. When, therefore, the two effective Superintendents came forward and proposed to undertake the task for the succeeding four years, with
only such assistance as the senior Bishop might be
able to give them, the proposition was gladly concurred in, and the Conference speedily brought to a




438           LIFE AND TIMES OF
close. On this point Bishop McKendree's Journal
says:
"After the termination of this important subject,
the Conference hastened to a close, and the members departed for their respective charges, but with
very different views relative to our Church-polity,
the result of the Conference, and the state of the
Episcopacy; and their conflicting views and apprehensions were but too freely disseminated
among the people. I left the General Conference
under great weakness of body, and deeply concerned for the perpetuation of our government and
the prosperity of the Church. I did not think the
Bishops could manage the extensive and difficult
work they had undertaken. The part which I had
acted at this Conference subjected me to animadversion  and  misrepresentation.  The traveling
preachers had, in my opinion, pushed their political
views too, far for an amicable adjustment, without
some modification in the executive department. I
therefore concluded, instead of regulating my movements for the benefit of my health, as the General
Conference had advised, and as my own judgment
approved, to continue to travel as extensively as
possible, in order to render some assistance to my
overburdened colleagues, and to contribute to the
pacification of the Church. To reduce the power
of the Bishops in stationing the preachers-which
was the only avowed subject of controversy at
this time —I did not consider to be a wise or profitable regulation, yet was disposed to admit it, provided the change should be made conformably




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           439
to the constitution, which was intended to preserve an; efficient itinerant Episcopal form of government.
"I am fully persuaded that confidence, peace, and
harmony among the preachers and people, and the
perpetuity of our itinerant system now in successful
operation, very much depend upon the confidence
reposed in the delegated General Conference as to
their intention to preserve the constitution inviolate, and regard it as their rule of conduct. My
opposition to the'peace-measure resolutions,' as
they were called, arose from a conviction that they
were a violation of the constitution, and contravened a principle destructive of the'limitations
and restrictions' imposed on the delegated Conference; and as these restrictions were imposed by the
traveling preachers collectively, and from whom
the delegated body derived its being and all its
powers, I considered them the proper judges of the
constitutionality of their acts. Influenced by these
views, and a hope of adjusting our difficulties and
harmonizing the traveling preachers, an address to
the Annual Conferences was drawn up, in which I
gave my reasons for believing the suspended resolutions to be unconstitutional; intending, if a
majority of the Annual Conferences were of a different opinion, to submit to their judgment as a
legal decision, and upon that authority admit,
recommend, and act according to the provisions
of those resolutions; but in the event that my
opinion should be confirmed, to advise the Conferences to recommend their adoption by the




440            LIFE AND TIMES OF
ensuing General Conference, and thereby introduce
them conformably to the constitution.
"The address was first presented to those Conferences most inimical to the.proposed change, and it
was satisfactorily ascertained that seven of the
twelve Annual Conferences judged the suspended
resolutions unconstitutional; and yet, for peace'
sake, although they were not considered by them
an improvement, they authorized the ensuing General Conference, as far as they could do so, to adopt
them without alteration. But the five other Conferences, in which the steady friends and most powerful advocates of the proposed change were found,
refused to act on the address, and thereby prevented
its adoption in a constitutional way, and, of course,
set in for another vigorous contest at the next General Conference. In this way my hope of a safe
and peaceable adjustment of our difficulties and
the prevention of a dangerous probable schism in.
the Church was frustrated, and the way for the
spread of the schism already commenced was made
more easy.
" Until that time I had, so far as I know, the cons
fidence and affections of the preachers generally,
but after that I had to feel the effects of an astonishing change. Old friends met me with cool indifference, or with retiring, forbidding reserve, and
sometimes even with rudeness. My best-intended
movements were misconstrued- sometimes converted into faults, or magnified to my disadvantage
and to the injury of the cause which we were mutually bound to support. In this furnace of afflic



BISHOP M' KENDREE.           441
tion I discovered my own imperfections as well as
those of my brethren-saw wherein I might have
acted more wisely and prudently in many cases —
and that some of our afflictions might have been
prevented and the same end obtained by a course a
little different, and therefore better, because less
liable to misrepresentation. But the great Head
of the Church still presided, and prospered his
work in our hands. I still respected my old friends,
from whom I was suffering exquisitely for their former friendship and kindness, as well as for their
continued disposition to minister to my increasing
necessities, and above all, I was humbled under a
sense of the grace of God by which I was preserved in this fight of affliction.
"[Between the General Conferences of 1820 and
1824, my health was very delicate, and my trials
very great; but I pursued my course as well as I
could until the fall preceding the General Conference of 1824, when, observing the method adopted
by some, and thinking that I could not attend the
Annual Conferences without interfering with their
measures, or at least seeming to interfere in the
election of delegates to the ensuing General Conference, which I deemed derogatory to my station,
therefore, notwithstanding the fate of our controversy depended on the representatives to be chosen
at the three following Conferences, I committed the
cause to God, and went no farther than the Tennessee Conference. Great were the efforts to secure a
majority in favor of the suspended resolutions, butthey proved unsuccessful."
19*




442           LIFE AND TIMES OF
The course pursued by Bishop McKlendree
throughout this very unpleasant controversy was
characterized by great discrimination, deep devotion to the interests of the Church, and a moral
heroism rarely equaled. His position was a very
delicate one, inasmuch as in opposing the measures
under consideration, he seemed to be advocating
the prerogatives of his own office, and thus his opposition might be construed into a selfish and ambitious principle. Yet nothing was more foreign
from the truth. He believed-and his conviction
was deep and abiding-that the change contended
for was subversive of the constitution, and might
be made the precedent for a most fearful train of
revolutionary measures. He could not-durst not
-yield to them.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.                 443
CHAPTER XV.
Bishop McKendree's appeal to the Annual Conferences as to the
suspended resolutions-The Southern and Western Conferences
consent-Five others reject it-It fails-By whom, and whyWesleyan Repository-Mutual Rights-Methodist Protestant
Church-Journal resumed-Henry Smith's narrative-Visits
extensively-Preaches at camp-meeting-He goes SouthSouth Carolina Conference-J. Soule's letters-Dr. Capers's
letter- Iis character and influence-His second letter-The
era of missions-Cherokee and Choctaw-Missions to slavesBible and Sunday-school Societies.
THE following is the address of Bishop McKendree to the Annual Conferences in relation to the
suspended resolutions referred to in the last chapter.
It exhibits the character of his mind —clear, logical,
and analytical-and is a triumphant vindication of
his ecclesiastical politics, as well as of his unwavering opposition to the changes involved in these
resolutions. It well deserves a careful and repeated
perusal; for although the occasion which called it
forth has passed away we trust for ever, so that
few if any are now found, even in the North where
they were most popular, to advocate their introduction into the polity of the Church-the South continuing, as she has ever been, true to the constitution
-yet, to prevent the recurrence of similar scenes,




444            LIFE AND TIMES OF
it is important that our Church-government should
be studied and understood; and it is believed that
no single document which has ever been published'
upon this subject presents such a clear, concise, and
powerful array of arguments against the innovations alluded to as does this address. Its effect was
most decidedly conservative. Multitudes of preachers and members who were likely to be misled by
the popular clamor against Episcopal power, were
brought to see the tendency and anticipate the
result of this "peace-measure;" and many of the
excellent and pure-minded men who had advocated
it, lived to appreciate the motives and honor the
noble old Bishop who so bravely and yet so meekly
withstood it.
To the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
commencing with the Ohio Conference, to be held in Lebanon,
September 6, 1821.
DEAR BRETHREN: —Forasmuch as a considerable
branch of the Church of Christ is committed to our
care, so as to involve us in high responsibility both
to God and man, I am induced by the present state of
a long-protracted controversy, respecting the powers
of our General Superintendents, to lay the subject
fully before you, hoping you will direct it to a
proper conclusion.
For a number of years a respectable minority in
our General Conference have been endeavoring to
divest the Bishops of the power of choosing the
Presiding Elders, and of stationing the preachers.
They wish to change'our present form of govern



BISHOP M KENDREE.           445
ment so as to invest the Annual Conferences with
the power of choosing the Presiding Elders, instead
of their being appointed by the Bishops, and then
to transfer the power of stationing the preachers
from the Bishops to the Presiding Elders. But this
change, in the opinion of your Superintendent,
would- radically affect our system of government in
several ways.
1. It would effectually transfer the executive
authority from  the Bishops to the Annual Conferences, and thereby do away that form of Episcopacy and itinerant General Superintendency
which is recognized in our Form of Discipline, and
confirmed in the third Article of the Constitution.
2. By doing away the present effective General
Superintendency, our itinerant plan of preaching
the gospel would be greatly injured, if not entirely
destroyed.
3. In point of law, it would effectually divest the
members of our Church of all constitutional security
for their rights, and reduce them to the necessity of
depending entirely on the wisdom and goodness of
the General Conference for those inestimable blessings.
That the proposed change would effectually
transfer the executive authority from the Bishops to
the Annual Conferences, and thereby do away that
form of Episcopacy, with the itinerant General
Superintendency, which is recognized in our Form
of Discipline, and confirmed in the third Article
of the Constitution, will appear from a due attention to our Form of Discipline. 4According to our




446            LIFE AND TIMES OF
system of government, it is the duty of the Bishops
"to travel through the Connection at large, to oversee the spiritual and temporal business of the
Church." But to oversee, or superintend, implies
power to overrule, or manage business officially.
In order, therefore, to qualify the Bishops to oversee the important business committed to their
charge, and to carry our system of rules into complete effect, they are authorized "to preside in the
Conferences;" "'to fix the appointments of the
preachers for the several circuits;" "to form Districts, and choose the Presiding Elders; and, in the
intervals of the Conferences, to change, receive, and
suspend preachers, as necessity may require and the
Discipline directs." And, in order to secure a faithful performance of their duty, and, at the same
time, guard against an abuse of power, the Bishops
are obliged to act in strict conformity to rules
formed by the preachers, over whom. their authority
is exercised, to whom they are amenable for their
administration, and by whom they may be expelled
for improper conduct.
In the appointment of preachers, those who are
to have charge of circuits, Districts, etc., are selected,
and, by virtue of their appointment, are invested
with full power to discharge the duties of their respective stations; and, in case they should neglect
or refuse to do their duty, as pointed out in the
Discipline, it becomes the duty of the General
Superintendent (after suitable admonition) to remove such from office, and supply their places with
others, who will attend to the duties assigned them.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.]         447
-By employing preachers in the  intervals of
the Conferences, and making such changes from
District to District, and from Conference to Conference, as the situation of our work may require,
the General Superintendents are enabled so to enlarge the field of missionary labors that the blessings of the gospel of Christ may be carried to the
destitute, wherever they may be foun'd-especially
to the poor. In this way uniformity in the administration may be preserved throughout the Conferences, errors in the administration corrected,
and the rules and regulations of the General Conference carried into effect; while the whole administration, even from the very extremities of the work,
through the responsibility of the General Superintendents, is brought under the inspection and control of the General Conference. Thus qualified for
their work, it is the Bishops' reasonable duty to
travel through the Connection at large; " to oversee
the spiritual and temporal business of the Church;"
and. it is equally reasonable and just that they
should be responsible to the General Conference
for the faithful performance or discharge of the
duties of their Episcopal office.
From this view of our government, it evidently
follows that the executive authority, or the power
by which the Bishops are enabled "to oversee the
business of the Church," consists in the power of
appointing and controlling the preachers, and
especially the Presiding Elders, because they are
authorized to exercise all the powers of General
Superintendents in the bounds of their respective




448            LIFE AND TIMES OF
Districts, except that of ordination; and might, but
for their being subject to the control of the Bishops,
so counteract and render the General Superintendency useless and nugatory, as effectually "'to do
away that Episcopacy and itinerant General Superintendency recognized in our Discipline, and confirmed by the third Article of the Constitution."
The Presiding Elders, at present, are under obligations to attend to the instructions of the General
Superintendents; but, were the proposed change
adopted, they would then be under obligations to
follow the instructions of the Annual Conferences;
consequently, the Bishops would have no more cont;rol over them than the Annual Conferences have
under the present regulations; and there would be
no propriety in requiring the Bishops to travel
through the Connection at large (say six thousand
miles) annually, "to oversee the business of the
Church;" nor could they justly be responsible for
the administration while thus deprived of official
control; for, although they might travel through
the Connection and see abuses, the instructions of
different Conferences  clashing, their Presiding
Elders administering differently, and coming in
contact with each other in the execution of discipline, their interference would be unofficial and of
no effect. Therefore, the change under consideration would completely destroy the plan of our General Superintendency.
2. By doing away the present General Superintendency, our itinerant plan of preaching the gospel
would be greatly injured, if not entirely destroyed.




BISHOP M KENDREE..449
That the itinerant plan of preaching the gospel
may be differently modified, and still succeed, under
different circumstances, is freely admitted.  Could
all our traveling preachers attend one Annual Conference, to account for their administration, and receive their appointments and instructions, the itinerant plan might go on and prosper in America as
it does in England, without either General Conference or General Superintendency.  [But our
situation is widely different from theirs.  Our work
extends over more than twenty States, and has to
encounter difficulties arising from the civil regulations of different State and  Territorial governments. We are divided into twelve Annual Conferences. These are all equal in power, and independent of each other, no one having power to
impose laws on another. The jurisdiction of each
Annual Conference is restricted to its own bounds,
and each Presiding Elder to his own District. Out
of this state of things arises the necessity of a General Conference to make rules or laws for the united
Annual Conferences, and of a General Superintendency to enforce those rules; to preserve a uniform
administration of discipline; to preserve the union
of the several Annual Conferences; and by removing preachers from District to District, and from
Conference to Conference, (which no Annual Conference nor Presiding Elder can do,) perpetuate and
extend missionary labors for the benefit of increasing thousands, who look unto us as teachers sent
of God. Such is our situation in this country that
our itinerant system can no more do without an ef



450            LIFE AND TIMES OF
fective General Superintendency, sufficiently under
the control of the General Conference, than they
can without the General Conference itself. It was,
therefore, ratified by the constitution, after twentyfour years' experience in proof of its utility and
necessity. Forasmuch, then, as the harmony of the
Methodist Episcopal Church and the success of our
itinerant system depend so much on an effective
General Superintendency, it cannot be done away
without greatly injuring, if not entirely destroying,
our itinerant plan of preaching the gospel.
3. In point of law, it would effectually divest the
members of our Church of all constitutional security
for their rights, and reduce them to the necessity of
depending altogether on the wisdom and goodness
of the General Conference for those inestimable
blessings.
Before the constitution was formed, the General
Conference possessed unlimited powers, and made
such changes in the Form of Discipline as they saw
proper. Out of such a state of things the judicious
apprehended serious consequences nmight arise. The
preachers, therefore, composing the General Conference in 1808, in full possession of all the powers
of the Conference of 1784, (which organized the
Church,) proceeded to constitute and organize the
delegated General Conference, and invested it with
full powers to make rules and regulations for our
Church, under certain limitations and restrictions.
Those restrictions forbid their changing our Articles of Religion, erecting new standards of doctrine, or changing our form of government, so as to




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          451
deprive the preachers or members of their privileges, or appropriating the funds of the Church contrary to the will of their constituents. The third
Article in the Constitution says: "They (the delegated General Conference) shall not change or
alter any part or rule of our government so as to
do away Episcopacy, or destroy the plan of our itinerant General Superintendency;" and they very
judiciously secured to the Annual Conferences,
jointly, the right of recommending any alteration
that might be judged proper in any of the aforesaid
restrictions. These restrictions being all equally
binding, if the delegated General Conference may
infringe, or set aside one part, why not another?
Yea, why not all? For it requires no more power
to change our Articles of Religion, erect new
standards of doctrine, and do away the rights of
preachers and members, than to do away our General Superintendency; and, if the delegated General Conference is not bound by these restrictions,
then their power is undefined and unlimited-they
may makle what changes they please, and there can
be no legal redress —no constitutional-guarantee for
our rights and privileges. Your Superintendent
most cordially disapproves of such a state of things,
and will do nothing which he believes will produce
it, because he conceives it would go to deprive both
preachers and members of constitutional security, and
reduce them to the necessity of relying solely OD
the General Conference for all their rights and
privileges. Before the constitution was formed,
tbe powers of the General Conference being un



452            LIFE AND TIMES OF
defined and unlimited, and our Form  of Discipline
subject to any alterations and amendments thought
to be necessary, each succeeding General Conference, for upward of twenty years after the Church
was organized, made such amendments in the system of government as to them appeared most for
the glory of God and the benefit of the people; and
during those days your Superintendent (as well as
others) felt himself at liberty to propose and defend
such alterations as were judged profitable and expedient; but, since the powers of the General Conference were restricted, and rights defined and
secured to members of the Church by the formation of a constitution, your Superintendent has both
thought and acted very differently. Since that
memorable era in Methodism, your Superintendent
conceives the General Conference to be bound as
sacredly to observe all those restrictions, (as the
laws by which their proceedings are to be tested,)
as each member of the Church is bound to submit to
the' examination of his conduct, according to the
legitimate rules enacted by said Conference, because
the restrictions arise from the same source, and are
supported by the same authority, which gave existence to the delegated General Conference, and
validity to their rules and regulations; consequently,
they must both stand or fall together. From these
remarks, it is very evident that the General Conference have no right to make such innovations in
our system of government, regardless of the steps
pointed out by the provisionary clause in the sixth
Article of our Constitution.




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          453
At the last General Conference, the long-protracted controversy, concerning the power of the
Superintendents, came to an eventful crisis. In all
probability, however, the matter would have ended
as formerly, had not what was thought an accommodating plan been introduced, which produced
the following resolutions:
" Whenever, in any Annual Conference, there
shall be a vacancy or vacancies in the office of
Presiding Elder, in consequence of his period of
service of four years having expired, or the Bishop
wishing to remove any Presiding Elder, or by death,
resignation, or otherwise, the Bishop, or President
of the Conference, having ascertained the number
wanted from  any of these causes, shall nominate
three times the number, out of which the Conference shall elect by ballot, without debate, the
number wanted: provided, when there is more than
one wanted, not more than three at a time shall be
nominated, nor more than one at a time elected:
provided, also, that in case of any vacancy or vacancies in the office of Presiding Elder, in the interval
of any Annual Conference, the Bishops shall have
authority to fill the said vacancy or vacancies until
the ensuing Annual Conference.
2. "That the Presiding Elders be, and hereby
are, made the advisory council of the Bishops, or
President of the Conference, in stationing the
preachers."
Could your Superintendent have subscribed to
these resolutions as constitutional, he nlight, in all
probability, have enlisted in his favor the feelings




454            LIFE- AND TIMES OB
of many whom he highly esteems, and participated
in the general pleasure. But this he could not do
consistently with a good conscience. In his judgment, the delegated General Conference have no
authority to make such changes in our system of
government, unless the previous steps be taken, as
pointed out in the sixth Article of our Constitution.
It is very evident that the above resolutions contemplate taking the authority of appointing the
Presiding Elders from the Episcopacy, at least so
far as to leave nothing but a simple nomination.
But if the General Conference possess the right
to go thus far, certainly they may, on the same
principle, take away the power, or privilege, if you
please, to nominate likewise, and thereby introduce
Presiding Elders, independently of the Bishops' appointment, nomination, or control, and, in the
issue, entirely destroy our itinerant Episcopal form
of government, as has already been shown. Moreover, if the General Conference may deprive the
Bishops of one part of their official powers, in defiance of the constitution, why may they not of
another? why not of all?  The authority that can
take away one part of the executive power from the
Bishops, may take away another, until they do
away Episcopacy, and destroy the plan of our itinerant General Superintendency entirely; and the
same power and authority that can effect this, may
effect whatever change they please, both in doctrine
and discipline. The subject involves the most
serious consequences.  It does not turn so much
on the utility or inutility of the change proposed as




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          455on the constitutionality thereof, because on this point
all our rights as preachers and members depend.
With this view of the subject, your Superintendent
could not submit his delegated powers to the General Conference without being chargeable with a
breach of trust; nor can he conceive how they can
legally deprive him of that power, without first attending to the steps pointed out in our constitution.
He thinks it would be a precedent which would
subject the government to perpetual changes, and
thereby render the security for the rights and privileges of preachers and members very precarious and
uncertain. Your Superintendent, therefore, informed
the General Conference that, in his judgment, the
resolutions were unconstitutional, and consequently
did not feel himself at liberty to carry them into
effect. He pointed out some of the consequences
of infringing on constitutional rights; and to avoid
such consequences, advised (if the change must
take place) that it should be done according to the
provision in the constitution; or, as the last resort,
he intimated an appeal to the Annual Conferences.
This was a painful task, especially as it was performed in a state of great bodily debility; and
nothing but a deep sense of duty and obligation to
maintain and preserve inviolate (as far as he could)
that system  of government which in trust was
committed to him as General Superintendent of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and in which both
preachers and members are so deeply interested,
could have induced him to venture the attempt.
But as many of the preachers who voted in favor




456           LIFE AND TIMES OF
of the above-mentioned resolutions at the last General Conference, saw they had exceeded the bounds
of the restrictions under which they acted, they
suspended the operation of the resolutions for four
years. Hence, your Superintendent is enabled to
lay the subject before you clear of embarrassments,
with which it otherwise must have been encumbered. And, although your Superintendent, for
reasons already assigned, could not submit or give
up the powers he possessed, as General Superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to the disposal of your representatives, in the last General
Conference assembled, he will most cheerfully resign
them, whenever they are constitutionally authorized to receive and dispose of them, in conformity
to your instructions. From the preachers collectively
both the General Conference and General Superintendents derive their powers; and to the Annual
Conferences, jointly, is reserved the power of recommending a change in our. constitution. To you,
therefore, your Superintendent not only submits
the case, but he would advise you to adopt such
mieasures as you in your judgment may deem
most prudent, by which to recognize the adoption of the change proposed in the resolutions,
conformably to the provision in the sixth Article of the Constitution.  Not that he believes
the change would be an improvement of our
system of government, or that it would fully answer the expectations of its advocates, but as an
accommodating measure, on the utility of which
men equally wise and good may, in some degree,




BISHOP M'KENDREE.             457
differ in opinion. Your Superintendent is, therefore, disposed to submit his opinion for the harmony
of the body, as far as is consistent with his duty and
obligations to the Church. And, as a majority of
more than two-thirds of the last General Conference, after having received assurances that it
would be satisfactory, and put the controverted subject to rest, voted in favor of the resolutions, they
tacitly say, all things considered, the change is at
least prudentially necessary. To this decision all
due deference is paid.  In the opinion of your
Superintendent, no sacrifice for peace and harmony,
which can be made consistently with the constitution and preservation of our general itinerant plan
of preaching the gospel, is too great. With your
recommendation and instructions, your representatives in General Coniference may act as they may
judge most for the glory of God and the good of
his Church. Thus introduced, the case would commend and establish the constitution, and form anll
effectual barrier against any future infringement of
that bulwark of our rights and liberties. This advice flows neither from  the fear of frowns nor a
desire of ease, honor, or profit. Let me be any
thing or nothing in these respects, so the work of
the Lord may prosper. The peace and prosperity
of the Church of God-are the objects of my pursuit.
For these I have labored; for these I pray; and in
this cause am willing to suffer. Could I contribute
to this important end, live to see it permanently
established, and then be permitted to rest in peace,
my desire on earth would be accomplished. My
VOL,. I.-20




458            LIFE AND TIMES OF
work is almost done; the time of my departure is
fast approaching, when I shall resign the whole of
my charge into the hands of the great Head of the
Church, under whose authority I act as your servant.                   WILLIAM MOCENDREE.
The result of this- appeal to the Annual Conferences we have already seen. Seven out of twelve
of them declared the resolutions unconstitutional,
but, for the attainment of peace, and in compliance
with the wishes of the senior Bishop, gave their
consent for their introduction, conformably with
the constitution, at the next General Conference.
These were the Southern and Western Conferences,
which had always stood firmly opposed to all innovations.  It was a magnanimous surrender of
preference for the sake of harmony; but it was a
dangerous concession, and proved unavailing, although well intended. The other five Conferences
refused to accept the change as a constitutional measure, because they were unwilling to acknowledge the
want of power in the General Conference to effect it.
They laid the address upon the table, and there let
it lie —virtually refused to act on it, and thus tacitly
avowed their determination to carry the change
into effect, independently of the constitutional
scruples of the Bishops and other Conferences.
Great exertions were made to effect this purpose.
Many hard things were said and written against the
senior Bishop —that "he would not submit to the
authority of the General Conference," "that he
acted independently of the other Bishops," etc., etc.




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           459
Against such accusations he could not condescend
to make a public and formal defense of himself.
His uniform. and faithful administration of the laws
and regulations of the General Conference, the absence of all personal and private motives to act contumaciously, and his life, now almost exhausted in
the laborious and consistent discharge of the duties
of his ministerial and Episcopal offices, were their
satisfactory refutation. He enjoyed that which is
far preferable to applause or to success —the consciousness of deserving them. His own heart and
conscience bore evidence to his integrity, and he
could with humble confidence appeal to his great
Master in proof of the fact that not for himself,
but for the sake of the Church, he had taken his
course. To those acquainted with the peculiar sensitiveness of the Bishop, it would be needless to say
that the temporary alienation of many old friends,
and the attacks upon his character and the government of the Church, which this controversy was
the occasion of producing, were to him exceedingly
painful. The most mortifying circumstance in this
affair was, that his motives were impugned, and
the Discipline denounced as "antirepublican,"
"popish," etc. And yet, while he could not, under
any array of circumstances, succumb to what he
regarded as a palpable violation of the constitution
which he had pledged his solemn vow to sustain,
he did so far try to conciliate the advocates of the
measure as to seek and advise its incorporation into
the laws of the Church upon constitutional principles. Under the circumstances, this may have been




460            LIFE AND TIMES OF
best; and, as it turned out, doubtless it was politic
and practically harmless; but, occupying the standpoint we do in.the history of the Church, we are
compelled to confess our opinion that he owed it to
his clear, strong conviction of the impolicy and
highly injurious tendency of the change in the organic laws of the Church, to have stood firmly and
uncompromisingly against the whole of it, from
first to last. And yet there were several considerations which palliate, if they do not fully justify, his
course. The excitement growing out of the longcontinued agitation of the question, and especially
out of the position which the Bishop elect and himself felt compelled to take, was very considerable,
and threatened the peace of the Church.  The
Bishops themselves were divided upon it —the senior Bishop regarding the resolutions not only as
impolitic, but revolutionary, if passed without the
concurrence of the Annual Conferences; one of his
colleagues admitting their "infringement of the
constitution," but willing to see them go into operation  under existing circumstances; and the
other, without an open avowal of his opinion as to
their constitutional character, evidently favoring
their adoption. To secure harmony in the Episcopacy, maintain the authority of the constitution,
and, by yielding his preference as to the mode of
administering the polity of the Church, obtain a
fresh indorsement of the constitution, and thus
restore peace without the sacrifice of a vital principle, were certainly his objects. Perhaps the consideration which least influenced him was, that in




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           461.
proposing and recommending the change, he vindicated his office, as well as his own motives and
character, from imputations. These weighty reasons preponderated, and, as we have seen, the 1" compromise measure" was proposed to the Annual
Conferences. Fortunately for the Church, the effort failed; but, by the manner and cause of its
failure, the odium of its defeat did not attach to
him, nor to those who agreed with him in sentiment. He yielded every thing but principle for
peace; but the advocates of the resolutions, while
professing to have no wish for any thing more, refused to accept them, unless at what he regarded as
the sacrifice of the constitution. And it is ever
thus with innovations, both in Church and State.
The intelligent and sincere who commence the
work are soon pushed aside, or impelled forward to
ends they did not contemplate at the beginning, by
those less scrupulous and more ambitious. Parties
are formed, passions are excited, and the positions
gained by concession become the grounds of farther
demands. And hence the danger of beginning to
innovate.
One good effect, however, resulted from the agitation of this subject. The Church was aroused to
the study of our system of government, and the
great majority of her most intelligent and sincere
friends were brought to see and appreciate its nature
and scriptural character. The spirit of innovation
culminated, among the traveling preachers, at the
General Conference of 1820. Its fate was sealed
by the discussions and developments which grew
20*




462           LIFE AND TIMES OF
out of the action of this body, and its strength
was never afterward so great among the traveling
ministry; for although, as we shall see hereafter,
it continued for several years to agitate the Church,
yet it had received its death-wound, and was slowly
but surely dying. And if the question be asked,
To whom is the Church most indebted for her
preservation from the evils which this change must
have occasioned? we answer, To William McIKendree and Joshua Soule.
As an illustration of some of the foregoing remarks, and in historical connection with this attempt to modify the government of the Church by
diminishing the power of the Episcopacy, we may
here advert to a subject which constitutes a very
important chapter in the history of American Methodism, and cannot be overlooked in the Life of
Bishop McKIendree. We mean the question of
Lay Representation. In almost every effort which
had been made at innovation upon the polity and
usages of Methodism, from the days of Mr. O'Kelly,
more or less stress had been laid upon the propriety of introducing lay representatives into the Annual and General Conferences. The leaders in all
these movements, aware of the general and strong
attachment of our countrymen to the principle of
civil liberty, and to representation in the lawmaking department in our political institutions, as
a means of preserving our rights, and, ignoring
the radical difference between the powers and rights
that belong to men as citizens of civil government
and such as pertain to them as members of an ec



BISHOP M'KENDREE.          463
clesiastical organization, have always availed themselves of the popular cry for "equal rights."  Like
the cry of persecution, with which it has been often
connected, it strikes a chord in the American bosom
which, whether proceeding from demagogues or
patriots, from oppressed innocence or canting hypocrisy, rarely fails to excite sympathy. And so
strong is this tendency, that even in Church-politics,
a great many persons, instead of holding their passions in abeyance until they calmly inquire whether
the oppression complained of be real or only imaginary, at once take the part of the disaffected
against the discipline and usages of the Church.
So it has ever been, and so perhaps it will always
be; although the history of such agitators among
us has proved the truth of the old saying, that
"those who are loudest in their complaints against
oppression are least disposed to submit to be governed, and most ready to be despotic, when they
get the power." Doubtless the effort which the itinerant preachers were making to transfer the selection of Presiding Elders from the Bishops to
themselves, enlisted the sympathies of many of the
local preachers'and laymen of the Church in their
behalf, and kindled afresh the almost extinguished
spark of disaffection on this question. Some of
those among the ministry who favored the change
were secretly in favor of a congregational instead of
an itinerant system, and naturally sided with the
policy to introduce laymen into all the Conferences
of the Church; while it is certain that many of the
wisest and best of those who advocated the former




464            LIFE AND TIMES OF
change opposed the latter. But, as a general rule,
those itinerant preachers opposed to the suspended
resolutions were against lay representation, while
those of them who favored the latter were also
friendly to the former.
Many local preachers and lay members, especially
in the Baltimore and Philadelphia Conferences, became excited upon the subject of their rights and
privileges. The spirit of innovation became epidernic, and during the period from 1820 to 1824,
and even to 1828, the Church was constantly agitated upon the subject of lay representation. A
paper was established at Philadelphia, called the
"Wesleyan Repository," to which several popular
preachers contributed largely.  it soon became
clamorous for reform, and with increased bitterness
discussed the subject, until it seemed determined to
change or destroy the government of the Church.
Its radicalism alarmed the fears of some who had
espoused the cause of the suspended resolutions,
and brought them to see that whatever speculative
sentiments tend to a disruption of the Church
ought to be abandoned for the sake of the Church.
The "Repository" was superseded by "The Mutual
Rights," published in Baltimore. The contest
which ensued was a most unfortunate and mischievous one, and was not quieted for many years
— resulting, in 1827, in the secession of many ministers and members, and the formation of "'The
Methodist Protestant Church."  The South and
West, having always been the friends of the
Church as it is, and opposed to sudden and serious




BISHOP M' KENDREE.              465
changes in her economy, were less affected by this
agitation than the East and  North, and consequently suffered in a much smaller degree. One
benefit, however, resulting from this controversy
was, that the evils of agitation became so palpable
that those seeking the passage of the suspended
resolutions lost the sympathy of the Church generally-many regarding radicalism  as the offshoot of
the attempted innovation upon the power of the
Episcopacy. And, although this connection was
disclaimed by many of the pure-minded and excellent men who originally advocated the election
of Presiding Elders, and was opposed most sternly
and ably by some of them, yet, however undesigned on the part of such, doubtless this opposition to the existing rules of the Church in
reference to Presiding Elders did contribute to the
excitement which resulted so disastrously.  The
moral taught by this part of the history of the
Church but repeats the lesson lately suggestedthat to innovate upon a well-tried and efficient
system  of Church-government, in order to carry
out speculative views or conform the polity of the
Church to that of the State, is a dangerous experiment, since no one can foresee the end of such agitation.*
* The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South, in 1866, tendered to her laymen and local preachers a
representation in her Annual and General Conferences, without
its having been demanded, and when no other vexed question was
connected with it. But in the case referred to above, this question was associated with others of a most serious character, in



466             LIFE AND TIMES OF
The excitement growing out of this attempt of
the "Reformers" was an additional ingredient in
Bishop Mc~Iendree's cup of anxiety for the four
years succeeding the General Conference of 1820.
IHe seems to have anticipated that the struggle
among the preachers would lead to another, in
which the laity would imitate them  by claiming
their supposed rights also; and we shall see that his
opposition to this measure was such that he would
enter into no "compromise."
In resuming the examination of the Journal of
Bishop McEiendree, we find that he remained in
Baltimore, and at Dr. Wilkins's, near the city, for
some time after the General Conference of 1820
closed its session.  He had been excused from the
regular official work, on account of his want of
health, and advised to seek its restoration.  He was
therefore under obligation to take only such exercise as might conduce to this end.  Having recovered a little strength, he very soon began to feel
restless; and, having been so fortunate as to obtain
the Rev. Henry Smith as his traveling companion,
they started from Dr. Wilkins's on a tour of preaching and visiting the Churches. The following account is given of that tour from "Recollections of
an Old Itinerant," by H. Smith, p. 268:
volving the efficiency, if not the very existence, of Episcopacy and
itinerancy. To have yielded then in one instance, would have
necessitated other and more damaging concessions, or the quiet
of the Church would not have been secured. How this change
will affect the Church in the South, remains as yet an unsolved
problem. The writer hopes and believes it will work well.




BISHOP M'ENDREE.          467
"We visited Churches and families on our way
to Frederick City —namely, Ward's, Bennett's,
Elliott's, and Gore's, and then A. Warfield's. In
every place the Bishop was able to preach, to the
edification of the Church, and left a blessing in
every neighborhood and family. Thence we went
to Liberty, Winstead's, Willis's, and Frederick;
thence to Samuel Phillips's; thence to Thomas
Key's.... The Bishop preached at Charlestown,
Brucetown, Thomas Baldwin's, Winchester, Stephensburg, Crum's Meeting-house, the White House,
Sharpsburg, and in other places, besides delivering
many exhortations in families and private companies. In every place he was received as an angel
of God, and his labors were greatly blessed to the
people. He made use of the Shannondale and Sulphur Springs' waters, and also those of the Balinda
Springs, near Sharpsburg, and gained strength.
"On our return to Baltimore, we attended a
camp-meeting on Frederick Circuit. The Bishop's
preaching put me in mind of former days, when he
went forth in the vigor of his strength, and preached
in the power and demonstration of the Spirit. Our
visit to Virginia did not only improve the Bishop's
health, but was attended with great good to others.
We soon returned to Baltimore, and about the last
of September left the city for the South. We
moved on slowly, visiting the Churches in Washington, Georgetown, Alexandria, Dumfries, Fredericksburg, and many neighborhoods on our way
to Williamsburg. From thence we proceeded to
Etampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Sum



468            LIFE AND TIMES OF
merton, Murfreesboro, and through Tarboro, to
Newbern, North Carolina; from  thence to Wilmington and Georgetown, and so on, to Charleston,
South Carolina, preaching in many country places,
as well as in. cities and towns.
" We entered Charleston a few  days before
Christmas, and had summer's heat. The gardens
and every thing looked'gay and green' — green
peas in full bloom and fine lettuce in abundance.
But before we left there, (about the 1st of January,
1821,) we had heavy frost, and on our way to Columbia, where the South Carolina Conference was
to meet, we had snow, rain, sleet, and ice an inch
thick. It was disagreeably cold, and great were
the sufferings of the people, white as well as colored. The houses were generally open, and the
people thinly clad and not prepared for such a
change. Some of the oldest people said they had
never seen such a winter. There is something very
disagreeable in a southern winter's air.
"In Columbia, South Carolina, we met the Conference. Bishop George presided, and a body of
more holy, loving, and zealous ministers of Jesus
Christ I never saw. I never saw more strictness
observed in the examination of characters in any
Conference. Plain, humble, cross-bearing men are
its muembers, as ready to wait on themselves as any
other Methodist preachers, and remarkably kind
and friendly to servants."
From Columbia, South Carolina, the, Bishop,
with Brother Smith still as his traveling companion,
came back to the Virginia Conference, which was




BISHOP M'KENDREE.           469
held at Raleigh, North Carolina, on the 28th of February, 1821. Here, leaving the Bishop in the care
of Lewis Skidmore, Smith returned to Baltimore,
remarking (p. 271) upon this tour: "Perhaps in no
part of my life did I serve the Church more faithfully and usefully than while I was helping along
our aged and afflicted Superintendent."
The following letter from the Bishop to the Rev.
Joshua Soule, is dated Raleigh, North Carolina,
February 27, 1821:
MY DEAR BROTHER:-My health, in some good
degree, has improved, and I begin to apprehend
that not much more improvement is to be expected; and yet such is my remaining debility that I
am utterly unable to do the duties of an effective man.
Such is the state of the roads in this country,
with the shortness of the time between this Conference and that of Baltimore, that it will be impossible for me to get there in time. Indeed,
Bishop George thinks he cannot accomplish the
journey in time. Therefore, at the earnest solicitation of Bishop George, I have given up Brother
Smith to go on with his horse, that the Bishop may
follow on in the stage after Conference. Perhaps
we might have found some other way; but the experiment has convinced me that the benefit which
the Church would derive from my services, will not
justify me in making such a sacrifice of my remaining strength. IHence I have relinquished the
idea of pursuing the Conferences any farther for
the present.
21




470           LIFE AND TIMES OF
You have too much sensibility to suppose that
this conclusion has been arrived at without some
feeling on my part. This is increased by the obligation I brought myself under to attend the New
York Conference-if the Lord permit. I have pursued this intention as long as I could see my way
clear, and now give it up reluctantly, though with
a clear conscience.
From  these considerations, I have determined
more fully to adopt the advice of the General Conference, as also that of my physicians and friendly
counselors, in respect to my course of conduct in
order to convalescence.
I believe the Lord called me to the ministry; but
I was called to the Superintendency by the General
Conference; and by the same authority I am released from the duty and responsibility of that
station. Consequently, I feel pretty much at rest
while I contemplate what lies before me in my expected course.
The course I took at the last General Conference
respecting the suspended resolutions-to lay the
subject before the Annual Conferences-must be
carried out. I intend to pursue the same course
taken by Bishop Asbury and myself when the constitutionality of appointing the Genesee Conference
was called in question. I expect to begin at the
next Ohio Conference, and so go through the Conferences. I design to lay the subject so before them
as to set them completely at liberty, so far as respects me, as to authorize the adoption, and thus
put an end to strife, if this zoill do it, and thereby




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          471
give additional strength to the constitution, which
will guard us against infringements for the future.
However, I do not regard the proposed change to
be, in reality, any improvement of our system; and
I very much doubt if it will operate for the better
any length of time. But it is alleged that civil
usages are against us, and perhaps it is the best
we can bear; and if admitted so as to prevent
future injuries, I think the system of government
may still be carried into effect-at least so long as
we work harmoniously together. And without this
the most perfect system could not save us. The
Lord's system of government did not continue to
please the Israelites, and "he gave them statutes
that were not good."
I have but few confidential associates, nor do I
seek more; consequently, I have to stand too much
alone in the midst of such momentous affairs. This
made the contemplated interview with yourself so
much the more important to me. But I learn
patiently to submit to disappointments. I desire,
dear brother, to hear from you. Please write freely
and sentimentally.
I observed, in a letter to Brother Mason, that I
consented to your continding in New York, intending you should understand it before I could write
to you.!My respects to Brother Phcebus and inquiring
friends. Present my respects to Sister Soule, and
remember me at the throne of grace.
Your brother,        W. MCKENDREE.
To JOSHUA SOU LE.




472            LIFE AND TIMES OF
The Bishop received the following letter from
Joshua Soule, in Baltimore, who, after the General
Conference of 1820, having declined the Agency of
the Book Concern, was stationed in the city of New
York:
New York, Sept. 1, 1820.
DEAR BISHOP:-Your letter of the 14th ult. came
to me while at the camp-meeting on Long Island,
and I am unable to express the satisfaction it gave
me, especially when I learned that, by the blessing
of a gracious Providence, your health, which was
so precarious when I left you, was improving, with
a prospect of its being confirmed.
It is impossible for me to describe the sensations
of my mlind during the recent session of the Gen~eral Conference, when I saw your feeble state, your
emaciated frame, your strength prostrated, and
your debilitated condition, like a reed shaken by
the wind. I feared, not for you, but for the Church:
of God committed to your charge. I strove in vain
to free myself from the painful apprehension that,
in all. human probability, your superinitendeuce of
the great work was near its close at the very time
that the state of the Church; both in the ministry
and membership, was such as to require the continuance of your oversight. My chief source of
consolation, during this conflict, was a firm persuasion of the wisdom and rectitude of the divine
counsels, and of the unerring superintendence of
the providence of God. To the events of this providence, however dark and unscrutable to the comprehension of limited agency, I desire to bow with




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          473
humble submission, and walk by faith when sight
is not permitted to guide me:. But as it has been
a matter of prayer with me that the great Iead of
the Church would raise you up and preserve you as
a light and shield to our Zion, so shall the answer
of it be a subject of thanksgiving and praise.
With reference to my conduct at the last General
Conference, although it was not dictated by passion,
but was the result of the most calm and deliberate
reflection of which I was capable, under the circumstances, the time which has elapsed since that
memorable period has afforded me the opportunity
of reviewing that whole matter with sober deliberation; and after the most careful, and, I trust, the
most impartial investigation, I feel a satisfaction in
my own mind in recurring to the measures I then
pursued, for the absence of which no earthly emolument could be a consideration.
I firmly believed at the time, and have perceived
no evidence to change my opinion, that the resolution of the General Conference, by which the Presiding Elders were made elective by the Annual
Conferences, was a violation of the constitution,
and a radical change of the government of the
Church. With this conviction I might have gone
silently, and perhaps without opposition, to the
altar of consecration. But how should I have stood
in the judgment of my own mind? or how should
I be able to answer for this silence to that great
religious body to which the voice of the Conference
had placed me in the most responsible relation? I
think, considering the nature, continuance, and ex21'*




474            LIFE AND TIMES OF
tent of the controversy, he must have been a superficial observer of human nature who should suppose that the subject would rest simply on the provisions of that resolution. It was sufficient for the
tinme being that the princille was ceded, and the
foundation laid for the perfecting of the contemplated building. The best defense which could be
made at any future period would be weak and ineffectual after such an obvious relinquishment of
the grand principle upon which our ecclesiastical
polity rests. Under this view of the subject, had I
entered upon the duties of a General Superintendent with submission, I should have felt myself
bound to give a reason for my conduct to hundreds
of thousands who are already in the fellowship of
the Church, and who have subscribed to our form
of Episcopacy. This was a responsibility which I
was conscious I could not sustain. Silce the General Conference I have frequently thought that,
under the extraordinary circumstances in which I
was placed, I may have spoken or acted with apparent disrespect to you or Bishops George and
Roberts, or to the Conference. Should you or they
have marked any thing of this kind, I deeply regret
it, and can give assurance that no irreverence was
designed. And, under the necessity of differing in
opinion, I wished to express that difference in as
respectful language as I could, consistently with
that frankness which I have ever valued as one of
the brightest ornaments of the human character.
I had reason to expect that, on my return to this
section of the work, my situation would not be very




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          475
pleasant. But the most profound silence has prevailed with respect to the business of the Conference; and I am treated with much greater apparent.respect than before.
As I was not able to control my temporal circumstances without a sacrifice which I was unable to
bear, and, at the same time, receiving a letter from
Brother Rloszel, in which lie expressed an opinion
that, all things considered, it might be as well for
me to remain here for the present year, I received
an appointnlent in the city. At the same time I received instructions from Bishop George to remove
to the Baltimore Conference at its next session.
This is my inclination and desire. But I wish it
to be explicitly understood that I hold myself in
perfect readiness to move to any part of the work
where it shall be judged most expedient. I have
resigned all ideas of a local nature. House and
home affect me no more; and I have cause to praise
God that, after a long and painful struggle, my dear
companion is fully with me in this view. I owe no
man any thing, and though poor, I have enough.
I covet no man's silver, or gold, or apparel; but
prove, by happy experience, that "godliness with
contentment is great gain."
You will doubtless see Bishop George in Baltimore or its vicinity, and receive from him a narrative of the disastrous events which have transpired
in this station-suffice it to say that several hundreds have separated themselves from the fellowship of our Church, established an independent
congregation, and embodied under a system of gov



476            LIFE AND TIMES OF
ernment which secures a perfect equality of rights
and powers to every member, male and femaleproperly speaking, an ecclesiastical democracy, in
the most extensive sense of the word.*
The poor deluded Africans, both in the city and
in Brooklyn, have declared themselves independent;
of us, and are, it is to be feared, approaching a state
of the wildest disorder and of ruin.  Deeply involved in debt, and without the means of extricating themselves, their churches mortgaged for security, and the periods of payment approaching, their
situation is truly lamentable. While they were
subject to us, there was a disposition in the public
mind to aid them; but convinced that they are in.
capable of governing themselves, and consequently
that assistance would be thrown away were it given
in their present state, that disposition has subsided.
Various have been the ostensible causes which
have led to these unhappy effects. But there is a
real cause which is unperceived, or if perceived, is
unacknowledged. I think, soon after my appointmnent to the charge of the Book Concern, I communicated to you my persuasion that serious and
very unpleasant events awaited us in this city.
Whether the grounds on which this persuasion
rested were assigned, I do not recollect. I was then
the silent and unofilcious observer of men and
measures, and I clearly saw that the seed was sown,
* This is doubtless an allusion to the secession of a preacher
-James M. Stillwell-and about three hundred members of the
Church in the city of New York.




BISHOP M'KENDRER.           477
and had taken such deep root as to warrant the expectation of a copious harvest.
I frequently heard the cry of "Popery," "Ecclesiastical tyranny," " Unimited power," " Oppression," etc., from those who had promised to "act as
sons in the gospel," and with some of those who
had sounded the alarm there was too strong an appearance of the existence of what they would be
thought so much to oppose.  To this cry there was
a responsive action in the official department of the
Church; and so powerful was the sentiment of
" equality" and "i~ndependence," that it was extremely
difficult, not to say impossible, for the proper officer
to keep the official body, when met for business,
subject to the common rules of order.  Through
the official members this strange fire was kindled in
the classes. The consequence was, that the ministry was not only treated with disrespect, but with
contempt. To be charged unblushingly with deceit,
hypocrisy, and falsehood, became the order of the
day. At length it comes to issue on a plain and
unequivocal point of discipline. The question is,
Shall it be carried into effect?  A number of the
influential official characters say it shall not. The
preacher in charge says it shall at all hazards. It
is a point which admits of no modification; and
the official men in opposition immediately resign
their office and withdraw from  the Church.  The
explosion is tremendous-many leaders follow the
example, and carry their classes_ with them.
Admitting this to be the true state of the case,
you will perceive how difficult it is either to pre..




478            LIFE AND TIMES OF
vent or cure the evil. The fatal source of it is deep
and wide. Happy would I be if I could believe it
would stop in this city, but the deadly principle is.
too extensively diffused. You will also perceive
how critically I am  situated, entertaining these
views of the origin and progress of this schism.
Pray for me, that I may be guided by that "wisdom
which is from above." O how ardently I could
wish that you could visit us and aid us by your
counsel and your influence!
With reference to the acts of the General Conference in relation to local preachers, my situation,
at the time of the passage of the rule, was such
as to prevent me from analyzing it in that way its
importance required. I have since given it a careful
investigation, the result of which is, that it is attended with several serious difficulties, which I must
make the subject of another communication. But
I need not suggest to you how important it is that
the greatest prudence be observed- in all communications on this subject!  We have reached an
eventful epoch in our history. May the great I-Iead
of the Church preserve us in the unity of the
apostolic faith, and in the harmony and simplicity
of the gospel order of discipline!
Yours, most affectionately,
JOSHUA SOULE.
A few days after the foregoing letter was wiitten,
the following communication was dispatched. As
it explains its object, and illustrates the character
of the Bishop by the influence which it was thought




BISHOP M'KENDREE,          479
he only could exert over the disaffected portion of
the Methodists in New York, we insert it:
New York, Sept. 7, 1820.
DEAR BISnOP: —At a meeting of the stationed
preachers in this city, together with the Presiding
Elder of the District, yesterday, I was requested to
write to you immediately, requesting you, if possible, to visit this station without delay. It is believed by the preachers that your presence and
counsel at this crisis of affairs here might be of essential benefit to the Church. The principal actors
in the late separation, while they appear to have
lost all confidence in the men placed in charge,
manifest the most implicit confidence in you; and
some of them have expressed a desire for you to
come, and have inquired after you with apparent
solicitude, saying if you had been here, things
would have been otherwise.
For myself, I have no expectation that your influence would bring back to the Church any considerable number of those who have departed from
us; yet I am fully persuaded that a visit from you
might be of great use under the present circumstances.  The grounds of this persuasion are of
such a character as to render it difficult to communicate by letter. Let nothing of a pecuniary
kind prevent you from visiting us. I pledge myself
for the reimbursement of your expenses. I would
have been in Baltimore to present the case to you,
and attend you to this place, but for the imperious
call for my services in this city.




480           LIFE AND TIMES OF
You will please to give me an answer ima
mediately on receiving this; and, if it is possible
for you to visit us, let me know the probable time
when we may expect your arrival; otherwise, let
me know where I may meet you by mail from this
time until the South Carolina Conference.
Yours, with esteem and respect,
JOSHUA SOULE.
We cannot deny ourselves and our readers the
gratification of inserting the following very interesting letter.  The writer was then the stationed
preacher in the city of Savannah, which was visited
by that most fearful pestilence, the yellow fever.
Multitudes had died, and thousands had fled the
city; but our beloved brother had braved the danger, and, with his family, staved in his charge, and
faithfully and alone ministered to the religious
wants of the stricken city. In this season of peril
and affliction, the Bishop had assured him by letter
of his sympathy, and encouraged him to duty by
promising to remember him in prayer. Those who
may have been similarly situated can appreciate the
feelings of the writer —a man who never deserted
the post of danger, and whose triumphant death in
the midst of arduous duty has afforded a suitable
finale to such a life:
Savannah, October 31, 1820.
VERY IDEAR AND REVEREND SIR:-Your most kind
letter was as dew to the parched grass. Brother
Hall, of Norfolk, had before given me the long



BISHOP M'KENDREE.          481
wished-for intelligence of your better health, and
intimated its being probable that you would attend
our Conference. That you had purposed to do so,
I was not uninformed, but I greatly feared your
want of health.
I do most heartily join you, my dear father, in
blessing and praising God for all his mercies to you
and the Church; and surely, you have my humble
prayers that you may more and more prevail against
all evil, and live to the edification and comfort of
the Church.
I cannot tell you with how lively a feeling of love
and thankfulness I read the expression of your good
wishes for me-how sincerely I thank you for praying for me. Well, it is even as you desired. The
dreary, heartless scenes of woe upon woe, disease,
and death, and desolation, are passing or passed
away, and I still live. My wife still lives, my children and my servants-all are alive, and in health.
We have had no death nor sickness in our family
through alI this sickening, dying time. Blessed be
the Lord God, who hath kept us for his wbrd's sake,
and that none may be discouraged when sent to
serve the Church in this valley of the shadow of
death!
I am unable to give you any thing like an account
of the state of the Church in this place. For nearly
two months we have had (strictly) no Church-no
sacrament, no love-feast, no class-meeting.  Our
people have been scattered abroad, wherever they
could find a retreat from the desolating sickliness
of the city. I might almost say, I was left alone.
VOL. i.-2 22




482           LIFE AND TIMES OF
But hope anticipates a brighter day at hand. O that
God may return with the people, and fill us with
salvation!
I said we have had no Church-no class-meetings.
We have had nothing that is peculiarly ours; and
perhaps my situation, for the last six or seven
weeks, has been as novel as it has been difficult and
delicate.
When the character and prevalence of our deathbearing disease had so alarmed the city as to drive
six-sevenths of its entire white population from their
homes, our people fled with the rest; and I had not
remaining steward, nor leader, nor as many members as would form a class. Our Church was situated in the most fatal and the most deserted part
of the city, and remote from the remaining inhabitants generally. I was solicited to remove preaching to the new Presbyterian Church, which was
recommended from its being in a central and more
healthful part of the city. And this was farther
urged because the remnants of the Baptist and Presbyterian congregations, as well as the few remaining
ones of my own, were all looking to me for the
services of the ministry. It was also proposed that
the pews should be made free, and that collections
should be made upon the same plan and for the
same uses as in the Methodist Church. TUnder these
circumstances, and for the present distress only, I consented. As far as I can yet judge, the measure has
had a good effect. On next Sabbath, I return to
our Church.
I hope the state of religion in our Conference




BISHOP M' KENDREE.          483
generally is better than the last year. Accounts are
good from the upper parts of this State. Columbia
lives, and Camden is all alive. Poor Savannah!
We trust in the Lord that we shall be saved from
dying. Charleston is as formerly: little increase,
but no declension of the Church. A local preacher,
by the name of Triggs, has been laboring on the
south of the Altamaha River, just above the Satilla
Circuit.  He tells me that he has formed a twoweeks' circuit, and has joined fifty in Society. They
wish a circuit-preacher. Triggs has been employed
in this good work constantly since the month of
May.. He represents the people as being very destitute, and the face of the country as being better
than within the Satilla Circuit.
With the sincerest reverence and affection, your
dutiful son,                     W. CAPERS.
P. S. Please give my love to the brethren, Hall
and Smith.                            W. C.
It was about this period that the attention of the
Bishop was turned with great interest to the condition of the Indian tribes within the United States.
But the newly-organized Missionary Society was
not able to supply the funds necessary to carry forward his plan. He aroused the preachers to the
importance of the enterprise, planned and advocated
the system of general and systematic contributions
for missionary operations, and may be justly regarded as the father of the missionary financial plan
which has already done so much, and promises to
do vastly more for the conversion of the children




484            LIFE AND, TIMES OF
of the forest, as well as for other fields of missionary
effort. It was during the early part of the year 1822,
that he resolved to send a missionary to the Cherokee Indians, and the writer, at the Bishop's request,
had consented to undertake the task. But the state
of his health and the remonstrances of his charge,
which was likely to be left destitute of a preacher
the remainder of the year, induced the Bishop to
decline sending him. Not long afterward, however,
in 1823, he found others whom he appointed to that
Nation, and whose success was wonderful.
Having resolved upon attempting to Christianize
the Indians, Dr. Capers was selected and appointed
missionary to South Carolina Conference and to the
Indians in 1821, with instructions to visit the Choctaws should the Creeks refuse to receive missionaries.
Of course this devoted servant of the Church did
not hesitate to enter promptly upon the duty assigned him. Brought up in affluence, accustomed to
the refinements of a city life, and highly cultivated
in mind and manners, he had cast his lot with the
Methodists at a period in the history of the Church
in South Carolina wheh it greatly needed his personal and family influence. His position in society,
his learning, talents, and zeal, were fully and most
efficiently devoted to the cause of Methodism. A
train of unfortunate events had transpired in
Charleston tending to divide the Church and degrade her ministry in popular estimation. The
wealthy and intelligent portion of the community
looked down upon the Methodist preachers with
mingled feelings of suspicion and contempt.  It




BISHOP M' ENDREE.           485
remained for Dr. Capers to correct this state of
public sentiment, and by his purity, zeal, and eloquence to elevate both the character of the Church
and the ministry. Born near Charleston, in 1790,
of a family respected and honored by the whole
community; a graduate of the State College, and
of unquestionable personal integrity, God seems to
have raised him up for the defense and propagation
of Methodism in that proud and chivalrous section
of the country. In addition to all his other advantages, he happily blended the most bland and prepossessing manners with a simple Christian gravity
and unstudied dignity; and, superadded to all, the
attractions of extraordinary eloquence. That eloquence was not the timid and superficial counterfeit
which too often passes for the genuine, but combined all the elements of true evangelical eloquence.
It was instructive, persuasive, pungent, powerful;
full of argument and illustration, earnest, searching,
and replete with the demonstration of the Holy
Ghost and with power. It was impossible to form
his acquaintance without being struck with his
manners, or to hear him without feeling an attraction. The Church loved him as much for his humility and unselfishness as she admired his talents
and success; and thousands of ears which heretofore
had been closed by pride or prejudice to Methodist
preaching, listened with rapture and reverence to
the sweet and persuasive tones of his musical
voice.
The following interesting communication was addressed by Dr. Capers to Bishop McKendree:
22*




486           LIFE AND' TIMES OF
Lodebar, Aug. 14, 1821.
REVEREND AND DEAR SIR:-Just a week ago I returned from an excursion into Georgia, in which I
visited Augusta, Wrightsboro, Greensboro, Salem,
Athens, Lexington, Elberton, and Washington,
besides Camden, Columbia, and Edgefield Courthouse, in this State.
On this tour I was occupied forty days, and obtained $600 for the mission. The whole amount
now collected stands at about $2,800.
To-morrow I set out for the Creeks. As far as at
present I can be determined, this visit will be confined to the Creeks, and is intended to ascertain
whether they will receive us or not; and if they receive us, to select and secure a -site, and engage for
occupying it without delay. This done, I purpose
to return to them  with a missionary-perhaps
Brother Hill; or, if they will not admit us among
them, he will accompany me to the Choctaws.
Whether, in the event of a favorable reception
among the Creeks, I ought to seek more than one
infant mission among them, or whether, having
planted one grain of seed in that field, I should go
on to the Choctaws, remains yet to be determined.
In either case, I must prefer the gospel's own way
of disseminating itself. Two men, or a half-dozen
men, or men with their wives, or a helper eachnot huddled together at the outset, but placed at
different points-may grow into so many enlarged
missions, with branches detached through the intermediate country so as to cover the whole.
I now purpose to go directly to the Agent for the




-BISHOP X' KENDREE.        487
Creek Nation, (Col. Crowell,) and having delivered
a letter from the Secretary of War, (Mr. J. C. Calhoun,) will concert with the Agent and such other
persons as I may approve the best introduction to
the Indians. At Milledgeville I hope to meet with
Col. Richard A. Blount, and will probably obtain
an interview with Gen. Mitchell, lately the Agent.
I have not been unmindful that, with the Creek
Indians especially, it is of importance to distinguish
between the charity of the Church and the policy
of the government. In this work, both seek the
same object; but the Indians may be less suspicious
of the one than the other.
While in Georgia, I was careful to be informed
who, of the more distinguished citizens of that
State not immediately connected with the government, are known to advantage among the Indians,
and sought the countenance of such for our mission. I now have a letter from Gen. McIntosh to
the Indian chief of that name, and, when at Milledgeville, expect to receive letters from Gen.
Mitchell and Gen. Merriwether.  Perhaps there
are none of our countrymen who can better serve
us than these gentlemen.
Is it not a pity that I have not a letter from the
Bishop or the Bishops and Conference to the chiefs
and council of the Nation, setting forth our objects,
and the motives that induce us to it, and soliciting
them to talk with me as their brother and the agent
of the Church? I am  not sanguine of success
among this tribe, but in case of a failure, I would
not have it chargeable to any omission on our part.




488            LIFE AND TIMES OP
But I am sorry to say, I make poor work in enlisting missionaries. Brother Christian G. Hill is
the only preacher upon whom I can depend,
willing to enter upon the holy, blessed service. If
I go to the Choctaws, I must make large calculations on Brother Hersey. Indeed, as moderate as
have been my collections, I fear the want of men,
more than of money, will give limits to our work.
You shall hear from me as soon as any thing
shall have transpired between us and the Creeks.
I know you always pray for theblessing and direction of God in this great business. I have no confidence but in his providence. As for myself, I feel
every way assured of an unfitness, not to say inadequacy, to its accomplishment. I feel much, I fear
much; and I should set out despairing, but that I
hope for help from the Almighty, and succor from his
Spirit. Your son in the gospel,    W. CAPERS.
Dr. Capers succeeded in procuring two sites for
missions in the Creek Nation-Asbury and McKendree-to which preachers were regularly appointed
at the ensuing Conference. In a year or two, however, the name of Mceendree was dropped from
the Minutes, although Asbury Mission continued
to be filled with missionaries until the Indians determined to emigrate to the West. Dr. Capers was
also the Superintendent of this work for three
years, although filling the station of Milledgeville
a part of the time.
We have now arrived at an important era in the
history of Methodism, as well as in the life of




-BISHOP.M'KENDREh,         489
Bishop McKendree —the era -which dates the beginning of a more systematic and vigorous effort to
extend the blessings of the gospel, by missionary
operations, to the Indians, and to the colored people both in America and Africa-enterprises with
which Bishop McIKendree deeply sympathized, and
to which, by his wise and far-seeing counsels, as
well as by his official and personal influence, he
greatly contributed.
Among the appointees to the Cherokee Missions,
at different times, were Andrew Jackson Crawford,
William  McMahon, Francis A. Owen, Dickson
C. McLeod, John B. McFerrin and his brother
William, A. L. P. Green, J. W. iHanner, Greenberry Garrett, James J. Trott, and others. Various
schools and circuits were organized. Revivals occurred in different places, and an increase of over
six hundred members was reported in a single year.
The Tennessee Conference furnished the missionaries to this tribe.
Similar scenes took place in the Choctaw Missions, and Alexander Talley, of the Mississippi
Conference, published an account of a most glorious work of grace in that Nation. Nor were these
revivals temporary in their eftects upon these aboriginal tribes; for long subsequent to their removal
across the Mississippi River, and down to the present time, these large tribes have retained their
Christian character and Church-organization. The
writer has repeatedly visited the Wyandotts, Delawares, Shawnees, Chickasaws, Kickapoos, Cherokees,
Choctaws, and Creeks, held Conferences for them,
21*




490           LIFE AND TIMES OF
and witnessed their piety and devotion to the cause
of Christ. Thousands upon thousands of them have
passed to the upper kingdom, and their places in
the Church are yet filled with zealous and holy successors. The names of McKendree, Bangs, Soule,
and their associates, who. were foremost in organizing the Missionary Society of the M. E.
Church, in 1819, and of those heroic men who have
carried into practical effect the benevolent design
of that Society through fifty years of privation and
toil, will be honored while the world shall endure.
This was the era in which American Methodism
strikingly developed the animus of her founders,
and illustrated the true, apostolic spirit of Wesley,
Coke, and Asbury. Almost simultaneously the Indians, the slaves in the South, their race in Africa,
and the natives of South America, the work of
Bible-distribution, and Sunday-school instruction,
called forth the sympathies and earnest efforts of
the Church. It was a glorious era.
Prominent, not to say foremost, in planning and
sustaining these noble enterprises, was our venerated Bishop. Such works engrossed his thoughts,
and occupied all his time and energies.  He
thought and cared for little else. His whole life
was one long, yearning effort to spread the pure
gospel of Christ over all classes of men. He was
always planning and working for this end, even to
his last hours.
In looking back to the events alluded to in this
chapter, and to the noble-hearted and devoted men
who were the leaders and agents in arousing and




BISHOP M'KENDREE.          491
developing the energies of the Church, the writer,
who began his itinerant career in the fall of 1817,
feels a grateful satisfaction in having had a personal
acquaintance with many of them. Few of them
survive, but their memories and their deeds will
ever live in the respect and affection of Methodists.
END OF VOL. I.