Memorials of the introduction of Methodism into the eastern states : comprising biographical notices of its early preachers, sketches of its first churches, and reminiscences of its early struggles and successes

Front matter

MEMORIALS

OF THE iTRODUCTION OF METHODISM

IJSTO THE

Preface

The present work will not, the author trusts, be subjected to the wonted rigor of criticism. Its pretensions are necessarily of the most unostentatious character. It claims not the dignity of History, nor even that of Annals, being not sufficiently consecutive and minute for the latter title, nor sufficiently general and elaborate for the former. It is simply what its title imports, " Memorials," not of the progress of Methodism in the eastern States, but of its introduction into them. Under this convenient title, the writer has attempted to give what biographical reminiscences are still extant respecting the early preachers of Methodism in those States, together with historical sketches of its earliest churches, accounts of its Conferences, Circuits, struggles and successes, the whole arranged, as far as practicable, in chronological order, and presenting the materials of its history in New England, down to the nineteenth century. The recorded data for such a work are very slight — and the author has had to depend largely on, the correspondence of aged members and preachers of the denomination, a necessity which has involved exceeding labor and perplexity. He found, in many instances, that his inquiries were too late, the earliest records of important churches having, in numerous cases, been lost, and their first members gone to the grave. He has been conscious through the whole of his task, that it has been too long delayed. Anxious to save from utter loss, many evanescing reminiscences, he may have recorded some things which the reader will not deem worthy of the trouble. If so, several considerations must be

4 PREFACE.

borne in mind : First, that the volume is designed as a compila tion of data, rather than a digested history conformed severe!) to the critical rules of historical composition ; secondly, thai many of these data are derived by correspondence from sources which will soon cease to exist, or from publications out of print, and therefore, if not now recorded, may soon be lost foi ever ; thirdly, that their insertion may lead to further researches and discoveries.

Some account is given of every Methodist preacher who was regularly appointed to New England during the first five years of our history. Several of these biographical notices are necessarily very slight ; they are nevertheless inserted, that ampler information may be obtained, if possible. If some of them are deemed insignificant, it must be borne in mind that they occupy but a proportionately insignificant amount of room.

As many important facts in the work have been derived from original sources, and publications out of print, the author has chosen to let his authorities speak for themselves, to a considerable extent. And as he is the first who has written, largely, on the local history of Methodism in New England, he has given abundant marginal references, both to verify his statements and to aid further researches, should they hereafter be undertaken. In a subsequent volume, he hopes to continue the narrative through periods of more varied and more interesting events.

Note Several of the faces in the Frontispiece are real portraits ; Timothy Merritt

stands in the pulpit, George Pickering sits behind him, Dr. Fisk is addressing the Conference at the foot of the pulpit stairs ; on his left sits Bishop Hedding, presiding, and Daniel Fillmore at the table, as Secretary ; at the left of the latter are, first, John Brodhead; second, Enoch Mudge ; and third, Asa Kent — all three within the altar. In about the centre of the pews Joseph A. Merrill will be recognized, with his face towards the spectator ; on his left is Ebenezer F. Newell ; behind the latter and in the adjacent right hand pew is Thomas C. Peirce ; to the left of Mr. P., and slightly behind him, is Abraham D. Merrill, while at his right sits Epaphras Kibby and Isaac Bonney. Near the latter Edward T. Taylor stands, with folded arms, in the aisle ; behind Mr. T. sits David'Kilburn, and before him, Phineas Crandall. The likenesses are as accurate as tl e 1 oi dimensions would admit.

Chapter I. Pagi

Jesse Lee. — Lee on Boston Common — His early Life — Conversion — Commencement of his Public Labors — Is drafted into the Army — Scenes in the Camp — Enters the Itinerancy — Illustrations of his Ministry — Is appointed to New England. If

Chapter II

Introduction of Methodism into New England. — Lee's Appointment — Previous progress of Methodism — State of Religion in New England — Points of contrast between the Theology of Methodism and the Theology of New England — Arminianism — Reaction of Calvinism — Effects of Methodism. 33

Chapter III

Lee in New England. — Lee enters New England — Preaches on the highway at Norwalk — Rev Cornelius Cook — Scenes at Fairfield — New Haven — Redding — Stratfield — Stratford — Vexatious Trials — Visit to Rhode Island — Cheering Reception — Preaches in the Court House at New London — Returns to his Connecticut Circuit — Formation of the first Class in New England — Singular Treatment — Second Society formed — Reflections — Third Class — New Heralds enter the Field. 46

Chapter IV

Lee and his Co-Laborers in New England. — The first New England Methodist Ministry — Jacob Brush — Sketch of his History — His Death — Daniel Smith — His Character — Description of his Preaching — Farewell Sermon at Lynn — Dr. George Roberts — Outline of his History — Anecdotes — His Character — Triumphant Death. gg

CHAPTER V Lee Itinerating in New England. — Excursion to Weathersfield — Labors at Hartford — Visits Farmington — Interest for " Principles " — Forms the New Haven Circuit — Excursions — Passes through Rhode Island — Unexpected meeting with Garrettson — Tour of the latter — Lee arrives in Boston — Preaches at Salem, Newburyport, Portsmouth, Marblehead — Returns to Boston — Departs for the Conference — Reflections. 80

Chapter VI

Lee and his Co-Laborers, 1790-1.— Lee returns to the Conference — His Success in the East — Plan of Labor for the ensuing year — Old Circuits — Dr. Roberts — John Bloodgood — John Lee — Nathaniel B. Mills — Samuel Wigton — Henry Christie — Lee's return to New England — Boston — Trials — Departs for New York— Formation of the first Methodist Society in Massachusetts — Erection of the first Chapel — Lee returns to the Conference at New York — Results. 9fi

CONTENTS.

Chapter VII. Pac

Lee s Co-Laborers in New England in 1791-2. — Plan of Labors — Matthias Swaiin — James Covel — Aaron Hunt. — religious condition of New England — John Allen — Lemuel Smith — Menzies Rainor — Robert Greene — Locations. • • 1]

Chapter VIII

Lee and Asbury in New England, in 1791-2. — Lee returns to the East — Preaches at Marblehead — Ipswich — Lynn — Excursion into New Hampshire — Preaches in Portsmouth — Newburyport — Windham — Needham — Excursion to Rhode Island — Excursion to Western New England — View of his Labors — Asbury enters New England — His incessant Preaching — Scenes at Stepney — Stratford — New Haven — Middle town — Newport — Providence — Boston — Lynn — His return Westward — Results of the Year. 1£

Chapter IX

Laborers and Labors op the Ecclesiastical tear 1792-3. — Session of the first New England Conference — Asbury — His Character — Lee — Hope Hull — Services at the Conference — Appointments — Membership — Jeremiah Cosden — Joshua Taylor — His Christian Experience and Ministry — Smith Weeks — Philip Wager — James Coleman — Richard Swain — Hope Hull — Fredus Aldridge — David Kendall — Robert Dillon — Jordan Rexford — Lee Itinerating — Asbury re-enters New England — Methodism prevails — Results of the Year. 14

Chapter X

Ecclesiastical tear 1793-4. — Conference at Lynn — At Tolland — Asbury leaves New England — Appointments for the year — Sketches of Ezekiel Cooper — Enoch Mudge — New London Circuit — Methodism in Maine — Trials. 11

Chapter XI

Further Sketches of the Ministry of 1793-4. — George Pickering — His Life

— Character — Death — Daniel Ostrander — His Labors — Hezekiah Calvin Woorster — Power of his Ministry — Zadock Priest — Joshua Hali — Amos G. Thompson — Benjamin Fisler — John Hill — Joseph Lovell — Jason Perkins. • • •* 1£

Chapter XII

Incidents of 1793-4. —New Circuits — Province of Maine —Formation of the first Circuit — The first Society — Success elsewhere — Vexatious Trials — Anecdotes

— Thomas Ware — First Printed Attack on Methodism in New England — Devotion and Usefulness of the Itinerant Ministry — Asbury again in the East — Results of the Year.

Chapter XIII

Early Methodist Churches in New England. — The first Society formed by Lee in New England — Trials — The oldest Methodist Layman of New England and his Family — First Methodist Chapel in New England — Lee's Visit to Easton — Norwalk.

CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV Page

Early Methodist Churches in New England, continued. — Original Vigor of Methodism — Lee's Visit to Hartford, Conn. — Formation of the first Methodist Society there — Its Extinction — Its Renovation — Lee's first Visit to Warren — Mr. Martin Luther — Erection of the first Methodist Chapel in Rhode Island — Overthrow of the Society — Its remarkable Resuscitation — The Church in Bristol. 253

Chapter XVIII

Biographical Sketches. — Christopher Spry — Evan Rogers — Thomas Coope — George Cannon — Methodism in Provincetown — John Chalmers — Zebulon Kankey — Wilson Lee — Remarkable Incident — John Crawford — David Brumley — His History — Ecclesiastical System of Methodism. 298

Chapter XIX

Lee and Asbury Itinerating. — Interview with Mudge and Stoneman at Norwich — General Lippett — Attacks Calvinism at Waltham — Quarterly Meeting at Weston — Goes to Maine — First Society — First Methodist — Second Society — Chapel at Readfield — Asbury — Results of the Year. 315

Chapter XX

Notices of the Conferences and Preachers of f 795. — Conference at New London — Extent of Methodism in New England — Cyrus Stebbins — John Vanneman — John Harper — Elias Hull — Jesse Stoneman — Joseph Mitchell — Nathaniel Chapin — Daniel Dennis — Timothy Dewy — Poverty of the Church. ■ • • • 335

Chapter XXI

Asbury and Lee Itinerating. — Asbury — Lee at Boston — The first Methodist Chapel in the Metropolis — Persecution at Provincetown — Lee in Maine — Incidents at Mount Desert — Asbury returns to the East — Results of the Year. 343

Chapter XXVI

Sketches of Preachers. — Peter Jane — Michael Coate — Shadrack Bostwick — Joseph Snelling — Methodism on Cape Cod — Anecdote of Lee — Sandwich, Mass. — Martha's Vineyard — House Warming at Holmes' Hole — Methodism in Bristol, R. I. — Barnstable — Falmouth — William Thatcher. 392

CHAPTER I. J E S b E Jj E E

Lee on Boston Common — His early Life — Conversion and Sanctification — Commencement of his public labors — Is drafted into- the Army — Scenes in the Camp — Enter3 the Itinerancy — Illustrations of his Ministry — Is appointed to New England.

In the centre of the Boston Common still stands a gigantic elm — the crowning ornament of its beautiful scenery. On a fine summer afternoon, in July, 1790, a man of middle age, of a serene but shrewd countenance, and dressed in a style of simplicity which might have been taken for the guise of a Quaker, took his stand upon a table beneath the branches of that venerable tree. Four persons approached, and gazed upon him with surprise, while he sang a hymn. It was sung by his solitary voice ; at its conclusion he knelt down upon the table, and stretching forth his hands, prayed with a fervor and unction so unwonted in the cool and minute petitions of the Puritan pulpits, that it attracted the groups of promenaders who had come to spend an evening hour in the shady walks, and by the time he rose from his knees they were streaming in processions, from the different points of the Common, towards him. While he opened his small Bible and preached to them without " notes," but with " the demonstration of the Spirit and of power," the multitude grew into a 2 13 dense mass, three thousand strong, eagerly catching every utterance of the singular stranger, and some of them receiving his message into " honest and good hearts." One who heard him at or about this time, says : " When he stood up in the open air and began to sing, I knew not what it meant. I drew near, however, to listen, and thought the prayer was the best I had ever heard. He then rea^ his text, and began, in a sententious manner, to address his remarks to the understanding and consciences of the people ; and I thought all who were present must be constrained to say, ' It is good for us to be here.' All the while the people were gathering, he continued this mode of address, and presented us with such a variety of beautiful images, that I thought he must have been at infinite pains to crowd so many pretty things into his memory. But when he entered upon the subject matter of his text, it was with such an easy, natural flow of expression, and in such a tone of voice, that I could not refrain from weeping ; and many others were affected in the same way. When he was done, and we had an opportunity of expressing our views to each other, it was agreed that such a man had not visited New England since the days of Whitefield. I heard him again, and thought I could follow him to the ends of the earth." *

That bold evangelist was Jesse Lee — the founder, under God, of Methodism in New England, and although the preceding year must be admitted as its true epoch, yet the year of his appearance in the eastern metropolis, 1790, may be considered the period in which it assumed a definite and secure position. He had arrived in Connecticut in June, 1789 and preached at Norwalk, New Haven, &c, and towards the termination of the year formed, as we shall hereafter see a

* Ware's Memoir, Chap. XIII.

class in Stratfield, a parish of Stratford, and another at Reading, but these were only preliminary movements. He was alone, surveying the ground. The classes in Stratford and Reading consisted, the first of but three, and the last of but two, members ; the former was formed but about three months and the latter only about three days, prior to 1790. It was in the year we have designated, that a detachment of preachers, Jacob Brush, George Roberts, and Daniel Smith, arrived to prosecute the plans of Lee, and the labors of Methodism in New England were fairly begun. It was also in this year that the Annual Minutes report, for the first time, returns of members from New England towns.

Jesse Lee, then, appears in the history of New England Methodism as its primary and most prominent character — its founder. He was born in Prince George county, Virginia, in the year 1T58. His parents were respectable members of the Protestant Episcopal Church. It was his good fortune early to receive, both at school and at home, a strictly Christian education. He mentions in his journal the salutary influence upon his childhood of the catechetical instruction of his teacher. " In a thousand instances," he says, " when I felt an inclination to act or speak amiss, I have been stopped by the recollection of my catechism, some parts of which I did not understand ; yet it was good, upon the whole, that I learned it." *

This correct early training produced its usual consequences, conformably to the declaration of the wisest of men.f " I do not," says he, " recollect that I ever swore in my life, except one night, being in company with some wicked young people, I uttered some kind of oaths, for which I felt asham-

* Thrift's Life of Lee, Chapt. I. All future quotations from Mr. Lee it will be understood are from this f&emoir Their places will be sufficiently indicated by their dates. fProv. 12: 6.

ed and sorry all the next day ; and when alone, I felt that God was displeased with me for my bad conduct. I believe I never did any thing in my youth that the people called wicked. I used, however, to indulge bad tempers, and use some vain words."

The convertion of both his parents, about his fourteenth year, led to a fuller consecration of their domestic circle. A pious conversation of his father with a friend, about this time, induced a train of reflections in his mind which resulted in profound religious convictions, and which he describes as follows :

" One of my mother's relations came to my father's and stayed all night ; the topic of conversation was experimental religion. While engaged on this interesting subject, my father observed, ' that if a man's sins were forgiven, he would know it.' That sentence, ' if a man's sins were forgiven, he would know it,' took hold of my mind, and I pondered it in my heart. The next day, when alone in the field, it kept running across my mind, ' if a man's sins are forgiven, he will know it.' I thought it over and over again, and concluded it must be so, for my father said so, and I believed it. At length I began to reason with myself thus : are my sins forgiven ? I hope so — but do I know it ? No ! I have no assurance of it ; immediately it was impressed upon my mind with uncommon force, go and pray. The impression was repeated, and I went off into a large branch, which was surrounded with thick bushes ; then I stopped and look to see if any person was near me, but could see no one ; yet I thought some one might pass that way and see me, so I set off to another place where the bushes appeared to be yet thicker, but when I came there I was afraid of being seen ; I then went to another place with the same reasoning, and the same fears but at length I ventured to kneel down, and began to praythat the Lord would forgive my sins.

" My distress of soul at that time was very great, and never wore off till my sins were forgiven.

" I would frequently, after that time, get by myself, and with many tears, pray God to have mercy upon my poor soul, and forgive my sins. Sometimes, in the open fields, I have fallen on my knees, and prayed, and wept, till my heart was ready to break. At other times my heart was so hard, that I could not shed a tear. It would occur to my mind, ' your day of grace is past, and God will never forgive your sins.' It appeared to me, that of all sinners in the world I was the greatest.

" Thus I went on for about four weeks, in which time I never, for an hour, lost sight of my wretched condition. The cry of my soul was, ' how shall I escape the misery of hell ? ' I cared little about the sufferings of this life, if I could but escape eternal misery. I read, ' that some asked, and received not, because they asked amiss ; ' the remembrance of this, made me, for a season, afraid to use many words in prayer, for fear I should pray improperly, and, therefore, ask amiss.

" One morning, being in deep distress, fearing every moment I should drop into hell, and viewing myself as hanging over the pit, I was constrained to cry in earnest for mercy, and the Lord came to my relief, and delivered my soul from the burden and guilt of sin. My whole frame was in a tremor from head to foot, and my soul enjoyed sweet peace. The pleasure I then felt, was indescribable. This happiness lasted about three days, during which time I never spoke to any person about my feelings. I anxiously wished for some one to talk to me on the subject, but no one did. I then began to doubt my conversion and to fear that I was deceived 2*

— I finally concluded that if I were not converted, I would never rest without the blessing, and began to pray to the Lord to show me my lost condition, and let me feel my danger, as I had previously done ; but as I could not feel the burden of my sins, the enemy of my soul suggested to my mind that the Lord had forsaken me and that I had sinned away my convictions, and deceived my own soul. * Thus I was a prey to those doubts and perplexities for about six months, before I could assuredly believe that I was in the favor of God. One evening, travelling in company with a religious neighbor, he asked me if I were ever converted ? I told him I believed I had been. He asked me several questions relative to the circumstances of the change, which I endeavored to answer. He then said, ' you are surely converted.' I was much strengthened by that conversation, and so much encouraged as to tell other people, when they asked me, what the Lord had done for my soul."

Not long after, these misgivings (the usual trials of the recent convert) were completely removed by stronger manifestations of the divine favor. The Spirit itself bore witness with his spirit that he was the child of God, and enabled him to say, " I know in whom I have believed."

No Methodist preacher had yet visited the neighborhood, but these remarkable changes in himself and family, seem to have been brought about through the instrumentality of the Rev. Mr. Jarret, of the Protestant Episcopal Church, " a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith," and distinguished in the early history of Methodism for his cordial co-operation with its pioneers when they entered Virginia.

When, in 1774, a Methodist society was formed in the vicinity, young Lee, then but 16 years of age, together with both his parents, and an elder brother, immediately joined it. The doctrine and spirit of the new sect were accordant with their own experience. His father freely opened his house as a regular preaching place of the cir cuit, and for nearly half a century, it was the home of the laborious itinerant, whenever he passed through that section of his field. " Like the house of Obed-Edom," says the biographer of Lee, " the Lord blessed his, because, the ark of the Lord rested there. This son often took sweet counsel with the preachers who visited his father's. They not only imparted instruction by the public ministration of the word, but in social conversation, they gave such advice as was suited to the particular case of each individual."

God had designed his young servant for signal services ; it was not enough that he should be thus, almost from childhood, consecrated like Samuel, and trained under the personal example and conversation of those heroic men who composed our first ministry ; he was to be led, while yet in the freshness of his youth, into the deep things of God, that he might be fully anointed with the unction of the Holy One, for the extraordinary labors of the future, and might be able to bear a testimony, which should be emphatic with the authority of his own experience, to the sufficiency of the blood of Christ to " cleanse from all unrighteousness." A remarkable revival of religion took place in his neighborhood, which, with its influence upon himself, he thus describes : — " We had the greatest revival of religion I had ever seen. I was at meetings where the whole congregation were bathed in tears ; and sometimes their cries were so loud that the preacher's voice could not be heard. Some were seized with trembling, and in a few moments dropped on the floor as if they were dead, while others were embracing each other, with streaming eyes, and all were lost in wonder, love and praise. During that season, my soul was greatly blessed, and for the greater part of my time, I was ' strong in faith, giving glory to God.' I had such confidence in, and love to God and his service, that I was willing to be any thing, or nothing, so that God might be all in all."

But this happy frame of mind could not fully satisfy him ; it led him to hunger and thirst still more after righteousness. The increased illumination he had received, enabled him to perceive more clearly the height of consecration and joy yet to be attained. He attended a Quarterly Meeting — one which seems to*have been of the truly primitive style — a high, and holy festival — where scores were slain and made alive by the power of God. Several persons were sanctified wholly at this meeting. He caught the spirit of their example. " I went home," he says, " with a fixed determination to seek for a deeper work of grace, and to hope, and pray, and wait for that perfect love which casteth out all fear. I did firmly believe that the Lord was both able, and willing, to save to the utmost all that would come to him. I felt a sweet distress in my soul, for holiness of heart and life. I sensibly felt, while I was seeking for purity of heart, that I grew in grace, and in the knowledge of God. This concern of soul lasted for some time, till at length I could say, I have nothing but the love of Christ in my heart. I was assured that my soul was continually happy in God. The world, with all its charms, is crucified to me, and I am crucified to the world"

Thus abundantly endued with power from on high, while yet in his eighteenth year, he was maturing for the great work before him. Several occasions for the exercise of his gifts in public exhortation, presented themselves about this time, but his natural diffidence rendered the cross insupportable, and might have long interferred with his entrance into the ministry, had not domestic circumstances providentially led to his removal to North Carolina, where, away from the embarrassing associations of his native neighborhood, he felt more courage for such untried efforts. Here he was appointed a class leader, and soon began to exhort in public. He gives the following account of his first attempts as a public speaker :

" On the 8th of March I gave a public exhortation, which was my first attempt. I then lacked a few days of being twenty years old. The Saturday night following, I went to a watch night, at brother Lock's, where F. Garrettson led the meeting ; he asked me to speak, and I exhorted ; it was my second attempt. The next evening I attended a watch night, at C. Bustin's, where I exhorted again; but I felt truly sensible of my own weakness ; and what made the cross heavier, was owing, probably, to the circumstance of having many of my old friends and acquaintances to hear me.

" From that time I frequently exhorted at prayer meetings and class meetings ; and sometimes I appointed meetings in the neighborhood, or among the neighboring societies, with a view of speaking to the people, and of begging them to be reconciled to God.

" I have often admired the providence of God in opening the way for me to remove to North Carolina ; for, had I continued among my relations in Virginia, I might not have begun my public labors so soon ; for at that time of my life I was very timid. But -when I removed among strangers, I lost, in some degree, my former fearfulness. I seldom gave an exhortation without weeping ; for my heart yearned over the souls of poor sinners.

" At that time I could truly say, c The zeal of thy house has eaten me up'

" During these exercises, I had very little thought of becoming a preacher ; I only wished to exhort, and pray, and live to do good to the souls of the people. My soul was remarkably happy in general, both in private and in public. My chief wish and greatest concern was, to know the will of God, and to do it in all things, both great and small. At the close of the year, I went to visit my friends in Virginia, and was at meeting with them at different places, and exhorted them publicly, and with much earnestness, to flee the wrath to come, and prepare for a better world,"

He returned to North Carolina, and was soon actively laboring as a local preacher.

Trials are necessary to the preparation of the successful ambassador of Christ. In 1780, Mr. Lee was subjected to a series of them, which, while they were peculiarly incon. genial with his religious sentiments, nevertheless afforded him many lessons in the knowledge of human nature, that were of much subsequent advantage to him, and also tested, amidst the reckless vices of a camp, the firmness of his Christian character. The Revolutionary war was rife through the land. " Eew," says his biographer, " who had arrived at the proper age, were exempt from taking an active part in the conflict. The militia were drafted, and it fell to Mr. Lee's lot to go. How illy it accorded with his religious views, may be seen in the following extracts :