USA > Connecticut > New London County > Norwich > The Methodist Episcopal churches of Norwich, Conn. > Part 15
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1856, INDIANAPOLIS, IND.
Delegates .- Abel Stevens, Samuel W. Coggeshall, Daniel Wise, Pardon T. Kenney, Elisha B. Bradford, George M. Carpenter.
Reserves .- William Livesey, David Patten, James D. Butler.
1860, BUFFALO, N. Y.
Delegates .- Daniel Wise, Paul Townsend, Samuel C. Brown, Sidney Dean, George M. Carpenter.
Reserves .- Charles K. True, Frederick Upham.
1864, PHILADELPHIA, PENN.
Delegates .- Daniel Wise, Samuel C. Brown, William H. Richards, David Patten.
Reserves .- George W. Brewster, George M. Carpenter.
229
APPENDIX A.
DEATIIS.
BORN.
Entered the Ministry
NAMES.
DIED.
Aged
Years in the Ministry.
1799.
1823
Caleb D. Rogers
Mar. 14, 1843.
43
20
May
4, 1804.
1813.
1836.
Charles C. Barns
Nov. 29, 1846.
83
10
April 7, 1806.
1526.
Isaac Sabin House
July
7, 1847.
41
21
Aug. 17, 1819.
1545
George S. Judd ..
Oct. 19, 1847.
1851.
40
8
ISIS.
1542
Dixon Stebbins.
Sept. 27. 1853
35
11
Sept. 26, 1752.
1808
Isaac Bonney .
Sept. 16, 1855.
73
47
1820.
1842
Levi Daggett
April 18, 1857.
87.
15
June 20, 1811.
1-34.
Richard Livesey
Sept. 23, 1857.
45
33
Feb.
4, 1811
1848
Thomas D. Blake
June 26, 155S.
46
10
1822.
1850
Charles S. Hazard ..
July 27, 1858.
8.5
8
Dec. 29, 1787
1511
Daniel Fillmore
Aug. 13, 1553.
70
47
1819
1847
John B. Hunt.
1858.
89
11
Dec.
7,1790.
1816.
Moses Fifield.
April 19, 1559.
69
43
May
9. 1780.
1802.
Asa Kent.
Sept.
1, 1860.
80
59
July 12, 1807.
1830
Sanford Benton
Mar. 12, 1862.
55
32
Mar. 8, 1515.
1842 . .
Abel Gardner
May
21, 1563.
49
21
Sept. 30, 1791
1S15
Nathan Paine
Sept.
9, 1863.
61
Oct.
8,1799
1823.
Henry Mayo.
Jan.
21, 1563.
71
40
July
9,1807
1826.
Lemuel Harlow
April 16, 1564.
56
39
May
1,1782.
1S10
Francis Dane
Oct. 16, 1864.
82
54
Mar. 20, 1780.
1804
Lewis Bates
Mar. 24, 1865.
85
61
Feb. 13, 1803
1833
Moses Chase.
Jan.
7,1SC6.
62
82
1$35.
Reuben Bowen
June 28, 1843.
Joel Knight
Aug. 18, 1543.
39
Otis Wilder
Sept. 13, 1544.
40
Oct. 14, 1790.
IS13.
Van Rensselaer Osborn
Nov. 29, 1846.
56
33
May 25, 1$11.
1843.
John F. Blanchard
Aug.
Jan. 25, 1790.
1816.
Daniel Dorchester
Aug.
6, 1854.
61
43
1502.
1831
Asa U. Swinerton
Oct. 12, 1863.
23
2
8
Aug. 1, 1804.
March,
BISHOPS OF THE M. E. CHURCH, SINCE ITS ORGANIZATION IN 1784.
NAMKS.
ENTERED THE MINISTRY.
No. y'rs in the minist'y when ordain'd Bishop.
WHERE AND WHEN ELECTED BISHOP.
PLACE AND TIME OF DEATH, OK PRESENT RESIDENCE.
Thomas Coke.
In the British Conference . .. 177S
6
Francis Asbury . .
In the British Conference ... 1766
15
1 § Ordained by Wesley. & l elected by Conf. 1754 5 , 7 Ordained by Coke .. . . 1784
Richard Whatcoat
In the British Conference. .. 1769
31
Baltimore . .1800
William Mckendree ....
Methodist Episcopal Church. 178S
20
Baltimore 1808
Enoch George
Methodist Episcopal Church. 1790
26
Baltimore 1516
Robert Richford Roberts. Baltimore Conference .. 1802
14
Baltimore .1S16
Joshua Soule .
New York Conference . .1799
25 Baltimore .1S24
Elisha Hedding
New England Conference ... 1801 South Carolina Conference .. 1S13
23 19 Baltimore 1824 Philadelphia, Pa. 1$32
John Emory ...
Philadelphia Conference .... 1S10
22 Philadelphia, Pa ...... 1$32
Beverly Waugh
Baltimore Conference .... ... 1509
27
Cincinnati, Ohio. .... 1536
( Died at sea, May 3, 1814, aged 67.
§ Died at George Arnold's. Va., March 31, 1816. aged 71. Died at the residence of Rich- ard Basset, Dover, Dela- ware. July 5, 1806, aged 71. Died at Dr. J. McKendree's, Summer County, Tennes- see, March 5. 1835, aged 78. : Died in Staunton, Virginia, August 23, 1828, aged 60. § Died at his residence in Indi- ana, March 28, 1843, aged 65. § Died at Nashville, Tenn., March 6, 1567.
§ Died in Poughkeepsie, New York, Apr. 9, 1552, aged 72.
James Osgood Andrews.
[ Thrown from his carriage, near Riestertown. Maryl'd, and died same day, Dec. 16, 1835, aged 47. L
J Died in Baltimore, Maryland, February 9, 1855, aged 69.
230
APPENDIX
A.
1.
Thomas A. Morris .
.'Ohio Conference
1S16
20
Cincinnati, Ohio ...... 1836
Leonidas Lent IIamline. Ohio Conference
1933
11
New York, N. Y .1844
( Resigned the Episcopal office, 1852. Died at his residence, Mt. Pleasant, lowa, March 22, 1865.
Edmund Storer Janes ... |Philadelphia Conference .... 1830
Levi Scott.
Philadelphia Conference .... 1826
Matthew Simpson Pittsburg Conference . ...... 1533 19 Osmond Cleander Baker. New Hampshire Conference. 1$39 13
14 New York, N. T. .1844 Boston, Mass. 26 .1852 Boston, Mass. .1$52 i Boston, Mass .. 1852
Edward Raymond Ames. Illinois Conference 1880
22
Boston. Mass ... 1852
Davis Westgate Clark .. New York Conference . .1545
21
Edward Thomson. Ohio Conference. .1533
81
Philadelphia, Pa ... 1564 Philadelphia, Pa .. .. 1864
Calvin Kingsley ...
Erie Conference 1541
23
Philadelphia, Pa .... . . 1864
APPENDIX A.
231
232
APPENDIX A.
Ministers transferred from Providence Conference.
Allyn, R.
Osgood, A. M.
Bagnal, W. R.
Paine, C. HI.
Beal, S. H.
Philbrook, N. P.
Bemis, N.
Pool, G. F.
Bidwell, I. J.
Sargeant, A. D.
Bridge, J. D.
Scott, E.
Carroll, J. M.
Sewall, C. H.
Chadbourne, G. S.
Sleeper, T. D.
Chapmond, J. A. M.
Stevens, Abel
Fisk, F.
Studley, W. S.
Hatfield, R. M.
Teft, B. F.
Leslie, D.
Trafton, M.
McCarthy, J. II.
True, C. K.
Mckeown, A.
Upham, S. F.
Merrill, A. D.
Weeks, J. B.
Noble, C.
Whedon, D. D.
Nearly one-half of the above entered New England Con- ference. One hundred and forty-one have joined in full con- nection ; fifty-eight "locations " have taken place ; and nine have " withdrawn."
APPENDIX B.
IN the year 1800, the following was published without signature. It is believed to have been the production of Dr. William P. Turner.
A Key to unlock Methodism, or Academical Hubbub, containing some remarks on Fanaticism, together with an Account of the Proceedings of the Sect called Methodists, at a Quarterly Meeting lately held by them in the City of Norwich.
" Whate'er Men speak by this new light, Still they are sure to be in th' right. "Tis a dark Lanthorn of the spirit, Which none see by but those that bear it ; A light that falls down from on high, For spiritual trados to cozen by. This light inspires and plays upon The nose of saint, like Bagpipe drone : And speaks thro' hollow empty soul, As thro' a trunk or whisp'ring holo: Such language as no mortal car, But Methodists themselves, can hear !"
Norwich : Printed for the AUTHOR, 1800.
DEDICATION.
To the Public in general, and in particular to the Methodist Churches throughout this State, this Pamphlet is most respectfully inscribed, by their most humble servant the Author.
234
APPENDIX B.
I N an age enlightened like this, and in a country where religious freedom prevails, every person is at liberty to write or speak his own sentiments, as it respects his own belief or that of anothers! No apology however do we deem necessary to be made on account of the remarks contained in the present Pamphlet .- To strip off the garb of the false deceiver, and tear away the cloak of the vile hypocrite, is but a duty we owe to ourselves and that of posterity. The freedom we have taken in order to effect this, may displease some, but is no objection in fact to the justness of the cause in which we are engaged.
The Sect whom we are now about to make some remarks on, stiled Methodists, are extremely fond of methodizing, and full of their firstlys and secondlys .- We shall be excused therefore when we adopt the same method in the following Pamphlet. Religion being wholly out of the question, as it relates to the conduct of those people in their worship, is foreign to our subject and design, we shall
1st. Make some brief remarks on Fanaticism, or describe in general terms the Fanatic.
2d. Shall endeavour to trace the Methodists from their first appearance in this Town, down to the present day.
3dly. Shall give a candid, honest, fair, and impartial ac- count of their proceedings at a late quarterly Meeting, held in this City.
And then conclude our Pamphlet with those reflections, which may naturally arise out of the subject, or to adopt their own Phraseology "as the Lord may give light and liberty."
Fanaticism is a pretended belief in immediate inspiration ; and a Fanatic one who pretends to revelations, from God .- How far this character will apply to the Methodists, their actions and conduct will best determine. Methodism took its name from Mr. John Wesley, in England, who was the
235
APPENDIX B.
first founder of their Sect, and who all the Preachers of this country are proud to claim as their Head.
He formed them into different Bands or Societies, and adopted a certain method to be observed in all their religious performances, such as going from house to house, praying, preaching, and exhorting each other, visiting the sick, &c., &c. which they strictly observed, and hence they were called by the name of Methodists: and this is the practice they have adopted in their progress thro these States. Mr. Wesley was himself a sincere and a pious Man, and a great opposer and enemy to Fanaticisin of any kind. He recommended to all the Preachers of that order to avoid all kinds of gestures and tones in their public discourses, and to pray not more than five minutes to the extent, at any time .- He was often a witness to their rant and misguided Zeal, and as often sharply roproved them for the same! "You will run on" says this Pious Saint, when he had once collected them together, "and harangue an Audience with your wild decla- mations, hour after hour, when there is not one out of ten of you that can hold an argument for the space of five minutes." Thus did this holy man of God bear his testimony against Enthusiasm, and the misguided mad Zeal of his own Fol- lowers !
The Methodists bespeak themselves to be Fanaticks in almost every thing about them. Their gestures are peculiar to themselves; their singularities in their dress, is wholly ludicrous; a Methodist woman may be descried by hier Bon- net, as far almost as you can eye her .- The preachers with their strait hair hanging down their backs, and sad despond- ing countenances, have the appearance of, and look like so many Culprits, bound for the gallows, more than like any thing else; you can but seldom see a smile, on their faces, . but one perpetual gloom hangs on their brow ! Many of the Preachers have exhausted their strength, by repeated hallo- ings, smiting with their hands and pounding with their fists
236
APPENDIX B.
on their pulpits ; till they are reduced some of them in con- sequence to meer shadows, and resemble walking ghosts more than men ; what is Fanaticism if this be not? They may pretend, to be invested with a supernatural power, and filled with the spirit of God, such operations are seldom ascribed to any other source, "take care" say they, when they are reasoned with "how and what you say lest you fight against God;" this is their dernier resort, but you had as good reason with a Brute, or spend your breath on the air, as to talk about religion and the things of God with a ranting, roaring Methodist! The world is filled with Fanati- cism ; we hear much from them about reformations, convic- tions, conversions and what not. The people are frighted, and then become proselytes to a religion, which is made up wholly of fable and imposture. The observing mind will readily perceive that their church, is made up of the most weak, unlearned ignorant and base part of mankind. They work on the passions of these sort of people; they know well it is of that class, and that only, they shall gain any over to their pretended Dogmas, and derive any support ; and their craft is to get a living. We know it is said, by them that this is not their object! "It is not money say they that we are seeking, we are allowed but a few shillings or pounds per year, for all our labours in the Lord." Grant it, but they are not more industrious than other people, we never as yet heard of their doing much labor, they are not fond of work, they are uniformly lazy and idle, they live. upon their people, and they know that their hearts and houses are both open to receive them.
Fanaticism is. of various kinds and produces opposite effects, but it ought always to be discountenanced ; some are moaping and melancholy, and seek a retirement from the world, others are thereby completely wretched, driven to acts of desperation, and many take away their own lives-
237
APPENDIX B.
Bedlam is thronged with religious Maniacs, who have lost their reason, in consequence of a religious phrenzy.
Not long since, we are credibly informed, three of those Pulpit Drummers in Stephentown, New-York, not receiv- ing so much encouragement from their labours as what they expected, after one of their meetings, retired into a room as supposed by themselves, and agreed to deceive the people in the following manner. They were to have a meet- ing on the next night, and then one of them was to pray, and exhort until his audience, supposed him wholly exhaust- ed, and feign himself dead. The other two were to mourn, and bitterly weep for the death of their brother, and tell what a faithful servant he had been to his Lord; that no doubt he had been the means of saving many precious Souls alive, and then attempt to reanimate him. It was accordingly attempted on the next night, and this religious farce acted to the amazement of their hearers, when a young woman who had lain unperceived in the room all the while, and over- heard their diabolical scheme, exposed their conduct to the meeting, and they were obliged to quit the town. Reader is not this a species of Fanaticism, or something worse, and are not the Methodists then themselves Fanatics.
We will now mals some remarks on the Methodists, from their first coming to this Town .- Their followers have since said that they had some forebodings of their coming to this Town; "that they heard a singing down in the south, like the singing of birds, and but a little while before these Preachers came along!" They were moderate at first and seemed to chuse rather, to keep their peculiar Tenets to themselves, than otherwise-they gained a few Proselytes. By degrees, they grew more and more bold, they became noisy, and sometimes boisterous, they laid open their Tenets, · and endeavoured to force a belief of them in the minds of their hearers, with all the false zeal, and ingenuity that they were masters of; they denied at the first onset that there
238
APPENDIX B.
was any such thing as original sin, "we have nought to do with it said one, any more than with the sable sons on the coast of Africa," they maintained a belief in free agency which Mr. Whitefield called the back door to Popery, denied any such doctrine as that of Election, and the final perseve- rance of the saints. That a person might die a christian or saint one day and be saved, and die a devil and be damned another. Some of the older and more sober part of the people, begun to be cautious of them, withdrew from their meetings and heard them no more. But they had erected what they called a Church in this place, and kept up their meetings at stated Periods. In general once a Fortnight, one of their Preachers came among them and delivered, as he termed it, a discourse ; tho for a course of years they have not much increased here as to their numbers!
We have been told from one time and another, by them, of great reformations in other places. Particularly of late in New-York! That this should be a fact where one of their Preachers, with one or more concerned in the same plot, has been detected of one of the basest crimes, by a long series of villainy, practised on an unguarded Female, who "by his artful wiles," he had seduced and her reputation destroyed, and who has been prosecuted on a breach of promise, com- pelled to pay a fine of 600 dollars, besides a sentence of some months imprisonment for his most atrocious Villainy, seems a little extraordinary. People must be Lunatics indeed to commit their spiritual concerns into the hands of such men as tliese.
They are full in the pretended belief also of evil spirits, apparitions and ghosts; one of their Preachers, some time since while harranguing his flock in this place, told them as he was travelling the country, while once riding thro a swamp, on a dark dismal night, he heard a dreadful noise, and rustling among the leaves of the trees, when a Bird of an enormous size flew across the road before his Horse, and
239
APPENDIX B.
shrieked out in these words "I am a damned Ghost," and then disappeared. This he informed his audience "was a poor damned sinner, who had died in his sins, and was then roaring in Hell." Such frightful Chimeras and idle Tales, with many others, conjured up by the imagination, were continually imposed on their hearers for truths and received by many of them as such ; not doubting the veracity of Men who had assumed the character of Ministers of Christ and who had taken the sacred function upon them " for the good of Souls." They have been suffered to play on the imagina- tions of the weak and ignorant in this way! They pretend to maintain the doctrine of sinless perfection; and some have imagined themselves to have already arrived to this state. One of their Church here, a Maiden Lady, has been tried, by their Wesleian standard, and proved to have not the least remains of sin about her! But such extravagant opinions is abominable, and religion is of too serious a nature to be thus trifled with. We could not wonder were they to strip themselves naked and lash each other thro our streets, as some deluded wretches have done in other countries, in order to expiate their crimes: this may be next, it is not im- probable! many of their schemes are as wild and frantic. If any one should doubt of their Fanaticism, let him peruse their articles of faith and church discipline, and he will be convinced if not before.
The preachers uniformly as observed put on a mournful forbidding countenance, are reserved and awkward in their manners, and are shy of all but their own Sect. It is with much difficulty that you can get them to converse upon their principles, at all when alone. But when in their Sentry Boxes fortressed by their own sect, they are not in the least abashed. Bold as Lions, their mouths are full of personal reflections, insults, and Anathemas; and they frequently be- spatter their audience with their filthy billingsgate language. But this has been attributed to their ignorance, or they
C
240
APPENDIX B.
would have been presented with a Cat-o-nine tails, for their impudence before this, which they had otherwise justly merited.
As to their religious Tenets, it is well known that they are of the Arminian kind; had they lived in the days of Armi- nius they could not have been more completely his follow - ers; they are Arminians in every sense of the word ; a phari- saical spirit is observable, in all that they say or do! A sincere and liberal Clergyman after hearing several of their order, inado the following strong and striking observation of them "had they as much grace as pride said he, I would go as far to hear them, as an Angel from Heaven !"
In the famous religious stir as it was called in the year 1740, or not long after while numbers were worked up to the highest pitch of enthusiasm, a different spirit from this then prevailed. They stood much in fear of a legal spirit in those days! And in the town of New-London while once assembled on the Common for the purpose of burning their clothes, headed by a Mr. Davenport, which they actually then destroyed they agreed to part with all their self right- eousness, in exchange for the Preacher's Velvet Breeches ! This we think the Methodists would be loth to do. It is but justice, as we have mentioned the name of Mr. Davenport, to say that he lived to see his errors, made a public retraction of them and died an honest man. One of their Order, has wholly abandoned them, and is now a sober Presbyterian Clergyman. We might relate many other anecdotes that would not accrue much to their advantage. But to trace them in all their wild Vagaries must require a volume.
Some remarks on their proceedings at their Quarterly meeting now follow ! This memorable day will not soon be forgotten by the good People of this City! The Preachers that headed this motley gang were a Mr. - Broadhead, their Elder - Ostrander, - Wood, and a little stripling
241
APPENDIX B.
by the name of McLane, beside a large number of others who they called Class leaders, and public Exhorters.
In depicting this scene, we fear least we fall short and not do that justice to this part of our subject which it deserves, we shall endeavour faithfully to state facts, and then leave the Reader to draw such inferences from those facts as he may in his own mind think fit and proper. It is impossible for any one but those who were present at the time,. to form an idea of the confusion and disorder that reigned through- out the whole of this Meeting!
The Methodist brethren were notified some time before by their preachers of the day and accordingly set their Caps and Houses in order to receive them; they expected a large collection of the brethren from a great distance, and from all the neighboring Towns around where the Preachers had laboured and formed Societies! The charity of the good Citizens of this place was had recourse to on the occasion, and they were called on to open their hearts and houses to entertain as many of them as they could without inconve- nience to their families. On the Saturday preceding, they came flocking in from all directions; the streets for hours was filled with Horses, Men and Women, together with Mulattoes and Negroes, in abundance. It is supposed that there were nearly 200 Communicants convened here on the occasion.
Their Meeting opened on the afternoon of the same day, and their Elder bellowed out a discourse to them with a voice like thunder. He gave them a short history of his own conversion and closed it with all the terrors of the burning Mount. This was to prepare their hearts for the ensuing Sabbath and had the desired effect-they began to show themselves in earnest, to shed tears, sob and groan, and cry aloud, many of them answered by repeated Amens; and others wrung their hands as tho in the agonies of despair.
This confusion and tumult lasted for some time, and then
11
242
APPENDIX B.
the assembly were dismissed, and another appointed the same evening! This was termed a prayer meeting, that the Brethren and Sisters of the Church from different parts might thereby have an opportunity to show their various and multiplied gifts and they were well displayed ! This was a scene wherein the pencil of a Hogarth might have exhibited some of the most masterly touches! such distorted countenances and such lamentable groanings and outcries were new to us, as we had never seen or heard of the like kind before, some of their own Brethren in this place, stood like persons astonished ! and remained silent during the whole of this religious Puppet show where every fool acted his part, for we cannot call it by any better name. The little champion McLane here exerted all his powers and faculties to increase the religious Phrenzy that at this time prevailed and spread like wild fire among the Brethren. He attuned his voice to the highest pitch and drew his mouth into as many different postures and shapes as he could get it in, and extorted the cries of the brethren until they had drowned his own voice so that he could not be heard, and then sat down having accomplished his ends that the Brethren might rise in their turn, to appearance completely exhausted. But can any rational being, or any person except it be, a high flying Methodist, believe that religion consists in such feats as these ? Must a man draw his mouth out of all shape, and bellow like a bull, in order to become a Christian. Both reason and common sense say no, but if he become a Metho- dist this is the religious touch stone, whereby to determine him a child of God! some of the expressions made by this man, at the time were too dreadful to think of uttering in Print. And the aspersions which followed thrown out by the African, on the People of Norwich were such as might have been expected from an ignorant person of Colour, by herding with such a Company as theirs!
A "Love Feast " was observed the next morning at half
243
APPENDIX B.
past seven o'clock. We shall just mention somewhat of this Feast, as it was of a singular kind. This feast was different from one related in the 22d chapter of Matthew. Here the doors were closed and none admitted but by a special note or a ticket signed by some one of the Elders of the Church. They were so critical as even to inform the Brethren that they must be there at the hour, or not be admitted at all ; and some of their own sect not being so punctual as what they had enjoined, thro perhaps some unavoidable delay, could not gain admittance, were excluded from the privileges of partaking of this Feast, and were obliged to tarry without the Doors, until the Ceremony was ended. As the writer had not the pleasure himself of being presented with a Ticket, he is not at liberty to say how or in what man- ner it was conducted. Tho from the noise within, heard by those who were without the Academy at the time, they were busily employed about something ! till the Love feast ended.
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