USA > Georgia > Biographic etchings of ministers and laymen of the Georgia conferences > Part 6
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In that august assemblage of 1844 there were such master spirits as Winans, of Mississippi, and Smith, of Virginia, whose forceful arguments and mighty appeals smote upon the ear of a con -. tinent like the ponderous blows of a trip-hammer. There, too, was the younger Pierce, his face aglow with the light of genius, if not inspiration, as he exclaimed : "Let New England go." It was but little short of the thrilling eloquence with which · Cicero scourged the guilty Pro-consul of Sicily, or . drove Cataline and his fellow-conspirators from the Senate Chamber. Indeed, New England had long troubled our Methodist Israel, as she had been from the beginning a rankling thorn in the national body politic.
There, too, was Capers, the founder of negro missions, and glorious McFerrin and Henry Bidle- man Bascom, and in the back ground a noble con- stituency stretching from Maryland to Texas.
That picture has an intrinsic value that can hardly be estimated. The time may come when Macaulay's New Zealand artist shall sit on the
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broken arches of London Bridge and sketch the ruins of St. Paul's, and when New York, like mighty Babylon, shall be "a habitation for dragons and a court for owls ;" for the ruins of empires are amongst the common-places of history, and the seats of commerce and wealth are unstable and shifting as desert sands. All this may transpire ere that scene shall fade from the canvas of history. Indeed, all material grandeur is changeful as the imagery of cloud-land, but truth outlasts the pyramids, for the eternal years of God are her in- heritance.
DeQuincy, a time-serving essayist, sneered at the action of the Free Church of Scotland in 1843. A procession of several hundred clergymen, headed by Thomas Chalmers, going forth from St. An- drew's Church, Edinburgh, for the sake of Christ and the purity of his church, was hardly a spec- tacle for a clownish jest or a fiendish grimace. By this act they abandoned all hope of political emolument or ecclesiastical preferment. Very many of them were gray-haired veterans who thereby surrendered the churches they had founded and the comfortable manses they had builded. They went forth into a moral wilderness to lay anew the foundations of a church unpolluted with the stain of Erastinianism, and unfettered by the chains of lay patronage. Were they right? Let the records of its marvelous growth during the forty intervening years answer the inquirv.
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This Edinburgh picture in 1843 was duplicated in New York in 1844. New England must be pro- pitiated even though Andrew's Episcopal head should fall. The same spirit that pilloried and scourged the Quakers, and drove Roger Williams to Rhode Island and Providence plantations, that mas- sacred the Pequods and Narragansets, and sold the miserable remnant into slavery in Barbadoes; the same Massachusetts and Rhode Island, who for mercenary purposes, helped to extend the African slave-trade twenty years over the heads of Dela- ware and South Carolina. These men, whose sires had waxed fat on the traffic in human flesh, were now in hot pursuit of Bishop Andrew for the sin of slave-holding, not by purchase, but by in- heritance. To this deep-mouthed baying of the Bos- ton kennel there was added the shrill cry of Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart from the other hostile conferences. Upon this accusation, without the semblance of a trial, but by a simple resolution of the body, he was suspended indefinitely from his Episcopal functions. In vain did the Southern minority protest against this monstrous iniquity. The Moloch of anti-slavery fanaticism must be appeased at the expense of justice and every other cardinal virtue of heathen and christian morality. It was done by the tyrrany of a mob, or else the ruling of a star-chamber tribunal. The majority mayaccept either horn of the dilemma. After no little diplomatic maneuvering, a formal separa-
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tion was agreed upon, subject to the ratification of the southern conferences. Even this measure of pacification was repudiated by the succeeding northern general conference. The southern church finally secured her chartered rights, at the" end of a tedious and expensive litigation. But even a supreme court decision could not curb the rapacity of the northern church. In solemn coun- cil, our church, from the bishops downward, were adjudged guilty of treason for defending against invasion their altars and their fires.
Some of the northern bishops invoked the aid of military satraps to eject us from our churches and parsonages. In numerous localities we were stigmatized from our own pulpits as graceless reprobates and Christless rebels. The sober second thought of the nation rebuked this proscriptive spirit.
Failing in this scheme of military seizure, they sought by means of missionary appropriations and intimidation to disintegrate and absorb. To that policy they owe their limited success in a few of the backwoods settlements of the South. An- other change has come over "the spirit of their dream." Their only hope now is to compass their object by organic union. This project, plausible as it may appear to some, is a predestined failure. It at least, can only be consummated by the utter disruption of the southern church. For right confi- dent are we that an overwhelming majority of the
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clergy and laity of that church will never submit their necks to the yoke of a northern majority.
But to return to Bishop Andrew. This grand man "did not lag superfluous on the stage," but labored with indomitable will to the utmost of his failing strength. His life-work completed and rounded into beautiful symmetry, he was ready for his translation. As Bacon says, "the sweetest canticle is nunc dimittis to one who has obtained worthy ends and expectations." Pelopidas was reckoned by Plutarch the best of the Greeks. So likewise did Mark Antony characterize the mighty Julius who fell beneath the daggers of conspiracy in the senate house as "the noblest Roman of them all."
Not less may it be said that in no dubious sense James O. Andrew was the last bishop of the As- buryan type. He, too, was the victim of con- spirators like those who slew Cæsar at the base of Pompey's statue.
Now that he sleeps amidst the classic shades of his beloved Oxford he deserves a monument, to be erected, not by any single conference, but by the joint contributions of southern Methodism from California to Florida. Nor could it bear a wor- · thier inscription than this simple but significant phrase :
HERE LIES JAMES (). ANDREW, OUR
BLESSED MARTYR BISHOP.
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DANIEL D. COX.
It was largely through the pious persuasion of Daniel D. Cox that I was influenced, in 1853, to abandon political journalism and cast my lot with the Methodist church and ministry. Bro. C. was neither learned nor eloquent, but he was distin- guished for grace and goodness, and wherever known was greatly beloved by all classes and de- nominations. At the time referred to he was pas- tor of the First church in Rome, where his two years' ministry was crowned with abundant suc- cess. It is due, in no small degree, to his earnest labors, that this church is now one of the largest and most influential in the North Georgia Con- ference.
His earliest years in the ministry were spent in South Carolina, and several of them in missionary work on the large rice plantations on the coast. It wasinteresting to hear his account of these colored missions. While such abolitionists as William Loyd Garrison were seeking to incite the slaves to riot and bloodshed, Brother Cox and his fellow- laborers were engaged in a diligent effort to Chris- tianize them. About 1850 he was received into the Georgia Conference, and for thirty odd years was actively engaged on circuits, districts and sta- tions. When I last met him he was residing with
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Mrs. Judge Bull, of LaGrange, the mother of his last accomplished wife. He was then quite feeble in health, but rejoicing in the God of his salva- tion. He did not long survive this interview. His death chamber was said to be quite on the verge of heaven, and some of his unconverted friends were deeply impressed by the closing scenes of his eminently useful life. His death occurred some- what unexpectedly while visiting an old friend at Gainesville, in which community he was univer- sally honored and beloved. His remains were brought to LaGrange and deposited by the side of his beloved wife, the solemn services being con- ducted by Rev. B. H. Sasnett in the presence of a large congregation.
WM. S. TURNER.
The class of 1854 was one of the largest ever received into the Georgia Conference.
I trust I may be pardoned for saying that in some respects it was one of the best.
Several of them earned no little distinction in the ministry. Amongst this number we reckon the richly-endowed Fitzgerald, humorous and sweet-spirited Burke, who, as a man of affairs,
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has left an indelible imprint on Georgia Method- ism, the scholarly Clark, whose labors. with his pen have been abundant and valuable to his own and future generations, the genial and accomplished McDonnell, the eloquent Pledger, clear-headed and warm-hearted Christian. Besides, there were others of less note, but not lacking in usefulness. Of this class was William S. Turner, who had a good report in all the churches he was called to serve. He was studious in his habits and indus- trious in the pastorate, and his preaching was of that sort that met with general acceptance.
After all it is the average man who often ac- complishes the best results.
The meteor that for a single instant "splen- dors the sleepy realms of night" is not compara- ble to the "maidenliest star that twinkles in the firmament." There is more glow but less steady shining, and quite often these showy pulpiteers move in an eccentric orbit that carries them far away from the central "sun of righteousness."
That gifted man, Melville, for years the marvel of the London pulpits, has in his published ser- mons a suggestive discourse on the man of "two talents." It may serve to reconcile some of us to the fewness of our gifts when it is borne in mind that this average man was no whit behind his fellow-servants who had the five talents, in the percentage of his gain and his reward.
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I have attempted no detailed account of Brother T's pulpit labors because I have but little personal knowledge in the premises. What I have stated is based upon information gathered from outside sources, and is of necessity meagre and not alto- gether satisfactory.
WESLEY P. ARNOLD.
Wesley P. Arnold had a stentorian voice, which he looked upon as a serious misfortune. It was not only the subject matter of humorous criticism, but in some degree marred his useful- ness.
But back of this there lay a fund of common sense and a consecrated life, that made him a general favorite in town and country.
He was a man of humility and self-denial, and was one of the few pastors of recent years who traveled his circuit on foot. This may have been at times the result of choice, but oftener than otherwise was the result of stern necessity.
His was an independent spirit that shrunk from receiving favors which, Emerson says, always places the receiver at a disadvantage. Fortunately, he was muscular and active, and a tramp of five
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or ten miles over a country road did not unfit him for the pulpit. I had a very limited experience of the same sort on two or three occasions many years ago, nor was I damaged by it, neither men- tally nor physically. Emerson, to whom we have just referred, says that since horses and vehicles have become so abundant, men have lost, in a measure, the use of their legs.
Recurring to Brother Arnold's ministry, we would characterize it as intensely fervid and thoroughly practical. We have heard him when he waxed eloquent and moved his audience to shouts and tears.
He helped me greatly during a revival meeting, in the sixties, by his earnestness and amiableness. As was said of Barnabas, so it might be said of Wesley Arnold, "He was a good man, full of faith and the Holy Ghost."
LUTHER M. SMITH.
Luther M. Smith was more widely known as an educator than as a preacher. Perhaps more than two-thirds of his life was spent as president or professor in some prominent institution of learn- ing. His work in Emory College was deserving
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of high praise, nor less so his later labors as chan- cellor of the Southern University at Greensboro, Alabama. Few men had a better faculty for the administration of college discipline. He blended mildness and firmness in due proportion, and thus secured both the respect and love of his pupils. Hundreds of them cherish the memory of his manifold virtues.
His gifts on the lecture platform and in the pul- pit were of a high order.
On some special occasions I have heard him preach with very great ability.
At times he was thrillingly eloquent, and seldom have I known him to be lacking in unction and tenderness.
If his whole life had been consecrated to the ministry, he would have been as useful as his ablest contemporaries.
His physical infirmities were, however, of a sort and a degree that incapacitated him for continu- ous labor in the itinerant work. These infirmities shadowed his latter years and made him of a sor- rowful spirit. But through it all he had sustain- ing grace, and when the end came he had an "abundant entrance" into the everlasting kingdom.
Not many have left to the generations that fol- low, a better reputation for saintliness than my dear old friend, Dr. Luther M. Smith.
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ARMINIUS WRIGHT.
Arminius Wright had but recently returned to the conference when I first met him as the sta- tioned preacher at Griffin, in 1858.
I visited that thriving young city in response to an invitation to deliver the commencement ser- mon of the Griffin Female College, under the joint control of Revs. W. Rogers and A. B. Niles.
Brother Wright was then in the prime of life, and had partially recovered from a severe sickness which had previously induced his withdrawal from the itinerant ministry. He had the advan- tage of a liberal education, and his scholarship was quite respectable.
As a preacher he was in great favor with his congregation at Griffin, and during the next decade occupied several of our leading pulpits. He had indeed the gift of oratory in no small degree, and but for a dyspeptic ailment which clung to him for years, and which finally shortened his life, he would have risen to great distinction.
He left a most interesting family, and amongst them a son who inherited some of his father's hest intellectual endowments.
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FRANCIS A. KIMBALL.
Francis A. Kimball was a transfer from the Tennessee to the North Georgia Conference during the war period. He had, as I remember it, been a chaplain in the western army, and had done valiant and faithful service in that capacity.
Just after the war he was appointed to Wesley Chapel, Atlanta, where during his pastoral term, he conducted a gracious revival. He filled other important conference positions with acceptability. He, like Bros. Pierce and Wright, had a hard struggle with a refractory liver, complicated, in his case, with a grave bronchial trouble. But Brother K. had a large share of energy, and never succumbed to disease until his vital forces were utterly exhausted. His preaching was good to "the use of edifying," and quite a number were brought to Christ by his pathetic pleading. His devoted wife, who still survives, is one of our best Sunday-school workers in the infant depart- ment.
Brother Kimball was ardent and unswerving in his friendships, and is pleasantly remembered by many of his brethren of the old Georgia Confer- ence.
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JAMES L. PIERCE.
James L. Pierce was no ordinary man. He was one of the early graduates of Randolph-Macon College. His record for scholarship and general ability during his colle e days was one of the best.
After completing his collegiate course he applied himself to the study of law, and was in a fair way to professional eminence when he decided to enter the ministry of which his father and elder brother were such distinguished ornaments. Not long afterwards he was called to the presidency of the Madison Female College. Under his man- agement that institution became one of the most prosperous and influential in the conference. I have never forgotten his baccalaureate address in 1858. It was a literary gem, not unworthy of Bishop Pierce in his palmiest days. His minis- terial life was checkered, owing largely to his delicate, nervous organism. He was somewhat deficient in the elocutionary qualifications which contributed so much to the pupit excellence of the other members of the family.
As a theologian the "Old Doctor" always rated him above any of his sons, not excepting "George." He was not singular in this estimate- many of our best conference critics were like- minded. I am quite sure that his expository
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preaching sometimes reminded me of the best per- formances of his venerable father.
It was often remarked by his most intimate friends that the closing years of his life were characterized by a humility and gentleness which clearly evinced that his bodily and mental suffer- ings had been sanctified to his spiritual growth and enlargement. This was especially noticeable at Conyers, one of the last appointments that he served.
Two or three years before his death he removed. to Texas where he spent his last days in the home of his son, who had achieved great success as a minister of the Gospel.
Thus, far away from his native Georgia, and quite aloof from his old conference associates, Dr. Jas. L. Pierce entered into rest.
WM. A. SIMMONS.
Wm. A. Simmons was neither a learned divine nor a specially attractive preacher, and yet he was not wanting in good ministerial gifts. His piety was deep and fervent, and he drew hundreds to Christ and the church because his zeal and conse- cration were known and read of all men who were
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brought within the sphere of his personal acquaint- ance. He, together with such kindred spirits as his brother John and Wynn and Fitzgerald and Bigham, were in the first batch of missionaries that went forth to the Pacific coast under the leadership of Jesse Boring. They were one and all good men and true, and they planted Southern Methodism where it still flourishes, but not to the extent that it so well deserves.
After a few years, however, he returned to his old conference, which received him with open arms.
His wife, although a life-long invalid, was a woman of rare accomplishments, and to her he ex- hibited a devotion that was really sublime. Brother Simmons was inevitably hindered in his pastoral work by the protracted illness of his gifted wife. Her condition demanded change of climate, and compelled his removal to South Georgia and Florida, where he spent a few of the later years of his life.
He occasionally supplied other charges during this period, and did it acceptably.
As his years increased his growth in grace was striking,and the power of his ministry was pro- portionately enlarged and intensified. It was for this veteran warrior a glad day, when in his sixty- seventh year, the messenger, with a love missive from the Master, called him to the fellowship of the just. 8
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WM. G. ALLEN.
These etchings would be incomplete without a passing reference to that useful man, William G. Allen.
It so chanced in the order of divine providence that I visited him on his deathbed in the parson- age at Forsyth. He was extremely ill, but his trust in God was fixed and he became unspeakably happy as we communed together in prayer and praise. He had a most interesting household, which he ruled with the law of kindness.
Brother Allen died when yet in the prime of manhood, but he lived long enough to do excellent work on some of the best circuits of the confer- ence. His preaching was of a sort that edified alike the young and the old, the cultured and the illiterate. He was, as more than one of the old presiding elders used to say, "a safe case."
He was sound in faith and practice, and like a Spanish-milled dollar was everywhere current at a hundred cents.
Some day his old companions in distress will greet him on the golden shore.
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JACOB R. DANFORTH.
Jacob R. Danforth was a man of rare declama- tory power in the pulpit. Indeed, he was one of the best of the old school orators.
His father and mother were amongst my parishioners at St. John's church, Augusta. They were both poor and pious in a good degree, and in their last days were largely dependent on their son, Oliver H. Danforth, one of the staunchest Methodist laymen of my former acquaintances.
"Brother Jake" as he was familiarly called, was not without a measure of crankiness-one of the characteristics of genius.
I remember to have read on the door posts of the old Mulberry street church at Macon, this inscrip- tion by some profane scribbler: "On the second Sunday in May, Brother Danforth prayed thirty- five minutes by the watch." I am not sure as to the date, but I am confident that the length of the prayer as stated is exact. Brother Danforth's ser- mons, as George Smith avers in his History of Geor- gia Methodism, were remarkably eloquent and for- cible, but they were exhaustive both to himself and his audience. He seemed in his best mood to be completely oblivious to the flight of time, whether he prayed or preached. I was once in at- tendance at a camp-meeting with him in South-
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western Georgia, and strongly urged the preacher in charge to put him up at the 11 o'clock service on Tuesday. "Well," he said in reply, "Brother D. is a wonderful preacher, and if I knew he would not exceed two hours I would gladly do so." I left the encampment, but understood after- wards that he preached with great power and with unprecedented brevity. It is probable some brother had kindly admonished him of his infirmity.
Brother Danforth had quite a reputation as an educator; but even in the recitation room he was noted for his occasional absentmindedness. It was often said of him that he very narrowly missed being a first-class preacher and college pro- fessor.
As respects his piety, it was of a very high order. Such at least was the universal testimony.
THOMAS H. JORDAN.
Thos. H. Jordan preceded me in the ministry by several years, and yet I was probably his senior by three or more years.
He was of excellent Methodist lineage, well edu- cated, a ready speaker, and in all respects a man of striking personality. From the beginning of
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our personal acquaintance we were warm friends, and so continued until the end of his somewhat checkered career.
During his pastorate in Marietta where he suc- ceeded me as preacher in charge of that delightful" station, I spent two weeks, I think, in the summer of 1859.
My intercourse with him was exceedingly pleas- ant, but I feared from the course of reading that he was pursuing, and from some incidental re- marks that he let fall from time to time, that he was drifting away from the old theology.
On the second Sabbath of my visit I occupied his pulpit morning and evening. In the evening I spoke from the text, "Because sentence against an evil work is not speedily executed," etc. At the close of the service he urged me to spend the night at the parsonage. I consented to do so, and during that evening he unbosomed himself to me in regard to his religious experience and especially in regard to some speculative difficulties that had worried him no little for the past few months. I found he had been reading such works as "Comte's Positive Philosophy," "Strauss' Life of Jesus," and others of a similar trend. He said to me: "I would give the world if I had the un- questioning faith which you seem to have from your preaching to-night." I replied : "Tom, I know how to sympathize with you. Will you be- lieve me when I tell you that from sixteen years of
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age to my twenty-first year, I boxed the entire compass of infidelity? I read all the books of which you speak and a score besides. Like Asaph 'my feet were almost gone, my steps had well- nigh slipped.' But," I continued, "by a singular providence I got hold of a copy of Watson's Insti- tutes. Its theology was a revelation because I had read but little religious literature except of a Calvinistic sort. Watson lifted the veil from my spiritual understanding and my speculative doubts, which had brought me to the verge of atheism, all disappeared, and from that time for- ward I was in theory at least a Christian." I begged him to quit the study of infidel works and go back to Watson and the Bible. He seemed deeply moved and we spent a few minutes in prayer before retiring.
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