USA > Indiana > Circuit-rider days in Indiana > Part 11
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Whereupon conference adjourned.
Tuesday, 8:30 o'clock a. m., conference met pur- suant to adjournment and was opened according to rule. Conference proceeded to business, Bishop Rob- erts in the chair. On motion, the vote of this confer- ence on yesterday in reference to the publication of the memorial by the editors of the Democrat was re- considered, and the request withdrawn. On motion, the vote which made Eli Rogers a claimant on the funds of this conference was reconsidered, and the money appropriated to him by the stewards, was on motion, taken and put into the hands of the several Presiding Elders for the most necessitous cases.
On motion, the conference appointed the first Fri- day in December, as a day of fasting and prayer with- in the bounds of this conference.
On motion, Resolved, That this conference will patronize any seminary of learning which may be es- tablished within the bounds thereof, if desired, by ap- pointing a teacher if practicable, and if not, by en- deavouring to procure therefor a suitable teacher.
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Resolved, second, That each preacher in this con- ference shall use his influence in trying to encourage the cause of common school education, and endeavor to procure suitable teachers for such schools when practicable.
The stewards of conference presented their report which was read, and amended and adopted; and on motion, the amount which had been appropriated to J. N. Ellsbury, together with a small balance remain- ing in the hands of the stewards, be paid into the treas- ury of the Preacher's Aid Society of the Indiana annual conference.
Resolved, That the thanks of this conference be presented to the citizens of this place for having kind- ly entertained the members of the conference during the present session ; also to the Trustees of the County Seminary for the use of the building. On motion, the conference adjourned to meet at the Methodist Episco- pal Church at 3 o'clock p. m.
Tuesday, 3 o'clock p. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened according to rule; conference proceeded to business, Bishop Roberts in the chair.
The missionary committee presented their report appropriating the amount necessary for the support of the missions within the bounds of this conference, which are as follows :
Fort Wayne mission $ 75.00
Kalamazoo mission 75.00
The superintendent of said missions 1
100.00
Otter Creek mission 150.00
Troy mission 50.00
Superintendent of said missions 1 30.00
Logansport mission 50.00
Superintendent said mission 15.00
Which report was read and adopted. On motion,
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resolved, that the appointments of the preachers for the ensuing year be read, which after singing and prayer was accordingly done. Whereupon conference adjourned to meet at Lafayette, Indiana, October 13, 1835. R. R. ROBERTS.
C. W. RUTER, Secretary.
APPOINTMENTS OF THE INDIANA CONFERENCE FOR 1834.
Madison District.
Allen Wiley, Presiding Elder.
Madison-Enoch G. Wood.
Vevay-J. Jones, one to be supplied.
Lawrenceburg-Station, J. Daniel.
Lawrenceburg-Circuit, C. M. Holliday, one to be supplied.
Whitewater-J. W. McReynolds, J. S. Harrison.
Greensburg-W. M. Dailey.
Versailles-S. S. Williams.
Vernon-T. Gunn.
Charlestown District.
William Shanks, Presiding Elder.
Charlestown-Circuit, Joseph Tarkington, one to be supplied.
New Albany-Station, C. W. Ruter.
Jeffersonville-Station, W. V. Daniel.
Corydon-Circuit, J. Kern, J. Harbin. Greenville-E. Whitten.
Salem-J. Miller, J. S. Bayless.
Paoli-D. Stucker, H. S. Talbott, sup.
Lexington-G. M. Beswick.
Indianapolis District.
J. Havens, Presiding Elder. Indianapolis-Station, E. R. Ames. Indianapolis-Circuit, H. Griggs.
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CIRCUIT-RIDER DAYS IN INDIANA.
Rushville-Circuit, J. Carter, one to be supplied. Connersville-Robert Burns, L. M. Reeve. Wayne-C. Bonner, F. C. Holliday. Winchester-D. H. Dickerson. Newcastle-Isaac Kimball. Pendleton-S. W. Hunter.
Bloomington District.
J. Oglesby, Presiding Elder.
Bloomington-Station, J. C. Smith.
Bedford-J. T. Johnson. Brownstown-L. Hurlbert.
Columbus-W. H. Smith.
Franklin-A. Beach.
Mooresville-A. Sparks.
Danville-A. Beck. Greencastle-T. J. Brown, one to be supplied.
Vincennes District.
A. Wood, Presiding Elder. Vincennes-Station, Z. Games.
Princeton-Circuit, J. A. Brouse, M. Reeder. Boonville-T. Ray.
Troy Mission-E. Wood.
Washington-S. Julian.
Otter Creek Mission-I. Owen.
Terre Haute-J. White, D. Stiver.
Carlile-S. P. Moore.
Crawfordsville District.
J. L. Thompson, Presiding Elder. Crawfordsville-Circuit, A. Johnson. Rockville-S. C. Cooper, W. Campbell. Covington-J. Ritchie. Lafayette-W. Clarke, W. Watson. Frankfort-B. Phelps, one to be supplied.
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Carroll-T. Bartlett.
Logansport Mission-M. Huffaker.
Pine Creek-H. Vredenburg.
Laporte District.
R. Hargrave, Presiding Elder.
South Bend-Circuit, S. R. Ball.
St. Joseph-R. S. Robinson. Cassapolis-R. C. Meek.
Kalamazoo Mission-J. T. Robe.
Ft. Wayne Mission-F. Farnsworth.
Marion-Circuit, C. Swank.
FOURTH SESSION INDIANA CONFERENCE, LAFAYETTE, 1835.
JOURNAL of the Fourth Indiana Annual Confer- ence of the Methodist Church, held at Lafayette, Tip- pecanoe county, Indiana, commencing October 14, 1835.
Monday morning at 9 o'clock conference met pur- suant to adjournment and was opened by Bishop Rob- erts by reading a portion of the sacred Scriptures, singing and prayer. The list was called and the fol- lowing members answered to their names :
A. Wiley, Charles Bonner, Enoch G. Wood, Joseph Oglesby, John Daniel, John C. Smith, Charles M. Holli- day, Ancil Beach, William M. Dailey, Asa Beck, Wil- liam Shanks, Aaron Wood, Joseph Tarkington, Joseph White, Calvin W. Ruter, James L. Thompson, John Kern, Amasa Johnson, John Miller, Samuel C. Cooper, Henry L. Talbott, Miles Huffaker, George M. Beswick, Hakaliah Vredenburg, James Havens, Richard Har- grave, E. R. Ames, Richard S. Robinson, James T. Robe, John Ray, Rodman Lewis, Thomas I. Brown.
C. W. Ruter was nominated and elected secretary and E. R. Ames, assistant secretary. Conference pro- ceeded to establish the hour of meeting and adjourn- ment, which were as follows: Meet at 8 o'clock a. m.
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and adjourn at 11:30; meet again at 2 p. m. and ad- journ at 4 p. m.
Bros. James L. Thompson, H. Vedrenburgh and William M. Clark were elected a committee to appoint the preachers to officiate during the conference ; also to superintend the congregations. Conference then pro- ceeded to elect three stewards to attend to the pecu- niary concerns of the conference and in counting the votes, Allen Wiley, E. R. Ames and Samuel C. Cooper were declared duly elected. Bro. Rodman Lewis, an elder from New York conference, presented a cer- tificate of his transfer to this conference and took his seat as a member.
The by-laws of the first session of this conference were, on motion, adopted for the government of the conference during this session. On motion, resolved, that a committee of three be appointed to attend to the books and periodicals, H. S. Talbott, I. C. Smith and William M. Dailey were appointed by the president as that committee. Conference proceeded to the con- sideration of the first question on the minutes, viz: Who are admitted on trial? Ebenezer Patrick, Isaac McElray, George C. Kunley were recommended from Charleston district and admitted, whereupon confer- ence adjourned.
Wednesday at 2 o'clock p. m. conference met pur- suant to adjournment and was opened according to rule. Bishop Roberts in the chair, proceeded to busi- ness. Conference resumed the consideration of the first question on the minutes and John W. Sullivan, recommended from Charleston district, was admitted. H. I. Durbin, Colbert Hall and Jacob M. Stoddard were recommended from Madison district and ad- mitted. Charles W. Appleton and C. B. Jones, recom- mended from Indianapolis district, were admitted, but Charles M. Morrow, from the same district, was not admitted, but on motion, the Presiding Elder has leave
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to employ him should he deem it necessary. The book agent from Cincinnati presented a communication setting forth the condition of that branch of the con- cern, which wa sread. Conference resumed the con- sideration of the first question and Benjamin Grif- fith, recommended from Bloomington district, was ad- mitted. William Hibben, George Tevebaugh and War- ren Duncan, recommended from Vincennes district, were admitted. Israel L. Lewis and Eli Rogers, rec- ommended from Crawfordsville district, were ad- mitted. Conference adjourned.
Thursday, 8 o'clock a. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened according to rule and proceeded to business. Bishop Roberts in the chair. On motion, L. C. Cooper and Boyd Phelps were added to the committee appointed to superintend the con- gregations. On motion, the hour for conference to meet at 8 o'clock was changed to 8:30 a. m. Confer- ence resumed the first question on the minutes and Daniel Demott, Elijah Sewall, William S. Mederis and E. Vanschoiack, recommended from Crawfordsville district, were admitted. Erastus Kellogg, Joseph Wolf, Thomas P. McCool and Stephen Jones were recommended from Laporte district and admitted and James V. Watson, Lorenzo D. Smith and George K. Hester were readmitted. Samuel R. Brinton was not readmitted. On motion, resolved that no preacher employed by the Presiding Elder be considered a claimant on the funds of this conference; whereupon conference adjourned.
Thursday, 2 o'clock p. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened according to rule and proceeded to business; Bishop Roberts in the chair. The stewards spent sometime in attending to the pecu- niary concerns of the conference. Voted to draw on the chartered fund for ninety-one dollars, and on the book concern for eight hundred dollars. Conference
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proceeded to the consideration of the second question on the minutes, viz: Who remain on trial? The char- acters of T. C. Holliday, Daniel H. Dickerson, Thomas Quinn, William C. Daniel, Thomas Bartlett, Seward P. Moore, Isaac Owen, Sanford S. Williams, John S. Bay- less, David Stucker, M. Reeder and Lewis Hulbert, each were examined and continued on trial. Confer- ence adjourned.
Friday, 8 o'clock a. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened according to rule. Con- ference proceeded to business, Bishop Roberts in the chair. On motion, five were appointed to be denom- inated the committee on education. Allen Wiley, Wil- liam Shanks, C. W. Ruter, Rodman Lewis and E. R. Ames were appointed that committee. A communi- cation was received from the book agent at New York, which was read and filed among the conference papers. Conference proceeded to the consideration of the third question on the minutes, viz: Who were admitted into full connection? William Watson, John A. Brouse, Thomas Ray, Stephen R. Ball, Hiram Griggs, James S. Harrison, Lemuel L. Reeves, Isaac Games and William M. Clark, Richard C. Meek and Jesse Harbin having been previously examined by the committee on educa- tion, were called forward and questioned by the bishop and admonished as the discipline directs preparatory to their being admitted into full connection; after which their characters were severally examined and they were admitted and elected to Deacons Orders, ex- cept Bros. Clark, Ray and Games and Bros. Clark and Games were elected to Elders Orders. Bros. Freeman, Farnsworth and William Campbell were discontinued at their own request and Bro. Clark asked and obtained a location.
Conference proceeded to the consideration of the fourth question on the minuetes, viz: Who are Deacons? John Daniel, Amasa Johnson, Joseph White,
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David Stiver, Elijah Whitten and Enoch Wood and their characters were severally examined, approved and passed, and Bros. Johnson and Stiver elected to Elders Orders. Conference proceeded to the con- sideration of the fifth question on the minutes, viz: Who have been elected and ordained Elders? Wm. M. Dailey, George M. Beswick, James T. Robe and Cor- nelius Swank characters were severally examined and elected to Elders Orders. On motion, resolved that the members of this conference observe tomorrow as a day of fasting and humiliation and prayer. Conference adjourned.
Friday, 2 o'clock p. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened according to rule; con- ference proceeded to business, Bishop Roberts in the chair. Conference proceeded to the consideration of the case of the local preachers recommended for Deacons Orders. Stephen Liddle, Thomas Harget, William Northcott, John P. Edwards, Thomas Baker, Hanes Bartlett, Frances M. Richmond, Philip May and John Youngblood were duly elected to that office. Con- ference proceeded to the consideration of the case of the local deacons recommended for Elders Orders. Samuel Belaney and Elijah Barnes were elected to that office. Conference proceeded to the examination of the characters of Elders Allen Wiley, Enoch G. Wood, James Jones, Charles M. Holliday, William M. Rey- nolds, William Shanks, Joseph Tarkington, C. W. Ruter and John Burns, their characters were severally examined and passed. Bro. I. W. McReynolds asked and received a superannuation. Voted, that William Shanks be left without an appointment at his own re- quest the ensuing year. Conference adjourned.
Saturday morning, 8 o'clock, conference met pur- suant to adjournment and was opened according to rule. Conference proceeded to business, Bishop Rob- erts in the chair. On motion the vote taken yesterday
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in the case of William Rector, was reconsidered and he was elected to the office of a deacon. Nathaniel Warren, recommended for Deacon's orders, and elected. Conference resumed the examination of the characters of the elders. John Miller, H. S. Talbott, James Havens, E. R. Ames, Robert Burns, Charles Bonner, Isaac Kimball, Spencer W. Hunter, were ex- amined, approved and passed. The relation of Bro. Talbott was changed from superannuate to effective. Bro. Kimball, through his representative, asked and obtained a location. Voted that Bro. J. W. Hunter be left without an appointment at his own request. The case of Bro. Oglesby was called up and objections were made to him on the ground that he had made expres- sions which were supposed to be inconsistent with the doctrines of our church and he was called upon to give explanations. After some considerable discussion, on motion, a committee of three, viz: C. W. Ruter, E. R. Ames and R. Lewis were appointed to draft a report and resolutions on the subject and present them to this conference at this afternoon's session. Conference ad- journed.
Saturday, 2 o'clock p. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened according to rule, Bishop Roberts in the chair. Conference proceeded to business. The committee appointed in the case of Bro. Oglesby presented their report which was read and amended and in part adopted when, on motion, the further consideration of the case was laid over until Monday next. Conference adjourned.
Monday, 8:30 o'clock a. m., conference met pursu- ant to adjournment and was opened according to rule, Bishop Roberts in the chair; conference proceeded to business. Conference resumed the consideration of Bro. Oglesby; the committee with permission with- drew that part of their report which conference had not acted upon and that part of the report which had
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been acted upon by the conference reads as follows : "Your committee appointed in the case of Bro. Oglesby have had the same under consideration and beg leave to report that they think Bro. Oglesby's manner of expression relative to the doctrine of human depravity1 objectionable (however sound he may be in principle) and in view of this we recommend to the conference the adoption of the following resolution, viz: Re- solved, That the conference respectfully request the superintendent to admonish Bro. Oglesby not to dis- seminate his peculiar views on that subject."
The Bishop informed the conference that he had complied with the request and had conversed with and admonished Bro. Oglesby and that he received it in the spirit of christian humility and love. Bro. Oglesby then made a full explanation to the conference, which being perfectly satisfactory, his character was ap- proved and passed. The characters of John C. Smith, W. H. Smith, John T. Johnson, Ancel Beach, Amos Sparks, Asa Beck, Aaron Wood, Samuel I. James, L. Thompson, Samuel Julian, Samuel C. Cooper, John Ritchie, Boyd Phelps, Miles Huffaker, H. Vredenburgh, Richard Hargrave were severally examined, approved and passed. William H. Smith asked and obtained a superannuated relation and Amos Sparks and Samuel Julian located. Conference adjourned.
Monday, 2 o'clock p. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened according to rule. Bishop Roberts in the chair, conference proceeded to business. Conference resumed the consideration of the characters of Elders. Richard L. Robinson, Daniel Anderson, John Ray and Thomas I. Brown were sever- ally examined, approved and passed. Bros. Ray and Robinson obtained a superannuated relation and Bro.
1 Oglesby was suspected of leaning toward Pelagianism, a doc- trine denying the total depravity of man and insisting that man, by the decision of his will, made a conscious choice between good and evil. (Holliday, Indiana Methodism, 122.)
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Anderson asked and obtained a location. On motion, the vote by which John W. Sullivan was admitted, was reconsidered, and after some discussion, the vote being taken, he was admitted on trial. Voted that confer- ence continue its present session until 4:30 o'clock. Conference then proceeded to the election of delegates for the ensuing General Conference and on counting the votes, C. W. Ruter, Allen Wiley, James Haven and James L. Thompson were declared duly elected. Con- ference adjourned.
Tuesday, 8:30 a. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened according to rule; Bishop Roberts in the chair, conference proceeded to business. On motion, conference proceeded to elect two reserved delegates for the ensuing General Conference and on counting the votes, Aaron Wood and William Shanks were declared elected. The number of membership in the church being called for, was then reported. Con- ference then proceeded to the consideration of a suit- able place for holding the next session and on count- ing the votes, Indianapolis had a majority, and was announced as the place of holding the next session of this conference. Whereupon conference adjourned.
Tuesday, 2 o'clock p. m., conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened according to rule, Bishop Roberts in the chair; conference proceeded to business. On motion, resolved that a committee of three be appointed to draft resolutions on the subject of the abolition question,2 and the superintendent ap-
2 It might be interesting here to note that the sentiment of the Methodist church, while opposed to slavery as a moral wrong, was nevertheless strongly against abolition. Peter Cartwright. in his Autobiography, has the following to say about the church's attitude toward the slavery question: "Prior to the General Con- ference of 1836 the run-mad spirit of rabid abolitionism had broken out in some of the Eastern and Northern Conferences, and Methodist preachers were found by the dozen to quit their ap- propriate fields of labor, and their holy calling of saving souls,
(10)
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pointed Rodman Lewis, Smith L. Robinson and John C. Smith said committee. The stewards of conference presented their report which was read and adopted and a balance being on hand was, on motion, voted by the conference to be paid over to Daniel Anderson. The committee on books and periodicals presented their report, which was read and adopted. C. W. Ruter, who was two years since appointed a commit- tee to adjust the papers of our deceased Bro. Strange, and if practicable collect any money that may be due to his estate, presented a verbal report, stated that he had not been able to collect any money and return the papers to the conference, and on motion, they were returned to the widow of Brother Strange by the hand of Brother Tarkington. The agent, C. W. Ruter, who was elected last year to receive the bequest of James Paxton, deceased, presented his report, which was adopted and his agency continued. Conference ad- journed.
Wednesday, 8:30 o'clock a. m., conference met pur- suant to adjournment, and was opened according to rule, and conference proceeded to business, Bishop Roberts in the chair. On motion, it was resolved that a committee of one be appointed whose duty it should be to have the memorial presented by this conference to the Legislature, last year, on the subject of the Bloomington College, published in some public journal,
and turn out and become hired lecturers against slavery. Dr. Fisk was a good man and true, and was as much opposed to slavery as any of them, yet he was for occupying real Methodist preacher ground, and bearing his plain, honest testimony against the moral evil of slavery, and not meddling with it politically only in a constitutional way" (p. 363.)
In the General Conference of 1836 which met in Cincinnati, a resolution was passed condemning "Modern abolitionism, and wholly disclaiming any right, wish or intention to interfere in the civil and political relations between master and slave as it exists in the slave holding States of the Union." (Sweet. Methodist Episcopal Church and the Civil War, p. 20.)
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in this state, with such remarks as he may think proper. C. W. Ruter was nominated and elected that committee. The Bishop then appointed a committee to examine the graduates at the next conference. Allen Wiley and William Shanks were appointed to examine on theology and church government; Aaron Wood on church history and geography ; E. R. Ames on gram- mar, history, philosophy and logic, and C. W. Ruter on the books prescribed in the course of study. On motion, resolved that an agent be appointed to attend to and promote the interests of the Preacher's Aid So- ciety of the Indiana Annual Conference. The mission committee presented their report, which after being read, was adopted. The following resolution was laid before the conference: Resolved by the Indiana an- nual conference that the ensuing General Conference be requested to restore to our discipline Mr. Wesley's original rule on the subject of "Ardent Spirits"3 a rising vote being called, 43 members present, all voted in the affirmative-said resolution was adopted. The
3 This rule, which stated that "drunkenness, buying or selling of spirituous liquors, or drinking them, unless in cases of extreme necessity," should be avoided, had early been abandoned by the Methodist church in America. Under the ruling at this time only ministers were forbidden the buying and selling of liquors, mem- bers being permitted its sale, providing they permitted no disor- derly conduct on their premises. (Western Christian Advocate, September 18, 1835. Editorial on a similar resolution passed by the Ohio Conference.)
Peter Cartwright in his account of his trip to the General Conference of 1824 at Baltimore, in the company of Jesse Walker, Samuel Thompson and a certain F. S., states that at every stop F. S. and Walker called for spirits. Cartwright and Thompson protested, whereupon the other two preachers defended the prac- tice. Cartwright and Thompson then threatened to quit their company if they continued this practice, and in this way they were persuaded to stop using liquors for this time at least. This incident well illustrates the attitude of most Methodist people toward the use of liquors at this time. (Peter Cartwright's Auto- biography, pp. 213-214.)
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committee on education presented their report which was read and recommitted with instructions to report in the afternoon session. The committee on abolition presented their report, which was read, and on motion, adopted. Conference adjourned.
Wednesday, 2 o'clock p. m., conference met pursu- ant to adjournment and was opened according to rule, Bishop Roberts in the chair; conference proceeded to business. On motion, Brother Wiley was directed to pay to the treasurer of the Preacher's Aid Society the amount of the bequest of Swearingin, by him collected. The committee on education presented their report, embracing a plan for raising funds and establishing a college which was read and, on motion, adopted. The report read as follows :
Your committee on the subject of education have had the same under consideration and beg leave to re- port that in their opinion the interest of the rising generation are deeply involved in the cause that shall be taken by this conference and that in view of the vast and increasing numbers within the bounds of the Indiana annual conference who are under the influence of Methodism and are looking to this branch of the church to give direction to the minds of the youth on the subject of education and in view of the relation in which we stand to the church and community as a body of ministers; it becomes our imperious duty to make a united and persevering effort to establish a system of education which shall meet the wishes or wants of the people who look to us to take the lead in this important undertaking. We therefore recommend to the conference the following plan for the raising of funds and establishing a college or university which shall be called the Indiana Asbury University of the Indiana annual conference:
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