USA > Indiana > Indiana Methodism: a series of sketches and incidents grave and humorous concerning preachers and people of the West with an appendix containing personal recollections, public addresses and other miscellany > Part 10
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Another minister mentioned in connection with the Dublin meeting, has also been transferred to the church triumphant,-T. S. Webb. He died at Lebanon, Indiana, March, 31, 1877. He entered the traveling connection in the fall of 1847. The long list of his appointments includes all of the more impor- tant charges of the Northwest Indiana Conference. Few excelled him as a revivalist. He was the means of bringing many souls into the Kingdom of Christ.
CHAPTER XIII.
BISHOP JANES-TERRE HAUTE.
The fourth session of the North Indiana Confer- ence was held in Roberts Chapel, Indianapolis, be- ginning on the 15th of September, 1847, Bishop Janes presiding-his first presidency over the confer- ence. A few of the members had met Bishop Janes at the General conference of 1844, when he was elected to the episcopacy ; many remembered his
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great speech at Centerville in behalf of the Ameri- can Bible Society, in 1842 ; and all hailed with de- light his coming, to preside over the conference of 1847.
As a reminder of how the bishops and their wid- ows, and the widows of other preachers who had died in the work, were provided for, the following report of sum; collected and paid out for this pur- pose by the conference of 1847, is respectfully sub- mitted : Bishops Hedding, Waugh, Morris, Ham- line, each, $14.13 ; Bishop Janes, $16.57 ; widow of Bishop Roberts, $4.35 ; Widow Armstrong, $28 ; Widow Williams, $36; Widow Blue, $34; Widow May, $28 ; Widow Games, $28.
The above showing does not indicate the full amount of salary received by the bishops, for they had claims on all the conferences ; but, for all the others, the report indicates the full amounts receiv- ed for the year.
One of the preachers having been charged with immoral conduct, was brought to trial at this con- ference. The following question came up at the trial, and was submitted to Bishop Janes for decis- ion : "Where there is a charge for immoral conduct (lying), may the specification be sustained and the charge be not sustained ?" The bishop's decision was affirmative. The defendant's counsel thereupon admitted the specification (he said the words), but denied the charge, and the brother was acquitted.
A notable day was the Sabbath of this conference on account of the bishop's sermon at Roberts chap- el. The text was 2 Cor. vii. 1,-"Having there- fore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
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ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." For purity of diction, beauty of expression, wealth of thought, pathos and power, the sermon was peerless ; it fell upon the audience like a benediction from heaven ; and by the few yet living who were present, it will never be forgotten.
The University agent, terminating his labors as such at this conference, was appointed to the Terre Haute station. The good people of the Prairie City received their new preacher with great cordiality. They and their pastor were especially favored in having for presiding elder, the Rev. Wm. H. Goode, D. D. Dr. Goode was a scholarly man, a sound theo- logian, a model gentleman. He had a refined sense of propriety, a full measure of caution and Christian prudence. He was, withal, a good preacher. His quarterly visitations, always eagerly looked forward to by the people, were seasons of great profit to the church-"times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord." He planned wisely and well for the en- largement of the work. He was a man of enterprise, as all useful presiding elders are ; a man of great industry and perseverance as all presiding elders must be-if the honor of the office is to be main- tained.
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CHAPTER XIV.
THE PRESIDING ELDERSHIP.
As the office of presiding elder has been, and still is, occasionally subjected to adverse criticism, it may not be considered out of place to give the mat- ter a passing notice.
The following minute occurs in the records of the Wesleyan Methodist conference of England, in 1791: "The circuits are now formed into districts, each to have not less than three nor more than eight circuits." (The "chairman of the districts, were in reality presid- ing elders.) The next year, 1792, the General confer- ence of the American church adopted a similar measure ; but before this, even from the organiza- tion of the church at the Christmas conference of 1784, the presiding eldership existed in fact if not in name. "Notes on the Discipline" prepared by Coke and Asbury, in the early days of the church, present the subject in a light that is thoroughly rational and Scriptural. "And we can venture to assert," they say, "that there never has been an epis- copal church of any great extent that has not had ruling or presiding elders either expressly by name, as in the apostolic churches, or otherwise in effect." *. "On this account it is, that all the modern epis- copal churches, have had their presiding or ruling elders under the name of vicars, archdeacons, rural deans," etc. *.* "The Moravians have presiding el- ders, who are invested with considerable authority, though they are simply termed elders."
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The fact is also worthy of notice, that Bishop As- bury and the preachers of the District conferences, not only found this order of men necessary, as they thought, but agreed to give them the name "presid- ing elders," a name perfectly Scriptural, though not occurring in the English version. Their action in this matter afterwards received the approbation of Mr. Wesley. And the General conference of 1792, realizing the necessity of the office. not only con- firmed all that Bishop Asbury and the District con- ference had done, but also adopted substantially the present section of the Discipline explanatory of the duties of presiding elders.
"The Conference clearly saw that the bishops needed assistants ; that it was impossible for the bishops to properly superintend the vast work on this continent, so as to keep everything in order in the intervals of the conference, without other official men to assist them ; and as these in a very impor- tant sense were to be a vital part of the 'plan of the general itinerant superintendency ,' it was held that the authority of appointing them and changing them, ought, from the nature of things to be in the episcopacy." The power to appoint the suffragan bishop or presiding elder must be vested in the gen- eral superintendency, otherwise there might ensue the utmost confusion. Besides, the election of pre- siding elders by the Annual conferences would in- volve the preachers in feuds and heart-burnings, and cause great dissatisfaction among the people. Moreover, were the election plan adopted, it would soon be followed by an attempt to reconstruct the itinerant system.
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Ever since the days of O'Kelly there have been restless spirits in the church, "given to change," de- siring to remove the ancient landmarks set up by the Fathers. Occasionally quasi-organizations have appeared, favoring change, made up, for the most part, of men having little or no practical experience as traveling preachers,-men, may it not be said ? who feel that they ought to be presiding elders or bishops. The unfortunate thing,is, that their qualifica- tions for these important offices have been overlook- ed. Hence those tears ! The ultimate purpose seems to be, to weaken or destroy the episcopacy. The at- tack on the presiding eldership is but the beginning of the campaign. When the presiding eldership is made elective the restless spirits that trouble Israel will have gained their first victory.
These malcontents are ever ready to strike at the power of the general superintendants. In the An- nual conferences they are the movers of resolutions that tend to interfere with the bishops' prerogatives in the matter of making transfers. Sometimes they secure the passage of resolutions requesting the bishops to appoint no man to a district who has ever held the office of presiding elder for two terms or even one term, all of which means, when interpret- ed,that the bishops ouglit to be elected quadrenni- ally. In the General conference they would take, and have taken, from the bishops, the power to appoint members of the General missionary committee. · The General conference of 1876 appointed a com- mittee on revision of the hymn-book. The report authorizing the appointment failed, in its original form, to give the bishops supervisory authority over
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the work of revision, and but for a timely amend- ment, they would have been entirely ignored.
The office of presiding elder is indispensable. This is evident from the following considerations :-
I. The bishops cannot of themselves understand the practical needs of the work throughout the dis- tricts, or give it the personal supervision it requires.
2. There must be lodged somewhere, to be pru- dently exercised in the interval of the Annual con- ferences, authority to receive, change, or suspend preachers. This authority has been wisely vested in the bishops, or, when they are absent, in their representatives, the presiding elders.
3. Who but the presiding elder can have an ade- quate knowledge of the district-of its people, wants, resources, etc. ? Who but he can properly look after the filling of vacancies in case of death, with- drawals, etc. ? And who is so well prepared as he to carry the work into the "regions beyond" ? How, for instance, could a preacher in charge of an im- portant circuit or station superintend the multitu- dinous interests and enterprises of a district ? The pastors can not do this work, neither can the bishops. The only men that can give the districts adequate supervision are the presiding elders.
The present system, a "wheel within a wheel," has worked well. The experience of a hundred years has proved its efficiency. Why disturb it now ? , Let it alone Amen.
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CHAPTER XV.
LITTLE GIRL'S TALK-ROBBER KILLED.
Two camp-meetings were held in the summer or early autumn of 1848 near Terre Haute, one, on the farm of Jacob D. Early,some five miles above the city ; the other, in Brother Durham's grove, below the city, in the bounds of the Indiana conference, on Prairieton circuit. The pastor of Prairieton cir- cuit was Elijah D. Long ; Joseph Tarkington, pre- siding elder. Several hundred souls were converted at these memorable meetings. At the meeting be- low the city the writer witnessed two scenes which . can never be forgotten while memory endures.
On Sunday night of the Camp-meeting,a little girl not above seven or eight years of age, the daughter of a Dr. Hamilton, was converted to God with a large number of others. Within about an hour after her conversion, while many seekers were at the alter, the writer standing in the pulpit, looking over the vast audience and giving direction to the services, the same little girl came on the stand, her face all lighted up with joy, and in her childish way, meekly asked the question, "Wouldn't you let me talk to the people ?" She was at once lifted and stood on a chair, when she delivered an exhortation in connection with her personal experience, so clear and impressive, that it sent a thrill throughout the large assembly. It was believed then by the most in- telligent men and woman present that the child was directly inspired. As the result of her talk more
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than fifty souls were there and thien so convicted of sin that they came rushing to the alter, to find peace and pardon in believing. Among the many who were brought to Christ through the child's speech, was her aged grandfather, who was a "Hicksite" Quaker, not to say a downright infidel. When the little girl had finished her talk to the public assem- bly, she said to the writer in a low voice "Now I'll go to the tent and see if I can find grandpapa." She did go, and, while seated on the old gentleman's knee, with one arm around his neck, looking him intently in the face through her tears of joy, she talked to him about his soul as only one soundly con- verted to God can talk ; and before the close of the meeting the poor old man was happy in the Lord, and in turn, he, too, talked to the people, telling them what a dear Savior he had found.
Among the many preachers who attended that remarkable camp-meeting was Rev. Thomas H. Files, a superannuated preacher of the Illinois con- ference, who died in 1848. The history of this man was a remarkable one. One incident only during his active labors in the ministry may here be men- tioned. On a certain occasion, when on his way to an appointment, night overtook him while yet quite a distance from the place where he was to preach the next day. Sometime after dark he reached the house of a friend, where he was well acquainted,and where he frequently stopped with the good people. Methodist preachers in those days had learned from "Dr. Clark's Manual," or from other sources, to wait upon themselves ; so the preacher put up his horse before going to the house. When he went in and
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spoke to the family he found that the husband was away from home, and that there was no one about the house except the woman and her two or three little children. Thinking over the matter, Brother Files concluded that perhaps he had better go on, although the next house where he could stop, was five miles distant. It is possible there were gossippers in those days as now, and, lest it might be regarded as a little indelicate for him to stop all night in the ab- sence of the husband, he resolved not to stay. The good woman had given him his supper, when he, making a suitable apology, said to her that he would go on to Brother B-'s and accordingly brought out his horse, and got ready to leave. After he had mounted his horse, the woman came running down to the yard gate and said, "Brother Files, you must not go away to night." The preacher asked her if she was afraid to stay alone. She answered that she had stayed many a night alone with her children, but now she was impressed that he must stay. He insisted that he must go. At length she burst into tears, and said with great earnestness, "You cannot go, you shall not go ; for, if you do, I shall gather up my little ones and go to a neighbor's, two miles away, and stay all night, for I cannot, and will not, stay at home unless you stay with us." At last the preacher yielded and consented to remain. The house was built of hewn logs, two stories high. After prayers in the evening, the woman gave the preacher a candle and sent him up stairs to lodge for the night. Sometime after midnight, the screams of a woman below, awoke the preacher from a sound slumber, and he heard a hoarse voice saying to her, "Where
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is the money ?" Her answer was, "Up stairs be- tween the feather-bed and the straw-tick"; then the man below responded, "Tell me the truth or I will take your life." The preacher, while in the act of retiring, noticed an old rusty, British musket stand- ing near the head of the bed, and when he heard the foot-falls of the robber on the stair-way, he silently arose from the bed and gathered up the old musket, determined, as soon as the thief came up to the head of the stairs, to knock him down with the breech of the gun ; then, in a moment, fearing that, if he did so, he might, in his excitement, strike so hard as to kill the man, he changed his mind, and decided, as the man came up, to snap the old flint-lock at him, which he did, and to the preacher's great surprise, the gun fired, and the man fell dead and rolled down to the bottom of the stair-way. The alarm was soon given ; the neighbors for miles around were gath- ered to the scene. The murdered man was found to have blackened his face and hands with burnt cork ; and when his face was washed, the wife and neighbors, including the preacher, stood awe-strick- en upon the discovery that the would-be robber was the brother and near neighbor of the woman's hus- band.
.
This unnatural brother had learned, the day be- fore this tragedy occurred, that his brother, having sold a lot of cattle, had received eight hundred dol- lars in money, and had left the money in the care of his wife while he was gone on business, expecting to return the next day. The preacher was not ar- rested or otherwise called to account for what he had done. And as to the cause that prompted the
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woman to insist so earnestly that the preacher should remain over night, declaring that she would not remain in the house unless he stayed also, is a question that this writer will leave to the casuist, the psychologist, or the believer in special providence.
On the day that the Camp-meeting closed, Broth- er Files, who was then an old man, was walking across the camp-ground in company with the writer, when they met a poor, old, and haggard-looking man, hobbling along with two canes. The stranger fixed his eyes on the old preacher, who at once en- gaged his attention. The two aged persons gazed at each other for a time, when the old man threw down his canes, and they flew into each others arms, and both wept like children. After sobbing, and trying for some time to talk with each other, the aged minister, Brother Files, turned to the writer and said : "Brother Smith, you don't understand this ; this man and I were soldiers together ; we slept under the same blanket for forty-nine nights. We parted after the battle of Tippecanoe, which was on the 7th of November, 1811. And for almost forty years we have never met until now ; we have suffered together and therefore we dearly love each other.
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CHAPTER XVI.
POPULAR AMUSEMENTS-DANCING.
During the summer of 1848 there came to Terre Haute a French dancing master ; and, as it was found when his class was made up, he had persuad- ed one or two of the more thoughtless members of the church to patronize his school. This caused some excitement among the better people of the differ- ent churches, and the pastor of the Methodist church was requested by his official board to deliver a dis- course on popular amusements. He delivered a dis- course in response to this request, in which, while touching on circuses, theatres, cards, etc., by design he omitted all allusion to the dance, deferring that subject as suitable for the next Sabbath. At the close of the services he announced that, on the next Sunday morning, he would preach a special sermon on the subject of "dancing as an amusement." As the congregation was dispersing, Honorable Thom- as Dowling, facetiously remarked to the preacher, "Brother Smith, I believe I know all about dancing that I want to know ; and, if you will excuse me, I will go and hear Brother Jewett next Sunday" (the congregationalist minister.) Of course there was quite a stir among the people, on the subject of dancing and the dancing-school. And the Method- ist and Congregationalist ministers, happening to meet during the week, talked the matter over; and Rev. Mr. Jewett learned that at least one of the of- ficial members of Asbury church would be present
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at the services in the Congregationalist church, on the next Sunday morning. Brother Dowling, meeting his pastor during the next following week, addressed him as follows : "Well, Brother Smith, I'll never run away from home again, no matter what you preach about ; for, I tell you, I simply 'jumped out of the frying-pan into the fire' for I havn't any doubt that Mr. Jewett's sermon was much more severe and uncharitable than yours." That the status of the Methodist Episcopal church, on the subject of danc- ing, nearly fifty years ago, may be known to the present generation : and, as the pastor at the re- quest of the official board published his sermon at the time, it is here given verbatim.
The following is the correspondence that passed between the pastor and members of his official board :-
TERRE HAUTE, IND., August 8, 1848.
REVEREND AND DEAR SIR : .
Entertaining sentiments similar to those held forth in your discourse on Sabbath, 6th inst., rela- tive to the subject of Fashionable Dancing, and be- lieving those setiments too valuable to be lost : We, therefore, beg that you commit the subject-matter of that discourse to writing, and submit the same for publication.
By so doing you will confer a favor, and greatly oblige your brethern and friends,
T. C. BUNTIN, CHAS. ANDERSON, B. H. CORNWELL, J. S. CASTO.
·
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TERRE HAUTE, August 23, 1848. BRETHERN AND FRIENDS :
Your kind note requesting a copy of my remarks on Dancing, was duly received, and after having ta- ken some time for reflection, I have consented to comply with your wishes ; but as the discourse was delivered extempore, I cannot promise anything like a verbatim copy. It is therefore with some re- luctance that I consent to its publication. If, how- ever, it shall be made instrumental in preventing or saving one soul from the errors of his or her ways, I shall feel amply rewarded.
I am, dear sirs, your obedient servent and broth- er in Christ.
J. L. SMITH.
To T. C. Buntin, Chas. Anderson, B. H. Cornwell, J. S. Casto.
A SHORT DISCOURSE ON DANCING, DELIVERED IN TILE ASBURY CHAPEL, IN TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, BY THE REV. J. L. SMITH, OF THE NORTH INDIANA CONFERENCE, August 6th, 1848.
A SHORT DISCOURSE ON DANCING.
Having, on last Sabbath morning, made some ref- erence to popular amusements, in the form of Cir- cuses, Plays, etc., with their moral effects, I shall
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proceed, this morning, agreeably to previous no- tice to discuss the subject of Modern Fashionable Dancing ; in the doing of which, it is not my design to be unkind in spirit, or severe in epithet, but shall studiously avoid anything like a personal attack up- on Master, pupil, or patron. At the same time, how- ever, shall, to the best of my ability, though soft in word, strive to be hard in argument-touching what I humbly conceive to be the sin of the practice, shall use the very strongest scriptural facts and il- lustrations ; should these offend any, it is a result with which I have nothing to do, and about which I feel no concern. That public amusements of va- rious kinds, are great and growing evils, I firmly be- lieve ; and that what is sometimes called fashion- able dancing schools, is not the least amongst them, with me is a fixed fact. It is therefore to wake up the public conscience, and call the attention of our fellow-citizens, and the lovers of sound morals gen- erally, to this subject that the following remarks are offered But especially do I desire to appeal to Church members-to professors of the religion of Christ, upon this subject. Brethern, will you suffer "The word of exhortation." He who said "Be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind"-may He guide in- to the way of truth and righteousness-may He "try us, and prove us, and see if there be any wicked way in us, and lead us into the way everlasting." My text or motto, which I shall use on this occasion is recorded
Eccl. 3d chap., 4th vs .- "AND A TIME TO DANCE."
One of the strongest proofs of the authenticity of
1
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the Scriptures, and of the truth of religion, to my mind, is this : that the Bible has been pressed, at least bad men have tried to press the Bible into their service, to defend the worst of causes, to coun- teif. it religion,and imitate in their outward conduct, those who were really pious. A very striking ex- ample of which, is found in the conduct of those who bring the Bible to prove the innocency of Fash- ionable Dancing .- We propose, in a few plain re- marks, briefly to review the history of Dancing, and then leave it with this enlightened audience to judge, both as to how far the Scriptures sustain it, and how far it may be necessary to practice it, in order best to promote morality, (not to say religion,) in this or any other community. Our text declares there is "a time to dance." We will then inquire when is, or was the suitable time, and what the proper manner of performing it ?
I .- When the suitable time ?
Ist. It was a suitable time immediately upon the deliverance of God's people, from Egyptian bond- age. Therefore, we find in Exodus 15, 20, "And Miriam the phrophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out af- ter her with timbrels and with dances.
The occasion of the dance named in the above quo- tation, as well as the place, and the style of its per- formance,you will discover, was different in every es- sential particular from the modern Fashionable Danc- ing: Ist. The occasion was the miraculous deliver- ance of the children of Israel from a most cruel bond- age, and was the most expressive manifestation of gratitude and devout thanksgiving to God. When
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did we hear of the Fashionable Dance, being intro- duced for such purpose ? Would it not be nearer the truth to say "God was not in all their thoughts ?"
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