History of the M.E. Church, Vol. IV - Media Sabda Org
History of the M.E. Church, Vol. IV - Media Sabda Org History of the M.E. Church, Vol. IV - Media Sabda Org
Ten new preachers were received at this session. "Praise the Lord, O my soul!" exclaims Lee, as he records the fact. Among these young men were Epaphras Kibby, Daniel Webb, Asa Heath, and also those two remarkable men, so generally known alike for their great labors and great eccentricities, Billy Hibbard and Lorenzo Dow, the latter after no little opposition, as we have seen. Twelve were ordained. The public services were impressive; Lee speaks of "a blessed time in preaching," when preachers and people were melted into tears. The Conference closed on Friday, 21; the next day Asbury and Lee "began their flight," as the latter calls it. They were accompanied by twelve of the preachers, who had been designated to the neighboring Circuits of New York. By Sunday afternoon they had crossed the boundary, and the bishop was preaching the same evening at Dover. William Beauchamp was a man of genuine greatness, one of nature's noblemen and God's elect. He was born in the County of Kent, Del., April 26, 1772. His father, a respectable Methodist preacher, removed in the year 1788 or '89 to the western part of the state of Virginia, settled on the Monongahela River, and after residing there six or eight years, again emigrated to little Kanhawa River, in Wood County, Va., where he and Rees Wolfe, another preacher, formed societies. At all early period of his life Beauchamp had religious impressions. When about fifteen or sixteen years old he became a member of the Church. Some time after he began to exhort. He was sent to a seminary of learning, and acquired a knowledge of English and Latin grammar. In 1790 he taught school in Monongahela. At the age of nineteen he began to preach. In 1793, the twenty-first year of his age, he left his father's house on the Monongahela, and traveled under the presiding elder. In 1794 he was stationed on the Allegheny Circuit, which he traveled two years. The next year, 1796, he was appointed to Pittsburgh Circuit. In 1797 he was stationed in New York, and in 1798 in Boston. From thence, in 1799, he was removed to Provincetown, Mass. In 1800 he was stationed on Nantucket. George Cannon, then a located preacher, had preached there with considerable success. As the prospect appeared flattering, he solicited the aid of the traveling ministry, and Beauchamp was sent to his help. He had not been in this station more than six months when a society of between seventy and eighty members was raised up, and, before he left it, a large and commodious meeting-house was built. [8] In the following year, 1801, he located, having married. In 1807 he removed from Nantucket, and settled near his father, in Wood County, (Va.,) on the little Kanhawa. He continued there, preaching with great popularity and usefulness, till 1815, when he removed to Chilicothe, Ohio, to take the editorial charge of the "Western Christian Monitor," the only periodical publication at that time in the Church. He had previously published his "Essays on the Truth of the Christian Religion," a work of decided merit in the estimation of good critics. He edited the Monitor with conspicuous ability, and preached meanwhile at and about Chilicothe with eminent success. The whole community paid him the homage due to his great talents and exalted character, and a remarkable revival of religion, which occurred soon after his removal, is attributed to his previous instrumentality. He was called the "Demosthenes of the West." In 1817 he removed to Mount Carmel, Ill., where he was employed in founding a settlement. He showed himself the truly great man in all the details of this new business, planning public measures and economical arrangements; devising mechanical improvements, for which he had a rare genius; directing the instructions of the youth, and simplifying its modes; ministering as pastor to the
congregation, and meanwhile advancing in his own personal studies and improvement. In 1822 he re-entered the itinerant ministry in the Missouri Conference. He labored successfully one year at St. Louis, and in 1823 was appointed presiding elder on Indiana District, which included eleven vast circuits, and was nearly coextensive with the bounds of the state. He was sent, the same year, a delegate to the General Conference at Baltimore, and such was the impression produced by his remarkable character and talents that he lacked but two votes of an election to the episcopal office. He would undoubtedly have been elected were it not for the objection that so large a portion of his life had been spent out of the itinerancy. On his return to his district he was seized by an old complaint, an affection of the liver, and after suffering patiently for about six weeks, fell asleep in Christ with full hope of immortality. His biographer says: "He was conscious of his approaching dissolution, and was fully prepared to meet it. Eternity appeared to be opened to his view; his work was done, and he was ready to go. A short time before he expired he prayed for an easy passage through the gates of death. The Lord heard his prayer; and he died so easy, that he glided into eternity almost before it was perceived he was gone. Thus expired our great and good brother, William Beauchamp, in Paoli, Orange County, Indiana, [9] on the seventh day of October, 1824, in the fifty-third year of his age." The same writer describes his manner of preaching: "He had a little stoop of the shoulders, but, when speaking in public, his gestures were natural and easy. His voice was remarkably soft in social conversation, but in argument energetic. In his preaching, when holding out the promises and the invitations of the gospel, there was a tenderness, a sweetness in his voice, produced frequently by gentle breaks, as if the rising sympathies of his soul obstructed in some degree his utterance; when a gentle thrilling sensation appeared to move the listening multitude, all bending forward to catch every sentence or word as it fell from his lips. This peculiarity has frequently been admired. But when he became argumentative, and discussed doctrinal points, or when false doctrines were attacked, the tone of his voice was elevated, his whole system became nerved, and his voice assumed a deep hollow tone, and then soon became elevated to its highest key, and fell like peals of thunder on the ears of the listening assembly. On one occasion the force of his powerful eloquence was fully demonstrated; it was on a subject of controversy. His antagonist, who had sat and listened for some length of time to arguments too powerful for him to answer, began to look as if the voice which he now heard came from another world, through the shadow of a man. He rose, apparently with a view to leave the house; but being so overcome, he staggered, caught by the railing, reeled, and fell to his seat, and there sat overwhelmed and confounded, until the discourse was concluded, when he quietly stepped from the house. His manner of preaching was plain. He seldom divided his subject into different heads, but took the natural division of the text. His sermons were deep, and made a lasting impression upon the mind, because they were both practical and doctrinal. Holiness was his theme. There was seldom a shout raised in the assembly under his preaching, but always strict attention was paid to his discourses, every eye was fixed upon the speaker, and frequently the people were all bathed in tears." Beauchamp was an arduous student. His early conveniences for mental culture were quite limited; but besides the usual variety of English studies, he became a master of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. While yet residing on the Monongahela, where the schoolmaster had never yet penetrated, he was so smitten with the love of knowledge that, when the family had retired to bed, he would stretch
- Page 1 and 2: WESLEYAN HERITAGE Library HISTORY O
- Page 3 and 4: HISTORY of the METHODIST EPISCOPAL
- Page 5 and 6: BOOK VI CHAPTER I = PART 58 METHODI
- Page 7 and 8: CHAPTER IX = PART 66 METHODISM IN T
- Page 9 and 10: CHAPTER XV = PART 72 REVIEW OF THE
- Page 11 and 12: disappearance of Coke, Asbury, What
- Page 13 and 14: convened, a second time, in Wilbrah
- Page 15 and 16: yet I did not go out that year; but
- Page 17 and 18: He returned again to New Jersey in
- Page 19: Asbury pressed on westward with his
- Page 23 and 24: direction of the presiding elder, G
- Page 25 and 26: traveled in Massachusetts, Rhode Is
- Page 27 and 28: knowledge. His judgment was always
- Page 29 and 30: He did great services and endured g
- Page 31 and 32: of the itinerants. There was no one
- Page 33 and 34: found adequate to the singular exig
- Page 35 and 36: as a sail in a leaking canoe, and p
- Page 37 and 38: [16] of his decease, sent home for
- Page 39 and 40: passing through small villages; but
- Page 41 and 42: HISTORY OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL
- Page 43 and 44: God. The Scotchman could endure it
- Page 45 and 46: [7] Conference till the next year.
- Page 47 and 48: y his own hands, and his furniture
- Page 49 and 50: there were three circuits, with thr
- Page 51 and 52: performed incredible labors and tra
- Page 53 and 54: Before he reached the last stanza h
- Page 55 and 56: "in the wilds of Virginia, where he
- Page 57 and 58: ed, and trembling with agitation. E
- Page 59 and 60: this melancholy record. I never rea
- Page 61 and 62: at Cabbin Creek, Ky., twenty thousa
- Page 63 and 64: in that vast wilderness, and had no
- Page 65 and 66: poles. This was their bedstead. Som
- Page 67 and 68: Benjamin Lakin, Samuel Doughty John
- Page 69 and 70: Gibson. "Here," say his brethren, "
congregation, and meanwhile advancing in his own personal studies and improvement. In 1822 he<br />
re-entered <strong>the</strong> itinerant ministry in <strong>the</strong> Missouri Conference. He labored successfully one year at St.<br />
Louis, and in 1823 was appointed presiding elder on Indiana District, which included eleven vast<br />
circuits, and was nearly coextensive with <strong>the</strong> bounds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> state. He was sent, <strong>the</strong> same year, a<br />
delegate to <strong>the</strong> General Conference at Baltimore, and such was <strong>the</strong> impression produced by his<br />
remarkable character and talents that he lacked but two votes <strong>of</strong> an election to <strong>the</strong> episcopal <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
He would undoubtedly have been elected were it not for <strong>the</strong> objection that so large a portion <strong>of</strong> his<br />
life had been spent out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> itinerancy.<br />
On his return to his district he was seized by an old complaint, an affection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> liver, and after<br />
suffering patiently for about six weeks, fell asleep in Christ with full hope <strong>of</strong> immortality. His<br />
biographer says: "He was conscious <strong>of</strong> his approaching dissolution, and was fully prepared to meet<br />
it. Eternity appeared to be opened to his view; his work was done, and he was ready to go. A short<br />
time before he expired he prayed for an easy passage through <strong>the</strong> gates <strong>of</strong> death. The Lord heard his<br />
prayer; and he died so easy, that he glided into eternity almost before it was perceived he was gone.<br />
Thus expired our great and good bro<strong>the</strong>r, William Beauchamp, in Paoli, Orange County, Indiana,<br />
[9]<br />
on <strong>the</strong> seventh day <strong>of</strong> October, 1824, in <strong>the</strong> fifty-third year <strong>of</strong> his age." The same writer describes<br />
his manner <strong>of</strong> preaching: "He had a little stoop <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> shoulders, but, when speaking in public, his<br />
gestures were natural and easy. His voice was remarkably s<strong>of</strong>t in social conversation, but in<br />
argument energetic. In his preaching, when holding out <strong>the</strong> promises and <strong>the</strong> invitations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
gospel, <strong>the</strong>re was a tenderness, a sweetness in his voice, produced frequently by gentle breaks, as if<br />
<strong>the</strong> rising sympathies <strong>of</strong> his soul obstructed in some degree his utterance; when a gentle thrilling<br />
sensation appeared to move <strong>the</strong> listening multitude, all bending forward to catch every sentence or<br />
word as it fell from his lips. This peculiarity has frequently been admired. But when he became<br />
argumentative, and discussed doctrinal points, or when false doctrines were attacked, <strong>the</strong> tone <strong>of</strong> his<br />
voice was elevated, his whole system became nerved, and his voice assumed a deep hollow tone, and<br />
<strong>the</strong>n soon became elevated to its highest key, and fell like peals <strong>of</strong> thunder on <strong>the</strong> ears <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> listening<br />
assembly. On one occasion <strong>the</strong> force <strong>of</strong> his powerful eloquence was fully demonstrated; it was on<br />
a subject <strong>of</strong> controversy. His antagonist, who had sat and listened for some length <strong>of</strong> time to<br />
arguments too powerful for him to answer, began to look as if <strong>the</strong> voice which he now heard came<br />
from ano<strong>the</strong>r world, through <strong>the</strong> shadow <strong>of</strong> a man. He rose, apparently with a view to leave <strong>the</strong><br />
house; but being so overcome, he staggered, caught by <strong>the</strong> railing, reeled, and fell to his seat, and<br />
<strong>the</strong>re sat overwhelmed and confounded, until <strong>the</strong> discourse was concluded, when he quietly stepped<br />
from <strong>the</strong> house. His manner <strong>of</strong> preaching was plain. He seldom divided his subject into different<br />
heads, but took <strong>the</strong> natural division <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> text. His sermons were deep, and made a lasting<br />
impression upon <strong>the</strong> mind, because <strong>the</strong>y were both practical and doctrinal. Holiness was his <strong>the</strong>me.<br />
There was seldom a shout raised in <strong>the</strong> assembly under his preaching, but always strict attention was<br />
paid to his discourses, every eye was fixed upon <strong>the</strong> speaker, and frequently <strong>the</strong> people were all<br />
ba<strong>the</strong>d in tears."<br />
Beauchamp was an arduous student. His early conveniences for mental culture were quite limited;<br />
but besides <strong>the</strong> usual variety <strong>of</strong> English studies, he became a master <strong>of</strong> Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.<br />
While yet residing on <strong>the</strong> Monongahela, where <strong>the</strong> schoolmaster had never yet penetrated, he was<br />
so smitten with <strong>the</strong> love <strong>of</strong> knowledge that, when <strong>the</strong> family had retired to bed, he would stretch