A History Of The Rise Of Methodism In America - Media Sabda Org

A HISTORY
OF THE
RISE OF METHODISM IN AMERICA
by
John Lednum
CHAPTER 22
In May, 1775, the third Conference was held in Philadelphia. The Minutes show ten stations, and
there were twenty traveling preachers. In 1774, the Methodists had their greatest success south of
the Potomac, where their increase was 664. The increase north of the Potomac was 411, making a
gain of 1075 throughout the work. The whole number of Methodists returned at this Conference was
3148.
There was no new circuit taken in this year, according to the Minutes.
Mr. James Dempster was a native of Edinburgh, in Scotland, and was educated in the university
of this city. In 1765, he was received as a traveling preacher by Mr. Wesley; and continued to labor
as such in England, until he was sent by Mr. Wesley, to labor as a missionary in America. He arrived
in this country in the latter end of 1774, and commenced preaching in New York, where he was
stationed in 1775. His name does not appear in the Minutes after this year. We suppose Mr. Asbury
refers to him, when he says, "I received from Mr. Rankin a full account of what related to the
unhappy Mr. D." Whatever it was, it is veiled in mystery. His connection with the Methodists ceased,
and he connected himself with the Presbyterian Church, in which, it appears, he was an acceptable
minister. He was, for many years, the pastor of a Presbyterian church in the town of Florida, in
Montgomery county, New York, where he died, in 1803. The Rev. John Dempster, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, is his son; and has been favorably known, for many years, as an acceptable and
talented minister. He was, for several years, a missionary in South America, at Buenos Aires.
There were three preachers -- John King, Daniel Ruff, and William Duke -- stationed in New
Jersey this year. Samuel Spragg was in Philadelphia.
Mr. King, in December of this year, went to Virginia, and took a wife; he was the second itinerant
that married, and, it seems, married a Virginian. During this year, Mr. Wesley addressed the
following letter to him: --
"I advised you once, and you took it as an affront; nevertheless, I will do it once more. Scream
no more, at the peril of your soul. God now warns you by me, whom he has set over you. Speak as
earnestly as you can, but do not scream. Speak with all your heart, but with a moderate voice. It was
said of our Lord, "He shall not cry;' the word properly means, he shall not scream. Herein be a
follower of me, as I am of Christ. I often speak loud, often vehemently; but I never scream. I never
strain myself; I dare not; I know it would be a sin against God and my own soul. Perhaps one reason
why that good man, Thomas Walsh, yea, and John Manners, too, were in such grievous darkness
before they died, was because they shortened their own lives. O, John! pray for an advisable and
teachable temper. By nature you are very far from it; you are stubborn and headstrong. Your last