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

asked him what he thought of this singular person. Do you ask what I think of the stranger? I know
he is a man of God. 'Pray, how do you know that, Captain?' said one. 'How do I know it? I will tell
you honestly -- the devil trembled in me at his reproofs.' The Captain became a useful Methodist,
and an exemplary Christian." In this way was Methodism introduced into Cumberland and Cape May
counties.
The following were some of the appointments made about this time in this part of New Jersey:
-- New England Town, Cohansey (now Bridgetown), Maurice's River (now Port Elizabeth), Brother
Gough's, Peter Creassey's, Godfrey's, Wolsey's (possibly this name should be written Woolson as
it may have been the same family out of which the Rev. John Woolson, of the Philadelphia
Conference, came), and Mr. Smith's, on Tuckahoe river. These appointments were in Cumberland
and Cape May counties. In what was then Gloucester, but now Atlantic county, there was preaching
at Justice Champion's and Brother Hews', not far from May's Landing, on Great Egg Harbor river.
The Wiretown or Waretown appointment seems to have been near to what is now called Cedar
Bridge, if it was not the same place; and Goodluck was not far from it. In Monmouth county,
appointments were made at Justice Aiken's, on Tom's River, at Long Branch, Freehold, and
Leonard's. There was preaching also at Barstow Furnace. At a later date preaching was established
at Pleasant Mills, Absecombe, Tuckerton, Squam River, Shark River, Mount Pleasant, and
Shrewsbury. There were several other appointments which we cannot specify.
Of those who became Methodists about this time we have already named, Captain Sears, Brothers
Gough, Creassey, Godfrey, Wolsey, Smith, Champion, Hews, Aiken, and Leonard. To these we will
add the following names as belonging to the early Methodists of this region. On Maurice's River
were the Fislers; the Rev. Benjamin Fisler was for a short time a traveling preacher. After a long race
on the Christian course he died at Port Elizabeth, where some of his children are still found, and
several of his relations by the same name, who generally adhere to the Methodists, are in that region.
In the same neighborhood is the Brick family -- some of this name were Methodists seventy years
ago. About Tuckahoe, it seems, the Swains lived: Richard and Nathan were both in the itinerancy.
Richard was a great natural philosopher, as well as a good man; he died early in the present century.
His brother Nathan lived to a good old age, continuing faithful until death. From Tuckahoe came the
Rev. Asa Smith, who was long a member of the Philadelphia Conference. About Egg Harbor were
the Blackmans. Abigail Blackman, an old Methodist, died in 1827, aged seventy-four years. David
and Mary his wife, belonged here. Their son, the Rev. Learner Blackman, was a traveling preacher
of distinction, and was drowned while crossing the Ohio river in 1815. His mother died in 1827,
aged seventy-four years. Mr. And Mrs. Frambes belonged to the society at Egg Harbor in 1780, when
it was first formed. Mary Frambes, after a faithful life of forty-six years among the Methodists, died
in 1826, aged eighty-eight years, leaving 160 lineal descendants. The Rev. Absalom Doughty of this
region was an early Methodist. After a life of more than fifty years of true devotion to Christianity,
he fell asleep in Jesus in his eightieth year at Absecombe. At Barstow Furnace lived Freedom Lucas,
one of the first Methodists of the place; it appears that he fell heir to an estate in England about this
time. Mr. Simon Lucas, who was in the battles of Trenton and Princeton, a convert of David
Brainerd's, and a Methodist for fifty years, most of which time he was a local preacher, died in
Atlantic county in his eighty-eighth year.