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 2
During the reign of Queen Anne, while Colonel Churchill, afterwards Duke of Marlborough, who
had married Sarah Jennings, who had been Anne's playmate, was covering himself with military
glory on the sanguinary fields of Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde, and Malplaquet; and frowning
Gibraltar was bowing to the martial courage of Sir George Rooke and Cloudesley Shovel; and
England and Scotland were more closely united by consolidating their parliaments into one; -- while
Dean Swift was pointing his satire; and Steele was waging war with immorality and infidelity,
Addison with his model style was sending his papers to the toilet and tea table, to correct abuse and
elevate taste; when Gay, Parnell, Prior, and Pope were pouring out their numbers in verse, and
Handel was charming with the power of song, Providence was moving a people from one of the
Palatinates on the River Rhine into her kingdom, who were subsequently to bring with them to
America the treasures of truth and moral worth.
She was deservedly called "Good Queen Anne," on account of her mild though firm temper, for
relinquishing a hundred thousand pounds of her annual income for the public service, and giving a
large portion of the revenue derived from the church for the benefit of the poor clergy, called "Queen
Anne's Bounty," -- sacrifices which are seldom made by those who are high in power. Relics of her
benevolent regard for religion are still found in this country: St. Anne's Church, near Middleton,.
Newcastle county, Delaware, was founded in her reign, and called after her; she presented to it a
covering for the communion table, with her initials A. R. (Anne Regina) on it, wrought in silk
embroidery, most probably, with her royal fingers. It still exists as a highly valued memento. -- (Rev.
George Foot's Book on Drawyer's Congregation, p.53.)
It appears that she made a much more princely present to Christ's Church, in Second street,
Philadelphia, of a service of silver plate, which is still preserved. -- (See Watson's Annals, vol. i. p.
379.) The Rev. George C. M. Roberts is the author of the following letter: --
"In the year 1709 seven thousand Protestant Lutherans were driven from their homes by the
French, under Louis XIV. Their houses and their property of every description were laid waste by
fire and the sword. Men, women, and children fled by night for their lives to the camp of the Duke
of Marlborough for protection from their enemies. Persecution, ending in these distressing and
afflicting calamities in a single day, reduced from affluence these wealthy farmers to a level with the
most indigent. On the first intelligence reaching Queen Anne, she sent to their relief a fleet to
Rotterdam, which conveyed them to England. Between six and seven thousand of these poor forlorn
people arrived in London. They were encamped on Black Heath and Camberwell Commons, where
commissioners who were appointed by the government administered for the time being to their
necessities.