History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

constantly devising new plans for its extension and prompting liberality by his own generous
contributions. He also formed a plan for Home missions which was adopted by the Conference in
1806. It is claimed by Smith as the beginning of modern Home missions and the claim is well
established. It has been a useful auxiliary in all the Methodisms ever since. As a kindred work, the
British and Foreign Bible Society was organized, and immediately English Methodists espoused it
and were conspicuous in its furtherance, such laymen as Lundius and Butterworth prompting it, and
Adam Clarke lent his invaluable services as a translator of the Scriptures into Oriental languages.
In 1810 it became apparent that the Committee of Privileges would have responsible work on its
hands from the increased disposition manifested of political interference with the Dissenters of every
name. It was enlarged, the laymen being conceded a majority representation. The National Church
was growing intensely jealous of the growth and power of the nonconformists, it was even intimated
by the traducers that the Methodists were aiming at a revolution of the supreme government of the
country. A bill was introduced into Parliament which, if it had passed, would have struck down the
dearest rights of all the dissenting organizations. Even Wilberforce favored it, so intense was the
prejudice of Churchmen against Dissenters. It aroused the Methodists, New Connection and
Wesleyan Conference alike, who joined forces with the other Dissenters. Thomas Thompson, who
was a member of the House of Commons, did yeoman service, and the obnoxious bill was finally
defeated. Then an attempt was made to severely interpret the Act of Toleration, but it resulted in
sweeping away the "Five Mile Act" and the "Conventicle Act" together, thus securing liberty of
worship for all alike. During this decade the Connection increased ninety thousand, an average gain
of nine thousand a year. The obituary column was enriched with the names of not a few of the
veterans, John Crook, John Pawson, Thomas Rutherford, John Baxter, and in the closing year, as a
cap-sheaf to this stack of the sainted, the name of Thomas Coke.
The revivals of the period were numerous and extraordinary, specially among the Home
missionaries, who labored hard and suffered much toiling among the coal miners and lowly
peasantry. The names of Entwistle, Farrar, Patrington, Welwick, Burton, Pidsea, Ottringham, and
Roos, Joseph Marsh, John Hughes, Owen Davies, and William Bramwell, the last a burning torch,
an evangelistic flame. In Cornwall, William Carvosso merits distinct mention as a type of the fervent
and successful class leader. His biography has been published, covering sixty years of humble piety
and exceptional usefulness. Mary Fletcher and Lady Mary Fitzgerald closed careers of memorable
piety and activity. Among the useful laymen who were evolved out of this revival period were
William Clowes and Hugh and James Bourne of Staffordshire. Their names are coupled with an
epoch in the history of the Wesleyan Conference. The movement calls for the introduction of
Lorenzo Dow, who became an American itinerant under Asbury in the latter years of the last century
and traversed a large circuit in Vermont and other arduous fields. He was cast in an eccentric mold,
an original genius, of some mentality and unquestioned piety. He followed his impressions at
whatever cost of time and labor and suffering. One of these impressions led him at the close of the
century to abandon his home field and make his way to Ireland by the way of Canada, embarking in
a leaking canoe with a brush sail down the Missisquei river, that he might preach to the Irish papists.
He thus became an independent itinerant, whose fame covers the Methodist world which he
compassed in his travels. His published writings, mostly against Calvinism, form a large volume,
and thousands claimed him as the instrument of their conversion. He found a congenial companion,
his other self in everything, in Peggy, his wife, for a number of years. He closed his remarkable