History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

ENDNOTES
1 Bangs' "History of the M. E. Church" has an excellent engraving of it as a frontispiece to Vol. I.
2 This is the received date, but the archives of the Troy Conference Historical Society M. E. Church
make it indubitable that he died in 1773. See Christian Advocate, Sept. 15, 1898.
3 "Journal," Vol. III. p. 24.
4 Michael Laird, who subsequently removed to Philadelphia in 1770, testified that his father, who
was personally acquainted with Strawbridge, fixed the date of his coming to America with his family
in 1760. Henry Maynard, who was born on August 12,1757, and died in 1839, testifies that he was
baptized by Strawbridge when he was four or five years old, which fixes it not later than 1762, and
the particulars of the baptism were remembered by Ephraim Maynard as late as 1866, as received
from the traditions of the neighborhood. Other evidence makes it clear that Strawbridge was engaged
in preaching as early as 1762. When Asbury recorded his verdict he had been in the neighborhood
for some days and had full opportunity to investigate the matter for himself. It is believed that
Strawbridge obtained ordination from a German minister, Benedict Swope, just as Otterbein
afterward assisted at the ordination of Asbury. Dr. G. C. M. Roberts, who furnishes most of these
facts in his "Centennial Pictorial Album,"* also furnishes a likeness of Strawbridge, drawn from
memory, as given by those who knew him. Notwithstanding such proofs as these, other historians
still maintain that the case has not been made out for Strawbridge, for the reason forsooth that some
of the facts are not under affidavit, and the documents at command. Such a test might invalidate even
Embury's claim, and other originals received without farther question. It is possible that section has
something to do with the matter. Most of the histories have been written from north of Pennsylvania,
with Boston as a center, and for this reason it is that its Boston "tea party," of Revolutionary fame,
is so well known, though it did not occur until December 16, 1773, and was patriotism in Indian
disguise; while the burning of the Peggy Stewart in the harbor of Annapolis, Md., occurred on Oct.
19, 1772, and her cargo of tea, as well as the vessel, destroyed by the order of Maryland patriots by
the hands of the owner himself, is not well known.
5 Dr. Atkinson, in his "History of American Methodism," 1896, affirms, p.431, "Edward Evans
itinerated and died in New Jersey before Watters began to preach. There is no evidence that Evans
was not an American by birth."
6 Asbury's "Journal," Vol. I. pp. 57-80.
7 Asbury's "Journal," Vol. I. pp. 57-80
8 Guirey states that in the discussion of Asbury with Strawbridge and John King as to the ordinances,
King proposed to leave it with the people to decide whether they would have the ordinances or not,
but Asbury replied, "I came to teach the people, not to be taught by them." See p. 242 of his "History