History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

of our divisions; it was transcribed into a book by Caleb Peddicord." As nothing more is heard of
it he probably sent it to Wesley. About the same time he notes, "William Glendenning has handed
me a book written by Jeremiah Burroughs, in the time of the Commonwealth, upon heart divisions
and the evil of the times: in this work I promise myself good arguments against our separating
brethren." He afterward issued it as an abridged pamphlet, together with Baxter's "Cure for Church
Divisions," and made it do yeoman service against recalcitrants and dissenters from his views. It led
him to the discovery that those who did not think as he did about church government had lost
religion, and among such he distributed the pamphlet. Samuel Roe, a young preacher of the Virginia
party, is reclaimed and takes an appointment. Asbury records his undisguised pleasure: "Samuel Roe
is going to Sussex one that had happily escaped the separating spirit and party in Virginia, and the
snares laid for his feet; and so also did poor William Spencer of late years. Eternal thanks to God!"
After such a devout exultation who can doubt the blind sincerity of the man? Early in January, 1781,
he writes, "I received a letter from F. Garrettson, and another from T. S. C. (Chew), who promise
me their filial obedience in the gospel." Chew was one of the Virginia brethren, and it is seen how
one by one they came again under the spell of Asbury's genius and magnetism. He was but thirty-five
years of age, but the citation just given foreshadows the habit he was forming, after the style of civil
magnates, and with apostolical example, of calling the preachers his "sons in the gospel." Most of
them, it is true, were still younger, but the paternal spirit animated him and prompted this address.
In this he imitated Wesley also.
John Hagerty was a convert of John King's about 1771, and he soon found his gift as a preacher,
and successfully exercised it until 1792; when, owing to the illness of his wife, he located in
Baltimore, where he continued to labor effectively, no sacrifice being too much for him, until 1823,
when he triumphantly expired in his seventy-seventh year. Nelson Reed was converted under the
ministry of William Watters, entered the itinerancy, was present at the Conference of 1784, and
continued his course for sixty-five years, dying in Baltimore in 1840, in the eighty-ninth year of his
age, having the distinction of being at that time the oldest Methodist preacher in the world. He
possessed substantial abilities and great courage, a striking instance of which occurred about 1796
in a bout he had with Dr. Coke and which will be narrated in its current place. Philip Cox was an
Englishman, and is first named in the minutes of Asbury's Conference in 1779. Though a very small
man, not weighing over one hundred pounds; he was full of mental and moral force and great energy.
He remained single until he was fifty years of age. He had powerful revivals, and was cared for in
his closing years by a well-to-do Methodist, with whom he languished out a life of much suffering
from persecution, and died September, 1793, in peace. William Partridge, James O. Cromwell, and
Thomas Foster must be mentioned. George Mair receives special notice from Stevens and
deservedly. Ignatius Pigman was one of the most eloquent preachers of his day; also Stephen Black
and Caleb Boyer. Pigman and Boyer received from Whatcoat and Vasey the extraordinary
compliment, "they had not heard their equal in the British connection, except Wesley and Fletcher."
Most of these early preachers deserved memoirs or monuments, instead of sleeping as they often do
in unmarked graves. Space allows only the perpetuation of their names.
The successful outcome of the so-called preliminary Conference, held by Asbury in 1779 at Judge
White's in Delaware, led him to follow the precedent thus set by calling another at the same place
April 16, 1781, the regular session not being appointed until the 24th, in Baltimore. He makes brief
note of it in his Journal as nothing unusual, "After meeting we rode about twenty miles to brother