March 29, 1799 — to Alexander M’caine
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 224
Letters to Bishop Asbury from various people, South Carolina Conference Historical Society, Wofford College
The Minutes show that Anthony Sale and James G. Martin were at Norfolk in 1798. They were evidently not the preachers who died there and to whom Asbury makes reference in this letter. In 1798 Alexander M’Caine was on the Washington Circuit in the South Conference. Evidently a large number of Irish people had settled in Norfolk.
NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
March 29, 1799
[TO ALEXANDER M’CAINE]1
My very dear Brother:
I had an impression, upon my knees, that you would be the most acceptable person to take a station in Norfolk, in Virginia, for the present year: when this is delivered by a person to take your place in Union. I hope you will haste, the King’s business requireth haste, great haste, for King Jesus. My confidence in you as a man of piety, conscience and honor is hereby signified: I have been served so faithfully by your countrymen.2 I am not afraid to trust those I have had proof of. To reconcile you, find you will not need to preach above 4 or 5 times in 7 days. 2ndly, your accommodations will be good. 3rdly, there is a small revival of religion and the fare of things is pleasing. 4thly, you will be able to keep out of the weather when it is changeable. 5thly, you can write to any part of the world,3 or most parts of the continent and kingdom.
It may be said Norfolk is subject to the malignant (fever). I answer not to the regular inhabitants. It is true two preachers have died here, but they were invalids. Your countrymen came here to trade; you may come to preach. Mr. Claudi [?]4 of Ireland hath engaged to preach, some say his subscription is 1,500 dollars, he is a new Irishman. Will you flee? I believe you are a man of a better mind than he, or to flee. I am not infallible but I trust the whole with God: and you. Write me when you are upon the station.
The soul’s real friend,
FRANCIS ASBURY
Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Notes (4)
- Sometimes spelled McKane—a pastor at Union. “To Alex McKain” is written on letter but not in Asbury’s writing. (See letters to M’Caine, July 16, 1806; April 30, 1815; July 1, 1815.) M’Caine later left the church to help form the Methodist Protestant Church. ↩
- The Irish. Early Methodism was indebted to the Irish for much of its leadership. ↩
- This indicates how difficult the mail service was in those days. ↩
- Probably an Anglican preacher. ↩