December 9, 1815 — to Joseph Frye ?

The main interest of this letter is the reference to the inflammatory letter sent by a member of the Baltimore Conference. The following letter, which is almost certainly a letter to Joseph Frye, throws considerable light on this. Appended to this letter is a letter evidently from John Wesley Bond on the same matter.

NEAR ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA

December 9, 1815

[TO JOSEPH FRYE ?]¹

Oh Timothy! Oh Joseph! keep that which is committed to thy charge; fear as all the dreadful calamities of life and death and hell; a departure from God, as a Christian, a preacher and presiding elder. Take care of thy health, thy soul, thy district. Of myself I die daily. Do the prayers of the preachers and people of God prevail for me? The Lord is coming forth generally; the fishermen are about minding their nets, the hunters beating the mountains. I was sorry to hear that a brother, a member of your conference, should send out an inflammatory letter, if pursued will destroy Methodism, root and branch; who shall appoint the presiding elder? the answer; the Annual Conference. This motion, and question last General Conference, could only be the opening wedge to split the whole system to pieces. Poor man he was not appointed presiding elder. Thine as ever in the Son of God Christ, Jesus our Lord.

F. ASBURY

P.S. I thank you for your letter.

[Alexander] M’Caine²

Dear Brother,As Bishop Asbury is kind, etc.³

Drew University Library

The care of the preachers was a lifelong burden upon Asbury. He shows his concern for them continuously. He has almost reached the end of his road; yet the distressed ministers, wives, and children must have relief. Thus he attempts to raise a subscription. A dollar was a real gift then. This is a most interesting document, and it is fortunate it has been preserved. However, the totals of the figures do not seem to balance.

January 1, 1816

A SUBSCRIPTION ⁴ PRESENTED TO THE MINISTRY, TRAVELLING AND LOCAL: THE MEMBERS AND BENEFACTORS OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH: FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING, BY SMALL DONATIONS, A SUM SUFFICIENT TO AID AND RELIEVE THE DISTRESSED MINISTERS, AND WIVES AND CHILDREN OF THE MINISTERS, AND TO INTRODUCE AN EQUALITY OF QUARTERAGE AMONG OUR BRETHREN, AS FAR AS MAY BE PRACTICABLE.

It is the boast of the British Connexion that they have continued their quarterage at the same rate as fixed by their venerable founder, Mr. Wesley! When the American General Conference raised the quarterage of the preachers, they calculated on an increase of their funds by the Book Concern, and the establishment of a Charter Fund: After all these sources are drained by different appropriations they come greatly short of supplying them agreeably to the Form of Discipline. Some of the Annual Conferences settling at thirty-one dollars the unmarried, and sixty-two dollars for the married preachers; and the children are generally excluded from receiving anything in the settlement.

No person is permitted to give more than one dollar.

FRANCIS ASBURY

There follows a passage signed by Asbury as below. It does not seem to be in his handwriting.

SUPPLEMENT

British Methodist preachers’ quarterage is £12 sterling per year. American Methodist preachers’ quarterage per year until 1800 was $64, when the General Conference with long debate and a small majority raised it to $80. And we seriously doubt whether it has ever been paid to more than one-sixth of our number of preachers, and that only in the most wealthy parts of our work. The mite subscription made general and universal first promises that when any of our young preachers are stricken with any uncommon affliction; when not [knowing] where to go for support, that their quarterage and travelling expenses may be paid them quarterly. It will also provide for those sudden, great, and injurious vacancies, between conference, by putting it in the power of the presiding elders to employ faithful local preachers who may travel for a quarter of a month as the case may be, that they may have their quarterage paid to them as travelling preachers—and lastly to enable us to send out German, French, and Spanish Missionaries.

F.A.

Jany. 1st 1816⁵

SUBSCRIPT

Amount⁶ brought over from

old paper — $102.00

Rev. James Smith — $ .25

Stephen Nichwin — 1.00

Reuben Harris — 1.00

Rev. John Crawford — 1.00

Rev. Samuel Bushnell — .50

John Taylor — 1.00

Rev. William Swayze — .50

Reuben Taylor — 1.00

Rev. Elijah Wooley — 1.00

Nancy Taylor — 1.00

Rev. Wm. Anson — 1.00

Matthias Swain⁷ — 5.00

Rev. L. Marvin — .40

Rev. Gersham Pierce — .25

Rev. W. Sharp — .25

Rev. Heman Bangs — .50

Rev. Wm. Pop — .25

Rev. Joseph Bangs — .12½

Rev. Peter Bussing — .25

Pierre Van Cortlandt — 1.00

Rev. Gilbert Lyon — .25

Arnold Scholefield — 1.00

Lewis Russ — .25

Rev. Smith Arnold — .50

Rev. Wm. Jewett — 1.00

Rev. Daniel Brayton — .25

Rev. T. Ostrander — .50

Rev. Tobias Spicer — .50

Rev. Jacob Ward — 1.00

William Snyder — 1.00

Henry Snyder — 1.00

Abel Inliss — 1.00

William Boyle — 1.00

John Ward — .75

Wm. Spire — 1.00

Rev. Robert Green — 1.00

Rev. Lenas Adams — 1.00

Abraham Bowie — 1.00

Lewis Packard — .25

Rev. George Picketing — 1.00

Rev. Joseph D. Merrill — 1.00

Rev. Joel Steele — 1.00

Ephm Wiley — .25

Jerusha R. Steele — .50

Rev. Oliver Beale — 1.00

Rev. Orlando Hands — 1.00

Rev. John Lindsey — .50

Rev. Wm. Winman — .50

Rev. Wm. Marsh — .50

Jno. Wittelby — .75

Rev. Joshua Thondell — .50

Rev. Solomon Sias — 1.00

Rev. Jacob Sanborn — 1.00

John Warren — 1.00

Rev. John W. Shandy — 1.00

Rev. Edward Hyde — 1.00

Rev. Francis Asbury — 1.00

Rev. John W. Bond⁸ — . .50

Amount brought in by J.W. Bond — 31.62½

Rev. J. Baker 1.00

Rev. P. Munger .50

Rev. David Kilborn 1.00

Rev. Ben. Sabin 1.00

Rev. Ebms Blake .50

Rev. Warner Banister .50

Artemas Stebbins . 50

—$5.00

Amount brought over — 5.00

Elias Marble — .50

Rev. Barry Jones — .50

Rev. Daniel Fillmore — 1.00

Rev. Daniel Wentworth — .40

Rev. John Atwell — .50

Rev. Richard Emery — .50

Joel Winch — 1.00

Rev. Benj. Hazelton — .25

Rev. Martin Rutter — .50

Rev. Elisha Streeter — .25

Rev. John Adams — .50

Rev. Jeremiah Davis — 1.00

Rev. Benja. Burnham — .50

Rev. Thomas Tucker — .50

Rev. James Jaques — .25

Rev. Robert Hayes — .50

Rev. Orin Loomis — .50

Rev. Isaiah Emerson — .50

Rev. Joshua Nye — .50

D.H. Osburn — .50

Rev. Eleaser Wells — 1.00

Jason Walker — .25

Rev. Ebenezer Newall — .25

Rev. Leonard Frost — .50

Rev. Josiah F. Chamberlain — .50

Rev. Philip Munger — .50

—————————$18.69

Amount brought on by

J.W. Bond — 31.62½

$50.22½

Received of the above of John W. Bond

Daniel Fillmore

John Lindsey — Stewards

Jacob Sanborn

Received also one hundred dollars private donations

Daniel Fillmore

John Lindsey— Stewards

Jacob Sanborn

Unity June 2nd, 1815

Rev. Daniel Fillmore — 1.00

Rev. John Lindsey — .50

Rev. Jacob Sanborn— .50

The N.E. Conference⁹ not being able to meet the salaries of the preachers raised them only to 31 dollars to the single and 62 to the married preachers and children in proportion—

Jacob Sanborn

Daniel Fillmore — Stewards

Amt. brt. over — $250.26 ¾

Rev. Walter Griffith — 1.00

Rev. Thos. Verstrom — 1.00

Rev. Robert C. Matton — 1.00

Rev. Daniel Fraley — 1.00

Rev. David Sharp — 1.00

Rev. Isaac Quinn — .50

Cynthia Quinn — .50

Rev. Francis Sandrews — 1.00

Rev. Samuel Brown — 1.00

Rev. Charles L. Weidell — 1.00

Rev. Moses Cramer — .50

Rev. Wm. McMahon — 1.00

Rev. Kresley Morris — 1.00

Rev. Benj. R. Hoten — 1.00

Rev. H.B. Bascom — 1.00

———————263.76 3/4

Paid the Ohio Conference — 100.00

Balance — 163.76 3/4

Received of these within subscriptions, in behalf of the Ohio Annual Conference one hundred dollars; given under our hands Sept. 15, 1815 Marcus Lindsey

John Dew — Stewards

Thomas D. Porter

Received of these within subscriptions 92 dollars to be appropriated to the children of the married travelling preachers who had received nothing from the quarterage or circuit. From under our hands Sept. 20th, 1815. $92.00 T.D. Porter — John Dew — M. Lindsey

Amount brought down — $163.76 ¾

Rev. John Dew — 1.00

Rev. William Adams — 1.00

Rev. O.W. Spencer — 1.00

E.G. Case — 1.00

Amount brought over — $263.06 3/4

Eliza Baker — .50

Eliza Sheppard — .50

Edward Sanderson — 1.00

————————$26(4).06 3/4

Warren Moore — .50

Clarissa Moore — .50

William Babb — 1.00

——————$267.06 3/4

Received October 27 in behalf of the (Tenn.) Annual Conference Two Hundred and Sixty-Seven dollars, six and a quarter cents from the Mite Subscription.

James Dixon

James Gwin— Stewards

The preachers deficiencies in the Tennessee Annual Conference for 1815 was $1313.73 1/4.

The different collections for the benefit of the preachers afforded a dividend of $55 to the single and $116 to the married preachers from the Mite Subscription for the benefit of the children of married preachers $100 affording a dividend of ten dollars to each child. J. Dixon. Mite Subscription opened and continued for the year 1816. Rev. Francis Asbury — $1.00

Rev. John W. Bond — 1.00

James Wynn — 1.00

Rev. Jeremiah Sell — .25

Rev. John Bloom — .50

James Jenkins — .25

John M. Cherry — .25

James Mills — .25

Isaac Moore — .12 ½

John Mitchel — .25

Millie Holt — .25

Claudius Allen — .25

Pleasant Reed — .06 ¼

Elliott Grills — 1.00

Wesley Harrison — 1.00

————————7.45 3/4

Notes (9)

1. Presiding elder, Potomac District, Baltimore Conference. The letter is not addressed, but it is very probably to Joseph Frye. ↩
2. For some reason M’Caine is at the bottom of the letter. It could be that the brother referred to above was Alexander M’Caine. He was disaffected at the time and later left the church. ↩
3. John Wesley Bond was Asbury’s traveling companion, and he evidently wrote this letter. It refers to the “letter Father Asbury alludes to” and ties in with the letter to Joseph Frye. There is more to the letter, but it is badly defaced and cannot be put together. Dear Brother: As Bishop Asbury is kind —— a part of his paper I gladly embrace the opportunity of sending you this assurance not only of high esteem but of much affection. Dear Brother I rejoice much that you remain with the Fathers of Methodism in doctrine, discipline, and love, this I have never had any doubt of—but all are not so. The letter Father Asbury alludes to I found in the West, it manifests indeed that former proceedings were designed only as “an opening wedge.” It calls for an electioneering spirit among our preachers and people to alter the present order of Church government. This is to be done by sending no member to General Conference who will not vote for their new measures, it provides among other things that there should be but one grade in the ministry—all Elders. That we should have no more bishops but superintendents elected every four years—The presiding elders also elected—a committee also elected to station the preachers, with much more such stuff. I felt the more mortified that those letters (for there were three or four of them at least but all I believe from the same man) should come from a member of the Baltimore Conference —— I have no doubt that God will overturn the mat —— of uneasy men, but it is a serious thing that the —— should be exciting the people to holiness, should draw —— to vain jangling which do only engender strife —— holding the Church together should —— more than 20,000 —— land. Others may no doubt, will think for themselves but for my part I have no doubt a [meeting]? has been held in Hell how to stop the progress of Methodism. Its influence is extending—Campmeetings are bearing down all before them—something must be done—divide them—draw them from the simp—— John Wesley Bond ↩
4. One of Asbury’s last administrative acts was for the benefit of those preachers and their families who were in financial distress. He sent around a circular outlining his plan and on at least one copy added a supplement in his own hand. For a facsimile of the first donations to the “Mite subscriptions opened, and continued for the year 1816,” see E.S. Tipple’s Francis Asbury, facing p. 294. (Frank Baker.) ↩
5. Since this is dated January 1, most of the money was collected in 1815. Asbury had started the new 1816 subscription on January 1. He was probably reviewing this at the Arnold house shortly before his death. ↩
6. Names not included. ↩
7. Though the preface says that “no person is permitted to give more than a dollar,” Swain gave five dollars. ↩
8. He traveled with Asbury. ↩
9. New England Conference. ↩