Undated — to Daniel Hitt

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.

Jan. 11, 1806

[TO DANIEL HITT]

My Faithful Brother:

I was pleased to hear that you are in your ——, & the prosperity that opens to your view: Our South Carolina Conference, was Love & unity itself. We had six faithful days setting. And Committees at work till mid-night. Preaching at 5 o Clock. 12 o Clock, & in the evening. We hope to hear of consequent fruit. I had to gather up my loose papers & ride 135 miles before I could put pen to paper to write to you, & my other Brethren in the North; we had added by admitting & readmitting 15 at the South Carolina Conference; but we have Located & passed by those not in membership, that have stopt 15: but a part is more than the whole, as they are all, we hope effective men. We are resolved to have no Local Travelling Preachers; Judgement is began at the house of God, we have swept the docket compleatly. We number about 45, we could employ about 50, as we have not many back lands.

I am very seriously sensible of the importance of the Western part of our empire or I never should made such sacrifices to visit that Conference; I shall gladly concur in sending sermons from the Baltimore Conference or any other; but I am afraid old Virginia Conference will be near low water mark. Doctor Chandler’s calculation for the Delaware District, in Letter: to me, & another to B. Whatcoat, is 1600 professing converting grace from July to October 18th, & above 100 sanctified. Brother Thacher’s account of the Camp-meeting in the York District, above 200, & many sanctified. The Epistoltory Letters meet the minds of the Conferences; I think pure extracts from these might be published in our annual Letter Book. I wish the Brethren to be as pure & correct, as they can, as we are prepareing for another publication. Ways & means are with the Lord, & that may be one. The South Conference have concurred with the West in the method of the yearly minutes. Many wish to organize the General Conference, least it should come to be made up of 500 Brethren at once. I thought of one way, to restrict the members to 8 years of age. 2nly. To take the lowest number of members from any of the Seven: and let the General Conference Elect out of the surplus an equal number. The interest of each conference, is in my opinion equally concerned in an equal number, & none but party men & simple ones could object: There might be anticipations of nearly what number they would send from each Conference in the Epistolatory Letter the year before.

We made our way through awful roads in the wilderness; our new horse fell upon a Limestone rock, the other happily stood, or the carriage had gone, or horse killed: We passed Tennessee; North Carolina, Georgia & Charleston; I was in the five Districts before Conference. I formed a plan & consulted the presiding Elders, & they completely concured, I had mistaken a surplus preacher, this made way for one to the Columbia Circuit. Our next Conference is to be in Sparta, Georgia. Bro. Watson supernumerary, in ill health, is coming to the North; Daniel Asbury takes the District. We should do all we can to promote a spirit of Family, Social, Congregational & private prayer. The Presiding Elders, should look well to good order in Quarterly Meetings, let judgment begin at those houses of God. You should be very strict in the examination of candidates, at quarterly meetings, that come forward to the Conference: we are always in danger from this quarter. We must keep the altar pure. Consider what I say, & the Lord give thee understanding in all things. We are aiming at Wilmington, Newburn, Washington, Williams Town, Murphysburg, Edenton, & so to Norfolk. Brother Mead as is his manner, is going on upon the Richmond District, and indeed all three promises well. Saml. Coate is Learning French to preach in Lower Canada: the French College expelled him; but he keeps along. Let us pray mightily for our Continent, that we may be kept out of the wars of the old wicked world! I am as ever yours

F. ASBURY

Letters to Daniel Hitt, Ohio Wesleyan University Library