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PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF METHODISM IN NORTH CAROLINA.
ESTABLISHED 1855.
RALEIGH, N. C, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1894.
VOL. XXXIX., NO. 4.
i
The Christian Advocate.
203J FAYKTTEVILI.K ST., RALEIGH, N. C.
Tlie Official Orpran of the North Caro
lina Annual Conference of the Method
ist Episcopal Church, South.
'SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One year, in advance,
Six months, in advance,
Three months, in advance,
To Ministers at halt price.
J2.00
$1.00
.50
Entered at the Post-Office in Raleigh
as second-class matter, in accordance
with Postal Laws and Regulations.
POETRY.
Reconciliation.
lfY J. M. HAYS, M. I.
I offered up my gift to God in prayer:
But He,deep in my heart beheld
That hatred of my fellow-man was there,
And stubbornly my spirit had rebelled
To make amends.
I prayed in vain; my gift was not receiv
ed, And sad, I from the sacred altar turned.
Then softly spoke the spirit I had griev
ed :
" While yet the holy fire thereon doth
burn,
Re reconciled."
My injured brother, then, I quickly
sought,
And begged him to forgive me my of
fense; And.whatsoe'er against me he had aught
I made a full and hearty recompense, c?
And lie forgave.
Straightway I to the altar turned again
My soul filled full of heavenly peace and
love :
My gift no more was offered up in rain,
But blessed; and incense from the altar
rose above,
And reached to hearen.
Greensboro, X. C.
COMMUNICATIONS.
For the Advocate.
The History of Methodism in
North CarolinaPrior to the Or
ganization of the North Caro
lina Conference in 1837.
RY REV. ROBERT HENRY WILLIS, A. B.
AND REV. JESSE ARMON BALDWIN,
A. B.
WITH A CRITICAL ESSAY ON THE
SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
BY STEPHEN B. WEEKS, PH. D.
II.
History of Methodism in North
Carolina in the Eighteenth
Century.
BY REV.
ROBERT HENRY WILLIS,
A. B.
(Continued.)
CHAPTER IV.
GROWTH OF METHODISM IN NORTH
CAROLINA FROM 1783 to 1800.
These were all the circuits that
were formed in central North Caro
lina in the eighteenth century. We
have seen how Methodism was first
introduced into the western part of
the State from Vriginia. Besides the
circuits already referred to, several
others were from time to cut off from
Yadkin and formed into separate cir
cuits. Salisbury was one of the six
new circuits formed in 1783. Only
30 members were reported at this
Conference, but still there were three
preachers sent to work in this field.
Beverly Allen, James Foster and
James Ilinton. By the next Confer
ence they had gathered a good many
more in society and reported 375.
There is no way of telling now over
how much territory this circuit ex
tended. Asbury made frequent visits
through this western country, but
seldom mentions in his Journals what
circuit he was in. No doubt it ex
tended over several counties.
Three other circuits were formed
in this western country before the be
ginning of the nincteeth century. The
Holston circuit appears upon theMin
utes for the first time in 1783, with
Jeremiah Lambert as the preacher.
Dr. Doub says (Chap. II., p. 1) that
Holston circuit was formed in 1789
by Rev. Daniel Asbury, who was
then on Yadkin circuit, and Enoch
George, whom Bishop Asbury had
. sent to assist Daniel Asbury in form
ing the new circuit; also, that this cir
cuit embraced a portion of the old
Yadkin circuit extending to Catawba
and Broad Rivers. This does not cor
respond with the minutes; the writer
probably got Holston and Lincoln cir
cuits confused, the latter having been
formed in 1789. In 179G this circuit
was recorded on the minutes, as a
Virginia circuit, and then at least,
must hav been mostly in that state.
Nothing more is known of its limits
except that it was up "in the moun
tains." Lincoln circuit was formed in
1789 and was in Lincoln and Catawba
counties. Moore, 171. Swannanoa
circuit was formed in 1793.
This completes the list of circuits
in North Carolina before 1800. What
has been said about many of them
has been necessarily vague, on ac
count of the great scarcity of mate
rial. Enough has been said, however
to show that in twenty-four years af
ter the Carolina Circuit was formed
the Methodist preachers had invaded
every part of the State. It was all
still a part of the Virginia Confer
ence, except some of the circuits in
the southern part of the State, which,
as has been shown, were partly in
South Carolina and belonged to that
conference.
A few words now as to the early
Conferences, many of which were
held within the bounds ofNorthCaro-
lina. In the earliest period there there
not distinct Conference boundaries as
there were in later years. At first
there was one Conference a year for
all the states together. As the charges
and preachers increased in numbers
it became necessary to increase the
number of Conferences. In 1780
there was for the first time a North
ern and Southern Conference. In
1785 there were three, one in Balti
more, one in Virginia, and one in
North Carolina.
In 1788 there were two Conferences
held in that part of the work where
there had previously been only one,at
Charleston and in Georgia. There
was also one held at Key wood's in
the Holston country, and probably
some of the preachers from western
North Carolina attended. "Fkt.t
conference west of the Alleghanies,"
South. Quar. Rev., Oct., 1888. It is
not known for certain where the other
preachers attended this year. It is
reasonable to suppose that they at
tended the Charleston Conference as
they did the year before. Whether
any of them attended the Virginia
Conference this year, or before this,
is also doubtful.
The first Conference ever held in
North Carolina and the first one held
at all after the organization of the
church in 1784 was at Green Hill's,
in Franklin county, April 20th, 1785.
Life of Lee, 159; Moore, 55, 144.
The Conference lasted for three days
and the business was conducted "in
great peace." Asb. Jour., I., 384.
It was quite difficult for one of the
largest towns in the state to accom
modate the North Carolina Confer
ence before its division in 1890, but
at this early period when the confer
ence covered three states, North Caro
lina, SouthCarolina and Georgia,there
was room for all in one house. Moore
quotes Coke as saying : "There were
about twenty preachers or more in one
house, and by making or laying beds
on the floor there was room for all."
(Moore, 145.) This old historic house,
situated one mile South of Louisburg,
was torn down about fifteen years ago.
Nothing now remains to mark the
two chimneys. The house is said to
have been a very plain building with
two rooms on the lower floor and two
attic rooms above. It was thirty-six
feet long and about eighteen wide.
Sometime after the Revolutionary
War,Green Hill moved to Tennessee,
and the property soon came into the
possession of Joel King, a son of Rev.
Jno. King, who was one of the early
pioneers of Methodism. After re
maing in the hands of the Hill and
King families for one hundred and
twenty-five years almost continuous
ly, it has now become the property of
Mrs. Louisa Hill Davis, a lineal de
scendant of the Hill family on her
father's side, and of the King family
on her mother's side. We are indebt
ed to her husband, Mr. M. S. Davis,
for these facts.
Only one thing broke the harmony
in the proceedings of the Conference.
The subject of slavery was introduced
by Dr. Coke, who urged the immedi
ate emancipation of all slaves. He
was opposed by Jesse Lee very strong
ly. Action had just been taken at
the Christmas Conference to the effect
that all members of Society who held
slaves should free them within cer
tain specified periods, provided the
laws of the State would allow it.
Coke going on his journey through
Virginia vehemently preached againts
slavery and his preaching met with
a great deal of disfavor from the peo
ple. It is said that when Coke came
to North Carolina he kept silent on
the subject, as slaves could not be
freed in this state. Life of Lee, 168;
Life of Coke, 134. He did not keep
entire silence, however, as the follow
ing note from hisJournal while in N.
C. under date of April 8th, 1785, will
show: "The testimony I bore in this
place against slave holders, provoked
many of the una wakened to retire out
of the barn, and to combine together
to flog me as soon as I came out. A
high-headed lady also went out, and
cried out, as I was afterwards inform
ed, that she would give fifty pounds
if they would give that little doctor
one hundred lashes. When I came
out, they surrounded, me but had pow
er only to talk." Life of Coke, 160.
Though he may have undertaken to
restrain himself while preaching
throughout the State, he turned him
self loose in the Conference. "To Dr.
Coke, slavery had but one aspect: it
was a doom to work, without com
pensation, other than necessary food
andraiment,shelterand protection; it
was the doom of ignorance and de
gradation, where the sunlight of ed
ucation never, and that of religion
seldom, penetrated. Ibid Lee
agreed with him thus far;bnt when it
came to the subject of emancipation
they differed. He considered it in
expedient that the qaestion should be
argued from the pulpit, believing
that it would bind the fetters more
tightly upon the slave, and would in
jure the cause of religion. Dr. Coke,
who could not imagine how any
Christian could oppose the emancipa
tion oi slaves on any ground, urged
Lee's position on the subject as an ob
jection to the passage of his character.
The discussion grew very warm; but
they both saw that they had gone too
far and kindly feelings were restored.
Life of Lee, 171. A petition was
signed by the conference to the Leg
islative Assembly of North Carolina
asking that a law be passed allowing
the citizens of the State to emancipate
their slaves, and sanguine hopes were
entertained as to its success. Public
sentiment was too much opp sed to
the measure for its passage. Life of
Coke, 134-5; Bennett, Memorials of
Methodism in Virginia, 222.
(To be continued.)
For the Advocate.
Shintoism.
BY REV. W. A. WILSON.
(Continued from last week.)
Inari-sama is held in high esteem,
especially by the common people. He
is the god that gives protection against
conflagration. And besides this
special charge he is implored mutinies
of family distress. He also gives the
fox his cunning, and directs him to
use his gift in preying upon the rab
bit that injures the rice, the great sta
ple of life to the masses. Ebisu-sama,
the god of wealth, holds a high place
among the gods. His temples are in
almost every town and village, and
sometimes we see them in the fields
and recesses of the mountains. At
Nishnomiya, near Osaka, the com
mercial center of Japan j is perhaps
his chief temple, and on a certain day
every year in the month of July, the
people from the surrounding cities
flock therein vast multitudes. This
god keeps watch over the markets.
Another god whose attributes are
much like Ebisu-sama' s.
is Daiko-
kuten, sometimes called Fuku no
Kami, whose duty it is to bring hap
piness and prosperity to the home.
Among the wares of the shops wre
often see his image, dressed like an
ordinary man. Different from most
of the statues of the Japanese gods,
as we would naturally suppose, he
has a placid countenance.
Among these mysterious powers, I
recently observed, in a town called
Kitsuki, a small building dedicated
to Midari no Kami (god of confusion,
or,iee.) The people of this quarter
looked as if they had served that god
fait? fully. Again I saw in a moun
tainous region, where many cows are
used for carrying grass and wood from
the mountain into the valley, a temple
to the god that protects the feet of the
cow from disease. Then we see
shrines erected to Mizu no Kami (the
god of the waters.) These shrines are
noticeable on promontories and reefs
where it is liable to become danger
ous in time of storm.
Shintoism has an organization, but
it isjsot so perfect and elaborate as
the organization of Buddhism. Each
temple of importance has its guardian
priest, and if it be one of importance,
for example, Kompera, Ise, or Nik
ko, many priests attend to its affairs
more as stewards than spiritual
guides. It might be interesting to
note that the famous temple at Nik
ko, dedicated to Iyeyasu, the head of
the usurpers of the temporal power of
the emperor was a Buddhist temple,
till the emperor was reinstated, when
it was. confiscated, and converted in
to a Shinto temple. Some of the more
pretentious temples have one or more
women, usually young, who serve the
temple as dancers, accompanying the
flute of the priests. To see this, one
must pay a small sum of money. The
most frequently visited of these de
rive no small amount of revenue from
this business. Since Shintoism has
become the State religion, the govern
ment has chosen quite a large num
ber of temples in various parts of the
empire on which they bestow large
sums of money for repairs. Many
that have not the assistance of the
government are going into decay.
The worship oftheShintoistis most
simple, There is no entering the
temple, no
burning
of incense, no
confessional, no reading of prayers,
no long discourse, no vast assemblies.
The worshipper approaches a build
ing, usually located in some pictures
que arreve of varied growth among
j.,w5 icfistiiaYy ... exprc to pp a large
euiuphoHj-ou -land my'iarge crjfpt- j
omeria. Alter washing nis nancis ne
bows before an empty shrine and
mutters his wants in a suppressed
tone, slapping his hands together
meanwhile. He may utter but a
word, but he is most sure to leave his
offering upon the altar always small.
In ancient times the bloody sacrifice
was common. Now the sacrifice
seems to be limited to birds, fish,
finest productions of the field, and
some curious article made by hand.
Shintoism does not demand of its b3
lievers constant worship at the
temple. Many believers, yet not all,
worship the rising sun. These are
found chiefly among the ignorant.
The educated, as a rule, go to the
temples on the emperor's birth-day or
some great annual festival and mingle
freely with the crowd. How firmly
conscience binds such, and how much
custom impels, we have no means of
knowing, yet seeing their conduct one
would conclude the latter to be the
ruling i-vver. These f e s t al
scenes, which seem to be essen
tial to the life of this strange cult, are
most disorderly. In the first place,
the Japanese, although"on the whole,
orderly, are capable of being of the
disorderly the most extreme. Again,
many of these temples,like Diana's at
Ephesus, are centers of vice of the
lowest kind, and Shintoism having
no moral code, written or unwritten,
puts no restraint upon the vicious in
vited to the indulgence of their pas
sions. To begin with, these festivals
are in the interest of false gods, and
false religion, the hearts of whose sub
jects cannot be clean. The outward
trappings cf these scenes attract the
idle and self-indulgent, and the mys
teries do not restrain their passions.
It is common to see huge idols mount
ed on immense cars, drawn by a
boisterous mob accompanied by
a
long procession of youths beating in
cessantly upon drums,
ternpies are venders
wares. The acrobat,
and the monkey man
About these
of all sorts of
the wrestler,
all find here a
liberal patronage.
At times, however, this religion
takes a more serious turn. The sick
or distressed often make vows, the
fulfillment of which requires a great
amount of courage. For instance, a
youth's father or mother may be sick
and he will vow that if the gods will
restore them to health he will devote
a certain number of the years of his
life to the service of the temple. I
know a man who has only recently
completed twenty-five years to make
good his vow made to the gods for
his father's restoration to health.
Sometimes the sick, for their own
restoration, will even go so far as to
vow to lacerate themselves if the gods
will only spare them. Mr. W. P.
Turner, of our own mission, tells of
having seen two joints of a finger
hanging in a temple, a fulfillment of
a like vow. When crops are suffer
ing from drought it is not uncommon
to see masses of people assemble at
the temples, many of whom will dip
branches of trees in boiling water and
sprinkle it upon their bare backs.
Wearisome pilgrimages are often
prompted by the same motives. Mount
Fuji, according to the Shinto belief,
the brain of the universe, is often as
cended by multitudes who think it a
virtuous act to go there and worship.
Pilgrimages, so extensively practic
ed in almost all religions, practices
which invaribly tend to corruption
and hypocrisy, are wonderfully de
veloped in Shintoism. Every com
munity has a pilgrimage society, the
object of which is to collect funds to
send a certain proportion of its mem
bers to some shrine. Who shall go
is determined by lot. In this day of
steamboat and railroad there is less
of romance, but no doubt more
physical comfort.
Such is a brief outline of Shintoism.
To a Christian, it is difficult to see
how such a faith can affect the
thought and customs of a people, yet
in the " Parliament of Religions" it
was represented, and strange to say,
the advocate received more than ordi
nary applause.
Oita, Japan.
For the Advocatk.
Arizona Letter.
BY
W. W. ROSE.
n rcordunee with j promise maoje
you before 1 left North Carolina, '!
will write you from my far away
home. Our trip out here was made
in six days and five nights, without
accident or misssing a single connec
tion, thanks to a gracious Providence.
We received a most cordial wel-
a J 1 1
come irom me lime Dana oi neroic
Methodists, here. We are now com
fortably situated in a neat little cot
tage, built on the church lot since
Conference in September.
Prescott is a nice little town of 2500
-a war.-kY 1 1 1 1
people, DjOtfU ieet aoove sea levei,
built in a little valley in the moun
tains. It seldom rains, and the air is
pure and dry. I have met numbers
of people who have been cured or
benefited in pulmonary troubles by a
residence here. There is but little
farming, except where the fields can
be irrigated. The people are chiefly
engaged in mining or stock raising.
Much gold, some silver, and copper
are mined here. The gold output of
the Territory is six million dollars
per annum.
As to our church here and the re
ligious life of the people let me say,
that we have a good church building
here with a small membership (about
50). They are very much scattered
about in the country. In this number
there are some who areas true to God
and the church as you can find any
where. This place was considered
so unpromising that it was abandon
pfl for several vears. We lost much
by this. About two years ago a lo
cal preacher was sent here who suc
ceeded in building up the church to
some extent. I have made inquiry
and find that in the five Protestant
Churches and the Catholic there are
about 300 members. The churches
are not antagonized by the people,
simply let alone. People have come
here to make money and just as soon
as they get that, they expect to return
East. The unsettled nature of the
population is sadly against building
up the church.
The work here is very discourag
ing and trying to one's faith; but it is
a work that ought to be done and
must be done if we are faithful to the
Master. Workmen are needed here,
men wTho are willing to suffer and en
dure forChrist sake.There is work still
unsupplied, although several months
after Conference, I would not advise
preachers with expensive families to
come here, but young, consecrated,
common sense men can do a great
work which will tell. I close
with a prayer for the friends and
brethren (and my love to all) in North
Carolina, and the request that they
would remember me and mine at the
throne of Grace.
Prescott, A. T.
, For the Advocate.
Parsonage and Home Mission.
BY BISHOP O. P. FITZGERALD, D. I).
It is hoped that all our pastors will
respond to the call for special services
in behalf of the work of the Parson
age and Home Mission Society of the
M. E. Church, South, to be held Feb.
0-11, 1894.
Let every pastor -respond because
the connectional character of the work
demands a connectional response.
Let every pastor respond because
the history of the organization to date
demonstrates its utility.
Letewry pastor respond because
the needs of so many of our preachers
and their families in our new and dif
ficult fields are very urgent. The ef
ficiency of these preachers in their
work, the health and comfort of their
families, and the stability and pros
perity of our church are involved in
this work.
Let every pastor respond because
the good already accomplished by this
organization is an incentive to in
creased zeal and activity in its behalf.
In some cases the very life of strug
gling churches has been saved by the
timely aid given by it. Destitute
fields have been successfully occupied
that could not otherwise have been
entered. Other difficult fields would
i have been abandoned of necessity, but
for the helping hand extended by the
godly women of our Parsonage and
Home Mission Society. Did space
permit, some striking illustrations
might be furnished.
Let every pastor respond, because it
W1U fWdl1
J BPonsu lu mwi UiU 1"K """
tnai are upon us noic.
Let every pastor respond, so that
the toilers in our needy fields may
feel the throb of the great Connection
al heart and feel the touch of its help
ing hand, in the midst of their trials
and privations.
Begin, continue and end with pray
er. Baptize the facts with prayer,
pour the gifts into the treasury in the
spirit of believing prayer. Then
blessed will be both those who give
and those who receive.
San Francisco, Col.
Oxford Orphanage.
The report of Rev. Dr. W. S. Black,
Superintendent of the Oxford Orphan
age, for the year just closed, 6hows
that during the year 41 children were
admitted, 12 placed in homes, 11 dis
charged and 3 died, and that there
are now 230 present. The receipts
from the farm have been $2,093, dis
bursements, $1,327; receipts from the
shoe shop, $1,183, disbursements,
$632; receipts from the printing office,
$2,948, disbursements, $1,329. There
was received from Treasurer G.
Rosenthal, $19,465, all of which was
expended. During the year an in
dustrial building of brick, 30 by 32
feet in size, and two stories in height,
was finished, and' repairs toother
buildings were made, all costing
$2,673. The health of the pupils has
been excellent. Ex.
Scraps.
A man cannot walk in the sun-light
without casting a shadow, neither can
he walked through this world with
out casting a shadow of influence.
Brother, some one is watching you.
What kind of a shadow are you cast
ing? Your influence to-day may de
cide the destiny of an immortal soul.
Rev. E. C. Sell.
Men run toward the devil and creep
toward God.
No man has any more religion than
he can keep when he is tried or tempt
ed. God was never able to say all that
He wanted to say to men until Christ
came. Barn's Horn.