Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-07-22
The Rev. Ezekiel Cooper
by j II. HAaANr, pD.

nenrly suunre in irout--the very thing to tempt |
the inger5 vi a phrenologst An enormous wen |
grew f,om the right eide of his neck. Skillul
surgeons pleaded with him to hive it removed |
but as it gave him no pain, he preferred to carry
il with him u the grave, A silly stury was cir
culnted many years ago, that when MIR. Cooper |
had travelled some time, his brethren We're near
sending him home for nck Of ability tOpreach; but
the truth is that his talents challenged almlra-
ton from the first and from the beginning OF his
career he WAS nm ornament TO the Conference
lie had been present, ae hn interested spectator,
nj tie organization Of the Church in lIsl aud
was admitted on trial hs an itinerant minister in
the following year
BishOp Ashury regarded him MS the wsest man
in the Connection, and con n'tlutly consulted him
On all grrlt and difficult questions. In li99 he
was appointed Editor anl Book Steward, AMI in
dis double office did 90 well, that when he re
tired from the place, the Conference voted HIM
Il thousand dollars extra pay Mr. Cooper was
an carly friend OF lay delegation, and Published
II plan by which it nigh; bc introduced into the
Gsucral Conference; bat he was too wise ani
good to insist upon the change AT the risk oiren'
linr tho Church. lie quietly yielded to that
4 vast majority of both ministers aud members who
then went against it, assured, however, that II
would come in its time. Many think that it
ough not to bn deferred beyond the next Gener
Al Conference and it woull not he, ii the late
As Witherspoon snid in the Congress vi 'lG, when
some one had expressed fear that the people
were not vet ripe for the Declaration OF lnde-
pendence :-"Iut, man We are not only ripe
for II, but nearly rotten for the want of il,
Mr.. Cooper was MI enemy To slavery, and to
the en- OF his life looked upon it with that Just
nbhorrrnce in which it had been held by ali his
early eoahoreTs But ns Church legislator
and administrator OF discipline, he wisely dis
tngnishet between "bsiisFmq masters and the
Gcgreea of every form and shade. He wa' every
/ inch u gentleman, and on NIL Occasions o0ndle-
tpi himself with allahiiity aud dignltied ease. a
man more careful to AVOID the vice OF evli-sHeAk-
ing never knew. In debate, he had trained
hmsrf Ia such eousumGluto skill, that 1t was I'M
1 safe for amy man to attack him. Tue aspect Of
1 his face, while listening TO an oppO0eurs nrEu-
meet was enough to trlghten tinild man our OF
his sef possession; for he wore the most logical
! looking nose that | ever saw on the face OF man.
4 Nothing pleased him better tbah regular set 10
on some nout of divinity or Intellectual philoso.
ply, unless, JUDGED, it might have been IN inyi-
tGu3n 10 MI angling match, which he rarely de-
cinel when there was the least chance OF gor'
ious nibble. He had often been IA welcome guest
| in my fathers house, and it is fresh in my mem
ory how he entertained the family and such
friends as would drop in, with n history Of hs
early travels in New Engianl. en one OF these
occasions, he told Of u combat he once had with
u divine Of the e s'aH2iE9 ofdsF,' in Lynn. A
Lady urited them both 10 take tea with her AT
ths table, she placed them directly opposite each
other. Soon after the feast began, the neighhurs
dropped in until the room was full MIR. Cooper
wondered whnt II all might mean The secret,
however, was soon explained. "Alr. Cooper,
said the lady, "l desire to ask you question
will YOU answer me- "Madam," said he, "as |
presume you would not ask inc any question
which it wonld lie improper for me to answer, l
am free to say will"
''ls it true that the Methodists hold the doc
tfine Of Justification by works"
"lt is not true that We hull to Justification by
works"
"hcrrml0ly is true, said the lady's pastor, OH
! the opposite side Of the table.
, ''la :" snid MIR. Cooper inwArly; "l under.
stand now what all this gathering means Here
is work 10 be done Aud then addressing the
| Galvinistic clergyman ne said:
'pray, sir, iuay know on what authority you
i say this?"
I ii have read il ia one your books"
4 "lf you have read il in one Of our books, will
you he good enough to name the author"
+ "l iail now to remember the author name, bu
I nm sure ii w4sn Metnoiis book"
"w you please tell me tue nam, Of the pub
1 Usher ="
"l AIN at u loss, confess, as tO who publish
ed it,"
"Gan prevail upon you, then, to tell me the
title eui tile book 2"
!, "WcN no--l don't remember the title either,
b "lt then, you remember neither the author
nor publi.her, nor title Of the book, how do yoi
i know it was a Melhodist9'
! Thdt, with the logical nose, was held by TIL
| listeners to be conclusive, especially as no ans
I wrr was made
Il The controversy tien turHel Ou the doctrine o
e election, the pastor OF Lynn herOically couten
l. ding for the 'lxcl AMI leiiiite number" to tht
\ exclusion Of the whole reprobated race.
+, Hrhc new covenant" aaid he, "in behalf o
the elect ordered in all things and sure, and IL
a nothing more sure than the exqit number of tn
i, chosen oues, was made from all eternity, and ch'
never be Nnnnlled."
:. "D0 tel me, then, said Mr. Cooper, ''l tn
= Nee covenant was made from all eternity, whei
c was the old one made z"
= "Xlunds. !" said the other, 81 never though
of that before " In this way the old gentle
II man sprung his steel-ttap on his less dex
IS ferrous opponent until the company wer
II pretty well satisfied that whstever nigh
l. hc the merits of the questions Mt iasu,
II Mr. Cooper was too much lOr his nn
n taguniat. Of course no man ever tella 4 stor
o Of this kind when the argument, and especial,
VI the laugh, has gone against him. ! Will nC
III sny that Mr.. Cooper always argued on the sid
It OF suffering truth, for once in while it wa
ie tolerably clear that he AIMED at victory, rigl
A. or wrong. At any rate, cannot forget tbs
his presence in my fathers house was suil
f., cent attraction to keep the boys ut home in III
IL evenings
~ In his earlier years he attempted poetry whic
!" amounted to nothing more than hard prosa
. sense, roughly expresses in lines of ton ayllabe
p for he was os destitute of
~ .The vision and the faculty divine
"a ns n bats wing is innocent. But if lie was notl
ro ing in poetry, he was certainly among tho bei
extompore preachers OF his time lie was NJ
rs ouiy gieat 10 the esteem Of his own people, b-
IL wherever it was known that he WAS to plcac
- - his name brought to "Meth09lI Meetay" graz
~ judges and wise senators, who listened TO hi
~ ~ with profound admiration of his eminent nhilite
90 Even the Quakcrs SO far forgot their prrjnd
,,i, againHt hirelng ministry that they turned o
~ to hear him. Indeed when Mr.. Cooper preaehe
III the more intelligent Methodists looked rom
l. with mn air Of comfortable ASSURANCE, that ho'
Gr ever il might happen at other times, there wou
he no murlifying failure that day. 10 the mel
hers Of other churches who were present, th'
he said rs plainly as looks can say, "who cares 4
,is van now ~ / knew him before age had robbie
of him Of his strength and while his voice was y,
4, fnli and firm Heihad the bad habit Of his tim
of beginning his sermon with an apolOgetic VOL
os about his health aud commonly remarked ill
m IL hs had happened TO 30 to the pulpit feeliI
nd very uuwell, the sermon was sure 10 run out
10. an hour aud half lle generally preached
es doetrinal points, which he explained defende
ew aud illustrated to the great satisfaction Oft
ice who held the same views. CalVinism, RccOrdil
rs to the vogue ofhe Methodist pulpit of those day
was seldom neglected. But when he RssAed Al
IRE point Of the system, he did it without the lea