Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-05
THE CHURCHLEADERS
Prominent Members of Methodist
Episcopal Conference.
FORMER BISHOP ASBURY'S CAREER
Travelled Thousands of Miles on a
Horses Back.
~ Z n d -
7MER BISHOP ASBURY'S CAREER
THE LATER is H D P S

of the Methodist Episcopal thurchr no" III
session in this city. are jolly lot. Big
Drained and blg-bodied, making 1t difflcult
=, believe that right here in the District of
Columbia as late as 1903, Methodist MN
lister was all but stoned to death, and an
other tarred and feathered, for no other
reason. it is declared. than that he was a
Methodist, and the majority of the commu-
nftv disapproved of him. The Methodists
were not fashionable in those days. Presl-
dents had not as yet, made them popular
by occupying pew In Methodist thufeh'
and then, too. the Methodists OF America
were departing from the laws lald down
nv the father of Methodism, John Wesley,
and the more orthodox resented this.
The hotbed of Mcthodism at its birth
was in and around Washington. It's hrst
bishop in this country. Francis Aso1rF; VINO
was born in StaffOrlshire. England, kEe"
Washington city like book, and was often
at Mt Vernon. where he visited General
Washington. He was the pioneer oishop Oh
America and no monk OF medleEal udSS
oyer denied the flesh and dared the deEll
as he did If his biographies are 10 DE
credited. One has not TO take ihelit ois
faith. however for amid the multitude OF
other duties this remarkable man Kept Il
diary, and it has been printed Inc suIIer-
ing and privation, the toll and drudserS,
the self-sacrifccs. and the scourslhe oL tne
soul that he underwent, ought 10 cshoiilEe
him only they of his faith do not pclleNe
in those things
Founder of Methodist Church.
Bishop Asbury. who vas the founder ana
father of the Methodist Church in the
United States. is considered today one OF
the most remarkable men of his century
He was about twenty-sevcn years OF age
when he came to this country at the call
Of Wesley in iTT2. He was poor boy, ana
his education was not profound IN tee way
kun
of wrestling with Jacob as the colored
brethren put it, and his burning eloquence
was magnetic and impressive. Great reEl7
walls took place soon after nc arrIFeu' anu
thousands were charmed by this second
John crying in the wilderness OF the new
world. He was only a laymGn, not even u
deacon" in the church. He could not per-
form or administer any of the functions or
ordinances of the church. but he could
preach and pray, and the ground was fal-
low.
Al forty years of age. after labors of I'M
told difficulties. and life Of Incompatible
privation. Francis Ashury w2S yer unor-
daiEcd. Under mis- ILLUSTRATIONS me mem,
hcrShip of the church and the believers
he'd increased by thousands. and Wesley
decided 10 break precedent and appoint
As5ury and Coke, another layman from
England ''superintc ndents over the Meth
odfS; brethren in America. The gravity OF
this step can scarcely he estimated IN TINS
day Of light. for many of the forms and
customs Of the McshOGis:n Of that day, as
practiced in the Old world. were sad and
sorry remnant of ancient superstition and
ignorance The order of Apostolic Sue
Cession' was broken for the frst TIME; ana
by the high priest of the church, John Wes-
ley himself.
The Baltimore conference was the second
or third one organized, ana included an the
societies in Maryland and half the Metho-
dists in the country when established, IN
III3 1t has been known as the Baltimore
conference ever since
Ordained Deacon.
Ashury was ordained a deacon at the Bal
timore conference December %, 1Is4, an
elder the 26th and the 9th became full
hetged bishop. with all the powers and
privileges which the title implies 1t is
said that such rapid ecclesiastical promo
ton is unprecedented since the days of St
Ambrose. who. Notwithstanding his 'noio
episcOpari,' was. though only catechu-
men. elected bishop of Milan A. d. "I4
Bishop ASbury's salary was placed at S64
a year. He never married, and in his jour
nal he tells why: Among the duties OF
nv Office ne says. was that of travelling
extensively, and l could hardly expect to
find a woman with grace enough TO enable
her 10 live but week out of the nifty
two with her husband Besides. what right
has a man to take advantage OF the aHec-
tons of a woman, make her his wife and
by voluntary absence subvert the whole
order and economy OF the marriage state
by separating those whom neither God, ma
ture nor the requirements of civil society
permit long to be asunder2 1t is neither
generous i may auC tTdt l Ndu
but little money, and with this l admins
tered to the necessities OF a beloved mother
Till j was fifty-seven. If have done wrong
i hope God and the sex will forgive me-
Bishop Asbury had a serious time OF II
during the revolutionary war, for he was
suspected by the British and scourged by
the Americans. although all his sympathies
Were with the struggling colOnists. So
dangerous did his enemies become that he
finally went into hiding for nearly TWO
years. his life being in hourly danger from
aSsaSSins-
The Slavery Question.
Even in his day the slavery question
stirred up strife. and before he was made
a bishop he introduced in the Baltimore
conference this resolution: Does this con-
ference acknowledge that slavery is con-
trary to tine laws of God and man and ma
ture and hurtful TO society: contrary to the
dictates OF conscience and pure religion.
and doing that which we would not that
others do to US and ours? Do we pass our
disapprobation on all our friends who keep
slaves and advise their freedom?"
The conference voted yes" 1t went on
to censure and vote restrictions on many
of its people who held slaves and, of
course made itself obnoxious to all slave
holders The devoted bishop had TO endure
the whips and scorns'' of all this along
with his poverty. his heart-breaking for
the sight Of his old mothers face and over
the backsliding of his peop,e. as well as
for the Indifference Of those yet in the
bonds of sin.
lie died March 81, 1916, at Spottsylvanta,
eighteen miles from Fredericksburg. He is
buried beneath the pulpit of the Eutaw
Methodist Church in Baltimore. where he had
so often preached in life He ordained O0J
preachers, delivered 1000 sermons, Travelled
100000 miles, from the pine-shadowed St
Lawrence to the Savannas of Georgia
from the surf of the Atlantic to the mighty
father of waters. through painless forests
over rugged mountains. across rapid rivers
all on horseback, save when he walked
He had charge spiritually OF 10000 souls
and the appointment Of 800 preachers He
Travelled $500 miles on horses back In
one season OF ten months, and often COW
cred 800 miles a week in filling his en-
gagements. To travel ten. twenty or thirty
miles Il day and preach three times was a
small stint for him, and he talked for
hours at time without firing himself oil
wearying his listeners.