Life and Letters of Rev. Aratus Kent Introduction

Since writing the above I have received yours of the 31 ult. from which I perceive you jogged the wrong people. The Mount Carrol people are really feeble and unable to do much but it was the congregation at Buffalo Grove that I suspected of being too willing too lean upon the H. M. Society. I have however no objection to a jog from your committee now and then to most of our churches that have had aid for 2 years or more years.

On my return yesterday from Babel (near Babel Diggings) and 4 miles from Chelsea, where I preached last Sabbath and am engaged to preach again Friday, Sat. & Sabbath next hoping to prepare the way to organize a church. I called at Shullsburg to say that they must do something for Mr. r. of he must be removed. I found that Br. Esty considered himself pledged to pay all the rent and some 30 dollars besides and he promised me immediately to circulate a subscription for the year ending in Ap. He moreover seems resolved when the time comes to take hold of the effort to build a church.

Your affectionately,

A. Kent

Galena, Ill. Feb. 20, 1851

Rev. Mr. Badger

Dear Br.,

Br. Gray has sent me his commission and has declined acting under it : says 150 is 50 less than the least sum that will suffice and 100 is no more than he ought to have and add “Do place some man on this field whose integrity will not be doubted.”

In reply I have assured him that the reduction was no reflection on him but probably grew out of my suggestion that the Buffalo Grove people ought to de more and I have expressed the opinion that that larger congregation of people with farms (and not new settlers) can raise the amount. And if the effort is made and they fall short I will pledge the Society to make up the 100 but not until they have subscribed at least 50. In saying these things I have been governed by my knowledge of facts. I am informed that Br. Gray is labouring with unwonted faithfulness on that field and is very useful there (Br. Magoun concurrs in these views).

I enclose Br. Days quarterly report. To me it is exceedingly interesting, especially in view of the prospect that the Chicago Branch of the R.R. (Central) will go near that settlement. And this render all those desolate prairies valuable. Br. Day is some what advanced in years (say 45), has been moderator of our synod, and I think it an acquisition to get such a man for an explorer. And I shall feel it my duty to retain him on that field this year even if he must have 300: for I regard the 200 pla as an ex post facto law!

Perhaps my patron Saints in N.Y. will think that I have presumed a little but this is the best decision I can make without further consultation and I cannot consistently visit Br. Day in his field and I should be glad to do so this winter.

Br. Powell’s application covers but half his time. I suppose he is yet undecided whether he shall preach at Cedarville and cannot moe in these matters until some time has been consumed.

Br. Balwin in a private letter to me speaks of a revival and 20 converts. He has extended out Br. Gould’s labours and I think that Br. G. has prepared the way for great goof to be done in that vicinity.

God is blessing Galena but of that anon.

Yours, Etc.,

A. Kent

_____

Rev. Mr. Badger

Dear Br.,

You ask your agent to give notices of changes which have taken place within given periods. The first thought was that I have nothing new on that subject, but I began to reconsider ... [illegible]...

Annual Report

You inquire how many churches have passed to a state of Independence. There are several (Rockton, Providence, Princeton, Belvidere, Freeport & Galena and St. Charles, I suppose.)...I have travelled 3905 miles & ...I have preached 126 sermons, have administered the Lord’s Supper to distant churches 7 times, baptized 5 persons. I have visited every county (23) and spent one or two Sabbaths (preaching to the destitute on our Home Miss.) in each of the following counties: Jo Davies, 7 Sabbaths; Stephenson, 3; Winnebago, McHenry, Cook, Will, Grundy, Kane, 2; Putnam,1; Lasalle, 2, DeKalb, 16; Marshall, 1; Whiteside, 2; Ogle.

Our “Condition”

is that of dependance and we in Northern Ill are drawing necessity upon your Society and you think we are receiving more that our proportion, you must admonish those beneficiary churches who have too willing to stint their pastors or to lean upon Eastern Benevolence.

Our Wants

are many. We need more men and better men. There are 12 or 15 churches that are languishing for want of ministers. We who are on the ground need a new ??? from on high, and we ourselves need a larger measure of Divine influence.

Our Mercies

are infinite and wile we moved over our destitutions and on account of the stupidity that yet prevails, we cannot withhold our grateful acknowledgement for what God has done this last year on this field. Especially in our Presbytery. The brethren.,,went up to Synod at Freeport praying. We had a blessed meeting and it has been followed bu a precious work of grace...a revival of influence in other places until within our bounds 12 churches of the Presbyterian & Congregational denomination have been refreshed and 5 of them have received large accessions to their memberships and ...Galena where a display of Divine mercy is being made at the present moment in all evangelical churches. Among those who signified their purpose to be on the Lord’s side and requested the prayers of the church, one was a lad of 12 who had been emphatically a child left to himself:left to wander at will about the streets. It was not so much that he reminded me of his brother of same age whom the cholera in 33 snatched away from our Sab. School:but rather as a token that God is faithful to his covenent:a token that has a bottle for the tears and register for the prayers of his saints. The mother of that lad, already 9 years in Heaven, was one of 6 who were gathered up form an area 40 miles square to constitute the first church that was organized in the territory north of Sangamon River and west of Michigan Lake.

Our Prospects

Are flattering. The prospect is that the district which my agency covers will in 3 or 4 years be so threaded with R. Roads that every area of our immense & fertile prairies will be within 6 hours of as good a market as New York, and every person within 50 hours of the Atlantic and less than that amount travelling time from the Gulf of Mexico. How rapidly will this section of country be prospered, what number of villages & cities will start up as if by magic, and as suddenly almost as the landscape now brown will presently be transformed into an ocean of wild flowers and I allude to it only to show the responsibility of the church to lay broad and deep and quick the foundations of civil literacy and religious institutions. Surely here if any where we may hope that the seed sown by your society will produce an 100 fold.

Your Br.,

A, Kent

Rock Island, March 14, 1851

Br. Badger

Dear. Br.,

My annual report has been delayed because I could not catch time to complete it. I was called off unexpectedly to this vicinity and now I have persisted and forwarded it.

Enclosed I send credentials of Rev. M. Robinson who says his brothers address is Rev. N.G. Robinson, South Wales, Erie Co., N.Y. and he will furnish like papers.

They wish to occupy new ground and operate together. I described Lee Co. (pop some 6 or 7000) as affording such a field. They are pleased with it and are ready to come on, one in May and the other moves in June, or N.C, will wait 6 months if thought best.

It was my plan to locate one at Lee Center where they will raise probably 150 or 200, to labour also at Mecgms Grove which is new ground but where a Presbyterian Church will be organized in due time., also at Lamoille which is in Bureau Co.

The other my plan locates at Dixon to cover also the church at Grand Detour (6 miles) where 100 would be raised and Gap Grove Church 5 miles from Dixon in the other direction. But having recently been through those fields, I found some doubt expressed whether the Gap Grove Church should be disbanded and part going to Dixon and part to Sterling to meeting.

And at Dixon I could find but little encouragement. A leading merchant (Brooks) said he was anxious to have Congregational preaching, but the time had not come quite yet. The prospect of Dixon from its water power (they have a dam) and from its being on the line of the Central R.R. is such as warrants early and vigorous efforts, and so far as I can learn the Baptists & Meth. are not raising its moral Char. very much. Should those 2 men be encouraged to come on this spring to locate both in Lee C., where we cannot expect they will raise more than 350 for both on the whole field in first year, or shall one be sent to Lyndon where a Congregational minister is needed or should one of them be told to wait 6 months. Please send me a prompt reply that I may somewhat to answer.

My voice for the first time is hoarse from too much speaking last Sabbath.

Yours in haste,

A. Kent

______

Dear Br.,

I sit down to furnish a little record of my movements the last 8 days. Having received letters at Freeport on the 8th which were forwarded to me from Galena, and which seemed to require that I should go to Rock Island, I engaged a layman to meet my appointment at Babel for yesterday. I made my was across the prairie to Byron (Ogle Co.) and spent the night with Br. Pearson to get all the information O could about Lee Co in which he has laboured. He favored the plan of sending the Robinsons into that County. He thinks the prospects are flattering in this new field. His prayer meeting is well attended and he was agitating the question of commencing a series of meetings which I warmly advocated on the ground of a general seriousness in all this region.

I called at Grand Detour. They are anxious to get a preacher but have no one secured. At Dixon I called and could find but little encouragement. I spent a night at Gap Grove. Their spiritual states exhibits the necessary results of a long destitution. The O. School church edifice at Sterling, build I believe with funds from the east, still stands without windows & doors.

At Como I saw Br. Wheeler a few moments as he was commencing the Exercise of a funeral occasion. He will just raise the greater part of 200 on his field, but has made no effort at Como but leaves that for the action of the church he hopes to organize there in April. He was about to commence a series of meetings at Round Grove where 2 have recently been converted. And at Lyndon they are still destitute and will not be easily accommodated as there are 2 sorts of people there. Spent the night at Sharon. Br. Martin is gaining ground rapidly. He is just such a man as we want to explore Mercer & Lower R. Island Co., and I have written to persuade him to spend 3 or 4 weeks there this spring while his brother who is coming out in May shall supply him.

After fording Green River and wading an abundance of mud holes I reached Rock Island and spent a day in anxious deliberation about Br. Holts duty, concerning which he wrote requesting me to visit & advise him. The Church esteems him and appreciates his worth, but many of them think that he cannot be useful there on account of the coldness of his demeanor in private and natural abruptness and apparent hardness in public. The best description I can give. They have had some interest in religion there and some valuable additions. But they say that the congregation is decreasing and families will not join if he is to remain, The church appears to love and stand by him but they are disturbed and know not what to do. I have talked freely with him but it is as hard for him to see his own “errors” as for me to see mine which receive the same directions as I told him. I left without giving any opinion.

I called on Br. Hitchcock who is assisting Br. Hill at Albany. He has had a valuable accession this winter. I called on Br. Thompson at Port Byron.. He has had a precious season of refreshing assisted by Br. Cobb and there are some 50 converts, many of whom may join other churches.

I reached Albany Saturday evening intending after morning service to go over to Garden Plain and preach in the evening to one of Br. Wheelers congregations but it prove a rainy day and I spent the day assisting Br. Hickcock at Albany. There is good work going on there. Several come forward to be prayed for and one young man at the Hickcock Monday morning prayer meeting stammers aloud “I am happy: I have a new mind and a new heart.” I saw the tears in Br. Gilbert’s eyes and he rose and thanked God for this and another conversion in his family. This young man is an orphan and illiterate. This man Gilbert is a Methodist Br. who made one of that meeting at Prairie du Chien who were gathered at Br. Lockwoods to pray that God would send them a minister.

One who lead in prayer and exhortation this morning was a young man of 17 who said that 9 years since he lived next door to me in Galena. He is a growing Christian and wants to study for the ministry. I encouraged him after he had mentioned the indications of Providence pro & con.

I forgot to suggest it at the time and after riding 2 miles I called on a member and left “Norman Smith” to be given to the young man’s prayer meeting, hoping it might originate such an exercises. Stopped at the end of 6 miles and called on the widow of O.S. Elder Mitchel and had a very tended and melting time with her and her 3 sons 15, 17, & 19 and little daughter. The eldest said he still had the book I gave him some 10 years ago after prayer. I took my leave and called him out and exhorted him to remember his responsibility to his mother and Br. He was greatly moved : he prays:

With such a variety of incidents you may imagine I had a precious season in crossing the lone sand prairie between Albany and Savanna.

Spent the night at Bowen’s at Savanna. They seemed pleased with Br. Hildreth and he had bot [sic] a lot and is to move there as soon as he can procure a house. I judge that the movement will serve to break up the Unitarian effort.

25th The good work is still going on in the first and second Pres. Churches in this place.

Please to answer mt letter speedily concerning the Robinsons that I may reply to them.

Yours, etc.,

A. Kent

Galena, April 18, 1851

Rec. Chas Hall, D.D.

Dear Br.,

I have just returned from Boone Co. and from Presbytery at Buffalo Grove and I have first of disposed of your letter and Br. Robinson’s 3 saying to him that I do not feel at liberty to invite him to Lee Co. for the reasons that his ....

I feel myself embarrassed with your “ex post facto” law in relation to assuming the whole support of a missionary (though I approve fully of the general remarks you make in support of it). But I feel straightened in relation to my own past conduct for I have encouraged Brother Wheeler, Day & Murphy in the fact that they would be sustained.

Br. Wheeler is doing well...

I would however suspend my judgement on these 2 cases until I have been over the field which I intend to explore in May. Hereafter I intend not to encourage men to expect over 200 dollars unless your Soc. sanction it.

We have had many stormy Sabbaths and your missionaries and their agent have had to endure hardness. We had a snow storm of 2 days. The snow blew so violently and fell so fast that was impossible to face it but I went with the wind, rode 40 miles and preached twice next day at Rockford on Home Miss. according to appointment but injured my weak eye...and it is not quite well yet. It was allowed to be the severest storm we have had this whole winter past, many cattle and sheep died.

I have been to Shullsburg attended the ordination of Br. Reynard and conversed with Br. Esty who pledges as I understand $100 besides the rent of Br. R’s house but did not think best to circulate a subscription quite yet. He is a man of noble soul and I did not think it best to insist further at present. He also seems determined to make an effort to build a church at Shullsburg this summer. Br. Raynard is very acceptable and laborious and in that part of his field which embraces the Apple River Church (which I remember labouring to keep alive for 2 or 3 years) he has made a favorable impression. It will however be impossible to raise anything there for a while. We spent last Sabbath there and ..was quite astonished to find so large a congregation. ..

After surveying the ground and hearing all that they have to say at Buffalo Grove the Comm. on Home Mis are unanimous in recommending Br. Gray should have 50 dollars more. I think they will do more another year.

I have received application for aid to sustain Br. Sipes at Lamoille but think it my duty to detain it until I pass that way and make enquiries.

I will give you Br. H. Brown’s remark accompanying the application. “I suppose that Br. Sipes is a thorough-going Oberlinite and I am apprehensive is not fitted to be useful in any place. Men who feel that they are perfect are sometimes very perverse.”

I have considered what you wrote respecting affairs in Minnesota, and I am very sorry that such alienations should have arisen. I suppose you have seen Br. Neill now and I need say no more except that I shall do and indeed have done already what I could to soften the temper of the parties. I am persuaded that those..do not always discriminate between a zeal for God and a desire to promote an ism.

One thing I marked, Br. Neill said he had offered to refer the whole matter to the decision of the Secretaries but that method of arbitration was declined.

Last year I found that Brethren were not supplied with your reports on the Eastern part of my field. Please inform me how large is the district which I am expected to supply and I will attend to it. If any are to be distributed from Chicago a notice might be put in the Herald of the Prairies.

A. Kent

______

May 23, 1851

Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear Br.,

According to promise I hasten to inform you in respect to the application from the Church at Lamoille.

We have most abundant rains hither the past week do that the country is flooded, the bridges carried off and the sloughs in the flat country beyond the Ill filled to satiety and a history of my exposures and escapes would be “a caution” to those who propose to be Home Missionaries. But I will only say that I reached Lamoille Wednesday eve. after riding all the afternoon in a powerful rain, and could not call on any but Mr. Bangs whose house was on my way. He represented all the Ch. to be united in Mr. Sikes as I understood him. In the morning when I left the Bureau River which ran between me and Dea. Bakers (on whom I would call) was impassible. And I was about to leave the vicinity without getting any more light. I however by inquiry found one member of the Ch. of whom I learned that Dea. Baker (brother to a Miss. in Bloomington) was dissatisfied and 4 others whose names I have. And before I left the settlement I wrote a line back to Br. Sikes to this effect, that I left his house under the impression favorable to his being commissioned, but that I had since been informed that as many as ten of the male members would prefer another preacher, though they all esteem him highly as a man. And they did not wish to wound his feelings not disappointed expectations they had created - that I was in duty bound to report this fact to the So. and I thought it would be both kind & Christian to state this action of mine to him.

He has built a very comfortable house but if obliged to sell it, he need not sacrifice anything on it.

I judge that they are determined not to keep him longer than the present year and under all circumstances, I cannot recommend that his commission be renewed and I suspect that a majority of the church will be secretly pleased though they had not courage to express their feelings by a vote.

Yours, etc.,

A. Kent

_________

[Ottawa] June [13th], 1851

Dr. Badger

Dear Br., I have just left Ottawa where I went to attend the meeting of Fox River U. I had had experiences of perils in the mud. It is worse travelling that I ever saw before. On my way down my horse fell over and I was obliged to release him from the wagon before he could get upon his pedestals. I am now returning and I have that same 6 miles to go over tomorrow morning. There is also swimming water between me and my Sabbath appointment at Lee Center where I go also to attend the Winnebago & Ogle Association. But I am hoping I can follow down the stream until I find a bridge. But in spite of perils I have accomplished some thing. I have seen Brs. Leonard, Sikes, E.G. Smith, Dodge, Wells, Loughead and others I wanted to see, also I called on Br. Ira Smith and engaged him to preach at Mechgms Grove hoping to supersede a Mr. Gardner who has gone there but who does not give promise of being suited to the field.

My visit has also resulted in getting Br. Hubbard (of Batavia) to succeed Br. Sikes and thus I hope to prevent a difficulty that was likely to grow out of the disclosures of my letter to Mr. Sikes.

The meeting of the Fox R. U. has been harmonious and pleasant. I have had opportunity to plead the cause of Home Miss., and to unite with these excellent Brethren in commemorating the tragical exit of their leader and contemplating together his second advent in triumph. But who may advise the day of his coming?

I have alluded several times to the Guernsey Frocks. I have recently taken them out and aired them and unless I am otherwise instructed, I shall make another effort to put them off next winter.

If you should sent me your reports please to say how far I shall supply/ Last year I did not hear that any were sent to Chicago.

I am hoping to see one of the secretaries at Chicago.

Yours, etc.,

A. Kent

I enclose an application from Chemung with my recommendation and that of the Com. of his Presbytery (Brs. Hart & Eddy) who say however that they are not informed on the subject. I have felt that Br. Smalley like many others has had “too many irons in the fire”, but he promises to give ....to his work. It is my purpose of my experiment to go through there on my way to Waukegan in July and press that point. I injured my weak eye riding in that dreadful snow storm in Apr. to meet my appointments in Rockford and they have been when yesterdays ride injured them again and I am afraid I shall be laid by during the hot weather and unable to go to Chicago but I hope not.

Br. Bentley, the writer, is represented to be a very good man living 5 or 6 miles off and both my visits there have been in such bad travelling that I could not see him. I am not yet satisfied that he ought not to give so much of his time to Poplar Grove etc. But I know too is is important to concentrate our efforts in these new fields.

_______

Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear Br.,

Please pay the Bearer John E. Vassar eighty seven dollars and charge the same to my account.

$87-

Aratus Kent

_____