Life and Letters of Rev. Aratus Kent Introduction

If you complain that I have but direly written the name of the reposed brother, I plead a high precedent. The master himself could not bear to name the man that betrayed him but he gave a sign by which he might be recognized. But this last event leaves a whole cluster of churches to mourn. As I passed through Garden Prairie I learned recently that they wanted to secure more of his time. And at Union Grove they were making arrangements to secure his installation. According to my promise is a letter which never reached him, I am going to these bereaved churches next week. Br. W told me that he was too poor to buy a horse and to meet his appointments 20 miles apart. He was obliged to travel on foot sometimes and wade through sloughs that were very full of water during this very wet season. By his death I shall be put in possession of the horse which I had loaned him for a year & if he has found a seat in Elijah’s chariot I conclude he will no longer need such poor facilities for travelling as I could furnish.

Now for your letter. I had not the least idea of the pressure that has been laid upon you and now that you have let me into the consideration of it so much in detail, I shall certainly sympathize with you more. And If in any thing I have been unreasonable in my demands, I hope you will attribute it to an honest zeal for the little section of the great field assigned to me. I am sorry to hear of Br. Halls’ feebleness and if he will come and see us I will leave him the Old Horse that Br. Wheeler has left and perhaps a journey to Council Bluff or to Minnesota on horse back would have a recuperative effect.

We should have welcomed you at our executive meeting and with the exception of the painful trial to which I have referred, they were very pleasant meetings. I do not know what I should do with a hundred lives. But I am well content to wear out this one in a good cause as that of Home Missions and you will allow me to say that shut up as I am in a rowdy tavern right over the bar room and within hearing of the “song of the drunkard” I have been “some what filled with your company” as reported by letter and when I tell you that I can find no better accommodations in a population of 2500 where I am to spend my Sabbath you will see the need of doing something for Peru*. And I am happy to hear that there is a prospect of getting them to invite John Eastman of Hawley Mass to come and labour here : & of his coming.

The Guernsey frocks are in a way to be disposed of: I should not dare to warrant them thru another summer against moths.

I have diligently circulated the reports..over all my field. Scarcely any missions but have been supplied and the rest I shall give laymen.

I feel very forcefully the necessity for making my communications more distinct and the several items of business should be kept separate : I had not thought of it in the same light before.

Nov. 5th Sick with ague which I have not had before in 20 years. I shall make out quite a package for you.

Your letter to Br. Neill is entirely satisfactory to me and I trust it will be to him.

Yours affectionately,

A. Kent

*After spending the Sabbath and 2 days more I got off with a tavern bill of $3.

Galena, Nov. 15, 1851

Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear Br.,

I have just received a letter from Rev. A. Day, from which I quote.

“I have just returned from Livingston Co. having been absent from home 3 Sabbaths in succession. On arriving at Morris learned that you had been there : was so sorry I could not have seen you : In relation to staying on that field another year. I know not what to say : from what I hear Br. Clark of S. Ottawa (a farming minister) is not the man for it. I am not clear at present that it would be right to leave them destitute. I am some inclined to stay : And yet to do so involves some self-denial. There is much wear & tear of both body & mind involved. My year is now out. I have just forwarded my 4th report and I wish soon to decide about my future course. If I continue there it will of course devolve on Br. Kent to apply for a commission for me and the same appropriation will be necessary as last year. I should receive from the people there between 70 & 100 Dollars. I have just closed evangelizing the Co in the bible cause. Have visited most of the families there and raised on subscription $111.00 and some will yet be given. I wish to determine soon on my field of labours for the ensuing year.”

To which I have written the following reply.

“Your letter has been rec’d. with great interest and pleasure and I hope you will continue to labour in that wide field of destitution for I am extremely reluctant that the information you have gained and the influence you possess should be lost. If (as I understand) you have received 70 or 100 dollars for the last year I shall hope you may raise $150 next year. It is the wish and expectation of the society that the people where the missionary labours should make the application after the first year, but as there is no church as yet organized, I suppose you have no one on whom to rely. I should be ready to aid you in starting a subscription among the people for next year if I was there but cannot see my duty to go down there at present as I have not been well for some days.

How would it be for you to try their feelings of attachment to you by inviting them to circulate subscriptions in each neighborhood where you preach as condition of your remaining with them. I throw out this suggestion but leave it to your better knowledge of the people to judge of the best method of reaching the object. I shall recommend to the society that you be commissioned as before, hoping that there will be one or more churches organized during the year who may here after become applicants. I should like to hear more definitely what the prospect at present is of having churches organized on that field.

My dear Br. I regard you as the Bishop of that young country which if I do not misapprehend will from the influence of the Central R.R. passing through (or nearby) it soon become 4 times as populous as it now is and it is a noble sphere of usefulness to be permitted to mould that mass of mind as it come within the range of your influence, for these persons come in single handed and alone and will readily yield to any extraneous influence which is brought to bear upon them by the older settlers especially. Try it brother and if at the end of 5 years you do not rejoice in having persevered in your labours there, then you may regard me as a false prophet or at least a bad advisor.”

I regard Br. Day as quite competent to the work of exploration in which he is engaged and his sons are married and capable of taking care of themselves. If you prefer to have an application from the people that can still be accomplished. He has a whole county to himself and I am anxious to retain him as one who will make his influence felt for good.

Monday morning Br. Raymond has just called and says he has not received his draft due Oct. 1. I told him of your pressure. He brought in a lovely boy of 16 a son of members of my church. He has been lately converted under his ministry, wants to study for the ministry. We have agreed to send him to Beloit and Br. Esty is out with a paper to see what we can raise.

I hear Br. Marsh and Br. Phelps both preach yesterday in the 2nd church.

Yours,

Business matters

Robert Jameson Lockport Ill has paid 50 cents for the Home Missionary. Please forward and charge to me. Also, collection in the Cong. Ch. at Waukegan, $3.00; in the Cong. Ch. at Lockport, $.75.

Rev. C. Gray, Br. R. Whiting, Rev. Hope Brown and Br. Francis Leonard ask a set of Dwights Theology. Br. Brown is no longer a pensioner upon foreign aid and Br. Leonard has refused to receive aid on the ground of conscientious scruples, but seems to have so scruples about receiving Dwight from the same polluted source. I promised to state his case and that of Br. Brown.

Rev. E G. Smith of Dover said he had applied but has not received Dwight.

Should you sent 5 or 6 more copies of Dwight to the Herald office Chicago, it would accommodate 3 at least better than to have them sent to me.

I thank you for information relative to Mr. Eutler. Br. Wheeler’s last words were “sweet Jesus it is not deep” alluding to the Jordan of death.

Br. Phelps has arrived. Br. J.T. Marsh is to supply the 2nd church 4 months I understand.

Yours, Etc.

A. Kent

Galena, dec. 23, 1851

Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear sir:

I have just returned from a tour of 4 weeks and that replete with incidents of travel.

To turn to good account my residence in a distant corner of my field, I have some 6 points on the different roads where I am cultivating new ground and distances varying from 8 to 40 miles from Galena and by starting on Saturday I supply 2 destitute settlements and also lessen the amount of travel on the next week.

I preached on Sabbath at 2 points to goof missionary congregations (say 50 each) and they are points where the Central R.R. will establish depots and I regard it quite important to get foot hold at all such prospective villages at an early day. I left appointments at the same places On Sabbath (12 miles apart) on my return.

I had planned a trip to Lake Co to labour a while with Father Dodge by his request, but my horse was taken sick at Belvidere and my plans were broken off.

I hired a horse and preached at Poplar Grove a thanksgiving sermon (on the 27th) on my war to visit Br. Smally about whose labours I have felt solicitous for some time.

I spent the night with him and he was not a little annoyed by mu enquiries concerning his labours and successes. He said he was amenable to his Presbytery. I assured him I had written instructions and I had not travelled beyond them. I think he saw his error and became very kind and conciliatory before I left. I suppose you would like to hear the light and shadows of Agents sometimes.

Returning to Belvidere I took the cars and spent several days in Chicago : preached on Home Miss. for Br. Peterson. But it was stormy and he gave notice that he would take up collection with the next Sabbath.

Br. Curtis said he would preach on that subject himself, for if he asked me, he might be expected to ask the free missionary agent to preach also. I preached for Br. Anderson and was greatly interested and pleased with what I saw there.

On my return I called on Br. French by his request. he expects to seek a new field in the spring. I also called on Br. Whitney of Batavia (he is labouring with youthful ardor. I preached for him in the evening) and Br. Savage of St. Charles.

The next Sabbath I preached for Br. Fanning at Belvidere and took up a collection and lingered there almost a week waiting for my horse to get well and visiting Br. G.S. Johnson who has had a series of trials and up to the present time has been unable to find a field for his labours. This winter his goods here have been well neigh wrecked and he could not get them until he had given security to the amount of $65 as an average for the loss of others thrown overboard, in case the insurance failed. He has been sick and his wife and child and in the mean time he has been obliged to pay 5 dollars a week for his family and I have advanced $15 and felt that under all these trials and extra expenses I ought to recommend that he have a donation for $50 in the shape of an outfit or in any other way you can best furnish him.

I do not know that it will meet the views of the Ex. Com. but I cannot see how it would be right to refuse it. Dr. Badgers letter was so commendatory of him that I thought he could not be denied that aid. He will probably go to Twelve Mile Grove at least to winter.

I am sorry that you should have been troubled by the application for more of Dwights Theo. than you has to give. There was some remark in one of your letters (now mislaid) which led me to suppose that you had a quantity on hand which you wanted to dispose of and hence I was induced to write as I did. I will correct the error by writing them that the supply is out.

My disappointment from the sickness of my horse was over ruled to give a better direction to my labours than my plan contemplated and Father Dodge writes that God has passed out his spirit there and 12 more already have been added.

Collection of the Presbyterian Church at Belvidere for Home Missions to constitute Rev. Charles Fanning a life member, $31.18.

Charge the same to me. Should you vote an outfit to Rev. G.S. Johnson, please forward to me as I cannot give you his address.

Yours, Etc.,

A. Kent

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Rev. M. Badger D.D.

Sear Br.,

I returned yesterday from a fatiguing and severe trip of near 500 miles, encountering all the exposure incident to travelling in an open waggon through snow drifts and unbridged creeks and patches of prairie 11 & 14 & 18 miles over without a house or tree when the thermometer was at one time 22 degrees below zero in an effort to explore Iroquois Co.

Having failed in 3 several efforts to get the work done by others, I left Granville, Putnam Co. (where I had dropped Phillips as a supply) I made my way across Livingston to the state line more than 100 miles. I was prompted too by the death of Br. Kirby whose lack of service I wished thus to supply. I feel myself admonished to be diligent when younger and better men are taken away and I am still spared.

I returned by way of Momence & Wilmington, Morris, Ottawa & Peru. During the trip I spent a Sabbath in Jo Daviess, A Sabbath in Livingston, one in Iroquois, and one in Peru.

I found evidence that Br. Day has a very hard and discouraging field especially at Pontiac, the county seat. I found the Presbyterians in Iroquois had been so long neglected that they had gone over in part to the Methodists and they were not prepared to go into CH. organ. But Brother Kingsbury has visited them and engaged to spend one fourth of his time there. A good deal of interest exists at Momence among the Methodists and one precious trophy of grace has united with the Church under Br. Brigat. We had a good prayer meeting at his house.

I spent a night with Br. Henderson and it appears that while the missionary is acceptable and useful, their ability to support him is less than it was the last year. And this is true of the churches at Albany, Byron, Elk Grove and others, or if they are not weaker they seem not to be gaining. This looks discouraging and I was discouraged about Mt. Carrol and urged Br. Gray to leave but when I called there yesterday he told me that there was a new interest awakened there and he could not leave even to fill his appointment at Buffalo Grove.

But I ma tired :Êtoo tired this evening to do justice to these various applications claiming attention.

Yours in the Lord,

A. Kent

 

Rev. Fisk Harmon on Troy Presbytery offers his services and sends along certificated from J.H. Noble, Boardman Lambert of that Pres & J.J. Abbott of Cambridge Mass recommending him as good for missionary labour & I shall recommend him to apply to you for a commission.

[Feb.? 1852]

I shall write to Mr. Randall to come to Como and to Gap Grove. Both had just written calling for a Minister.

Dixon, Como, Gap Grove, Buffalo Grove, Rome constitute quite a cluster of churches destitute. Perhaps I have not mentioned that a good work of Grace is going on at Mount Carrol and Br. Gray cannot get away from there and probably his commission for Buffalo Grove and vicinity will need to be changed.

A. Kent

__________

The Committee have thrown the responsibility upon the agent who thinks that their subscription might have been 200 instead of 160 if he has visited as extensively as he ought the people in the vicinity of his preaching points.

The agent therefore cannot conscientiously recommend this large appropriation only on condition that he removes his family on the field and bu visitng Bible class and catehctual instruction and all other appropriate ways give himself wholly to the work according to his printed instructions.

A. Kent

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Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear Sir,

Your letter respecting the two churches at Savanna overtook me at Beloit and I was so careful to lay it away where it would not be forgotten that I cannot now find it.

It is only necessary however to day that it surprised me for there never was any Presbyterian Church organized there and no attempt to organize one. Br. Gray and myself often spoke of organizing a church but did not think there was materials for it. But Br. Emerson after lecturing upon Congregationalism as he stated to me organized a Cong. Ch. prematurely as we thought at the time as as the events proved for he left it in difficulty. And when Br. Hildreth began his labours there, he was advised (and he cheerfully agreed to it) to go on labouring to build up that church and not to attempt any change of organization. I presume this statement will be entirely satisfactory. But if any one calls it in question I will give all necessary information.

Miss Anna P. Sills, President of the Rockford Female Sem., expressed a wish that a set of Dwight Theology might be given to their library to stand by the side of Channings works. I though that if you would give men the name of the donors I would write them on the subject.

Br. John Raymond has called to see me and says that he has received nothing and heard nothing from his last two reports on which $150 is due. His circumstances are straitened and your speedy action is demanded.

I ought to have added in its place that the prospects of growth of Savanna are not as flattering as they were a year ago, and in as much as they treated Br. Phillips rather coldly when I sent him there, and seemed to prefer the Unitarian Minister, I thought I had done all my duty to them for the present.

Yours as ever,

A. Kent

Rev. A. Kent in a/c with the association [Debit] Cr.

Rev. A. Kent

Dear Dir,

The following items are not included in your account

Dec 1 Home miss 4.00

March 12 PC Am M Soc 65.19

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Rev. M. Badger, D.D.

Dear Sir,

In making my annual report it is an occasion of thanksgiving that my life and health have been continued, so that I have travelled 5795 miles and preached 95 sermons, besides visiting families and conversing upon personal religion with very many individuals. I have also distributed a great many tracts and bound volumes of the Tract Society. It has afforded pleasure to converse with children and to engage them in learning the Starter Catechism and Watts divine songs. I have been somewhat successful in getting the youth interested in securing an education in the College and Female Seminary on Rock River, which are now in active operation and promise much good for “Christ & His church.” My preaching has been almost entirely to those that are destitute of gospel ordinances except when I have preached on Home Missions. And with arrangements I now have for statedly supplying several new settlements on my way to more distant parts of my field, I can hardly regret that I am located in a distant corner. Especially as God has blessed my labours so that at one point whence I have been supplying as I could for a year or two there is now quite an awakening and some 10 or 15 persons are hoping they have recently embraced Christ. And four of the men have set up the family altar.

I mention these things as matters of devout thanksgiving that am permitted to labour in the service of Christ while others are now. And it is a solemn reflection that during the year five of my personal friends and fellow labourers in the cause of Home Miss. have been called home to their Father’s house. Of these all were younger than myself. But that which comes nearest and speaks the loudest to chide my dullness is the untimely removal of Br. Kirby associated with me in the agency of Home Missions in this State.

But it is a consolation to recollect that these under shepherds are but transferred to another circuit while the Chief Shepherd ever lives to manage the affairs of his church.

The past year has been one of trials to the feeble churches, which are dependent for their being and their well-being on the H. Miss. Soc. While some are too willing to be recipients of your bounty, others grieve that they should be compelled from year to year to ask aid in place of assuming the active support of the Gospel to go alone. And in several instances they require more assistance that during the previous year.

There are 3 or 4 causes which conspire to work this result. In addition to the strong tendency to frequent removals which always characterizes the inhabitants of the frontier settlements, the rush to California has weakened the churches and reduced their pecuniary ability.