Life and Letters of Rev. Aratus Kent Introduction

Our larger churches ought to consent to have their pastors absent when it is necessary to look after the destitute within their Ec. bounds. I think C[hris]t would so teach.

I enclose letters relating to Br. Fisk. I thought possibly you has not acted on the case. My estimate of their value may be judged of when I say Dr. Long lives 3 or 4 miles off and probably knows nothing of the case but what he hears from Br. Fisk. I have replied in a brief but kind letter avoiding all insinuations.

Yours, etc.

A. Kent

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Aug. 27, 1853

Dear Br. Chapin,

I have written after some sort, such thoughts as occurred to me in relation to obtaining aid from the Col. Soc. I enclose them to you with the enquiry if you and your Brethren will not join me in urging the claims of R. on them I do not recollect when their meeting is, but I send them to you to make such use as you think best.

We are in a great strait, have appointed Br. Willis agent, are 2,000 in debt. We shall need the Wings immediately.

Elgin Aug. 27. I have just received your letter and it puzzles me to answer it. I saw Theodore[?] on Tuesday last, and he enquired what decision was reached. I told him that he could not go to college again unless there was evidence of a decided and complete reformation, which he has failed to evince during the vacation, thus far. I said this because I expect to be in N. York next week (my address until Sept 10 will be car of Dr. Badger, Bible House, Astor Place.)

Should you think best, you may write and invite him to come to Beloit as you suggest. His trunk of books, etc., left with Mr. Hooker, I wish to put in care of Wm. Works to account for and use & I request Prof. Lathrope to pay to Wm. Works $2 which I left with him for Hatch if it is still in his hands.

I do not think it desirable that Theodore should remain in Beloit any longer than is necessary. While he submits to my direction I expect him to labor with Mr. Charles Works Rockford.

I shall write Mr. Works in relation to his going to Beloit at your request.

Yours with great respect,

A. Kent

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Rev. Milton Badger, D.D.

Dear Br.

It is excessively hot about these days and having rode 12 miles this morning after spending the Sabbath with Br. Colston and assisting him at the communion table in the management of which as an old man, an Englishman and a Espiscopalian he is quite awkward. I have obtained a dark stable to screen my horse from the flies and a very comfortable place for myself while I sit down to make out an application for aid to the Apple River Church and to the church which is to be soon formed at Nora in the support of Rev. A.D. Laughlin who has left Wisconsin. Or rather has located himself on the line between the two states. The application is for $200 to date back to the 15 of May. And the facts are these. He came by request of Br. Raymond to Monticello and Nora which are some 12 miles apart and the former of which was one of Br. Raymond's out posts and about 6 miles from Shulsburg. And after preaching there some 2 months he thought proper to withdraw from Monticello and five up the ground to Br. R. There is a misunderstanding but involving no blame as I see. In the mean time he had brought on his family and in want of a more convenient place he made a temporary location at White Oak Spring where there is no church and but little prospect of any permanent good being accomplished. The people of that village however rallied around him and insisted on his giving them half his time. This was thought not judicious and yet we did not feel at liberty to withdraw him entirely from that point lest a wrong impression should be made. A compromise was recommended which was that he should preach 1/4 of his time at White O. Sp. and at Apple River Ch. 6 miles apart and 1/4 at Plum River and Elizabeth 10 miles apart with the hope that he would ultimately locate at the place last mentioned. But after I have spent 2 Sabbaths and rode a 100 miles to effect the arrangement, it has failed at last, and now have given my consent that he should give half his time to Nora and its vicinity whence they engage to raise him $75 Dollars and the other half at White Oak Spring whence they are pledged to give him $80, and to the Apple River Ch. whence they engage to give him $45.

I have taken upon myself to make this arrangement because I have been supplying this field and know more about it than anybody else. And in view of these facts I recommend that he have $200, and that it date back to the 15 of May. And accordingly I have encouraged him to make out his quarterly report immediately with the expectation of his obtaining a draft at once if the Society is in funds.

Perhaps I should say that the affliction of Mrs. Laughlin in being confined in the dark on account of protracted weal eyes and which are grown worse of late was a principle reason why I could not insist on his extending his labours to Plum River & Elizabeth. Those points together with Rush Creek Settlement would furnish abundant work for another man. But we can find no man to supply the various distributions which are multiplying on every side.

I received a letter recently from Mr. Masson of South Ottawa giving information which I directed him to send to you as a condition of receiving aid. It is entirely satisfactory but I did not think it necessary to forward the document because I presumed he forwarded the same to you as I requested him.

I just received a letter (which I shall forward to Br. Clancy) from John Allen Petersbury, Menard Co. requesting a missionary to be sent to the falls of Chippewa River in Wisconsin and holding himself responsible for 60 dollars towards his support.

I am on my way to visit Br. N.C. Clark and the destitutions about which he complains and may possibly make a flying visit to N. York in the course of the next 4 weeks.

Yours truly as a humble associate in a glorious cause,

A. Kent

 

He may he commissioned for Nora and vicinity or the other points could also be designated.

Galena, Sept. 27/53

Rev. D.B. Coe

Dear Sir:

In reply to your inquiries I would name Br. Ira Smith, Lasalle Co. who would be thankful for a box of clothing. There [is] 5 in the family, head of family of a middle size, one son 18, one 14 and one daughter 16 years old. His box would go to Peru.

Mr. John Raymond of Shullsburg was unfortunate. His box (or barrel) was opened and a good part of the things were extracted. He would like to have another. Mr. Clark (N.C.) of Elgin would like some woolen clothes. His box contained nothing of the kind. He is of middle size. His wife is tall, his daughters 14 and 12.

I shall find others as needy as they but I send them because they have come in my way. I accomplished something for the time I was out of my field being but 2 Sabbaths out of the State, having obtained subscriptions to Rockford Female Sem. to a considerable amount.

Yours very truly,

A. Kent

I had forgotten to mention Br. Ebenson Raymond Campton, an old man, has two sons 17 & 14. I suppose his circumstances would justify a contribution of clothing and it might be sent to the care of N.C. Clark, Elgin.

Beloit, Oct. 1 [1853]

Dr. Badger

Dear Sir:

I drop a line in haste to enclose this letter from Br. Willcock and have written him that he will hear from you soon.

I see his name among those commissioned in July and hence I conclude there is some mistake or miscarriage.

Yours in haste,

A. Kent

Galena, Ill., Oct. 19/53

Rev. Dr. Badger,

W.W. Sedgwick, M.D. is the man who has figured considerably in the excitement relative to Br. Fisk and it is quite possible that his judgement may be warped by his feelings, but I never heard anyone question his credibility or his integrity.

He has joined the Free Mission Church but would, as I understand the case, have joined the Presbyterian Church to which his mother belongs if Br. Fisk had been acceptable and had dealt prudently and discretely. But the manner in which the Elder cited her to appear before session because she has been absent 4 Sabbaths from his preaching and many other things which I presume will reach you through Mr. Bergen was calculated to alienate him I felt myself obliged to express to them and to Mr. Fisk my disapprobriation.

I attended the meeting of the Board of F. Missions at Cincinnati (preaching the Sabbath before in Boone Co. and the Sabbath after in Chicago.) The agent of A.H.M.S. met together a few moments regretting exceedingly that one of the Sec. was not there. I suppose they would have come if they had been invited, but none of us thought of it or supposed ourselves clothed with any authority.

I was sorry that we could not have some time together. I think it would have been very profitable.

Yours, etc.,

A. Kent

Your will soon receive a report from Brs. Gould & C.A. Williams. I am at a loss to determine what ought to be done.

Oct. 28, 1853

Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear Sir:

I have an invitation to change my work and to receive a liberal compensation but I do not wish to change and I only mention it that if my services are less acceptable than I have supposed, the Committee can improve the occasion to appoint another in my place.

A. Kent^267[267]

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Rockford, Nov. 7, 1853

Rev. M. Badger, D.D.

I have just heard the announcement that Dr. Hall had been called away from his post to engage in a higher and holier service.

I have been revolving in my mind how the secretaries looked on their work-shop and on each other the morning after his death.

How often are we admonished to do quickly what we propose to do for Christ.

I say down to say that after spending the Sabbath in Br. Hodges field and making enquiries, I have concluded to recommend that (in consideration of the great struggle they are making to build a church worth $2000 out on a bleak prairie) they receive aid to the amount asked without insisting on the condition before appended of raising 50 more themselves.

I trust that by another year they will have ability to do more for their minister.

Yours truly,

A. Kent

Dec. 1, 1853

Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear Br.,

You wil please charge me and report in the Home Miss.

Jesse C. Kellof $5.00

Collection at Udina Cong. Ch. 8.00

Collection at Elgin Cong. Ch. 8.70

Collection at 2nd Presb. Ch. Galena 84.00

$106.45

Chicago, Dec. 9. Please sent the "Home Missionary" to Edward M. Williams (a dear little Christian Brother sitting by me and studying latin) a life member of your society. To save writing, address it to his father, John C. Williams, Chicago.

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[The Swedish Luth. Ch. of Andover, Ill. apply for $100 renewed aid in support of Rev. L.P. Esbjorn 12 mo. from Dec. 10, 1853.]

A. Kent

[?Dec. 1853]

Dear Br. Badger,

I must be brief for I have a very lame arm & cannot write without pain.

I have visited Br. Phelps and showed them your letter. They feel some what keenly the rebuke which is implied in the donations sent them of late and he disavows any special claim upon public sympathy.

I have seen another letter and correction in the Evangelist and the first of a series in the N.Y. Observer.

Mr. Powells "family" of Winslow....creating a similar...and the agent. And there is trouble in Little Rock which had made me feel a necessity for....but I cannot recommend any further appropriation to aid in support of Br. Fisk after the current year.

Yours, etc.,

A. Kent

P.S. In reference to "exaggeration" and fancy sketches", that is not the first that has been written by insinuation to elicit public sympathy at the expense of those whose by-gone assiduities deserves a better recompense. I add this by request.

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[The Presb. Ch. of Shabbony and Somonauk, Ill. apply for $200 renewed aid in support of Rev. Henry Bergen, 12 mo. from June 1, 1854]

Galena, March 16, 1854

I recommend that $130 be granted in aid of this feeble Church and have informed them that they must be more prompt here after in their application.

A. Kent

Galena, March 28, 1854

I recommend the appropriation of $200 to the Cong. Ch. at Albany because I do not know how to refuse and yet they have been helped a good while and are so divided up into sects that the prospect is not very flattering for a small village which is in danger of being clipped by Fulton City 8 miles above on the Miss which is to be the terminus of a R.R. I spent a Sabbath there last winter.

A. Kent

Freeport, Jan. 6, 1854

Dear Sir,

I have just had a conversation with Rev. Mr. Wilson, editor of the Chicago Evangelist respecting Kankakee and he will give you a history of the case which will put it before you in a much stronger light than I have done.

It is perfectly clear to me from what Mr. Holbrook stated that he has been very greatly misinformed.

Br. Loss is of all others but acquainted with the facts from the beginning and Br. Wilson refers you to him.

A. Kent

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Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear Br.,

I have just received and read your letter and it has cheered me not a little. You may wonder at the remark, but I will explain.

The spirit of sectarianism runs high in these parts (not particularly just now) and an agent is obliged to do things sometimes about which he must keep himself dark, for explanation will only make matters worse. I felt that having always been known as a Presbyterian and being associated too necessarily with those that are such I should probably be reported as being partial by those who can not see but through a glass darkly and hence I was not disappointed to find an article in the Cong. Herald reflecting on an agent in reference to an individual case which I could explain to your satisfaction in 2 minutes.

Now though I have lived in all good conscience towards my Congregational brethren, yet I thought probably that misapprehensions might exist and be reported and when I read on till I came to your reference to my continuation in your service, it dost cross my mind that perhaps compliments have come from the Prairie State so thick that the Com. may think it expedient to take the matter into consideration. So I just laid down the letter, saying I will stick a pin there and think how I should feel if such a decision has been reached. Well after 3 hours I read the rest and it met those uncomfortable suspicions so happily that I was enough relieved to compensate for your trouble in writing.

You will doubtless smile across the table, I mean over to Br. David when you read this perambulatory preamble but indeed the preamble will constitute the whole epistle for I have not much to say.

However, I will start off tomorrow with renewed zeal. I meet my appointments for 3 more light nights on Plum River at the log school house, prepatory to Communion next Sabbath to the little church I am nursing there amidst winbrenarians, 2nd Advents and a sect which are familiarly known as the no soul sect. I preached there last Sabbath to a Cong. of 60 at Rush Creek 5 miles at 2 p.m. to a Cong. of 40 and at Elizabeth 5 miles to a cong. of 50 at evening. I have the same appointments for next Sabbath in addition to a session meeting in the morning and Communion. I never envy myself when I preach and I cannot reasonably expect that other people will, but I saw one mother of a large family bathed in tears last Sabbath.

Monday Jan 16. On thursday I moved off to fill my 6 appointments, called on the woman just mentions. She wept freely and by her conversation led me to think she had given her heart to God. That is interesting, say you, but much more to me. She in the mother of 10 children and cannot read. Twenty one years ago, we, i.e., my wife and 3 others of my then family called on her in the morning and took breakfast after camping out in our covered waggon in December having lost our way in a snow storm at evening about a mile from her house. When we were strangers she took us in.^268[268]

In the evening I preached with some liberty in a log school house to about 40 whence they are not accustomed to hear preaching. I returned from this by-place by moon light and most of the way on foot to the elder's house of logs. The weather became excessively cold and blustering. I slept very sweetly in the loft after the fatigue of the day & except as the snow sifted through the crevices and melted on my face, my pillow in the morning had a coating of snow.

The Elder & myself attempted to visit but it was so severe that we returned after calling on 3 families. He to his house and I to a more comfortable frame house.

The next day I visited 9 families, had personal conversations on the state of their souls with some 12 persons including a leader of the No Soul sect, and preached at the log house of the other elder and had a good meeting.

Sab. morning we reached the log sch. house before anyone else. The Elder borrowed an ax & chopped the wood. I made a fire & swept the house, held a session meeting, received a woman by profession. I preached a sermon and administered the Lord's Supper. I was a precious service and there was weeping there for we spoke of him who wept over sinners,

I rode 5 miles, called by invitation on a man who received me courteously to dinner at 2 p.m. and seemed to evince the spirit of a disciple as also his wife and daughter, I rejoiced the more because I knew he had been accounted a very bad man and I have since learned that it was supposed that he once had connection with horse thieves. What a triumph of grace. As in a 1000 other cases God only knows to what extent this triumph of Christ over satan is attributable to Home Miss. agency. He has joined the Methodist class.

After dinner we repaired to the log school house and I preached to about 30, one of whom I heard swearing at a horse. My text, Prov. 13-15, led me to speak of the obstacles that grape vines are obliged to encounter.

In the evening I reached Elizabeth (5 miles) just in time to get my tea and preach in the Methodist church to 100 or more on the Maine liquor law by request. The preacher in charge having just been handling the subject.

I slept pretty well though somewhat nervous and reached home at 12.

I was so much cheered by your letter that I have spread out this little jaunt somewhat in detail in the hope that you might be entertained for a few moments with a letter which does not claim any answer.

To complete the picture I ought to say that Sab. morning found me occupying a corner of the cabin in which was a family of 10 and having formed a closet beside a hay stack before light I was routed by the approach of the herds man but I retreated to a bunch of willows by the water course to break the wind and in the multitude of my thoughts I said I would gladly train all my sons for the ministry had I any.

Yours, etc.

A. Kent

The death of Dr. Hall must be a great bereavement at the Miss. rooms.

[The Presb. Ch. of Winslow, Ill. Jan. 26, 1854 apply for $260 renewed support of Rev. J.N. Powell half the time, 12 mo. from Jan 1, 1854 to labor also at Waddam's Grove & New Pennsylvania.]

Galena, March 8, 1854

This letter was received and I immediately wrote to Mr. Judson urging the necessity of doing more and have just received for answer that they have made up $18 more and which is the uttermost farthing. Their pledge then is 108 at Winslow and the faint hope of 50 from Waddam's Grove will not be half realized, I fear. And I recommend that 260 be given by the society to "the Prairie Missionary" or his church for the reason (if any is wanted) that their past travails have awakened the sympathies of Mr. Waterman and his church.

A. Kent

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Rev. Milton Badger, D.D.

Dear Br.,

In making out my annual report I shall confine myself to the district originally assigned me though I have occasionally over stepped those bounds and it seems quite important I should do so unless an agent is commissioned for Central Ill. There are points along the Central and other R. Roads which demand attention or advantages will be irretrievably lost.

I am happy to acknowledge that by the good hand of God upon me I have been enabled to travel as much and labor as constantly as in former years and I am now 60 years of age. I have preached 110 sermons chiefly to the destitute and I believe I have visited as many Sabbath schools, assisted at as many communions, conducted as many prayer meetings, and as many pastoral visits, distributed as many tracts, and conversed with as many individuals on personal religion as the average amount performed by my Brethren in the ministry.

According to the best estimate I can make, there are in the 23 northern counties 48 missionaries of your society supplying 79 churches and missionary districts. There have been 6 churches organized, 1 pastor installed, 9 houses of worship built and some $8100 of missionary money expended in this field during the past year.

Revivals are in progress under the labours of 2 of your missionaries (Gray & Laughlin) whom I have visited recently and additions have been made to both churches already particulars of which you will doubtless receive in due time.

Sabbath Schools are flourishing and the Temperance Cause is receiving a powerful impulse from our missionaries. It was pleasing to observe the interest manifested by them at the Convention held some time since at Chicago.

The following persons were formerly labouring in your service and are not now employed here, though their names are enrolled in the last annual report as included among the missionaries of Ill: Alvor, Attross, Birge, Cooly, W.R. Davis, Fisk, French, Hudson, Shapley, Smalley, Taylor, Thompson, Whitney, Williams, J.W. Wilson.

It may be interesting to note that of these 23 county seats, 16 are supplied by ministers of our denominations most of whom either are or have been pensioners of the A.H.M.S.. These county seats are generally the centers of influence moral and political and our churches placed there possess considerable strength as may be inferred from the fact that 15 out of 16 already have substantial houses of worship. Could our Brother Hall of precious memory have foreseen when he travelled over these prairies what is now a matter of history, he would have wondered with great admiration.

In years past we have complained of blighted crops and far distant markets and prices miserably low, while the new settler was burdened with their necessary outlays for fences, houses, roads and bridges which he could not command. Now our condition is one of great prosperity. Facilities for travel and for transportation from the interior are rapidly increasing. The crops last autumn were abundant and the young orchards were loaded with the finest fruit & the farmed in place of crossing the state to sell his produce finds a market at his own door and not infrequently finds a man at his door offering to give two prices both for his farm and for what ever he may have grown during the year. Our danger is that prosperity will ruin us. It may be regarded as the greatest trial which the infant churches of Ill. have ever met. The prospect is that the European war and other circumstances will protract this great temporal prosperity to the agriculturalist and our wants are more spirituality in the churches and a large accession to the numbers of cross bearing ministers to supply these 20 feeble churches and wide fields of destitution which will only bear thorns and briars until they are cultivated.