Life and Letters of Rev. Aratus Kent Introduction

Very many of our missionary fields now are in those little villages growing up on the R. Roads where everything is bought up before he can lay in his supplies, and where rents are enormously high.

It must be remembered too that poor human nature (some grains of which still adhere to our missionaries) finds it harder to endure these privations when they hear of the large salaries of city ministers and when they see their neighbors growing rich around them, than if they were all called to suffer together from poverty and want.

According to the estimate I have made we have 40 missionaries who are labouring in 71 missionary districts. There have been 10 churches organized and 5 have become self-supporting Churches, 6 houses of worship have been built and one repaired (and quite a number have been erected by churches which were once aided by our society) during the year on the field assigned to me. There are 2 churches who report revivals which resulted in some 18 or 20 converts and several others are enjoying a revival and vigorous piety which gives promise of future advancement.

There are 15 or 20 feeble churches that are languishing for want of the bread of life and they have no prospect of a supply because they cannot hold out as great inducements as larger churches to those who are in search of fields of ministerial labour.

But while we regret so great a destitution and regret that many young communities are growing into importance without any adequate moral influence we cannot but acknowledge the good hand of God upon us in that we can count up 32 strong and healthy churches of our denominations which have started into being since I came into this district and which are now able to sustain themselves and contribute liberally to send the gospel to the regions beyond.

If the other parts of the state are as well supplied it will afford an average of more than one every county in the state.

But who can measure the whole amount of good which will accrue to this great commonwealth from these perennial fountains of moral virtue distributed over these immense prairies, opened too during the first 20 of its settlement and destined to continue their full flow of blessing as long as that grace which first planted them shall continue to flow down from above.

Of if He that converteth one sinner shall save a soul from death and hide a multitude of sins what will be the sum total of all the sinners converted by the labors and sacrifices of all these churches in all future time and what a broad stream of salvation will be the result of so many rivulets where they are united in their progress and finally swallowed up in one great sea of celestial glory.

A. Kent

1855 Account of A. Kent with A.H.M.Society From March 1855 to March 1856

Ap. Coll at Hampton 7.33

June John Ruth 10.00

July First Presb Ch Galena 75.50

Second do do 101.00

Miss Sarah Felt 1.00

Draft for Mr. North 100.00

Life members Goodrich

& Porter 60.00

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1856

Rockford 1 Cong. Ch. 26.50

contitute Elizabeth A. Robertson life

member 30.00

March 2 Coll at Belvidere Presb. Ch 68.00

these last three not reported _____

$502.85

A. Kent

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Rev. Mr. Coe

Dear Br.,

Rev. Mr. Raymond of Shullsburg, Wisconsin wishes to obtain a box of clothing and I think he is fairly entitled to it in consideration of the high price of everything about Shullsburg. His family consists of himself, wife and 3 boys ages 8, 5, &3.

They need most of all clothing for himself. An over coat stout and warm, also pants, coat and vest and any thing else that comes to hand to make a box. He is a man of ordinary size and wife corresponds to him in size.

I hope you will be able to furnish him the things which he needs.

Yours, Etc.,

A. Kent

March 14, 1856

Rev. Dr. Badger,

I had well nigh forgotten a promise to the widow of a missionary who once had an agency for the west that I would send her the Home Missionary.

Please direct it to her son, Ed. H. Avery, Auburn, N.Y. and charge it tom me if it be not proper to send it gratuitously.

A. Kent

March 18

A.K.

[Application of the South Ottawa Presbyterian Church]

Cairo, March 29, 1856

Your note reached me here and I would reply that I was at Ottawa some months ago, conversed with Br. Whittling and called on Mr. Mason and learned from his wife that they had a prospect of a supply and as I cannot now visit them, I think it is safe to hand on the commission. I hope to be at Ottawa in May, i.e., if the Gen. Association meets there and shall be informed more fully.

A. Kent

P.S. I know nothing of the Missionary, but I have to reason to doubt the propriety of aiding that church to the full amount they ask.

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Cairo, March 29, 1856

Rev. Dr. Badger

Dear Sir,

I improve the opportunity to write a line to say that I have made a move to the south, with a view to informing myself in relation to the missionary work in all the region along the road, i.e., I.C. R.R. And shall be able to furnish some facts which may interest you when I return.

I shall only say now generally that I have been greatly interested in my tour, and have found quite an awakening at Springfield and Jacksonville with some striking conversions and I also attended 2 meetings with Br. Gordon & Tunny at Vandalia.

I have been encouraged with the prospect of occupying by our ministry more of these Depot-Centres of influence than I expected.

Yours in haste,

A. Kent

It was a stormy day and but about 40 attended my preaching at Cairo.

I have been impressed with the importance of the early occupancy by our Missionaries of the business points which are springing up along the great R. Road between Cairo and Wisconsin amounting in both its branches to 700 miles and giving an average of 8 miles between the depot stations. The most of the country along this road was located in unoccupied prairie and the immense amount of land falling to the I.C. R.R. is being rapidly sold to actual settlers and they are required to improve one tenth every year. Hence of necessity improvements must be exceedingly rapid- and these little centres must do the business of the road and of the vicinity and must command attention much as they would do if they were so many Islets lying equal distant between N.Y. and Liverpool. Take a single example. A company from Vermont have bot up 40,000 acres which will secure the breaking up of 4000 acres this year at a point to be called Rutland, some 25 miles south of LaSalle. In view of these facts I started to explore and am happy to state that of the 50 depots on the west branch, 20, including the more important ones, are occupied by the denominations we represent and several more will be seized upon as soon as practicable.

The eastern branch my limited time will not allow me to explore. I should add that our Old School brethren have established themselves at 6 or 7 principle points.

Cairo- ought soon to command the whole time of a strong man. They have now a fine church that would seat 400 built by contributions from other churches. They need a Paul at Athens.

I have been disappointed and encouraged to find so may of the prominent points occupied by our men and I hope that they will yet be brought under evangelical influence.

It seems to me that a 2000 dollar man employed in traversing our R. Road constantly would be a good investment. I would take 1/10 of the stock.

______

...Our spiritual interests are by no means encouraging. The public mind id diverted & intense excitement prevails on the slavery question and the outrages perpetrated in Kansas and in Congress. All that we can do is to keep things together until the question is settled. We are suffering greatly in consequence of the stand taken Dr. Parker & others at the last meeting of the “General Assembly” on the slavery question. Every Sabbath School Scholar in this section of the country knows that slavery is anti-Christian in all its aspects; and every infidel knows that Christianity should be anti-slavery. And know to hear a Dr. in the Presbyterian Church advocate slavery as a Bible Institution, affords a fine argument for the rejection of the whole subject, and in the mind of every child is a mighty stumbling block. And besides the old settlers remember that when E. P. Lovejoy was hunted down and slain by slavery propagandists at Alton that same Mr. Parker identified himself with the mob and declared in a public speech “that is was wrong for a men to enter a community and propagate sentiments contrary to the will of that community.”

These thing work untold mischief in our churches and amongst the impertinent. To gain the confidence of the world, we must condemn all sin. No sinner can respect a dishonest & half-hearted opponent.

I fear we shall be able to report but little progress in spiritual things until the public mind becomes settled on this exciting subject....

Sincerely yours in Christ,

J.R. Dunn

___

[The Presb. Ch. of Waltham, Ill. apply for $200 aid in support of Rev. James Wilson, 12 mo., from April 1, 1856.]

I deeply sympathize with that church and the former minister in the severe trials they have endured from sectarian strife and I cannot withhold my approval of this application and yet I shall be surprised if the present incumbent gives satisfaction so as to secure a home there after the first year. A good man, though he be, yet he has hitherto been unsuccessful in missionary service since came into our state.

A. Kent

___

Dear Br. Coe,

I have thought often of your caution not to over work in going to my appointments once in 4 weeks at Orangeville, but I have become too much interested to be willing to give up the ground until some one can be found to take my place and therefore will give you a brief note in relation to my last visit there.

I left home on Thursday last spent the night with Br. Raymond who has a precious work of grace in his Monticello Ch. Friday I rode 30 miles and preached a lecture preparatory ay 2 and preached ay a school house in the evening. Saturday I rested and Sunday I preached twice and administered the Lord’s Supper. I had a congregation of 150- much as large as the Presbyterian congregations in this city and Monday I rode home 46 miles in my buggy. And ought I give up a field of so much promise?

Yours, etc.,

A. Kent

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I have just returned from Presbytery held at Elizabeth. I think it evident that Br. Smith is gaining ground there and at Plum River, and ought to be again commissioned. I did not approve of his going to Elizabeth but he has succeeded beyond my expectations. I think that the sum asked is as little as will suffice for his support.

A. Kent

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Galena, April 17th, 1856

Rev. A. Kent

Dear Sir:

By a deed dated April 30th, 1839 you made over to Horatio Newhall, George W. Fuller, James Spare & Reuben W. Brush

Lot No. 9, Block 1

East half of Lot 11, Block 1

Lot 4 in Block 37 East Fevre River

Lot 7, Block 4 West of Fevre River

also all your right & title to a certain tract of land lying N.W. of Galena on the Mineral Point Road containing 40 acres, claimed as pre-emption claim on the N.E. Quarter of Sec. 14 Town 28 N of range 1 west.

The above is deeded in trust for the use & purpose hereinafter declared, and for no other. The trustees were authorized to rent for a term of years not exceeding 20, or sell at private or public sale absolutely upon such terms as they deemed meet.

The net proceeds of rents & or sale of Lot 9 in B 11 also of E half of lot 11 in B1 to be paid over to the American Board of Foreign Missions and the Am. Home Missionary Society for the support of foreign and domestic missions.

The net proceeds of Lot 4, B. 37 & lot 7, B 34 & the tract of lands of 40 acres to be paid over to the Am. Board of Foreign Missions for support of Missionaries in their employment, or for the support of preparation of young men for the ministry as said trustees may, in their judgement, think best.

This deed of trust was recorded Dec. 29, 1841 on pages 25, 26 & 27 in Book F of records of deeds.

Your pre-emption claim to the 40 acre lot was decided against you by the court. The other lots were sold and the money paid over to you.

If you should die, the missionary Society could compel me to pay over to them the amount of the sales, or any individual some ten or twenty years hence when we have both passes away may see the record of the Deed “unsatisfied” and suppose that I have perverted the funds to my own use.

I have put this is writing that you may have the whole transaction before you & act upon it at your leisure.

Yours truly,

H. Newhall

_____

Galena, April 26, 1856

Dear Br.,

The enclosed letter is evidentily intended as an application for Home Miss. Soc. aid, which I very cordially endorse and will state my reasons.

I met with Mr. Frost when I was at Wenona with Br. Dunn on my way down into Egypt, He introduced Br. frost as having been a Methodist preacher but was to labour with service of the A.H.M.S. if commissioned. I saw nothing exceptionable in his first appearance.

The points named are Minonk, Panola & Kappa, three stations on the Ill. Cent. R.R. They are midway between LaSalle and Bloomington. Like many others starting up like Jonah's goad in the naked prairie and yet scarcely 3 years old, containing as I was told Minonk, 80, Panola 80 and Kappa 150 souls. I recommended that for the present he should preach at each of the three villages., that we thus preoccupy the ground until experiment shall develop the prospects of each.

In my tour south I endeavored to get the names of some one good man at each of these stations with whom I might correspond if it became necessary. A Presbyterian by the name of Gaskin at Panola and H.D. Cook is a Presbyterian residing at Kappa. I laid my plan to spend a Sabbath at Minonk but was induced to stop short and take up my quarters with Mr. Saunders (whose wife is a daughter of Br. Lippincott) at Mowequa.

By the way it might facilitate your knowledge of Ill. to get a little pocket map of all the R. Roads and stations in the state.

I found it very convenient in my tour.

Should you want still more light< I think that Br. Dunn would go out and visit all or some of those stations by exchange.

Yours very truly,

A. Kent

P.S. I think the commission should date back to March 1. Perhaps it might be well to restrict his residence ..his field for one year. But it is extremely difficult to get a place to put a family in those little western villages which spring up so suddenly.

[Pertaining to the application of Br. Gilbert at Crete, Ill.]

April 28, 1856

I reluctantly recommend the renewal of this commission because I do not feel at liberty to withhold my approval and the amount is not very large, bit still I suppose they are able to do more if they should exert themselves as they might do. Probably they think Br. Gilbert is settled down and cannot easily be routed because they have received aid a good while and very possibly because they think if you refuse them the A. M. Association will be ready to receive them.

Eagle Point, Carrol Co., June 25/56. After writing so fay I concluded to visit Crete, though I had felt that I could not take so long a journey and meet other engagements, but finding so many fingers of Providence pointing that way I undertook and have accomplished one of the most fatiguing journeys (on account of the heat). I conversed freely with Br. Gilbert and we rode out 3 miles to call on Br. Cushing the leading man. They are weakened by removals - some of them have gone to the R.R. Stations on each side. The Germans are there as in many places buying out the Americans and I therefore recommend this application.

A. Kent

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Rev. D.B. Coe

Dear Br.,

I spent the last Sabbath at Freeport preached and took up a collection. The next I expect to spend at Orangeville. Your letter is before me and the ones of June last alluding to the same subject. I did not regard the first as any other than a caution not to overdo. The last clearly shows that your honorable fraternity regard my practice of regularly supplying any destitute church as not being the most judicious use of my time. And in relation to that I have supposed that I was but carrying out my own views of an agent’s duty as expressed before I was appointed. Which was that his field should be so limited that besides attending to the other duties properly belonging to him he should occasionally throw himself into a particular locality and at his discretion spend 1,2 or 10 Sabbaths until he could put things in shape for another man and find the man to occupy it. Now there are some peculiarities about Orangeville & such a providential opening to have a large house and a large congregation furnished to my hand as caused me to spend every fourth Sabbath there until I can find a man to take my place, and which I have been all the time and am still trying to do. Perhaps none of you but Br. B. are aware that I insisted at first on having but a small field (23 counties). I supposed that I had been over that small field about as often as was expedient, and whn of late I have written to you repeatedly respecting exploring farther south and reporting what I had recently done in that way, I have been unable to provoke any reply.

It is gratifying to know that “my services” are held in high esteem, but in referring to the diferent branches of an agent’s duty: 1st In presenting the calims of the Home Miss. Soc. I have not very much left me to do, for the smaller churches will hardly raise enough to pay expenses of an agent visiting them, and the larger churches feel or I imagine they feel that I am an old fashioned preacher whom they do not care to hear, and all i can do is to prompt the pastor to preach on the subject. 2nd: “in prospecting” I think I have been doing that very thing at Orangeville and I regard it as one of my happiest efforts. 3rd: Spending time with a missionary whose people are not doing all they ought. I think probably I have not done all I ought and will consider that more hereafter.

You certainly magnify my office when you put it above that of any pastor of a single chrch, while I have undervalued it and felt that I was doign so little that I wanted to have a particular charge of my own in order to feel that I was not entirely useless. I hope you will give me your views still further as your recent occasion.

There is an incidental good deducible from my supplying a church so diatant for near 2 years without a failure it affords evidence that appointments may be met to those who complain of having to ride so fay and who frequently fail to meet them and when they are not more than 10 or 20 miles distant and such things are quite common, and they destroy a missionary;s influence and efficiency and here let me say that I wish you could adopt the method of having your missionaries report the doings of each Sabbath. I think you would soon have facts respecting individuals that do not appear in the reports which deal in genuine statements. Some of them preach but once a day and some them lose an entire Sabbath so frequently that you would be surprised. This is my opinion but I have no means of know[ing] definitely because the reports do not pass through my hands and if I ask their people they are afraid to say anything to the agent lest they should become reporters.

I have this put down hastily some of the thoughts suggested by your letter and I shall still try to get some one to supply my place at Orangeville, but I do not feel willing to retreat and leave the field vacant at least before the end of the year which will be in November next.

I have supposed that I spent as many Sabbaths in performing the duties of a travelling agent as other agents do who have no such pastoral charge, but I may be under a mistake for I have never made the inquiry.

The annual reports will be forth coming soon and it is but few that are called for in Chicago. Please sent 2/3 or 3/4 directly to me and let me know whether you wish me to supply missionaries and ministers south of bounds of my agency.

Yours truly,

A. Kent

Galena May 8, 1856

Having considered the matter as this Com. of Missions did, I wrote to Br. Jessup making inquiries and I a=enclose his answer whichj places the subject fairly before you. I intimated to him that I should visit him soon, but it is doubtful. On the whole, I am in favor of granting this request.

A. Kent

[Application for Cong. Ch. at Crystal Lake]

Galena, May 19, 1856

I cheerfully recommend this application and trust the anticipations they cherish may be realized.

A. Kent

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Messers. Rev. M. Badger, D.D. and Mr. Almon Merovin

Sirs:

The accompanying papers will give you information of my purpose to contribute some what to the societies you represent. But as in the course of business different direction was given to the avails of these lots and I had forgotten the circumstances until my attention was called to it by Dr. Newhall’s letter, and as I have (in connection with the draft enclosed in favour of the A.B.C.F.M.) in my judgement contributed an equal amount to these societies in other ways, I request you gentlemen in behalf of those societies to execute this paper and you will oblige yours, etc.