in Baltimore county. In the first published Conference Minutes he is appointed to Petersburgh, Va. "He was the apostle of Methodism in Virginia.” He followed Strawbridge in founding it in 1772 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In the same year he appeared in Norfolk, Va. Taking his stand on the steps of the Court-house, he collected a congregation by singing a hymn, and then preached with a plainness and energy, so novel among them, that they supposed he was insane. No one invited him home, in a community noted for hospitality; they were afraid of his supposed lunacy; but on hearing him a second time their opinion was changed. He was received to their houses, and soon after a society was formed in the city, the germ of the denomination in the state. In 1773 he traveled in various parts of Virginia. Jarrett, an apostolic churchman, and afterward a notable friend of the Methodists, encouraged his labors, and entertained him a week at his parsonage. Williams formed the first circuit of Virginia. A signal example of his usefulness (incalculable in its results) was the conversion of Jesse Lee. He was "the spiritual father" of this heroic itinerant, the founder of Methodism in New England. "Mr. Lee's parents opened their doors for him to preach. They were converted. Two of their sons became Methodist ministers, and their other children shared largely in the blessings of the Gospel, which he proclaimed

with such flaming zeal, holy ardor, and great success.' The religious interest excited by Williams's labors soon extended into North Carolina, and opened the way for the southward advancement of Methodism. He bore back to Philadelphia, says Asbury, a "flaming account of the work in Virginia: many of the people were ripe for the Gospel and ready to receive us." He returned, taking with him a young man named William Watters, who was thus ushered into the ministry, and has ever since been honored as the first native American itinerant.* Leaving him in the field already opened, Williams went himself southwestward, "as Providence opened the way." Subsequently he bore the cross into North Carolina. He formed a six weeks' circuit from Petersburgh southward, over the Roanoke River, some distance into that state, and thus became the "apostle of Methodism" in North Carolina, as well as Virginia. Like most of the itinerants of that day, he located after his marriage, and settled between Norfolk and Suffolk, where, and in all the surrounding regions, he continued to preach till his death, which occurred on the 26th of September, 1775. Asbury was now in the country, and at hand to bury the zealous pioneer. He preached his funeral sermon, and records in his

*Owen was the first native Methodist preacher, but he did not join the conference or regular itinerancy till after Watters had been received.

Journal the highest possible eulogy on him. "He has been a very useful, laborious man. The Lord gave many seals to his ministry. Perhaps no one in America has been an instrument of awakening so many souls as God has awakened by him." "He was a plain, pointed preacher, indefatigable in his labors," says a historian of the Church. "That pious servant of the Lord," says Watters, his young fellow-traveler in the South. "The name of Robert Williams," says our earliest annalist, "still lives in the minds of many of his spiritual children. He proved the goodness of his doctrine by his tears in public and by his life in private. He spared no pains in order to do good-standing on a stump, block, or log, he sung, prayed, and preached to hundreds " as they passed along from their public resorts or churches. "It was common with him after preaching to ask most of the people, whom he spoke to, some question about the welfare of their souls, and to encourage them to serve God." He printed and circulated Wesley's Sermons, "spreading them through the country, to the great advantage of religion: they opened the way in many places for our preachers, where these had never been before. Though dead, he yet speaketh by his faithful preaching and holy walk." Such was the evangelist who was the first practically to respond to the appeals from America to England. His grave is unknown, but he will

live in the history of the Church forever, associated with Embury, Webb, and Strawbridge. He did for it, in Virginia and North Carolina, what Embury did for it in New York, Webb in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, and Strawbridge in Maryland.

Not long after Williams's arrival, John King also came from England. He opened his mission in the Potter's Field of Philadelphia. He extended his labors into Delaware, and soon was co-operating with Strawbridge and Williams, in Maryland. He was the first Methodist who preached in the city of Baltimore. His first pulpit there was a blacksmith's block at the intersection of Front and French streets. His next sermon was from a table at the junction of Baltimore and Calvert streets. His courage was tested on this occasion, for it was the militia training-day, and the drunken crowd charged upon him so effectually as to upset the table and lay him prostrate on the earth. He knew, however, that the noblest preachers of Methodism had suffered like trials in England, and he maintained his ground courageously. The commander of the troops, an Englishman, recognized him as a fellow-countryman, and, defending him, restored order, and allowed him to proceed. Victorious over the mob, he made so favorable an impression as to be invited to preach in the English Church of St. Paul's, but improved that opportunity

with such fervor as to receive no repetition of the courtesy. Methodism had now, however, effectively entered Baltimore, down to our day its chief citadel in the new world. In five years after King stood there on the blacksmith's block, it was strong enough to entertain the Annual Conference of the denomination. King was afterward received into the regular itinerancy. He was a member of the first Conference of 1773, and was appointed to New Jersey. He soon after entered Virginia, and with two other preachers traveled Robert Williams's new six weeks' circuit, extending from Petersburgh into North Carolina. "They were blessed among the people, and a most remarkable revival of religion prevailed in most of the circuit," says the cotemporary historian of the Church; "Christians were united and devoted to God; sinners were greatly alarmed: the preachers had large congregations; indeed, the Lord wrought wonders among us that year.". Still later we trace him again to New Jersey; he located during the Revolution, but in 1801 reappeared in the itinerant ranks in Virginia. He located finally in 1803. One of our historical authorities assures us that "he was a truly pious, zealous, and useful man, and so continued till his death, which occurred a few years since, at a very advanced age, in the vicinity of Raleigh, N. C. He was probably the only survivor, at the time of his decease, of all the preachers of