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Description
Chase has not yet received the journals from the General Convention in June. He also hopes that Boyd could send a missionary to the county to teach illiterate people there. The Worthington Parish has seen great success.
Date
8-26-1820
Keywords
Bp. Moore; J.W. Carter; Reverend Boyd; Intrepid Morse; convention; church
Recommended Citation
Chase, Philander, "Letter to Reverend Boyd" (1820). Philander Chase Letters. 76.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/76
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Transcript
Steubenville, Ohio. Aug 26
1820
To the Rev. G. Boyd,
The Trunk, or Box of Books after above a year’s passage arrived at my dwelling in Worthington. In the mean time I had recd several letters from you the last of which I believe I have not answered, not for want of esteem and love but for some other cause connected with my manifold cases. Pardon me I pray. The Box containing the Robes arrived without injury. The deficiency of a Scarff perhaps was owing to a deficiency of cash left in your hands. How was this Mr. Boyd? Pray send me a mem. and I will make all things right.
Neither myself nor any one of our diocese has recd the journals of the Genl Con. or any other papers [relating] thereto. What can be the reason of this? Are we considered as unworthy of notice? The journals of our Convention in June we have transmitted to you and others in your city. Will you have the goodness to send me the journals of the Gen. Convention also the sermons at the opening of the same and Pastoral letter by Bp. Moore? I wish also to take your Magazine. Why has not subscription paper been sent me? I admire your zeal in organizing a general Missionary Society. That it were not so late! But late as it is we hope for some good. There are places even in this state where for the want of missionaries Christianity is nearly extinct. I now allude to part of our country settled by the emigrants from Vira Maryd and Pena the most of these were descendants from Ch. families - and very many of them cannot read and nearly all are grossly ignorant of the first principles of our Holy faith. What a spectacle this for the eyes of a Christian minister! Yet this I have beheld in Monroe County on the my present tour, but a few days ago. We have done what we could. We have reproved and exhorted with all long suffering and recd from the people solemn assurances that Sunday school will be instituted wherein those that can read will teach those that can not.
The zealous Mr. J. W. Carter who got some [?] books from Baltimore society has sent to these people 24. They will under God do much good. O that they had but one missionary to reside for a year among them to teach them the right use of our liturgy. My dear friend Mr. Boyd! Mark what I say - be but the instrument of sending one pious missionary to act under my direction in this state and I verily believe more good could be done than in any other quarter of the world.
The success of my labours however feeble is very great. I have now been absent from Worthington parish tomorrow will be seven Sundays and together with the Rev. Mr. Morse doing almost perpetual duty. Often holding service three times a day on Sundays and on week days scarce one passes except when on horseback but the service is performed or some ordinance administered. Confirmations are nearly as numerous as last year. Communicants greatly increased. In short the tide of the public mind as to piety and the excellency of our primitive Church is setting greatly in our favour.
I am on Monday next to [?] my tour thro. the Connecticut Reserve and when I shall have by God’s goodness arrived at my home the miles travelled will be about 1200. If you knew what we are doing and our wants you would help us.
With best respects to Mrs. B I am
P. Chase