but, under God, laid the foundation for a glorious revival the next and following years. The bounds and extent of this circuit were large, including the counties of Mercer, Lincoln, Garrard, and Madison. The west part of the circuit included the headwaters of Salt River, and Chaplin on the north; bounded by Kentucky River south and east, and extended as far as the settlements-taking four weeks to perform the round. There were three log meeting-houses in the circuit: one in Madison county, called Proctor's Chapel; one in the forks of Dix River, Garrett's Meeting-house; and one on Shoenea Run, called Shoney Run. Not far from Harrod's Station, in Mercer county, during the course of this year, a new meeting-house was erected in Garrard county, considered the best meeting-house in the country, and they named it Burke's Chapel. I remained on Danville Circuit till the first of April, 1794, and on the 15th our Conference commenced at Lewis's Chapel, in Jessamine county, in the bounds of Lexington.'

Such is his own account of his labors for this year. In 1794, his appointment is to the Hinkstone Circuit, then including Clark, Bourbon, and Montgomery counties; † and in 1795, he has charge of the Cumberland, embracing Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. We have already noticed the influence he exerted in the Cumberland Circuit, in arresting the tide of opposition to the Methodist

*Western Methodism, p. 37.

† He remained on Hinkstone only until the first quarterly meeting, when he was removed to the Salt River Circuit.

has been more commanding tha denomination of Christians.

The following account of th Haw is from William Burke hi "On inquiry, I found that J one of the first preachers that had located and settled in Cu braced the views of O'Kelly, a and address had brought over every local preacher but one in views, and considerable dissatis in many of the societies. U stances I was greatly perplex course to take-a stranger to country, a young preacher, an experienced preacher, well kno and looked up to as one of Church, and one who had suffer Methodism in Kentucky and much reflection and prayer to

finally settled upon the following plan, namely, to take the Discipline and examine it thoroughly, selecting all that was objected to by O'Kelly, and those who adhered to him, and then undertake an explanation and defense of the same. I accordingly met Brother Speer at Nashville, and after preaching, requested the society to remain, and commenced my work. When I concluded my defense, I took the vote of the society, and they unanimously sustained the positions I had taken. Brother Speer also asked the privilege of making a few remarks. He stated to the society that he would consider the Church as a house that he lived in; and notwithstanding the door was not exactly in the place he should like it, or the chimney in the end that best pleased him, yet he could not throw away or pull down his house on that account; and therefore he concluded that he would not throw away the Church, although some things, he thought, could be improved in the Discipline. In consequence of this victory on my first attempt, I took courage, and proceeded with my work in every society; and, to my utter astonishment, I succeeded in every place, and saved every society but one small class on Red River, where a local preacher lived by the name of Jonathan Stevenson, who had traveled the circuit two years before, and located in that neighborhood. Haw and Stevenson appointed a meeting on Red River, and invited the Methodists all over the circuit to attend the meeting, for the purpose of organizing the new Church. The result was, that only ten or twelve members offered themselves, and

the most of them had formerly belonged to the Baptist Church. Having failed in every attempt to break up the societies, the next step was to call me to a public debate. I accepted his challenge, and the day was appointed to meet at Station Gap, one of the most popular neighborhoods, and convenient to a number of large societies. Notwithstanding I accepted the challenge, I trembled for the cause. I was young in the ministry, and inexperienced in that kind of debate. He was an old minister, of long experience, and of high standing in the community. I summoned up all my courage, and, like young David with his sling, I went forth to meet the Goliath. The day arrived, and a great concourse of people attended. The preliminaries were settled, and I had the opening of the debate. The Lord stood by me. I had uncommon liberty, and before I had concluded, many voices were heard in the congregation, saying, 'Give us the old way!' Mr. Haw arose to make his reply very much agitated, and exhibited a very bad temper, being very much confused. He made some statement that called from me a denial, and the people rose up to sustain me, which was no sooner done than he was so confused that he picked up his saddle-bags and walked off, and made no reply. This left me in possession of the whole field, and from that hour he lost his influence among the Methodists, and his usefulness as a preacher. In this situation he remained until 1801; and when the great revival began in Tennessee among the Presbyterians and Methodists, he connected himself with the former, VOL. I.-6

and ended his days among them as a preacher."* In 1796, he was appointed to Guilford, North Carolina; the following year, to Holston, in Virginia. In 1798, he returned to the Cumberland; and from that period until 1812, his labors were confined to Kentucky, with the exception of the years 1804 and 1805, which he spent on the Ohio District. In the great revival in the interior of Kentucky, in 1801, known as the Cane Ridge revival, he was the leading spirit. During the period of his ministry in Kentucky, revivals of religion followed his labors everywhere; and in those sections of the State favored with his ministrations, either as the Presiding Elder of a District, or in the relation of a pastor, Methodism assumed a more permanent and enduring form than it had done before. He was not only an earnest preacher of the gospel, but an able defender of the truth. In the religious controversies that disturbed the quietude of the Church throughout the State, Mr. Burke bore an active part. Calvinism, deformed as it always appears, was truly hideous under his mighty touch. In his controversy with the advocates of exclusive immersion, he always put them to silence and to shame. Challenged, on one occasion, to a debate with a Baptist minister, on the subjects and mode of baptism, near Mount Sterling, Kentucky, after "occupying about four hours on the subjects and mode of baptism, he turned to the Baptist preachers, who sat behind him in the stand, and

* Western Methodism, pp. 46, 47, 48.