Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

592

PIONEER HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY

of the great punishment awaiting them if they died in their sins or
without due preparation. This was the Methodist doctrine and
that of other denominations 50 years ago. It had to be strong
and full of penalties if the sinner transgressed. The ministers,
deacons and members in their experience meeting would openly
confess their sins or sinful life and then tell how they were
forgiven and regenerated. This was the method used by the
early Methodists to get a corresponding confession from a casehardened sinner.
"NEED STRONG DOCTRINE.
"Methodism in 1840 to 1870 was going through a pioneer experience itself and had to use methods suitable for the times and
the people. The pioneers of this church in the first ward were at
that period passing through deep waters of affliction. They did
not know whether their experiment of founding a Capitol City in
the woods was going to be a success or a failure. If the legislature
moved it, or changed the location to some other city, all their
work and expense of building houses and clearing lots was a dead
loss.
"Diseases of new climate, as intermittent fever and ague, chills
were making them weak and discouraged so they needed a religion full of strong doctrine, a belief that a loud appeal delivered
in public for help and guidance would be heard and answered.
Some of the other denominations at that time and since have
criticised the way the Methodists conducted their worship.
Did these scoffers ever stop to think or analyze this way and its
purposes? It is to attract the attention, set the public mind to
thinking and by so doing create in the indifferent, immoral and
criminal classes a desire for something better, more moral, more
patriotic and a desire to prepare the mind or soul for its higher
plane when the separation from the body should take place.
"These pioneer Methodists did this work 60 years ago. They
now rest from their labors. The churches they established are
rich and powerful, so well organized that they have discontinued
their appeals about the sins of commission and dwell more on the
sins of omission.
"From 1870 to 1885 a band of teachers and preachers went out
from our Methodist churches and denunciation to do this old