In South Carolina. 263 



you have thus arrested him and brought him in the 

 presence of an officer of the law?" "He is going 

 about everywhere through the country preaching the 

 gospei, and has no authority whatever to do so," re- 

 sponded Mr. Morgan for the rest. " We believe he is 

 nothing but an impostor, and we have brought him 

 before you that you may do something with him, and 

 forbid him to preach any more in future." "Why, 

 does he make the people who go to hear him preach 

 any worse than they were before? " further asked the 

 magistrate. " We do not know that he does," answered 

 Mr. Morgan, " but he ought not to preach." " Well," 

 said the magistrate, " if he makes the people no worse, 

 the probability is he makes them better; so I will re- 

 lease him and let him try it again." And Mr. Asbury 

 departed fi'bm the presence of the court rejoicing that 

 he was counted worthy to suffer persecution for the 

 name of Christ. 



Daniel Asbury was born in Fairfax county, in Yir- ^js 

 ginia, on the 18th of February, 1762. His parents dif- 

 fered in their views of Christian doctrine, and, as a 

 consequence, his religious education was too much 

 neglected. At the age of twelve he became deeply 

 concerned in regard to his spiritual welfare, and if 

 suitable instruction and counsel had, at that time, been 

 given, there is reason to believe that he would have 

 become a decided Christian; but in consequence of the 

 want of this, he relapsed into a course of youthful 

 thoughtlessness and folly. On the 8th of February, 

 1778 — being at that time in Kentucky — he was seized 

 by a prowling band of Shawnee Indians, and carried 

 away beyond the Ohio Kiver. They adopted him and 

 treated him kindly, and from a residence of several 

 years among them he became quite expert in the va- 



