422 History of Methodism 



clothing, mostly of homespun, cut in the style of a 

 clown of a century past. The meeting-houses, even in 

 the towns, were inferior wooden buildings. The as- 

 pects of poverty, if not poverty itself, seemed to be 

 Methodistic, if not saintly; and Methodism in rags 

 might be none the worse, since its homespun was es- 

 teemed better than the broadcloth of other sects. And 

 there had been an everlasting preaching, too, against 

 preaching for money: that is, against the preachers 

 being supported by the people. It had been reiter- 

 ated from the beginning that we were eighty-dollar 

 men (not money-lovers, as some others were suspect- 

 ed of being), till it got to be considered that for 

 Methodist preachers to be made comfortable would 

 deprive them of their glorying, and tarnish the luster 

 of their Methodistic reputation. It was all nonsense, 

 perfect nonsense, but it was not then so considered. 

 A strong case it was of the force of association, ap- 

 propriating to immaterial and indifferent circum- 

 stances a value wholly independent of them, and be- 

 longing to a very different thing, which, by chance, 

 had been found in connection with such circumstances. 

 But who did not know that it was not the preacher's 

 coat that made him preach with power, and that fur- 

 nished him with strength for the battles of the Lord ? 

 But that power, in that preacher, reflected honor on 

 his homespun coat, and caused the coat itself to be 

 admired. Could broadcloth do more? It had never 

 done as much for the persons concerned, and they 

 were hearty for the homespun, homespun forever. 

 And then, who would experiment a change when things 

 were well enough? 'Let well enough alone.' The 

 preacher was just as he ought to be, and the preaching 

 just as it ought to be, and why interfere? " The best 



