Kirkland 20c
To The Reverend Mr. Samuel Kirkland at Oneida From Phineas Dodge
Windham August 19: 1771 Reverend and Dear Sir Since I wrote the enclosed
have had no opportunity of conveyance - have been to Hewent and Preston,
your Honored father is in usual heath your other relations and friends are
well. Except Mr. Hart and Mr. Benedick who yet continue in a low state not
able to preach at all, they desire to be remembered in the Dearest Bond, to
you and yours. Would have wrote to you before but were not able. Old Doctor
Huntington says that he fear Mr. Hunt is going into a consumption. Mr.
Benedick is not so low, as he is and seems to be on the mending road.
Excepting a bad cold, I am better than I was. But alas, I am yet a stupid
Atheist, what shall I do. I keep tumbling down the hill yet, though I
thought I was at the bottom sometime ago. Oh how hard is such lost ground
to be won again, surely 'tis best living by the day, which I hope you daily
prove by experience.
There is much contention, and very little religion in these parts: Mr. H-T
say it: metaphysics and disputes has eat out the vitals of true religion.
Dr. Man has been under great darkness and trial in his mind since his
sickness, lamenting his own blindness and stupidity and at times has
condemned himself for a rotten hypocrite: a Barren dry tree etc he seems
now to be established that the glory of all preaching consisteth in the
spirit and power which attends it, not only on the hearers but also the
preacher, who ought to have a most solemn sense of what he preaches to
others etc etc. The week before last I saw Mr. D. Avery at Windham on his
way from Long Island to Cohoese where he expects to be ordained an
Itinerant, the last of this month, which is your Commencement. He wants to
come to Oneida, but fears, the state of his health won't admit of it though
he is much better than he was, he has preached every Sabbath, beside 2 or 3
times a week all winter and the spring. He says it has been a glorious time
there are many enquiring to know what they should do to be saved etc. He
has taken his leave of the Island and in case the Reverend Doctor W--ke is
willing thinks to take a tour into the Lutheran provinces etc. Doctor
Huntington is now at Worthington Expects to move his family in September. I
have heard him preach 2 Sabbaths and one Lector, he preached well.
With regard to your affair Mr. Benedick thinks 'tis best for you to come
down by all means. The reports mentioned he say have been confirmed by
Doctor Whitaker - this will doubtless be hard for you to bear, if it had
been an enemy I could have borne it. But 'tis etc --. In case you come
down, there is no friend, you can bring with you, like the God of Jephrun
he is a healer of breaches and restorer of paths to direct in. I have many
things to say but time fails. My best regards to be remembered as I am Dear
Sir, with all due regards Yours in the Dear Immanuel P. Dodge P. S. My
brother and sister desire to be remembered to Mr. and Mrs. Kirkland : Mrs.
Anne etc. Mr. Elisha Hurlburt is dead died the day after I wrote the
enclosed.
To the Reverend Mr. Samuel Kirkland at Oneida
Mr. Dodge August 19th 1771
