Biography of Henry R. Pritchard

The most picturesque figure remaining on the stage of the pioneers of "the Current Reformation," is the venerable Henry R. Pritchard, of Indiana. It is a benediction to be in the majestic presence of "the grand old man" for even a few hours. To listen to one of his unique, and always instructive lectures, is an intellectual experience never to be forgotten. He was born January 25, 1819, and is now (1895), therefore, in the seventy-seventh year of his age; but there is no indication of a failure in the vigor of his intellectual powers. His memory is, apparently, as retentive and his logical faculties as keen as at any period of his long life.

Henry R. Pritchard is a native of the famous "Blue Grass Region" of Kentucky. He first saw the light in a humble home in Bourbon County, situated on the road leading from Paris to Georgetown, and about three miles from the former. At the age of seven years he was carried by his parents to Bracken County, in the same state, where the family resided on the banks of a stream called the North Fork, about three years. It was here that, in the year 1828, he first heard from Mr. Blackstone Abernethy the principles set forth with great ability by Alexander Campbell in The Christian Baptist. To this day Father Pritchard remembers some of the words, even, of

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Mr. Abernethy, and much of his teaching. He thinks that perhaps this is quite as much from hearing his mother speak of the discourses at home as from hearing the preacher himself.

In the autumn of the year 1829, the elder Pritchard removed with his family to Newport, Campbell County, Kentucky. It was at this place that, on the first day of August, 1830, Henry suffered an irreparable loss by the death of his mother. Her memory is exceedingly precious to him, although at the time of her death he was a little less than twelve years of age, and sixty-five years have come and gone since this terrible bereavement. Mrs. Pritchard's death left five small children, two daughters and three sons, motherless. Henry was the second child. Four weeks after the death of his mother, his youngest sister followed her into the unseen. His brother and sister, younger than himself, were sent to live with their grandfather. Henry and his brother, two years older than himself, took counsel together as to what they would do. Their conclusion was, that as they were poor, and their relatives were generally rich, they would not go to them and be the only poor ones in the company. With this determination thoroughly fixed in their minds, the two motherless and homeless boys started out in the world to work for one another, and to make their way in life as best they could. The lads did not wait for something to turn up--they started out to turn something up.

They were not a great while in obtaining employment. James became a teamster for General Taylor. He continued in this service two years, while Henry served Mr. John W. Tibbatts, General Taylor's son-in-law.

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Here the boys found good friends. Mrs. Harris, General Taylor's daughter, a Christian woman, was a mother to Henry. The boys worked together until Henry was twenty-one years of age, and James had attained the age of three and twenty. Henry owned all that James owned; while all that James possessed belonged to Henry. A single trunk, at this time, held the accumulated wealth of the Pritchard young men. Before the death of their mother they had each had six months in school. While with General Taylor and Mr. Tibbatts, the latter supplied them with books, which they read of evenings and on Sundays. After leaving the service of these gentlemen, Henry worked three months and sent James to a common school with his earnings. Later, James did as much for Henry. This mutual assistance in obtaining an education continued two years. Father Pritchard now says that the best he can say for the schools they attended is, that "they were very common." In these days of trial, for five years after their mother's death, they had but one suit at a time fit to wear to church; but they did not stay at home for that reason. Being near the same size, they could both wear this Sunday suit. James went to church Sunday morning. Henry attended the church service Sunday evening. This was the order for one Sunday. The next Sunday the order was reversed. Henry attended in the morning, and James in the evening. While one was at church the other employed his time at home reading. They read only books of value. They had no use for either literary trash or literary poison. To this day Father Pritchard speaks of the value of good books--standard works--with unction. He is glad that he

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read only good books. This fact explains, in large part, his remarkable intellectual vigor and the treasures of knowledge which he possesses. During this period the lads had many friends, and, so far as they knew, no enemies. Father Pritchard avers that he never had an enemy until he began to preach. He thinks that possibly his efforts to be witty, or his imprudent tongue, or both, was in a measure to blame for the existence of these enemies.

At the age of eighteen Henry united with the Methodist Church. At that time he knew but little of the teaching of any church. He became a member of the church that he might live the Christian life. He began at once, earnestly, the study of the Bible, reading but little else than this inspired and inspiring literature for the space of three full years. This, he says, was the best schooling of his life. He memorized many chapters, and could, at the end of the time here indicated, repeat more than one hundred in the Old and New Testaments. He committed to memory all the promises concerning the Redeemer made to Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, and Mary. He memorized all that the prophets had said descriptive of the person promised. He also stored away in his memory the testimony of the apostles that all the things predicted concerning the Redeemer were exactly fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The result was inevitable. Henry R. Pritchard came to believe very strongly and intelligently that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of the living God These three points furnished the material for his first sermon after he identified himself with the disciples of Christ.

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Soon after he entered the Methodist Church he was appointed class leader by the preacher in charge. After he had served about six months as leader, a second class was given to him about six miles from the first, and it was his duty to meet the first class at nine o'clock Sunday morning, and the second at three o'clock in the afternoon of the same day.

After young Pritchard had been a member of the Methodist Church about a year and a half he was given a license to exhort. His meetings for exhortation were held Sunday evenings. He had three meetings each Lord's day for a year--two class meetings and a meeting for exhortation. His exhortations were made up of Scripture recitations. He placed together texts of Scripture that spoke of the love, mercy and goodness of God, his willingness to save, and his unwillingness that any one should perish. He sometimes would recite from memory an entire chapter. The fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah was a favorite with him. He would probably close his address, about twenty minutes in length, by repeating the tenth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, from the eighth to the seventeenth verses. This was a common conclusion of one of his exhortations. There was enough material in one of these speeches to require about thirty minutes by a good speaker for its effective presentation, but Henry would rattle it off in twenty minutes. He soon became so popular as a speaker that the preacher in charge would call on him to exhort at the conclusion of his sermons. Having heard the young man four or five times, he took him to one side and said: "You should not make that passage in the tenth chapter of Romans so prominent--

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the place in which the apostle teaches that faith comes by hearing. There is a kind of faith that comes by hearing--a mere historic faith--but the faith that saves the soul is the gift of the Holy Ghost." This was Henry R. Pritchard's first lesson in modern theology. He was, as it were, thunder-struck by the words of the minister. He supposed that the passage quoted taught what is true as to the genesis of faith because it is in the Bible. The thought had not entered his mind that this was not good Methodist doctrine. That the Bible affirms that faith comes by hearing the Word of the Lord, was enough to satisfy his mind on that one point. The young man said nothing in reply, but he had, he says, two objections to what the preacher had said. The first was, that God says faith comes by hearing; and the second was, that this quotation was a part of His speech--and it was the only speech he had!

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meeting" and passed his examination, not only as "leader" and "exhorter," but also as "steward"; for by this time he was so thorough a Methodist that he held the three offices here named. He says that he had nothing to do with "the examination" but to sit still, while the preacher, under whom he worked, commended him in all these departments. The arrangement was then made, on the recommendation of his superior, for Henry R. Pritchard to join the conference one year from that time as a full-fledged minister of the gospel in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Presiding Elder placed him under the instruction of the preacher in charge, to study the Articles of Religion and the Rules of the Church. This he had not done up to that time. He proceeded without any incident of note until he came to the article which affirms that Christ suffered and died to reconcile his Father to us. This statement the young man was not prepared to receive as true. It was a part of his speech, as was the portion of the tenth chapter of the Epistle to the Saints in Rome, above referred to, that "God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself," and that he had committed unto the apostles of the Lord Jesus the word of reconciliation. He also read in the New Testament that the ambassadors of the Christ besought sinful men to be reconciled to God. This seemed to contradict the teaching of that Article of Religion. The student, therefore, requested his teacher to cite proof from the Bible sustaining the doctrine that God is in Christ reconciling himself to the world. He then propounded three questions to the minister under whose instruction the Conference had placed him. The questions were as follows:

1. Is God in Christ reconciling himself to men, or is he in Christ reconciling men to himself?

2. Did God commit the word of reconciliation to the apostles, to be preached by them for the purpose of reconciling God to men, or for the purpose of reconciling men to God?

3. Did the apostles in Christ's stead pray God to be reconciled to men, or did they pray men in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God?

To these questions he also added: "It seems to me that if this Article be true, John iii. 16 should read: 'God was so angry with the world that his Son, Jesus Christ, ran off, and left him, and came into the world, and suffered and died to reconcile him!' "

After thinking for a time, the teacher turned to the student, and said: "Henry, don't meddle with that Article; it has the greatest talents of England behind it."

It is more probable that this was the best defense the preacher could make; certainly it was the only defense that he attempted. The young candidate for the ministry was left alone to debate the question: "Shall I be compelled through life to follow the greatest talents of England, or shall I be guided in my faith and teaching by the Word of God?" He passed through the winter of 1839-'40 dissatisfied. He began to fear that he could not preach the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church. But where could he find a better church ? A church in which more truth was taught? A church in which he could enjoy greater liberty of conscience and of speech? He knew that the church of which he was a member possessed much truth. It was a great church, and a mighty power for good.

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This he knew then, this he knows and says now; but he was not satisfied. He desired something better, larger, truer. He was in this unsettled state of mind when, in December, 1839, he changed his residence from Campbell County, Ky., to Boone County, in the same state. Here he was again appointed "class leader." In Boone County he met with the first congregation of disciples with which he had any acquaintance. He had heard the Rev. Mr. Jameson, who was known as a "Campbellite Killer," preach against them, and he had read a little volume entitled, "Phillips' Strictures on Campbellism." He was not then in a state of mind to hear the disciples with favor. And besides, as he says now, reviewing the experience of more than fifty-five years ago, "the disciple preacher was a man of many words and few ideas." From him he thinks that he learned little or nothing. At this time he had some pleasant talks with an intelligent disciple of Christ named Alden--C. O. Alden--a school teacher. From him Mr. Pritchard learned that in all points where he differed from the Methodists he agreed with the disciples. This fact surprised him not a little. He also learned from Mr. Alden that much of the truth taught by the Methodist brethren was held and taught by the disciples also. In this fact he found again a surprise. Father Pritchard says now that he could repeat from memory more Scripture than could Mr. Alden, but he confesses that Mr. Alden was able to make better use of it than could he. The young man is now prepared to take a step forward.

About the first of May, in the year 1840, Dr. L. L. Pinkerton came to the town of Petersburg to hold

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a series of meetings. Henry R. Pritchard resided in Petersburg at this time. He had succeeded in committing to memory the entire Epistle of Paul to the Saints in Rome. Dr. Pinkerton selected as the subject of his first sermon in Petersburg this portion of the New Testament. Young Pritchard heard him preach. He made up his mind that Dr. Pinkerton understood the Epistle to the Romans, and that he was the first man he had listened to who did understand it. He lost no time in becoming acquainted with Dr. Pinkerton. With him he had some conversations on the subject of the Christian religion, that were full of profit. Among other things he learned when engaged in conversation on so grave and important a subject as religion, not to contend for victory, but for the truth. This lesson he is quite sure has continued with him through life, and is a lesson of incalculable value. He remembers Dr. Pinkerton as gentlemanly, kind, amiable, full of sentiment, and when engaged in conversation on the subject of Christianity, he was the personification of intelligent piety. In a word, Henry R. Pritchard learned to love Lewis L. Pinkerton as a brother, and his memory is exceedingly precious to him to this day. He listened attentively to every discourse delivered during the series of meetings. After hearing day by day, for the space of three weeks, he became fully convinced as to his duty--the questions that for some time had given him not a little trouble were intelligently settled, so that on the twentieth day of May, 1840, H. R. Pritchard left the Methodist Church and identified himself with the disciples of Christ. He loved the Methodists. The Methodists loved him. He had no quarrel with them; nor they

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with him. He looks back upon this change of special religious and Christian fellowship as the trial his life. He says that the Methodist brethren were always kind to him. He never was badly treated by any member of the church while he was a Methodist; nor after he left them did they mistreat him. The change that he made was on principle, and as a result of intelligent conviction. Father Pritchard says, in a letter at hand: "I love the Methodist people still, for I have been among them, and I know that many of them are as honest as I am; but I know, also, that they are in error in many things."

Six years after Mr. Pritchard made the change above described, he preached in Petersburg. One half of the congregation of disciples in that place was made up of his old class, who followed him into the new fellowship. The memory of that meeting is, of course, very pleasant. It meant a reunion between that great-hearted man and many of his old friends for this world and the world to come, for time and for eternity.

Soon after his union with the disciples, Mr. Pritchard began to preach among them. His first sermon was preached about five weeks after making the change. It was delivered the first Lord's day in July, 1840. To-day, in speaking of it, he says: "It was a splendid sermon, for it was all Bible."

In the winter of 1840-'41 he cut and put up one hundred cords of wood. In March he sold the wood for one dollar a cord in the forest. With the money thus obtained, and a little more, he was able to attend school for eight months at Rising Sun, Indiana. The principal of the academy was a Mr. Holly. It

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was at this place that Mr. Pritchard became acquainted with B. U. Watkins and Love H. Jameson. In February, 1842, Bro. Pritchard went to live with Bro. Watkins near the city of Cincinnati. While at school in Rising Sun he paid his own expenses out of the money he had earned chopping wood--tuition, books clothing, etc.--and preached for the church in that place for his board. During the year 1842, he served the church in Carthage, Ohio, and in Fulton, now a part of Cincinnati. That year also, under the tuition of B. U. Watkins, he began to study the Greek and Latin languages. In March, 1843, the churches of Cincinnati sent him out as an evangelist to preach through Hamilton, Butler and Preble Counties. The brethren gave the young preacher a horse, saddle and bridle, at an expense of fifty-two dollars. He received besides, twenty-five dollars in money, and a coat and a pair of pantaloons, the cost of which was sixteen dollars. This was all he received for eight months' service as an evangelist, during which time he preached almost every day. The immediate visible result of this work was the baptism of two hundred and fifty believers, the bringing into cooperation with the disciples of three Baptist congregations, the ownership of two houses of worship, and the enlistment of a preacher. In December he returned to the home of Bro. Watkins. He remained there until May, 1844. During this time he prosecuted his studies with characteristic zeal under his friend, B. U. Watkins. While he studied, he preached regularly for the church at Mt. Pleasant, Ohio. His financial reward was three dollars per week. In the month of May, 1844, he returned to Indiana, spending the greater part of his

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time for about three months in the region of Rising Sun. From this place he made an evangelistic tour to Kentucky, spending his time chiefly in Scott and Bourbon Counties. The brethren contributed more liberally toward his support than had been the case previous to this time. From Kentucky he went to Ohio, and visited the places where he preached in 1843. During the three or four years that he spent in Ohio, his preaching companions were B. U. Watkins, Walter Scott James Challen, D. S. Burnet, George Campbell, J. J. Moss and Benjamin Franklin. Henry R. Pritchard was comparatively a boy among them, and remembers gratitude their unnumbered acts of kindness to him.

In October, 1844, Mr. Pritchard settled in Oxford Ohio. He remained in this place until January, 1846. While in Oxford, he pursued his studies under the direction of one of the professors in Miami University. His time as a preacher of the Word was divided between Oxford and New Haven. Miss Emiline Birdsell, whose home was in the vicinity of Oxford, became Mrs. Henry R. Pritchard in January, 1846. For almost a half-century Bro. and Sister Pritchard have lived together in the holy estate of matrimony according to the instruction given in God's Work--an unspeakable blessing each to the other. Immediately after his marriage Bro. Pritchard removed to Fairview, Ind. This was his home for eight years. He preached in the counties of Rush, Fayette, Union and Wayne. In that district he was associated in the ministry of the gospel with George Campbell, Benjamin Franklin, S. K. Hoshour, H. St. John Van Dake and John O'Kane, not to mention others. Within the eight years of his

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residence at Fairview; many hundred, under his faithful, earnest, loving ministry, turned to the Lord. It ought to be known that, for the first thirty years of Henry R. Pritchard's ministry, he was a successful revivalist, or better, evangelist, in the New Testament use of the word, in Eastern and Southern Indiana. He regrets that no account was kept of the numbers whom he baptized into Christ. He did not report, probably, one in ten of his converts to the papers. He had an idea, which he now considers foolish, that to do so presented an appearance of boasting. But for this foolish notion, what an interesting, instructive, and encouraging record of work in the name of the Lord might we not be permitted to read one of these days! But while Bro. Pritchard was busily engaged in testifying the gospel of the grace of God, and through its instrumentality turning multitudes from darkness to light, he pursued with great industry the studies that would make of him a more efficient preacher of the glad tidings. He studied Greek and Latin under Prof. A. R. Benton, who had charge of an Academy in Fairview. At the same time he received from Prof. S. K. Hoshour instruction in German.

In the early part of the year 1854, Bro. Pritchard became the preacher of the church in Columbus, Ind. This congregation was then called "New Hope Church," and was one of the five churches in the state, which, in 1829, took a stand for the principles represented by the disciples. The other congregations were those at Little Flat Rock, Ben Davis Creek and Fayetteville, in Rush County, and Liberty, in Jefferson County. These were the first assemblies of believers in the State of Indiana that were known,

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and desired to be known, simply and only as churches of Christ. In all these congregations, except the one at Liberty, Henry R. Pritchard has served as regular minister. When he went to Columbus, in 1854, the church had two houses of worship--one in the country, the other in the town. For a year and a half he divided his time between the two places. There was only one church organization. The church in Columbus was organized independently on the twenty-eighth day of July, 1855. The members of the original body were divided, according to convenience, between Columbus and New Hope. For the space of seventeen years Bro. Pritchard remained with these people in Bartholomew County. He thinks that some of his best work was done during this time--when he was from thirty-five to fifty-two years of age. He says: "Some of the happiest days of my life were spent in that domain. The shadow that covers my soul to-day is the knowledge that a large part of my fellow helpers whom I loved in the truth are now in the land of the redeemed, so that I meet them no more on earth; but we will meet soon."

In the early part of 1870 his sons went to Daviess County, Ind, to take charge of a farm. His eldest son, who had studied law, was in ill-health. That he might regain his health he remained, four years on the farm. The presence of their sons in Daviess County was the prime cause of the removal of Bro. and Sister Pritchard, in the course of the year 1870, to that part of the country. For four years Bro. Pritchard served the church in Washington, Ind., in the pastoral office. In the autumn of 1873 he disposed of his farm, and, with his family, removed to Indianapolis, where he

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now lives in a serene old age, happy in the consciousness of a long life well spent, and rejoicing in the hope of a glorious immortality. Concerning himself and faithful companion, Father Pritchard says: "We are now so old that we can not get away--until we move over the river, where most of our friends live." During the last dozen years, or since his removal to Indianapolis, he has preached, as he has had opportunity and strength, among the churches in Rush, Wayne, Union and Boone Counties. A portion of this time he has spent "rambling," as he calls it, among the churches in several states. Henry R. Pritchard has been a faithful and strong preacher of the simple old gospel for five and fifty years. He has never been known to grumble or complain about anybody or anything in all that time! He has never entertained a feeling of jealousy against any of his brethren in the ministry. He confesses that he has seen jealous preachers, but he has avoided them. To him their company was not congenial. His has been a life of great industry as a student and preacher. Henry R. Pritchard was not, as some men are, born tired. He never had a vacation. He never missed an appointment except for cause over which he had no control. All his life he has diligently sought information in good books. The best books, and only the best, have been his companions. His accumulation of valuable knowledge, and his ready command of the same, is marvelous. He has always found pleasure in listening to wise men when he has had opportunities to hear them talk. He says that when he is with "simpletons," he does the talking! Father Pritchard says that he studied "the higher criticism" when he read

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Voltaire and Paine. He says that he thinks about as much of a preacher in the pulpit on the Lord's day playing higher critic as he does of the antics of a monkey in a street show. He believes the Bible, and has no use for any preacher who says, in effect, if not in form, that half the Bible is false, and the other half is not reliable. Genesis, he says, is the only history of the first three thousand years of the world, and it is the best history that we have. Henry R. Pritchard is preeminently a man of faith. He believes in God, and has implicit faith in his Word as written in the Bible. "My creed is, God's Word is right. This is the creed I made before I began to preach, and on these four words I stand to-day. The creed that God made for us is to present his Son, a living person, as the object of faith." This is Father Pritchard's latest deliverance on the creed question. He is, and has always been, a firm friend of our missionary enterprises. He is in favor of everybody and everything by whom and through which Christ is made known to men. "Some, indeed," said Paul, "preach the Christ because of envy and a contentious disposition, and some because of good-will. These do it from love, because they know that I am set for the defense of the gospel; those preach Christ from a contentious disposition, not sincerely, thinking that they will add affliction to my bonds. What difference does this make? CHRIST IS, NEVERTHELESS, PREACHED IN EVERY WAY, WHETHER IN PRETENSE OR IN TRUTH; AND IN THIS I REJOICE; YES, AND I WILL REJOICE." This quotation, from the Epistle to Philippians, contains and expresses the sentiment and spirit of Father Pritchard. The supremely important matter is, that the Christ shall be

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preached. Hence he believes with all his heart in Home Missions and in Foreign Missions. He will not agree for a moment that Jesus was in error when he commanded his disciples to evangelize the whole world. He believes not only in good music in the church, but he believes in the best. Our Father is more than worthy to receive the best that his children can present to him. He is in favor of everything that does good to men. He is uncompromisingly opposed to everything the tendency of which is to degrade men and women. He thinks that we need a clear-headed man to give the world a book in which sin will be defined, "for some blockheads who make everything a sin, except grumbling, growling, complaining, being hateful and hating others,"

"Finding fault with that and this,
And finding somewhat still amiss."

While Father Pritchard is the soul of good nature, and while his spirit is wonderfully broad, he has been engaged in a number of public oral discussions. In these debates he has contended, not for victory over his opponent, but for truth. This has given him, together with his genial spirit and ready wit, a tremendous power as a polemic before a popular audience.

When he was only twenty-four years old, Henry R. Pritchard engaged in a public discussion in Florence, Ky., with the Rev. Mr. Shaffer, a representative of the Lutheran denomination, on the creed question. His second discussion was concerning the truth of Universalism, and was held in New Paris, Ohio, with the Rev. Mr. Leftwich. Later, Mr. Pritchard and Mr. Leftwich engaged in a debate at Oxford, Ohio. As a

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result of these investigations, Mr. Leftwich gave up Universalism, and in a letter thanked Father Pritchard for bringing to his attention the teaching of the New Testament concerning the destiny of man. His next engagement was with the Rev. John Wall, a Methodist preacher on Paint Creek, Preble County, Ohio. They debated the action and subject of baptism, and prayer for the remission of sins. It is interesting to know that a son of this Mr. Wall is now an honored elder in a congregation of disciples in the State of Indiana. The Rev. Erasmus Manford was, years ago, in the West, a great light in the Universalist body. He was editor of a paper called The Western Universalist. He and Father Pritchard engaged in a discussion in the town of Liberty, Union County, Ind., the last week in 1846. The following is H. St. John Van Dake's report of it in Arthur Crihfield's paper, The Orthodox Preacher. This quotation is especially interesting as revealing the spirit which characterized these theological tournaments. Mr. Van Dake said: "Bro. Pritchard recently gained a complete victory in a single combat, theological, with Mr. Manford, of The Western Universalist. The battle raged four days; the devil fought desperately, fell reluctantly, and bore his defeat with as much equanimity as could be expected in such a case."

Father Pritchard enjoyed "a set-to" with the Rev. Williamson Terrell, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who had the reputation of being a "Campbellite killer," in November, 1847, at Fairview, Ind. "This debate nearly ended the Methodist Church at that place. Bro. Terrell went out of the business of killing Campbellism and Campbellites, became a

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gentleman, and learned to treat our brethren with respect and kindness to the end of his life." In 1849, Father Pritchard spent two evenings trying to show the Rev. Mr. Emmet, of the Universalist Society, the teaching of the Lord in the New Testament. Bro. Pritchard seems to have found a peculiar pleasure in reasoning with men who affirmed that in the world to come it shall be with the wicked as with the righteous. Only four years after his attempt to enlighten the Rev. Mr. Emmet, he consented to give a few lessons in the rudimental principles of the gospel to the Rev. B. F. Foster, a member of the same school of theology with Mr. Emmet. This was at Bentonville, Ind. The same year, in Columbus, Ind., he engaged in a debate with the Rev. W. W. Curry. This gentleman was a noted polemic among the Universalists, and later a shining light in the Republican party in the State of Indiana. Father Pritchard and Mr. Foster, mentioned above, were so pleased with each other as disputants, that at Filmore, Putnam County, Ind., they are seen, in 1858, again face to face, reasoning in the presence of the people with one another concerning the truth of the Universalist teaching. In the same year he met a second time, in public debate, the Rev. Mr. Curry. In 1860, he encountered a Methodist minister named Brockway, in Westport, Decatur County, Ind. Father Pritchard entertains a very poor opinion of this gentleman's ability to defend the Methodist teaching and practice. Not so, however, his next antagonist, the Rev. Thomas Brooks, whom he met in a debate in Cloverdale, Putnam, Ind., in 1866. This was one of the great intellectual contests of

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Father Pritchard's life. Mr. Brooks was at that time the champion of Methodism in that part of the world, and is said to have had a commission from his Conference to destroy the hated Campbellites, and to drive the hated and dangerous Campbellian heresy out of the State of Indiana. The lamented 0. A. Burgess was intimately associated with Bro. Pritchard in this discussion. This fact indicates the dignity and importance of the occasion. The discussion continued nine days. It became an evangelistic meeting. Ninety-four persons were immersed during the progress of the debate. Twenty-five of these were members of the Methodist Church in Cloverdale when the discussion began. One would think after this experience it would have been impossible even to find a representative of the Methodist denomination willing to meet Bro. Pritchard in debate, and it was a long time before one was found with the quality and degree of courage required. In 1890, at Colfax, Clinton County, Ind., the Rev. Mr. Colvin, a presiding elder in the Methodist Church, engaged in a public discussion with Father Pritchard. This was probably quite as much for the honor of meeting such a man as Henry R. Pritchard, as for anything else. Father Pritchard's characteristic comment on and estimate of this man is that "he knew but little, and did less." In 1891 the Rev. Mr. Potter, at Fairview, discussed with Bro. Pritchard the question: "Is Salvation Conditional?" Father Pritchard's remark concerning Bro. Potter is: "He is the best humored man in the business." Besides these regular, open, formal, deliberate engagements, Henry R. Pritchard has taken a prominent and active part in many other encounters similar in

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character by the score--discussions that came on suddenly and without previous preparation. To the ordinary man these would be worthy of record and comment, but to this valiant old soldier they are not considered worthy of mention. Henry R. Pritchard has indeed fought. He has been a warrior for God, and Christ, and the Bible, and truth.

Notwithstanding the hardships through which this grand old hero has passed, the burdens that he has borne, the disappointments and losses, and crosses innumerable, to which he has been subjected, and the battles in which he has been engaged, he is as gentle and mild, as bright and sweet, and happy and hopeful, as if his entire life had been one long, continued and undisturbed May day.

What a sermon is this life! What a benediction! How glorious the presence of Henry R. Pritchard! God alone can reward him, and he will!

B. B. TYLER.

NEW YORK, Dec, 28, 1895.