Stevens, Abel. History of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America (4 volume set). New York & Cincinnati: Eaton & Mains; Jennings & Pye, ca. 1890. [11875]
Four matching volumes in publisher's black cloth, each 7 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches, about 500 clean pages in each book, bindings are clean, tight, with good joints. Vol. I. is ex library with white ink call numbers on the spine, ink stamps & card pocket within. Vols.II-IV are NOT ex library and come from the same purchase. Vol. III. has an old stain on the front cover and the first section of pages are wavy. Very good. Hardcover.
A fine church history written by one with access to all of the available records.
First published in 1864, this later reprint is from circa 1890.
Abel Stevens, D.D. (1815-1897), b. Philadelphia; d. San Jose, California. Stevens was a Methodist Episcopal minister, author, and historian. He was educated at Wesleyan University; and entered the New England Conference in 1834; served one year as agent of the Wesleyan University, and the following year was stationed in Boston. In 1848 he became editor of Zion’s Herald, where he remained for twelve years. In 1852 when The National Magazine was commenced, he was appointed editor. In 1860 he became corresponding editor of The Methodist, and retained this position till 1874. In later years he traveled extensively and was for a time pastor of the Union Church in Geneva, Switzerland. His writings were very widely circulated, and include “Church Polity,” “The Great Reform,” “History of Methodism,” “History of the Methodist Episcopal Church,” “Centenary of American Methodism,” etc.
