The rector became alarmed and did not dare to send anybody else.
The ministers and rectors of the South of England called a convention and sent a petition to the Archbishop of Canterbury, to request Parliament to pass a law prohibiting the "Mormons" from preaching in the British dominion.
In this petition the rector stated that one "Mormon" missionary had baptized fifteen hundred persons, mostly members of the English church, during the last seven months.
But the archbishop and council, knowing well that the laws of England gave free toleration to all religions under the British flag, sent word to the petitioners that if they had the worth of souls at heart as much as they had the ground where hares, foxes and hounds ran, they would not lose so many of their flock.
I continued to preach and baptize daily.
On the 21st day of March I baptized Elder Thomas Kingston. He was the superintendent of both preachers and members of the United Brethren.
The first thirty days after my arrival in Herefordshire, I had baptized forty-five preachers and one hundred and sixty members of the United Brethren, who put into my hands one chapel and forty-five houses, which were licensed according to law to preach in.
This opened a wide field of labor, and enabled me to bring into the Church, through the blessing of God, over eight hundred souls during eight months, including all of the six hundred United Brethren except one person; also including some two hundred preachers of various denominations.
This field of labor embraced Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, and formed the conferences of Garway, Godfield Elm and Frome's Hill.
I was visited by President Young and Dr. Richards.