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- From Addresses Of Bishops - 1824
Samuel Alexander Danford
Samuel Alexander Danford (January 22, 1850–N/A) was an American religious figure and author from Brunswick County, North Carolina, likely involved in preaching or teaching within a holiness or evangelical Christian context. Born to Abraham Danford and Mary Jane Cliff Danford, he lived in a region with strong Baptist and Methodist influences, though his specific denominational affiliation isn’t documented. His most notable contribution is Holiness Bible Readings, a concise book published posthumously in 1912 (available as a Kindle edition), which compiles scripture quotations on sanctification with minimal commentary, serving as a resource for Bible study on holiness. This work implies a deep engagement with Christian doctrine, suggesting he may have preached or taught these principles, possibly as a lay preacher or minister. Little is known about Danford’s personal life, education, or ministry career beyond his authorship. He died on October 15, 1911, in Brunswick County, and is buried there, with his legacy tied to his book rather than a documented preaching record. His work’s focus on sanctification aligns with the Holiness Movement, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, hinting at a possible role in that tradition. Without further evidence, his status as a preacher remains inferred from his religious writing, marking him as a minor but earnest voice in American evangelicalism.
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Samuel Alexander Danford emphasizes the importance of holding onto the doctrine of entire sanctification and Christian holiness in Methodism. He warns that if Methodists abandon this doctrine, they risk losing their identity and purpose as a people. Danford highlights that holiness is the core foundation that unites Methodists and drives them towards holy living and good works, as envisioned by the founder of Methodism, Mr. Wesley.
From Addresses of Bishops -- 1824
In the quadrennial address to the General Conference of 1824 the Bishops said: "Do we come to the people in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of peace? Do we insist on the witness of the Spirit and entire sanctification through faith in Christ? Are we contented to have the doctrine of Christian Holiness an article of our faith only, without becoming experimentally acquainted with it; or are we pressing after it as 'the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus?' If Methodists give up the doctrine of entire sanctification, or suffer it to become a dead letter, we are a fallen people. It is this that lays the axe at the root of the Antinomian tree in all its forms and degrees of growth. It is this that inflames and diffuses life, arouses to action, prompts to perseverance, and urges the soul forward in every holy exercise and useful work. If the Methodists lose sight of this doctrine, they fall by their own weight. Their success in gaining numbers will be the cause of their dissolution. Holiness is the main cord that binds us together -relax this, and you loose the whole system. This will appear the more evident if we call to mind the original design of Methodism. It was to raise up and preserve a holy people. This is the principal object which Mr. Wesley, who, under God, was the great founder of our order, had in view. To this all the doctrines believed and preached by Methodists tend."
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Samuel Alexander Danford (January 22, 1850–N/A) was an American religious figure and author from Brunswick County, North Carolina, likely involved in preaching or teaching within a holiness or evangelical Christian context. Born to Abraham Danford and Mary Jane Cliff Danford, he lived in a region with strong Baptist and Methodist influences, though his specific denominational affiliation isn’t documented. His most notable contribution is Holiness Bible Readings, a concise book published posthumously in 1912 (available as a Kindle edition), which compiles scripture quotations on sanctification with minimal commentary, serving as a resource for Bible study on holiness. This work implies a deep engagement with Christian doctrine, suggesting he may have preached or taught these principles, possibly as a lay preacher or minister. Little is known about Danford’s personal life, education, or ministry career beyond his authorship. He died on October 15, 1911, in Brunswick County, and is buried there, with his legacy tied to his book rather than a documented preaching record. His work’s focus on sanctification aligns with the Holiness Movement, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, hinting at a possible role in that tradition. Without further evidence, his status as a preacher remains inferred from his religious writing, marking him as a minor but earnest voice in American evangelicalism.