USA > Illinois > De Witt County > History of De Witt county, Illinois. With illustrations descriptive of the scenery, and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 38
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The article on religions liberty in the amendment to the American Constitution, was introduced into it by the united efforts of Baptists in the year 1789. The new impulse given to the spirit of liberty by the revolutionary war was followed by the rapid spread of Baptist principles. Their great prosperity dates from that era. In 1762 there were but 56 Baptist churches in America; in 1792 there were 1,000; in 1812, 2,433; in 1832 5,322; in 1852 they exceeded 9,500; in 1858 there were 12,000 churches with 1,000,000 members. At the present time, statistics of 1880, there are 25,000 churches, 18,596 ordained ministers, and 2,296,327 members.
From these statistics it appears that the rate of increase of the Baptists far outruns that of the population of the United States. And the rates of increase have been greatest in Massachusetts and Virginia, where they were most persecuted. The Baptists are ardent supporters of the cause of missions both home and foreign. They are snstaining missions in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Anstralia, and the Islands of the Sea. In the prov- ince of Burmah alone, they have 400 mission churches, 200 ordained ministers with over 30,000 members, all converted from the grossest idolatry.
There has been given by the Baptist churches in the United States for the support of Home and Foreign Missions during the year 1880, 8885,486.
While the Baptists do not make educational attainments a test of fitness for the ministry, yet, they have always encouraged their candidates for the ministry to secure the highest possible attainments in scholarship. Hence, in order to provide such advantages, they are sustaining 10 Theological Seminaries, 31 Colleges and Universities, 46 Academies and Female Colleges, with an attendance in all of over 10,000 students. They also support 70 religions newspapers and periodicals.
139
HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
THE SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH, (COLORED )
This church was organized in the year 1872 under the labors of Elder Thomas Reasoner, who labored among this people as an Evangelist with some success. He found a people here who were formerly slaves in the Southern States, and were crushed under the iron wheels of the slave power, and as a matter of course were brought up in ignorance, but since the famous Emau- cipation Proclamation by President Lincoln, they have under- taken to act for themselves in matters of religion aud politics, and consequently, wherever they have opportunity, they meet together to worship God according to the dictates of the Bible and their own consciences.
The names of the constituent members of this church are as follows: Polly Jackson, Mary Jackson, Samuel Jackson, Peter Simpson, B. W. Livingstone.
Elder J. M. Davis served the church for one year followed by Elder William Watson, Ehler Isaac Strattou, and the present pastor, Elder Andrew Newsome.
They have succeeded in erecting and paying for a neat little meeting-house at a cost of 8700,. The present membership is eighteen.
The Separate Baptist churches of this county have been in existence for a long time, They claim the Scriptures of Divine truth as the only rule of faith and practice, and while they differ in some respects from the great body of Baptists, yet they are firm adherents of Bible doctrine as they understand it, they practice feet wa-hing, as a church ordinance, and open or free communion ; these are perhaps, the main differences, otherwise they are faithful advocates of the leading doctrines of the Bible. In their manners they are plain and humble followers of Jesus.
THE LIBERTY SEPARATE BAPTIST CHURCH
Was organized in the year 1834 under the labors of Elder Solomou Dispane, after him the following named ministers served as preachers and pastors. Owen Davis. Thomas Davenport, Robert Henson, William Springer, John Springer, Abram Jones, George Clifton, Peter Garrett, Franklin Lowrey, Thomas Jenkins. This church has several congregations in various parts of the county, who have occasional preaching.
THE NEW PROVIDENCE BAPTIST CHURCH,
Sometimes called Old School, or Predestinarian Baptists, located in Tonbridge township. This church was constituted in the month of June, 1853, by elders Mann, Scroggins and J. Fro- man. The names of the constituent members were Simon Wil- liams, Sarah Williams, Ellenor Baird, Lucilla Duncau, Tarltou Embree, Patsy Embree, Ursula Belford, Elizabeth Gamble and John B. Moore.
The following named ministers have served this church as pastors, viz : Elders J. B. Moore, S. Hukill, P. MeCay, J. H Myers, J. H. Ring and L. Davis.
These brethren have a comfortable house of worship, located snme two miles east of the town of Kenney. Their church pro- perty is all paid for. Their present membership is thirty-three.
The following are the doctrinal tenets of this church :
We believe in one only trne and living God. The Father, the Word aud Holy Ghost, and these three are one.
We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are by inspiration of God, and the only role of faith and prac- tice.
We believe that by one man's disobedience (Adams), all his posterity became sinuers by nature and practice, and are unable
to save themselves from that lost, dead state by their own free will, power or ability.
We believe in the doctrine of eternal, personal election and predestination of all things pertaining to the church, as His body, and that God did choose His people in Christ, before the world was.
We believe that sioners are justified before God, by and through the righteousness of Jesus being imputed to them, and that good works or spiritual sacrifices are evidences of our faith and justification.
We believe in the final perseverance of the saints, through grace to glory, and that not one will or can be lost.
We believe that baptism aud the Lord's Supper are ordinances of the Lord, to be coutinned by His church until His second coming.
We believe that believers are the only subjects for baptism, and that baptism is immersion, and none legal but that per- formed by an orderly minister of the church.
We believe that noue but those who are legally baptized have a right to the communion.
We believe that no minister has the right to administer the ordinances in the house of God, until he has been legally bap- tized and approved by the church, and come under the imposi- tion of two or more ministers or ekdlers of the church.
We believe in the resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust ; and the judgment of the great day, and that the joys of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal.
We believe iu the doctrine of regeneration, or being born again; that except a man be born again, he cannot see the king- dom of heaven, and that which is born of the flesh will remain flesh, and that which is boru of the spirit is spirit, and out of the natural, or Adamic, and the spiritual natures, grows the warfare between the old and new man, or outward and inner mau.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
BY EDWARD ALLYN.
Every religious body should be able to give a reason for its existence ; enlightened public sentiment demands it ; if it is not doing a good work for humanity, peculiar and distinct from other religious bodies, there is no reason for its existence, for why, should we multiply agencies to accomplish a certain end, when united effort would accomplish the same in less time ? If then this body of Christians cannot give sufficient reasons for its existence, to satisfy an intelligent community, it onght to die.
What then are its positions, principles, and purposes ? I give them, by quoting from the pen of our state evangelist, N. S. Haynes : " While this Church holds much truth iu common with others, yet it has its distinctive features that give it a right to live. With others it holds the divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, the revelation of God's will and character iu them, the divinity and Christhood of Jesus, forgiveness of sins through His atonement, faith in the Christ and obedience to His author- ity as the necessary hnman agencies in the formation of Christian character, the resurrection of the dead, and the doctrine of future retribution. The peculiar features of this Church are these : that while believing the Old Testament is the Word of God and necessary in order to a right understanding of the New,
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HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
yet the Old i- not our rule in life, because it was never given as such to us Gentiles, and because it has been supplanted by the New Testament ; that the Scriptures are all-sufficient to make the man of God perfect, and herce the rejection of all human rreeds as schismatical and sinful ; that in religious teaching we hold the " form of sound words," rejecting all unscriptural terms, as Trinity, et id omne genus, and all unbiblical names; hence the nickname "Campbellite " is unauthorized and offensive ; that conversion is not the mysterious and direct impact of the Holy Spirit on the sinner's soul, but his turning from sin to the Saviour, the proof of His conversion being a Christian life ; and that an inquirer after salvation must always be answered, accord- ing to his condition, in the exact words of the inspired oracles for such cases made and provided ; that the ordinances, baptism and the Lord's supper, must be observed as given by Christ and His apostles without change : that all of God's people should be united in " one body," as in the primitive and apostolic church, in order that they may the more efficiently do their Master's work, and turn the world in faith to Him. " Where the Bible speaks we speak, where the Bible is silent we are silent," is a cardinal maxim. To go back to the beginning of the Church to make our teaching and practice, in all matters essential, coincide with that of the inspired apostles is the aim of this religious body. This, our plea, has made wonderful progress in the past fitty years. From a very feeble folk we have grown to 500,000 in the United States, besides large aud flourishing churches in Australia and New Zealand. Our missionaries are at work in Jamaica, England, Denmark, Norway, France, and Turkey. As many were added to this Church in the United States as to the Methodist Episcopal Church in the same territory in the year 1879. The influence of this divine plea has reached all classes of society, and this Church has two members in the United States Senate, twelve in the House of Representatives, and our Jate president, James A. Garfield, was a member of this society ; besides these there are other names with a national reputation. It pub.i-hes fifteen papers and periodicals and a large number of tracts and books. Its men !- bers have under their control thirty-eight schools of all classes, one-half of which are academies, colleges, and universities of a good grade. The following is the history of this Church in De Witt county :
OLD UNION CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
" The groves were God's first temples" and in a grove near where old Union Church now stands, Father Hugh Bowles, com- meneed preaching the Gospel of Christ ; and here in this prindi- tive temple, on Saturday before the sceond Lord's day in August 1833 old Union Church was organized, seventeen persons entered into this organization, of this number only seven remain to tell the old, old story, viz: Anderson Bowles, Margaret Bowles, Rebecca Bowles, Henry Hall and wife, Mary Hall and Eliza- beth Barnett. The first officers were Hugh Bowles and Malon Hall, Elders; Joseph Bowles and Darius Hall, deacons. The following named preachers have ministered to this congregation Hugh Bowles. James Scott, Abner Peales, Alfred Lindsey, Wil- liam Ryan, W. P. Bowles, Isaac Martin, John England, John G. Campbell, Isaac Stout, Dudley Downs. C. F. Short, William Knight, R. B. Roberts, Samuel Low, E. C. Craig, E. M. Robin- son and T. T. Holton. In addition to these regular preachers, noted protracted meetings have been held by John Q. Houston, Elder C'rain, George F. Adams and Simpson Ely. At these meetings large additions were made to the church. Over one
-
thousand persons have been connected with this church. The present membership, who attend church regularly, is two hun- dred and fitty, of this number, are twenty-five who take active part in the social meetings. This congregation had no house of worship until 1838, when the old church was built; this first house was a union church, occupied part of the time hy the Baptists and Methodists, previous to the building of this house meetings were held in the grove and in private houses. The present church building was erected in 1864, near the site of the old house. It is situated ten miles south-west of Clinton on a hill near Salt Creek, at the foot of the hill are large springs of never failing water. back of the church is the old grave yard where many of the early settlers are buried. The cost of the new church was : 83,000. It has a seating capacity of 600. The present officers are Robert Black and Joseph Bowles, Elders ; David MeClimans, William F. Bowles and J. A. Evans, deacons.
The present pastor T. T. Holton has labored for this congrega- tion ten years, has been instrumental in settling difficulties in the church, and under his preaching it has been harmonious and prosperous. He is universally loved, and will probably labor for this congregation for some time to come. He preaches for the church one-half of the time, the pulpit being filled the rest of the time by home talent. Two public discussions have been held at this church, one between James Barger, Methodist and W. P. Bowles, Christian ; the other between Abraham Jones, Bap- tist aud Absalom Formau, Universalist. This church sustains a good Sunday school of seventy-five members, C. D. Bowles, su- perintendent, and they exert a wide influence for good. To day counting among her membership many of the leading fami- lies of the community. It is a tower of strength and a potent factor for good. It is the oldest church of this denomination in the county and among those who contributed much to its prosperity in an early day was Father Bowles. He was born in Virginia in 1786, and spent the early part of his life in Ken- tucky. His educational oportunities were limited, yet he was a great reader, and an original thinker, and was well read in histo- ry both ancient and modern, but his greatest text book was the Bible, especially the New Testament ; of this he could repeat the greater portion. Ile removed to Illinois in 1830 and to De Witt county in I>31. Besides old Union, he organized churches at Rock Creek and Long Point, in this county, and at other points in Logan and Sangamon counties. He labored upon the farm through the week preaching Saturdays and Sundays, often riding on horseback from twenty to fifty miles to reach his appoint- ments. The largest sum of money ever received by him for preaching was ten dollars, this he gave to a lady who was hurt by being thrown from her horse while attending one of his meet- ings. Ile spent the later years of his life in preaching to the various congregations he had founded, and in December 1846 at the age of sixty years was called to reap the reward of his labors.
ROCK CREEK CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
This church is situated about four miles west of Wapella, near a small stream, from which the church derives its name. In the fall of 1857, Father Hugh Bowles, of old Union church, made a visit into this neighborhood, and with James Scott held a protracted meeting at the house of Samuel P. Glenn, and organized the above named church. Henry Michaels, Peter Crum, Samuel P. Glenn, Benjamin Slatten, William Lane, with their wives, and Mrs. Isam Harrold, constituted the charter members of this organization. The church met at the houses of Peter Crum, at Long Point, and
141
HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
Samuel P. Glenn's, Rock Creek, alternately, until the building of their first house of worship in 1945.
The first Elders were Henry Michaels and Peter Crum ; Dea- cons, Samuel P. Glenn and Benjamin Slatten. The pioneer preachers were William Ryan, W. P. Bowles and uncle James Robinson. Iu 1876 the present house of worship was built one- fourth of a mile south of the old church, at a cost of $1,325, with seating capacity of 300.
The present officers are, Elders: Samuel P. Glenn, F. M. Cisce and Andrew Scott. Deacons: G. W. Halsey and John Cisce. Evangelist : A J. Vinson. Present membership, sixty- two. They have no Sunday-school.
LONG POINT CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
This congregation is located four miles north of Wapella, in Long Point timber, on the State road leading from Clinton to Bloomington. It was organized in the grove near Liberty school- house, by William Ryan and William Morrow, in August, 1851, with nineteen members. The officers chosen were : Walter Karr and Peter Crum, for elders ; and E. W. Swearingen aud William Keunidy, for deacons. The following named preachers have served this church : W. P. Bowles, William Ryan, John Wilson, Dudley Downs, George Owens, Dr. Ingle, Samuel Low, Harry Vandervort, Jefferson Hodson, John Q. A. Houston, E. F. Bas- ton, and S. B. Lindsley, the present preacher. Protracted meet- ings have been held by W P. Shockey, Benjamin Franklin, Leroy Skelton, William Knight, Clark Braden and J. W. Per- kius, in which many were added to the church. This congrega- tion met in Liberty school-house until 1868, when the present house of worship was built, at a cost of about $2,000. Its present value is $1,500. The whole number of members connected with this congregation since it was established is about two hundred and fifty.
The present membership is seventy-seven. The officers are, Elders : John M. Cunningham, William F. Turner, Abram Sum- mers. Deacons : Barton Karr, James B. Romine and William S. Karr. A public discussion was held with this church and the Methodists in 1862. Benjamin Franklin represented the Chris- tian church, and John Luckock the Methodist church. This church has a large Sunday-school during the summer months.
CLINTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
In the spring of 1-51 Walter P. Bowles and William Springer were holding a meeting four miles south of Clinton at the house of Hiram Dotson; while there elder Springer proposed to W. P. Bowles and others present, the building of a meeting house at the county seat. All present approved of the move. A meeting was called and a building committee appointed, consisting of William G. Springer, William Bowlin and Samuel Brown. The committee secured the lot where the church now stands, as a gift from Judge David Davis, and in the early part of 1852 had the house ready for nse. Still the congregation was not yet or- ganized. There were members enough for a small congrega ion living in and around Clinton. In the fall of 1852 William G. Springer, then acting county assessor, c mmer.ccd a protracted meeting, during which Elder Shockey, of Indiana, came to C'lin- ton and assisted in the meeting ; at the close of the meeting the Clinton Christian Church was organized. The first elders were William Bowlin, W. G. Springer ; deacons, Ahram Crum and Milton Oakerson.
The preachers who have labored for this congregation are William G. Springer, William Morrow, C. F. Short, Dudley
Downs, J. J. Miles, D. D. Miller, J. C. Tulley, C. F. Adams and Samuel Lowe. Protracted meetings were held by Wil- liam Brown in 1856; W. P. Shockly in 1858; W. Houston in 1859: John Q A. Houston and Dudley Downs in 1860-61. At this meeting the crowd was so great that the church floor broke down, and produced quite a stampede. David Walk ju 1862; Benjamin Franklin in 1863; R. B. Roberts and George Owen in 1867; Alexander Hutcherson in 1868; E. T. C. Ben- nett in 1869, and'the following named ministers have preached for the church occasionally : Charles Rowe, James Mitchel, James Robinson, John Wilson, Peter Schick, N. S. Haynes, F. T. Holton, A. D. Filmore, S. M. Robinson, Harry Vandervort, W. H. Crow, and Elijah Stout.
The present officers are J. J. Miles and Elward Allyn, elders; R. B Bowles and -. deacons. Present membership thirty-two. Two publie discussions have been held in this church, the first between William Shockey, Christian, and Rey Josiah Davis, Universalist ; the second between Dudley Downs, Christian, and Dr Summerbell, ( newlight, ) Christian. The church has a Sun- day school in connection with the social meetings and meets regu- Iarly every Lord's day. This church has had a hard struggle to keep up its organization. and its meetings have not been very regular in the past ; it has had its times of prosperity and adversity, and we trust a brighter day is dawuing for this strug- gling congregation.
Dudley Downs made his home with this e i gregation several years, and the period of its greatest prosperity was when he labored for it ; he was a man of great zeal aud piety, an eloquent and persuasive speaker, and a sweet singer. His singing added much to the interest of his meetings. For a time he was one of the editors of the Christim Herald, a monthly, first published at Wapella and afterwards at Eurcka. His writing, like that of his preaching, was full of persuasive eloquence. He was born in 1836, aud came to this county in 1861. By his preaching large unmbers were added to the various congregations throughout the county. In 1863 he went to Tennessee, and from thence to Min- nesota in hopes of restoring his health, but his labors had been so unceasing, and his exposure so great, that consumption hurried his body into the grave, while his spirit winged its way into " the realms of the blest," and " He knows what it is to be there," (one of his favorite songs). He died at St Paul, Minn , in 1870, at the age of thirty-four.
FARMER CITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
In and around Farmer City lived quite a number of persons who had been members of the Christian church in Ohio, and elsewhere. These, with others interested, decided to build a house of worship and then organize the church. In the fall of 1864 they had the house erected ; immediately after the comple- tion of the house, Dudley Downs commenced a protracted meet- ing, and October 4, 1864, organized the church. Twenty-five persons entered into this organization. The first officers were, elders-Milam More and John Lemon ; deacons, J. F. Bean and samuel Watson. The regular pastors since are, T. E. C. Bennett, S. K. Ilallem, W. T. Maupin, and & K. Shields. Sue- cessful protracted meetings have been held by R. B. Roberts in April, 1868, with forty-five additions, and by D. P. Henderson, in the winter of 1876, with one hundred and two additions. Over three hundred persons have had membership with this con- gregation, the present membership being sixty-nine. The present officers are, elders-Jefferson Wetzel and H. H. Welch ; dea- cous, J. 11. Bean, Z. F. Moran, Nathan Welch, and Chas. Prior.
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HISTORY OF DE WITT COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
The church was without a pastor from 1879 to 1881, and have recently employed D. K. Shields as pastor of the church. The present house of worship cost $3,500, with a seating capacity of 400 ; is situated near the center of the town, on Main street ; was dedicated by J. Z. Taylor in 1865. A public discussion was held in this church in June, 1868, between R. B. Roberts, Christian, and E. Manford, Universalist.
This church has an excellent Sunday-school, average attend- ance sixty, Mrs. J. H. Bean, superintendent.
WAPELLA CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
Quite a number of the members of the Long Point congrega- tion lived at Wapella, four miles from their house of worship, and it was very inconvenient for them to attend publie worship so far from home, as but few of them had means of conveyance; so it was thought best to organize a congregation at Wapella. In the winter of 1867 elder George Owens, of Jacksonville, Ill., commenced a protracted meeting in the M. E. church house. llere he continued until his preaching had converted quite a number from the Methodist, when he was excluded from their house. The meetings were then held in the old school house, and here, on the 24th day of January, 1867, the church was constituted ; a goodly number had obeyed the gospel during the meeting, and these, with twenty from the Long Point congrega- tion, constituted the charter members. The first elders were Joshua Carle, Peter Crum, and Stephen Riggs ; deacons, A. D. Metz, Wm. Crum, and J. W. Carr. Having no house of wor- ship, they continued to meet in the old school-house until 1869, when the present house was built, at a cost of $3,000; size, 34 by 50 feet, with a seating capacity of 350. The present officers are, Joshna Carle and James W. Karr, elders; A. D. Metz, William Crum, and Thomas Wright, deacons. The present membership in good standing is forty-five. The following preachers have been pastors of this congregation : George Owens, two years; L. Engle, E. T. Russel, John C. Tulley, one year each ; W. L. Jermane and S. D. Lindsley, two years each. S. D. Lindsley resides here and preaches for this congregation one-half of the time. The church maintains an interesting Sunday-school of 50 members, and keeps up regularly its Wednesday evening prayer-meetings. When no minister is present, the pulpit is filled by W. R. Carle and elder James W. Karr alternately. This congregation believes in cultivating its home talent, making the church a school, Christ's school, where His disciples are taught. In such schools some of our best ministers are taught, and who can estimate the good a church may thus accomplish, by giving gifted young meu an oppor- tunity to develop their talents, mental and moral, and thus fit themselves for preaching " the unsearchable riches of Christ and His kingdom." This church has never failed to meet upon the first day of the week "to show forth the Lords death " and attend to the other ordinances of His house. Its influence for good is felt in the community where it exists. The history of this church would not be complete without a short sketch of the life and labors of elder Joshua C'arle. Fatber Carle was born iu Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, August 4, 1800; from here his parents moved to Jefferson county, Ohio Here Joshua grew into manhood, and November 29, 1829, under the preaching of Walter Scott, became " obedient to the faith." He was a true disciple. a learner in Christ, and advanced rapidly in the knowl- edge of the scriptures. He attended the meetings of A. Camp- bell at Wellesburgh, and succeeded in getting Campbell to hold a meeting in his father's neighborhood in Jefferson county. The
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