USA > Indiana > Johnson County > Franklin > Historical address delivered by Judge D.D. Banta, in the First Presbyterian Church of Franklin, Ind., Nov. 30, 1874 > Part 3
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A biographical sketch of Dr. Monfort having been prepared by another, I allude to no facts in his his- tory not related m some manner to this church. But in bit ang him farewell, it may not be inappropriate
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ยท to dwell briefly on some of the more salient features of his character. He was a man of wide and varied learning; so much so, that in a day when Doctorates were more stintingly granted than in this, Hanover College conferred upon him the merited title of "Doc- tor of Divinity." He must have been about forty-five years of age when he came here, and was trimly built though undersized in person, had dark hair and eyes, a narrow high forehead as I remember him, and was ex- ceedingly neat in his dress. His manners were en- gaging. Whilst always serious, yet he was never gloomy and forbidding. He held in scrupulous regard all the proprieties and conventionalities of life. "He was," says one authority, "a mild, modest, prudent man, had a pleasant way in his daily intercourse with the people, and wielded a great influence in the town." I do not remember to have ever heard any anecdote told of him indicating that he had any wit or humor, or that even on occasion he exhibited any powers of sarcasm. He went through the fight which led to the separation of the Church into Old School and New School, a recognized leader of the Old School party in this Presbytery, and yet | find no memory of wounding words ever having been spoken by him, lingering in the minds of those who were then arrayed against him. He came here at a time when his mind was fully developed, and in addition to his extensive learning, both literary and theological, he was possessed of a sound and discriminating judg- ment. He knew how to gain the good will of men and how to hold their esteem. This views of religious truth were clear and decided, and he believed, with
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his whole heart and his whole soul, the doctrines and tenets of the Presbyterian faith as laid down in her Standards; and what he believed, he preached with all the might that was in him. He was, in a word, a thoroughly conscientious man, speaking boldly for the truth and vehemently combating what he deemed to be error, on all proper occasions As a speaker, his most marked characteristic was his great clear- ness. Ile not only possessed that incisiveness of mind which enabled him to grasp an idea firmly, but he had that further and rarer accomplishment, which ena- bled him to so present that idea to his hearers strip- ped of every superfluous shred of thought, as enabled them also to see it and grasp it in its full significance. By virtue of this gift he was a teacher of men ; and he excelled as a doctrinal preacher. But on occasions he preached with great feeling. One says, his man- ner of preaching was " deliberate, calm, solemn and earnest-sometimes deeply impassioned;" another, and a co-laborer in the ministry with him, says he was a "solid emphatic speaker, and when aroused quite eloquent."
1823858
The close of Dr. Monfort's ministry here may, in some respects, be said to mark the line between the past and the present in the history of this church. It is about that time the people began developing the material wealth of the county. Franklin had lately been linked with iron to the Ohio River, and a ready market had at once been opened for all articles ro- duced by the labor of the people. A spirit of enter prise followed; a plank road was constructed leading from this place to White River ; a proposition to build
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a railroad connecting Martinsville with this town was agitated and finally consummated, and a general live liness in traffic and trade was exhibited never before known. The population of the county was 12, 101, and the town of Franklin contained 1,057 souls. The church numbered one hundred and forty-three communicants, a less number than at any period since 1839, but the old fires of discord had burned out, and with the advent of a new and younger man as pastor, it was hoped that the misfortunes of the past would be retrieved. Accordingly, a call was made for the Rev. Jas. A. McKee, then stationed at Vernon, in this State, who accepted and entered upon the discharge of his duties at a salary of seven hundred dollars per year. Mr. McKee was a Pennsylvanian by birth, but had been educated in the collegiate department of South Hanover, m this State, and also in the theo- logical school which was then located in that place.
I do not think that the time has yet come when it would be profitable or interesting to dwell upon the events connected with the pastorate of Mr. McKee or of any of his successors. All the ministers, and a large majority of the members, are yet living who participated in the various scenes enacted in this church since 1850, and it would be as a "twice told tale," were I to recount these over now. Moreover, I have nearly consumed my hour in an endeavor to bring to your minds a view of the early history of this church, and the time warns me that I can not much longer claim your patience.
The year following Rev. Mi. McKee's entry apon his labors here, the membership of this church went
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down to one hundred and fifteen-twenty-nine mem- bers having been dismissed and seven having died. But in 1852 the gains began to exceed the losses, and, with the exception of two years, this has been the case ever since. In that year a refreshing revival came to bless the labors of the new pastor. The good work seems to have commenced in the last of February, and it continued up to the middle of April, during which interval forty persons in all were added on profession of their faith. In the spring of the succeeding year another shower came, and twenty-five converts were added, which, with the ad- ditions of those who joined on certificate, brought the membership up to one hundred and eighty-six, the highest number then ever reached. In 1854 the number was carried up to one hundred and ninety- four ; but this increase was mostly due to admissions on certificate.
It is evident to one who peruses the records of this date that a church trouble is again brewing. What the cause was, I am sure, I don't know. All I can say is, that in 1854 only five converts were added; in 1855, not one ; in 1856, three ; and in 1857, not one ! Other work seems to have required the attention of the people during these gloomy years. The younger members of the congregation appear to have been seized about this time with a mania for dancing, while the older brethren had more serious business of their own on hand. A tempest had arisen -- a controversy was up-a first-class church quarrel was on the carpet, and while the brethren were cutting and thusting this way and that way at each other,
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no recruits ventured to come from the enemy with- out. How eloquently do these mute figures plead for peace within the church!
In 1858, the smoke of this conflict having disap peared, God smiled again upon the labors of Mr. McKee, and in February, March and April of that year, fifty-eight were added on examination.
In 1860, after ten years' service, he resigned his charge and was succeeded by the Rev. A. B. Morey. The record shows that during these ten years two hundred and thirty eight were admitted to the church, of whom one hundred and twelve were males and one hundred and sixteen were females. Of the whole number one hundred and forty-four were added on examination and ninety four on certificate.
The Rev. A. B. Morey, a native of New York, came fresh from Princeton, within a short time after Mr. McKee lett, and entered at once upon ministerial labors. At this time the communicants numbered one hundred and seventy-two, and when he left, eleven years afterward, the number had run up to three hundred and seventy-five; an increase of over ten per cent. per annum. The most marked feature of his pastorate is the great revival which came to this church in 1870. On the 16th of January the record shows the admission of five on examination, and it goes on showing daily admissions throughout January, February and up into March, until one hundred names have been entered. During this pas- torate three hundred and seventy four were added to the church, of which two hundred and twenty-one were on examination and one hundred and fifty-three
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on certificate. Of those, on examination, ninety-five were males and one hundred and twenty-six were females; while of those, on certificate, sixty-one were males and ninety two were females.
On Mr. Morey's resignation, the Rev. S. E. Wish- ard, our present pastor, was called and came. He is a native of this county. His father came into White- river Township the year after this church was organ- ized, and a few months before the son's birth. At the age of twenty two he began a course of study at the Wabash College, were he graduated. His theologi .al education was received at Lane Semin- aay, after which he went into the State of Michigan, where he preached until called to this church in 1871. He has now been with us nearly three years, during which time the membership has increased by the addition of one hundred and twenty-five, of which fifty have been on examination and seventy- four on certificate.
I have now passed hastily over the fifty years which have come and gone since the foundations of his church were laid, and I am fully conscious that many matters immediately connected with my sub- ject have been entirely omitted or passed over with the barest mention. The complete history of this church during these years would require a volume, and its presentation, in an address of reasonable length, is therefore out of the question. I have already, I fear, trespassed on your patience, but ! beg your indulgence while we briefly consider some of the results of the work which has been done.
A list of the membership has been prepared, em
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bracing the names of all found scattered through the church books. This list is not absolutely perfect, for the books themselves have been somewhat care- lessly kept, and an absolutely perfect list is therefore out of the question. But it is believed that it ap proximates very nearly to correctness, and it is from this that I have made up the statistical reports as to the work done during each pastorate. Now, looking at the work as a whole, we find that eleven hundred in all have been added to this church during its first half century. Five hundred and ninety seven, a lit tle over half, has been on examination and five hun- dred and one on certificate. Of the entire member- ship, four hundred and sixty-seven are males and six hundred and thirty-three females. Of the number added on examination, the names of two hundred and seventy-one are males and three hundred and twenty-eight are females ; of those on certificate, one hundred and ninety-six are males and three hundred and five are females.
Of the oldest and most numerous families identi- fied with the church, the name of Wilson is found upon the list, ten times; the Coverts and Allisons, each twelve times ; Shellady, a name now extinct, so far as the records show, thirteen times; Alexander, fourteen ; Herriott, fifteen ; Voorheis and Thompson, each sixteen times, and the Thompson family has likewise disappeared ; Banta, eighteen ; Bergen, twen- ty-two; Adams, twenty-four ; and the McCaslin, which leads them all, sixty times.
Six ministers have gone out from this church, five of whom began their religious life here. The first is
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John C. King, son of George King, one of the found- ers of the church, and who united with this congre- gation on the 28th of March, 1834, and is now preaching in Chase City, Virginia. Then comes the name of Anderson Wallace, who joined on the 3d of September, 1837, and who is, or was, when I last knew of him, performing ministerial duty in Illinois. After him we have the name of Samuel E. Barr, whose profession took place on the 14th of January, 1842, and who so lately went from the neighboring church of Hopewell to the city of Elkhart, in North- ern Indiana; and his name is followed by that of James HI. 1 .. Vannuys, who entered the church on the 6th of February of the same year, and who is now pastor of the church at Goshen, in this State. All these were the fruits of Dr. Monfort's ministry.
Robert A. Overstreet, now preaching at Emporia, in the State of Kansas, joined by letter from the church at Bloomington, October 10, 1848, and Syl- vester Bergen, who is now preaching at Mckinney, in the State of Texas, united, on profession of his faith, on the fourth day of January, 1863.
These are some of the numerical results, but who can calculate the moral ? The Presbyterian faith de- mands an unqualified belief in the divine authenticity of the Holy Scriptures, in the sovereignty of God, and the absolute subordination of man to his anthor- ity. This faith, as interpreted by our fathers, held them to a strict accountability, morally speaking, for the manner in which they trained their children ; and they not only taught their children obedience to parent. 1 authority, in accordance with the divine
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command, but tutored them carefully in all the funda- mental doctrines of their own faith. Trained then, to fear God and to keep his commandments, and trained to habits of obedience to human government from infancy up, the young man when he left the roof- tree, went forth prepared to yield that willing obedi- ence to the laws of the land, which is the distin- guishing characteristic of every good citizen. He may not have been the most noisy citizen ; he may not have been the most forward with advice on public occasions; he may not even have aspired to public place ; but he was nevertheless a law-abiding citizen, and the State was seldom, if ever, called upon to vin- dicate her laws in his punishment. The same records which bear testimony to that spirit of lawless vin- dictiveness which prevailed so extensively in this county from its organization up to about 1840, and which has been elsewhere alluded to, bear am le tes- timony to his good character for peace and submis- siveness to the laws of the land. I do not wish to be understood as magnifying one faith at the expense of another, or of making invidious comparisons between the Presbyterian Church and others; I trust we are all too thoroughly imbued with the charity which thinketh no evil for that, but I will say, and that with- out fear of successful contradiction, that Presbyte- rianism, in Johnson County, has proven in the past, pre-eminently successful as a school for the traming of the highest order of citizenship.
Just how much has been achieved by this particular church in that school, the human intellect is inade- quate to the task of measuring ; Omniscience alone
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can do that; but if we can not apply the measure, the results are yet so certain that the Christian and the patriot, of whatever faith or belief, may on this the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the Church of Franklin, join in the prayer: Let it be perpetuated !
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