USA > Indiana > Tippecanoe County > Lafayette > History of St. John's Church > Part 4
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bers. His knowledge of the law had been of great value to the church, especially in the early days, when many questions of law came before the vestry. Sometimes he would vote alone, but he was generally found to be right, and in the end brought the vestry to his side of the question. He exercised the most pro- fuse hospitality, and his house was for many years the home of the visiting clergymen. In their resolutions of condolence the vestry expressed the sense of the loss to the church as follows:
" For as much as it has pleased Almighty God, in His wise providence, to remove by death our fellow- laborer and beloved brother, Andrew Ingram, Esq., for many years a prominent member and honored officer of this church, therefore be it
" Resolved, That we desire to place upon record the sentiments of respect and affection so sincerely cherished for the departed by the members of this body, and to give expression to our profound sense of his exalted worth in his private, public and Christian virtues.
" Resolved, That in this solemn providence this parish deplores the death of one of her oldest and most faithful members, and that the church in this diocese is called to mourn the loss of one who, in re- sponsible positions, has served her long and well, and brought rare wisdom into her councils, and illustrated in his life the purity and excellence of her faith,"
In the church, as in life, we pass from sad to gay, from funeral to wedding, and so our next record will be of the Golden Wedding of Bishop Upfold and his good wife. This occurred June 3rd, 1867. To this celebration all the churches of the diocese were in-
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vited. The rector of St. John's, with his wife and a delegation from the church, went over to Indianapolis, bearing with them, as a present to their beloved bish- op, the sum of $500 in gold, by far the largest gift of any church in the diocese. They also presented a beautiful poem, printed in gold letters upon white satin. This was written by one of the Bishop's old parish- ioners and valued friend, Mrs. Rebecca G. Ball, and ยท was as follows:
"TO THE
RT. REV. GEORGE UPFOLD AND WIFE, ON THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING, Fune 3rd, 1867."
"Fifty bright summers: June, with fragrant hand, Has come with offerings from her woodland bowers, Twined her rich garlands for thy bridal day, And decked the altar of thy home with flowers.
"Our Bishop dear, let us to-night for thee Of love's sweet flowers a fadeless garland weave, With prayers and wishes for thy future weal, Crown thee upon this golden wedding eve.
"The cord that binds two loving hearts in one, Time's tireless shuttle has been weaving long ; In years now flown together oft have you Sorrow and joy from life's full quiver drawn.
"Along the journey many a landmark stands, Pointing where loved ones faded by the way, Or golden mile-stones gleaming back to tell Where, 'mid the shadows, bloom and sunlight lay.
"Memory, between your life's glad spring and now, With ready finger casts the vail aside ; Again the perfume of sweet orange flowers Comes floating back o'er bridegroom and the bride.
""Tis sweet to live again our young lives o'er, To tread the paths of happy, vanished years, To cheat the present, though the heart's full tide May burst its bounds and fill the eye with tears.
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"Time hath wrought changes-both now show his hand; Thine eye is dimer and her cheek less fair, The step less buoyant than its early tread,
And on each brow the gleam of silvery hair.
"Ah, sad despoiler! none thy hand may stay, As frost 'mid flowers, a reaper grim thou art;
"Tis thine to bid the stealthy wrinkle creep, But not to change the true and loving heart.
"The golden wings of well-spent hours have borne To heaven thy record. On its pages clear
The names are written that shall deck thy crown; The jewels gathered in thy white robes here.
"Though chastened by affliction's hand and tried, It only serves thy Father's love to tell;
And thou with trusting heart of faith can say, "Tis from His hand who doeth all things well.
"No thornless road has pilgrim ever trod, Shadows and sunlight on life's dial lie;
Here the sweet music of the soul is jarred, And thorns sharp pierce the traveler to the sky.
"God's blessing on you both this wedding eve; May white-winged Peace brood ever o'er your home ;
The golden tie in love's loom woven here Reach from an earthly altar to the throne."
Our next record is May 8th, 1868, when the ves- try received the following communication :
"Tothe Wardens and Vestrymen of St. John's Church, La Fayette, Ind .:
"GENTLEMEN .- We, the undersigned, having ob- tained the witten consent of the Ecclesiastical authority of the Diocese of Indiana, as required by the Canons of said Diocese, hereby respectfully request your con- sent to the organization of a new parish in the city according to Canon V, Title III, Paragraph II, Sec- tion I, of the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States.
"Very respectfully."
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This was signed by twenty-two members of the congregation. The petition was granted, and the signers organized the parish, which was known as Grace Church. They built a beautiful church edifice, and for a number of years carried on a church and Sunday-school, and established in the south part of the city a very successful mission school:
The congregation of St. John's had been contin- ually increasing; the confirmation classes were very large, sometimes numbering twenty-five; most of the pews were taken, and there was often a good deal of rivalry as to who should have the best pews. Per- haps the wide-spread influence which the church had attained can best be shown by noting here some of the weddings which took place during Mr. Russ' rec- torship:
October 11th, 1860, Lucius A. Booth, cousin of Governor Booth, of California, and Mrs. Julia D. Thayer, both residents oi Sacramento, Cal., came here expressly to be married in St. John's.
July 18th, 1861, Rev. Nathaniel P. Charlot, rector of St. John's, Crawfordsville, and Miss Harriet Miles, of LaFayette.
March 31st, 1862, Henry M. McCallister and Mary A. Miller, Chillicothe, Ohio.
May 28th, 1862, John R. Griffin and Eliza H. Carpenter, Kansas City, Mo.
February 3rd, 1864, Rev. William P. Ten-Brock and Mary E. Yundt.
March 5th, 1864, Alfred Kent, 3rd Michigan Cavalry, and Priscilla Mary Heaton.
June 5th, 1865, Thomas Ross and Mary Geiger, of Illinois.
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August Ist, 1865, George T. Isbell, editor Leavenworth Conservative, and Marian A. Gray.
September 19th, 1865, in St. Mary's Church, Delphi, Rev. S. Edson, rector of Grace Church, Galena, and Mary M. Burr, of Delphi.
April 30th, 1867, Col. Edmund C. Bainbridge, commanding at Newport, Ky., and Aspasia Poul- lault.
December 30th, 1867, Mitchell B. Clark, of Chi- cago, and Lavinia Saulber, of Lebanon, Ind.
November 16th, 1868, Capt. C. E. Morse, of Gen. Reynold's staff, and Juliet Bainbridge.
Besides these, Mr. Russ performed a great many marriage ceremonies among his own parishioners, and also at Indianapolis, Crawfordsville and Delphi. So many were there that this has been called "the rec- torship of weddings."
These were the "flush times" during and just after the close of the war, and the income of the church was very large, but the expenses were also very large, and it was found that there must be a cur- tailment of expenses. Accordingly, in a letter dated May 13th, 1869, Mr. Russ proposed "that for the amount of $1,000 owing him he would give a receipt in full for $600; that his salary, which had been $1,500, should for that year be $1,000, and deeming it of the utmost importance that the music they now had should be continued, he offered to be one of ten to pay this expense.
Mr. Russ had been a great sufferer from neural. gia, and for some time his health had been gradually failing, often unable to perform his duties; therefore le sent the following letter to the vestry:
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"To the Wardens and Vestrymen of St. John's Church, La Fayette, Ind.
" GENTLEMEN .- My continued and serious illness, with little if any improvement from week to week, fills me with apprehension and painful solicitude. During the nine months just passed I have been utterly incapacitated for duty a good portion of the time, and my condition is such to-day that I can scarcely hope for the recovery of my health, except by a change of climate and an absolute release for a con- siderable period from all labor and care.
" Under such circumstances, I feel that I ought to relinguish an official position burdening me with re- sponsibilities and toil to which I am no longer equal. Even this step is one of difficulty and pain, and the future, in any light afforded me, is darker than I could wish. The inevitable, however, is that which no true philosopher would contend with, while that which God ordains the Christian man may be expected to accept and conform to with cheerful submission.
" I do therefore herewith tender to you my resig- nation of the rectorship of this parish, to take effect on Monday, the 13th day of June next, so closing a relationship of more than ten years' duration.
"For all the kindness I have received from you and from the church during these many years I re- turn you my profoundest thanks. The history of these years will be read with the deepest interest long after I am dead.
" And now, in parting from you, let me assure you of the interest I shall feel in your condition, and of the warm affection I shall cherish for you personally and
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for every member of my beloved flock so long as life shall last.
" Praying God to bless and guide you, and have you and me in His tender care and holy keeping, I am sincerely, in love and sorrow,
" Your friend and pastor,
LaFayette, May 10th, 1870.
"L. W. Russ."
The resignation was accepted, and, in recognition of his liberality to the church, the vestry presented him with a purse of money to assist him in his journey South, whither he went in search of health, but, alas, like many other pilgrims to that sunny clime, he found only a grave.
In the fall of 1870 Rev. Thomas G. Carver, D. D., assumed the rectorship. He found the church still in debt, though it had been much diminished. The Sunday-school had been reduced in numbers to forty scholars and teachers. Dr. Carver was of the old Scotch Calvinistic stock, and in most of his sermons he preached " the terrors of the law." It was said of him that he preached the law, and his successor, Dr. Roberts, the gospel. He was a powerful and inter- esting speaker, and his reading of the service was very impressive. He attracted large audiences to the church by his sermons and by the music, to which he gave especial and watchful oversight. He believed that the choir should be composed of persons who were interested in and respected religion, and ought not to sing God's praises in a thoughtless and light manner. For awhile the old choir remained, and then for a short time the Misses Foresmans were the lead- ing singers. Then a volunteer choir, of which Mr. Joseph Ewing, Miss Kate Shively, Miss Annie Stoy
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and others were members. At this time the first altar cloths were introduced into the church. Mrs. Emma Ingram was the leader in this, getting subscriptions to the amount of $100, with which she purchased a handsome set of scarlet and gold. Dr. Carver pos- sessed great executive ability, and was a very efficient manager in the Sunday-school, which so increased in numbers that it now numbered two hundred. The Christmas tree festivals became great events in the year, and upon one occasion $145 was collected for the tree by. Mrs. Mamie Andress and Miss Carrie O'Brien-the largest sum ever collected for that pur- pose. In recognition of his service in the Sunday- school, the vestry gave Dr. Carver a vote of thanks, and at one of the Christmas festivals Miss Eva McCormic, by subscriptions among the scholars and teachers, presented him with a handsome easy-chair. Dr. Carver possessed that most necessary attribute of a leader of men-the faculty of appreciating the ability and work of others, and the Sunday-school, under his administration, was harmonious and pros- perous. He introduced into the Easter service the custom of bringing to the church floral memorials for the dead, and in his Easter sermon gave a short record of the life and character of those who had died during the year. These services proved to be very pleasant and interesting. An account of the one of April 12th, 1873, was given in one of the newspapers of this city, from which I quote:
" EASTER SERVICES AT ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.
" The festival of Easter was observed with un- usually interesting services at St. Johh's Church yes- terday. In the morning the church was crowded, and
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in the evening was filled to overflowing, up-stairs as well as down. The evening was devoted to the annual Sunday-school exercises. The choir gave some excel- lent music, and the services throughout the whole day were most attractive. The decorations of the church are deserving of special mention for their rare good taste; and particularly the cross and wreath made by Mrs. Judge Ball, of leaves and mosses from Lookout Mountain and other historic places; also the large memorial urn, elegantly embellished with flowers, which occupied the centre of the platform. Taken altogether, the day's exercises were most gratifying to this congregation, and made it a day long to be re- membered."
The preceding August Bishop Upfold had died, and there was placed in the church floral memorials for him; and the following poem was also written in memory of his ministration in St. John's:
"EASTER AT ST. JOHN'S.
" O, glorious day! for thee let sacred bells The joyful peals a gladsome welcome ring, As with blest hope o'er mist-clad hills you come, Fluttering here on morning's golden wing. Oh, earth, the dead that in thy bosom sleep Again shall rise, o'er death shall victors be ;
The grave's dread seal is broken, Christ has risen, Best pledge to us of immortality.
" Her resurrection anthem nature sings; The slumbering seeds, now quickened into birth, Cast off their garments old, and new-robed spring From out their cold, dark chambers in the earth; The air is filled with sounds of new-born joy, The swallows twitter and the blue birds sing, The crystal streamlet and the rippling rill
Their fairy music through the valleys ring.
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" With spring's bright tint we deck God's house to-day, Flowers, sweet flowers, within its courts we bring, With softened tread we come and on its altar lay For our loved dead a fragrant offering; Flowers for him who here the mitre wore, Whose feet the paths of righteousness long trod, Whose voice still seems in loving tones to come Echoing back within this house of God.
"Flowers for her who silently now sleeps Beneath the violets, in her quiet bed, Who, ere life's dial pointed noon, twice came Before the altar wreathed and garlanded; Buds for the babe, ere they shall burst to bloom, "The babe whose feet no thorn had ever pressed,
Whose waiting angel, ere the shadows fell, In arms of love bore to the Savior's breast.
"Here shall the ivy and the myrtle twine Their tresses green, through these glad Easter hours, A fragrance sweet, like holy incense, down The cross shall breathe from out its heart of flowers. Oh, God, our dead, our holy dead, are thine; 'Twas at thy word the angel reaper came And from life's tempest safely gathered in The bud, the blossom, and the ripened grain.
"No sable draping to thy throne we bring, On this glad morn now from the grave's dark prison; Angels, white-robed, have rolled the stone away, First fruits of them that slept, oar Christ has risen." "R. G. BALL."
The confirmation classes at this time were large, and were noted for the number of gentlemen of mature age of which they were composed. Among these was Mr. Thomas Wood, who proved to be a very active and efficient aid to the rector. In the vestry he gave his time and energy towards regulating the finances of the church. On June 13th, 1873, a
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clergyman from a neighboring city came before the vestry asking for aid for his church, and it was moved by Mr. Wood "that this church decline to assist any other church until its own debts are paid, feeling as- sured that it will require the whole energy of the con- gregation to do this." We have recorded this reso- lution here, because this is the only known instance of such a plain common-sense maxim of finance being acted upon in the history of the church.
This same month Mr. Wood died, and upon the records of the vestry I find the following resolutions:
"WHEREAS, As a member of this body, and a servant in the church of Christ, we deplore his loss, and would, in recognition of his kind influence and great usefulness, place upon our records a testimonial of our appreciation of his character; therefore
" Resolved, That we shall ever cherish his men- ory as one who manifested ardent zeal in the interests of this church, who possessed great kindness of na- ture, and in whom rested our confidence and esteem."
One death followed another during Dr. Carver's rectorship, and he said: "I seem to have come among you only to bury you." On the 13th of August, 1873, the church received the news of the death of its founder, the Rev. Samuel R. Johnson. Twenty-six years had passed since he left this parish, yet his men- ory was still tenderly cherished. On the 18th of Au- gust a meeting was held to take action upon the sad news. Senior Warden T. A. Littledyke presided, and the following resolutions were passed by the vestry:
"WHEREAS, The death of the late venerable Samuel R. Johnson, D. D., a priest and devoted stew- ard in the church on earth, has brought to the hearts
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of the people of St. John's Parish, of which he was the first pastor and the founder, a deep-felt sorrow; and
"WHEREAS. The beloved deceased benefactor, friend and brother has been called by Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, from his ' blameless' ministry 'and labor in the vineyard' to his holy rest-having been blessed in the rich harvest of good works through grace, and in the purity of God's love, during an ac- tive, zealous life, he was eminent in the virtues of humanity; filled with a catholic and philanthropic love, he was actuated by only noble purposes of the heart; his fraternal charities were proverbial; his bounties were unmeasured, generously bestowed, and will ever remain fragrant in the memories of the lowly, the needy, and the blessed poor in spirit-the vestry of St. John's Parish, in the full consciousness of the Christian humility that imbued and sanctified the prolonged life of this earnest follower of his Divine Master, exceeding the allotted days of man of three score years and ten, would, in appreciation and love of his memory, place reverently upon record these proceedings; therefore
"Resolved, That in the death of this beloved minister of Christ the church has lost a distinguished priest, the clergy a confiding and exemplary brother, the poor a loving heart and munificent donor, and the world a light that illuminated the dark abodes of sin- ful man.
" Resolved, That this providential though painful severance of the active ministrations of the deceased rector from his afflicted parishioners is an event that awakens for them, in this parish of St. John's, an
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affectionate sympathy in the bonds of Christian love.
" Resolved, That, in this strait and dark hour of trial of the bereaved widow and family of the de- ceased, we extend the warm sympathies of the heart, and offer our prayers that they may feel a support from the arm that never tires when human strength gives way.
" Resolved, That as a testimonial of the venera- tion and love of this parish for the memory of its pastor and founder, the late Rev. Samuel R. Johnson, D. D., the church be appropriately draped in emblem of mourning.
" Resolved, That the clerk of the vestry is hereby instructed to present the venerable widow of the de- ceased a certified copy of these proceedings; also one to the Parish of St. Thomas, Amenia, and that the city press be furnished with copies of the same for publication.
" WILLIAM GARLAND, " Clerk pro tem."
The Easter following, which occurred April 4th, 1874, there were several floral memorials for Dr. John- son placed in the church, and the following poem, which was published in one of the daily newspapers, from which we take it:
" EASTER MORNING AT ST. JOHN'S.
" The stars had scarcely faded in the dawn,
Or birds from leafy nests begin to stir,
When those who lingered at the cross first came To seek, within the rock-hewed sepulchre, For him whose brow the thorny crown had pierced-
Who bore the scourge and robe of mockery-
For whose sake shadows fell o'er Judea's hills, When ' It is finished' rang from Calvary.
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""''Tis finished' now, the sacrifice is made, Deep darkness spreads its sable wing abroad. Chief priests cry out: ' Make sure the sepulchre,' While one exclaims: ' This was the Son of God.' In the grey dawning of the early morn, From his celestial home in bright array, Came one, whose fair brow like the lightning gleamed. And from the grave rolled the great stone away.
" The earth was shaken in that solemn hour When, from death fetters, our humanity Had gained a victory o'er the rider pale, And rose above the grave triumphantly. The tomb, the new-made tomb, had all in vain Opened its portals, its strong arms wide-spread, To clasp within its stony bosom chill, And seal its own a Christ among the dead. Our Christ has risen; with this we bring Within God's temple for our loved in death, Earth's new-born children, who, in bright array, Chant resurrection with their fragrant breath.
" Memory to-day brings back to us the past, Sounds in its chimes the voice of other years- The voice of Him, the earthly sower, who Reaps now the harvest he had sown in tears. To earth with love we would have held him bound, But the crown waited-God has claimed his own; He laid his white robe by the altar here, To take it glorified beside the throne. Full ripe he was for harvest, still we see Light gleaming in the paths his footsteps trod; The bridegroom called, and gently he has fallen Asleep upon the bosom of his God.
"Sleeps yet another, on whose brow was laid The holy symbol; 'tis but a year since he Knelt at the altar, and the sacred cup Pressed to his lips on lowly-bended knee. His seat is empty this blest Easter morn, And we for him our flowery tribute bring,
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And while we here it at the altar lay Another one those chimes of memory ring- She, the fair maiden, who, at close of day, Mortality's worn garments cast aside, And in the holy hush of Sabbath eve Went through the valley with her angel guide.
" They give no signal back, those absent ones; Not wintry winds, or summer breezes bring The tones of love; but, oh, our Father! they
Have all found refuge 'neath Thy sheltering wing. The earth is filled with voices. We shall rise ; Nature proclaims it in these bright spring hours, 'Tis murmuring to us in the new-born leaves, "Tis whispering to us in the new-born flowers. Oh, death! how could we give our loved to thee, But for the joy this hope our bosom brings
Of immortality for those who lie
With shut lips 'neath the daisies of young spring. " R. G. BALL."
The memorial sermon of Dr. Johnson by the Rev. Dr. Seymour was also published at this time, and fifty copies were kindly sent by Dr. Seymour to St. John's for distribution, and are still sacredly preserved by many of the members.
Dr. Carver, although so actively engaged in work, had been a semi-invalid for many years; and finding that the climate aggravated his disease, he sent in his resignation April 24th, 1874.
On the third Sunday in September, 1874, Dr. W. H. Roberts began his ministration in the church. The new rector was not a stranger, having lived for some years at Indianapolis. His influence upon the people was as quiet and beneficial as the dew upon the earth-nothing sensational, nothing for
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effect, but his words and character made a deep and lasting impression. His manner and his voice were low and gentle, always seeming to bring with them a benediction. His labors in the church and Sunday-school were constant and untiring. These were supplemented by his labor among the people on week days. He had a congregation outside of the church building to whom he ministered with regular and most acceptable ministration. These were the aged of the church, the sick, the blind, and the poor. All this was done so quietly that many of his own congregation did not know of it until he had left them. His sermons were expressions of himself. Unconsciously they lifted one'up to a higher plane of thought. His Easter sermons were especially mem- orable, and always attracted large congregations. His funeral sermons were appropriate and touching- his mission seeming to be to bring comfort to the afflicted, and balm to the wounded heart. Nor was he lacking in financial and executive ability. He was very anxious that the church should be freed from its load of debt, and on the Easter of 1875 he had the pleasure of seeing this accomplished. The Easter offerings of St. John's had always been large, ranging from $450 up to this one, which reached the sum of $5,000. This showed great liberality upon the part of pastor and people, and we think their names should be placed upon record. We have not space for all, and will give only those whose donations were $25 and upwards, but we will remember with gratitude those who gave the smaller sums, as, perhaps, having shown greater self-denial than those more fortunately situated.
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