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PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
edifice had been begun in May before the organization of the church, and was so far completed that it was oc- cupied at the sacrament of the Lord's Supper on the Sabbath, the next day after the organization of the church."
The building committee that carried through the erection of this edifice, were Dr. Isaac Coe, James Blake, and Daniel Yandes. This church building was thirty- four feet by fifty-four. Its cost was fifteen hundred dol- lars. The cost of the lot was one hundred dollars.
CHRONOLOGICAL COMPARISONS.
This church building was erected on the frontiers. Only a hundred years before this the foundations of the first Presbyterian church building in the city of New York had been laid, a building sixty by eighty feet, on Wall street, near Broadway, and although contributions for the building were solicited and obtained in Connecticut and Massachusetts, from the infant church in Philadelphia, and also from Scotland, yet for twenty years the church struggled on in poverty, assembling in a house without galleries, six out of its eight windows being closed with boards, poverty preventing their being glazed, and the fraction of light being enough for the handful of peo- ple .* The churches of Cincinnati and Louisville had been organized sometime before the church at Indiana- polis. Cincinnati had been laid out in 1789, its first Presbyterian church organized in 1790, and its first Presbyterian church edifice erected in 1792. Louisville had been laid out still earlier. In 1780 the legislature of Virginia passed "An act for the establishing the town of Louisville, at the falls of the Ohio," naming the town in honor of Louis XVI., whose troops were then aiding-
* Webster's History of the Presbyterian Church, pp. 120, 329.
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HISTORY OF THE
the Americans in the war of Independence. The first Presbyterian church in Louisville was organized in 1816, and its first church edifice erected in 1816. At the time of the organization of the Presbyterian church at Indi- anapolis, the Rev. Gideon Blackburn had just been set- tled as pastor over the Presbyterian church at Louisville. In the spring of 1823, the presbytery of Louisville re- ported to the General Assembly eleven ministers, thirty- five churches, and nine hundred and ten church mem- bers. Of these thirty-five churches, twenty-four were in Indiana, the church of Indianapolis being the twenty- sixth organization of that large portion of the State, which was included within the bounds of the presbytery of Louisville.
At this time, July, 1823, the Presbyterian church at St. Louis was still without a church edifice. A Presby- terian church, consisting of nine members, had been organized by the Rev. Salmon Giddings in St. Louis in November, 1817. A brick church building, forty by sixty feet, was commenced in 1823, but was not finished and dedicated until June, 1825. Its cost was eight thou- sand dollars. The debt upon it, it is said, was reduced in 1826, by contributions and proceeds of sale of pews, to five thousand dollars .* In Detroit, on the 5th of August, 1816, an informal organization of citizens of Protestant faith was effected by Rev. John Monteith, a missionary of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church. In 1819, a church edifice was erected at a cost of seven thousand dollars, more than eleven hundred having been obtained by the solicitation abroad of funds. In January, 1825, the church, consisting of forty-nine members, was reorganized, adopting Articles of Faith,
* Sprague's Annals, Vol. IV, p. 507.
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PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
which fully committed the society to the Presbyterian doctrines and form of government .*
It was not until ten years after the organization of the church of Indianapolis, (in June,) 1833, that the first Presbyterian church of Chicago was organized, with twenty-five members; sixteen of these members of the garrison of Fort Dearborn, and nine citizens of the new city which had been laid out three years before. The Rev. Jeremiah Porter, who came with troops from Green Bay to Chicago in May, 1833, organized the church. Its first edifice for worship was a frame, twenty-six by forty, and was opened for worship January 1st, 1834.
* Manual of First Presbyterian Church of Detroit.
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HISTORY OF THE
CHAPTER II.
Louisville and Salem Presbyteries-Indianapolis as a Mis- sionary Field-First Ordination in the State-Ordination and Installation at Bloomington-Organization of Churches at Columbus, Franklin, Greencastle and Greenwood- Presbytery of Wabash-Synod of Indiana-Difficulties with Mr. Bush-Presbytery of Crawfordsville-Difficulties in Presbytery -- Difficulties Allayed.
1823-1830.
IN 1815, upon petition of the Synod of Ohio, the Gen- eral Assembly made the Ohio river the dividing line between the synods of Ohio and Kentucky. This placed Indiana Territory within the boundaries of Miami pres- bytery. In 1817, upon petition of the Louisville Presby- tery, it was granted by the General Assembly that so much of the Synod of Ohio as was west of a line drawn due north from the mouth of Kentucky river, should be attached to the Synod of Kentucky. In Octo- ber, 1823, the Synod of Kentucky constituted all that part of its territory lying within the boundaries of the State of Indiana into a new presbytery, denominated the Salem Presbytery. In October, 1824, the synod added to this presbytery all that part of the State of Illinois which is north of a line running due west from the mouth of White river. At the same time, that part of the State which lies south and west of a line beginning at the mouth of Green river, running due north twenty
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PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
miles, thence north-westward to the mouth of White river, was attached to the Presbytery of Muhlenburg.
INDIANAPOLIS AS A MISSIONARY FIELD.
In the fall of 1823, the Rev. D. C. Proctor removed to Kentucky. "From this time," writes the Rev. Isaac Reed, then preaching to the Bethany church, in Owen county, " the particular care of the church of Blooming- ton and of Indianapolis fell upon me, and neither sacra- ments nor baptism were administered in either except by my ministry, until the arrival of Rev. Mr. Bush, at the latter place, in the summer of 1824, and of Mr. Hall at Bloomingtou, near the same time." *
While Mr. Reed was thus, through the latter part of 1823 and the first half of 1824, supplying the church at Indianapolis, he wrote thus of it to the United Domestic Missionary Society, a society which in 1826 became merged with the American Home Missionary Society : "Indianapolis, the new and permanent seat of govern- ment for the State, is a place of great need and high hope for a located missionary. I was lately there, and the session of the church showed me a written resolution of their society, which they design to forward to you. This resolution requests the location of a missionary there. I encouraged them to forward it. There are many reasons why this location should be made. A church is commenced there, which has eighteen mem- bers, four of them are male persons. A meeting-house is built, at least raised and covered in. The congrega- tion is willing to raise for your missionary two hundred dollars a year. There is a little Baptist church and a little Methodist society ; and there is no church of our order near enough to unite with these to obtain a minis-
* Christian Traveller, p. 145. 2
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HISTORY OF THE
ter; the nearest is fifty-two miles. It is thought by the session, if they can have a missionary for one year, they can support him after that time, they have such pros- pects from those who are expected to move there within a year. Now they look to you, brethren, to appoint them one; and he ought to be there as soon as possible. They want a man of such talents as are favorable to col- lecting and embodying society; one who would be willing to become settled. He should appropriate his Sabbaths to the town, and have week day appoint- ments all about that part of the country." * This communication of Mr. Reed to the United Domestic Missionary Society was published in their report for 1825.
In March, 1824, the session of the church at Indianap- olis wrote to Mr. George Bush, a licentiate of the Pres- bytery of New Brunswick, to secure his services as their minister. Mr. Bush came to Indianapolis July 9, 1824, as a missionary of the Assembly. September 18, 1824, he was called to the pastorate of the church upon a salary of three hundred dollars, and as much more as they could raise.
In January, 1825, the legislature met at the new capi- tal for the first time. The State offices had been trans- ferred from Corydon to Indianapolis in the November preceding.
FIRST ORDINATION IN THE STATE.
On the 4th of March, 1825, a called meeting of the Presbytery of Salem was held in Indianapolis. At this meeting of the presbytery Mr. Bush was received, and also Mr. Baynard Rush Hall, a licentiate of the Presby- tery of Philadelphia. The next day Mr. Bush was ordained and installed as pastor of the Presbyterian
* Christian Traveller, p. 165.
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PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
church of Indianapolis. This was the first ordination of a Presbyterian minister in the State. The church build. ing being still unfinished, the ordination and installation took place in the building that was used for the State capitol, a large brick court house. The Rev. John F. Crowe preached the ordination sermon. The Rev. John M. Dickey presided and gave the charge to the pastor, and the Moderator of Presbytery, the Rev. Isaac Reed, gave the charge to the people.
ORDINATION AND INSTALLATION AT BLOOMINGTON.
At an adjourned meeting of the presbytery at Bloom- ington on the 12th of the following April, Baynard R. Hall, who had charge of the State Seminary at Bloom- ington, was ordained and installed pastor of the church at Bloomington. As the church at Bloomington had no edifice, the ordination and installation services took place in the State Seminary building. The Rev. Isaac Reed preached the ordination sermon. The Rev. W. W. Martin presided and gave the charge to the pastor ; and the Rev. John M. Dickey gave the charge to the people. The sermon was from II Corinthians 5: 18. "And hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation." The sermon was published.
The church at Bloomington, besides having had Mr. Proctor to preach for them one-fourth of his time du- ring one year, had had previous to that occasional mis- sionary supplies. Among these had been W. W. Martin, from Livonia, Francis McFarland, a missionary of the Assembly, and Archibald Cameron, of Shelbyville, Ken- tucky. In the fall of 1822, the Rev. C. C. Beattie, now of Steubenville, Ohio, then laboring in the Wabash val- ley as a missionary of the Assembly's Board of Missions, preached in Bloomington, also in the spring of 1823.
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HISTORY OF THE
At the time of Mr. Hall's settlement the church had in- creased to a membership of thirty. A Sabbath school was organized in 1823, and has been held every Sabbath morning since.
COLUMBUS.
The third church organized within the present limits of the Presbytery of Indianapolis, was the church at Columbus. This was organized by Rev. John M. Dickey, July 3, 1824. It consisted of eighteen members. Mr. Joseph Hart was the first ruling elder. Bartholo- mew county had been organized in 1821, and Columbus was laid out and made the county seat the same year. In 1824, the population of the county was 2,690. The population of Marion county at this time was about the same. That of Monroe county at the same time was 3,400.
The church of Columbus, it is said,* existed many years before it had any settled pastor, or even regular preaching. Mr. Dickey, who organized it, supplied it at an early day, one Sabbath a month for six months. For many years, once each year, he held meetings for several days, including the Sabbath, baptized children, received members to the church, and administered the communion.
FRANKLIN.
November 30th, 1824, the church of Franklin, John- son county, was organized by Rev. John M. Dickey. The church was constituted with the following five members : George King, Joseph Young, David W. McCaslin, Elenor King and Nancy Young. George King and David W. McCaslin, were chosen elders, and after a sermon by the Rev. George Bush, they were or-
* Historical Discourse of Rev. N. S. Dickey.
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PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
dained to the office of ruling elder. The session then received Jane McCaslin, a member of the church on ex- amination.
Johnson county was organized in 1822. The popula- tion of the county in 1824 was 910. The Franklin church was the fourth church organized within the pres- ent boundaries of the Presbytery of Indianapolis.
GREENCASTLE.
The church at Greencastle, the county seat of Put- nam county, was organized with twelve members, by the Rev. Isaac Reed, August 12th, 1825. Putnam coun- ty was organized the last day of the year, 1821. In 1824, it had a population of 1,700. Yet, in 1825, from Greencastle west, along one of the main routes to Illi- nois, there was a stretch of dense forest unbroken for seventeen miles, save by one hut and its adjacent clear- ing. " To form this church," writes Mr. Reed, "required much previous labor in preaching, visiting and traveling."
GREENWOOD.
On the last day of the year 1825, the Rev. Isaac Reed organized another church in Johnson county. It was the Greenwood church, then called Greenfield. It was organized with nine members. The formation of the church was effected just two years and three months after the arrival of the first two families in the settle- ment. The day after this church was organized was both New Year's day and Sabbath day. A sermon was preached, which was afterwards published with this title: " The Foundation Stone," 1 Cor. iii: 2. The sermon, when printed, was dedicated to the Rev. Thomas Cle- land, D. D., of Kentucky, in these words:
Every member, sir, of the Greenfield church, has come from your bounds, and has been a worshipper in one or the other of your con
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HISTORY OF THE
gregations. This fact, together with my long acquaintance with and friendship for you, as a man, a christian, a gospel minister, and your pen having so often and so ably moved in defence of that fundamental doctrine, which is the subject of the sermon, are my apology for using your name in this dedication.
[Signed,] ISAAC REED. COTTAGE OF PEACE, FEBRUARY 3D, 1826.
The Rev. George Bush, as commissioner from Salem Presbytery, was a member of the General Assembly of 1825, the first representative from Indiana in that body.
WABASH PRESBYTERY.
By an act of the Synod of Kentucky, October 1825, Salem Presbytery was divided, and two presbyteries, Madison and Wabash, formed. The Columbus church fell within the bounds of Madison Presbytery. The Wabash Presbytery consisted at its formation of five ministers : Samuel T. Scott, Isaac Reed, George Bush, Baynard R. Hall and Stephen Bliss. It had under its care nineteen churches. Among these were Bloming- ton, Indianapolis, Franklin and Greencastle.
SYNOD OF INDIANA.
In 1826 the General Assembly constituted the Presby- teries of Missouri, Salem, Wabash and Madison into a synod denominated the Synod of Indiana. This synod met in Vincennes October 18th, 1826. There were present from churches within the bounds of the present Presby- tery of Indianapolis, Baynard R. Hall, minister of the church at Bloomington, George Bush, pastor of the church at Indianapolis, and John Orchard, elder from the church at Bloomington.
DIFFICULTIES WITH MR. BUSH.
In December, 1826, Mr. Bush, in a sermon preached in
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PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
the church at Indianapolis, attempted to prove at length that the Presbyterian form of church government was not scriptural, but that the scriptural form of church government was more like that of Independency. The elders of the church remonstrated with him. They thought it was inconsistent with his ordination vows. They labored and bore long with him, but Mr. Bush could not change his views, neither could he cease from propagating them. The church therefore felt con- strained to apply to presbytery for a dissolution of the pastoral relation. This they did in March, 1828. Mr. Bush resisted the application of the church. At an ad- journed meeting of the Presbytery of Wabash, held in Indianapolis, June, 1828, the request of the church was granted, and the pastoral relation was dissolved. Mr. Bush appealed from the decision of the presbytery to synod. A portion of the church and congregation sym- pathized with him, and to these he preached at the court house. The synod affirmed the decision of the presbytery, but with resolutions breathing the spirit of fraternal kindness for Mr. Bush, and also blaming in some measure the church. The church carried up a complaint to the General Assembly of 1829 against the synod. When the complaint was taken up, " after con- siderable discussion and mature deliberation, it was re- solved that this business be dismissed on account of in- formality, and that the papers be returned to the respec- tive parties."
The Rev. John R. Moreland, of the presbytery of West Lexington, was called October 27, 1828, to the pastorate of the church of Indianapolis. Before the in- stallation of Mr. Moreland, a new presbytery had been constituted by the synod in October, 1829.
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HISTORY OF THE
PRESBYTERY OF CRAWFORDSVILLE.
The new presbytery was that of Crawfordsville. The north line of Vigo, Clay, Owen and Monroe counties was the dividing line between the Crawfordsville and Wabash Presbyteries. Samuel Baldridge, John R. Moreland, Samuel H. MeNutt, George Bush, James Crawford, James Thompson, Jeremiah Hill and John L. Thompson, were the ministers constituting the new presbytery. Thirteen churches were reported to the General Assembly of 1830 within the presbytery. Indi- anapolis was included in this presbytery. It was to have met November 25, 1829, at Delphi, Carroll county, but owing to an extraordinary fall of rain, and the swollen and impassable state of the streams, the presby- tery failed to meet. The moderator called the presbytery together at Indianapolis, March 25, 1830. At this meet- ing of presbytery, the Rev. John R. Moreland was installed pastor of the church at Indianapolis. The Rev. James Thompson preached the installation sermon, the Rev. Samuel Baldridge presided and gave the charge to the pastor, and the Rev. S. H. McNutt gave the charge to the people.
DIFFICULTIES.
At this meeting of the presbytery a committee was appointed to examine and give certificates during the intervals of presbytery, to any ministers from other presbyteries who might come within the bounds of Crawfordsville presbytery and seek to labor in any of its churches. An examination by either one of a commit- tee of three, and certificate of approval, seemed to be deemed sufficient guarantee to the churches that they would not be led astray. The Rev. Jeremiah Hill and Elder Cornelius Smock protested against this action of the presbytery. Presbytery also requested the Rev.
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PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
W. W. Woods, a member of Union Presbytery, Tennes- see, to desist from preaching in the churches of the presbytery, on account of erroneous views, which it was supposed he held.
These, and other things left on record, indicate that differences and divisions were springing up among the brethren and the churches.
The second meeting of the presbytery was with the Coal creek church, in Parke county, September 30, 1830. At this meeting of presbytery the name of George Bush was ordered to be dropped from the roll, he having ab- sented himself from the meetings of presbytery, and in- formed the presbytery that he had renounced the juris diction of the Presbyterian church .*
DIFFICULTIES ALLAYED.
At this second meetingof thes RA -
Presbytery of Craw-
* There doubtless should be added to this record the well known facts of Mr. Bush's future career. Heuod determined to consecrate his life to literature, and, as the best field for his exertions, made his residence in New York city, and in 1831 he was elected profes- sor of Hebrew and Oriental literature in its University. In 1840 he commenced the publication of his "Notes, Critical and Explana- tory," on the Old Testament. Eight volumes were issued, embrac- ing Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Joshua, Judges and Numbers. De- voting himself in 1844 to the publication of a monthly magazine, in which he discussed the nature of prophetic symbols, he soon mani- fested a disposition to recede from the rules of interpretation and opinions commonly received in the Protestant churches. In 1844 Dr. James W. Alexander wrote to Dr. Hall: "Bush is going fast over to the New Jerusalem. In the Tribune, he challenges all the world to prove the resurrection. He has a book coming out on the soul. He practices Mesmerism. He told me of a lady, who can read any one's character by feeling a paper on which he has written, and read me a copy of his own character thus deduced. His talk is mild, self-complacent and fascinating. He has a man translating the Germen account of the famous Clairvoyante of Prevorst. You can imagine nothing of the sort too big for his swallow." What Dr. J. W. Alexander perceived in 1844 did not, however, occur till 1848, when he consented to receive the rite of ordination privately, and it was administered to him privately by Dr. Lewis Beers, an aged clergyman in the New (Jerusalem) Church, at Danby, New York .- [Index Volume Princeton Review, p. 121.
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HISTORY OF THE
fordsville, the action of the presbytery at its first meet- ing concerning Rev. W. W. Wood was, upon application of the church at Greenwood, reconsidered and reversed, and Mr. Wood received as a member of presbytery by letter from the Presbytery of West Union.
At an adjourned meeting of presbytery, held in Octo- ber, 1830, at Madison, during the session of the synod, the following members were present: Samuel H. Mc- Nutt, James Crawford, Jeremiah Hill, W. W. Woods, James Thompson and M. M. Post, ministers, and John Covert and James M. Ray, elders.
The following action was taken :
WHEREAS, Harmony of feeling is especially desirable amongst brethren, in order to secure union of effort, and thus promote each other's usefulness as well as happiness; and,
WHEREAS, There are differences of sentiment existing amongst the brethren composing the General Assembly, which, by common consent, are borne with ; therefore,
Resolved, That it is inexpedient for this presbytery to enforce the resolutions adopted at the last spring meeting on the subject of ex- amining ministers, credentials, etc., and that said resolutions be and are hereby rescinded.
With this manifestation of the spirit of peace, there was a manifestation of the spirit of missionary zeal. Every minister of the presbytery was requested to spend ten days of missionary labor, including one Sabbath, in the vacancies somewhere in the presbytery, and report at the next stated meeting.
At this same meeting of presbytery, the Rev. David Monfort, although not present, was received by letter from the Presbytery of Chillicothe. Also, the Rev. M. M. Post, reporting the prospects of organizing a church at Logansport, presbytery advised him to continue his labors if he could be sustained, and organize a church as soon as he deemed it expedient.
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PRESBYTERY OF INDIANAPOLIS.
CHAPTER III.
Presbytery of Indianapolis-First Statistical Report-The Field and its Occupation in 1830-Decision of Presbytery on Representation, Presbytery resisting division-Com- plaint against Presbytery -- Dissensions from diversity in Doctrine-Items-Hopewell-Industrial aspects and in- terests -- Southport, Danville, Greencastle, Shiloh, Bethany -The field at the time of the great division of the Church.
1830-1838.
AT the meeting of Synod in Madison, October, 1830, the presbytery of Indianapolis was organized .* The action of synod, as recorded in the Minutes of Synod, was this :
Overture No. 4 was taken up, and the following reso- lutions were adopted :
Resolved, That Revs. Messrs. John R. Moreland, David Monfort, W. W. Wood, and Jeremiah Hill, of the Presbytery of Crawfords- ville, and Revs. Messrs. S. G. Lowry and Wm. Sickels, of the Presby- tery of Madison, be and they are hereby constituted a new presby- tery, to be known by the name of the Presbytery of Indianapolis, including the counties of Marion, Johnson, Bartholomew, and Decatur, and all the territory lying north of those counties; it being understood that the west line of Hamilton, carried north, shall be the line between the presbyteries of Crawfordsville and Indianapolis ; and further
Resolved, That said Presbytery of Indianapolis be directed to hold its first meeting at Greensburg on the first Thursday in April
* The first volume of the Records of the Presbytery is lost. Ex- isting records begin October, 1837.
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HISTORY OF THE
next, at 12 o'clock M., and that the Rev. John R. Moreland be ap- pointed to open the presbytery with a sermon, and preside till a moderator shall be chosen ; and in case of his absence, the senior minister present shall perform this duty.
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