USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. I > Part 41
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William Edmund Waller has acquired more fame in mod- ern history from the eminent distinction of his posterity, than from his personal gifts or acquirements. He was a highly re- spectable citizen, and a man a of high sense of honor and of strict integrity. As a Christian his garments were unspotted, and his piety was sincere and constant. As a preacher, his gifts appear to have been below the mediocrity of his time. The church at
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Bryants, of which he was a member, and which was, at that time, one of the largest and most intelligent in the country, en- tered upon its book of records, in March, 1790, the following item: "On a motion made to the church, respecting Bro, Vil- liam E. Waller's gift, what they consider it to be, the church are of opinion that Bro. William E. Waller has a profitable gift, but mainly in exhortation; yet that he is at liberty to exercise in doctrine whenever he finds free." At this time Mr. Waller was in the prime of life, and had been an ordained preacher at least eight years.
Among the distinguished ministers of the gospel, in Ken- tucky, who have descended from William Edmund Waller, George Waller and Edmund Waller were his sons, John L. Wal- ler, N. B. Waller and J. C. Waller, his grand sons, and William Edmund Waller, Jr., his great grandson.
GEORGE WALLER, son of William E. Waller, succeeded his father in the pastoral care of Buck Creek church, about the year 1803. He was, during a period of more than forty years, among the ablest, most laborious and successful preachers in the State. He was a man of enlarged public spirit, and was prominent in all the general enterprises of his denomination. He was among the first general agents of the Kentucky Baptist State Conven- tion, aud was the first moderator of the General Association of Kentucky Baptists. He warmly favored all the missionary operations of his denomination, both foreign and domestic, and gave the full measure of his influence to their success.
George Waller was born in Spottsylvania county, Va., September 12, 1777. He was brought by his parents to Ken- tucky, when he was seven years old, and was raised up among the dangers, privations, and hardships of the western wilder- ness. His opportunities for obtaining an education were few, and in early life, his knowledge of letters was very limited. In his youth he was fond of the rustic sports and feats of daring, in- dulged in at that period. He was especially fond of horse rac- ing, and devoted no small portion of his time to his favorite amusement. At the age of 21 years, he moved with his parents from Fayette to Shelby county, where, soon afterwards, he was married to Polly, daughter of Reuben Ware. His marriage was blessed with five sons and four daughters, all of whom, except a boy which died in infancy, became Baptists.
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Mr. Waller professed religion during the great revival, in 1801, and was baptized by his father into the fellowship of Buck Creek church. His conversion seemed to be complete. Heat once gave himself to the service of God, with as much zeal and energy as he had before employed in the service of the Devil. Within the next two years, he was ordained to the ministry, and became pastor of Buck Creek church. This church he served about 45 years, and baptized into its fellowship about 500 per- sons. He commenced his missionary labors abroad in 1803, when he was sent by his church to preach in a new settlement in the southern border of Indiana. In 1805, he was called to the care of Burks Branch church in Shelby county, and ministered to it about 43 years. He baptized into its fellowship about 300. He accepted the care of Bethel church, in 1809, and served in that capacity 23 years. He baptized for this church about 140. He was, at different periods, pastor of Elk Creek and Little Union in Spencer county, Harrods Creek in Oldham county, the First church in Louisville, and probably several others. In his journal, he says : " During the revival [in the fall of 1834] I baptized 135." In 1832, he accepted an appointment to travel among the churches in the central part of the State, in the in- terest of the Kentucky Baptist State Convention, and continued in that work, one year. Much good was accomplished through his labors. This convention was the first missionary organiza- tion that was established among the Baptists of Kentucky. Many of the churches openly opposed it, and many others were hesitating and suspicious in regard to the propriety of such an association. Mr. Waller turned the lukewarmness of many into a fervent zeal, many who were doubtful were confirmed, and some opposers were brought. to favor the convention.
In 1818, Mr. Waller was elected Moderator of Long Run Association, and occupied that position continuously, during 25 years. He was what is commonly called a self-made man. He possessed a strong intellect, a closely discriminating mind, and an unfaltering purpose. He was not long, after he entered the ministry, in becoming a man of good reading, and a fair writer. In his early ministry, he was accustomed to write down rules, or resolutions, for his own government. Two of these rules, written in his private diary, in 1805, are here transcribed :
" Resolved: The Lord helping me, that from this time
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till I die, to be more particularly observant of that command. ' Speak evil of no man.'"
" Resolved never to enter in to a strenuous argument with any man, on any occasion, forasmuch as I believe it to be con- trary to the Spirit of Christianity."
Mr. Waller was strongly Calvinistic in doctrine, intensely fixed in his convictions, and had a great aversion to inovation. When A. Campbell began to disseminate his doctrines in Ken- tucky, Mr. Waller and Spencer Clack established a Baptist journal, in Bloomfield, for the purpose of combatting these heresies. The paper was at first called the Baptist Register, but soon afterwards took the name of the Baptist Recorder. It was established in 1826, and its publication was continued about four years.
About 1848, Mr. Waller retired from active labor, on account of old age, and spent the evening of his life in the quiet and peace of the home circle. In 1860, just as the ominous clouds of civil war began to loom darkly above the horizon, the old soldier of the Cross folded his mantle about him, and quietly de- parted for the home of the blessed. Of his descendants, J. C. Waller, a son, and William E. Waller, a grandson, became preachers.
THOMAS M. VAUGHAN, son of the distinguished William Vaughan, was pastor of Buck Creek church some years. He was born in Mason county, Kentucky, June II, 1825. He re- ceived a good education, finishing his literary course at George- town College. He then studied law, and was admitted to the bar at Versailles, Kentucky, in 1847. In 1853, impressions of duty to preach the gospel, which he had felt, but suppressed, years before, now returned with such force that he abandoned the law. In January, 1854, he entered the study of the re- nowned John L. Waller, where he spent some time in study- ing theology.
Mr. Vaughan professed religion, and was baptized into the fellowship of Lawrenceburg church in Anderson county, in 1841. He was licensed to exercise his gift by the church at Versailles, in 1855. In 1856, he was ordained to the work of the ministry, and became pastor of the churches at Burks Branch and Clay Village in Shelby county. In 1857, he married Jennie Willis, a most excellent young woman of Shelby county.
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In 1858, he accepted a call to the church at Bowling Green, in Warren county. He remained here about three years, when, in February, 1861, he accepted the pastoral care of Simpson- ville and Buck Creek churches in Shelby county. Soon after- wards he accepted also the care of Salem church, in the same county, and that of Lawrenceburg, in Anderson county. To these four churches he ministered with much acceptance. Here he reached the zenith of his power and influence as a preacher. He was much beloved by all his churches, and became one of the leading ministers in Long Run Association. But from a violent recurrence of rheumatism, his health became so much en- feebled that he was unable to travel over his large field of labor. After about ten years of successful and highly appreciated labor, he resigned his charge in Shelby county, and, in De- cember, 1870, moved to Danville, having accepted a call to the church in that town. Here he labored with much acceptance, about eight years. But another recurrence of rheumatism, still more violent than any of his former attacks, rendered him un- able to preach. The church refused, for some time, to accept his resignation ; but was finally compelled to give him up, with great reluctance. He finally recovered so far as to be able to preach, and is now (1885) ministering to some country churches around Danville .*
Mr. Vaughan is a good model of a preacher. He is not a brilliant genius, and is by no means an orator. His voice is bad, and his delivery is defective. But he possesses much higher qualities than any of these that are defective. He has a good intellect, he is well educated in all that pertains to his calling, his mind is well disciplined and his language is remark- ably chaste. He labors under a strong conviction that he is called of God to proclaim his gospel, and his piety is deep and sincere, without ostentation.
Of the ten churches constituted in 1799, whose histories have now been given, at least eight of them are still in exist- ence. Most of them have been mothers of large families and several of them are still strong and vigorous bodies. Flat Lick and Somerset are leading churches in Pulaski county. Buck Creek and Christiansburg are representative bodies of
*He has recently accepted a call to Christiansburg.
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their kind in Shelby county, Blue Spring, though not large, is still a very respectable church in Metcalf county, Charleston church in Clark county, Indiana, has passed through many fiery trials, and was once almost extinct, but it now represents the Baptist interest in a flourishing county seat ; Elklick stands among the most respectable churches of the once large and flourishing fraternity, called Licking Association, and is the largest body, of its order, in Scott county. Four-Mile and Eddy Grove have disappeared. The children of God that com- posed these churches 86 years ago, are probably all "gone to their long home," and most of their children have followed them across the cold, dark river, and with them, have joined the General Assembly and church of the first born.
CHAPTER XXIV.
CHURCHES GATHERED IN 1800, CLOSE OF THE CENTURY, STA- TISTICS.
There was probably never a period of more profound peace and quiet in Keutucky than prevailed in the State during the year 1800. The country had been agitated with the most ex- citing political questions almost constantly from the first settle- ment at Boonesborough, in 1775, to the present time-a period of twenty-five years. But all causes of general agitation had now been removed, and the people were left to pursue the avocations of domestic life, undisturbed. But in religious af- fairs, the land was enveloped in the deepest gloom.
The beginning of the year, 1800, was the darkest period that has ever occurred in the religious history of the Mississippi Valley. The gloom had been thickening year after year, till the land was now enveloped in darkness, like that which an- ciently overspread the land of Egypt. The morals of the peo- ple were extremely bad, and open infidelity vaunted itself in every part of the land. It was openly asserted by leading pol- iticians, that christianity was inconsistent with liberal and en- lightened statesmanship. Lawyers, physicians and other men of real or pretended culture, felt that it would be a reproach to them to acknowledge the truth of revealed religion, and, of course the masses were much affected by the opinion of their lead ers. Most of the preachers of the State were illiterate, and were unable to answer the sophistries of their opposers. Under the pressure of this popular infidel sentiment, a number of influ- ential preachers had modified their religious doctrines in such a manner as to injure the cause of christianity more than openly avowed infidelity would have done. William Bledsoe and John Bailey, by far the most brilliant and intellectual preacher among the Separate Baptists, had become Universalists, Peter Bain-
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bridge had been excluded from his church, perhaps for similar heresy. Augustine Eastin and James Garrard, prominent min- isters in the Elkhorn Association, and the latter, now governor of the State, had adopted sociniaaism-a practical denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ. From a human standpoint, it does not appear strange that religion seemed powerless to move the people.
The causes that led to this gloomy state of affairs are pal- pable enough to one versed in the history of the times, at least so far as human agency can affect such a result. But it is not proposed to discuss them here. They will receive attention in another place. At present it is proposed to give a detailed ac- count of the labors of those faithful men of God, who continued to strive on amid all discouraging surroundings, ever hoping, waiting and expecting the divine blessing upon their efforts. There was, indeed, everything to discourage the Christian la- borer; but relying now solely on the promise of God -- for the night was too dark to see even a little twinkling star-the hum- ble servants of Jesus Christ went forth into the wilderness, col- lecting the straying and discouraged sheep, and gathering them into folds, where they could be fed with the bread of life. Be- fore the year closed, the long dreary night began to be relieved from its dense darkness by the faint gleamings of the coming morning, that beamed with such glorious resplendence, the next year. A few churches were gathered, even during this year, and were ready to receive the blessing that was so near at hand.
DRY CREEK church is located on the Lexington and Cov- ington turnpike, about five miles from the latter city, in Ken- ton county. The church was gathered principally by the labors of Moses Vickers, and was constituted of twenty-two members by William Cave, Jeremiah Kirtley and William Conner, July 19, 1800. They had previously met for the purpose of being constituted a church, but through the influence of John Taylor the Presbytery refused to constitute them, because they were deemed "unable to maintain the worship of God without help from abroad." This stirred them up to improve their gifts, and they were soon afterward deemed "ripe for the constitution." The church united with Elkhorn Association, the same year it was constituted. Moses Vickers was soon set apart to the min-
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istry, and became its pastor. During the great revival, which followed immediately after its constitution, it received, within two years, twenty by baptism, and its membership was brought up to eighty. In 1803, it entered into the constitution of North Bend Association, of which it is still a member. The church enjoyed a general course of prosperity, till 1830. In 1816, it
resolved to aid in sending the gospel to the West. In 1819, it rejected some applicants for membership, because they refused to submit to re-immersion. In 1830, it had some confusion about Campbellism, and lost a few members by that heresy. In 1840, it lost fifteen members by the Antinomian schism.
During a revival, in 1829, the church received fifty-eight by baptism, which brought its membership up to 201. This was probably its maximum membership. But it has been a respect- able and influential body during its entire history. In 1878, it numbered sixty-seven members.
MOSES VICKERS, the first pastor of Dry Creek church, was among the first settlers in North Bend. He was a native of Queen Anna county, Maryland, where he was born in 1764. His parents dying while he was a small boy, he was raised by an uncle. He was employed two years on a coasting vessel, on the Delaware bay. This vessel being wrecked, he obtained employ- ment on the Jersey shore, till he was about eighteen years old. At this time, he was married to Mary, daughter of Abel Carson.
In 1784, Mr. Vickers, with a number of other emigrants started to Kentucky. At a small settlement around Redstone Fort-now Brownsville, Pa .- they stopped and made a crop, and, in the fall moved on again. As was common in those days they came down the Ohio river in a flat boat, to Limestone, meet- ing with many adventures from attacks by Indians. From Lime- stone, Mr. Vickers went first to Clark county, and from there to - Caneridge, in Bourbon county. Here he and his wife pro- fessed conversion, and united with the Baptist church. In 1795, he moved to Boone county, and settled near the mouth of Dry creek. The house he lived in the first year, on Dry creek, was built of one tree, the roof and floor being formed of the bark. In 1800, there were seventeen Baptists in this settlement. Desiring to have a church constituted among them, they invited helps to meet with them to effect that end. On examination it
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was found that none of those wishing to go into the constitu- tion, held family prayer. On this ground the council refused to constitute them a church. "This very much afflicted them," says John Taylor, who was one of the council, "and before they parted, they agreed to meet the next Sunday, to counsel further what they should do." "When they met, " continues Mr. Taylor, "they had a very small, poor man among them. He was decrepit, for he limped as he walked. His name was Moses Vickers. He was a good singer, and a man of good re- ligious fame. When they convened, Vickers began to sing and weep among them, and proposed to go to prayer; after which, he exhorted them in tears, to trust in the Lord. They had such a tender, weeping meeting, that they concluded to meet the next Sunday. A revival of religion soon took place among them, and they became constituted. Vickers became a respec- table preacher among them. They soon called him to ordina- tion, and he baptized many, that were the fruits of his own la- bors." He continued pastor of Dry Creek and Bank Lick churches, till age and infirmity admonished him to retire from active labor. He was also pastor of Hopewell church in Ham- ilton county, Ohio, several years. He died at his home in Ken- ton county, Jan. 4, 1820.
Mr. Vickers was twice married, and raised ten children, of whom James and Robert became respectable Baptist preachers. Thomas F. Vickers, a grand son, and son of James Vickers, is regarded a good preacher.
GHENT church, now located in a small village on the bank of the Ohio, eight miles 'above the mouth of Kentucky river, in Carroll county, has rather a singular history. It originated from a "union meeting," held by the Baptists and Methodists at Port William-now Carrollton-in the winter and spring of 1800. Even a small revival of religion, just at this period, was of such rare occurrence as to attract general attention. John Taylor says, that very early in the spring of 18co, he received a letter from Benjamin Craig, at the mouth of Kentucky river, in- forming him that there was a great revival of religion in pro- gress at that place. The distance from Bullittsburg church, where Mr. Taylor lived, was about 60 miles. He, however, reached Mr. Craig's the night the meeting was to be at his house. "From the dull feelings of my heart," says Mr. Tay-
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lor, "I took a text which suited my own state-' Lord help me.' I continued but a short time, for I felt myself very worth- less. After which they continued on, in prayer, praise and ex- hortation, with much noise, at times, till late in the night. Some were rejoicing, having lately obtained deliverance ; others groaning in tears, under a pensive load of guilt. My own heart was so barren and hard, 'that I wished myself out of sight, or lying under the seats where the people sat, or trodden under their feet. Many of the people tarried all night. One object with them was to converse with me. I never heard the ques- tion .- 'what shall we do to be saved?'-more prevalent at any time in my life, nor had I ever so many questions asked me, for the same length of time, as through the balance of this night." Mr. Taylor expressed his fears that the union between the Methodists and Baptists, who were all now working to- gether, would soon be dissolved, "which came to pass soon after, when they came to divide the fish they had caught to- gether."
On the 5th of April, a Baptist church of 10 members was constituted at this place, "on the doctrine and discipline of the holy scriptures," by William Hickman and Joshua Morris. They did not adopt the ordinarily received confession of faith. This omission may have been a concession to the Methodists, who had been laboring with them in the revival, or it may have been a stroke of policy by which they hoped to catch the young converts of Arminian proclivities. However this may have been, when " the church at Port William petitioned for admit- tance " into Salem Association, the following fall, "it was re- jected." After this rejection, it adopted the Philadelphia con- fession of faith, and was received into Elkhorn Association, in 1801. At this time, it reported 20 baptized, during the year, and a total membership of 97. In 1804, it united with Long Run Association. In 1814, the church changed its name from Port William to McCool's Bottom, and, the same year, entered into Concord Association, of which it is still a member. At that period, it numbered 100 members. In 1858, it reached a membership of 224. After that, it declined in numbers for several years, but again revived, and, in 1878, numbered 196 members. This church has been rather migratory. Changing its location 'at least four times. Its last move was to the vil-
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lage from which it derives its present name, eight miles from where it was constituted. A. N. White is its present pastor.
Joshua Morris was the first pastor of this church, which was probably gathered by his labors, as he united with it the same day it was constituted. He served the church two or three years, and then moved away. If, as has been supposed, this was the same Joshua Morris that settled very early in Shelby county, a sketch of his life has been given elsewhere .*
JOHN SCOTT was the second pastor of Ghent church. He was born in Londonderry county, Ireland, May 8, 1767. He received a fair education, and was raised up in the Presbyterian church. In 1788, he emigrated to America. After remaining a few months in Pennsylvania, he went to Kentucky, arriving at Lexington in November, 1789. He had brought from Ireland a letter of recommendation to the Presbyterian church, stating that he was a member of that order, and entitled to all its privileges. He was, ordinarily, very strict in observing the forms of religious devotion. But during his journeyings he had neglected his religious exercises. Of this he speaks as follows: "Having been traveling several weeks over the mountains and in a boat down the Ohio, I had neglected my devotional exer- cises and traveled on the Sabbath. I had, in my own estima- tion, become very deeply involved in debt; and the only way I could think of paying was to double my diligence in my religious exercises, and, when I got time, keep as many week days as I had misspent Sabbaths. The first I set out to do, and for a time I thought I was doing very well; but O! my good Lord, how good he was and is to me. Some time near Christ- mas, in the evening, I went to my usual place of resort to pay my evening vows to Him. When on my knees, I discovered what I had never seen before, that there was deceit in my heart -that when I was attempting to worship God, my mind was wandering and set on other objects. I thought at once that such service could not be acceptable to God." With this, a deep conviction of his guiltiness and moral polution before God, seized upon his mind. For more than three months he strug- gled with the great burden of his guilt, constantly wrestling with
#Recent investigation has convinced me that it was Joshua L. Morris, another man.
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God in prayer for mercy. About the first of April, 1790, he was enabled to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, and experienced great peace and joy of soul. He had, at first, no intention of changing his church relationship ; but his friend fearing he might do so, went to an old Presbyterian minister, procured a pamph- let on the subject of baptism, and put it in his hands for him to read. This led him to a careful investigation of the subject, and resulted in his conviction that nothing but the immersion of a believer was christian baptism. In September, 1790, he united with Town Fork Baptist church near Lexington, and was bap- tized by Joseph Redding. He remained a silent member in the church till about the beginning of the great revival of 1800-3. At this time, he began to hold prayer meetings in his neigh- borhood. A precious revival ensued, and many were convert- ed. At this time he was a member of Forks of Elkhorn church, in Franklin county, of which the famous William Hickman was pastor. This church encouraged him to go forward, and, on the second Sabbath in March, 1802, he was ordained to the ministry by William Hickman and George Smith. About this time Mr. Scott began to exercise in public. William Hickman visited a new settlement, in what is now Owen county. The spirit of the Lord was with him, and a number of persons were converted and baptized. The next year, (June 23, 1801), a church now called NEW LIBERTY, was constituted of thirty members by John Price and John Davis. It was at first called Twins, and united with Elkhorn Association the same year it . was constituted. In 1804, it united with Long Run Association, and, in 1821, entered into the constitution of Concord Asso- ciation. At this time it numbered two hundred and ninety-four members. It was then, and usually has been since, the largest church in Concord Association. It has raised up a number of very valuable preachers, among whom may be named L. D. Alexander, Archer Smith, T. M. Daniel, C. M. Riley, B. F Kenney and Boswell Garnett. It is the oldest church in Owen county, and is the mother of many.
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