USA > Kentucky > Historical sketches of Kentucky : embracing its history, antiquities, and natural curiosities, geographical, statistical, and geological descriptions with anecdotes of pioneer life, and more than one hundred biographical sketches of distinguished pioneers, soldiers, statesmen, jurists, lawyers, divines, etc. > Part 16
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In the fall of '98, he received a unanimous call from those congregations to become their settled pastor, which call he accepted. A day was set apart by the presbytery of Transylvania for his ordination. Having previously notified the leading members of the presbytery with respect to his difficulties on the subject of the Trinity, also on the doctrines of election, reprobation, and predestination, as taught in the Confession of Faith, when he was asked, "Do you receive and adopt the Confession of Faith, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Bible ?" he answered aloud, so that the whole congregation might hear-" I do, as far as I see it consistent with the word of God." No objection being made, he was ordained.
Early in 1801, " the Great Revival" commenced in Tennessee, and in the southern part of Kentucky, under the labors of James McGready, and other Pres- byterian ministers. Determined to hear and judge for himself, Barton W. Stone hastened to a great Presbyterian camp-meeting in Logan county, Kentucky, where for the first time he witnessed those strange exercises of falling, jerking, dan- cing, &c.
Filled with the spirit of the revival, he returned to his congregations-related what he had seen and heard, and, with great earnestness and zeal, dwelt on the universality of the gospel, and urged the sinner to believe now, and be saved. The effects were immediate and powerful ; the "exercises" made their appear- ance ; a series of meetings followed ; the work spread in all directions ; multi- tudes united with the different churches ; and, for a time, party creeds, names, and feelings, seemed to be buried in Christian love and union.
The " Great Caneridge Meeting" commenced in August following, and con- tinued some six or seven days. From twenty to thirty thousand were supposed to be collected. Many had come from Ohio, and other remote parts, who, on their return, diffused the spirit in their respective neighborhoods. Methodist and Baptist Preachers united heartily in the work, and the salvation of sinners seemed to be the great object of all.
About this time, Robert Marshall, John Dunlavy, Richard McNemar, B. W. Stone, and John Thompson, all members of the synod of Kentucky, renounced the dogmas of Calvinism, and taught wherever they went, that Christ died for all-that the divine testimony was sufficient to produce faith-and that the spirit was received, not in order to faith, but through faith. The sticklers for orthodoxy, seeing the powerful effects of these doctrines, were for a time afraid to oppose. At length the friends of the Confession determined to arrest the progress of these anti-calvinistic doctrines, and put them down. The presbytery of Springfield, in Ohio, first took Mc.Nemar under dealings; and from that presbytery the case came before the synod of Lexington, Ky., in September, 1803.
So soon as they discovered, from the tone of the synod, that its decision in McNemar's case would be adverse, the five drew up a protest against the pro- ceedings, and a declaration of their independence, and withdrawal from the juris- diction of that body. Immediately after their withdrawal from the synod, they constituted themselves into a presbytery, which they called the Springfield pres- bytery. They had not, however, worn this name more than one year, before they saw that it savored of a party spirit. With the man-made creeds they threw it overboard, and took the name Christian-the name given to the disciples by di- vine appointment first at Antioch. "From this period " (says Stone), "I date the commencement of that reformation, which has progressed to this day." (1913). Soon after their withdrawal from the synod, they were joined by Matthew Houston and David Purviance.
In 1805, Houston, MeNemar, and Dunlavy joined the Shakers; and in 1807,
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE
Marshall and Thompson, after vainly attempting to enslave their associates a second time to a creed, returned back into the bosom of the Presbyterian church. Meanwhile the subject of baptism had begun to arrest the attention of the churches. Many became dissatisfied with their infant sprinkling. The preachers baptized one another, and crowds of the private members came, and were also baptized. The congregations generally submitted to it, and yet the pulpit was silent on the subject.
About the same time, Barton W. Stone and some others began to conclude that baptism was ordained for the remission of sins, and ought to be administered in the name of Jesus Christ to all believing penitents. At a great meeting at Con- cord, he addressed mourners in the words of Peter, (Acts ii, 38), and urged upon them an immediate compliance with the exhortation. He informed us, however, that " into the spirit of the doctrine he was never fully led, until it was revived by Bro. Alexander Campbell some years after."
Although Elder Stone repudiated the orthodox views on the subject of the Trinity, Sonship, and Atonement, he never acknowledged the sentiments with which he was so frequently charged by his opponents. And in the latter part of his life, he often regretted that he had allowed himself to be driven in self-defence to speculate on these subjects as much as he had done. In the near prospect of death he averred, that he had never been a Unitarian, and had never regarded Christ as a created being.
He died in the triumphs of faith, on the 9th day of November, 1844, univer- sally beloved and regretted by all who knew him. A worthy Methodist preacher in Jackson, Louisiana, once remarked to the writer of this article, in the presence of two old-school Presbyterian clergymen-"I know Barton W. Stone well, having lived neighbor to him for a considerable time in Tennessee. A lovelier man, or a better Christian, in my judgment, never lived ; and he is no more a Unitarian, than those brethren there are"-addressing himself at the same time to the two preachers. The person who, from a regard to truth and justice, bore this honorable testimony, was Mr. Finley, son of Dr. Finley, (a former president of the University of Georgia), and brother of the Secretary of the American Coloni- zation Society.
Stone justly occupies a high rank as a scholar, a gentleman, and a Christian. In the department of poetry, his talents fitted him to shine, had they been culti- vated. There can hardly be found, in the English language, a lovelier, sweeter hymn, than one from his pen, written during the revivals about the beginning of the present century, and universally admired by the Christian world ever since. Be it known to the orthodox calumniators of Barton W. Stone, and to all men who have souls to feel the power either of religion or of poetry, that he is the author of that soul-inspiring hymn, in which the orthodox world has so greatly delighted for nearly half a century, viz.,
"The Lord is the fountain of goodness and love."
A short account of the union between Stone's friends and those of Alexander Campbell, in 1>32, shall close this hasty and imperfect sketch. In 1843, B. W. Stone writes thus :- " I saw no distinctive feature between the doctrine he (.1. Campbell) preached, and that which we had preached for many years, except on baptism for the remission of sins. Even this I had once received and taught, as before stated, but had strangely let it go from my mind, till Brother Campbell revived it afresh. *
* " He boldly determined to take the Bible alone for his standard of faith and practice, to the exclusion of all other books as in. thoritative. He argued that the Bible presented sufficient evidence of its truth to sinners, to enable them to believe it, and sufficient motives to induce them to obey it-that until they believed and obeyed the gospel, in vain they expected saiva- tion, pardon, and the Holy Spirit -- that now is the accepted time, and now is the day of salvation."
"These truths we had proclaimed and reiterated through the length and breadth of the land, from the press and from the pulpit. many years before A. Campbell and his associates came upon the stage, as aids of the good cause. Theit and gave a new impetus to the reformation which was in progress, especially antone the Baptists in Kentucky ; and the doctrines spread and greatly increased in the west. The only distinguishing doctrine between us and them was, that they
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CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
preached baptism for remission of sins to believing penitents. This doctrine had not generally obtained amongst us, though some few had received it, and pose- used accordingly. They insisted also on weekly communion, which we had neglected." * * *
" Among others of the Baptists who received, and zealously advocated the teaching of A. Campbell, was John T. Johnson, than whom there is not a better man. We lived together in Georgetown, had labored and worshipped together. We plainly saw, that we were on the same foundation, in the same spirit. and preached the same gospel. We agreed to unite our energies to effect a union bp- tween our different societies. This was easily effected in Kentucky ; and in order to confirm this union, we became co-editors of the Christian Messenger. This union, I have no doubt, would have been as easily effected in other states as in Kentucky, had not there been a few ignorant, headstrong bigots on both sides, who were more influenced to retain and augment their party, than to save the world by uniting according to the prayer of Jesus."
The biographer of Elder Stone informs us, that the union was consummated in the following manner:
"A meeting of four days was held at Georgetown, embracing the Christmas of 1831, and another at Lexington of the same length, embracing the New Year's day of 1832. The writer had the happiness to be in attendance at both these meetings.
"At these meetings the principles of our union were fully canvassed, which were such as we have stated. We solemnly pledged ourselves to one another before God, to abandon all speculations, especially on the Trinity, and kindred subjects, and to be content with the plain declarations of scripture on those top- ics, on which there had been so much worse than useless controversy. Elder John Smith and the writer were appointed by the churches, as evangelists to ride in this section of Kentucky, to promote this good work. In that capacity we served the churches three years. Thousands of converts to the good cause was the result of the union and co-operation of the churches, and their many evangel- ists during that period ; and I look back to those years as among the happiest of my life."
As the short space allowed to this article precludes the possibility of doing it justice, the reader who desires further information, is referred to the Christian Baptist, and to the " Biography of Barton W. Stone," by Elder John Rogers, of Carlisle, Kentucky-an excellent work just out of press.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF THE
CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
THE Cumberland Presbyterian church was organized in Tennessee in IS10, by the constitution of the Cumberland Presbytery. One of the leading ministers, however, resided in Kentucky at the time of the organization. In 1-13 the original presbytery was divided into three presbyteries, one of which included those ministers and congregations that adhered to the Cumberland presbytery in its difficulties with the Presbyterian church. There are now two synods in the state, the Green river and the Kentucky sypods. The number of ordained min- isters in the two synods is sixty-five ; of licentiates, thirty ; of candidates for the ministry, twenty-five. The whole number of communicants is estimated at 7000.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF
The operations of the church have been mainly confined to the south-western portion of the state. Many of its ministers and members were pioneers in that section of country. They found much of the country physically and morally in a state of nature. Their labors, sacrifices, and self-denial were necessarily very great ; but it will be seen from the preceding statistics that they did not labor in vain. The early ministers of the Cumberland Presbyterian church were remark- able for a bold, manly, and impressive eloquence. They were western men in the full sense of the expression. Without the training of the schools, they were nevertheless reared up and brought into the ministry under circumstances well calculated to develop all their energies. With indomitable perseverance, and without worldly compensation, they performed an important part in converting a " wilderness," a moral desolation, into a " fruitful field." They were men for the country and the times. Long will they live in the memory of that generation in which they labored, and long in south-western Kentucky will their influence be felt after a short-lived generation shall have passed away.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF THE
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
THE convention of the diocese of Kentucky was organized in 1830. Its first bishop was consecrated Oct. 31st, 1832.
There are about 20 clergymen in the diocese, 13 of whom are officiating in as many organized parishes. There are six missionary stations, and sixteen church edifices. The whole number of families is about 600, and of communicants 650.
Shelby college was organized in 1836, and transferred to the Episcopal church in 1811. It has graduated two very small classes. Its presidency is now tempo- rarilv vacant.
The Theological Seminary was chartered in 1834. It has an excellent library of above three thousand volumes, and funds to the amount of $12,000. Its library is now deposited in the library room of Shelby college.
The Rev. JOHN LYTHE, of the Episcopal church, or church of England, came early to Kentucky. When Col. Henderson established his proprietary govern- ment in 1775, Mr. Lythe was a delegate from the Harrodsburgh station or settle- ment to the legislative assembly. The delegates met on the 23d of May, 1775, and the assembly being organized, " divine service was performed by the Rev. Mr. Lythe, one of the delegates from Harrodsburg." In the records of this legis- lative assembly, we note the following proceedings :
" The Rev. Mr. Lythe obtained leave to bring in a bill to prevent profane surear- ing und Sabbath breakny. After it was read the first time, it was ordered, says the journal, ' to be re-committed ; and that Mr. Lythe, Mr. Todd, and Mr. Har- rod. be a committee to make amendments.'
" Mr. Todd, Mr. Lythe, Mr. Douglas, and Mr. Hite were appointed a commit- tee to draw up a contract between the proprietors and the people of the colony."
On the day succeeding the adjournment of the legislature of Transylvania, (for 80 this legislative council was termed.) " divine service," the same journal re- cords, " was performed by the Rev. Mr. Lythe, of the church of England." And it was under the shade of the same magnificent (Im, that the voices of these rude hunters rose in accents of prayer and thanksgiving to the God of their fathers-
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THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
that the verdant groves of the land of the savage and the buffalo, first rang with the anthems of the Christian's worship, and echoed back the message of the Re- deemer of the world. It was fit it should be so, for
"The groves were God's first temples."*
We know nothing further of the Rev. John Lythe, except what is contained in these extracts of the proceedings of the " Legislature of Transylvania." He was doubtless the first minister of the gospel who penetrated the wilds of Kentucky ; and, from the fact that he was elected to the legislative assembly-that he offici- ated as chaplain-and that his name appears on some important committees, he must have been a man of some note.
The Rev. JAMES MOORE was the first minister of the Episcopal church of the United States, who permanently located in Kentucky. He emigrated to the State in 1792, from Virginia, and was at that time a candidate for the ministry in the Presbyterian church. His trial sermons not being sustained by the Transyl- vania presbytery, Mr. Moore became displeased with what he considered rigor- ous treatment, and in 1794 sought refuge in the bosom of the Episcopal church. Soon afterwards he became the first rector of Christ's church in Lexington. In 1799, he was appointed acting president of Transylvania university, and pro- fessor of Logic, Metaphysics, Moral Philosophy, and Belles-Lettres. This situ- ation he held for several years, during which Transylvania enjoyed a good degree of prosperity. Mr. Moore was distinguished for sound learning, devoted piety, courteous manners, and liberal hospitality.
The Rev. BENJAMIN ORR PEERS was born in Loudon county, Virginia, in the year 1800. His father, the late Major Valentine Peers, of Maysville, (a soldier- of the revolutionary army) emigrated to Kentucky in 1803, when the subject of this brief notice was only three years old. Mr. Peers received the first rudiments of an academical education in the Bourbon academy, and completed his scholastic course at Transylvania university, while under the administration of Dr. Holley. He studied theology at Princeton. After completing his course in that instituon. he connected himself with the Episcopal church, having previously belonged to the Presbyterian. He located in Lexington, where he established the Erieetc Institute, which became, under his supervision, one of the most valuable insti- tutions of learning in the west. During the time he was at the head of the Ec- lectic Institute, and subsequently, he spent much time, labor, and money in the cause of common school education, and was instrumental in arousing the public attention to the importance of the subject-the present common school system of Kentucky being the result of the popular will thus brought to bear upon the question.
Mr. Peers, while at the head of the Eclectic Institute, was chosen president of Transylvania university, which position he accepted, in opposition to the advice of many warm friends, and which he held but a very brief period. At the time of his decease, in the year 1842, at Louisville, he was editor of the Episcopal Sunday School Magazine at New York, and, also, editor of the Sunday School publications of the church. He was distinguished not only for his zealous devo- tion to the cause of general education, but for his sound learning and ardent piety. His published writings were not extensive-the work on Christian Plus- tion appears to have been his favorite. He fell early, but fell at the post of duty.
*Gov. Morehead's Boonesborough Address.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF THE
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
-
THE early history* of Methodism in Kentucky, is, to a certain extent, obscure and indefinite, arising partly from the want of proper documents, and partly from the difficulty of collecting those that are in existence.
The most authentic and reliable information in regard to the origin and progress of Methodism in the United States, is to be gathered from the minutes of the several annual conferences ; but these, consisting mainly of statistical accounts, are rather meager and unsatisfactory. Yet brief as these records are, they throw a steady and continuous light upon the rise and progress of Methodism in Ken- tucky, down to the present time. From these conference documents we gather the fact, that the first traveling preachers appointed to labor in the State of Kentucky, were
JAMES HAW AND BENJAMIN OGDEN.
These two men were appointed to travel the entire State in the year 1786, and were the first regular itinerant ministers, who, under the control of the Methodist Episcopal church, commenced the work of spreading " Scriptural holiness over these lands."
At the time of their appointment, it appears that there were no regular societies in existence in Kentucky, as is evidenced by the entire absence of statistical information in the minutes. James Haw and Benjamin Ogden were, therefore. the first to collect the scattered Methodist emigrants of the " Dark and Bloody Ground" into classes, and organize them into societies. The first Methodist Episcopal church organized in Kentucky, was in the cabin of Thomas Stevenson, about two and a half miles south-west of Washington, Mason county, by Ben- jamin Ogden, some time during the year 1786.
1:87. The appointments for this year were
Kentucky-James Haw, Elder. Thomas Williamson, Wilson Lee.
Cumberland-Benjamin Ogden.
The numbers in society, reported at the close of this year were, whites, 90, col- ored, none.
1752. Kentucky-Francis Poythress, James Haw, Elders.
Lexington ct .- Thomas Williamson, Peter Massie, Benjamin Snelling.
Cumberland-D. Combs, B. McHenry.
Danville-Wilson Lee.
Numbers at the close of this year, whites, 479, colored, 64.
Lexington circuit embraced the northern part of the State: Cumberland cir- cuit, the few societies which were in the lower end of the State and middle Tennessee : Danville circuit the center of Kentucky south of the Kentucky river.
1789. The same number of ministers were sent this year to the Kentucky work as on the previous year, and the arrangement of the circuits remained the same.
The summer and fall of '89 and spring of '90. was a season of gracions revi- val; the "desert was made to rejoice, and the wilderness and the solitary place to blossom as the rose." The word of God, among the early settlers, was ac- companied " with the demonstration of the Spirit and power," and the numerical strength of the church was more than doubled.
The numbers in society at the close of this year were, whites, 1037, colored. 51.
1790. Conference was held this year for the first time in Kentucky, on the 26th of April, at Masterson's station, about five miles west of Lexington.
This conference was the first attended in the west by Bishop Asbury. The
* For the facts in these sketches. we are indebted mainly to the Rev. William Burke. of Cine:t- nati, and to the published minutes of conference; many of the sketches of pioneer ministers ure .a the language of the minutes.
(124)
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METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
: nference was composed of twelve preachers, the bishop, and Hope Hull, the traveling companion of the bishop. At the close of the conference, which was heid this year in Charleston, South Carolina, Bishop Asbury, attended by Hope lit ... started on his journey to Kentucky, to meet the western preachers in conference. In his journal, the bishop speaks of his trip in the following language. "After crossing the Kentucky river," he says, "I was strangely outdone for want pf sleep, having been greatly deprived of it during my journey through the wilder- ness, which is like being at sea in some respects, and in others worse. Our way is over mountains, steep hills, deep rivers, and muddy creeks, a thick growth of reeds for miles together, and no inhabitants but wild beasts and savage inen. Sometimes, before I was aware, my ideas would be leading me to be looking out ahead for a fence, and I would, without reflection, try to recollect the houses we should have stopped at in the wilderness. I slept about an hour the first night, and about two the last. We ate no regular meal-our bread grew short, and I was very much spent."
Speaking of the preachers who were then traveling in the wilds of Kentucky, the bishop says: "I found the poor preachers indifferently clad, with emaciated bodies, and subject to hard fare, but I hope rich in faith." At the winding up of the first visit, he says : " My soul has been blessed among these people, and I am exceedingly pleased with them. I would not for the worth of all the place, have been prevented in this visit." The following appointments were made at this conference :
1790. F. Poythress, presiding elder.
Lexington circuit-Henry Birchett, David Haggard.
Limestone .6 S. Tucker, J. Lillard.
Danville Thomas Williamson, Stephen Brooks.
Madison 66 B. McHenry, Benjamin Snelling.
Cumberland = Wilson Lee, James Haw, Peter Massie.
A brief sketch of the life and labors of the men who composed this first con- ference, and who are emphatically the pioneer ministers of the Methodist Episco- pal church, may not be out of place.
FRANCIS ASBURY, the presiding bishop, stands amony that hardy and laborious band supremely pre-eminent .- " In labors more abundant than they all." Land- ing from England, on the shores of our country, on the 27th of October, 1771, from that hour until the termination of his pilgrimage, his clear and manly voice was heard upon all occasions, lifting itself up against sin, and in favor of the gospel of Christ. The trump of the gospel, when applied to his lips, gave no uncertain sound ; his mind was elear, discriminating, and logical ; he was rich- by the "word of God dwelling in him richly in all wisdom ; " he was great -- by the spirit of glory and of God which rested upon him ; and for the space of forty- five years, he moved as an "angel" among the churches, " feeding the flock of Christ," and building the believer up in his most holy faith. Perhaps no man. since the settlement of America, has traveled as extensively. and labored as un- tiringly, overcoming so many serious obstacles, as the apostolic Asbury. His foot-prints have been left wide and deep upon " the sands of time." He preach-d " Jesus and the resurrection" along the sea-board, from Maine to Georgia-troin the Atlantic out west, until, from the rude cabin of the frontier squatter. the. nn- broken forest re-echoed back the burden of his embassy. Of this first visit i) Kentucky, in his journal he says : " I rode about three hundred miles to Ken- turky in six days, and back by way of Tennessee, about five hundred miles. in nine days. O ! what exertions for man and beast.". While performing the ... journies, too, the bare earth for days was his bed, and his only covering the pro- trening wing of his "ministering angel." After spending fifty-five years in the ministry, forty-five of which were spent in America, he was transferred by the Great Superintendent to the church above, on the BIst of March, 1816. This raine unstained-his labors and hardships unsurpassed-the name of Francis Asbury will be remembered in all the greenness of affection, while the pure doc- trines of Methodism have a votary.
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