USA > Missouri > Macon County > General history of Macon County, Missouri > Part 17
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2. We believe in one only true and living God, a trinity of three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
3. We believe in the fall of Adam, and that his posterity all fell in him and were made sinners. We believe in the corruption of human nature, and the impoteney of man to recover himself by his own free will and ability.
4. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the righteousness of Jesus Christ being imputed to them, and that good works are the fruits of faith and follow after justification, and are evidences of our gracious state.
5. We believe that saints shall persevere in grace, and not one of them be finally lost.
6. We believe there will be a resurrection of the dead and a gen- eral judgment, and that the happiness of the righteous and the punish- ment of the wicked will be eternal.
7. We believe the visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful baptized persons.
8. We believe that Jesus Christ is the great Head of the church, and that the government thereof is with the body.
9. We believe that water baptism and the Lord's supper are ordi- nances of the gospel, and are to be continued until his second coming.
10. We believe that believers are the only fit subjects, and immer- sion the only gospel mode of baptism.
11. We believe that none but regularly baptized believers have a right to commune at the Lord's table.
12. We believe that the Lord's day (Sunday) ought to be observed and set apart for the worship of God, and that no work or worldly business should be transacted thereon; works of piety and necessity only excepted.
The Primitives cite the following historical facts in support of their views on Sunday-schools and missionary work:
"The first Sunday-school was organized by Robert Raikes, in Gloucester, England, in 1781, for the purpose of teaching orphan chil- dren, and children whose parents were too poor to send them to school, to read and write"-Belcher, page 998; and was not a religious institution nor connected with any church, as it now is.
"In 1622 Gregory XV., the first pope who had been a pupil of the Jesuits, established the first missionary board in the world, the proto- type of all other missionary boards, whether Catholic or Protestant." -- Hassell, page 516.
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Article 3 is explained in a work, entitled "The Little Souvenir," by Elder J. E. Goodson, Jr., as follows :
"Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit; yet, not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved. Much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved, be they ever so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess."
The McGee Presbytery was organized in Pike county, Missouri, in the fall of 1819. The meeting-place for the organization was desig- nated as follows :
"In compliance with an order of the Cumberland synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, held at Sugg's Creek, in Tennessee, the third Tuesday in October, 1819, the members appointed to consti- tute the McGee Presbytery met on the headwaters of Salt river, Pike county, Missouri Territory, near the place the Rev. D. Morrow held a camp meeting at the dwelling house of John Scott on the fourth Tuesday in May, 1820." .
The original bounds of the Presbytery were as follows:
"Commencing at the source of the Oskaw river, then northwardly to indefinite boundaries ; from said source down the Oskaw river to the Mississippi river; thence down the Mississippi river to its confluence ; all west of which shall be the boundary of a Presbytery to be consti- tuted, to be known by the name of McGee Presbytery, to be composed of the following members: Green P. Rice, Daniel Brice, Robert Mor- row and. John Carnahan, of Elk . Presbytery."
McGee Presbytery met on the waters of Salt river, Pike county, Missouri Territory, and three of its members were appointed mission- aries, to ride all the time, and to do so without salary.
In the early minutes there is a recommendation that the mission- aries abstain from intoxicating liquors.
When the question of union was precipitated by the Cumberland Presbyterians and the Presbyterians, McGee Presbytery included the following territory: Callaway, Boone, Howard, Chariton, Randolph, Monroe, and that portion of Macon south of the Burlington railroad.
The subject of unionism was introduced at the general assembly at Nashville, Tennessee, in 1903, by the appointment of a committee to meet a similar committee of the other church. These committees made and published a report in February, 1904. That brought on the dis-
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cussion among the people of both churches as to the matter of joining forces as outlined in the report.
The matter was brought before the Presbytery at the election of the commissioners to the assembly of 1904, at Dallas, Texas. That assem- bly referred the question to the Presbyteries with liberty to act at the fall or spring sessions, in 1904-5.
In the McGee Presbytery the subject of union came up in the fall of 1904, at Mount Carmel, where it was briefly discussed. A resolution was adopted to continue the discussion until the meeting of the Pres- bytery in the spring of 1905 at Salisbury. At that place there was an extended debate on the matter. Captain Ben Eli Guthrie of Macon was the leading representative of the union forces. The Rev. Samuel D. Logan, former pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian church at Macon, but then living in Tennessee, was a prominent debater for those opposing unionism. At the close of the debate, which was carried on with great vigor, yet with the kindliest personal feeling among the parties, there was a vote and those opposing the union won by a small majority. Delegates reflecting that result were appointed to attend the general assembly at Fresno, California.
The boundaries of MeGce Presbytery were changed by the General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches at Columbus, Ohio, in 1906. The counties composing the Presbytery were named as follows:
Caldwell, Daviess, Carroll, Livingston, Chariton, Linn, Randolph and the south half of Macon. Dr. S. C. Palmer of Macon is the present moderator and G. W. Baker of Moberly is clerk.
Those opposing the union, who continued to call themselves Cum- berland Presbyterians, called a special session of the Presbytery in July, 1906, at Bethany, Chariton county. In that meeting they repudi- ated the action of the General Assembly at Fresno, California, in 1905, and at Decatur, Illinois, in 1906, and organized what they styled the McGee Presbytery. W. H. Berry, of College Mound, was chosen moder- ator, and J. W. Duvall, of Salisbury, clerk. The boundaries fixed were the same as those of the former Presbytery. Now they include all of northern Missouri, except west of Grand river.
About the time the subject of union had begun to be discussed in the church nationally, the First Presbyterian and the Cumberland Presbyterian churches of Macon united their congregations. This is said to have been the first union of the two churches in the United States.
The union of the First Presbyterian and the Cumberland Presby- terian churches has been made a subject of litigation in several of the
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states. Some Supreme courts have decided one way and some another. The Missouri Supreme court, in a case that went up from Warrens- burg, found in favor of the Cumberland Presbyterians, and ordered restored to them the church property on the ground that the union was illegal. Litigation over church property has followed in several Mis- souri connties, but the union of the two churches at Macon has proven very amicable and no question has been raised concerning it.
Mt. Tabor Association of the United Baptists was among the earlier religious bodies of Macon county. Its first moderator was Michael Buster. Walker Austin was clerk. In 1844 James Moody was added to the list of ministers as a licentiate. In 1848 the association was represented by messengers from Big Spring, Ten Mile and Mt. Tabor churches. Mt. Salem church, formerly of Mt. Pleasant Associa- tion, was received into the association this year. Early in the life of the association the collection of funds for missionary work became an important element of its business. The name was changed to "The Macon Baptist Association" in 1866. In 1852 the number of churches represented in the association had grown to ten, with 327 members. In 1881 there were twenty-three churches, with an aggregate member- ship of 1,401. At the last meeting of the association (in 1909) thirty- two churches were represented, with a total membership of 3,194. The value of church property in the association was placed at $74,925, and there were twenty-two Sunday-schools. M. A. Romjue was moderator and W. James Robinson was elerk. Preceding Mr. Romjue as modera- tor were Lon Haynor, G. E. Simmons, W. R. Skinner, M. F. Williams, WV. A. Sears, L. B. Wooldridge, G. C. Sparrow, A. Kinnam. William Van Cleve, A. Judy, William Griffin, and M. Buster, who was the first moderator elected in the organization of the association in 1843, at Ten Mile.
The executive board of the association is as follows:
Lon Haynor, chairman, Macon; C. S. Tuley, treasurer, Macon; O. H. L. Cunningham, Bevier; W. James Robinson, secretary, Macon; Albert Skinner, Bevier; W. H. Stone, Kirksville; J. G. Majors, Gifford.
Among the first churches organized in Macon county were the following :
Big Spring church, four miles north of Maeon, in 1831.
Blanket Grove church, near La Plata, in December, 1840.
Mt. Salem church, November, 1841.
Bethlehem church, Sne City, March 3, 1850.
Chariton Ridge church, January, 1864.
Second Baptist church, Bevier, April 10, 1870.
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Friendship church, September 28, 1867.
Mt. Tabor, Baptist church, December 4, 1840.
First Baptist Church of Atlanta, June, 1876.
Sue City Baptist church, 1870.
New Harmony Cumberland Presbyterian church, September, 1860. Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian church, 1843.
Ewing Cumberland Presbyterian church, Angust 21, 1855.
Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian church, July 19, 1841.
Salem Presbyterian church, 1869.
La Plata Cumberland Presbyterian church, 1876.
Atlanta Methodist Episcopal church, 1866.
Fair View Methodist Episcopal church was organized before the Civil war; disbanded, and reorganized in 1876.
Bethlehem Methodist Episcopal church, South, 1843.
Woodville Methodist Episcopal church, Sonth, 1870.
Antioch Christian church, May, 1850.
The Church of Christ at La Plata, fall of 1868.
Ebenezer, Welsh Congregational church, Bevier, September 9, 1864. Methodist Episcopal church, Macon, September, 1858. The Rev. W. S. Wentz was first pastor. He was followed by M. F. Clepper. The church was rebuilt in 1890 when the Rev. W. T. McDermond was pastor.
Presbyterian Church of Macon. April 24, 1858. Organized by the Rev. W. P. Cochran, D. D., by the authority of the Presbytery of Pal- myra. The Rev. J. R. Winters was the first pastor. The first church building was dedicated January 22, 1860, by the Rev. Foreman of Han- nibal. The building was occupied by the government during the Civil war, at which time it was considerably damaged and the claim for its use by the soldiers has been allowed by the government. The old building stood on the lots now occupied by the Jefferson hotel.
The Congregational Church of Macon was organized in 1865, and for ten years gave promise of long life and usefulness. The Rev. S. R. Roseboro was minister, in charge from 1865 to 1868. He was followed by the Rev. Albert Bowers, who served from 1868 to 1873, and was succeeded by the Rev. McConnell. During those days the church attained its largest membership. The Rev. Mr. Bowers was ordained and the church dedicated Sunday, February 28, 1869. The preaching on that occasion was by the Revs. Joseph E. Roy and J. M. Sturtevant. The Rev. Mr. Bowers, but recently retired at the age of three score and a little over, is now living at Ashland, Ohio.
Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Macon, was organized in the
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summer of 1866. The building was erected in 1867 and was dedicated in September of that year by Bishop E. M. Marvin. The Rev. John D. Vineil was the first pastor. He was followed by the Rev. E. R. Hendrix, now Bishop Hendrix of Kansas City. A handsome new church was erected in 1904, and dedicated by Bishop Hendrix, its former pastor. The Rev. C. N. Broadhurst is now the pastor in charge.
Catholic church, Macon, established just previous to Civil war. The Rev. Father P. B. Cahill was one of its first priests. On Jannary 12, 1908 a handsome new $6,000 building was dedicated by Archbishop Glennon of St. Louis. Father Richard Healy is priest in charge, having been such for eight years. Father Healy also ministers to congrega- tions at Healy settlement, Bevier, La Plata and other points in the county.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Macon was organized in 1865. Among those whose names were first enrolled were the Rev. M. C. Patton and wife and Mrs. N. H. Patton, J. B. Malone, R. A. Malone and the Rev. J. S. A. Henderson and wife. The first church was built in 1867 and was of frame. A new building was put up in 1875 at the cost of $4,000. The new church, built in 1875, was dedicated by the Rev. J. B. Mitchell, D. D., who was also president of McGee College. A large, handsome, well-equipped church was built in 1900 and took the place of this one. It is the largest and finest church in the county, and has now a united membership of something like 350. On December 2, 1906, the First Presbyterian church and the Cumberland Presbyterian church united. Officers were chosen from both denominations. As remarked elsewhere, this was the first union of the Presbyterian church in the United States. The present building cost $25,000. It was dedi- cated by the Rev. Dr. W. H. Black, president of Missouri Valley College, Marshall.
St. James Episcopal Church dates from September 4, 1865. Its first members were Dr. and Mrs. A. L. Knight, Mrs. Giles Cooke, Mrs. Mary Hubbs, Mrs. G. C. Sauvinet and Mrs. Gage. A frame building was erected in 1871, and was dedicated April 23 of that year. Among the pastors in whose charge it has been are the Rev. Dr. George Worth- ington, L. H. Strycher, F. B. Schultz, William H. Charles and Ethelbert Talbot. The latter was also president of St. James Military Academy. which he organized and operated for several years. He left here to become the Bishop of Wyoming and Idaho, and is now Bishop of Penn- sylvania. Before there was any regular preacher for the congregation of St. James, Dr. Knight was appointed by Bishop Hawks as lay reader. The cornerstone for the handsome new church on Rollins street, just
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west of the old one, was laid in August, 1904. On that occasion the Rev. B. S. MeKanzie, rector, read letters of congratulation from Bishop Talbot, Rev. Robert Talbot of Kansas City, Rev. F. N. Atkins of Leav- enworth and Rev. Philip Davidson of Omaha, Neb., all of whom had been invited to attend and take part in the services. The new building cost about $15,000, and is said to be one of the handsomest and best equipped churches in northern Missouri. The Rev. J. B. Van Fleet is the present rector.
First Baptist Church, Macon. During the fall of 1859 a few faith- ful Baptists held meetings in a private residence in the then thriving village of Macon. When the Civil war came on the little party of worshipers was dispersed and no attempt at a permanent organization was made until in 1865. May 7, of that year, the Rev. G. C. Sparrow and Rev. Joseph Oliver organized a permanent body, known as the First Baptist Church of Macon. The organization was effected at the home of the Rev. John Terrell. The Revs. R. Bateman and G. L. Powers served the little church until May, 1866, when the Rev. Thomas L. Caldwell became the first regular pastor. During his administration an enthusiastic revival meeting was held in the upstairs room of an old wooden structure on Vine street. At this meeting W. C. Belsher, Dr. Merrifield, Dr. Stewart, Albert Blair, Miss Sallie Larrabee, Amos Field and many other influential citizens became members. A frame church was built and used for many years, the congregation steadily growing and the influence of the church increasing. In January, 1900, a modern structure erected on the site occupied by the old building was dedicated. The dedicatory sermon was delivered by Dr. J. P. Green, president of William Jewell College. The frame building had been destroyed by fire but a short time previous and a building committee was appointed to raise funds and look after the construction of the new building. This committee which so successfully did its work was composed of the following members of the congregation :
Lon Hayner, D. B. Moore, C. S. Tuley, G. E. Simmons, J. H. Wright, L. D. Lamb, W. P. Walker, Selwin Coulter, Si Patterson, C. L. Wallace, Isaac Gross, R. Holtzclaw, Ben Franklin, M. F. Brock and John Gadd.
The Rev. W. James Robinson is the present pastor of the church.
The German Lutheran Church of Macon was organized in 1865, with a membership of 125. The church divided in 1882, and the mem- bers withdrawing erected a new edifice called Zion's Church. Among the early members were Henry Magnus, William Magnus, Charles Magnus, Sr., and Jr., William Gille, Frank Schweikhaus, Charles Ess-
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ler, Ferdinand Jurgensen, John Myer, Henry Ruhrup, Peter Lesser, John Koechel. The first minister was B. Meissler. The new church was dedicated April 27, 1884, by the Rev. W. P. Myer.
The churches of Macon county have multiplied so rapidly within recent years that it would be impossible to give a complete list of them in this chapter, with the necessary additional data to make the compila- tion of value. The purpose has been to list a few of the earlier churches as a sort of landmark, to be used in gauging the development of religious institutions in the county. Nearly every town in the county has a number of large and beautiful church buildings, attended by good con- gregations. Scattered through the township are numerous comfortable buildings used for church worship. There is preaching in nearly all of these at regular intervals. In this connection it might be a matter of interest to state that there is a chapel room in the Macon county infirmary, where for a long time services have been held for the inmates. Preachers of various denominations volunteer to address these poor people who seem to take more than ordinary interest in the sermons and the music.
Two men who were former pastors of Macon churches have become bishops-Bishop Ethelbert Talbot and Bishop E. R. Hendrix, the former now located at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and the latter at Kan- sas City, Missouri. From time to time both of these eminent church- men have returned to Macon and addressed congregations in the churches which they formerly had in charge as pastor.
The last great religious assembly at Macon was the meeting of the Missouri Conference, M. E. Church, South, in September, 1895. On that occasion Bishop W. W. Duncan presided. Dr. John D. Vincil of St. Louis, who was the first pastor of the church here at Macon, was chief secretary, a position he held with the Conference more than thirty years.
In addition to the churches above listed are two thriving colored churches in the town of Macon. One of these is the A. M. E. Church, organized January 20, 1866, by the Rev. W. A. Dove, missionary. Among the first members were Ruben Barbour, Jordan House, Nancy Maxwell, Mary Jackson, Angelina Coleman, Milla Fullington, Jane Smith, Carolina Barbour, Lucinda Collier, Rachel Martin, Harriet Humphrey, Louis Martin, Richard Goodridge, Margaret Jones and Kitty Snell. The building was destroyed in the cyclone of May 13, 1883. That event occurred while a church meeting was in session and many of the members had narrow escapes with their lives. The church was rebuilt and has been developing steadily in membership
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and influence. Its present pastor is the Rev. P. C. Crews. J. C. Brown is superintendent of the Sunday-school.
The Second Baptist church (colored), Macon, was organized Octo- ber 27, 1866. The first deacons were Harry Higby and Jacob Bassett. Trustees : Isaac Burton, Charles Tolsan and James Smith. The build- ing cost $6,000. It was dedicated in the spring of 1872 by the Rev. Amos Jackson, pastor, and the Rev. W. W. Steward. The present church building is the third one which has been constructed for the use of this congregation. It is a brick, large and well made. Its pastor is the Rev. E. D. Greene. John Adams is superintendent of the Sunday- school.
One of the most interesting churchmen belonging to the history of Macon county was the Rev. Father Gay, for some years rector of the Episcopal church of Bevier. During his occupancy of that charge Father Gay was well advanced in years, being along in the eighties, but he was alert, active and took great interest in big things. He was an enthusiastic astronomer and through his efforts a telescope was brought to Bevier for the study of the heavens. While residing at Bevier Father Gay was engaged on a work to prove that Marshal Ney, instead of being executed after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, was spirited out of France under a disguise and came to America. Father Gay said that he felt absolutely certain the great marshal of Napoleon was none other than his old school teacher in northern Carolina, of which state Father Gay was a native.
"The teacher was known to his scholars as Peter Stewart Ney," said Father Gay. "He was six feet tall, always standing perfectly erect, like a soldier, broad-shouldered and of immense physical powers. Upon the top of his head over the left temple was a long scar, seemingly inflicted by a saber cut.
"There were many things which confirmed the belief that our old school teacher was the famous marshal of France. He was inti- mately acquainted with all of Napoleon's campaigns and could discuss them by the hour. I was in his school-room in 1821, when a newspaper was brought him by one of the boys. This paper seemed to throw him into a great state of depression. I learned that it contained an account of the death of Napoleon at St. Helena. School was dismissed for the day. The old man never recovered his spirits.
"Our soldier school teacher, most unfortunately, was a victim of liquor. Once he was found by the darkies of the plantation lying in the snow near our house. I was with them at the time. We could not arouse the school teacher and so we lifted him to a horse, on which
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a negro mounted and held him tightly to keep him from falling off. The act awakened him and I heard him say :
" 'What! Would you dare to place the Duke of Elchingen on a horse, like a sack of barley? Release me, sir!'
"He struck one of the negroes and they helped him to the ground. The old school teacher walked a few steps to the fence, leaned his elbows on it and looked moodily across the field. One of the negroes, very respectfully addressed him, asked him if he could ride. Mr. Ney said :
" 'Ride! I have done some riding behind a little man in my time. They called him the "Little Corporal." ' With that the schoolmaster mounted the horse and rode steadily away.
"At one time when he and I were talking he became thoughtful and then made these remarks, which I afterwards carefully wrote down :
" 'History says that I was executed for treachery to the govern- ment, for welcoming my sovereign after his return from Elba. It is true that I was sentenced to be shot. I was marched out on the court- yard for that purpose. But facing me were my old soldiers. Do you suppose they could have shot me? As I walked by the file of faithful men who had followed me through the battle's heat, I said to them, in a whisper: "Aim high, comrades." I took my position in front of them, refusing to have my eyes bandaged. Raising my hand I gave the word to "fire!" The soldiers fired and I fell. I was examined by the surgeons, friends of mine, and pronounced dead. My body was delivered for interment, but was secretly conveyed to Bordeaux, at which place I embarked and came to America, landing at Charleston, January 29, 1816.' "
Father Gay quotes the last words of his old school teacher as fol- lows: "Bessieres is dead; the old guard is defeated, the Little Cor- poral has gone down with them. Now, let me die."
The book written by Father Gay contained a vivid account of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, as delivered to him by the great French marshal. Father Gay lived to be ninety-five years of age. His mental powers were very vigorous to the last.
For something like twenty years largely attended Holiness camp meetings have been held in Macon county. The greater portion of that period one branch of the Holiness meeting has been holding its annual camp at College Mound and the other branch pitched its tents in Stephens' Park, Macon. In 1908, however, the Macon camp was aban- doned and Clarence was chosen for the annual gatherings. That is the place where one of the educational institutions of the Holiness
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