USA > Missouri > Johnson County > The history of Johnson County, Missouri : including a reliable history of the townships, cities, and towns, together with a map of the county; a condensed history of Missouri; the state constitution; an abstract of the most important laws etc > Part 42
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The events of the general conference of 1844 (the case of Bishop Andrew) afforded the first fitting opportunity (since the veto of Bishop McKendree, in 1820) to assert these opinions. Hence they gave, in judi- cial decisions, an interpretation to the constitution of thé church, in accord- ance with their views of the subordinate character of the episcopal offices.
On the other hand, the southern portion of the church adhered to what they supposed were the opinions of the fathers as to the meaning of the
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constitution they framed. They did not claim for bishops any divine rights of ordination or apostolical succession. But they did claim that the bishops and the general conference are co-departments of the govern- ment. They balance and check each other. Here was the issue. Here are found the great distinguishing principles of the two branches of Meth- odism. The bishops are responsible to law-as much so as any officers of the church. But beyond the points of accountability specified, they are left to the keeping of their own conscience, under God. Thus the gov- ernment of the M. E. church, south, withdraws them entirely from the control of the general conference, beyond certain points of specified account- ability. This it evidently does that they may be free from all those cor- rupting influences to which they would be inevitably exposed by being held and treated as mere agents of a popular body.
THE BAPTISTS IN JOHNSON COUNTY.
About the year 1833 there were Baptist church organizations effected in Johnson county, but several years previous to this time religious meet- ings, under the auspices of this denomination, were held from house to house, among the early settlers. Wherever a little settlement was found in which Baptist families resided, there occasionally a little group of Chris- tian people gathered in one of the log cabins, and services, including preaching by a Baptist minister, were conducted on the Sabbath. Why people so uniformly cling to their own peculiar religious teachings, and why Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians and others desire to pre- occupy the field with the advocates of their respective doctrines, are ques- tions to be answered by the theological writers of experience and learn- ing; but that this is universally the fact no one will pretend to deny.
At a point called the County Line, on Walnut Creek, about six miles northeast of Knob Noster, in what is now Grover township, in the Oglesby and Thornton settlements, was established one of the earliest Baptist organizations in Johnson county. High Point, in Jefferson town- . ship, was another station where Baptists pre-occupied the field about the same time as that mentioned above.
Meetings at County Line were held as often as about once a month, on Saturday and the following Sabbath. The leading resident Baptists at this point were Tarlton Oglesby and Charles Thornton, and their families, at whose residences the first meetings were held, until the church on the creek was built. The meetings were conducted in a semi-social and religious manner. People here, as in all pioneer settlements, never lost sight of the social element, and, while strictly religious, attending to their devotional meetings, would also, at proper times, during the progress of the meetings, engage in the most liberal and hearty sociability. Christian people of the present time fail to appreciate the commendable Christian
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sociability, which was so prominent among the settlers of those early days. Even strangers, who happened to be passing while these two days' meet- ings were in progress, were persistently constrained to come around the social board, which was freely spread for all. Once a stranger to the good Baptist people, by the name of Knaus, was traveling on horseback from Howard county to see his brother, who then resided about six miles west of the Oglesby settlement, dismounted, and having attended the religious seryices at Mr. Ogleby's house, remounted and rode away on his journey. No sooner had he gone than the liberal-hearted host, noticing that the stranger had disappeared, sent a messenger after him, who brought him back, and welcomed him to his dinner, and, then, in the same free-hearted manner, allowed him to pursue his journey.
It would be proper to remark at this place that " Predestinarian" Bap- tists, commonly nicknamed "Hard-shell" Baptists often showed their extreme sociability by passing around the social glass. It is a known fact that at an associational meeting, held by this denomination on Bristle Ridge, in ante bellum times, that the bottle was freely passed among the ministers, to enliven their spirits, till the effect of those spirits in the bottle were quite perceptible in the conduct of the ministerial delegates.
At first the County Line church stood about one mile west of the Pettis county line, but now the Baptists of the same neighborhood worship in a large church situated about two miles east of the same county line, still called the County Line Church.
In the year 1845, the Blue River association embraced Jackson, Cass, Lafayette, Johnson, and Henry counties, and in part the counties of Bates, St. Clair, Benton, Pettis. At this time Blue River association was anti- mission, having passed a resolution then to have nothing to do with benevolent societies; but, at the session in 1848, that body appointed two missionaries to labor within its bounds, and paid them eighteen dollars per month, which they received during the year. Since that time this associa- tion has been a very liberal body in missionary work. The reformation of Blue River was due more to Bro. W. P. C. Caldwell, who lived at High Point, this county, than all others. Rev. Jerry Farmer, now of Pleasant Hill, who was also a missionary with Rev. Caldwell that year, greatly aided in the reformatory work. Some of the prominent ministers of the Baptist Church, at that early time, were, more or less, anti-missionary in belief. Among the prominent Baptist preachers were John T. Rickets, Frank Goodwin, William Duval, William P. C. Caldwell, William Gray, George Minton, Elder Morris, Amos Horn, Joseph White, I. N. Newman, J. Gott, Elder Johnson, Jerry Farmer, A. P. Williams, and Elder Simp- son.
The High Point Baptist Church, situated twelve miles west of south of
1
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Knob Noster, at the headwaters of Clear creek, and not far from the summit of Tebo, was organized in the year 1833, by Elder John T. Rick- ets, and Elder Simpson. For a number of years they worshiped in private houses, and beneath the shade of brush arbors during the summer season. The High Point school-house was built in 1849, in which they worshiped till the year 1857, when the present church edifice was erected.
It should be observed here that but little cultivation of crops, except corn, in those days, was done, and crops were laid by from the fore part of July to the first of October. This period of leisure was improved by holding revival meetings of a few days to two weeks at a time at the dif- ferent churches under brush arbors, where often a great deal of excite- ment took place in the way of physical emotion, among the religious and seekers after religion. The formality at present was little followed then, but native simplicity governed all with sincere hearts of devotion.
The High Point Church, numerically, was small during the pastorate of Elders Simpson and Rickets, who were rather of anti-mission pro- clivities, not believing in special revival efforts.
About the year 1845 Elder W. P. C. Caldwell removed to this neigh- borhood and began preaching with full missionary zeal, and through the instrumentality of his meetings nearly every household in the neighbor- hood became members of the Baptist Church. Elder Caldwell was a man of great force of character, and through his eloquence and social qualities drew a large following. He had a wide influence, and before the war was well known as a prominent Baptist preacher of Johnson county, and was considered the foremost among those advocating the Missionary Baptist belief. He reared a large family and died at High Point about six years ago, soon after the decease of his wife. He strongly advocated the southern element during the civil war. The church at High Point has cast a deep and abiding influence over this sec- tion of country, and at the. present time maintains regular worship with a good congregation. From Old High Point Baptist Church there have been three new ones formed in different neighborhoods. The mother church, like a colony of bees, having become numerous, sends out new colonies.
It is quite important to state in this connection that Baptists in this sec- tion of country were Calvanistic in belief, and strictly what might be termed close communionists; holding that no mode but immersion consti- tuted baptism, and that only when performed by a regularly ordained Baptist minister. Some were termed missionary Baptists, some united Baptists and others regular Baptists, but all are now included under the general head of Baptists. Baptists hold that each church is an indepen- dent organization, neither controlled nor controlling persons outside its
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own body, its acts of discipline can only be exercised within, hence they do not invite those from without to the communion.
The earliest Baptist ministers usually toiled upon the farm during the week, earning their bread by the sweat of their brow, and preaching on the Sabbath. They could not if they would, depend upon the money received for preaching, for their daily support. Many and it might be said most of them labored in the cause of their Master for the love of the work and the good they might do.
The Baptist churches of Johnson county generally belonged to the Blue River association before the war, and since the war part of them to the Central Baptist association till the year 1874, when they united with the churches in Lafayette county, forming a new association called the Lafay- ette and Johnson association.
Among the pioneer Baptists in this county was the venerable William Adams. Although not a minister he was one of the founders of several churches. He was one of the founders of Bethel church at the head of Honey creek, about thirteen miles northwest of Warrensburg; this church became extinct during the civil war. He lived in several different locali- ties, in each of which if no church was found there, he at once took steps to organize one.
He was a free hearted and upright Christian worker. He died at his residence one mile north of Warrensburg, in the fall of 1868.
Samuel Evans was another pioneer Baptist, living fifteen miles south of Warrensburg, at whose house Providence Baptist church was organized. He is an earnest worker, still living, more than three score years and ten of age.
THE GERMAN BAPTIST OR "BRETHREN " CHURCH.
General Remarks .- The German Baptist church, as the legal name is, the one by which the church property is held, has been, also, called " Tonker," or " Tunker," which designation is derived from the German verb tunken, to dip, hence "Dunkard," a corruption of that verb, and a popular nick-name applied to the church. Among the members it is known as " the Brethren " church; the authority being found in the lan- guage of Christ to his disciples: " Ye are brethren." The first notice we have, in history, of this peculiar denomination is in 1708, when it first attracted public notice in Germany, under the following circumstances:
Eight persons, seven of whom had been brought up under Presbyterian influences, and one under the training of the Lutheran church, becoming dissatisfied with the religious teachings of that age, consorted together for the purpose of prayerfully studying the Holy Scriptures, in order to dis- cover, by the light of the Divine Word, " the truth as it is in Jesus."
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After much deliberation on the word of God, they became fully con- vinced that faith in Christ comprised, in its scriptural meaning, full obedience to all the requirements and commands of the New Testament. As the result of this conviction, they all repaired to the river Eden, near Schwarzman, and were there buried with Christ in baptism. They were all baptized by trine immersion, organized themselves into a church, and chose, for their first minister, one of their original number, Alexander Mack. Soon others were added to this little band of disciples, and thus the small vine, planted by the hand of God in the wilderness, grew apace. But persecution soon followed, and they were driven, through fiery trials, from their native land.
The attention of these humble, but persecuted disciples of Jesus, was attracted to the New World, and so, in 1719, they began to arrive upon the shores of America. The original settlements of the brethren, in this coun- try, were made in the vicinity of Germantown and Philadelphia, where the first churches in the United States were organized. By the year 1729, nearly the whole church had immigrated from Germany to this country. Among the number was their first preacher, Alexander Mack. But the labors of this imminent saint of God were soon brought to a close. Six years after he landed here, God called him from the church below to "the general assembly, and church of the first-born above." In the quiet church yard at Germantown, slumbers all that is mortal of this devoted follower of "the meek and lowly Jesus."
Until recently, no statistics have been published by the brethren, so that, hitherto, it has been difficult to determine, with any degree of accu- racy, the strength of the denomination in the united States.
Recent estimates, from trustworthy sources, place the number of com- municants at considerable over one hundred thousand.
The large body of the membership is found in the eastern states. An enumeration of the ministerial force, in the year 1880, resulted as follows:
Pennsylvania, 315; Ohio, 220; Indiana, 254; Illinois, 147; Iowa, 126; Virginia, 128; West Virginia, 94; Kansas, 75; Missouri, 57; Maryland, 55; Nebraska, 24; Tennessee, 44; Michigan, 24; Oregon, 10; Minnesota, 9; North Carolina, 8; Wisconsin, 6; California, 5; New Jersey, 3; total, 1,603.
The large majority of the brethren are farmers; a few engaged in mechanical pursuits, and a few'are professional men. The members, more especially in the east, are generally in good circumstances. Not a few of them are men of considerable wealth. Being a plain, frugal, industrious, and temperate people, it could scarcely be otherwise.
Their religion forbids indulgence in the follies, extravagances, and dis- play of the world; hence property accumulates in their hand, where it melts away in the grasp of the improvident. Their simple and natural
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habits, their temperance and moderation in all things, greatly tend to the preserxation of health, and thus contribute largely to long life. Thus the Christian has not only the promise of this life, but of the life that is to be. Distinctive Denominational Features .- The Brethren's rule of faith and practice is the New Testament. They also accept the Old Testament as the Word of God. They have no written creed. They consider the simple Word of God a sufficient guide in all that pertains to the moral welfare of the human race. They believe, therefore in the Trinity, the Incarnation, Divinity, and meritorious sacrifice of Christ; that all men may be saved through the means set forth in the Word of God. They believe in a future state of reward and punishments; in the full and free salvation offered by Christ, upon compliance with the conditions set forth in the gospel; that the conditions of pardon as therein declared, are faith, repentance and baptism, and that there is no gospel promise outside of these conditions. They believe that infants, idiots, and all persons who have not arrived at the age of accountability, have not sufficient knowl- edge of good and evil, hence incapable of distinguishing between- right and wrong, are not morally accountable to God, and hence, all such when they die will be saved without obedience, simply through the merit of the general atonement of Christ. They do not believe in the baptism of infants. They hold that baptism is only required of penitent believers, and as infants can neither believe nor repent, God does not require these exercises on their part. The Brethren believe that baptism is for the remission of sins, for the word of God so declares. They believe in trine immersion, the entire submersion of the body at the mention of each name of the Divine Trinity. They believe this, not only from the grammatical construction of the gospel formula, as embodied in the com- mission itself, but from the fact as set forth in the writings of Tertulia, Augus- tine, Chrysostom, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, and other fathers in the church, that trine immersion was the form of baptism observed in the primitive church of Christ. They also believe that Christ instituted feet-washing as an ordinance to be perpetually observed in his church, and for this belief see John XIII: "If I, your Lord and Master," says our adorable Redeemer, " have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet."
The brethren believe there is no other command in the New Testa- ment plainer, more direct, or more forcible than this. They observe the Lord's supper, the communion, and the washing of feet at night, in pur- suance of the example of our blessed Lord, who instituted these ordinan- ces of his house. They observe the salutation of the holy kiss as com- manded no less than five times in the Gospel of Christ. They will not bear arms, and shed the blood of their fellow man for whom Christ died,
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believing in the light of God's word, that war and violence are opposed to the spirit of Christ. Brethren will not go to law with their brethren in Christ, for this is forbidden in the Word of God. They will not take or administer an oath, for the Bible declares, " swear not at all. "
'Non-conformity to the world is a cardinal feature of their faith. ""Be not conformed to this world," is as plain a command as is found in the scriptures of Divine Truth. "Ye are not of this world, " said the Savior, "for if ye were of this world the world would love its own. " The breth- ren use great plainness in their dress. They discard all jewelry and unnecessary decoration of the perishing body, for these are the offspring of, and, but minister to, human vanity and human pride.
We are also forbidden in God's word, to put on costly array. The indulgence in this sin, by professing christians, keeps hundreds of poor people away from the house of God. This, no observant person, familiar with the pride and display manifested in the attendance upon the fashion- able and worldly churches of the day, can deny. Plainness, simplicity, the entire absence of all ostentation and display in the house of God, are characteristic features of the brethren church. Not only so, but the same principle is inculcated in regard to their private dwellings, and in all that pertains to their daily life. Fine houses, showy carriages, rich and costly furniture, elegant and expensive carpets, unnecessary, and therefore, use- less paintings, pictures and articles merely ornamental in their design, are forbidden of God and condemned by His church. In short, the Brethren church seeks to be governed by God's revealed word. With the mere opinions of men about that word, however great or learned in their. own estimation or in that of others, they may be, the Brethren church has but little to do.
They do not affiliate with worldly organizations in the interests of moral reform, believing that Christ's church upon earth is sufficient to meet all the moral wants of man. Hence they do not connect themselves with temperance societies, and organizations of similar kind, believing that the Gospel of Christ is abundantly "able to save, even unto the utter- most, all who come unto God through Him," including even the poor, lost, wretched victim of the intoxicating bowl.
On this point the Brethern church has been censured, and misrepre- sented by some, as being opposed to the temperance cause.
The following statement might serve as its defense: The Brethren church does not permit its members to use intoxicating drinks as a bever- age. It does not allow them to engage in the manufacture, or sale, of ardent spirits; nor does it grant them the privilege of selling to the distil- leries the grain from which the ruinous poison is made. This is the tem- perance record of the Brethren church. Such is a brief, but general out-
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line of the origin, history, customs, faith and practice of the German Bap- tist Brethren, or " Dunkard" church.
It has claims upon mankind only as it reflects the light of God's word. Whether it does this can be seen by a comparison of its faith and practice with the infallible word. "Search the scriptures!" is the command of Christ, and to this fountain of all truth the earnest seeker after light is tenderly and prayerfully directed.
There are five congregations of the Brethren in Johnson county, Missouri. Walnut Creek church is located in the northeast part of the county, four miles north of Knob Noster. It is the oldest church of the Brethren in Johnson county, having been organized sometime before the late civil war. It was, for many years, under the care of Elder Joseph Wampler, now deceased. It is now under the ministration of Bro. Camer.
The church is composed of about forty members, and the building occu- pied for worship, is a good, substantial brick, with a basement story.
Center View church is situated near the village of that name, six miles west of Warrensburg. It was organized about ten years ago; has about fifty members, and is under the care of Elder Andrew Hutchinson, who has served the church during the greater portion of its existence. The Center View Brethren have a good, comfortable house of worship, pro- vided with a basement story.
Mineral Creek church is located in the southern portion of the county. It has a large membership, about one hundred and fifty communicants. It was organized since the war, beginning its career with eight members.
This church is under the ministerial care of Elder S. S. Mohler, assisted in this office by J. M. Mohler and Elder F. Culp. It is distant from War- rensburg about twelve miles, and is situated in the midst of a beautiful and fertile country. The Mineral Creek Brethren have a large, commodious and comfortable frame meeting house, with a good basement story.
Holden church is situated in the south-western part of the county, south of Holden a few miles. Has a small membership, has no resident minis- ter, but is under the care of Elder J. S. Mohler, who resides at Clinton, Henry county, Missouri.
The Warrensburg church of the Brethren is situated two miles south of town near the Clinton road. This church was organized about a year ago, with seventeen members. It is at present the youngest church in the county, has a membership at this time of twenty-five. It is under the care of Dr. A. W. Reese, and has a comfortable housefof worship, but yet in an unfinished state.
. The growth of the Brethren church in the county has not been rapid, and, under the circumstances, this could not have been expected. But its increase has been steady, and, as the peculiar doctrines and features of the
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church become more generally known, it is not doubted but there will be many added to the fold. May we not, then, hope that, in the coming years, through the faithful preaching of the word, many shall be " brought out of nature's darkness into the marvelous light of the gospel of Christ," and thus help to build in our midst the shining temple of our God?
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.
This denomination, further known as " Disciples" or "Christians," has only existed a little more than half a century.
The seeds of this reformative movement were first sown by Elder Thos. Campbell, in the year 1808.
The plan of christian union set forth by Elder Thos. Campbell did not please his presbytery; therefore they separated. About the same time the question of christian union was warmly discussed in the states of Vir- ginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Elders Stone, Marshall, Thompson and Denelevy were active in this reformation.
About this time Alexander Campbell completed his literary studies at Glasgow university and came to America. Being young and active, he at once saw the beauties of the reformative movement, already inaugur- ated by his father and others.
In Pennsylvania, May, 1810, Alexander Campbell preached his first sermon in America, on the text (Matt vii, 23): "Therefore every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise · man that built his house upon a rock," etc.
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