USA > North Carolina > A history of the development of the Presbyterian Church in North Carolina, and of the Synodical home missions, together with evangelistic addresses by James I. Vance and others > Part 1
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M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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L ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02400 4654
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A HISTORY
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OF THE
Development of the Presbyterian Church in North Carolina,
AND OF
Synodical Home Missions,
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TOGETHER WITH ..
EVANGELISTIC ADDRESSES BY JAMES I. VANCE, D. D., AND OTHERS
BY
Rev. D. I. CRAIG.
RICHMOND, VA .: WHITTET & SHEPPERSON, PRINTERS.
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1912829
With Compliments of U.S. Craving Dec 1. 1922. 1
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESBY- TERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Gauna Cordially A. S. Craig
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COPYRIGHT BY REV. WILLIAM BLACK 19C7.
INTRODUCTION.
BY REV. H. G. HILL, D. D.
It is well to write the history of Synodical Home Mis- sion work in North Carolina at the present time. Nearly a score of years have passed since it was inaugurated. It met with considerable opposition, on the part of con- scientious brethren, who doubted the constitutional right of Synod to engage in this work. The plans and methods of conducting it were altered and amended, as experi- ence and wisdom demanded. The present scheme of conducting it, by a synodical committee, consisting of one minister and one elder from each Presbytery, with an executive committee of five members of the whole committee, aided by a superintendent and a general evan- gelist, is the result of long experience and varied experi- ment. The wisdom of this plan has been manifested by the success attained, and by the fact that substantially the same plan has been adopted by other Synods. The re- sults achieved by Synodical Home Mission work, both direct and indirect, have been most gratifying and in- spiring. The efforts of the Synod have lifted our people to a higher plane of giving, and have stimulated the Pres- byteries to more vigorous endeavors at evangelization within their own bounds. In less than a score of years, churches of our faith have been planted in all the counties of the State except twelve or thirteen; the number of the Presbyteries has risen from four to eight ; and the roll of communicants has increased from 25,000 to more than 40,- 000. Surely, results like these have more than justified all the thought, money and labor that have been ex-
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INTRODUCTION.
pended upon Synodical Home Missions in Nortli Caro- lina. But many of the actors in these stirring scenes have passed away and others are nearing the close of their earthly career. It is wise, therefore, to gather up the facts connected with Home Mission work in this State while some survive who are familiar with them, and be- fore they pass from the memory of the living. The story of Presbyterian Gospel progress in North Carolina will be profoundly interesting to future church historians, and will edify and stimulate generations yet to come. The author of this history of Synodical Home Missions in North Carolina, Rev. D. I. Craig, of Reidsville, N. C., deserves the approbation of his cotemporaries and will be entitled to the gratitude of posterity for his laborious and successful efforts to preserve for the church and the world the interesting facts recorded. Having been stated clerk of the Synod of North Carolina for many years, having personal knowledge of many of the events men- tioned, having ready access to the documents furnishing information, and having corresponded with many of the most active promoters of mission work in this and other States, the author is eminently qualified to become the historian of this synodical movement. To those who know him, it is needless to say that he has been very diligent in collecting the material, and used the greatest care to render his statements truthful, accurate and profit- able to his readers. It enhances the value of the work he has done for the church to know that he has prosecuted it with comparatively little help or encouragement, and without hope of pecuniary reward. for his toil. But useful labor is largely its own reward, and it is hoped that this publication will receive from the Presbyterians of this Synod a most hearty welcome, and find a place in every home within our bounds.
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CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION, BY H. G. HILL, D. D., 5
CHAPTER I.
A BRIEF RETROSPECT OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH CAROLINA PRIOR TO 1812, 9
CHAPTER II.
THE SYNOD OF NORTH CAROLINA FROM TIIE TIME OF ITS FORMATION UNTIL THE CIVIL WAR, .... 20
CHAPTER III. THE SYNOD OF NORTH CAROLINA DURING TIIE CIVIL WAR AND ITS RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD, 30
CHAPTER IV.
THE ORIGIN OF SYNODICAL HOME MISSIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA, 40
CHAPTER V.
THE INAUGURATION OF SYNODICAL HOME MISSIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA AND MEN OF THE TIMES, 55
CHAPTER VI.
THE PROGRESS OF SYNODICAL HOME MISSIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND THE MEN OF THE TIMES, 70
D PEFTAI
العالمظا بهايحدد
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VII.
THE CONTINUED PROGRESS, AND SOME OF THE RE- SULTS OF SYNODICAL HOME MISSIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND THE MEN OF THE TIMES, . . 88
CHAPTER VIII.
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE RESULTS OF SYNODICAL HOME MISSIONS IN NORTII CARO- LINA, III
EVANGELISTIC AND MISSIONARY ADDRESSES :
FOREWORD, 127
"IF MY COUNTRY WERE HEATHEN," REV. JAMES I. VANCE, D. D., 129
"THIE EVANGELISTIC PASTOR," REV. J. WILBUR CHAPMAN, D. D., 141
"HOME MISSIONS THE SUPREME NEED OF THE HOUR," REV. S. L. MORRIS, D. D., . I71
"MISSION WORK," REV. WM. BLACK, 182
The Presbyterian Church in North Carolina.
CHAPTER I.
A BRIEF RETROSPECT OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH CAROLINA PRIOR TO 1812.
In order to get a clear conception of the development of the Presbyterian Church in North Carolina, it seems necessary to take into consideration some of the facts and conditions of the church from an early period in her history down to the time of the formation of the Synod of North Carolina. Consequently the first chap- ter of this book is devoted chiefly to a brief statement of some of these facts and conditions, touching the progress of the church, and also the dates showing the time of the formation of her courts.
The Presbytery. of Hanover was formed by the Synod of New York in the year 1755, and its territory embraced indefinitely the whole southern country, and, of course, included North Carolina. The first Presbyterian church court (higher than a church session) ever held in North Carolina, so far as I have been able to ascertain, was that of Hanover Presbytery, which convened at "Lower ITico" Church, in Person county, afterwards called "Bar- netts," on October 2, 1765. This meeting was held for the purpose of ordaining and installing the Rev. James
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Cresswell as pastor of this church, together with Grassy Creek and Nutbush churches, in Granville county. At this meeting, also, the Rev. Henry Pattillo was called to the Churches of Hawfields and Little River, in Orange county.
The second meeting of Hanover Presbytery held in North Carolina was at "Middle Hico," now known as "Red House Church," in Caswell county, on June 4, 1766.
The third meeting of this Presbytery held in North Carolina was at Buffalo Church, in Guilford county, then Rowan county, on March 2, 1768. At this meeting the Rev. Dr. David Caldwell was installed pastor, though he had been serving this church for several years; the Rev. Joseph Alexander was ordained "sine-titulo," and the Rev. Hugh McAden was called from Duplin county to the churches on the "Hico." Mr. McAden had been a resident minister in Duplin county since 1757, and Mr. Alexander was the successor of the Rev. Alexander Craighead, who was called to Rocky River in 1758, and who died at Sugar Creek Church, in Mecklenburg county, in 1766. There is no record, so far as I know, of the installation by Hanover Presbytery of Mr. McAden at "Goshen" Church, in Duplin county, or of Mr. Craighead at Rocky River Church, in Cabarrus county. But in those days the synod often acted in a Presbyterial capacity when it was necessary ; for we find that in 1765 a call from the "Catry's Settlement," in North Carolina (Thyatira Church) was presented to the Synod of New York and Philadelphia for the Rev. Elihu Spencer, and placed in his hands; and at the same time a call was presented from the Hopewell and Centre churches for the Rev. Mr. McWhorter, which was not placed in his hands. It would seem from this that Han- over Presbytery was not regarded by these congrega-
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tions, and it is possible that Messrs. McAden and Craig- head were installed by a commission from the synod.
The fourth and last meeting of Hanover Presbytery" held in North Carolina was at Buffalo. Church, in Guil- ford county, March 7, 1770. At this meeting an over- ture to the Synod of New York and Philadelphia was adopted for the erection of Orange Presbytery, and in May following the overture was granted, and on the 5th day of September, 1770, at the Hawfields Church, in Orange county, the Presbytery of Orange was organized.
Prior to 1765 very few regular Presbyterian ministers had resided or were then living in North Carolina. These were the Rev. Messrs. Hugh McAden, James Campbell, Alexander Craighead, James Cresswell, Henry Pattillo, David Caldwell, and James Tate, who was never con- nected with Orange Presbytery, but lived in Wilmington. It is also possible that the Rev. William Tennent lived in Granville county for a short time about 1743, and that the Rev. Samuel Black lived in Duplin or New Hanover county a short time about 1744. There were a number of missionaries sent through the State before this time, and the first missionary, and indeed the first Presbyterian minister, known to have preached in North Carolina was the Rev. William Robinson, about 1742.
Of the above named ministers. McAden, Cresswell, Pattillo and Caldwell, together with Joseph Alexander, Hezekiah Balch and Hezekiah James Balch, composed the original Presbytery of Orange in 1770.
In 1765 many boundaries were fixed, and many churches throughout the State were organized and re- organized by the Rev. Messrs. Spencer and McWhorter, who were commissioned by the synod to do this work, and in 1770 there were about forty or fifty churches in the State, with a membership of about 2,000.
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The territory of Orange Presbytery at this time ex -.. . tended indefinitely to the south and west from the Vir- ginia boundary, but practically only the State of North Carolina east of the Blue Ridge, and the upper part of South Carolina, were occupied by its ministers.
It is a matter of deep, though vain, regret that the records of Orange Presbytery, embracing the first twenty-five years of its history ( 1770-1795, and also from 1812 to 1827) are lost beyond recovery. They were burned with the residence of Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon, near Hillsboro, N. C., on January 1, 1827.
From 1770 to 1784 embraced the period in which oc- curred the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Inde- pendence at Charlotte and at Philadelphia, and American freedom, with all the stirring scenes, events and hardships incident thereto; and yet during that period the Presbyte- rian Church seems to have strengthened and grown more rapidly than for a number of years afterwards. Fourteen ministers were added to the roll, and quite a number of churches were organized during that period. The names of the ministers were: John Harris, James Campbell (who belonged to the old South Carolina Presbytery), James Edmonds, Thomas Reece, John Simpson, Alex. McMillan, Samuel E. McCorkle, Thomas H. McCaul, John Debow, Thomas Hill, Andrew Patton, James Hall, Robert Archibald and John Cossan. The Rev. Dr. McCorkle became a member of the Presbytery in 1777, and the Rev. Dr. Hall in 1778, and these two men were the peers in the western section of the Presbytery; of Henry Pattillo and David Caldwell in the middle or eastern section, and all four of them were profotind scholars, able statesmen and staunch patriots, and they wielded a tremendous influence in their day for civil liberty and Presbyterianism in North Carolina. The
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names of these four men, together with Craighead, McAden, Campbell, Alexander and H. J. Balch, and others mentioned above, will never be forgotten in con- nection with the great struggle for American Independ- ence and the advancement of the Presbyterian Church.
In 1784 there was a general adjustment of the bound- aries of the Presbyteries throughout the United States, and during that year the Presbytery of South Carolina was set off from Orange by the Synod of New York and Philadelphia. The first meeting was held at Waxhaws in April, 1785, with the following members : Rev. Messrs. Alexander, Edmonds, Reece, Harris, Simpson and Fran- cis Cummins. The State line between North and South Carolina now became, to a considerable extent, the south- ern boundary of Orange Presbytery.
In 1788 the Synod of New York and Philadelphia was dissolved, and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was formed, and as a part of the formation the Synod of the Carolinas was erected.
The Synod of the Carolinas existed until 1813, and was composed of the Presbyteries of Orange, South Carolina, and Abingdon, the territory of the latter being chiefly in Tennessee. The first meeting of the synod was held at Centre Church, in Rowan county, North Carolina, on November 5, 1788. The Rev. David Caldwell preached the opening sermon, and was Moderator of the meeting. Only ten ministers and eight ruling elders were present, though the roll of the three Presbyteries at this time showed the names of twenty-eight ministers.
During the existence of this synod considerable efforts were made to extend the Gospel into the destitute regions of the State, and even beyond the State into Tennessee and Mississippi. The great cause of domestic missions was
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freely discussed in what was then called " The Free Con -.. .. versation," and various members of the Synod were appointed from time to time as missionaries, and these brethren would often spend weeks, and sometimes as long as six months, in their journeys travelling over the coun- try and preaching the Gospel wherever they could com- mand an audience. The Rev. James Hall, D. D., did a great deal of this kind of work in his day, and his reports to the synod, which, with others, are still on record, are elaborate and intensely interesting.
In 1795 the Presbytery of Concord was set off from Orange by the Synod of the Carolinas, with the follow- ing twelve ministers: Rev. Messrs. Samuel McCorkle, James Hall, James McRee, David Barr, Samuel C. Cald- well, James Wallis, J. D. Kilpatrick, L. F. Wilson, John Carrigan, Humphrey Hunter, J. M. Wilson and Alexan- der Caldwell. The Yadkin river was made the line of division, cutting the State into two parts, Concord em- bracing the territory west and Orange east of this line. The first meeting of Concord Presbytery was held at Bethphage Church December 24, 1795.
In 1799 the first recorded statistics are given, and these show that the two Presbyteries of Orange and Con- cord had a membership at that time of twenty-nine min- isters and fifty-five churches, but the number of com- municants is not given.
In 1800, and for several years afterwards, the church witnessed and enjoyed one of the most remarkable and wonderful revivals of religion that this country has per- haps ever seen. It began in 1800, and lasted for several years, and it was remarkable in its extent, covering sev- eral States, and in the strange affections of mind and body which possessed the people without warning, and regardless of time or place. It seems to have had its
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origin under the preaching of the Rev. James McGready, .. who was indeed a very remarkable man, and whose first charge was at the Haw River, Speedwell and Stony Creek churches in Orange Presbytery in the years 1793-'5. He removed to Kentucky, where the great revival began, and it gradually spread over a great por- tion of the whole southern country, and especially in North Carolina in the year 1802. Great numbers pro- fessed conversion and united with the church, and a lasting work for the Master seems to have been accom- plished.
A particular account of the life and character of Mr. McGready and of this strange and wonderful work of grace may be seen in Dr. Foote's "Sketches of North Carolina."
In 1812, among the last acts enacted by the Synod of the Carolinas was to set off from Orange the Presby- tery of Fayetteville, with the following eight members: Rev. Messrs. Samuel Stanford, William L. Turner, Mal- colm McNair, Murdock McMillan, John McIntyre, Wil- liam B. Meroney, Allen McDougald and William Pea- cock.
This Presbytery did not meet and organize at the time appointed, but held its first meeting at Centre Church, in Robeson county, October 21, 1813.
The Synod of the Carolinas then adopted, as its closing act, an overture to the General Assembly for the division of itself into two synods, to be known as the " Synod of North Carolina," comprising the Presbyteries of Orange, Concord and Fayetteville; and the "Synod of South Carolina and Georgia," comprising the Presbyteries of South Carolina, Hopewell and Harmony, and that the Synod of the Carolinas be dissolved.
The Synod of the Carolinas then adjourned sine die at New Providence Church, October 5, 1812.
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During the existence of this synod a very great deal was accomplished along many lines, looking to the ad- vancement of Christ's kingdom and the development of the Presbyterian Church. New Presbyteries were formed, boundaries were fixed, and a vast amount of missionary work was done. We must remember-and we too often forget-that in those days the educational, religious and missionary advantages were not what they are now, and that the chief mode of travel was on horseback, and that many of the ministers, pastors as well as missionaries, spent a large portion of their time in the saddle. The territory was almost unlimited, and many of the congre- gations were scattered and far apart, and, besides the daily travel and constant hardships, the occasional trips to the synod or to the General Assembly, the latter usually meeting in Philadelphia, were long and wearisome jour- neys. There were many difficulties to be met and obsta- cles to be overcome; there were no settled plans for syste- matic giving, for the extension and support of the Gospel, and the compensation of ministers was exceed- ingly small, but these men faithfully did their work and preached the Gospel in all its simplicity and purity, and left the results with God.
In those days the church was very jealous of the doc- trines held and preached by her ministers, and of the pure life and character required of them. Consequently there were many cases of investigation and discipline in the synod and in the Presbyteries. Some of these cases were of long duration, and occupied much of the time of the church courts. Such were the cases of the complaint of the Rev. Hezekiah Balch against the Abingdon Pres- bytery, and the counter complaints of the Presbytery against him, and of the Rev. Colin Lindsay in Orange Presbytery.
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The history of Mr. Lindsay in the church courts is a very remarkable one, and he had a very remarkable career. He was born in Scotland, and it is said of him, that he was a very scholarly man, of fine personal appear- ance, a good preacher, and that he commanded a great influence over his friends and adherents. He came from Scotland to North Carolina and united with Orange Pres- bytery in the year 1792, and from this time until 1803, when his ministerial career came to a close, he was almost continuously before the church courts, having been often admonished, several times suspended, .and finally deposed from the ministry. During this period he served, at different times, the churches of Black River, Brown Marsh, Lumberton, Raft's Swamp, Shoe Heel (which is now Maxton), Gum Swamp and Bethel.
A most wonderful story has been told in connection with this man's birth, and while there have been many variations of the story and of its explanation, yet the main facts have been abundantly corroborated, and many of the people of Robeson county accept it as absolutely true. The story, in short, is this: The Rev. Colin Lind- say was born after his mother had died and had been buried ! The explanation is as follows :
Mrs. Lindsay was a lady of culture, refinement and considerable wealth, and in the natural course of events she was taken sick, and to all appearances she died. The family believing her to be dead, the necessary prepara- tions for burial were made, and in preparing the body for the tomb it was customary in Scotland to leave upon the person the individual 'jewelry, just as they had worn it while living, and, thus prepared, the body of Mrs. Lind- say was laid in the tomb and buried. On the night fol- lowing the burial a band of robbers, desirous of obtaining the jewelry, repaired to the grave and opened it. They
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removed the lid from the coffin and proceeded to remove a ring from a finger, and in doing this it was necessary to cut the finger, which drew blood, and immediately the dormant circulation in the body was restored and signs of life were apparent. The robbers fled from the scene in terror, and in their flight they were observed by some persons passing by who immediately repaired to the grave and found Mrs. Lindsay struggling and crying for help! They quickly removed her from the open grave and tenderly bore her to her home, which was hardby, and delivered her to her amazed and dumbfounded family ! In a short time, it is said that Mrs. Lindsay recovered from the shock, and soon after this occurrence the Rev. Colin Lindsay was born !
In those days the church by no means neglected the great cause of education. The doctrine was held by our fathers that wherever a Presbyterian settlement existed and a pastor was located, there next to the church should be a school, and there were quite a number of excellent schools scattered throughout the State. The oldest of them was perhaps "Queen's Museum," afterwards called "Liberty Hall," in Charlotte, the charter of which was twice annulled by the King, and in which many stirring debates were held touching the great questions of the times, and doubtless among them the immortal Declara- tion of Independence. There was also the old "Grove Academy," in Duplin county, by the side of "Goshen" Church, which was perhaps the oldest Presbyterian church in the State. Here the Rev. Hugh McAden, the Rev. James Tate, and perhaps others preached and taught in the olden times. Then there were the famous schools of Caldwell in Guilford, of McCorkle in Rowan, of Hall in Tredell, of Wilson in Cabarrus, and others which were not a whit inferior in many respects to many seats of
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learning much more pretentious in the present time. These classic schools educated many eminent men, and sent forth in their day many scholars of a high order.
The University of North Carolina was founded in 1793 under Presbyterian influences, and the majority of its principal teachers in early times were Presbyterians. It was demanded by our forefathers that all Presbyterian children should at least be taught to read, and we are told "not to be able to repeat the Shorter Catechism was a mark of vulgarity among the people who claimed a natural equality." It has also been said that "from the great efforts made by Presbyterian pastors and mission- aries in establishing and promoting education among the people at large, and from the deep conviction of the im- portance of some degree of education impressed upon the hearts of Presbyterian families, it came to be a fact that in the bounds of the original Presbyterian settlements in North Carolina, very few persons grew up unable to read intelligibly." It is doubtful if the succeeding gene- rations down to the present time, can produce the same evidences of careful teaching and training on the subjects of religion and education, notwithstanding the vastly increased facilities and advantages, that were apparent in Presbyterian Homes before and during the existence of the Synod of the Carolinas.
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CHAPTER II.
THE SYNOD OF NORTH CAROLINA FROM THE TIME OF ITS FORMATION UNTIL THE CIVIL WAR.
The first meeting of the Synod of North Carolina was held at Alamance Church, in Guilford county, on Thurs- day, Ocotber 7, 1813. The following twelve ministers and three ruling elders were present : Rev. Messrs. David Caldwell, Robert H. Chapman, James W. Thompson, William Paisley, Samuel Paisley, Robert Tate, Mur- dock McMillan, John McIntyre, James Hall, Samuel C. Caldwell, John M. Wilson, John Robinson, and Elders Hugh Forbes, John McDonald and William Carrigan.
The Rev. Dr. James Hall preached the opening sermon on the text: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." The Rev. Dr. Robert H. Chapman was elected Moderator, and also elected the stated clerk of the synod.
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