USA > New York > A history of the purchase and settlement of western New York : and of the rise, progress and present state of the Presbyterian Church in that section > Part 19
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The Presbytery of Bath, on their minutes, under date of August 31st, 1831, say-"Since the last stated meeting, it has pleased the God of grace signally to bless many of our churches, by reviving his own believing people, and pouring out his Spirit upon souls dead in trespasses and sins. In consequence of this, about four hundred have been added to our churches. In some of our churches thus visited, the effects have been manifested gradually ; in others, sud- denly. In general, the awakening of sinners, and apparent con- versions, have followed unusual concern and exertion on the part of ministers and church members. A very special blessing has been noticed as the effect of plain and faithful pastoral visiting from house to house. One of our ministers spent his whole time in visiting, except that portion of it which was spent in public preaching. Where ministers and people had become more than ordinarily engaged in the use of the means of grace, continued prayer-meetings and preaching for several days in succession have been generally attended with great manifestations of God's power
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over the hearts of sinners." This period of revival affected the greater part of the churches of the Presbytery of Bath : but was most powerful in the congregations of Prattsburgh and Wayne. In Prattsburgh, a revival had been enjoyed in 1830, which added to the church, by profession, twenty-nine members. In April, 1831, another revival occurred. The work increased through the months of May and June, and a goodly number expressed a hope of par- don through the merits of a Saviour's blood. As the fruits of this revival, seventy-one were added to the church on a profession of faith. During the year 1831, there were added on profession of faith in Christ, to the church of Wayne, ninety members ; to the church of Bath, thirty-four ; to the church of Southport, fifty-one ; to the church of Painted Post, thirty-two ; to the church of Howard, thirty-five ; to the church of Starkey, eighty-three ; to the church of Pulteney, fifty-seven ; to the church of Lawrenceville, twenty ; to the church of Campbell, twenty-seven ; to the church of Cohoc- ton, twenty-six ; to the church of Kennedyville, nineteen ; to the church of Hornby, twenty-five ; and to the church in Jasper, twenty- four.
A number of the churches under the care of the Presbytery of Angelica partook, in a greater or less measure, of these blessed influences of the Divine Spirit, and, in consequence, were enlarged in the number of their members. The church of Almond received, on profession, about eighty ; Black Creek, thirty ; Angelica, ten ; Portage, twenty-seven ; Franklinville, fifteen ; Ossian, twenty-five ; Haight, ten ; Cuba, eighteen ; and Pike, twenty-four. Most of these churches, previous to this season of revival, were very small. Several of them, by the additions made in 1831, were more than doubled, as to the number of their members, and one or two new churches were organized.
Respecting the congregations in which there were revivals with- in the bounds of the Presbytery of Onondaga, the author has no definite information, except that which is derived from the minutes of the General Assembly for 1832. In these minutes this Presby- tery is mentioned as one within whose bounds an interesting work of grace had been wrought. The church of Onondaga Hill is re- ported as having had, the preceding year, added to its communion, by profession, twenty-seven new members ; Onondaga Hollow, forty-eight ; Syracuse, ninety-four ; Salina, forty-six ; Otisco, eighty- four ; Manlius, fifty-eight ; Fayetteville, sixty-seven ; Ridgeville, sixty-three ; Pompey Hill, forty-one ; Wampsville, thirty-one ; Orville, twenty-one; Matthews' Mills, twenty-eight. These num- bers added to the churches indicate revivals in the churches, as having been experienced, and, in several instances, revivals of great power. A correspondent informs, that in 1831 a very interesting revival occurred in the congregation of Baldwinsville, the influence of which is still felt in the church. The number added to this
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church is not stated. The author believes that revivals occurred in one or two other churches of this Presbytery, but, as they failed to make the proper report to the Presbytery, the number added to them is not stated.
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CHAPTER XIII.
History of Revivals continued. Revivals of 1832. Synod of Geneva. Presbytery of Bath. Synod of Genesee. Revivals of 1833. 1534, Synod of Genesee. 1835, Spiritual drought. 1836, not remarkable. 1837, a year of Revivals. Synod of Genesee, Presbytery of Buffalo, Genesee, Angelica. Synod of Geneva. Revivals of 1833. Continuation of Revival till 1837.
THE revivals of 1831 in Western New York were more general, and brought accessions to the churches in such immense numbers, that they constitute an era in its history deserving a peculiar notice. We have, on this account, been somewhat diffuse in our narration of them. Revivals of great interest have succeeded, but it will be necessary that we should be more brief in our relation of them. Some of the revivals which commenced in 1831 were protracted into the succeeding year before their termination. Others had their commencement and termination within the year 1832. This year, though not to be compared with the preceding one, was nevertheless a year of spiritual blessings to Western New York. The Synod of Geneva, at their meeting in October, 1832, say, in their minutes, "It appears that thirty-five congregations within our bounds have, to some degree, experienced the reviving influence of the divine spirit." The Presbytery of Bath, in their Narrative, observe :- " Although we cannot tell of so extensive and powerful revivals of religion as some other parts of our beloved Zion, yet upon some of our churches refreshing showers of divine grace have fallen, and upon others the influence has been as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the moun- tains of Zion. About three hundred members have been added to the churches by profession." This statement is under date of August, 1832. In April of the next year, they say :- "The past year has been emphatically a year of the right hand of the Most High to many of our churches. Showers of divine grace have descended, and the Holy Ghost has visited us with his quickening and sanctifying power. As the fruits of this refreshing, about five hundred members have been added to our churches, and numbers more are indulging the hope that they have passed from death unto life. The congregations that have shared most largely in the divine influence, which the great Head of the Church has shed down upon us, are those of Prattsburgh, Elmira, Horse Heads, Southport, Mead's Creek, Havanna, Painted Post second, Howard, Bath, Reading, Jasper, Hammondsport, Cohocton, Wheeler centre, and Kennedyville." The number of five hundred, mentioned in
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this account, probably includes, in part, the three hundred men- tioned in the preceding account. Within the bounds of this Pres- bytery, ten new churches were organized, within the year preced- ing this narration. In some of the congregations connected with the Synod of Genesee revivals were granted, but by no means to the extent of the preceding year. In the minutes of the General Assembly for May, 1833, it appears that very considerable addi- tions were made to the churches of Rochester free church, Clark- son, Brockport, Medina, Buffalo free church, Buffalo German Evangelical, and Fredonia. The Presbyteries of Ontario and Genesee made no report that year.
The year 1833 was more distinguished by revivals in the churches of Western New York. Among those thus distinguished may be named Owego, Union, Onondaga Hollow, Sennett, Auburn, Scipio second church, Wolcott, Campbell, Painted Post, Cuba, Mount Morris, Rochester Brick church, Parma, Holly, Brockport, Wheatland, Leroy, Pembroke, Batavia, Alexandria, Attica, Coving- ton, Byron, Sheldon first, Sheldon second, Arcade, Albion, Medina, Ridgeway, Shelby, Niagara Falls, Buffalo Free, Dunkirk, Ripley, and Silver Creek. In some of these congregations the revival was but the continuation of the work of the preceding year. The author does not suppose that he has named all the congregations in which a very considerable work of the Holy Spirit was ex- perienced.
During the year 1834, the work of the Spirit, in a considerable degree, was continued. The Synod of Genesee state, on their minutes, in October, that seasons of refreshing had been enjoyed in more than forty of the churches under their care ; that whole churches, by these precious visitations of mercy, had been aroused to new life and activity, and hundreds had been added to the church by a public profession of their faith in Christ. Within the bounds of the Synod of Geneva the revivals in the churches were not numerous, although a few places were visited with special divine influences, and converts added to the churches.
In October, 1835, the Synod of Genesee state on their records : " There have not been as many revivals of religion as in several years preceding, though it appears that a healthful religious influence prevails, and the tone of piety under the ordinary means of grace is on the advance ; whilst, in many churches, the riches of redeem- ing mercy have been exhibited in the precious outpourings of the Holy Spirit." The Presbytery of Genesee mention the churches of Sheldon second, Orangeville, Attica, Warsaw, and Covington, as having experienced refreshings from the presence of the Lord. The Presbytery of Buffalo record that four of their churches had enjoyed, during the year, extensive revivals, in which about two hundred and fifty individuals were believed to have been converted unto God. In the Presbytery of Angelica, the churches of An-
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gelica and Andover are mentioned as having been blessed with revivals. To the church of Angelica seventy members were ad- ded by profession. Within the bounds of the Synod of Geneva the churches, in which revivals occurred, were few in number. It was a year of spiritual drought.
The year of 1836 seems not to have been distinguished by many cases of powerful visitations of the Holy Spirit. The Synod of Geneva complain of " an evident, extended, and lamentable sus- pension of the influences of the Holy Spirit from the churches." Within the bounds of the Presbytery of Geneva, the congregations of Geneva, Romulus, Ovid, and Palmyra, were blessed with re- vivals. To the thirty-one congregations which made their annual report to Presbytery, two hundred and sixty members had been added by profession. Within the bounds of the Presbytery of Cayuga, the congregations of Auburn, Ithaca, and Ira, were visited with the tokens of the special presence of the divine Spirit in his converting influences. In the Presbytery of Bath, the con- gregation of Hammondsport, and in the Presbytery of Chenango, the congregation of Sherburne, enjoyed revivals. In the Synod of Genesee, the congregations of Ossian, Angelica, Franklinville, Centreville, and Almond, in the Presbytery of Angelica ; Parma and Greece, in the Presbytery of Rochester ; several congrega- tions not named, in the Presbytery of Buffalo ; Sheldon second church, China, Oakfield, and Leroy, in the Presbytery of Genesee, are reported as having been blessed with the effusions of the divine Spirit.
The year 1837 was peculiarly distinguished as a year of revivals. The Synod of Genesee record on their minutes, under date of Oc- tober, 1837, " Thirty-six of our churches have enjoyed peculiar re- freshings from the presence of the Lord during the year ; some of which have been prominently distinguished for the power and glory of the Lord." The Presbytery of Buffalo, under date of January, 1838, say, "Out of twenty-three churches which have reported, there are only three which have not been, more or less, refreshed from the presence of the Lord ; some have had the spirit of God poured out upon them in copious showers, and considerable num- bers have been rescued from the paths of sin, and the bondage of Satan, and are now sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in their right mind. Other churches have been visited by less effusions of the Holy Spirit descending upon them, but all of them have received additions to their number from the world, and the effect upon the hearts of God's people has been to stir them up to greater activity in the great work of rescuing souls from death." The Presbytery of Genesee, under date of February 14th, 1837, state, " The churches of Leroy, Warsaw, Oakfield, Byron, Pembroke, Darien, and Perry Village, have been richly watered from on high; in each of the two former, it is believed that from one hundred to one hundred and
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fifty souls have been born of the spirit of God ; and in the others there have been from thirty to sixty subjects of grace. Some other churches, as those of Middlebury, China, Wethersfield Springs, Gainsville, and Sheldon second church, have enjoyed a refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and received additions to their num- bers." At a later date, Orangeville and Attica are mentioned as places visited with revivals. On the records of the Presbytery of Angelica, it is recorded, under date of May, 1837, " The churches that have experienced special tokens of Divine favor, are Ossian, Angelica, Franklinville, Centreville, and Almond. The work in Al- mond has been particularly precious in its fruits, and promises to be permanent in its results." On the minutes of the General Assembly for May, 1838, four churches in the city of Rochester, and the con- gregation of Chili, within the bounds of the Presbytery of Rochester, are named as places visited with revivals ; also the congregations of Livonia, Richmond, West Bloomfield, Genesee first church, Sparta second church, Mount Morris first and second churches, in the Presbytery of Ontario, and, in addition to those above named, Cuba, Hunt's Hollow, and Rushford, in the Presbytery of Angelica, and Castile and Bethany in the Presbytery of Genesee. Within the bounds of the Synod of Geneva, it is stated that several congre- gations in the Presbytery of Chenango; most of those under the care of the Presbytery of Tioga; in the Presbytery of Cortland, those of Homer and Preble; in the Presbytery of Onondaga, the congregations of Wampsville, Lenox, Peterboro, Fayetteville, Man- lius, La Fayette, Syracuse, and Lysander ; in Cayuga Presbytery those of Auburn, Jordan, and Marcellus third church ; Waterloo, Junius, Galen, Geneva, Phelps, Huron, Palmyra, Middlesex, Penyan, Branchport, and the independent church of Canandaigua, within the bounds of the Presbytery of Geneva ; several congregations con- nected with the Presbytery of Chemung ; the congregations of Kennedyville, Dundee, Prattsburgh, Howard, Wheeler, Pulteney, Bath, in the Presbytery of Bath, enjoyed precious seasons of re- freshing from the presence of the Lord, adding greatly to the num- ber of members in the several churches.
The revivals of 1838 were not as numerous as those of the pre- ceding year ; though sufficient to manifest that the Lord had not forsaken this part of his heritage. The Synod of Genesee state, that of the churches from which returns had been received, not less than fifteen had been visited with the gracious influences of the Divine spirit, which had resulted in the addition of some hundreds to the churches under their care. The Presbytery of Buffalo record, that to sixteen of their churches had been added, on profession of faith in Christ, two hundred and ninety-five members. The Presbytery of Genesee speak of revivals in Gainsville, Attica, Castile, Leroy, Pembroke, Darien, and East Bethany, during which about two hun- dred hopeful conversions had occurred. The Presbytery of Ange-
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lica name as churches blessed with the reviving influences of the Holy Spirit, Allen, Almond, Cuba, New Hudson, Philipsville, and Friendship, as the result of which it was believed that four or five hundred souls had been converted to God. The Presbytery of On- tario speak of the state of religion as more prosperous, and of some churches as in a measure revived. Within the bounds of the Synod of Geneva, our information is defective. The Presbytery of Bath notice special operations of the divine Spirit on a number of their congregations, particularly that of Prattsburgh, in which more than one hundred members by profession were added to the church. The Presbytery of Chemung name Elmira, Southport, Horse Heads, and the second church of Wells, in the State of Pennsylvania, as having enjoyed the reviving influences of the spirit of grace. Sixty members were added to the church of Elmira, on profession of their faith. Revivals also were enjoyed in the congregations of Owego, Ithaca, East Groton, Auburn, Junius, Wolcott, Huron, and Phelps.
During the year 1839, the Synod of Genesee state, that between thirty and forty of the congregations under their care had been blessed with the special outpourings of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of which had been the introduction into the church of some hun- dreds of members on the profession of their faith in Christ. Within the bounds of the Synod of Geneva, the Presbytery of Bath make mention of the gracious visitations of the divine Spirit upon the congregations of Rock Stream, Wayne, and Hornellsville. The Presbytery of Ithaca record a powerful work of the Spirit in Dan- by, adding sixty members to the church ; a gracious work in pro- gress in Ithaca, which had increased the church by an addition of about seventy members ; also less effusions in the congregations of Hector, Burdette, and Mecklenburgh. Some other congregations within the bounds of the Synod were visited ; but the year was not distinguished as a year of revivals, but mostly as a year of spiritual dearth. The year 1840 furnishes comparatively few in- stances of special revival. The Presbytery of Genesee mention the congregations of Oakfield, Byron, Pembroke, Alexander, Shel- don, and Bennington, as having enjoyed revivals in a greater or less degree. The Presbytery of Angelica, under date of July 18, say : " There have been, during the past year, precious seasons of revival enjoyed by a number of our churches. Those most signally blessed are Nunda, Angelica, Portage, Dansville, Burns, and Os- sian, as the fruits of which between three and four hundred mem- bers have been added to our churches during the year. Within the bounds of the Synod of Geneva, the instances of special out- pourings of the Holy Spirit were not numerous. Some of the churches were visited, but their number is not large. A similar remark may be made with reference to the year 1841. The Synod of Geneva state, that no revival of religion of considerable import- ance had been reported as then existing. They notice, however,
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that the regenerating and reviving influences of the Holy Spirit had not been entirely withheld from the congregations during the year. Refreshings from the presence of the Lord had been enjoyed by some of the churches in nearly every Presbytery represented. Within the bounds of the Synod of Genesee, the Presbytery of Angelica name Dansville, Centreville, Cuba, Allen, Rushford, Inde- pendence, and Andover, as places blessed with revivals, and state that the entire increase of members of churches within their bounds was about two hundred and fifty. The Presbytery of Ontario no- tice an interesting state of religious feeling in Centreville, adding thirty-two to the number of the members of the church; also some interest in the congregations of Lima, Fowlerville, and Dans- ville. The Presbytery of Rochester mention revivals in Webster, Pittsford. and Bergen. The Presbytery of Genesee record a re- vival in the congregation of Byron, adding sixty members to the church at one time ; also hopeful conversions and additions to the churches in China, Elba, Sheldon first and second churches, Attica, and Batavia. The Presbytery of Buffalo say : "The preaching of the gospel has been crowned with the Spirit's gracious influences. The hopeful regeneration of four hundred souls, while it has called forth notes of joy from angel tongues, should inspire us with grate- ful confidence in the appointed means of conversion, and infuse fresh vigor into every effort to reach the conscience."
For the year 1842, the Synod of Genesee record : " In several instances seasons of special refreshings of the Spirit have been enjoyed, and, in some cases, copious showers of divine grace have descended upon the heritage of the Lord. Revivals have blessed the churches of Silver Creek, Jamestown, Ellicottville, and Port- land, in the Presbytery of Buffalo; of Attica, Batavia, and Leroy, in the Presbytery of Genesee ; of Ridgeway, Millville, Middleport, Somers, Willson. and Porter, in the Presbytery of Niagara ; of the first church, Brick church, third church, and Washington street church in Rochester, the churches of West Mendon, Clarkson, and North Bergen, in the Presbytery of Rochester; and the churches of Lima and Geneseo village, in the Presbytery of Ontario." In Lima the additions to the church amounted to near seventy, in Geneseo village to between eighty and one hundred. The Pres- bytery of Angelica say : "During the past year many of our churches have been blessed with revivals of religion." Within the bounds of the Synod of Geneva, in the Presbytery of Bath, the congregations of Naples, Prattsburgh, Hammondsport, and Tyrone, were blessed with more than ordinary manifestations of the Divine presence. In the Presbytery of Geneva, the congregations of Walworth, Huron, Lyons, Clyde, and Junius, were blessed with refreshings from on high. Revivals also were experienced in the congregations of Burdette and Genoa first church.
In 1843, in some parts of Western New York, revivals were
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more numerous. The Synod of Geneva say, " The Spirit has been poured out from on high ; our churches have been revived, and men as a flock have been added to them. In many of our churches, great and wonderful visitations of divine mercy have been enjoyed. Within the bounds of some Presbyteries, hardly a church has re- mained unblessed, and throughout the whole extent of Synodical territory, it does not appear that any extensive region has been left altogether as a heath in the desert." The Presbytery of Onondaga say, " Upon the churches in Syracuse, Fayetteville, Onondaga, La Fayette, Lysander, Camillus, and De Witt, the Spirit has descended with his converting and reviving influence, and many have been made to hope, during these favored seasons of Zion. These refresh- ings have been of the happiest character upon the churches and community generally. Additions are reported to have been made by profession to nearly all the churches. Probably, some 200 or over have been added by profession to the churches under our care, during the past year." The Presbytery of Chenango say, " In a few churches God has graciously made bare his arm, and glorified his name in the humiliation of his children, and the salva- tion of sinners. There is a solemn attention to the means of grace, and an earnest importunity in prayer which betoken better days, and inspire the fond hope that outpourings of the Spirit will soon become general." The Presbytery of Tioga say, "The Lord has heard the prayers of his saints, and has poured out his Spirit exten- sively upon some of our churches." Which of the churches were the recipients of these blessings is unknown to the author. The Presbytery of Ithaca states,-" The church of Ithaca has received an addition of ninety members, by examination, as the fruits of a most interesting season of refreshing. The church in Varna has received an accession of forty members, the subjects of a work of grace in that place, during the last winter. The additions to the church in Burdette, by examination, are forty-five, and the revival of which they are the fruits has not wholly subsided. Trumans- burgh has been blessed in a similar manner, and thirty-six have been received on profession of their faith. In Danby some have been hopefully converted. Ludlowville has been increased from sixty-three to ninety-five members. Dryden has received a few members the past year, in addition to forty-five not before reported." The Presbytery of Chemung say,-" It has never been our privilege to report so much of the goodness of the Lord during any one year. Many of our churches have enjoyed precious seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Quite copious showers have de- scended upon Lawrenceville, Corning, Big Flats, Fairport, Elmira, Chemung, and Athens ; and more or less drops of mercy have fallen upon other places." In the Presbytery of Cayuga revivals were enjoyed in the congregations of Genoa first church, Elbridge, and Sennett; in the Presbytery of Geneva, in the congregations of
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