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 6
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Mention has been made of Rev. Zadoc Hunn, who located him- self at Bristol in 1795, as the first minister of the Congregational denomination who came into the Genesee country, permanently to reside. The next who followed was Rev. John Rolph from Mas- sachusetts, who was, in January, 1797, installed pastor of the church of South Bristol, by an ecclesiastical council convened for the pur- pose. The ministers who composed this council were Rev. Zadoc Hunn, Rev. Eliphalet Steele of Paris, Oneida county, and Rev. Asahel S. Norton, now Dr. Norton of Clinton, Oneida county, who is yet living. These were the nearest ministers to be obtained. Mr. Steele and Dr. Norton, as the state of the road must have been at that time, could not have performed the journey out in less time than three or four days. This, undoubtedly, was the first ecclesi- astical council that was ever convened in the State of New York, west of the east line of the Military Tract. Mr. Rolph's connex- ion with the church of South Bristol did not prove to be a happy one. Dissension between him and the people in a short time sprang up, and on the ninth day of October, 1800, Mr. Rolph was dismissed from his pastoral charge. He continued to reside in Western New York as long as he lived, but was never again ยท settled in the ministry, and preached only occasionally.
Rev. Reuben Parmele was the next minister, in the order of time, who located in the Genesee country. He came into the country
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to explore, in the autumn of 1798, removed his family in the follow- ing winter, and on the thirteenth day of February, 1799, was in- stalled pastor of the church in that part of the town of Bloomfield which was generally denominated Boughtontown, now the town of Victor. The ceremony of installation was performed by an ecclesiastical council convened for the purpose. Mr. Parmele, like those who preceded him, was a man in middle life, and had been several years engaged in the ministry previous to his coming into the Genesee country. He was a graduate of Yale College of the year 1781. He had once been settled in the ministry in Hines- burgh, Vermont, but, at the time of his removal to Western New York, was from the State of Connecticut. He belonged to the Congregational denomination.
The next settlement of a minister in the order of time, was that of Rev. Timothy Field, at Canandaigua. Mr. Field came to Canan- daigua in the month of June, 1799, in consequence of an application from the people of that village, and on the recommendation of Dr. Dwight, the President of Yale College, with whom he had studied Theology. At his coming he was a licensed preacher of the gos- pel, but had not preached for any length of time. He received a call for settlement from the newly formed church, and in February, 1800, was, by an ecclesiastical council convened for the purpose, ordained to the work of the ministry, and installed pastor of the church of Canandaigua. This was the first ordination that took place in the Genesee country in the Congregational churches, and prior to the occurrence of any such solemnity in the Presbyterian church in that region.
In the year 1799, Rev. Joseph Grover, an elderly clergyman from Parsippany, in New Jersey, came into the country as a missionary in the employ of a Society in New Jersey, formed for the promo- tion of Religion and Learning. Mr. Grover was a member of the Morris County Associated Presbytery, an ecclesiastical body, the members of which were Congregationalists in principle and prac- tice, and which was formed by a secession of four ministers from the Presbytery of New York, and from the Synod of New York and Philadelphia in 1780. Mr. Grover, on his mission, visited the newly formed church of Bristol, preached to them a short time, and received a unanimous call from the church and society to become their pastor, to which call he responded affirmatively. In the win- ter following, he removed his family to Bristol, and on the eleventh day of June, 1800, was installed pastor of the church and congre- gation by the Association of Ontario.
It was, probably, about the time of the settlement of Messrs. Gro- ver and Field, or, perhaps, the succeeding year, that Rev. Eleazar Fairbanks, a Congregational minister of the gospel from the south- eastern part of the State of Vermont, arrived in the Genesee coun- try. He located himself and family near the village of Palmyra, and
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for a considerable period ministered to the church and congrega- tion in that town, and its vicinity ; but was never regularly installed as pastor of any church in Western New York.
In 1800, Rev. Jedidiah Chapman, an experienced minister of the gospel and member of the Presbytery of New York, received an appointment from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States, as " a stated missionary for four years on the north-western frontiers." This appointment was made at the meet- ing of the Assembly at Philadelphia, in the month of May of that year. By the north-western frontier, Western New York was in- tended. Mr. Chapman " was directed to take up his residence in some convenient place for accomplishing the Assembly's views, and required to perform annually six months' missionary labor on a tour through the destitute settlements, for the purpose of organizing churches, as well as preaching the gospel. It was made the duty of Mr. Chapman to direct the routes of the Missionaries sent to that region, and to give them advice for executing their commissions to the best advantage : and another duty prescribed to him was, to lay before the Assembly annually, an account of the religious state of things, the disposition of the inhabitants to receive the word, the number of organized churches, and the prospect afforded for the establishment of more." In obedience to the instructions of the Assembly, Mr. Chapman removed his family from New Jersey, and located himself at the village of Geneva, where he continued to re- side till the period of his decease, in 1813. By the terms of his commission, Mr. Chapman was expected to be employed in the mis- sionary field, under pay from the funds of the Assembly, during six months of the year, and for the remainder of the time, to minister in some congregation where he might obtain compensation for his services. He continued a number of years engaged in missionary service one half of the time, and for the other half, ministering to the congregation of Geneva. Nearly at the same time with the ar- rival of Mr. Chapman at Geneva, or perhaps somewhat later, Rev. John Lindsley, from Kingsborough in the county of Montgomery, located himself in the town of Ovid (now Covert), in the county of Cayuga (now Seneca), and preached a part of the time to the church and congregation in that place. It is believed that he was introduced to that community under the character of a missionary, as it appears from the Minutes of the General Assembly, that in 1800 he was appointed a missionary, with particular direction to visit the town of Ovid. Messrs. Chapman and Lindsley were the first ministers of the Presbyterian denomination who came into Western New York, to reside permanently, and for several years were the only ones of that denomination. Mr. Lindsley was a member of the Presbytery of Albany.
In the autumn of 1801, Mr. James H. Hotchkin, then a very young man, and a licensed preacher of the gospel, under the care
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of the Northern Associated Presbytery of the State of New York, came into Western New York from the county of Greene. He spent about six weeks in the town of Milton (now Genoa), and then proceeded on to West Bloomfield, where he was engaged for a pe- riod of about ten months, to preach to that congregation one half of the time. The other share of the time, he preached during the winter at Northfield (now Pittsford), and in the summer at Charles- town (now Lima.) At the close of his engagement in West Bloom- field, he received a call from the church and congregation in that place, to settle with them in the work of the ministry. He re- turned to his friends in the eastern part of the State, and spent a period of about three months, during which he received ordina- tion as an evangelist from the Northern Associated Presbytery. In the fall he returned to West Bloomfield, accepted the call of the church and congregation, and on the nineteenth day of May, 1803, was installed as their pastor, by an ecclesiastical council convened for the purpose. It is pleasing to notice, at this early period of the ecclesiastical history of Western New York, the friendliness of feel- ing existing between the ministers and churches of the Presbyterian and Congregational denominations. In this ecclesiastical council, convened for the installation of Mr. Hotchkin, Rev. Jedidiah Chap- man of the Presbyterian denomination, and a Ruling Elder from the church of Genoa, sat in the most harmonious manner with Con- gregational ministers and delegates of Congregational churches. The same thing had previously occurred, in the winter preceding, at the ordination of Rev. Ahijah Warren, at South Bristol, and his installation as pastor of the church and congregation in that place. Mr. Chapman was a member of the ordaining council, and cordially participated with his Congregational brethren in the exercises of the occasion.
It will be proper, in this place, to pause in our narration, and briefly notice some circumstances which contributed to the forma- tion of so many churches, and the settlement of so many ministers in such a brief period, in the Genesee country. The influx of emi- grants into the country was great. Every month brought with it an accession to the number of inhabitants. Some of these were members of Congregational or Presbyterian churches. A still larger number, perhaps, though not professors of religion, were, from habit and education, disposed to support religious institutions. The num- ber of settlements was constantly increasing-so was the number of inhabitants in each particular settlement. Hence the ability to support religious institutions was constantly increasing. At the commencement of the year 1799, the ministers resident in the Genesee country were, Rev. Zadoc Hunn, at North Bristol ; Rev. John Rolph, at South Bristol; and Rev. Reuben Parmele, just arrived at Victor. It is believed that Rev. Jedidiah Bushnell, then a licensed preacher of the gospel from Connecticut, was preaching in the vil-
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lage of Canandaigua. From the month of July to November of that year, he was employed as an itinerating missionary, in the service of the Missionary Society of Connecticut. Rev. Seth Wil- liston was employed by the same society for four months in the early part of that year, as a missionary in the county of Ontario, and again towards the close of the year, and most of the succeeding year, though his field of labor on this last mission embraced the whole region of Western New York. Rev. David Barclay and Rev. Robert Logan spent three months as missionaries under com- missions from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, mostly in the counties of Ontario and Steuben. In connexion with the labors of these ministers, God was pleased to pour out his spirit on the people in a remarkable manner, and a glorious work of grace was accomplished, extending into many places in Western New York. For many years afterwards the year 1799 was mentioned as the year of the " Great Revival." The preaching and labors of Messrs. Williston and Bushnell were in a particular manner instru- mental of good in this work of Divine grace. These ministers, a short time since, were still living, and able to labor in their Master's vineyard. Mr. Williston is the Rev. Seth Williston, D.D., of Dur- ham, Greene county, N.Y. Mr. Bushnell, the Rev. Jedediah Bush- nell of Cornwall, Vermont, who departed this life, August 20th, 1846, in the full enjoyment of the hope of a blessed immortality. As this work of grace was the first extensive work of the kind which oc- curred in Western New York, and has such a bearing on the sub- sequent ecclesiastical history of the country, it may not be amiss to give a somewhat detailed account of it. This we will endeavor to do in the language of those who were personally connected with it.
Dr. Williston, in a letter dated April 29th, 1799, and addressed to the Editor of the New York Missionary Magazine, says, " There has been a very pleasing attention to the one thing needful, in seve- ral societies in this county (Ontario), during the winter, and it still continues. The seriousness began, I believe, at Palmyra, a town which is situated about fifteen miles north from Canandaigua, where several have hopefully been brought to Christ. At Bristol and Bloomfield there has been, and still is, a most solemn attention to the concerns of eternity. Bloomfield is a large town ; it contains three congregational societies ; the awakening has prevailed in them all. In one of these societies (Victor), where they have lately settled a minister, the awakening is now very much upon the increase. The youth and children seem to be roused up to inquire, What must we do to be saved ? In Bristol the work seems to have a new spring. In that place, I believe there are as many as twenty persons who have lately obtained a hope of their saving acquaintance with Christ. In the several places in this neighborhood where the work of God is going on, there are, probably, about sixty whose hearts, we hope,
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are renewed, and many, who have no hope in Christ, are pretty fully convinced that they are in a deplorable state without religion. There are some other towns in the vicinity, where there is more than a usual attention paid to religious matters. A few drops from the cloud of glory have fallen upon Pittstown (Richmond). At Charlestown (Lima) the people are quite desirous of having the word preached ; and, what is very encouraging to the friends of religion in this quarter, there is a very pleasing and uncommon at- tention to public worship in Canandaigua, the capital of this county, and one of the most flourishing towns in all the western part of the State. The people generally attend public worship, and when pre- sent, they apparently give a solemn attention to that which is spoken by the preacher. They have had a worthy young candidate (sup- posed to be Mr. Bushnell) with them for six months past, who has been an instrument of much good in the county. In Canandaigua there are a few individuals whose minds are anxious about futurity. The spirit evidently began to be poured out upon Bristol and Bloom- field about the beginning of the year. The preaching of the gospel, and the attendance upon conference meetings, appears to have been the principal means which the spirit has made use of to begin and carry on the good work. There has been a remarkable attention paid to public instruction, not only on the Sabbath, but also upon week-days. It has been difficult during the winter to get places large enough to accommodate, or even contain the people who have come together to hear something about Jesus and his salvation. It seemed as if there was scarcely anybody at home who could possibly get to meeting. Once I saw about four hundred people assembled at one place. When at the place of worship there is a very solemn attention paid to the preaching. The countenances of many show how anxious their minds are to know how they may flee from the wrath to come. There are some pretty remarkable instances of the sovereignty of grace. The awakening among us is very free from noise and wildness. Convictions in general are pretty clear, and the supposed conversions are not of the visionary kind. The doctrines which God makes use of to awaken and con- vince sinners among us, are those which are commonly distinguished as Calvinistic doctrines." The circumstance above mentioned, that on one occasion as many as four hundred were assembled to attend on public worship, is indicative of the state of the population at that period. This meeting was held in the most thickly settled part of Western New York ; and, probably, far the greater part of the peo- ple of sufficient age to hear with understanding, and who resided within four miles of the place of meeting, were in attendance.
At a period considerably later than the date of the preceding communication, Mr. Bushnell, in writing to the Trustees of the Mis- sionary Society of Connecticut, says :- " I have spent most of my time since I entered upon my mission in the county of Ontario. In
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that county God has been pleased to pour down his spirit in a remarkable manner. The religious attention began more than a year ago in the town of Bristol. It soon spread in a number of societies in the town of Bloomfield. The work increased gradually through the winter. But in the spring and summer following (1799), God made a more wonderful display of divine power and grace in the conversion of sinners. It was truly a glorious time ; many people, it is believed, will remember it for ever. Through the whole awakening, the most evident marks have appeared that the work was God's work. The convictions of sinners have been regular, solemn, and pungent ; their conversions calm, rational, and heavenly. Two societies in the town of Bristol, and three in the town of Bloomfield, have been the most highly favored with the blessed effusions of the Holy Spirit, though the neighboring soci- eties have shared considerably in the fruits of the glorious harvest ; and in my last tour over the country, individuals appeared awakened in most places. Five churches have been formed in the county of Ontario ; the year past, also, great additions have been made to a number of churches previously organized. In some of the other western counties, appearances are promising. Audiences are fre- quently numerous, and the attention solemn ; but, notwithstanding, some parts of the wilderness have of late appeared to bud and blossom like the rose. There are many places where the inhabit- ants are truly in a deplorable situation. They are perishing in darkness. It is not uncommon for missionaries to preach where the people have not heard a sermon for twelve months. Their destitute situation is truly affecting." This letter was undoubtedly written in the spring of 1800. The five churches said to have been organized within a year, must have been those in Canandaigua, No. 11, now Victor, West Bloomfield, North Bristol, and Middletown, now Naples. This place shared considerably in the revival, though it is not named in the preceding communications. The revival paved the way for the organization of most of these churches. As the result of this revival, between one and two hundred members were added to the several churches in the county of Ontario.
With regard to the means employed to promote this revival, Dr. Williston observes,-" The preaching of the gospel, and the attend- ing upon conference meetings, appear to have been the principal means which the Spirit has made use of to begin and carry on the good work." It may undoubtedly be said with truth, that all the ministers who had any connexion with this work, were entirely harmonious in their views respecting the doctrines which it was proper to preach, and the measures which should be employed to promote a revival. With regard to the character of the preaching, Dr. Williston remarks,-" The doctrines which God makes use of to awaken and convince sinners among us, are those which are commonly distinguished as Calvinistic." Those who are in any
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degree acquainted with the published writings of Dr. Williston-and they have been pretty widely disseminated-will be at no loss to apprehend what he means by the doctrines commonly distinguished as Calvinistic. They will understand, that he means to include the doctrines of man's entire depravity of heart by nature, and alienation from God-his inability while remaining in this state to do anything acceptable to God-an inability consisting wholly in indisposition of heart ;- man's perfect obligation to do the whole law of God ;- the duty of immediate repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, whose atonement constitutes the sole ground of the sinner's justification with God ; the person, character, and work of the Mediator; the fulness and freeness of the overtures of mercy in the gospel ; the necessity and nature of the work of the Holy Spirit in the regeneration of the heart, and the sovereignty of God in the bestowment of the Spirit's influences ; together with the realities of the world to come. Nor in this enumeration of doctrines preached, is the doctrine of the particular election of a select num- ber of the human family to final salvation, to be omitted. These doctrines were clearly, fully, affectionately, and constantly pre- sented in the preaching of the Word, to the view of the hearers, and were manifested to be the sword of the Spirit to pierce the consciences and hearts of sinners.
Dr. Williston mentions conference meetings as another means of promoting the revival. At this early period of the ecclesiastical history of Western New York, all that machinery for getting up and carrying on revivals of religion, which has to such an extent been employed in modern times, was utterly unknown. The plain, faithful exhibition of divine truth, together with earnest persevering prayer to God for the special influence of the Holy Spirit to make it effectual, was understood to be the legitimate means of promoting revivals of religion. Conference meetings, so called, were very frequent in the Eastern States, during the latter part of the last, and beginning of the present century. They were meetings of indivi- duals of a neighborhood, and sometimes of a parish, ordinarily held on a week-day, for religious exercises. They were opened and closed with prayer, ordinarily accompanied with singing. The interval between the opening and closing exercises, which included in it the greater part of the meeting, was occupied with conversation on religious subjects, or at times with address in a way of exhortation. The conversation sometimes was confined to a particular subject, or portion of scripture ; sometimes it was of a more desultory character. During the meeting, often questions were asked respecting the meaning of passages of scripture, or for information respecting some doctrine or duty contained in the word of God, and answers were given. In times of revival, the meeting often assumed the character of an inquiry meeting, and much of the time was occu- pied in personal conversation with individuals, especially young
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converts, and the awakened, respecting the state of their souls. Such meetings were generally very frequent in times of revival, and afforded most precious opportunities to ministers to impart instruc- tions to the awakened, and young converts, appropriate to their individual circumstances. The ministers who were connected with this revival, had much to say on the danger of resting on a spurious hope, and were very earnest in imparting instruction on the dis- tinguishing characteristics of a well-founded hope in Christ. As the result of this course of instruction and treatment, those who united with the churches were generally well indoctrinated, and were able to give a clear and rational account of a work of grace on their hearts. They generally remained steadfast after their profession. Had a similar course of instruction and training been pursued in revivals of later times, if the number of professors had been less, the church would not have had to mourn over the dis- sensions and divisions, the alienation of affection, the animosities and heart-burnings, the secessions and apostasies, which have marred her beauty, rendered her a laughing-stock to her enemies, and afflicted her in all her members.
Mention has been made of the Association of Ontario, in con- nexion with the notice of the Installation of Mr. Grover at North Bristol. This was the first ecclesiastical body of the kind, which was formed in New York. At the commencement of the year 1800, several churches having been organized, and a small number of ministers being located in the country, it was judged proper that an Association should be formed for the purpose of greater union in action, for the promotion of the interests of reli- gion. Accordingly, on the eighteenth day of March, 1800, Rev. Messrs. Zadoc Hunn, Joseph Grover, John Rolph, Reuben Par- mele, and Timothy Field, met at Bristol, and having united in solemn prayer to God for wisdom and direction, did form them- selves into an Association, to be called, " The Association of On- tario." The model after which the Association was formed, was the Morris County Associated Presbytery, in the State of New Jersey, of which Mr. Grover was a member. The ministers agreed to invite each church to send a delegate to take a seat in the Association, and to take a part in all the deliberations, and vote with the ministers on all questions. The churches generally com- plied with this invitation, and were considered as belonging to the Association. They agreed to hold semi-annual meetings, and at each meeting to choose a Moderator and Clerk. A Register was also appointed to be a standing officer, to transcribe the minutes into a book, and take charge of all the papers belonging to the Association. They claimed no jurisdiction over the churches, and were a mere advisory body, at least for several years. After three or four years the constitution of the Association was revised, and so altered as to give the Association a jurisdiction over the minis-
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