USA > New York > Monroe County > Rochester > History of Rochester Presbytery from the earliest settlement of the country, embracing original records of Ontario Association, and the presbyteries of Ontario, Rochester (former), Tennessee River, and Rochester City > Part 2
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Jan. 4, 1859, Rev. Levi G. Marsh, from the Lincoln Association, Maine.
Feb. 2, 1859, Rev. George P. Folsom, from the Presby- tery of Genesee.
Sept. 12, 1860, Rev. Samuel Jessup, from the Presbytery of Hudson.
June 3, 1862, Rev. Dwight Scovel, from the Presbytery of Onondaga.
June 29, 1864, Rev. S. Mills Day, from the Presbytery of Chemung.
Sept. 15, 1864, Rev. Claudius B. Lord, from the Presby- tery of Buffalo.
Sept. 12, 1866, Rev. Edwin R. Davis, from the Presby- tery of Onondaga.
June 9, 1868, Rev. A. Baker, from the Presbytery of Onondaga.
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Feb. 1, 1869, Rev. Lucius D. Chapin, from the Presby- tery of Washtenaw, Mich., and Rev. Isaac N. Sprague, D.D., from the Presbytery of Newark, N. J., and Rev. Henry M. Hazeltine, from the Western New York Con- sociation.
June 9, 1869, Rev. Joseph L. Whiting, from the Presby- tery of Cayuga.
In addition to the original thirteen churches, others have from time to time been added to the roll as follows :
June 17, 1817, West Poultney and Riga.
Jan'y 20, 1818, North Avon.
Jan'y 19, 1819, Gainesville and Pike.
Jan'y 20, 1819, Groveland.
Jan'y 20, 1820, Nunda.
Feb. 8, 1820, Dansville. June 20, 1820, Lima. Jan'y 15, 1822, Avon.
Aug. 20, 1822, East Bloomfield.
Aug. 19, 1823, North Bristol.
Aug. 23, 1825, Sparta second.
Jan'y 16, 1827, Springwater.
Jan'y 15, 1828, Victor.
Aug. 25, 1829, South Richmond.
June 24, 1829, West Bloomfield 2d.
Nov. 17, 1830, York.
Jan'y 18, 1831, Mount Morris 2d and Moscow.
Jan'y 17, 1832, Conesus.
Dec. 26, 1834, South Avon.
Sept. 18, 1839, Cohocton 2d.
June 2, 1846, Tuscarora.
Feb. 13, 1855, Dansville 2d.
Dec. 11, 1866, Avon Springs.
June 10, 1868, Ossian.
The Rev. Comfort Williams, pastor of the First Church of Rochester, was elected the first stated clerk March 11,
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1817, which office he held for about two years, when with others he was transferred to form the Presbytery of Rochester. He was succeeded by Rev. Abraham Forman, of Geneseo, who held the office less than a year; when, Feb. 8th, 1820, the Rev. John Barnard, of Lima, was elected to the office, which, for fifty years, he continued to hold, greatly to the satisfaction of his co-presbyters, until the Presbytery was merged into that of Rochester at the time of reconstruction.
During the fifty-three years of its existence the interest which Ontario Presbytery took in ministerial education is worthy of notice. At its first meeting, which was years before the founding of Auburn Seminary, it was "Resolved that Rev. Messrs. Fitch, Williams and Collins, and Messrs. Perrin and Parish be a committee to devise some plan for the purpose of educating pious, indigent young men for the gospel ministry, and that they be required to report at the first stated meeting of Presbytery."
In connection with the report of the aforesaid committee the following minute appears : "The subject of forming a society for the education of pious, indigent young men for the gospel ministry was called up, and after mature delib- eration it was considered inexpedient to proceed at this meeting of Presbytery to organize the contemplated society. Therefore, resolved that the business be deferred to a meeting to be held at East Bloomfield on the first Wednesday of September next at 10 o'clock A. M .; that Rev. E. Fitch, D.D., be required to notify the public of said meeting through the medium of the newspapers printed in this region; and that the Doctor open the con- templated meeting with a sermon." What action was taken at this meeting does not appear in the records; but we cannot doubt that it all tended toward the ultimate founding of Auburn Seminary ; for which we have reason to believe large credit was due to the influence of Dr. Fitch. Under date of Aug. 24, 1821, the following resolutions appear :
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"1. Resolved, That a contribution be taken up in each of our congregations in the month of February, annually, which may be appropriated to the aid either of the Semi- nary at Auburn or Princeton, or to both of them, as those who take it may see proper.
"2. Resolved, That it be recommended to the ministers and elders of our churches to form associations in their congregations to cultivate small portions of land, the avails of which shall be appropriated annually, for the benefit of the Seminary at Auburn.
"3. Resolved, That Dr. Fitch be appointed to receive accounts of the formation of such associations and forward them to the trustees of the Seminary."
That the Presbytery took a very deep interest in the education of the Indians living at Squakie Hill, in the town of Leicester, appears from the following resolutions under date of Aug. 23, 1821 :
"1. Resolved, That a representation of the situation of the Indians at Squakie Hill, together with a statement of the proceedings of the Presbyteries of Ontario and Genesee in relation to the establishment of a school among them, be made by this Presbytery to the Board of Managers of the United Foreign Missionary Society, with a view to the relinquishment of the school on the part of Presbytery, provided that society will undertake its management.
" 2. Resolved, That in case the Board of Managers of the U. F. M. Society determine to undertake the manage- ment of the school at Squakie Hill it be relinquished by this Presbytery; and that this Presbytery relinquish in favor of said society whatever right this Presbytery has in the house prepared for the accommodation of said school.
"3. Resolved, That in case the Board of Managers of the U. F. M. Society do not determine to undertake the management of the school before mentioned, the Presbytery ask of the said Board of Managers a portion of the money appropriated by the President of the United States to the instruction and improvement of the Seneca Indians, to be employed by Presbytery in support of said school.
" 4. Resolved, That the Committee on Indian Affairs propose the foregoing to the Presbytery of Genesee at their
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next meeting, for their concurrence; and in case these resolutions or the substance be adopted by said Presbytery, to co-operate with any committee that said Presbytery may appoint for that purpose, in making the contemplated representation to the Board of Managers of the U. F. M. Society.
" 5. Resolved, that in case the Board of Managers of the U. F. M. Society do not undertake the management of the school of Squakie Hill, the above mentioned committee, in connection with a committee for the same purpose from the Genesee Presbytery, conduct the school according to their discretion, and that they report their proceedings and the results of them, to Presbytery at its next stated meeting."
The interest which the Presbytery took in the care of its feeble churches appears in the following "Constitution of the Voluntary Missionary Society for the Presbytery of Ontario," which was adopted by the Presbytery at its meet- ing in Lima, Jan. 18, 1820 :
" ARTICLE 1. The officers of this Society shall be a Presi- dent, Vice-President, Treasurer and Clerk, who shall be annually elected by ballot.
" ART. 2. It shall be the duty of the President, or in case of his absence, the Vice-President, to preside in all meet- ings of this Society.
" ART. 3. The object of this Society shall be to afford occasional supplies of preaching and evangelical instruction to those places in this region which must otherwise remain destitute.
" ART. 4. For the accomplishment of this object it is rec- ommended to each Minister in this Presbytery to spend as much time in missionary labors as his own sense of duty shall direct, and his congregation shall be willing to allow him for that purpose.
" ART. 5. It shall be the duty of the missionary to make collections for the benefit of the Society, wherever practica- ble, and to transmit the same to the Treasurer.
1
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"ART. 6. It shall be the duty of every missionary to keep a journal of his proceedings and labors, to collect useful information relative to the moral state and religious pros- pects of the people among whom he shall labor, and to make a report of the same to this Society once a year at their semi-annual meeting in January ; and this journal is to be forwarded to the General Assembly, in the same man- ner as other missionary journals are forwarded.
" ART. 7. This constitution may be altered or amended afterwards, but only by the consent of two-thirds of the members of this Presbytery present."
The Presbytery then proceeded to elect the following officers : - President, Rev. Ebenezer Fitch, D. D .; Vice- President, Rev. Andrew Rawson ; Treasurer, Rev. Julius Steele, and Clerk, Rev. John Barnard.
As early as Aug. 24, 1825, " Messrs. Barnard, Bull and Day were appointed a committee to compile a history of the Presbytery and to report it at the next stated meeting." It was also " Resolved, that the several churches be directed to prepare histories of their origin, and to forward them to the above committee, on or before the 3d Tuesday of Sep- tember next." At the next meeting, Jan. 18, 1826, this committee reported in part, which was approved, and they were authorized to conduct the business in that way which they should think proper.
The following report on intemperance was adopted Aug. 29, 1827. " The committee appointed to consider the rec- ommendation of the General Assembly on the subject of Intemperance, report that they have attended to the business assigned them; and that they view the common use of ardent spirits in our country an alarming evil, and would recommend the adoption of the following resolutions, viz. :
" 1. Resolved, that the intemperate use of ardent spirits is an evil which the friends of the Redeemer ought to unite in suppressing ; and that it is hereby earnestly recom-
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mended to the churches in connection with the Presbytery to lend their aid in effecting this object.
" 2. Resolved, that the intemperate use of ardent spirits grows out of the temperate use of them, and that, in the judgment of this Presbytery, entire abstinence is the only effectual remedy for the evils of intemperance.
"3. Therefore, Resolved, that the temperate use of ardent spirits ought, in all ordinary cases, to be conscientiously avoided and discouraged.
" 4. Resolved, that we consider the address of Mr. Kitt- ridge on the effects of ardent spirits, as well calculated to promote the object of the previous resolutions, and that the members of this body will encourage its circulation.
" Resolved, that Messrs. Hastings and Chipman procure the publication of the above resolutions and phamphlet for the benefit of our congregation."
January 19, 1831, " It was resolved that the Rev. Charles G. Finney be invited to come and labor within the bounds of this Presbytery ; and that the Rev. Norris Bull be a committee to communicate the resolution to Mr. Finney with such a statement of facts as he may deem expe- dient."
The following report on the subject of slavery was adopted January 17, 1837 :
"The committee on the subject of slavery would respect- fully report that they have endeavored carefully to examine the subject, and beg leave to recommend to the Presbytery the following resolution :
" Resolved, That we consider the enslaving of one part of the human race by another as a gross violation of the most sacred rights of human nature; as utterly inconsistent with the law of God, which requires us to love our neigh- bor as ourselves, and as totally irreconcilable with the spirit and principles of the gospel of Christ, which enjoins that All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them.'
" That therefore we consider it the duty of all Christians, adopting all wise and prudent measures, to use their honest,
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earnest and unwearied endeavors, as speedily as possible, to obtain the complete abolition of slavery in our land, and if possible throughout the world.
" Messrs. Goodrich, Brown and Tracy were appointed a committee to procure the publication of the above resolu- tion in the New York Observer, New York Evangelist and Buffalo Spectator."
The Presbytery of Ontario held its semi-centennial cele- bration at Mount Morris, March 12th, 1867, at which time the Rev. Joseph R. Page preached the Historical Sermon from Ps. 48: 12-13, " Walk about Zion, and go round about her, tell the towers thereof, mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, that ye may tell it to the generation following." This sermon, together with other important historical papers and speeches, was published, from which the following extracts are taken: "Geographically and ecclesiastically and generally this Presbytery soon came to occupy the middle ground, in some respects unfavorable to its growth, excellent as it is in itself. The attractions of the Great West beyond drew thither thousands and tens of thousands of our population, which is less to-day than it was a quarter of a century ago. * * X Individuals and churches of extreme views and intolerant spirit disliked our exemplification of the gospel precept, 'Let your mod- eration be known unto all men,' and separated from us. Ultra abolitionism reveled in its derisive and destructive work. Five of our congregations became connected with the Old School. The 'millstones,' by which we were to be 'ground to powder,' began to revolve, but the predicted result did not follow. Immediately after the division of the church thiis Presbytery placed on record its 'unqualified disapprobation' of the act by which it was accomplished, and for three years continued to elect commissioners to the General Assembly. Then for twelve years it deemed it inexpedient to be represented therein, though its connection with the Synod of Genesee remained as cordial as ever. In
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1852, commissioners were again elected, and the usage has not since been departed from."
" A deep interest has been manifested by it to sustain and carry forward the benevolent and reformatory enter. prises of the age, to improve the temporal condition of men. It was among the first to set up the banner of total abstinence from all that can intoxicate, when whiskey was universally regarded as among the first necessities of the settler, and it has continued to the present day to advocate and exemplify the scriptural principles of the beneficent temperance reform. With no uncertain sound has it from time to time proclaimed the inalienable right of all men to ' life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,' and the wisdom and obligation of at once breaking the chain of the bond- man, and restoring manhood to the slave. It has occupied no timid or time serving position during the recent rebellion, and the grand, and blessed be God, successful effort to subdue it, but with unshaken faith in an ultimate triumph of freedom and righteousness, even in the darkest hour, in common with every religious organization about us, it has rallied its sons around the flag, and encouraged its daughters to sustain the nation's brave defenders."
"The Presbytery of Ontario had its origin at an auspi- cious period. All the vast enterprises of the church, which are the glory of our age, were just beginning to engage the thought and to kindle the zeal of the 'Sacramental host of God's elect.' They were arousing from a long and dreary night of inactivity and slumber, to make resistless onsets upon the strongholds of the kingdom of darkness. Bible and Missionary and Education and Tract and Temperance Societies were springing into life. Sabbath-schools and Bible-classes were a novelty, but rapidly growing in favor and efficiency. The men who organized this body were in full sympathy with these great movements."
" This Presbytery has always shown a special regard for
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the pastoral office. Its ministers have remained longer with the churches than any other in the region. Rev. Dr. Bar- nard was pastor of the church in Lima thirty eight years. At the present time, nine of its churches, all save one, able without aid to support the institutions of the gospel, have settled pastors; the one of longest standing, twenty- seven years, of least, six years; the whole, united, one hundred and eight years, making the average period of settlement just twelve years. No other Presbytery, it is believed, can exhibit a similar record. In every respect we have derived great advantages from this course. It has increased our power over the public mind. It has strength- ened all our interests."
In addition to the historical sermon of Dr. Page, from which these extracts have been taken, this memorial service was rendered intensely interesting by speeches from those representing other Presbyteries, churches and religious insti- tutions : Rev. William C. Wisner, D. D., of the Presbytery of Niagara ; Rev. Joel Wakeman, D. D., of the Presbytery of Bath ; Rev. M. N. Mc Laren, D. D., and Rev. J. E. Nassau, D. D., of the Presbytery of Genesee River ; Rev. Rev. C. F. Mussey, D. D., of the Presbytery of Genesee ; Rev. Timothy Stillman, D. D., of the Presbytery of Buf- falo ; Rev. S. M. Campbell, D. D., of the Presbytery of Rochester ; Rev. Cyrus Hudson, of the Presbytery of St. Lawrence ; Rev. Henry Kendall, D. D., Secretary of Home Missions ; Rev. C. P. Bush, D. D., Secretary of the A. B. C. F. M .; Rev. Wm. S. Mc Laren, of the U. P. Church ; Rev. E. B. Walsworth, D. D., of California, and Rev. J. M. Fuller, of the M. E. Church. Dr. S. H. Gridley, of the Presbytery of Geneva, contributed an important historical paper.
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The following hymn was composed for the occasion by Dr. Thomas Hastings, of New York :
"Smiles and tears full oft are blending Mid the scenes of hallowed joy ; While our sorrows may be tending, Bliss that nothing can alloy. Life, a priceless boon, is given To be filled with earnest zeal
In preparing souls for Heaven, Where we hope ere long to dwell.
" Where are they, who, strong foundations Fifty years ago did lay ? Gone from human habitations- Numbered with the dead are they. But they live in realms of glory Round our blest Redeemer's throne, And perhaps to-day's glad story May to them be fully known.
"What prosperity attends us, What enlargement fills our bounds ! Israel's Guardian still defends us And his light our path surrounds. Thousands who have gone before us Ran with zeal the Heavenly race ; Tens of thousands joined in chorus Yet shall sing recovering grace."
In the work of Foreign Missions this Presbytery co-oper- ated with the A. B. C. F. M. In the work of Home Missions, in addition to the society formed within the Pres- bytery, and for the purpose of helping its own feeble churches by such aid as might be afforded by its own pas- tors, to which reference has already been made, the churches on this ground seem, according to Hotchkin's History, to have co-operated with the Genesee Missionary Society, which was organized in 1810, and maintained a vigorous existence until 1818. This same author is our authority for saying that about one-third of all the funds raised for this Society were contributed by Women's Missionary Societies
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as connected with the different churches. Honorable men- tion is made of contributions from these societies at East and West Bloomfield, Victor and Lima ; showing us that the noble work which our Christian women are now prose- cuting is only the resumption of work which our mothers commenced in the early settlement of the country.
FORMER PRESBYTERY OF ROCHESTER.
At a meeting of the Synod of Geneva, held Feb. 18, 1819, the Presbyteries of Ontario and Niagara were so divided as to form the new Presbyteries of Rochester and Genesee. The boundaries of Rochester Presbytery were : "On the east by the east line of Penfield and Perinton; on the south by the south line of Perinton, Pittsford, Hen. rietta, Riga, Bergen and the Tonawanda Swamp; on the west by the west line of Genesee County (which included Shelby, Ridgeway and Gates), and on the north by Lake Ontario."
This Presbytery, in compliance with the order of Synod, held its first meeting at Rochesterville, April 6th, 1819, in a small wooden building on State street, as is supposed, the same being occupied at that time by the First Church as a house of worship, and was opened with a sermon by Rev. John F. Bliss, from 2d Cor., II : 16, " To the one we are the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things."
The Rev. Comfort Williams, pastor of the First Church, was elected moderator and also stated clerk and treasurer. All the ministers were present, viz: John F. Bliss, Asa Carpenter, Chauncey Cook, Alanson Darwin, Ebenezer Everett and Comfort Williams; together with Josiah Pier- son, a licentiate.
The elders present were Levi Warren, Penfield; Samuel Stone, Pittsford ; Hubbard Hall, West Riga; Oliver Gibbs,
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Rochester ; Pittman Wilcox, Bergen; Moses Fulton, Og- den ; John Bosworth, Sweden, and Levi Smith, Clarkson. East Riga or Chili was the only church then belonging to the body not represented.
The ministers subsequently received will be found in the statistical table which accompanies this sketch.
Other churches have been received into the Presbytery at dates as follows :
Carthage, April 6, 1819; Parma, Jan. 25, 1820 ; Barre and Ridgeway, June 27, 1820; Shelby, April 17, 1821; Sandy Creek, Sept. 11, 1821 ; Gaines and Wheatland, April 16, 1822 ; Clarendon, Feb. 4, 1823; Mendon, July 1, 1823 ; Rush, Feb. 5, 1829; Webster, Sept. 20, 1825; Rochester Brick, Nov. 18, 1825; Rochester Third, Feb 28, 1827; North Bergen, June 24, 1828; Brockport, June 24, 1828; Parma, March 4, 1829; Parma Corners, June 29, 1830 ; West Mendon, June 28, 1831 ; Rochester Free, April 19, 1832; Churchville, July 10, 1832 ; Bushnell's Basin, June 25, 1843; Henrietta, June 27, 1833; Kendall, Feb. 4, 1834 ; Rochester Central, Aug. 4, 1836; Rochester Fifth. June 26, 1838; Charlotte, June 29, 1852; Victor, April 6, 1858; Rochester Westminster, April 5, 1868.
The aforesaid dates are taken from the Statistical History written by Louis Chapin, Esq., and read by him at the Half Century celebration of this Presbytery, April 7, 1869, and which was published, together with a poem by Rev. Charles E. Furman, D. D., a historical discourse by the Rev. Charles P. Bush, D. D., and speeches by Rev. F. DeW. Ward, D. D., Rev. M. N. McLaren, D. D., and Rev. J. R. Page, D. D.
The following extracts are taken from Mr. Chapin's history :
" This exhibit shows that of the forty churches that have belonged to this Presbytery, eighteen are now in its con- nection, four have been set off to Niagara Presbytery, six
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belong to the Rochester City Presbytery, three have re- turned to Congregational relations and nine have been disbanded. % % The eighteen churches now connected with us had at their formation a total member- ship of 356. Their present total number is 3,848.
" Of the ministers connected with this Presbytery, twenty- five are still in it, twenty-two have died when members, one hundred and thirty-seven have been dismissed, four have been stricken from the roll, two have been set off, one has been deposed and one suspended. Six are believed to have been dismissed without record being made ; one hundred and seven of the whole number are believed to be now liv. ing ; forty-seven are known to have died after being dis- missed ; twenty-two have not been heard from lately, but most of them are believed to be dead.
"Lemuel Brooks has been connected with this Presby- tery thirty-eight years, five months and eighteen days. James B. Shaw has been pastor while in it, twenty-eight years, two months and eighteen days. The average time that the one hundred and ninety-eight ministers have been in the Presbytery is six years, four months and three days. The present twenty-five members have been connected with it an average of eleven years and nine months.
" At the first meeting of the Presbytery, committees were appointed to draft constitutions for a Voluntary Missionary Society (home, in its character), and for a Religious Tract Society, and the next year an Education Society was organ- ized ; an Auxiliary Foreign Missionary Society and a Sab- bath School Union were resolved upon.
"Among the duties enjoined on pastors were the assem- bling of baptized children to instruct them in the cate- chism, and to visit the district schools, and make efforts for the improvements of scholars.
" At times the Presbytery was not free from disturbing elements. In 1829, an overture on the subject of Free Masonry was introduced. Several churches had become
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agitated and well-nigh sundered. Pacific counsels prevailed and divisions were prevented. Several of the churches were also disturbed on the doctrine of Christian perfection, to such an extent as led, in some cases, to discipline of pas- tors and people. **
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