USA > New York > Wyoming County > Warsaw > History of the centennial celebration : Warsaw, Wyoming County, New York, June 28-July 2, 1903 : 1803-1903 > Part 2
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When we come back again to that pioneer group the scene has lost its barreness, its crudeness and insignificance -we are in the presence of something great, broad, im- perial.
For the first five years the infant church was minis- tered to almost entirely by missionaries. The names of John Lindsley, Oliver Ayer, John Spencer, Royal Phelps, Mr. Alexander, Reuben Parmele, Allen Hollister appear at intervals in the church records in connection with some service rendered as they passed upon their journeys.
We read such items as this: "On Monday, February 30, 1812, a lecture was preached on the West Hill by Rev. Oliver Ayer, and Polly, Cyrus, Rebekah, Ora and Eliza, children of Zerah and Janet Tanner were baptized." The cycles of human experience, birth and death, baptism, confession, marriage and burial fill these artless records and at many points the life of the community was touched and blessed by these journeying men of God, that like Paul were always reaching out for "the regions beyond."
It would be well for us to have in mind the type pre- sented by the frontier missionaries. Among the names on the earliest records of the church appears that of John Spencer-Father Spencer, as he was affectionately desig- nated throughout Western New York. From the accounts that have reached us he was a sturdy and eminently lov- able Christian man. He was one of those of whom it has been happily spoken, "He was called to be a preacher of the Gospel, but not called to be a Bachelor of Arts." For many years a deacon in the Congregational Church of Worcester, Otsego County, without other education than that of common schools of his day, he felt impelled by
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the religious destitution about him to become a preacher of the Gospel. He was a clear thinker, a plain, ready speaker and a most devout Christian, and these were the qualifications for his office. He was ordained by the Northern Associated Presbytery, October, 1800. His work was difficult, he had long distances to cover, the roads were bad; his entertainment was sometimes of the scan- tiest, but he had the genuine missionary devotion, and the true pioneer pluck, and went steadily and cheerily on his way bringing a blessing wherever he went. He died in 1826 at the age of 68 years.
With such clear cut doctrinal views and strict ideas of the conduct befitting a member of the church, cases of discipline, both in doctrine and morals were inevitable.
The church dealt with these cases, regularly and char- itably, but with a firmness of touch, a minuteness of in- vestigation, and finality of judgment of which we know very little. One case of discipline in those early days especially interested me.
A member of the church was brought under accusa- tion on the following charges: 1. Neglecting to walk with the church. 2. Making use of profane language. 3. Join- ing in scenes of carnal amusement and dancing. 4. Mak- ing intemperate use of ardent spirits.
After full and careful investigation the charges were sustained and a letter of admonition was sent him. This was on June 4, 1812. On November 25th, the disciplined member appeared before the church and made confession of wrong doing. Under date of November 30th, appears the short and simple record: "A. B. removed by death." The whole case had been taken to a higher court. Nothing could more clearly show the real and vital grip of the Church upon the minds and consciences of the people. Its authority was respected, its admonitions were usually heeded, and its condemnation was always dreaded.
In spite of the brevity and dryness of ecclesiastical records interesting glimpses of personal character are now and then obtained through them.
We see the man of tender and scrupulous conscience. Josiah Royce, an applicant for church membership asked to be released from giving assent to the last clause of
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the 15th, Artiele of the Confession of Faith, which is a statement that after Christ's Miliennial reign upon earth "there will be a falling away for a little season." After mature deliberation the church decided to grant the re- quest. It was an exhibition of conscientiousness on one side and conciliatory graciousness on the other, very in- structive to contemplate.
The feminine termagant at least once appears among the saintly faces in this gallery of portrait sketches. A woman farther back than the memory of any person liv- ing extends was possessed of a tongue not to be de- spised by any, be he clerk or layman. A specimen of her vituperative gifts is spread upon the minutes and would have done eredit to Shimci the son of Gera, whose curs- ing made him historic.
The men of that carly day were schooled in patience by a maseuline specimen of the Genus quarrelsome. They were all men "with the bark on," but bark does not necessarily imply thorns.
The man whom I have just mentioned continually re- appears as a center of trouble and disturbance, and a quarrel in which he is the central figure drags its weary way through three years of the Church's life.
It was a noble exhibition of the sense of responsibil- ity for the soul of a brother and the peace of a commu- nity that led them to deal with the affair at all. Less patient men would have thrown the entire unpleasantness out of doors long before.
Doetrinal exactness was required of church members in those days. The haze, which the Dean of Westminster was once accused of letting loose upon the city of Lon- don by the opening of his window was not in favor in primitive Puritan communities. They were men with stalwart convictions, deeply pondered and well wrought out. Now and again some member would embraec what were looked upon as dangerous and heretical views. These were promptly dealt with, but it is worthy of note that they used weapons of persuasion, reason and scripture, and only resorted to the power of the keys in extreme
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cases and after attempts to work legitimate change of conviction.
My own reading of the old records has immeasurably increased my respect for the pioneers, Their intense and carnest sincerity has been universally acknowledged, their genuine Christian charity has received less general recog- nition.
And it is to be remembered that without strong con- victions of one's own, charity becomes a mere name.
The first settled pastor of this church was the Rev. Silas Hubbard, who was installed October 27, 1813, by a committee of Geneva Presbytery, with which the church had connected itself a month previous. The amount of Mr. Hubbard's salary was not stated, but the church purchased for him ten acres of land, implying that the minister was expected to have other gifts than that of digging out sermons.
The pastorate of Mr. Hubbard was terminated in 1815, because of his continued ill health.
His successor was Rev. Hippocrates Rowe,, who gave half his time to Warsaw and half to Orangeville, receiv- ing two hundred and fifty dollars from each church.
The years between 1817 and 1821 were largely spent in planning and erecting a church building. The meetings were held at first in private houses, as in the days when the church was in the house of Aquila and Priscilla- later in the center school house then standing on Main Street. That the building of a church was a considera- ble of an undertaking for the struggling congregation in a new community is shown by the fact that between the first mention of the project and its completion more than eight years elapsed. After the land was obtained, the building went on slowly and with considerable difficulty.
On March 1819, the partially completed structure, owned by Presbyterians and Baptists together. was sold at auc- tion to the Presbyterians in the Society for 76 per cent. of the cost value.
At the annual meeting held at the house of N. B. Lee, October 24, 1820, steps were taken looking toward the early completion of the church. It was voted: 1st. That any amounts paid towards the completion of the meeting honse
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should be credited in ownership of pews for which deeds should be given. 2nd. That any sums paid toward the same object in grain or any other article might be paid at an average price equivalent to wheat at 75 cents per bushel. The plans seem to have been successfully carried ont for the new building was finished in 1821. The first recorded meeting of the Union Society held in it occurred February 21, 1826.
Among the original pew owners appear several well known names: Elizur Webster was the owner of ships 1, 7, 13, 17, 35, room enough even for a pioneer family of twelve children.
John Munger owned 19, 3, 14 and 24.
Julius and Samuel Whitlock were joint owners of No. 9.
Lot Marchant of No. 34; David Young 21, William Patterson and James Crocker No. 4; Zera Tanner of 42; Nehemiah Fargo of 26; William Webster of 5: Dr. Augus- tus Frank of 28; Jonathan Young and Amos Barnett of No. 6.
From the beginning of the history down to the coming of Dr. Nassan in 1855, the ministers suceeded each other rapidly. Most of these men were stated-supplies for a year at a time.
A mere recital of the list will give you an idea of the rapidity of the changes.
Silas IIbbard, 1813-1815. Hippocrates Rowe, 1816-1818. Reuben Parmelee, Ebenezer Everett, Elihu Mason, 1818- 1819. Norris Bull, 1819-1821. Abial Parmele, 1823-1827. Julius Steel, 1828-1831. E. S. Hunter and Isaac Oakes, 1831- 1833. Ezra Scovel 1833-1835. Ward Childs, Stephen Porter, 1835-1836. Powell. Sackett, Waterbury, Bridgman, Pres- ton, Crampton, succeeded each other rapidly between 1836 and 1840.
In 1837 occurred the disruption of the Presbyterian Church. That it should have no effect upon this church was impossible; just as in a storm at sea, every bay, inlet and indentation of the shore feels the throbbing and agitation of the waters, so the storm that burst upon our
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church at large was felt in every local and individual or- ganization.
In looking upon this struggle, the echoes of which have come down to us from a former generation, we must remember that strife and pain are incidental to the progress of truth, and, while at the time nothing is ap- parent but the anguish and division-in after time these disappear and are healed, leaving apparent the substan- tial gains that have been made.
The internal controversy which went on for a number of years in the church, culminated in 1840 in the with- drawal of forty-seven members to form a separate organ- ization.
In speaking of this event I can do no better than to quote the words of Dr. Nassau, to whom with his great friend, Dr. Williams, belongs the blessing of the peace- maker.
"To say that by that event bitter and unbrotherly feelings were aroused would be a mild statement of the fact. But these have long since died out. Time, with its many and great changes, the blessing of God upon wise and conciliatory action and healing grace, have soft- ened, and to human view dissipated the asperities that were born of the separation. The two churches have ac- cepted the situation in the spirit of Christian concord and are striving in their respective spheres to do the work of their common Lord in their own way, keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace."
As you are well aware this church adhered to the Gen- eral Assembly in the division and became part of what was known as the Old School Branch. In 1842 the church, acting under the direction of the General Assembly, united itself with the Presbytery of Caledonia. This Presbytery was afterwards called Presbytery of Wyoming. In 1853 it became part of Genesee River Presbytery which remained until the reunion of 1870 when the Presbytery of Genesee was re-established.
The Rev. Richard Kay was the first minister after the disruption. HIe was most earnestly loved by his people, who resisted a determined effort of the Presbytery to re- move him. One of the ablest documents in the Sessional
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records was a reply, signed by E. B. Miller and William Crocker, Committee, to the interrogation of Presbytery in regard to Mr. Kay. This pressure on the part of Presby- tery probably hastened the contemplated union with the Presbytery of Caledonia. However that may be, Mr. Kay remained for three years longer.
The next supply was the Rev. A. Craig McClelland, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Blairsville. Upon his de- partnre the session took occasion to express very cor- dially their appreciation of the yonng preacher and their hopes for his future success. That they rightly estimatcd their young minister is sufficiently shown by his subse- quent career. He was afterward pastor of the fourth Presbyterian church in Pittsburgh and Secretary of Board for Freedmen. He was followed by Dr. Hugh Mair.
In 1847 the Rev. Abram Young ministered to this con- gregation for three years. Mr. Yonng was well known to many of you. He made periodic visits to Warsaw and often preached in this pulpit, and was loved by the peo- ple. In 1894 he was laid to rest here.
His wife, an unusually strong and attractive woman, was a sister of Dr. William Hogarth of Geneva, and shared many of his marked and able characteristics. She was laid to rest beside her husband by our hands a little over a year ago.
During the ministry of Mr. Young the parochial school was established. This was maintained by the church un- der the direction and with the assistance of the Presby- terian Board of Education. Frequent notices in the min- utes indicate the great interest taken in this valuable in- stitution.
The first teacher was Miss Wolcott. Other teachers whose memories are cherished by many, were Miss Cor- nelia Mckay, afterwards Mrs. Faulkner; Miss Jennie Pat- terson, afterward Mrs. Stuart Mitchell; Miss Mary A. Frank, afterward Mrs. Brown; Miss Elizabeth Leaven- worth, Miss Lee and Miss Stewart.
Irregular supplies filled the pulpit until the coming of Rev. Stuart Mitchell, who was pastor from October, 1852, to the spring of 1855. Mr. Mitchell was about two gen-
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erations ahead of his time. He refused to preach funeral sermons, and refused to candidate when ministers did both. Upon leaving here in 1855 he went West, gathered his own church and built both church and parsonage. He returned East and was, for a time, at Groveland. He after- ward went to Bloomsburg, Pa., where he built a new church. He had lost strength and felt that his voice was inadequate to the new edifice; he thereupon went to Mt. Carmel in the coal region, formed another new ehureh, which he brought to strength and self-support. He now resides in the parsonage at Mount Carmel, weak and suffering, but patient and cheerful, awaiting the eall Home.
In the month of August, 1855, the Rev. Joseph E. Nassau, then a licentiate of the Presbytery of Newton, was unanimously ealled to become pastor of this church. This was and remains one of the remarkable pastorates of Presbyterian History. For thirty-seven years within a month Dr. Nassau stood in this palpit and in this com- munity. And one cannot look anywhere into the life of this people, religious, moral or civic without seeing that commanding and steadfast personality.
He was a scholar, a gentleman and a Christian. I never saw him and yet since I have come to know this church, it seems as if I had known him long and inti- mately. In a thousand ineidental ways have come to me revelations of what he was and what he wrought among you. It is no wonder that his eoming to the church marked a new era in its history. Before fifty-five, a seore or more of pastors paying flying visits to the ehureh !
Then think of the magnificent unity of impression which follows. One strong, dominant personality stamp- ing itself upon an entire generation from the eradle to middle life; one consistent, logical system of belief taught through all the plastie years of life; one heralding voice familiar in all its aecents and yet the more compelling from its familiarity. Such a pastorate as Dr. Nassau's is a certificate of character both for the man and the peo- ple. There must have been an inexhaustible mental fer- tility in one who could feed an intelligent congregation so many years, something very true and deep and noble in a character that could win and keep sneh enduring
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affection and respect. And there must have been solid thoughtfulness and steadfastness in a people who could listen to one man so long without being led astray by the desire for novelty and change. A paragraph from Dr. Nassau's last published serinon so happily describes him- self and his people that I transcribe it.
"This ehureh stands today for soundness in the faith ; for Presbyterianism; for vital godliness; for Sabbath ob- servanee; for missions; for genuine practical temperance ; for family religion; for holy living; for generous and systematie benefieence; and generally as the exponent of whatsoever is lovely and of goodl report." It will be nec- essary to summarize in very small space the history of Dr. Nassau's pastorate. We are told that even before he actually came upon the field his heart was set upon a new chareh. In ten years this was accomplished. If you seek his monument, look about you. Towards the end of his ministry he greatly desired that the church should be refitted and the buildings enlarged for new conditions of work. This, too, was done, and from a siek-bed, from which he was never to rise a well man, he sent a letter of congratulation to the congregation. But this is but a small part of his achievement. Of the oue hundred and thirty who were in the church when Dr. Nassau came but twenty were alive at the elose of his pastorate, and a number of those were not living in town. But the mem- bership at the same time was 274 and this means that abont five hundred members were added during his pas- torate.
The congregation contributed an aggregate of one hun- dred and fifty thousand dollars to the support of the ehureh and benevolenees, increasing from eight hundred, the year before he came, to over six thousand the last year of his ministry.
Dr. Nassau preached 3632 times, aside from leetures and addresses; he solemnized one hundred and sixty-nine marriages; and performed two hundred and seventy-six baptisms. What a range of service is here exhibited. And no one can imagine that the influence and value of such a life as Dr. Nassau's can be measured by statis- ties. His greatest work was unseen, in the hearts and
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in the lives of the men and women whom he touched and blessed by his ministry.
Dr. Nassau truly belongs to "the Choir invisible," of those immortal dead who live again
"In minds made better by their presence; live
In pulses stirred to generosity,
In deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn
For miserable aims that end with self,
In thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars, And with their mild persistence urge man's search To vaster issues."
Dr. Nassau resigned his pastorate March 4, 1893. He entered the Heavenly life on the 21st of February, 1894, and in December 1894, his successor, Rev. George D. Miller, D. D., now pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Rochester, was installed.
Dr. Miller's pastorate of six years is written in all your hearts. The events of it are too recent to require an extended review. It is not necessary to say that it was a happy and successful pastorate.
The first pastorate after such a career as Dr. Nassau's presents certain trying elements both to the minister and the people. These tests were successfully met both by the congregation and its leader, and the issue was har - mony and power.
During Dr. Miller's time here, one hundred and thirty- eight united with the church upon confession of their faith in Christ, an average of twenty-three yearly. In addition to these sixty united by certificate. The church may well follow their late pastor with affectionate grati- tude and cordial wishes for his continued success.
The present pastorate was begun the first Sunday in May, 1901, and has now been in continuance two years. I have thus sketchily reviewed the pastorates from the beginning of its history until now. But I would not have you think, for a moment, that I consider it a fact that the history of a church can be accounted for by the work and achievement of any or all of its pastors. Ministers come and go but the church remains. And ministers arc dependent for success upon the character and service of that permanent body of consecrated people that makes
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the church. And our church has always given large place and large honor to her devoted laymen. And no organ- ization with which I am acquainted has better reason to be grateful to God for the men and women who have blessed it by their love and devotion, than this church. Very briefly let me review the history of its governing boards. Organized as a Congregational Church its first officers were Deacons. The first deaeons were Eliphalet Parker and Israel Branch. Deacon John Minger, as he was always known even for years after he became a rul- ing elder, was elected in 1815. Somewhere between the years 1828-31 a session was formed of four deacons already in office and four ruling elders newly elected. The first session therefore consisted of John Frayer, Gideon John- son, John Munger, Peter Young, John Crocker, James Crocker, Roderick Chapin and Samuel Whitlock. Very shortly after this William Buxton was added to this his- toric group. In 1840, Edwin B. Miller became a member of the session and shortly after and for many years its clerk.
Mr. Miller was a very accomplished penman and the minutes were kept with great accuracy and beauty. In 1845, Luther Foster and Samuel Fisher Ist, father of S. Mills and Frank M. Fisher, were called to the eldership. The session at the time of Dr. Nassau's coming consisted of John Munger, Edwin B. Miller, Luther Foster, and Samuel Fisher ist. The next year Harlow L. Comstock was added. In 1863, Timothy H. Buxton and Samuel Fisher 2d, were elected; in 1863 Edwin B. Miller; in 1871 John W. Montgomery; in 1876 Charles Herbert Foster; in 1885 Harwood A. Dudley and William A. Morgan, since moved to Silver Springs; in 1895 Edward B. Everingham; in 1896 William C. Fowler and Frank C. Adams; in 1900 William HI. McConnell; in 1903 Duane E. Chase and Robert D. Miller, the latter the third of his name to occupy the same position, were successively added to this body. The session has ever been loyal and devoted to the church and pastor.
The Board of Deacons was constituted in 1875. The first deacons were Samuel Mills Fisher, who remains with
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us after twenty-eight years of service, Harwood A. Dudley, C. Herbert Foster and Edward T. Buxton.
After this date there were several resignations from the board and no elections so that at the end of 1885 Mr. Fisher was serving alone.
Wednesday evening, February 24, 1886, E. B. Evering- ham, Samuel J. Crawford, E. T. Buxton were set apart to the office of deacon. Of these Mr. Crawford is still in service.
On October 29, 1895, Mr. F. C. Adams and Mr. F. A. Owen were elected, Mr. Owen remaining on the board to the present time.
In 1896, Mr. Adams was elected an elder and in March, 1897, Mr. Edwin Fargo was made deacon in his place.
The Board of Trustees began its existence with Union Society January 14, 1812. The first Trustees were Isaac Phelps, Abraham Reed, John Munger, William Bristol and Zera Tanner. On a board to which elections are held yearly the changes are rather bewildering to follow in detail.
The senior member in point of service is Mr. William Watson who was elected to the office in 1886.
The filling of these offices from the beginning until now has called for much devoted and unselfish service from many busy people.
And among those who have performed such faithful service are many whose names we do not know. The Lord knoweth them that are His and their reward is sure from Him who never forgets.
The apostolic succession has often been exemplified in this church. The blood of the founders still enriches the life of the present.
The great great grand-daughter, and the great, great, great grand-children of Eliphalet Parker, one of the first deacons, Mrs. Merchant and her children, are members of this church.
Miss Elizabeth Young, Mrs. Purdy and Mrs. Waterbury, all earnest members of the church, are grandchildren of the first settler of the town, who was also one of the first pew owners of this church.
Mr. William E. Webster is a grandson of the first
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settler's brother who came here as a boy of sixteen and was a member and trustee of the church for many years. Mr. Emery Webster, our student for the ministry, is a great grandson of the original William Webster.
In the present Board of Elders is the son of an elder and the grandson of the noble woman who taught the first class in the Sunday School, Mr. Robert D. Miller, and until a year ago another son of an elder, Mr. Herbert Foster, a beloved and honored member of session.
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