USA > New York > Steuben County > Bath > The official records of the centennial celebration, Bath, Steuben County, New York, June 4, 6, and 7, 1893 > Part 4
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HISTORICAL SERMON, CENTENARY M. E. CHURCH.
went everywhere preaching the Word, and calling on sinners to repent and be converted. They did not wait to be invited, but went as they were sent to preach wherever they could find people to listen.
The work of the Methodist minister a hundred years ago was very laborious. The annual Conference sometimes covered the territory of a whole state, and even more. The Conference would be divided into Dis- tricts, over which would be placed a Presiding Elder, who would live near the center of his District. These Districts would be divided into Circuits, and the itinerants would make their headquarters near the center of their Circuits. There were usually two, but sometimes three, of these on a Cir- cuit ; and there would be preaching places enough on the Circuit to require four and sometimes six weeks for each itinerant to visit, and preach once at each place. These preaching places were often widely separated. The itinerants, or "Circuit Riders," as they were called, were obliged to travel on horseback, through extensive forests, ford streams and swim rivers. At that day Methodists were few and generally poor, as was the usual con- dition of the pioneer settlers. The few members were formed into classes, having a central meeting place, often five miles, and sometimes even ten miles distant from those living farthest away. One member was appoint- ed by the minister as class leader. In the absence of the minister he was authorized to hold prayer meetings and class meetings, and, if his "gifts and graces " were sufficient, he could exhort the people and stir them up to greater faithfulness in their religious lives. It was expected, at least, that the heads of families would every day read the Scriptures and pray in their families, and in secret. Once in three months, somewhere within the bounds of the Circuit, a Quarterly Meeting would be held.
The Quarterly Meeting was a time of great spiritual interest. It always lasted two, sometimes three and four days. People went twenty and sometimes thirty miles and more to attend. The following, from the pen of Rev. F. G. Hibbard, D. D., now living at Clifton Springs, in his 83d year, is in place :
"The town of Bath, Steuben County, began to be settled in 1793, in the midst of a vast wilderness, and in 1796, that section for eight miles around contained about 800 souls. Among its first sturdy occupants was John Chambers. He had experienced religion, and himself, wife and two daughters, Anna and Polly, had been members of the church before com- ing to Bath. These, with an elder brother, composed the family. In the month of May, 1795, a Quarterly Meeting was to be held in Benton, and Anna and Polly, the former ten and the latter fourteen years old, ardent in their first love, and hungry for the Word of life, entreated for permis- sion to attend. The distance was about thirty-five miles, but as boats then plied up the Crooked Lake about twenty miles of the way, and with their brother to attend them, it was deemed practicable, and parental consent
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
was obtained for the journey. The brother and sisters were to meet at the head of the lake and embark together. Full of buoyant hope, the girls set out upon their journey, and reached the place of rendezvous in time ; but to their inexpressible grief and disappointment, all the boats had left on their downward trip. This was an unexpected calamity. What should they do? Brother had not yet arrived, and for a while they stood per- plexed, whelmed in sorrow. Their hearts were fixed on the Quarterly Meeting, and had but too eagerly anticipated once more hearing the Words of Life, and mingling their souls and voices with the humble, worshiping band.
"To return home and thus defeat all their anxious hopes, was more than they could endure. (No preaching had ever yet been in Bath). Yet, to proceed by land, and on foot, seemed a rash and insufferable undertak- ing. A forest stretched before them of over twenty miles in length, through which but an imperfect path lay, and as yet but one wagon had ventured through-an achievement much talked of in those days. In the middle of the forest was a log tavern, a "Half-Way House," the only human dwelling that cheered the long and lonely distance. Wild animals and reptiles yet disputed the right of soil against the invading foot of civilization, and the equally wild Indian yet strolled along his ancient lakes and hunting grounds, reluctant to leave them forever for the distant West. Besides, brother had not arrived, and if they ventured on foot at all, his protecting arm seemed necessary. Yet, after weighing all the circum- stances in tearful and prayerful anxiety, they concluded that they were able to endure the fatigue, and their desire for the Word of God prevailed ; they resolved to start for the Quarterly Meeting. Their brother, they knew, would follow, and perhaps soon overtake them.
"The day was wasting, and they had not a moment to lose. A friend instructed them to keep the lake in sight all the way, and they would not lose their path ; and with these slender prospects they set out for the meet- ing. The sun was already fast dipping the western sky, and the shadows of evening began to fall around before our travelers reached the Half- Way House. Fears and doubts would sometimes rise, and at length the fearful possibility of having to pass the night in the open forest, exposed to the prowling wolf or the stealthy panther, flashed across their minds. The younger, girl-like, wept, but the elder resolutely encouraged her drooping spirit, and they urged their weary way forward. On they went, through tangled shrub, and fen and fallen trees, praying, fearing, hoping.
"At length, just at the setting in of night, the rude but welcome ' lodging place in the wilderness for wayfaring man' appeared in sight. Their spirits now revive. They approach and enter with many apologies for their forlorn and unprotected appearance, explain to the good landlady the object of their journey, and that they are daughters of Mr. Chambers,
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HISTORICAL SERMON, CENTENARY M. E. CHURCH.
of Bath, and their brother is expected to overtake them. The lady wel- comed them in, informed them that she knew their brother, as he had traveled that road, and assured them that they should be hospitably enter- tained and protected.
"Scarcely had her kind words allayed the embarrassment and fears of our young heroines when the brother himself arrived, out of breath, with his coat on his arm, in great agitation. As he opened the door and saw his sisters, he sprang forward and clasped them in his arms, exclaiming, 'O, my sisters, I never expected to see you again ; I supposed you were lost !'
"They soon, however, composed themselves to rest, and in the morn- ing our three pilgrims resumed their journey with renovated spirits. At the foot of the lake they crossed the outlet on floating logs and fallen trees, and arrived in good season at the humble log house of Robert Chism, a Methodist, residing at the north part of the present village of Penn Yan. There they were cordially received, and joined in the services of a night watch. Valentine Cook, the Presiding Elder, was there. Next morning they journeyed on to Benton, four miles farther, and enjoyed the long-an- ticipated Quarterly Meeting."
In after years the elder of these sisters married Mr. Briggs, of Milo Center, Yates county, N. Y., where she and her husband lived, members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, till removed by death. They were noted for piety and usefulness. He was one of the most honored members of the church till in 1857 he died, being 81 years old. She survived him fif- teen years, and departed this life, being 91 years old. Hon. William S. Briggs, a worthy son of worthy parents, survives them, a lawyer of note in Penn Yan, and for many years Judge of Yates County.
In a recent letter, in answer to some inquiries, he makes the following interesting statement of his mother's faithfulness and piety :
" She was a noble and faithful woman-faithful to her Master, to her family, and to the church of which she was so long an honored member. I have often heard her relate that, in an early day, when it was an unbroken wilderness between Milo Center, then the place of her residence, and Penn Yan, then without a name (a distance of four miles), she, with others, making a little company, would walk the whole distance to attend an evening prayer meeting ; and to successfully perform the journey, the men would bind up in bunches bark from hickory trees for torches to keep off the wolves which then infested the country. A faith which could inspire such sacrifices, I fear is seldom seen in these days."
A hundred years ago this family of Mr. John Chambers, the first Meth- odist family in Bath, prized the services of God's house and the meetings of His saints more than do Christians in these more favored days. At that time, in meetings held by the itinerants, on their circuits, many would be
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
awakened and converted. Now and then one of these converts would feel that he was called of God to preach the Gospel. Such would first be licensed to exhort, and if his gifts improved and his zeal continued, he would next be licensed as a local preacher ; and after he had been tried in this way, if he was still of the impression that God had called him to preach the Gospel, and if the members of his class recommended him, as one who in their judgment was called to the ministry, his name was pre- sented to the Quarterly Conference, where a further examination of his gifts was given, and if the members of the Quarterly Conference deemed him a fit person for the sacred office of the Christian ministry, they recom- mended him to the Annual Conference, where he would be received on trial and sent out as a Methodist itinerant.
After he had traveled on the circuit and preached two years, if his works commended him, and if in the judgment of the Conference he was worthy, he was ordained deacon, and again sent out with authority to preach the Gospel, to expound the Scriptures, to bury the dead, to unite in marriage, and to assist the Presiding Elder in administering the holy sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper.
After two years' further trial, if faithful, he was admitted into full connection with the Conference, ordained elder, and had all the rights and authority which belonged to every elder in the Methodist Episcopal Con- ference.
The Methodist itinerant was required to surrender all worldly ambitions. His business was to try so to preach Christ that sinners would be converted.
At that early day and later, there was a good deal of doctrinal preach- ing. It was sometimes, by some ministers, thought more desirable to prove another denomination unsound in theology, than to awaken and con- vert sinners. Each denomination tried to " prove his doctrine orthodox, by apostolic blows and knocks !" Sometimes these controversies engendered unkind feelings and even persecutions. Ministerial courtesy was then not expected, nor given, as in these days.
Who preached the first Methodist sermon in Bath is not now known. No "Circuit Rider" nor preacher of any denomination had reached Bath a hundred years ago. We have a record that in 1792 there was a Tioga circuit, the center of which was Tioga, N. Y. It was an extensive circuit, requiring six weeks to travel it on horseback. Newtown, now Elmira, was a preaching place at that time, and Painted Post soon after.
In 1793, Ezra Cole, then living at Benton Center, went to General Con- ference, which met that year in Philadelphia, during the month of May. His object was to have a Methodist minister sent to the scattered settle- ments eighty miles farther west than any had traveled before. His re- quest was granted, and the Seneca Lake Circuit was established, and Thorn-
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HISTORICAL SERMON, CENTENARY M. E. CHURCH.
ton Fleming and James Smith were the circuit preachers. In 1803, the Genesee District was formed, which extended as far west as the Genesee river. In 1810, Genesee Conference was formed, which included all of Western New York and part of Canada.
In 1814, Bath was included in the regular appointments of the preachers of Newtown Circuit. Since then Methodism has been identified with Bath. There were no churches in which to hold service at that time in Bath. The Court House and school house were used, and when these could not be had, private houses were used. There is a record, showing that the Methodists could not have the use of the Court House nor the Academy, places usual- ly used for preaching, and Mr. Gaylord, who lived in a house on Steuben street, since occupied by Joseph Bell, opened his house to them. The ser- mon was probably preached by Rev. Micah Seager, who was on the Dans- ville Circuit, which at that time, 1819, included Bath. At a later date the house of John Nichols, where the Methodists were holding a prayer meet- ing, was stoned, the windows broken, and other damage done. Those who committed the depredations were under the influence of liquor, showing that then, as now, the spirit of alcohol and the spirit of Christ were opposed to each other.
In 1820, Revs. James Lent and Nathan B. Gordon were on the Dansville Circuit and preached at Bath. These ministers remained two years. In 1822, Rev. Benjamin Sabin preached at Bath, and during the year Rev. Loren Grant came from Geneva to make arrangements for building a Methodist church.
On the 3d of October, 1822, the first society of the Methodist church in Bath was incorporated by electing the following trustees : John Whit- ing, Simpson Ellas, George Wheeler, Jeremiah Baker and Darius Read, and the necessary papers were filed in Steuben County Clerk's office, Sep- tember 4, 1822.
Rev. Loren Grant and Rev. Benjamin Sabin circulated a subscription for building a Methodist Church. The frame was reared in May, 1823. It was 36 feet by 50 feet. This was the first church edifice projected in Bath. It was only partially completed, but sufficiently to be used for church ser- vices, until 1826, when it was finished with galleries and bell-tower by John Whiting and Mr. Degolier, and was dedicated by Rev. George Lane, of Berwick, Pa., then Presiding Elder of Ontario District.
When completed, remembering the difficulties the Methodists had in getting a place in which to hold their meetings, and true to the generous impulses which characterized the denomination, the trustees freely gave the use of their church to other denominations. The Protestant Episcopal church occupied it for their services until they built a house of their own, and later the Baptists used it.
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
The trustees under whose supervision the church was built were John Whiting, John Donahe, George Wheeler, Moses Dudley and Lewis Biles. Rev. Henry Rowe and Rev. Asa Orcutt were the pastors. In 1824 and 1825, Rev. R. M. Evarts was preacher in charge ; in 1827, Rev. John Arnold and Rev. Levi Castle. In 1828 and 1829, Rev. Cyrus Story, Rev. Zina Buck and Rev. Menzer Dowd were the preachers on the circuit. In 1830, Rev. Samuel Parker and Rev. Samuel Stebbins. In 1831 and 1832, Rev. A. How- ard and Rev. Augustine Anderson. In 1833 and 1834, Rev. Edmund O'Fling, Rev. John Shaw and Rev. John Dennis.
In 1835, Bath was taken from the Circuit and made a separate charge, having Hammondsport as an out appointment, with Rev. J. G. Gulick as pastor. In 1836 and 1837, Chandler Wheeler was in charge. At this time there were reported only 44 members of the society in Bath. In 1838 and 1839, Rev. William Hosmer was pastor. In 1840, Rev. E. Dowd. In 1841 and 1842, Rev. Daniel B. Lawton. The following is the list of official members of the church at that time :
Local Preacher-Loren Bennett.
Exhorters-Avery Nixon, William H. Ongley.
Class Leaders-Timothy Whiting, James McBeath, William H. Ongley, S. H. Crane, Avery Wixon, John G. Taylor, James T. Johnson.
Stewards-John Whiting, Timothy Whiting, D. B. Lee, S. H. Crane, William W. Foster, William Hildreth, John Neill, James T. Johnson, Stephen Wixon, James McBeath.
At this time there were 51 members of the church. In 1842 and 1843, Rev. Philander Powers was pastor. There was an increase in membership during his pastorate from 51 to 109. The official list was the same as the previous year, except that Johnson Durham was local elder. Worthington Secor and Elijah Barton were added as stewards, and James McBeath was made recording steward, which office he retained while he lived ; and there were four additional leaders, viz : Hiram Brundage, Thomas Barton, Will- iam Sedgwick and John Brown.
1844 began with 160 members, and Rev. David Ferris, pastor. In the revised list of members given at the close of the year he reported only 131. In 1845 and 1846, Rev. Earl B. Fuller was pastor, and at the end of his sec- ond year he reported a membership of 123. During his last year (1846) the church building was remodeled, the galleries were taken out, and basement formed, with audience room above. The work was done by John Kennard. In June, 1846, it was rededicated by Rev. John Copeland, of Lima ; and Rev. O. R. Howard, then pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Painted Post, preached in the evening. In 1847 and 1848, Rev. S. W. Alden was pastor.
At the General Conference held in Pittsburg, Pa., May, 1848, Genesee Conference was divided, and East Genesee Conference made out of the
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HISTORICAL SERMON, CENTENARY M. E. CHURCH.
eastern half. Bath was within the new Conference. Rev. S. W. Alden remained pastor, and reported at the close of the year a membership of 165.
In 1849, East Genesee Conference was held in Elmira, and Bath Dis- trict was formed, with Rev. David Nutten as Presiding Elder, and Rev. J. K. Tuttle, preacher in charge. At the close of the year a membership of 177 was reported. In 1850, Rev. Augustus C. George was pastor, and reported at the close of the year 163 members. At the Conference of 1851, Rev. E. G. Townsend was sent to Bath. He remained one year. In 1852, Rev. Nathan Fellows was pastor, and in 1853 and 1854, Rev. Andrew Sutherland. I have no report of Rev. Nathan Fellows, but Rev. Andrew Sutherland reported at the close of his second year 100 members. In 1855 and 1856, Rev. C. M. Gardiner was pastor, and he reported, at the close of his second year, 121 members. In 1857 and 1858, Rev. M. N. Beers was pastor, with a membership, at close of his second year, of 124. In 1859 and 1860, Rev. George E. Havens was pastor, and reported 133 members. In 1861 and 1862, Rev. W. C. Mattison was pastor, and reported 121 mem- bers. In 1863 and 1864, Rev. William Manning was pastor, and reported 200 members. In 1865, Rev. A. F. Morey was sent to Bath, and remained three years.
It was found necessary at this time either to enlarge or rebuild the church. A subscription was circulated, and the sum of $6,000 was sub- scribed to build a new brick church on the ground occupied by the old one. The subscriptions were mostly obtained through the efforts of Rev. A. F. Morey and Aaron R. DePuy. Liberal subscriptions were obtained from some outside the Methodist congregation. It was then resolved to proceed immediately to build. A. R. DePuy, J. Carter and P. S. Donahe were elected a building committee. A plan of a building 41 by 90 feet, with audience room and basement, and spire on the corner, was adopted. On the 3d day of April, 1866, the job of building the church was let to Ebenezer W. Buck and Andrew J. Barton, who were to furnish all the materials and erect and finish the building for $8,300.
At a meeting of the officers of the church, it was resolved that the new building to be erected should be known as " Centenary Methodist Epis- copal Church." May 16th, 1866, the corner stone was laid by Rev. J. G. Gulick, Presiding Elder of Penn Yan District, assisted by Warner Gil- bert, the mason, in the presence of a large concourse of people, among whom was Rev. J. W. Lindsay, D. D., President of Genesee College, by whom the assembly had been addressed. At this time, P. S. Donahe, R. Hardenbrook, A. R. DePuy, J. M. McBeath, Nelson Barney and A. Wells were trustees, under whose administration the temporal affairs of the church were directed, and the church finished.
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
Rev. J. T. Brownell succeeded Rev. A. F. Morey, and was pastor in 1868 and 1869. Rev. S. McGerald was pastor in 1870, 1871 and 1872. Rev. E. T. Green succeeded him and remained two years-1873 and 1874, and reported a membership of 180. Rev. R. D. Munger was pastor in 1875, 1876 and 1877. At the close of his pastorate he reported 236 members. Rev. George Stratton was pastor in 1878, 1879 and 1880. He reported 213 mem- bers. Rev. James Moss was pastor in 1881. In 1882 and 1883, Rev. E. E. Cham- bers, D. D., was pastor, and reported a membership of 236. Rev. K. P. Jer- vis was pastor in 1884 and 1885. He reported 209 members. Rev. T. E. Bell was pastor three years. At the end of the first year he reported a mem- bership of 300, and 100 probationers ; at the end of the second year a mem- bership of 315, and 45 probationers ; at the end of the third year, a mem- bership of 350, and 60 probationers. He was succeeded by Rev. E. G. Piper, who was pastor three years-1889, 1890 and 1891. At the end of the first year he reported a membership of 390, and 40 probationers ; at the close of his second year a membership of 444, and 30 probationers ; at the close of his third year a membership of 405, and 40 probationers.
During the three years of Rev. E. G. Piper's pastorate, through his energy, perseverance and wise management, with the liberal co-operation of the church, one of the best parsonages in Genesee Conference was built and suitably furnished. The present pastor has a happy realization of the saying of our Saviour, "One soweth and another reapeth. Other men labored and ye are entered into their labors."
At the Conference held in Albion, N. Y., October, 1892, Mitchellville, which for six years had formed part of Bath Charge, was taken from Bath and added to Wheeler Charge, and Rev. M. C. Dean was appointed pastor to Bath. There is now a membership of 350. The following named per- sons constitute the officiary of the church at the present time :
Trustees-C. S. Allison, President ; W. Sutherland, Secretary ; T. H. Campbell, Treasurer ; T. J. Whiting, W. Calkins, A. W. Abbott, M. H. Gillett, G. W. Peck.
Stewards-A. R. DePuy, Geo. Hollands, E. S. Hardenbrook, O. Ken- nedy, H. A. Fritcher, Dr. J. Dunn, Charles Royer, L. D. Overhiser, D. R. Shepard, W. Sutherland, Hulda Sutton, Cordelia Smith.
Class Leaders-Wm. Crow, E. S. Hardenbrook, F. O. Gay, Edward Spraker, Frank Smith, M. H. Gillett, Alfred Case, T. D. Burke, James Spraker.
President of Epworth League-Wheeler Fuller.
Local Preachers-Grant McChesney, Clarence Sutton.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
*SERMON BY REV. V. P. MATHER,
SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 1893.
TEXT :- "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years."-Deut. viii. 2.
Israel was commanded to profit withal, not from the blessing alone which was conferred upon her, but from her chastisements as well.
And so may our reviewing the past and rejoicing in the blessings which God has conferred upon this church, not prevent our profiting from any mistakes or transgressions which may have been made.
In order that we may profit from a review of our history as a church in this town, for that portion of the century past, in which we as a church are identified, it becomes us to look a trifle farther back than this century to that history of Baptists which, I trust, is dear to each of us-how through the path of persecution God has led us on to the present time. We find that, nevertheless, our denomination has been stigmatized as being illiberal, yet it was the first in this country to advocate religious freedom, for which our noble Roger Williams was banished.
We find, also, that in the year 1651, three Baptists, by the names of Clark, Crandall and Holmes, were fined £5, £20 and £30, respectively. Not having the fine in readiness, they were brought naked to the whipping post, where some friends paid the fines of Clark and Crandall ; Holmes, refusing to accept of this, was given thirty lashes. Bancroft says that he " was whipped unmercifully." Gov. Robinson says, "for many days he could take no rest but upon his knees and elbows," so lacerated was his flesh. All this punishment was solely because they refused to baptize their
* The above, furnished by Rev. Mr. Mather, is but a summary of his Centennial sermon, the larger part of the discourse being deemed by him, because of its purely local character, not suitable for publication in this book .- ED.
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THE CENTENNIAL OF BATH.
infants. After this thirteen others were severely punished for sympathiz- ing with Holmes in his affliction. This kind of punishment was very com- mon in those days, because Baptists would not sprinkle infants.
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