USA > Ohio > Ashland County > A History of the Pioneer and Modern Times of Ashland County > Part 15
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General prosperity has attended the church through all its history. It has grown from a membership of forty-three to one hundred and eighty. In the winter of 1842-3, an outpouring of the Spirit was enjoyed under the labor of Mr. S. Fulton, aided by Rev. Wm. McClandlish, of Wooster, which resulted in the addi- tion of twenty-five by profession. Another season of refreshing was experienced in January, 1847, after which twenty-one were added by profession. On the 26th day of May, 1848, two additional elders, viz:, Mr. Andrew McLain and Mr. James F. Milligan, were elected, and subsequently installed-but the latter withdrew from the church in 1852, on account of the use of an organ-and Mr. McLain removed to the West, in 1853. Three additional deacons were also, at the same time, elected, ordained, and installed, viz., Messrs. James S. Mason, Benjamin Shearer, and Jacob Richard. The last named of these removed to the West in 1852. During the summer of 1851, the house of worship having become too small for the in- creasing congregation, the rear end was taken out, and twelve and a half feet added to it. In the winter of 1853, at the expiration of the ninth year of the pastorate of the Rev. J. Robinson, the salary was in- creased to $650, and in the winter of 1854 it was further increased to $700, and in the spring of 1855 it was yet further increased to $800.
In May, 1855, three additional elders were elected, viz., Dr. B. B. Clark and Messrs. John McLain and George Miller. These were all subsequently installed, having been ruling elders formerly, and consequently ordained elsewhere. At the same time three deacons were also elected, namely, Messrs. T. C. Bushnell, Peter Risser, and William Doty. These were ordained and installed.
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After the decease of Rev. S. Moody, the member- ship of Hopewell felt unable pecuniarily. to settle another pastor, and many of them regarded it as wrong to continue any longer the unhappy division which had now existed for fourteen years among the Presbyterians of the community. No effort was, therefore, made to secure another pastor, and the members nearly all cheerfully united with the First Church of Ashland. Evidences of the peculiar pres- ence and power of the Spirit induced the pastor and elders to hold a protracted meeting during the winter of 1857, which was greatly blessed. On the first Sabbath of March, 1857, thirty-seven were added to the church by profession, and several others during the year. In the beginning of 1858, when the intel- ligence of the powerful work of grace going forward in many other portions of the land reached us, a deep anxiety was felt by many that we should enjoy a similar visitation from on high. A series of meetings was held early in January; but without any other apparent result than the increase of a spirit of prayer among a portion of the church. In March following, Union Prayer-Meetings were instituted in the village, and the Spirit's presence was soon apparent. Many were heard inquiring. A number of the most promi- nent members of the community were among these. This work continued with power until June. On the first Sabbath of June forty were received to the church by profession. About as many more were added to the other churches in the vicinity. Among these were many in middle life-many of the most prominent citizens, and a number of those who were generally regarded as most hopeless. The congrega- tion now found their house of worship too small, and
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in July entered upon efforts to enlarge it. The front end was taken out and seventeen feet added. It is now 43 by 84, with a lobby of seven feet. It has no gallery-a raised platform for choir-grained, fres- coed, and heated with furnaces. It will now seat six hundred.
On the 5th day of February, 1859, the congregation resolved to increase the salary of the pastor to one thousand dollars per annum, and assess this amount, together with the contingent expenses, upon the seats. This was done, and nearly all the seats taken at once. At the present time, (February 20, 1859,) there is harmony among us, and prayer-meetings are fully at- tended, and a few inquiring after the way of life.
On the 21st day of August, 1859, Elder B. B. Clark died suddenly of apoplexy, much beloved and much lamented by all.
During the interval between March, 1859, and Sep- tember, 1860, there was little to cheer the heart long- ing for the salvation of sinners; few comparatively united with the church by profession, and several who had made a profession during the revival period gave evidence that the root of the matter was not in them, and were cut off.
On the 31st of August, 1860, two additional dea- cons, namely, Messrs. J. O. Jennings and Gilbert Miller, were elected.
On the 2d December, 1860, the congregation, at a meeting, resolved to elect four additional members of session. Upon balloting, it was found that Mr. Robert Nelson, formerly an elder in the Hopewell Church, was the only one of several nominees who received a majority of all the votes cast. On the following day, another meeting was held, and David Sloan was duly
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elected. At a meeting held on the eleventh of March, it was resolved to postpone the subject of electing an additional number.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL.
Soon after the establishment of the seat of justice at Ashland, the County Commissioners purchased, of the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the stone building which they had erected for a house of worship, and it was thereafter used as a Court House, until the erection of the present public buildings.
The edifice now used by the church was com- menced in 1848, and completed in 1858. The dimen- sions of the outside walls are 50 by 70 feet. In the basement there is a lecture-room and six class-rooms. The cost of the building exceeded $4000. The body of the church will accommodate, with seats, a con- gregation of about five hundred and fifty persons.
The membership numbered in June, 1862, two hundred and nine, which were embraced in eight classes, the names and number of which are as fol- lows: Isaac Mason, 27; J. D. Jones, 26; H. C. Sprengle, 25; S. G. Bushnell, 28; H. Ames, 25; A. L. Curtis, 24; Johnson Oldroyd, 30; Pastor, 24. The present officers of the church are: Stewards J. D. Stubbs, H. C. Sprengle, William Lash, Isaac Mason, Andrew Proudfit, Charles Page, J. H. McCombs, John Mason, and A. L. Curtis. Trustees- J. D. Jones, H. Ames, A. L. Curtis, William Lash, J. D. Stubbs, H. C. Sprengle, L. J. Sprengle, Isaac Mason, and J. Crall. Trustees of Parsonage-Robert McMurray, Jacob Grubb, H. Ames, A. Proudfit, J. Crall, D. B. Gray, and Robert Fulton. The con- ference for 1862 assigned Rev. Mr. Kennedy as pastor.
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EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN.
This church was organized in the fall of 1839- Rev. W. J. Sloan, pastor. There were then about twenty members. Christian Miller, Sen., and Jacob Young were the first elders; and Samuel Baughman and two others, whose names do not appear on the record, deacons.
The first house of worship was in a building about a mile north of Ashland, known as the "Neff Church." In 1842, the congregation purchased the frame build- ing on the southwest corner of Third and Orange Streets; which building was used as a place of wor- ship until the completion of the present house, in the spring of 1852. The present edifice was erected under the ministration of Rev. W. A. G. Emerson; to whose energy and perseverance the congregation are indebted for the very comfortable and beautiful structure which they now hold, free of all mechanics' liens. The build- ing is 40 by 60 feet, and cost originally three thou- sand dollars; subsequent improvements, about three hundred dollars.
The clergymen who have successively supplied the pulpit are: Revs. W. J. Sloan, E. Eastman, J. J. Hoff- man, W. A. G. Emerson, S. Ritz, Isaac Culler, Sam- uel McReynolds, and W. A. G. Emerson.
The present officers are: Isaac Gates and Matthias Buffamyer, elders; Adam Baum, Levi McCauley, Levi Somers, and Scott Nelson, deacons. The present membership amounts to one hundred and eighty.
BAPTIST.
This church was organized April 1, 1860, with eleven members-its present number being fifteen.
16
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The pastor is Rev. I. N. Carman; clerk, Joseph Pat- terson; trustees, S. Fasig, A. Jameson, and M. Mea- son. Services are held in the Town Hall. Prepara- tions are being made for the erection of a building.
DISCIPLE.
In 1824, John Rigdon and Michael Riddle-the former a resident of Butler Township, Richland County, the latter of Montgomery Township, Ashland County-organized the first church of this denom- ination in the town of Ashland. Mr. Rigdon had been a Baptist clergyman, and had been pastor of a church in Ashland. At a Baptist Association, on Seymour's Run, in Mifflin Township, he had been suspended on charges of heresy. Being present when the decision was announced, he immediately rose and proclaimed to the congregation that he would preach from a stump, in the vicinity of the church; and at the hour named by him, he had for his audience the whole congregation, except his late brother clergyman and one of his elders. The result was, that on the same day he baptized nine, and his labors continued very successful.
In 1842, the present church building in Ashland was erected-its congregation then numbering about twelve. Prior to this time, however, Mr. Rigdon had taken his departure West, and was recently in charge of a congregation in Oregon. At the present date the membership in Ashland amounts to about one hundred-(in the United States to nearly four hundred thousand.)
At the request of a prominent gentleman of that denomination, we copy the following historical sketch :---
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" Disciples of Christ, or Campbellites .- This society is of comparatively recent origin. About the com- mencement of the present century, the Bible alone, without any human addition in the form of creeds or confessions of faith, began to be preached by many distinguished ministers of different denominations, both in Europe and America. With various success, and with many of the opinions of the various sects imperceptibly carried with them from the denomina- tions to which they once belonged, did they plead for the union of Christians of every name, on the broad basis of the apostles' teaching. But it was not until the year 1823 that a restoration of the original gospel and order of things began to be advocated in a period- ical, edited by Alexander Campbell, of Bethany, Vir- ginia, entitled 'The Christian Baptist.'
"He and his father, Thomas Campbell, renounced the Presbyterian doctrine, and were immersed in the year 1812. They, and the congregations which they had formed, united with the Redstone Baptist Asso- ciation, protesting against all human creeds as bonds of union, and professing subjection to the Bible alone. This union took place in the year 1813. But in press- ing upon the attention of that society and the public the all-sufficiency of the Sacred Scriptures for everything necessary to the perfection of Christian character- whether in the private or social relations of life, in the church or in the world-they began to be opposed by a strong party in that association. After some ten years' debating and contending for the Bible alone, and the apostles' doctrine, Alexander Camp- bell, and the church to which he belonged, united with the Mahoning Association, in the Western Re-
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serve of Ohio, that association being more favorable to his views of reform.
"In his debates on the subject and action of bap- tism with Mr. Walker, a seceding minister, in the year 1820, and with Mr. McCalla, a Presbyterian minister, in the year 1823, his views of reformation began to be developed, and were very generally re- ceived by the Baptist society, as far as these works were read.
"But in his 'Christian Baptist,' which began July 4, 1823, his views of the need of reformation were more fully exposed; and as these gained ground by the pleading of various ministers of the Baptist de- nomination, a party in opposition began to exert itself, and to oppose the spread of what they regarded as heterodox opinions. But not till after great num- bers began to act upon these principles, was there any attempt toward separation. Not until after the Ma- honing Association appointed Mr. Walter Scott an Evangelist, in the year 1827, and when great num- bers began to be immersed into Christ, under his labors, and new churches began to be erected by him and other laborers in the field, did the Baptist Asso- ciations begin to declare non-fellowship with the brethren of the reformation. Thus, by constraint, not of choice, were the Campbellites obliged to form societies out of those communities that split, upon the ground of adherence to the apostles' doctrine. The distinguishing characteristics of their views and prac- tices are the following :-
"They regard all the sects and parties of the Christian world as having, in greater or less degrees, departed from the simplicity of faith and manners of the first Christians, and as forming what the Apostle
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Paul calls 'the apostacy.' This defection they at- tribute to the great varieties of speculation and meta- physical dogmatism of the countless creeds, formularies, liturgies, and books of discipline adopted and incul- cated as bonds of union and platforms of communion in all the parties which have sprung from the Lutheran reformation. The effect of these synodical covenants, conventional articles of belief, and rules of ecclesiastical polity has been the introduction of a new nomenclature-a human vocabulary of religious words, phrases, and technicalities, which has dis- placed the style of the living oracles, and affixed to the sacred diction ideas wholly unknown to the apos- tles of Christ.
"To remedy and obviate these aberrations, they propose to ascertain from the Holy Scriptures, accord- ing to the commonly-received and well-established rules of interpretation, the ideas attached to the lead- ing terms and sentences found in the Holy Scriptures, and then to use the words of the Holy Spirit in the apostolic acceptation of them.
"By thus expressing the ideas communicated by the Holy Spirit, in the terms and phrases learned from the apostles, and by avoiding the artificial and technical language of scholastic theology, they pro- pose to restore a pure speech to the household of faith; and by accustoming the family of God to use the language and dialect of the Heavenly Father, they expect to promote the sanctification of one another through the truth, and to terminate those discords and debates which have always originated from the words which man's wisdom teaches, and from a reverential regard and esteem for the style of the great masters of polemic divinity; believing that
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speaking the same things in the same style, is the only certain way to thinking the same things.
: "They make a very marked difference between faith and opinion; between the testimony of God and the reasonings of men; the words of the Spirit and human inferences. Faith in the testimony of God, and obedience to the commandments of Jesus, are their bond of union, and not an agreement of any ab- stract views or opinions upon what is written or spoken by divine authority. Hence all the specula- tions, questions, debates of words, and abstract reason- ings found in human creeds have no place in their religious fellowship. Regarding Calvinism and Ar- minianism, Trinitarianism and Unitarianism, and all the opposing theories of religious sectaries, as extremes begotten by each other, they cautiously avoid them, as equidistant from the simplicity and practical ten- dency of the promises and precepts, of the doctrines and facts, of the exhortations and precedents of the Christian institution.
"They look for unity of spirit and the bonds of peace in the practical acknowledgment of one faith, one Lord, one immersion, one hope, one body, one spirit, one God, and Father of all; not in unity of opinions, nor in unity of forms, ceremonies, or modes of worship.
"The Holy Scriptures of both Testaments they regard as containing revelations from God, and as all necessary to make the man of God perfect, and ac- complished for every good word and work; the New Testament, or the living oracles of Jesus Christ, they understand as containing the Christian religion; the testimonies of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, they view as illustrating and proving the great proposition
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on which our religion rests, viz., that Jesus of Naza- reth is the Messiah, the only begotten and well- beloved Son of God, and only Saviour of the world; the Acts of the Apostles as a divinely authorized narrative of the beginning and progress of the reign or Kingdom of Jesus Christ, recording the full develop- ment of the gospel by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, and the procedure of the apostles in setting up the Church of Christ on earth; the Epistles as carrying out and applying the doctrine of the apostles to the practice of individuals and congregations, and as developing the tendencies of the gospel in the behavior of its professors; and all as forming a com- plete standard of Christian faith and morals, adapted to the interval between the ascension of Christ and his return with the kingdom which he has received from God; the Apocalypse, or revelation of Jesus Christ to John, in Patmos, as a figurative and pros- pective view of all the fortunes of Christianity, from its date to the return of the Saviour.
"Every one who sincerely believes the testimony which God gave of Jesus of Nazareth, saying, 'This is my son, the beloved, in whom I delight,' or, in other words, believes what the evangelists and apostles have testified concerning him, from his conception to his coronation in heaven as Lord of all, and who is willing to obey him in everything, they regard him as a proper subject for immersion, and no one else. They consider immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, after a public, sincere, and in- telligent confession of the faith in Jesus, as necessary to admission to the privileges of the kingdom of the Messiah, and as a solemn pledge, on the part of
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Heaven, of the actual remission of all past sins, and of adoption into the family of God.
"The Holy Spirit is promised only to those who believe and obey the Saviour. No one is taught to expect the reception of that heavenly monitor and comforter, as a resident in his heart, till he obeys the gospel.
"Thus, while they proclaim faith and repentance, or faith and a change of heart, as preparatory to im- mersion, remission, and the Holy Spirit, they say to all penitents, or all those who believe and repent of their sins, as Peter said to the first audience addressed after the Holy Spirit was bestowed, after the glorifi- cation of Jesus, 'Be immersed, every one of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus, for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' They teach sinners that God commands all men, everywhere, to reform, and to turn to God; that the Holy Spirit strives with them so to do, by the apos- tles and prophets; that God beseeches them to be reconciled, through Jesus Christ; and that it is the duty of all men to believe the gospel, and turn to God.
"The immersed believers are congregated into societies, according to their propinquity to each other, and taught to meet every first day of the week, in honor and commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus, and to break the loaf, which commemorates the death of the Son of God, to read and hear the living oracles, to teach and admonish one another, to unite in all prayer and praise, to contribute to the necessities of saints and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord.
"Every congregation chooses its own overseers and deacons, who preside over and administer the affairs
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of the congregations; and every church, either from itself or in co-operation with others, sends out, as op- portunity offers, one or more evangelists, or 'proclaim- ers of the word, to preach the word, and to immerse those who believe, to gather congregations, and to ex- tend the knowledge of salvation where it is necessary, as far as their means extend. But every church regards these evangelists as its servants, and, there- fore, they have no control over any congregation; each congregation being subject to its own choice of presidents or elders, whom they have appointed. Perseverance in all the disciples is essential to ad- mission into the heavenly kingdom.
"Such are the prominent outlines of the faith and practice of those who wish to be known as the dis- ciples of Christ; but no society among them would agree to make the preceding items either a confession of faith or a standard of practice; but, for the infor- mation of those who wish an acquaintance with them, they are willing to give, at any time, a reason for their faith, hope, and practice."
Since April, 1861, Rev. L. R. Norton, of Mt. Ver- non, has officiated as pastor. John Mykrantz, J. B. F. Sampsel, and Hugh Burns are the elders.
MASONS AND ODD FELLOWS.
At the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of Masons, of the State of Ohio, which assembled at Zanesville, on the 19th of October, 1846, there was granted, on the petition of Charles R. Deming, Lorin Andrews, Benjamin F. Whitney, William A. Hunter, Luther M. Pratt, James McNulty, Bela B. Clark,
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George W. Urie, Sage Kellogg, and Wells Kellogg, a charter for a regular and constitutional Lodge of Masons, by the name, style, or title of Ashland Lodge, No. 151; and appointing Charles R. Deming, first Master; Lorin Andrews, first Senior Warden, and B. F. Whitney, first Junior Warden.
The first meeting of the Lodge was held on the 7th May, 1847. There were present, C. R. Deming, W. M .; L. Andrews, S. W .; B. F. Whitney, J. W .; G. W. Urie, Treasurer; W. A. Hunter, Secretary; L. M. Pratt, S. D .; E. G. Selby, J. D. pro tem., and Charles Riley, Tyler. At this meeting the only business worthy of mention transacted was the consideration and adoption of a constitution and by-laws - the reference of petitions from John H. McCombs and Joseph B. Cowhick, and the conclusion of arrange- ments "for procuring a room in the jail about being erected in this place for the use of the Lodge." The room thus referred to was occupied by the Lodge until 1859; at which time the fraternity leased the hall on the third floor of the building of John Miller, and continue to occupy it.
Eight members appear to have constituted the Lodge at the time of its organization. In 1862, there are seventy-three members.
The officers for 1862 are: D. Fike, W. M .; J. Stevens, S. W .; J. P. Devor, J. W .; G. Osterlin, Treasurer; A. Sheets, Secretary; H. A. Stamen, S. D .; R. N. Hershey, J. D .; E. Coleman, Tyler.
Ashland Chapter, No. 67.
A Warrant of Dispensation was granted by the Most Excellent Grand High Priest to Companions C. R. Deming, G. W. Urie, R. H. Chubb, H. Hum-
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phrey, Wells Kellogg, Henry Spafford, Andrew Mil- ler, H. D. Ruth, and Daniel Campbell, on the 13th of June, 1855, by the name, style, and title of "Ash- land Chapter, No. 67;" and appointing Companion Rolla H. Chubb, their first High Priest; Companion C. R. Deming, the first King, and Companion G. W. Urie, the first Scribe.
On the 19th of June, 1855, in pursuance of said dispensation, the first meeting was held. The names of forty-one members appear attached to the by-laws, nine of whom are now deceased or removed or absent in the military service.
The officers for the current year are: G. H. Top- ping, H. P .; James McCool, King; A. Sponseller, Scribe pro tem., (in place of Wells Kellogg, deceased;) David Fike, Cap. Host; H. D. Ruth, Prin. Soj .; Jonas H. Stevens, R. A. Capt .; E. T. Drayton, 3 V .; G. W. Urie, 2 V .; E. W. Wallack, 1 V .; G. Osterlin, Trea- surer; J. P. Devor, Secretary, and Eli Coleman, Guard.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
The Warrant or Dispensation for Mohican Lodge, No. 85, I. O. O. F., was granted by the Grand Lodge of the State of Ohio to the petitioners, Matthew Clugston, James Sloan, Jackson Wolverton, John Clark, H. J. Hayes, and John Musser, on the 26th of December, 1846. The Lodge was instituted on the 10th of May, 1847, by Thomas C. McEwen, D. D. G. M. Five members were present at the first meeting.
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