USA > Ohio > Washington County > Marietta > A century of church life. A history of the First Congregational church of Marietta, Ohio, with an introduction by Rev. John W. Simpson > Part 13
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Article 6. It is expressly stipulated that the members of this Society do not engage hereby, or contract to, or for the use of the Society, any sum or sums more than what shall be drawn from the funds which are, or may be, in the hands of the Trus- tees aforesaid, and aportioned to this Society.
Article 7. We, the subscribers, each of us, do hereby agree to continue in this Society until we join ourselves to (or organize ourselves into) some other religious Society, and shall give no- tice thereof in writing to the Committee of this Society.
Article 8. All the transactions of this Society shall be regu- lated by a majority of the Society duly assembled. There shall be a meeting of this Society on Monday, the 16th day of March next, at two o'clock in the afternoon at the court house in Ma- rietta to commence the business of the Society."
To these articles are appended the names of 127 citizens. These are supposed to embrace all the adult male citizens of Marietta at that time, who were interested in the support of the ordinances of religion. This Society at once became the financial organ of the First Church of Marietta, which had been organized December 6th, 1796, and for two or three years all the funds derived from ministerial section (29) in Marietta, were paid to this Society. At a meeting held April 20th, 1801, the following officers were chosen for the first year: Moderator, Griffin Green ; Clerk, William R. Putnam; Standing Committee, (Trustees, ) Rufus Putnam, Josiah Hart, Jabez True, Joshua Shipman and William Skinner. It was also voted at that meet- ing that Rev. Daniel Story be appointed religious teacher for that year. (Mr. Story had been installed pastor of the First Church August 15th, 1798.) It was voted "that the committee contract with the Rev. Daniel Story for any sum for the year
CHURCH.
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1801, including the past service for the year 1801, provided it does not exceed four hundred and fifty dollars.
At the next annual meeting, held April 5th, 1802, it was
"Resolved, That the Rev. Daniel Story be and he is hereby elected and chosen the public teacher of Piety, Religion and Morality in this Society, to continue to serve them in that ca- pacity so long as his ministerial labors shall be agreeable and acceptable to a majority of the Society, and that so long as Mr. Story shall carry on the work of the ministry in this Society, in manner hereinafter provided, he shall be entitled to and shall receive four hundred and fifty dollars a year, and every year, for his services, to be computed from the first day of January of the present year, 1802, to be paid in two or half-yearly pay- ments of two hundred and twenty-five dollars each. Provided that the aforesaid sum of four hundred and fifty dollars shall not exceed the proportion which at any time this Society shall or may be annually entitled to in the fund appropriated for the support of religion. Provided always that besides the other du- ties incident to his office as pastor of the church in this place and its vicinity, this society is not to be holden, nor is Mr. Story to have any claim on the sum or sums above stipulated to be paid, save in proportion to the public service he shall per- form, or cause to be performed, namely: Two sermons to be preached on each Sabbath throughout the year, except such part of the year as the Society may, from time to time, agree to have but one meeting on the Sabbath."
At the same meeting the Society appointed choristers to su- perintend the singing on Sunday as follows: "Ichabod Nye, the first, Gideon Stacy, the second, and Nathaniel Gates, the third." Some who were members of the Society at this time had a strong preference for the Presbyterian form of church organization. These, with others who were opposed to Mr. Story, introduced a Presbyterian minister, Rev. Stephen Linsley, about the begining of 1803, and started a rival service. When the members of the Society became aware of this movevent, they attempted to reconcile the opposing faction. At a meeting held February 17th, 1803, the following action was taken :
" Whereas, The First Religious Society in Marietta is composed of persons from a number of the states in the Union, and who have been accustomed to different forms of church government. Now, therefore, for the mutual edification and satisfaction of all concerned :
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Resolved, That it will be expedient for the Society to employ two public teachers of Piety, Religion and Morality to carry on the work of the ministry of this Society for the ensuing year, whose duty it shall be to preach alternately in the Society with liberty to visit any other Society when not en- gaged in this Society."
One week later, Feb. 24, the following action was taken :
"Whereas, In order to prevent a divison and separation from this Society, it has been judged expedient that two ministers should be employed the remainder of the present year to preach alternately,
Resolved, That the Rev. Daniel Story be requested to relin- quish his claim to one-half of his stipulated salary for the re- mainder of the year, as thereby the union and peace of the Society will probably be promoted, and in case he does, the So- ciety will expect Mr. Story to preach in Marietta every other Sabbath. And be it further
Resolved, That the remaining part of the fund for the sup- port of preaching to which the society is, or may be entitled, shall be applied to the payment of such other preacher or preach- ers as the Society shall agree to employ, provided that for each day's preaching of such minister or ministers, the sum to be paid shall not exceed the sum paid to Mr. Story for the like service.
Resolved, That Mr. Stephen Linsley, or such other candidate as may be procured, be employed for the remainder of the pres- ent year for wnich Mr. Story, agreeable to the foregoing reso- lution, is excused.
Resolved, That the Standing Committee of the Society be, and they are hereby authorized and requested to carry the fore- going resolutions into effect."
Mr. Story agreed to this resolution and relinquished one-half his salary, but even this did not satisfy the opposing party, and a few months later they made serious charges against Mr. Story. As a result the Society held a meeting January 16th, 1804, at which they listened patiently to these charges and the evidence to sustain them, and as a result passed the following resolution :
"Resolved, That the accusations exhibited by Enoch Shepard and Charles Greene are not supported by sufficient proof to dis- qualify Doctor Story from being a minister of the gospel.
Resolved, That it is not expedient to employ any additional teacher of Piety, Religion and Morality in this Society the pres- ent year."
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This action was evidently not satisfactory to the disaffected members for, two days later, they withdrew from the Society and organized the Second Religious Society for the purpose of supporting Mr. Linsley. A few weeks later Mr. Story tendered to the church his resignation of the office of pastor, and March 26th he sent to the Society the following communication :
"To the First Religious Society in Marietta:
GENTLEMEN : Notwithstanding my having been one of the first settlers in this country, and having experienced with many of my friends all the dangers and hardships of a long Indian war, which endears the sufferers to each other; notwithstand- ing the great sacrifices I have made with very little compensa- tion for my time and services; notwithstanding the unanimous call to return to this country when at the distance of more than eight hundred miles, and in the midst of my connections and friends, enjoying every means for literary improvement, with a well grounded expectation of a competency of the good things of this life, if not an affluence, with a hope of usefulness; yet being deeply impressed by a conviction that religious disputes of all others, produce the greatest number of evils to society, and that this town is not sufficiently numerous or wealthy to support the teachers of two separate congregations, and give to each ample encouragement without great injury to themselves, I have, therefore, thought it expedient to express my willingness to concur with you in any manner which shall be likely to pro- duce a union of all parties. And I heartily consent to your using such means as you shall think proper to obtain and settle a person in whom you can be united, and to him I will cheerful- ly relinquish the sacred desk in this place. Should you deter- mine to send to a distant part of this country for a candidate, immediately upon his arrival I will resign my place to him for trial until you shall be satisfied respecting him. If the person who now preaches in this town is the object of your desire, I shall with respect to him fulfill the same engagements which I have made generally.
Now may the God of peace unite us all in brotherly love and affection. May we seek to promote each others good, and be instrumental in advancing true and undefiled religion. May a house be erected in this town in which all shall cheerfully unite in public worship, and with earnest attention receive the in- structions of Piety, Religion and Morality."
In a postscript he adds :
"I do not wish you to consider yourselves holden by your votes
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of April 5th, 1802, and I wish you to act in the same manner as if I had expressly relinquished the permanency of my settle- ment in this place which was the object of those votes.
I am, Gentlemen, Your Friend and Servant,
DANIEL STORY."
The Society, after duly considering the communication and the circumstances which prompted it, took the following action :
"Whereas, The Rev. Daniel Story, by his letter of this day, appears to express a desire to promote union and harmony among the people of this town in respect to employing a relig- lous teacher or teachers, and leaving the Society at liberty to dissolve the contract existing between this Society and him- self, therefore,
"Resolved, That the contract between the said Daniel Story and this Society, founded on a resolution of said Society passed the 5th day of April, 1802, be and the same is hereby dissolved.
"Resolved, That it is the opinion of this meeting that it would be inexpedient to engage any person as a public teacher on a permanent establishment until some other candidate or candi- dates have been heard on trial, and every measure shall have been taken to effect a union."
The Society took still further action to secure an amicable union with the Second Society, but without success. This seems to have been the only serious division in the First Relig- ious Society during its history. We can judge of the merits of the case only by the records as they are given. If we knew all circumstances we should probably find, as in most cases, that there was blame on both sides. There is evidence from other sources that the people supposed Mr. Linsley would also retire and leave the field open for a new man, but he continued with the Second Society until 1816, when he accepted a call to anoth- er field, and that Society ceased to receive ministerial funds. We can find no evidence that a Presbyterian church was organ- ized at that time, although from the circumstances such an or- ganization would seem probable.
In 1805 the church called Rev. Samuel Prince Robbins to be their pastor and at the annual meeting of the Society held April 1st, 1805, the following resolutions were passed :
"Resolved, (1) That, in connection with the Congregational Church of Christ in this place and its vicinity, this Society does
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hereby send their invitation and call to Mr. Samuel Prince Robbins to settle with us in the work of the gospel ministry.
Resolved, (2) That the stated salary for the support of Mr. Rob- bins shall be at the rate of five hundred dollars per annum during his continuance in the work of the ministry in this church and Society, and for that proportion of his ministerial labors which may be performed in Belpre and Adams, which is to be in pro- portion to the sum subscribed for his support by the people of these places, unless otherwise agreed on.
Resolved, (3) That it shall be the duty of the standing com- mittee of the Society to contract with Mr. Robbins upon the principle contained in the last mentioned resolution, in connec- tion with the resolution passed by the Society the 11th day of May last, provided that the last mentioned resolution is not to be construed to bind any individual beyond what he has or may voluntarily subscribe."
Mr. Robbins visited friends in Connecticut before a final answer was made to the call of the church and Society. His letter of acceptance was dated Norfolk, Conn., Sept. 21st, 1805. December 16th the Society appointed Judson Guitteau, Abner Lord, Stephen Prince, James Lincoln and Ichabod Nye a com- mittee to address to Mr. Robbins the following letter :
"DEAR SIR: The First Religious Society in Marietta embrace the earliest opportunity to congratulate you on your return to Marietta and express our gratitude to the Supreme Being, who, in his good providence, disposed you to accept the call of the Congregational Church and Society in this place to settle with them in the work of the ministry. We look forward with pleasure to the day (which we hope is not far distant) when the union of pastor and people shall be consummated by the solemn ceremony of ordination. It will be recollected that in the proposal of this Society made to you, sir, it was contem- plated that, if agreeable to you, a part of your labors might be extended to some one of the neighboring settlements in case they made provision for your support. In answer to our call you informed us that the destitute condition of the settlements around us was one inducement to a compliance with our invita- tion. It therefore appears expedient that measures be adopted for apportioning your Sabbath preaching, so far as it may be done under existing circumstances. It would be most agreeable to this Society (so far as respects themselves) that you should be with them every Lord's day, (except those exchanges, etc., usual among ministers), but as that would not be consistent with their original purpose nor your views in accepting, there-
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fore the Society propose that you should supply Belpre, Adams, etc., so far as either of them have or may make provision for your support; or if you think proper to itinerate to more dis- tant settlements the Society have no objection, provided the whole of your absence from Marietta shall not exceed the pro- portion of two or at most three Sabbaths in eight. With re- spect to the particular Sabbaths you shall preach in Marietta, or be absent, the Socity submit it to you to make your own appointments, save only that of the time you shall preach in Marietta not less than four-fifths of it is to be in the Academy, until better accommodations are provided, and the remainder of the time on the west side of the Muskingum river at Point Harmar, or in other remote parts of the town, provided the people in these situations request it."
The paper circulated to secure the salary of Mr. Robbins was so arranged that the subscriber could designate whether he would pay in money, beef, pork, flour or hemp. Only these five articles are designated, but it is probable that other things would be accepted at their market value. Money, which now answers all things in business transactions, was not as plenty as now and business was done very much by the exchange of commodities :
NAME.
Payable in Money.
Payable in Beef.
Payable in Pork.
Payable in Flour.
Payable in Hemp.
The Muskingum Academy was used by the Frst Religious So- ciety as a place of worship from the time of its erection, but as the population increased this room soon became too small to accommodate the congregation and it was found necessary to provide a suitable house of worship. February 7th, 1803, a committee was appointed to report a "plan of a Meeting House, together with the probable expense thereof." We have no rec- ord of a report from that committee, but the matter continued under consideration. It was necessary before a building could be erected that the Society should be legally incorporated with authority to hold property. October 11th, 1806, it was voted "that a committee of three be appointed to draft a bill for an act of incorporation and that Gen. Rufus Putnam, Benjamin Ives Gilman and David Putnam be that committee and report the same to the Society." The report of this committee was
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made and accepted, December 3d, and Gen. Rufus Putnam was requested to present to the Legislature the petition of this Society with a copy of the bill. This bill was passed by the Legislature and became a law, Feb. 4th, 1807. The Act was as follows :
AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY IN MARIETTA.
Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio that Rufus Putnam, Dudley Woodbridge, Jabez True, Ab- ner Lord, Benjamin Ives Gilman, Joseph Lincoln, David Put- nam, Ichabod Nye, Edward White Tupper, James White, Judson Guitteau, Stephen Pierce, Joshua Shipman, William Burnham, Earl Sproat and Josiah Hart, and their associates for the time being, be and they are hereby created and declared a body politic and corporate by the name of The First Religious Soci- ety in Marietta, and as such shall remain and have perpetual succession, subject however to such alterations and regulations as the Legislature may from time to time think proper.
Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, that the said Society shall be capable in law, by the name aforesaid, of suing and being sued, pleading and being impleaded, in any action or suit and in any court proper to try the same; and they are hereby authorized to have one common seal for the use of their corporation, and the same to alter or break and to renew at their pleasure.
Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, that the said Society shall be capable in law, in their corporate name aforesaid, of having, receiving, acquiring and holding either by gift, grant, devise or purchase, any estate real, personal or mixed, for the use of said Society, including the Society's proportion of rents arising from any lands given or granted by the United States for religious purposes. Provided that no subscription shall be binding on any subscriber for a longer time than one year; and provided also, that the clear annual income of all such property may not exceed the sum of three thousand dollars, and that the aforesaid property, both real and personal, be considered as held in trust under the management and at the disposal of said corporation for the purpose of defraying the expenses incident to their religious worship, to the support of schools, and affording such relief to the poor as their friends may from time to time allo and for no other purpose.
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, that, for the better regulating, ordering and governing the said Society, and for managing the affairs and promoting the interests thereof, there shall be elect- ed annually by the Society on the first Monday in April, not less than three, nor more than seven trustees, a treasurer, a clerk
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and a collector, and such other officers as the said Society may find necessary from time to time to appoint, who shall hold their offices for the term of one year, and until their successors shall be duly elected. Provided that if by any neglect or casu- alty, an election of officers should not be made on the day ap- pointed for the annual election, or in the event of the vacancy of any office by death, removal or otherwise, the Society may elect their officers, or supply such vacancy at any meeting of the corporation duly assembled.
Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, that all elections of this corpor- ation shall be by ballot, and the person or persons having a ma- jority of all the ballots given for any office, shall be considered duly elected. Every member shall have equal suffrage; and all Society matters shall be determined by a majority of the mem- bers present in any meeting of the corporation duly assembled.
Sec. 6. Be it further enacted, that all meetings of this corpor- ation, either for the election of officers, or for transacting the other business of the Society, shall be called by the Trustees or a majority of them, who shall cause notification in writing of the time and place of such meeting to be posted up at such pub- lic place as they shall judge necessary at least fifteen days be- fore such meeting.
Sec. 7. Be it further enacted that the trustees or a major part of them, shall have power and authority to make all con- tracts in behalf of the Society, which shall be necessary to carry into effect and accomplish the objects of this institution, and manage all pecuniary and prudential matters, and other con- cerns which pertain to the good order, interest and welfare of this Society; and make such rules, regulations and by-laws for the government of the Society, and for regulating and conduct- ing the affairs of the same, as shall from time to time be deemed necessary and expedient. Provided also, that all moneys that constitute the funds of the Society shall be applied by the trus- tees to those purposes only for which they have been appropri- ated by the corporation, except where the money arises from a donation or demise, the aplication of which has been designated by the donor.
Sec. 8. Be it further enacted, that the treasurer shall give bond with sufficient security to the trustees and their succesors in office in such sums as the said trustees shall deem sufficient, conditioned for the faithful performance of those duties that may appertain to his office by the rules, regulations and by-laws of the corporation. All processes against the corporation shall be by summons, and the service of the same shall be by leaving an attested copy thereof with the treasurer of the corporation at least twenty days before the return.
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Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, that Rufus Putnam be and is hereby authorized and empowered to appoint the time and place of the first meeting of the said Society for the election of officers, of which meeting he shall give such notice as is di- rected in the sixth section of this act.
ABRAHAM SHEPARD, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THOMAS KIRKER, Speaker of the Senate.
February 4th, 1807.
At a meeting of the Society held Dec. 2nd, 1836, it was voted to ask the legislature to make certain amendments to this act. As a result the following act was submitted and was enacted by the legislature :
AN ACT TO AMEND THE ACT ENTITLED AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY IN MARIETTA.
Sec. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, that the notice to be given by the trustees for the calling of meetings of the Society, shall not be less than five days nor more than ten days prior to such meeting; anything in the sixth section of the act to the contrary notwithstanding.
Sec. 2. That any male person residing in Marietta, of the age of twenty-one years, who shall pay annually the sum of one dollar or more towards the support of the religious teacher of said Society, and apply to the use of said Society his propor- tion of the fund arising from the land granted for religious pur- poses, shall be considered a member thereof, and be entitled to a vote in all meetings of the Society.
Sec. 3. That the Society, at any regular meeting thereof, may authorize the trustees of the Society to assess an annual tax on the pews in the meeting house for the purpose of defraying the contingent expense of the house and keeping the same in repair, and in case of non-payment of said assessment or assessments by the owner or occupier of any pew, the trustees may lease the same to any person or persons until the rents will pay such as- sessment or assesments as may be due thereon and no longer. Provided that no such lease of any pew shall be made till ten days after the time limited for the payment of the said tax by the by-laws of the Society.
Sec. 4. That the trustees, so authorized, shall assess the tax on pews in an equitable ratio, taking into consideration the value of the pew, its eligibility as to location, and other circum- stances, and no pew shall be taxed in any one year at a sum more than three dollars nor less than one dollar, and all sums raised by such tax shall be applied by the trustees to defray the
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expenses of repairing, fuel, sweeping, ringing the bell and other contingent expenses of the meeting house.
WILLIAM MEDILL, Speaker of the House of Rep. ELIJAH VANCE, Speaker of the Senate.
March 3d, 1837.
At the meeting mentioned above, held October 11th, 1806, the following action was taken: "That Rufus Putnam, Joshua Shipman and Benjamin Ives Gilman be a committee to report a plan of a meeting-house for the use of this Society with an estimate of the expenses, and also a scheme of ways and means to build said house. Also voted that Ichabod Nye, Rufus Put- nam and Jabez True be a committee to apply to the trustees for managing the lands appropriated for the purpose of religion, in the county of Washington, and receive from them the propor- tion or dividend of money belonging to the First Religious Society in Marietta which has been reserved out of the rents of section 29, town 2, range 8, for the purpose of building a meet- ing house or houses,-which money is hereby appropriated toward building a meeting house for said Society." This was one-quarter of the rents for four or five years previous, which had been reserved for church building according to the Act of 1800.
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