USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Annals of the First Presbyterian church of Cleveland, 1820-1895 > Part 5
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I have come upon a description of Cleveland in 1816-four years before this church was organ- ized-by one who was here then, and it ought therefore to be true. There were then three streets, Superior, Water and Bank. Bank street was opened only to where St. Clair street now is. Probably there were tracks through the woods here and there, but these were opened streets. Then they had a lake front, without contention or soot. There were then thirty-five dwellings in the hamlet. Then there were pools here and there, "covered with the green leaves, and white and golden petals of the water lily," and birch and other trees, vine laden, all of which were long since swept away. Then the wild grape filled the air with its fragrant breath, and there were grassy banks, dear me! And just think of it, "from the foot of Superior street to the lake the margin of the river gleamed in the sunlight with gay flowers and bright green mint, the aroma of which repaid a passing touch; sweet flag and water grass, waving tufts of
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flower-de-luce and spires of cat-tail opened to view a beautiful panorama, unbroken save by the old tannery, which added to, not marred, the beauty of the whole."
I am much obliged to the, to me, unknown writer, for the description, and the assurance that once on a time the waters of the Cuyahoga "gleamed in the sunlight." I wish it would do that again before the eyes of this generation. Nothing is here said about the whisky mill under the hill, where the poor red men were befuddled by their white neighbors, but history says it was there. The continuity of whisky in this place is not a matter of dispute.
There was "a ferry house," at the foot of Superior street, so there must have been a ferry and something to go for on the other side. Somebody seriously mutilated the copy from which I quote, which ends with hints of watermelons and raiders, and says "the inhabitants on that side the river were few and far between." They were so thick on this side they had not room to grow their watermelons! Huron and Erie streets on paper were the ambitious limit of the first Cleveland, and must have seemed as remote to Water street dwellers, as Glenville and East Cleveland to us. Those early timers laid out the Square which has been the joy of generations, on which the aristoc- racy of an carly day built their homes, and planted churches, dispensed justice, and drew around them the comforts of life. This dear old Square the Philis- tines of our day want to destroy. They have taken away the lake front, and the "gleam and sunlight" off the Cuyahoga, abolished the water lilies and the
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fragrance of grape vines, and given us instead the thousand smells of cologne, and now they want our precious Square also!
There was once a log court house in the southwest corner of the Square, where the fountain plays-when water can be afforded-in front of this church, and in it the first Sunday School was organized in 1819; and there this church began its existence in a hamlet of 150 souls, with fifteen members, in 1820. They had a lock-up there too, and, for once, church and jail were in close proximity, and the hymns of Zion ' reached the ears of the criminal and the unfortunate. But note that when they got ready to dedicate a park-like place for their delectation, they removed all these accessories of civilized life to outside of the side- walk, where they remain to this day. There is, as yet, but one serious innovation, of which I will not now speak particularly, lest I offend the ears of some for whom I entertain great respect. May it be the last. Let us keep, at least, one trace of the homes and haunts and sanctities of our fathers and be proud of it.
About the date we have now reached, several gen- tlemen put their heads together and determined to buy the lot on which this church stands, which was then offered for sale. The price was $400. The names of these gentlemen were Messrs. Samuel Williamson, Samuel Cowles, John M. Sterling, Leonard Case, Her- man Kingsbury, Nathan Perry, P. M. Weddell, Samuel Starkweather, A. S. Walworth and Edmund Clark.
They did well. They had done better had they
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bought as much more, but $400 was a large sum in those days.
It is reported that $150,000 has lately been offered for it.
The godly were in the minority then. Sunday was market day, and the crack of the rifle-shot-gun I guess it was-was heard in the woods hard by where the service of God was attempted. The tables are turned in a way. Men are not so openly blasphemous in their deviltry. They could not get up a procession in caricature of Christ today as then, but for this very day, a free excursion was advertised in big letters by some real estate operators, last Sunday much labor was expended to open a public boulevard for a few hours, Sunday before, a gang of men wrought openly all day and evening on Euclid avenue to refit a restau- rant. Almost any Sunday, at least often, a gang of street railroad employes may be seen at work; shops on almost every street open; saloons running behind closed windows! The same sort of thing you can see in Paris any Lord's day, but here, a better thing is expected, most of all by representative citizens.
The Cleveland of our day is big and growing, we are proud of our city, and for that very reason we need to get as far away as we can from the infidelity that in an early day was rampant here and in Fairport, and elsewhere along the lake and back on the Reserve.
For a good while Old Trinity and this church alone undertook to stem the tide of primitive ungodli- ness and bring in a better day. One virtue of pioneer life was theirs-they were brought into close fellow-
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ship-they used to worship in the same school-room on St. Clair street. Trinity, I judge, did not get on so rapidly, though earlier on the ground; for at a Christ- mas time-the first churchly observance here, I believe it was-the Presbyterians seem to have had the use of the room morning and afternoon, Trinity in the evening. And there was some concern lest there might not be time to set the house in order and light the two big candles that "weighed a pound," made by some thrifty housewife. So, Uncle Abram, "head and front of Episcopacy then," whoever he may have been, good-naturedly begged Parson Bradstreet not to preach one of his "darned long-winded sermons" that afternoon. I am not informed, but I must believe that Mr. Bradstreet acquiesced. At any rate, Christ- mas was celebrated, and the room was packed. There have been statelier celebrations, but that was a good time and place to begin.
Our fathers did as they could and made a virtue of necessity, and knew nothing of electric lights, and so were happy and content at first, to light the church with "tallow dips" hung on the wall with tin reflectors, and to keep them at their best by snuffing, as our mothers did at home, even at the risk of snuffing them out. The boys and girls of our day are far removed from all this, but the man of fifty, country-bred, knows all about it. And he also knows that people could be good and happy having little, and living, as would now be thought, in an awfully primitive way. It was, at least, a good thing to start from, and sturdy folk were reared in such surroundings.
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But the village grew to a city of 6000 in 1836, and now there is a Methodist, a Baptist, a Roman Catholic and a Bethel church-the beginning, all, of a long succession, reaching out with the city's growth from six to three hundred and thirty thousand. Then there were many isms afloat-Millerism for one. As a boy I remember to have been greatly scared by the talk current about the end of the world, as prophetic lecturers went around through country school-houses with charts of beasts and figures proving from Daniel the very day of the end. They had a church here, constructed, open in the roof, with special reference to going up. This frenzy wrought great mischief. The anti-slavery agitation then began to loom up and was at first coolly received.
This church needed, and found, in Dr. Aiken, the man of level head to stand at the helm in those stormy times, from 1835 to 1860, the first and honored pastor of this church.
In that day Christian sentiment was far more con- servative than now. There lies on my table a tremen- dous phillipic of Dr. Aiken's against the "unfruitful works of darkness." It was aimed at the theatre, the horse race and the circus. The spirit of the man is voiced in the paragraph: "God has made it the duty of the minister at the altar, who is set for the defence of the Gospel, to speak fully and openly against those established indulgences that are injurious to morals and religion." This is honest and manly, and the scorn with which he treats the two pleas for the horse race: 1. That it "improves the breed of horses," and,
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2. "Brings a flood of money into the place," is really fine. This flood of money suggests another flood that comes with it, which he likens to that which the great dragon in the Apocalypse poured out of his mouth. In 1839 it was resolved "that for a member of this church to attend theatres, balls or cotillion parties, whether public or private, is a breach of covenant, contrary to the spirit of the Gospel, and deserving the censure and discipline of the church." The church manual of that day contains twenty hints or rules for Christian living, each and all excellent. If every one who has confessed Christ would live by them, there would not be a back-slider on earth, nor a church quarrel.
Such resolutions as this just quoted were on the books of the churches of that day generally. They are on many church records of a later date. And the testimony against these things-more guarded, softened, less sweeping than of old, finds utterance in religious convocations, year by year.
But Dr. Aiken did not stop these unfruitful works of darkness, and the good people of this church, fathers and mothers and children were not to be "resolved" into ordering their lives thus and so, even on pain of discipline. Some were disciplined. Still, in the main, people went on doing as they pleased, and more and more so, and many very excellent people changed their minds about some of these things, till even Church Elders themselves and some of the par- sons, here and there, have ceased to order their lives upon the early pattern.
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What then? Was it worth while ? Of course it was. It is always worth while to be true to one's con- victions. In this they are to be honored. They drew a line of distinction between the spirit of the kingdom of Christ, as represented by the Church, and the spirit of the world. They drew it where they thought it ought to be. The modern Church draws it differently. Some, then and since, have drawn it loosely, might almost as well not have drawn it at all.
We may think they were narrow and bigoted, but they were not. They simply sought to be true to their light, and the spirit of their times. And it never has been proved that any of these things ever made Christ's people better, or saints more heavenly. And it is just as true today as ever it was, that Christ is more honored in the breach than in the observance of these social and worldly customs and indulgences.
But people cannot be made pious by rules and resolutions and discipline. The era of the individual conscience is here. And men must be approached on the side of reason and conscience. The spiritual life must be deepened, the mind employed with better things, recreation furnished in more wholesome ways, and winsome persuasion must lead the way to better things.
All in all, with any true definition of spirituality in sight, I do not believe the church of 1895 less spiritual than that of 1820; and its sympathies are far broader, religion is more a life, and having to do with all days, with business and pleasure and all things else. That was a day of creed-confession at the door of
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entrance to membership and communion. Now, con- fession of faith in Christ and purpose to live by and for Him, opens all doors to church privilege. And this is well. It is Apostolic.
I honor the Church of 1820 and 1835 and 1850, for what it was and did, and for the witness it bore, and the many noble men and women in it, but it was not all wheat. There were tares then as now. The records make these things manifest. Say not that the former days were better than these. Honor all days for the good that is in them, but take care of thine own and the record thou thyself art making.
I am one of those that do not believe that the Church is retrograding. The Church of this day is striving to adjust herself to times that move and shift like lightning, and to grapple with the problems that affect human life and character, and to do her duty. She must judge for herself when, how and what, as wisely as possible. She cannot follow all her advisors, and must be content to be maligned and misunder- stood. But the Church of this day is ready to face the right when she sees it, and the pulpits are as free as ever they were, and the men in them as courageous, all that is said to the contrary, notwithstanding.
O, Church of God, be true to thine own day and mission. O, brother men, lend a hand; let's work together towards a better and a brighter day. I mean this for my Sunday evening friends who love to turn in here, and without openly avowing it, think of this as their church home. Many of you are new to the city. This work gives you an opportunity to get into
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the inside of our history and know us better. We want you to do it. We not only invite, we urge, you to look the matter over and see if there is not just here an opportunity for you to serve the Master and get good to yourselves. We would like to see you getting a grip upon this evening service, in the way of feeling a responsibility for it, raising a voice in how to make it serve you and your fellows better; and do more grandly the work that such a church ought to do, planted just here. Believe me, we mean just this. We are pulling ourselves together for the next stretch of twenty-five years, and we want your help. Now do not disappoint us. Give us your heart and your hand for the service we may together render to God's glory and for man's good.
THE CLEVELAND SISTERHOOD OF PRESBY- TERIAN CHURCHES.
REV. S. P. SPRECHER, D. D.
The Peruvians have a fable about a prince who brought to his father a nutshell, which, opening with a spring, revealed a little tent, possessed of a marvelous power of expansiveness; in the nursery the children played under its folds, in the royal council room the king and his court sat under its canopy, in the gardens the whole household gathered under its shade, on the plain the army was marshalled within its enclosure. This little tent is a good symbol of the
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adaptability of our Presbyterian system to co-operate with Christians of every name in works of faith and labors of love, and of the expansiveness of our system in extending fellowship to every branch of the Chris- tian Church. No canons or exclusive ordinances separate us from our brethren in Christ of other folds, and we can lend a helping hand to anyone who is doing a good work. I believe it is conceded that most of the money spent in undenominational christian work comes from Presbyterians, at least, they give more outside than does any other one denomination.
The only place where Presbyterians are apt to be divided is among themselves and on question of doctrine. This is because they are so tenacious of their opinions. Presbyterians generally know what they believe, and are ready with a reason for the faith that is in them, and I guess they are beside a little obstinate by nature. It is what I have heard called the Scotch of it. When I was in Scotland some years ago a friend asked me if I knew why it was that so few mules were used in Scotland. "I did not know it was so," I replied, "but if so, why so ?" "Why," said he, "if a mule and a Scotchman should have a differ- ence of opinion, what would be the consequence ?" I am glad to be able to say that in Cleveland this Pres- byterian characteristic is held in check by an abound- ing sentiment of brotherliness. We are a real sister- hood of churches, assisting each other and bearing one another's burdens, like members of one family. The younger members are nurtured tenderly and led by the hand of the elder sisters until they can easily
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walk alone. There is no envy or jealousy, as far as I know, between any of the members of this sisterhood. For this state of things, I believe, we are mainly indebted to the Old Stone Church and her big-hearted pastor. We must needs be powerfully influenced by her since there is so much of her blood in the veins of all our churches. The spirit of this church and of Dr. Haydn has been that of abounding kindliness, gener- osity and helpfulness. No enterprise among us ever fails of their help and sympathy. Indeed, Dr. Haydn keeps us so busy in church work and moral reform that we have no time nor strength left to quarrel. He is always pointing us to the common enemy and lead- ing the way against them. Before the battle of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson called to him two of his officers who were at enmity, and, pointing to the opposing fleet, he said, "Yonder are your enemies; shake hands and be friends like good Englishmen." That is the kind of a leader Dr. Haydn is.
Brethren, we are a strong denomination in Cleve- land, perhaps the strongest in numbers and in influ- ence. This brotherly love is one of the great elements of our strength. Let it continue and we will accom- plish wonders in Christian work and in advocating the Kingdom of the Master. Let us be distinguished in the army of the Lord in Cleveland for this character- istic. In ancient Thebes there was a band of 300 cavalry who became a terror to the enemies of Egypt. They were companions who had bound themselves by a solemn vow to stand together in the service of their country. They were called "The Sacred Battalion or
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the Band of Lovers." The wonders they accomplished on every field of action were celebrated with pride in the annals of the nation. Let us be such a sacred battalion, and we will accomplish nobler feats and a better service in greater Cleveland. But if we bite and devour one another take heed that we be not con- sumed one of another. The wolves sent out a scout to learn of the approach of the dogs. The scout returned and reported that the dogs were coming on, but very slowly, as they were continually snapping and barking at each other. The wolves were com- forted. Let us not comfort wolves. It was by their brotherly love that the early Christians powerfully impressed their enemies. Lucian, the Roman satirist, exclaimed: "It is incredible to see the ardour with which the people of that religion help each other. They spare nothing. Their first legislator has put it into their heads that they are all brethren."
The work of the Lord went on because the churches were so knit together in love. The strength of every individual was combined with that of all the rest in the blow they struck the heathen world and shattered it. Separate the atoms which make a hammer and each would fall on the stone as a snow flake; but welded into one and wielded by the arm of the quar- ryman, it will break the massive rocks asunder. Divide the waters of Niagara into distinct and indi- vidual drops, and they would be no more than the falling rain, but in their united body they would quench the fires of all the volcanoes in the world. It is the union of Christian forces which is now, at last,
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tottering the strongholds of Satan in all our munici- palities. Christians are working together as they never have before, and they are learning the strength of union. It is the interest of each that we all stand together. The strength of each is the strength of all. As the word well says, "a three-fold cord is not quickly broken." St. John, when over 90 years old, after a long life of experience in building up the Kingdom of God, sent his last message to the churches, and it was simply this: "Love one another, Love one another, Love one another."
Brethren, our Saviour tells us of a sign by which we are to prove our discipleship. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." And the Apostle affirmed, "We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren." Certain it is that if we are all near to Christ we are near to each other, as lines drawn from the circumference approach each other as they near the center. Surely, brethren, we should be more concerned to find in each other Christliness of character than correctness of belief, or what we may consider correct belief. The strifes which have dis- graced the history of the church have almost always been over matters of trifling import, non-essentials of Christian doctrine. We keep the peace not by har- monizing opinions, for that is impossible, but by loving one another. Our sisterhood of churches rests upon the fact that true Christian love does exist among us here. And "behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."
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THE CHURCH AND THE COMMUNITY.
REV. CHAS. D. WILLIAMS, DEAN OF TRINITY CATHEDRAL.
There have been, I think, two stages in the history and development of the Christian Church, and we are now just entering upon a third.
The first I may call the stage of institutionalism. The church was regarded as a divine institution whose principal, if not sole, business was to maintain her dignity, assert her authority, and make strong her dominion over the lives and consciences of men, as the representative of Christ upon earth. That idea of the church finds completed expression in Roman Cath- olicism, and that phase of her development reached its culmination in the middle ages.
Then came the Reformation with its tremendous emphasis on the value of the individual soul and the necessity of its direct and immediate relation to God. Individualism has ever been the keynote of Protestantism. In its view the church has largely ceased to be a divine institution, even an organic society; it is simply a collection, an aggregate of indi- vidual souls. Its mission is simply to preach the gospel of salvation to individual sinners, to snatch some here and there like brands from the burning, and leave the great world to its doom. It is a kind of spiritual conveyance office, where title-deeds to salva- tion are made out for individual applicants.
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But a new era is dawning upon us in these closing days of the 19th century. It is characterized by a widespread awakening of the social conscience. Social questions are in the air everywhere. The pressure of social obligations, social duties, social responsibilities is being felt as never before. Humanity is beginning to realize that it is not simply a vast aggregate of individualisms-but an organic body in which we are all "members one of another," and sustain vital rela- tions to each other.
Now this spirit of the age is affecting and inspiring the Christian Church; a new and wider vision of her God-appointed mission is dawning upon her. She is arousing to the fact that she is not sent just to save a few souls here and there out of the world-but, like her Divine Master, she is sent to save the world. She is to impregnate society with the leaven of the gospel. She is to pervade and possess it with the ethical doc- trine of Jesus. She is to inspire it with the spirit of Christ. In other words she has a mission to the common and social life of men as well as to their individual souls.
That new conception of her mission lies at the bottom, and explains many, of the new forms of activity she is taking up in these latter days. She is not content simply to bring the gospel of salvation to bear on the individual sinners that happen to come under her influence, but she is applying it to the related life of men in society. She is striving to form public opinion on various subjects. She is taking the lead in municipal, temperance, and social reforms.
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She is planting her social and college settlements in the slums of our cities, and every parish and congre- gation is fast becoming a veritable net-work of organ- ization for social work of various kinds, a ganglion or nerve-center of social efforts. The church is setting earnestly to work to redeem society.
Of course, because of the very novelty of this work the church sometimes makes mistakes; mistakes of hearty zeal and mistakes of inexperience. But nevertheless the instinct and impulse that inspire her in this work, are true. They spring out of the heart of that new and wider vision of her Divine mission that has come to her, namely that she is sent, not simply to save individual souls, here and there, but like her Master, to save the world.
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