USA > Ohio > Columbiana County > History of Columbiana County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 32
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After Mr. Vallandigham's decease the pulpit was supplied a short time, but in March, 1840, the Rev. A. O. Patter- son began preaching, and on the 9th of December entered upon a pastorate which continued until the spring of 1852. The year's vacancy which followed was supplied by the Revs. Wm. C. Stratton, James L. Vallandigham, and John B. Graham.
In the spring of 1853 the Rev. Wm. Y. Brown became the pastor, and continued that relation until June, 1856. The same month the Rev. Edwin R. McGregor began a pastorate which was terminated Feb. 16, 1858. From Feb. 6, 1859, till 1866 the Rev. O. M. Todd was the pastor ; from 1867 till 1871, the Rev. Robert Dickson ; from Jan. 6, 1872, till February, 1878, the Rev. George N. Johnson ; and since Jan. 1, 1879, the pastor has been the Rev. A. B. Marshall.
In 1812, John McMillan was ordained to the office of ruling elder ; in 1816, John Thompson, Robert Ramsey, and Samuel Dickey ; in 1820, Davidson Filson ; in 1822, James Mckinley and Wm. Crow; and since that period Samuel Martin, John McKaig, John Armstrong, John Hamilton, Joseph Hamilton, Jonathan Hamilton, George Lee, Thomas McClellan, Hiram Myers, Robert Rankin, George S. Vallan- digham, B. K. Roach, Robert Whitacre, John M .. Todd, John Ramsey, Stephen Todd, James Hall, Thomas P. Thompson, C. B. Dickey, Wm. Mathers, John McDonald, and Wm. Burbeck.
James R. Dorrance is the superintendent of a Sunday- school (maintained by the church), which has 190 members.
THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NEW LISBON
may be said to be an outgrowth of the West Beaver congrega- tion of Associate Presbyterians. In 1829 that congregation had five members living at New Lisbon, who were occasionally supplied with preaching by the Rev. Wm. Dantlett, the meetings being held in the old log school-house. In April, 1836, one of these members, Erastus Eells, presented a peti- tion to the "Associate Presbytery of Ohio," asking that body to supply them with preaching, and in response the Revs. David Thompson, James McSell, Edward Small, and others occasionally ministered for the next three years. In March, 1839, the Presbytery was petitioned to organize
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and receive the congregation at New Lisbon as one of the Associate churches. That body honored the request, and delegated the Rev. David Goodwiller to perform the mis- sion. This was accomplished April 22, 1839, when the congregation was formally constituted of the following per- sons : Mathew Adams, Mary Adams, Erastus and Janet Eells, Anthony Shafer and wife, Thomas, Susan, and James Starr, John Fugate, Mary and Samuel McKinzie, Mary Calhoun, Martha Livingston, and Alexander Patterson. The organization was completed by electing Mathew Adams, Erastus Eells, and Wm. Wallace ruling elders.
The old brick Methodist meeting-house. on High Street, was purchased for the use of the congregation, and served it as a place of worship for many years. It was duly con- veyed to the trustees, May 1, 1839, by the officers of the Methodist Society.
In April, 1840, the Rev. J. W. Harsha became the pastor of the congregation for one-third of his time, the other two-thirds being allotted to the West Beaver congre- gation. He remained two and a half years. From the time of his departure, for the next three years, the pulpit was supplied by the Presbytery ; but in May, 1846, the two congregations called the Rev. S. F. Herron to the pas- torate, and the following September he was installed. His connection with the New Lisbon congregation continued twenty-two years. When he became pastor the congrega- tion numbered 26 members; during his connection 89 joined, 35 on profession. It has now about 100 members.
A vacancy of two years ensued, in which the Presbytery sent supplies, but on the 2d of November, 1869, the Rev. T. A. Scott entered upon a three years' pastorate. From 1873 to 1875 the Rev. W. G. Nevin was the pastor, and after a vacancy of more than a year and a half, most of which time the pulpit was regularly supplied, in January, 1877, the Rev. A. H. Elder became the pastor, and is yet serving in that connection.
In January, 1856, James Sterling and Wilson McLaugh- lin were elected ruling elders, and in 1870 David Bower was chosen. Both the first and the last died in 1875. The present elders are Erastus Eells, Wilson Mclaughlin, J. T. Brewster, Stacy Wallace, John B. Clark, Moses Ev- eritt, and James K. Frew.
In the spring of 1859 a new church-edifice was begun on Walnut Street, on lot 276, by James Scott, for the society, and by the 1st of January, 1860, was ready for occupancy. It is a commodious brick building, and cost $4000. The building committee were James Sterling, E. B. Smiley, Benjamin Dilworth, James Scott, and Rev. Mr. Herron.
April 15, 1859, the congregation became incorporated with the name and title above given. The present trustees are J. T. Brewster, James Scott, Moses Everitt; James K. Frew, treasurer. There is a flourishing Sunday-school under the superintendence of the pastor.
THE FRIENDS' MEETING AT NEW LISBON.
About 1813 the Friends living at New Lisbon and vicinity began holding meetings in a dwelling which was near Joseph Shawk's residence; but about 1816 a small meeting-house was built on Jefferson Street, which was used
thereafter as long as worship according to the customs of the Friends was kept up in the place. No records of this meeting have been preserved, but among those who attended there are remembered John Neil, John Briggs, Joseph Richardson, Benjamin Hanna, George Garrettson, Oliver Griffith, Samuel Myers, Harmon Fagan, Joshua Chandler, and Nathan Baldwin, some of whom were not strictly Friends. In 1829 the society embraced the doctrines of Friend Hicks, and, after a short period, became so much reduced by removals and other causes that the meetings were but poorly maintained, and finally were altogether abandoned. The society has long been extinct.
THE GERMAN MEETING-HOUSE AT NEW LISBON was built about 1833 by the united efforts of the Lutheran and German Reformed congregations, which were organ- ized here at an early day. William Helman, Peter Brinker, and Jacob Cublins served as the building committee. It was with some difficulty that enough means could be se- cured to prosecute the building to successful completion. Some of the funds used were collected by M. H. Shultz in Philadelphia, and friends in other loculities responded with aid. Through the efforts of John Brinker and others a steeple and bell were added, some time after the church was built. This house yet stands, but presents a somewhat dilapidated appearance. It was the first church in the place that was not erected on the "Gospel Knob," as some people irreverently called that part of High Street on which all the other churches stood at that time. Concern- ing the congregation which worshiped in this house not much can be said. What little recorded history they had has been destroyed, and none of the original members remain to tell the story of their struggles for a permanent place,-now with hopes of success, and then with declining interests,-until their future existence as an organization became impossible. Among those who attended divine worship in this house, and in the old court-house before the church was built, may be mentioned families bearing the names of Brinker, Simonds, Crowl, Blecher, Worman, Bricker, Hill, Spiker, Walter, Bowman, Frederick, Springer, Mason, Stock, Arter, Small, Cublins, Rees, Clapsaddle, Nace, Schultz, Helman, Lepper, Adam, Rudisill, and Mil- ler. Among the pastors were the Revs. John Stough, Mahnesmith, Sonnendecker, Harter, Swissler, and a num- ber of others whose names appear in the sketches of con- gregations in the northern part of the county, and no at- tempt is made to introduce them here.
About 1860 regular services were discontinued, but lately a small Lutheran congregation has again been en- deavoring to establish regular worship. The preaching is supplied by the Rev. Sylvanus Schillinger.
In the northern part of the township, Andrew Brinker and others were instrumental in the erection of a parsonage for the use of the ministry of the church in Salem town- ship, which received the surviving interests of the New Lisbon congregations when they went down.
THE NEW LISBON CALVINISTIC BAPTIST CHURCH.
The records of this body have been destroyed, and but few meagre and disconnected accounts of its history can be obtained. It was organized some time after 1812 by a
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minister named Azariah Hanks, who was also the first preacher, and had among its early members Joab Gaskill, Obadiah and John Campbell, William Paul, Benjamin Pritchard, Joseph Powell, Lewis Kinney, Henry Beck, Stacy Pettit, Ira Dibble, Susan Whitacre, and Eliza Lepper, and, in most instances, the wives of the male members. The two first-named brethren served as deacons.
About 1815 a frame meeting-house was built on the cor- ner of High and Jefferson Streets, which had an elevated pulpit, and a small desk below for the use of the leader in singing. The house was used by the Baptists and the society which took their place-the Disciples-until 1841. The Rev. Hanks was followed by the Revs. Thomas Rig- don, Jehu Brown, - Clark, and Francis W. Emmon. In 1827, 41 members were reported at the Association meeting, which. assembled with the church, and which closed its career as a Baptist society. Soon after, a move- ment was here inaugurated which caused nearly all the members to connect themselves with what is now known as
THE DISCOPLES CHURCH.
The reformation here begun forms such a prominent feature of the religious history of the county that an extended account of its inception and a full sketch of the church which cradled it into existence have been prepared from the memorial discourse of the Rev. William Baxter, the poet, evangelist, and pastor of the church when the sermon was delivered, March 7, 1875 :
" But the point before us at present is the relation of this congregation to the great reformatory movement to which attention has been invited, which can best be under- stood by a brief history of the case. In the month of August, 1827, the Mahoning Baptist Association met in this village. Among other matters which engaged the attention of this body, it was proposed to select an evan- gelist to labor among the fifteen or twenty churches composing the Association ; this was deemed necessary on account of the languishing condition of many of the congregations, and the great lack of efficient ministerial labor in many localities within its boundaries. Among the preachers present were A. Campbell, then a Baptist, already giving promise of future greatness ; Adamson Bentley, the foremost Baptist preacher in the Association; Sidney Rigdon, who afterwards became the right-hand man of Joe Smith, the founder of Mormonism, a man of great eloquence and at that time a shining light in the Baptist brotherhood; John Secrest, of the Christians, a very suc- cessful evangelist; Joseph Gaston, of the same body, a man of deep religious feeling and a powerful exhorter; and last, but not least, from Steubenville, the teacher of an academy there, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, one of the best-educated men in the West, a natural orator, a born genius, who had abandoned the religious views in which he had been brought up, and was seeking diligently by the light of God's word the old paths: his name was Walter Scott. On this man, though not a member of the Association, but occupying a place by courtesy, fell the choice of the ministers present as the proper man to go forth to arouse the churches to a sense of their duty and sinners to a sense of their danger.
"This unexpected choice caused the subject of it to look upon it as providential, and, regarding the call of the Association as a call from Heaven, he entered at once upon his work. His first resolve was that he would not preach any of the peculiar doctrines of the Baptists, but would make the apostles his models, and thus reproduce the ancient gospel. Full of this purpose, he came to New Liabon about the middle of November of the same year, and, in the Baptist meeting-house, began a series of meetings during the week which were intended to continue over Sunday. The novelty of his mode of preaching and his rare and impressive eloquence soon gained him a large audience. The entire village was aroused and excited ; the preacher brought strange things to their ears, and on Sun- day the crowd was greater than ever before; the church was crowded, the entrance thronged, and the preacher some- what excited by the great desire manifested to hear him. His theme was the confession made by the apostle Peter, in the words, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God' (Matt. xvi. 16), and the promise made by Christ to him that he would intrust to him the keys of the kingdom of heaven, or the high privilege of first unfolding to men the gospel plan of salvation. In proof of the correctness of this view, he led his hearers to Jerusalem, and portrayed as they had never heard before the wonderful scenes of the day of Pentecost. He followed Peter through his discourse after the descent of the Holy Spirit. They seemed to hear the voice of the apostle as he charged on his hearers the guilt of the Saviour's death, which forced from their lips the heartfelt, agonizing cry, ' Men and brethren, what shall we do ?' and then, with startling power and emphasis, gave the apostle's reply : ' Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' None of his hearers had ever listened to such preaching before; and those who accepted the Bible as true felt that they could not gainsay it, for he presented no view or theory of his own, but uttered the very words of the inspired apostle. Just as he had closed his description of that wonderful scene, a gentleman well known and highly respected came to the door of the church and joined the interested group of listeners, and heard the preacher make the declaration in reference to the truth he had preached that the word of God meant just what it said, and briefly repeat the scene above described, with the earnest cry of the multitude, and the full, clear, and convincing answer; and when the preacher asked if there was any one present who believed what he taught, and was ready to take God at his word by instant obedience, the audience and preacher were both surprised to see this man press his way through the throng to where the preacher stood, and say, ' I do,' and express his willingness to be baptized at once for the remission of sins. The preacher for a moment was at a loss how to understand the meaning of the stranger's course; but, on making inquiry, he found that he was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and highly esteemed by his neighbors. He yielded to his wishes, and publicly baptized him so- cording to the apostolio command for the remission of sins, in the stream which flows almost in sight of where I now stand.
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"Sudden conversions are generally looked upon with suspicion, but this, as the sequel proved, was no sudden fancy, but the carrying out of a purpose long and earnestly cherished. The doctrine he embraced was not one heard of for the first time and adopted without investigation, but one that had long been entertained from his own inde- pendent reading of the word of God; and up to that day he was under the impression that he was alone in that belief. His name was William Amend, a calm, meditative man, whose life was such that he enjoyed the confidence and respect of the entire community, and was regarded by the religious people as an Israelite indeed. His own ac- count of the matter, contained in a letter addressed to the writer of this article, is one of interest ; and, as one of the most important features of the reformation was inaugurated in his case, we insert it here. His letter is dated Hiawatha, Kansas, July 23, 1872, and is as follows :
"DEAR SIR: In answer to yours of the 16th, I will begin with my- self. My parents were Presbyterians, my wife a Methodist ; we mar- ried April 18, 1818. In 1822 we joined the Presbyterian Church. In the fall of 1826, Mr. Vallandigham, the pastor of that church, com- menced preaching on election, foreordination, total depravity, etc., which soon disturbed my mind. I did not believe that man was so bad as he said; neither did I believe that God was partial,-that he must have just so many, no more and no less. So I began to investigate these things. I soon found that God was no respecter of persons,-that the election was in regard to character; and by this I also learned the ancient gospel. I now discovered that I was not a baptized person. I went to see Mr. Vallandigham about these things, and he told me that I wanted to pry into God's secrets that I could not know,-that I was tempted, and he was afraid it was of the Evil One. He then asked me if I ever had any correspondence with Alexander Campbell, or if I had ever read any of his writings. I told him that I had not. "Well,' said he, 'you have got hold of Campbell's doctrine.' Said I, ' If that is so, he must be an ancient gospel man, but I learned these things from the Bible.' So, after many hard struggles to overturn my arguments, be said, 'Well, if nothing else will do you, I will immerse you, but I do not like to adopt the plan.' ' Why ?' said I. He said, ' If I immerse you, some more will want to follow your example. I will immerse you, but it is not essential to salvation.' I then told him that he should not immerse me; that I would wait until I could meet a man who believed the gospel. So we agreed to part. After that I sometimes went to the Baptist meeting; it was a social prayer-meeting; Bro. Joab Gaskill was bishop. I took part with them that day. I lived five miles from Lisbon, and Gaskill four miles, and Gaskill wished me to go home with him. I went, and we conversed upon these things and upon the ancient order of the gospel, which was altogether new to him. Just two weeks after that, Bro. Scott commenced preaching the ancient gospel; and on the Friday night before, I was reading the second chapter of Acts to my wife at home. I said to ber, 'This is just what we need to make us fit subjects to wait upon the Lord.' She said, ' Well, you had better go and preach it;' and I replied, ' The first man I meet that will preach this gospel and promise to live it, I will go with him, let the world say what it will.' On Saturday, Bro. Jobn Campbell sent one of his sons to tell me that a very smart man by the name of Scott would preach the next day at eleven o'clock, and that he wished me to hear him. I promised to go, and did so. When I got there the house was full ; I went up the steps to the door, but could got no farther. Bro. Scott had the commission for his text, and went to Jerusalem as the Lord commanded. Very soon I found that this was the man I had promised to go with. When he got to the place where they cried out to Poter and the rest of the apostles, ' Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved ?' he asked, 'What did Peter tell them ?' He paused as if waiting for an answer, and then said, 'I will tell you a secret.' He then repeated Peter's reply : ' Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the re- mission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit ;' and said, ' This is the secret.' He then cried out, 'If there is any person present who is willing to take God at his word, now is the time
to come.' I then went forward, pressing through the crowd till I got to him. He took me by the hand and said, 'Is there any person present who knows why this man should not be baptized for the re- mission of sins? If so, let him tell it now, or forever hold his peace.' Bro. Gaskill then spoke up and said, 'I can receive and fellowship him with all my heart.' 'Thank the Lord !' said Scott; 'you shall be immersed for the remission of sins.' The meeting closed, and I went with Joseph Powell to get a change of clothes; we then went to the water; I was baptized, and came up out of the water. Bro. Scott delivered a beautiful address on the ancient gospel, after which I went to Bro. Powell's, changed my clothes, and went on my way rejoicing.
"The events narrated in the above letter, beyond all question, establish the fact that Mr. Amend was the first man of whom we have any knowledge who, in modern times, so clearly and fully complied with all the gospel conditions of pardon as required by the apostles. The course he adopted, from that time forward, was required from all converts, and formed one of the most marked features of the reformation, and that order was restored here.
" But the question may be asked, How can this be made to mark the beginning of a new era in the religious history of the times, when the doctrine confessed and obeyed is, in theory at least, the doctrine of all Christendom ? That it is in accordance with nearly all the creeds of the greater portion of the religious world may be learned by an examination of the most orthodox creeds, ancient and modern. The Nicene Creed, one of the most ancient and orthodox, de- clares that there is ' one baptism for the remission of sins,' and many modern creeds are scarcely less explicit, and the wonder only grows when we find the Scriptures teaching the doctrine in language even less liable to mistake than that of the creeds. The truth is, however, that, notwith- standing the teaching of both Bible and creed upon the subject, the doctrine was practically as utterly disregarded as if both creed and Bible were silent upon the subject ; of which no greater proof is needed than the fact that Mr. Amend, though a devout man and a constant attendant at church, and even a member of one of the popular religious parties, had never heard it before; and an additional proof that it was practically denied is found in the fact that the preaching of it was everywhere denounced as heresy, and those who embraced it were made the objects of persecu- tion, as far as the spirit of the age would allow it. That such a state of things should exist is no stranger than that the Church of Rome should have become what it was when Luther arose, or that formalism should have almost wholly usurped the place of vital piety when Wesley began his work.
" But to return to our theme. Soon after the baptism of Mr. Amend quite a number of others followed his ex- ample, among them his sister, Mrs. Conover, of Massillon (still living), Mrs. Elizabeth Lodge, Mrs. Watson, and many others. The Baptist church, almost to a man, em- braced the views presented by Elder Scott, and, dropping the name Baptist, were known as Disciples of Christ; and the meeting-house, now a dwelling, the first building east of R. B. Pritchard's, passed into the hands of the new body. Here they were ministered to occasionally by Elder Scott and others, mainly from the Western Reserve, and their numbers were greatly increased.
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" About 1838, Benjamin Pritchard became one of the elders of the congregation, and rendered faithful and effi- cient service for nearly thirty years. His house for many years was the preachers' home, and nearly every preacher among us in those days shared his hospitality.
" In 1841 the present house was built, and, though under another roof, we are under the same foundation yet, with the same God for our God as those who worshiped here before us and have gone home, and with the same Bible for our comfort and guide.
" Before the building of this house most of the preach- ing was by traveling evangelists, but for a season the church enjoyed the regular labors of Wesley Lanphear and Wm. Beaumont. Since the erection of this house the pastors have been Isaac Errett, five years ; P. H. Jones, three years; Joseph King, five years; Philip Galley, about one year and a half; and Wm. Baxter, about twelve years. Since October, 1875, Rev. A. Martin has been pastor.
" A list of the brethren who have preached here at va- rious times would be interesting, but it would perhaps be impossible to give such a one now. The following, though incomplete, will not be without interest : Alexander Camp- bell, Walter Scott, William Hayden, A. S. Hayden, John Henry, Cyrus and Marcus Bosworth, Eli Regul, Jonas Hartzell, E. Hubbard, John Shafer, A. Allerton, John Applegate, C. E. Van Voorhis, J. H. Jones, D. S. Burnet, James and Joseph Gaston, George Lucy, Warrick Martin, Robert Forrester, W. S. Gray, A. B. Groen, C. L. Loos, S. E. Pearre, Robert Graham, Frank Green, R. T. Davies, Alanson Wilcox.
" During the year beginning with the labors of Elder Walter Scott, to which attention has already been called, about one thousand converts were made under his earnest and efficient advocacy of the ancient gospel. Every suc- ceeding year since then has witnessed the spread of the work with unexampled rapidity. Not a single congrega- tion of this body was in existence when he first began his plea, in 1827; now there are between three hundred and four hundred congregations in this State, and even greater numbers in several of the States farther west ; for instance, over four hundred in Illinois, a still larger number in In- diana and Kentucky, large numbers in Tennessee and Mis- souri; they are to be found in nearly all the new States and Territories, in California and Oregon ; numerous con- gregations are also to be found in England, Ireland, and Scotland, and even in Australia, Van Diemen's Land, and New Zealand. During the year 1874, 30,000 additions were reported in one newspaper, and there is no doubt but that the entire number of accessions was 50,000; the whole number is variously estimated at from half to three-fourths of a million.
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