USA > Ohio > Erie County > History of the Presbytery of Erie : embracing in its ancient boundaries the whole of northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio : with biographical sketches of all its ministers and historical sketches of its churches > Part 10
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" The circumstances of your committee being so dif- ferent as to location, and the various sources of informa- tion from those who framed the ' Aet and Testimony,' they consider it inexpedient for them to express an opinion on the document, taken as a whole, but they freely acknowledge that a document, framed and signed by men of such known integrity and worth, and whose attachment to the standards and doctrines of our church is highly to be regarded, they would therefore recom- mend the following resolutions, namely : --
"1. 'That this Presbytery do solemnly protest against the conduct of any claiming the right to interpret the doctrines of our standards differently from the sense in which our church has always held them, or preaching or publishing Arminian or Pelagian errors, while they profess to adopt and approve our doctrine and order, and retain a standing in our church.
" 2. That Presbytery solemnly protest against the following errors, namely, our relation to Adam, etc., etc.
"3. That we will not knowingly countenance such ministers, elders, editors, or teachers, who hold or propa- gate such errors as are referred to.
" 4. That we protest against the erection of Presby- teries or Synods on the elective affinity plan, as a depar- ture from our form of government, and the usages of our
9
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&
church, and also as opening a wide door for the spread of errors.
" 5. That all the sessions under the care of this Pres- bytery take order, and express their opinion, on the said Act and Testimony."
This report was adopted by the following vote : Samuel Tait, Johnston Eaton, Ira Condit, Peter Has- singer, James Alexander, G. W. Hampson, Robert Glenn, ministers ; and elders Alexander Brown, Robert Clark, John Melon, W. Beatty, S. Wade, Wash- ington Tait, and Robert Mann : yeas, 14. In the negative, Thomas Anderson and Pierce Chamberlain, ministers ; and elders John McCord, John Reynolds, George Reznor, and Lansing Wetmore, 6. Mr. Eaton and Elder Alexander Brown were appointed to attend the Convention called by the signers of the Act and Testimony at Pittsburgh, to take into consideration the state of the church. Here was another indication of the struggle that was coming upon the church. The low mutterings of the coming storm were becoming portentous, and all things were assuming the appearance of danger.
On the 28th of January, 1835, Mr. Alexander was dis- missed to connect himself with the Presbytery of Ohio. On the following day, Mr. McCready was released from the pastoral charge of the congregations of Beaver Dam and Union, in Erie County, and advised to accept a call from that of Warren, Pa. On the 15th of April following, Mr. Adair accepted a call, for the whole of his time, from the congregation of North East. On the same day Rev. Nathaniel West (47), a foreign minister formerly connected with an independent church in Edinburgh, Scotland, presented a certificate of dismission from the Second Presbytery of Philadel-
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phia, showing that he had been taken on trial'as a foreign minister. Mr. West was accordingly received on further trials as a foreign minister.
The narrative of the state of religion, that is re- corded during the year 1831-35, does not indicate that there was much of the spirit of revival in the Pres- bytery. Good attendance is reported, as being paid to catechetical instruction and Sunday-school effort ; but no general revivals of religion.
At a former meeting the Presbytery had resolved to support Mr. Bushnell as their missionary in the foreign field, and now as Mr. Bushnell had retired from the work on account of feeble health, it was resolved still to continue the aid of Presbytery to the Western For- eign Missionary Society.
At the October meeting of Presbytery, it was " Re- solved, That the members of this Presbytery give their efficient aid in circulating and procuring signatures to petitions to the next session of Congress to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia." 1
On the 19th of April, 1836, Mr. Hassinger was released from the pastoral charge of the congregations of Evansburg, Harmonsburg, and North Bank. At the same time, the organization of the churches of Conneaut- ville and Sandy Lake was reported. At this meeting the approval by Synod of the action of Presbytery in receiving Mr. West as a member of Presbytery, was re- ported, and Mr. West's name was placed upon the roll.
Mr. McNair (45) was, on the 20th of April, dismissed to connect himself with the Presbytery of Vincennes. On the 11th of May, 1836, Mr. West was installed as pastor of the congregation of Meadville. On the fol- lowing day Rev. Simeon Peck (48) was received on
1 Min. iii. 122.
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certificate from the Presbytery of Buffalo. At the same time Presbytery approved the reorganization of the church of Warren, Pa.
On the 15th of September, of the same year, Mr. Has- singer was dismissed to the Presbytery of Washing- ton. At this meeting Mr. Chamberlain was installed as pastor of the congregations of Waterford and Union. On the 12th day of October, 1836, James G. Wilson (49), was ordained and installed as pastor of the congrega- tions of Greenville and Salem. In these services, Mr. Anderson preached the sermon, Mr. Tait delivered the charge to the pastor, and Mr. West the charge to the people. At the same time the name of the church at Elk Creek, in Erie County, was changed to Girard.
The report of a convention of elders at Meadville having been laid before Presbytery, was approved, and the object commended. The convention seems to have been composed of elders from Crawford County, and its object to have been to devise means to promote the spiritual interests of the people of that county.
On the 3d day of February, 1836, Mr. Bushnell was dismissed to the Presbytery of Indianapolis. On the 11th day of January, 1837, Robinson S. Lockwood (50), a licentiate recently received from the Presbytery of St. Lawrence, was ordained and installed as pastor of the congregation of Girard. In these services Mr. West preached the sermon, Mr. Eaton delivered the charge to the pastor, and Mr. Lyon the charge to the people.
The matter of slavery was again noticed, by the adop- tion of the following resolutions : --
" 1. That it is the duty of the ministers of this Pres- bytery to preach against the sin of slave-holding.
" 2. That it be earnestly recommended to each of the
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churches under our care, to address a memorial to the next General Assembly, imploring that body to use all its influence for the expulsion of slavery from our church." 1
The organization of the churches of Mckean and Cherrytree, was reported April 11, 1837. On the fol- lowing day Reuben Lewis (51), a licentiate of the Pres- bytery of Blairsville, was received under the care of Presbytery ; and on the same day Mr. McCready was installed as pastor of the congregation of Warren ; Mr. Hampson was also released from the pastoral charge of the congregation of Concord in Venango County, and was permitted to labor for two thirds of his time at Oil Creek.
At this meeting it was resolved, that for members of the church to sign petitions for the licensing of tav- erns, is wrong, and subjects them to the censure of the church.
On the 12th day of September, 1837, Mr. Anderson was released from the pastoral care of the congrega- tion of Franklin, Pa., and on the Ist of November fol- lowing Reuben Lewis (51), a licentiate, who had been received the previous year from the Presbytery of Blairsville, was ordained, and installed as pastor of the congregation of Harbor Creek. In these services, Mr. . Lyon preached the sermon, Mr. Adair delivered the charge to the pastor, and Mr. Hampson the charge to the people.
On the 11th of April, 1838, Rev. Wells Bushnell (35), who had formerly been a member of Presbytery, was received from the Presbytery of Indianapolis, and on the following day, Rev. William Fuller (52) and Rev. Charles Danforth (53) were received from the
1 Min. iii. 146.
-
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Presbytery of Grand River. On the next day Mr. Adair was released from the pastoral charge of the congregation of North East. On the same day John Van Liew Reynolds (56) was licensed to preach the gospel. On the 26th day of June following, Mr. West was released from the pastoral charge of the congrega- tion of Meadville.
This chapter closes with dark foreboding's of trouble. Clouds had been gathering that foretokened a storm of greater magnitude than any that had yet swept over the church. Differences had sprung up that could not be reconciled. In many cases these differences were really serious and important ; in some perhaps wholly imaginary. But the brethren were divided either in sentiment or in heart, or in both, and the consequences were most lamentable. The hearts of good men on either side were ready to fail them for fear; for schism if not open revolution seemed unavoidable; and the church, that had for so many years been expanding and pro.pering and overshadowing the land with its blessed influences, bid fair to be shorn of its splendor, and weakened in its influence.
CHAPTER V.
THE GREAT DIVISION.
1837-1838.
THE shock came at last. The storm burst forth in its fury, leaving for a time little but desolation in its path : alienated hearts, sundered ties, riven churches, and the exultation of the foes of Zion. The General Assembly of 1837 had passed resolutions declaring certain Synods no longer portions of the Presbyterian Church, and dissolving the Third Pres- bytery of Philadelphia. With reference to this action, at a meeting of Presbytery held September 12, 1837, the following resolution was passed by a majority of one : " Resolved, That in the opinion of this Presby- tery, the act of the late General Assembly, which dis- solved the Third Presbytery of Philadelphia without previous citation or notice, was unconstitutional, and therefore null and void." 1 Yeas, 13. Nays, 12.
This was followed by another resolution, -
" Resolved, That in the opinion of this Presbytery the act of the late General Assembly, by which the four Synods of Utiea, Geneva, Genesee, and Western Reserve were declared to be no longer a part of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, without previ- ous citation or notice, is unconstitutional, and therefore
1 Min. iii. 158.
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null and void." This resolution was also decided in the affirmative, by a vote of fifteen to ten. The ayes and nays were as follows : Ayes : Ministers, Amos Chase, Thomas Anderson, Robinson S. Lockwood, Edson Hart, George W. Hampson, George A. Lyon, and William A. Adair, with elders Andrew Bowman, D. H. Chapman, William Miller, S. Heimbaugh, T. Reid, J. Kinkead, George Kellogg, and Samuel Kingsbury - 15.
Noes : Ministers, Samuel Tait, Johnston Eaton, Ab- salom MeCready, and James G. Wilson, with elders John Hackney, Eliab Axtell, James Jagger, William White, James McCracken, and Homer Bailey - 10.1
After the recess the following complaint and appeal was offered by Mr. Tait in behalf of himself and oth- ers, and directed to be entered on the minutes : -
" WARREN, (PA.), September 13, 1837.
" WE, the undersigned members of the Presbytery of Erie, protest against the decisions of this Presbytery in declaring the acts of the General Assembly unconstitu- tional, null, and void, which dissolved the Third Presby- tery of Philadelphia, and declared the Synods of the Western Reserve, Genesee, Utica, and Geneva no longer a part of the Presbyterian Church, for the fol- lowing reasons, namely -
" Ist. Although we admit that Presbyteries have a right to complain, and petition our higher courts for re- dress of supposed grievances, yet for a Presbytery to declare the acts of our General Assembly null and void, we deem unconstitutional and disorderly.
" 2d. We believe that these acts of the General As- sembly were the only means left to correct the evils, and restore peace and purity to our church.
1 Min. iii. 159, 160.
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"3d. We believe the General Assembly, acting in a legislative capacity, had a right to repeal its own acts." 1
This complaint was signed by Samuel Tait, John- ston Eaton, Absalom McCready, and James G. Wil- son, ministers : and by John MeCracken, James Jagger, John Hackney, and Homer Bailey, elders.
In regard to these resolutions the Synod of Pitts- burgh, in reviewing the Records of Presbytery, took the following exception :
"The resolutions recorded on the pages 158 and 159 of the Records, whereby the acts of the last General Assembly, in reference to the Third Presbytery of Phila- delphia, and the Synods of Western Reserve, Utica, Geneva, and Genesee are declared to be umconstitu- tional, null, and void, are, in the judgment of Synod, incorrect, as to matter of fact.
CHARLES C. BEATTY, Moderator." PITTSBURGH, October 25, 1837.
This was the state of affairs, when the Presbytery met at Meadville, Pa., on the 26th day of June, 1838. There were present at this meeting, the following members : Ministers, Samuel Tait, Amos Chase, John- ston Eaton, Bradford Marcy, Pierce Chamberlain, Wells Bushnell, Absalom McCready, Thomas Ander- son, Nathaniel West, George A. Lyon, George W. Hampson, Robert Glenn, William Fuller, Charles Dan- forth, James G. Wilson, Robinson S. Lockwood, and Reuben Lewis. Elders : Alexander Brown, George G. Foster, John Reynolds, George Reed, James McClan- ahan, Cyrus Mansfield, Moses Logan, James Gilleland, Noah Town, Robert Stockton, David Brackenridge, John C. Robinson, John Wilson, John Hackney, Cal- vin Martin, James Campbell, D. II. Chapman, Pros-
1 Min. iii. 160, 161.
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per A. Booth, James Smedley, George Kellogg, Sam- uel Kingsbury, Francis Gray, John Carson, John N. Miller, J. Fritz, John MeCracken, and Ninian Irwin.
It was known that the late General Assembly had di- vided, and that the Commissioners from this Presbytery, Rev. Pierce Chamberlain and Elder George Kellogg, had given in their adherence to the Assembly known popularly as " The Other Branch," and had identified themselves with it; and the consideration of this matter was to be the great question before the Presbytery.
Soon after the organization of Presbytery, the fol- lowing preamble and resolution were offered by Mr. McCready : " Whereas, it is a time of great conflict, corruption, and difficulty in the Presbyterian Church in the United States and whereas the General Assemblies of 1837 and 1838 have entered upon reform measures, agreeably to our standards, to promote the peace, purity, and orthodoxy of said church, which have hitherto proved successful ; and whereas, they enjoin it upon all the Presbyteries under their care to pursue the same measures of reform, in all their boundaries; and whereas it is publicly reported that Pierce Chamberlain and George Kellogg, our delegates to the last Assem- bly, after giving in their commissions to the Assembly, did absent themselves from the true Assembly, and associate themselves with a number unknown to the General Assembly to form a new Assembly, and are offi- cially reported as being absent from the true Assembly without cause : Therefore -
" Resolved, That the roll be now called to take proper order in regard to the Commissioners for neglect of duty according to the resolution of the last Assembly ; and also that the members of this Presbytery be now called, individually, to sustain the reform measures of
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the General Assemblies of 1837 and 1838; and that the answers be given yea or nay." 1
The consideration of this paper was made the order of the day for the next morning.
The next morning " The order of the day was taken up, and after some discussion was postponed for the pur- pose of hearing the report of our Commissioners to the General Assembly, who being called upon informed Presbytery that they gave in their commissions to the General Assembly, but that before the roll was com- pleted they united with a number of ministers and el- ders, in organizing another body, calling itself the Gen- eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and which our Commissioners acknowledged as the lawful General Assembly ; after which they with- drew : whereupon, it was moved that their conduct be approved.
" And while this motion was under discussion, a post- ponement of it was moved, for the purpose of taking up a resolution, the object of which was to refer the whole matter to Synod. During the pending of these mo- tions, the whole subject of the constitutionality of the two Assemblies was fully discussed; after which the motion of postponement was taken by calling the roll." 2
The following was the result of the vote: Amos Chase, Bradford Marcy, Nathaniel West, Pierce Cham- berlain, Thomas Anderson, George A. Lyon, George W. Hampson, Robinson S. Lockwood, William Fuller, and Charles Danforth, ministers, with John Reynolds, James McClanahan, Cyrus Mansfield, Noah Town, Rob- ert Stockton, David Brackenridge, John Wilson, Calvin Martin, James Campbell, David II. Chapman, James Smedley, George Kellogg, Samuel Kingsbury, Francis
1 Min. iv. 21-23.
2 Min. iv. 24, 25.
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Gray, John Carson, J. N. Miller, J. Fritz, and Ninian Irwin, elders, voted in the affirmative, being ten minis- ters and eighteen elders - twenty-eight in all.
In the negative there were seven ministers, namely, Samuel Tait, Johnston Eaton, Wells Bushnell, Absalom McCready, Robert Glenn, James G. Wilson, and Reu- ben Lewis, with nine elders, namely, George Reed, Moses Logan, James Gilleland, George G. Foster, Al- exander Brown, John MeCracken, John C. Robinson, Prosper A. Booth, and John Hackney, sixteen in all.1
It will be seen that the actual vote was not on the merits of the case, but on the reference of the whole matter to Synod. It is also obvious, however, that the majority of Presbytery were in opposition to the re- form measures of the late General Assembly. The minority, seeing that there was now no other resource, quietly withdrew to another house, and continued the business of Presbytery, according to the order of the General Assembly adapted to circumstances like the present. This order is in the following words : " In case the majority of any Presbytery shall refuse or neglect to take proper order in regard to its seeeding Commis- sioners, or shall approve their conduct, or adhere to the new sect they have created, or shall decline, or fail to adhere to the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, upon the basis of 1837 and 1838, for the reform of the Church, then, and in that case, the minor- ity of said Presbytery shall be held and considered to be the true Presbytery, and shall continue the succes- sion of the Presbytery by its name and style, and from the rendition of the erroneous and schismatical decision, which is the test in the case, be the Presbytery ; and if sufficiently numerous to perform Presbyterial acts, shall
1 Min. iv. 25, 26.
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HISTORY.
go forward with all the proper acts and functions of the Presbytery." 1
The Moderator and Stated Clerk being among the minority, the Presbytery was already organized, and lacked but a temporary clerk to proceed with its regu- lar business. The Records of Presbytery also re- mained in the keeping of the minority.
Two ruling elders, David Brackenridge and Robert Stockton, who had voted with the majority, appeared before Presbytery and declared their approval of the reform measures of the General Assembly, and re- quested seats in Presbytery, which request was granted. The conduet of the Commissioners to the General As- sembly was then formally disapproved.
At the next meeting of the Synod of Pittsburgh, several members of the majority of Presbytery ap- peared and elaimed seats. Those who thus claimed seats, were : ministers George W. Hampson, Nathaniel West, and William A. Adair ; elders John McCord and Samuel Kingsbury. Synod refused to admit them to seats, and their case was referred to a committee con- sisting of Rev. Drs. David Elliott and Charles C. Beatty, and Rev. T. D. Baird, to consider and report thereon. These brethren were fully heard in regard to their claim. The committee reported adversely to their claim, which report was adopted. A protest against the decision of the Synod was presented, signed by Rev. David HI. Riddle, D. D., Rev. Aaron Williams, and elders John Herron, Richard Edwards, John Wright, and Matthew F. Champlin. A committee consisting of Dr. Elliott, Rev. William Jeffrey, and Rev. James Her- vey, was appointed to answer the protest. This com- mittee presented a long paper, which was adopted, as the answer of Synod.
1 Baird's Digest, 758.
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PRESBYTERY OF ERIE.
The other branch of the Presbytery of Erie has en- joyed a good degree of prosperity. After occupying the same territory substantially as before the division, for a few years, their Presbytery was divided by an act of the Synod of Pennsylvania into two Presbyteries. This division was ordered on the 25th of October, 1842. All the ministers and churches within the County of Erie, were to be considered as the Presbytery of Erie, and all the ministers and churches outside the County of Erie were to be constituted into a Presbytery, to be called the Presbytery of Meadville. This new Pres- bytery of Meadville consisted of six ministers, four of whom had been members of the old Presbytery of Erie.
These two Presbyteries, together with one that had been organized in the region of Pittsburgh, and called Pittsburgh, constituted the Synod of Western Pen- sylvania.
.
CHAPTER VI.
FROM THE GREAT DIVISION TO THE PRESENT.
1838-1867.
THE storm had come and gone. The noise and the strife were over. But the consequences remained. The first meeting of the Presbytery was a sad and pain- ful one. The officers and the records were there, but brethren beloved and respected were absent. Those present looked around to see who were present and who were absent. It was like the meeting of ÆEneas and his comrades after the storm that Juno's wrath had excited ; counting the ships that were safe, and lament- ing over those that had been stranded on the great deep. Here were fast friends for years, separated for- ever upon earth. Brethren who had taken sweet coun- sel together, and walked to the house of God in com- pany, who had labored and wept and prayed together, and whose sympathies had been in common for nearly a lifetime, were to meet no more together. Henceforth they were to pass at life's meeting-places, like ships upon the ocean, with nought but the ordinary signal of recognition, bringing up the love and esteem many of them felt for each other in the secret chambers of their own hearts.
But like Æneas of old in another respect, they girded themselves for new labors and new perils. With sad thoughts at the division of the Presbytery, and sep-
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aration from cherished brethren, they prepared to gath- er up the fragments of what remained, and go forward with the labor and the toil as best they might. New churches must be organized as new fields were explored. Divisions must be expected in churches already estab- lished. The evil consequences of these divisions must be met, and the injury to Zion must, as far as possible, be repaired.
And so they went on, the two divisions ; two Presby- teries, bearing the same name, occupying substantially the same territory, and to all intents and purposes one in design and one in faith and polity, yet separate in organization and in feeling ; and yet withal striving to do their own appropriate work, not walking together, nor talking together, yet dealing only in charity, and feeling, if not expressing, confidence in each other's piety and zeal in the Master's cause. It was Paul and Barnabas, contending so sharply that they had " de- parted asunder one from the other," yet both striving to do the Lord's work.
The vote recorded in the preceding chapter shows the relative numbers of the two Presbyteries. The minority, that now constituted the Presbytery called by way of distinction " Old School," consisted of Sam- uel Tait, Johnston Eaton, Wells Bushnell, Absalom McCready, Robert Glenn, Jantes G. Wilson, Simeon Peck, and Reuben Lewis.
Of the congregations, some remained entire with one division and some with another, whilst some were di- vided. In many cases these divisions were most disas- trous to the congregations, weakening and disheartening them and rendering them unable to support the gospel. Of those remaining entire, with the Old School branch, were Fairview, Fairfield, Georgetown, Cool
HISTORY. 145
Spring, Franklin, Big Sugar Creek, Mill Creek, Har- monsburg, Evansburg, Salem, Greenville, Sugar Grove, Concord, Deerfield, Warren, Amity, Irvine, and Big Bend. Of those remaining entire with the other branch, were Erie, North East, Springfield, Girard, Middlebrook, Beaver Dam, Union, Mckean, Center- ville, Oil Creek, Pine Grove, Cherrytree, Randolph. Of those divided were, Meadville, Mercer, Harbor Creek, Washington, Gravel Run.
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