The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 54

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1081

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CHURCHES.

Baptist Church at Lebanon (1798-1836) .- In the year 1797, a number of members were dismissed from the Baptist Church at Columbia, who settled at Clear Creek, organized a church there and built a meeting-house a little north of the present site of Ridgeville, Warren County. This was the fourth Baptist Church organized in the Northwest Territory. For a short time, Elder James Sutton served this church as pastor. He was followed by Elder Daniel Clark, under whose pastorate, in 1798, a branch was organized at Turtle Creek, about one mile east of Lebanon. The ground upon which the old meeting-house of this people stood, now in the midst of a large field, is marked by a mound of stones. This old church was built of logs, and was occupied for awhile before the floors were laid, the sleepers being used as seats. The leading members of the Turtle Creek Church were Matthias Corwin, father of Gov. Corwin, his two brothers, Ichabod and Joseph, Judge Francis Dunlevy, Col. Lewis Drake, Peter Drake, John Osborn and Peter Yauger, all of the immediate vicinity of Lebanon, but there were a few members of the Bedle Station vicinity and other neighborhoods. In 1803, the church reported fifty-three members.

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The Turtle Creek Church became an independent body in 1802, its first minute being as follows: " The first meeting of Turtle Creek Church, after being constituted on Saturday before the second Sabbath in December, 1802. and after prayer we proceeded to business. First, agreed to and did call Brother Daniel Clark (who being formerly pastor at Clear Creek Church) to the pastoral care of the church. Second, agreed to continue Brother Matthias Corwin (who being Deacon in the Clear Creek Church) Deacon in this church, and both complied. Third, resolved that meetings be held here on the same stated seasons as before our separation from Clear Creek, viz., on the Saturday before the second Sabbath in each month and the Sabbath following."

Elder Clark continued with the church as pastor until the year 1830, al- though he remained in connection with the church until his death. In the old burying-ground in Lebanon, a small monument was erected over his grave by the church, from an inscription upon which it appears that he died December 11, 1834, aged ninety years. The fact is also stated that he was the first pastor ordained in the limits of Ohio. Elder Clark lived at a considerable distance from the place of worship, and, not being in firm health and withal, being well along in years, in March, 1815, the church called Elder Stephen Gard as an assistant pastor, to spend one quarter of his time with it, and, in February. 1819, Elder Gard, having removed, Elders Wilson Thompson and Hezekiah Stites were invited as assistants to Elder Clark to labor one-fourth of their time. This invitation was declined by Elder Stites, but upon its renewal in December, 1820, was accepted. There is no record as to how long Elder Stites continued with the church, but it was presumably for a short time. Wilson Thompson, however, continued with the church as assistant pastor until Novem- ber, 1824, when he was called to the pastorate, and remained in this relation until November. 1834.

In the early history of the church its discipline was rigid. A failure to attend the regular meetings of the church was immediately noticed, the reasons asked, and advice given. Here is one of the minutes of date December, 1809. as illustrative of the esteem in which the church held its appointments:

Resolved, That the male members who do not attend church meetings in future, shall give a reason for their non-attendance to the church, or be dealt with as disorderly members.

In May. 1810, seventeen members were dismissed "that they might form a separate church." The minutes give no further light, but our information is that this is the church called "Bethel," near Fort Ancient. This church has now its connection with the Anti-Mission Association.

Some of the earlier minutes of the church read a little quaint, and we find that even then the subject of the singing gave them not a little difficulty, for instance: June, 1813, we read, " the propriety of singing without giving out the hymn was taken into consideration and agreed to by a majority of the church." In August of the same year, "it was agreed to by the church that singing, once on each day of worship, be performed by reading the hymn." While again of date of January, 1814, we read, "it was proposed and carried that singing in future be performed by reading the line constantly." This would indicate that the fathers found the matter of singing none the easiest to manage.

Under date of July, 1822, it is recorded:

Resolved, That Bro. Ezra Hicks be one of the clerks with Bro. Crane, in raising the tune in public worship.

In 1811, the Turtle Creek Church built a substantial brick meeting-house on what is now known as the old Baptist Graveyard. This was the first church built in Lebanon. It stood until about the year 1860, when it was taken down

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and the West Baptist Church erected near the same place. After the removal of the church to the town, it was known as the "Baptist Church at Lebanon."

In the early days of the church, the sermons were long, and two sermons were frequently preached at one meeting. In 1827, the first extensive revival occurred; seventy-two were added by baptism and about twenty by letter.

At first, we find no reference to money in any of the minutes of the church, and it is not until October, 1805, that this is mentioned, when occurs this: "The Deacons shall pursue such measures as they shall think proper for col- lecting money to discharge the necessary expenses of the church." There was then no stated salary, the minister receiving in money, but more largely in the product of the soil, that which the individual members of the church were pleased to give him. It was not until October, 1827, that a salary is men- tioned, when "Wilson Thompson's salary was fixed at $500."

There is no reference in the minutes of the church to a Sunday school, but it is said that a Sunday school was organized about 1827, and continued in existence until the division in the church.

According to A. H. Dunlevy's "History of the Miami Baptist Association," the Baptist Church at Lebanon successfully withstood the great storm known as the New-Light Revival in the early years of this century. While all the mem- bors of the Turtle Creek Presbyterian Church, with two or three exceptions, were carried off by that excitement, not a single member of the Baptist Church was affected by it. So of Shakerism; it took away no members of the Baptist Church. But there were trials for this church. About 1824, some trouble was created by two polemic works by Wilson Thompson, then. pastor of the Lebanon Baptist Church, entitled respectively, "Simple Truth" and "Triumph of Truth."

About 1834, an irreconcilable difference of opinion was found to exist in the Miami Baptist Association and in the Lebanon Church concerning certain benevolent institutions and societies. The chief cause of difference was the subject of missions. The difference culminated in 1836, when both the asso- ciation and the church at Lebanon divided. and the divisions have since been known as Old School and New School Baptists. The following preamble and resolution adopted by a vote of forty yeas and twenty-one nays, at a meeting of the Miami Baptist Association, held in the Lebanon Church in 1835, explain the cause of division. The resolution was warmly debated from 10 o'clock A. M. until near sundown:

WHEREAS, There is great excitement and division of sentiment in the Baptist denom- ination relative to the benevolent institutions of the day (so-called), such as Sunday Schools, Bible, Missionary, Tract and Temperance Societies, therefore

Resolved, That this Association regards those said societies and institutions as having no authority, foundation or support in the Sacred Scriptures, but we regard them as hav- ing their origin in and belonging to the world, and as such we have no fellowship for them as being of a religious character.

Amendment-But do not hereby declare non-fellowship with those brethren. and churches who now advocate them.

The unhappy condition of the Lebanon Church, brought about by the con- troversy on missionary efforts, is well shown in the following extract from a diary of a Baptist sister. long since deceased, whose sympathies were with the mission side:

"After Brother Wilson Thompson left us, in 1834, we were without a pastor, and the brethren so divided on the subject of missions that it appeared impossible to get a preacher that all could hear with any tolerable degree of satisfaction. We were supplied a part of the time by Brother D. Bryant, Brother Moore and some others-a part of the church professing at the same

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time that they could not hear them. This to us, who loved them as the serv- ants of Jesus, was distressing beyond what I can describe. Our old brethren would not commune with us-and let us know that they did not fellowship with us-because we believed in missionary efforts. Brother Lyon visited us several times in 1835. and was received more generally than some of the rest; but, on the whole. we struggled along in a very poor way, having but little preaching. and when we met together feeling a kind of disagreeable jealousy and no ad- ditions to us. But the Lord, who is rich in mercy, hath not left us in that de- plorable situation. In September, 1835, Brother John Blodgett came among us, and I believe he came in the fullness of the Gospel of Christ and God owned his ministry, and, in the spring of 1836, he was permitted by the grace of God to immerse ten willing converts in the name of Jesus. But yet all this did not appear to lessen the uneasiness of our brethren, but they said they could not live with us."

The division of the Lebanon Church dates from 1836. The church separ- ated amicably. and appointed a committee to agree on equitable terms of a di- vision of property. The separation must have been a happy relief to both sides. Forty-two members went with the mission party and organized the East Baptist Church, and sixty-one of the anti-mission party retained the old meeting-house and assumed the name of the West Baptist Church.

East Baptist Church of Lebanon (1836-1881). - Immediately after the division of the Baptists at Lebanon, the party which favored missionary efforts organized a church with this name. Their first minute is as follows: "Satur- day before the fourth Lord's Day in October, 1836, a number of brethren and sisters. profes edly Regular Baptists. met for the purpose of organization, and. after appointing Elder John Blodgett, Moderator, and M. Jones, Clerk pro tem., proceeded to business: first. voted that we organize ourselves in a church. adopting the constitution of Turtle Creek Church as our constitution, omitting the preamble." At this. the first meeting of the church, one presented herself as a candidate for baptism, and, on the day following, being Lord's Day, another was received. Elder Blodgett supplied the church until the following December, when he was called to the pastorate, and in this relation he con- tinued until January 4, 1841, when his resignation was accepted. The church at first met in the meeting-house of the Presbyterian Church half the time. At once. however. they set themselves to work to build a meeting-house, and, in 1837 or 1838, the same was dedicated. Soon after this a Sunday school was organized, but no minutes in reference thereto are to be found.

In February, 1839, some difficulty seemed to be created by reason of the introduction of the "bass viol " into the music of the church. Some of the members were sorely grieved at it and though, until it was seen, the music was thought to be much improved, yet the sight of it brought to mind the wicked one, and it could not be tolerated. In 1838, the church thus recommended: " To raise an amount of money equal to $1 for each member for the benefit of the "Miami Missionary Society," and thus, as also by its interest in all the benevolences of the day, did it evidence that it differed from the brethren of the West Church in more than a theory.

The pastorate of Elder Blodgett was a highly successful one. There was peace in the church and the brethren dwelt together in unity. There were two revivals under his pastorate; in 1838, thirty were added to the church, and, in 1840, fifty-five were received by baptism. During the six years' pastorate of Elder John Blodgett, about 150 additions were made to the church. The mem- ory of this Christian minister is warmly cherished by the Baptists of the Miami Valley. He died July 24, 1876, and many a warm tribute to his memory has been given.

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The ministers who have served the church as pastors are given below:

Rev. John Blodgett, October, 1836, to 1840; Rev. Lewis French, August, 1840, to 1841; Rev. Mr. Freeman, May, 1841, to October, 1841; Rev. Joseph T. Robert, June, 1842, to July, 1846; Rev. John Finlay, D. D., September, 1846, to August, 1849; Rev. W. H. Robert, June, 1850, to September, 1850; Rev. Isaac Niles, October, 1850, to April, 1851; Rev. H. S. Dale, September, 1851, to December, 1855; Rev. Marsena Stone, D. D., May, 1856, to July, 1861; Rev. L. G. Leonard, D. D., April, 1863. to June, 1871; Rev. F. A. Douglass, December, 1871, to 1873; Rev. J. B. Stone, May, 1874; died at Lebanon in October, 1874; Rev. George W. Baptiste, May, 1875, to 1878; Rev. Marsena Stone, D. D., December, 1878, to June, 1881; Rev. C. H. Salsman, July, 1881.

This church has its representative in the missionary field of China in Mrs. Eliza Ashmore, wife of Rev. Dr. W. Ashmore, and daughter of A. H. Dunlevy. Rev. Dr. Ashmore supplied the pulpit of the Lebanon Church for some months succeeding the resignation of Dr. Stone, in 1861. The church extended to him a call to become pastor, but he declined in order to return to his work in China.

The present convenient and commodious church edifice was begun in July, 1858, and dedicated in 1859. In 1860, the Miami Association met in this church. The pastors of this church had never received a salary of more than $1,200 un- til Rev. F. A. Douglass was called, who asked a salary of $2,000, which the church agreed to give. In this, however, they went beyond their ability and smaller salaries have since been paid.

West Baptist Church at Lebanon (1836-1881) .- The first minute of this church is: "Saturday before the fourth Lord's Day in November, 1836, the church met after worship and proceeded to business by appointing Benjamin Bundy, Moderator, and Zepheniah Hart, Clerk." At this meeting, articles of faith, seven in number, were adopted. The following is the fifth article: "We believe that Christ bore the sins of all the elect and those only. in his own body on the tree, and that the redemption obtained by the blood of Christ is special and particular, viz., it was only intended for the elect of God and sheep of Christ, as they only share the special benefits thereof." One of the original rules adopted by the church was: " Members are to be received by a unanimous vote. and all other business to be determined by a majority."

At the first meeting. a committee, consisting of Benjamin Bundy, John Benham and Thompson Lamb, was appointed to make a division of the prop- erty belonging to the original church between the two branches into which it was divided. This committee afterward recommended that the Western Church retain the old church and all the property appertaining thereto, except the communion ware, and pay to the Eastern Church $750; and that the Eastern Church have the use of the meeting-house one-half of the time until it could erect a new house of worship, this time. however. not to extend beyond January 1. 1838.

On the Saturday before the fourth Lord's Day. in July, 1837. a council met, for the purpose of regularly constituting and organizing the church. There were present from Bethel, Hezekiah Stites. Nathan Clark and Josias Lam- bert; from Clear Creek, David Williams; from Muddy Creek, D. Laymon, R. Witham and D. Manning; from Elk Creek. Joseph Kelly and S. M. Potter; from Tapscott, James Barkalow, Thomas Shinn and John Cox; from Fairfield, Elder Thomas Childers. After mature deliberation, the council constituted the church on the articles of faith adopted by the congregation in November, 1836. On the same day, the church elected its first officers: Zepheniah Hart and Thompson Lamb, Deacons; J. B. Drake, Treasurer, and Samuel Drake, Clerk. The church has had but two clerks in its whole history. Samuel Drake was the

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church clerk from 1837 until his death, June 16. 1865; E. S. Culy, from 1865 until the present time.

Rune R. Coon preached for the church for more than a year and was suc- ceeded by Elders Hezekiah Stites and Samuel Williams, who were joint pastors for about twenty years. Elder Williams was pastor for about thirty years. The pastors have generally been men of little education, but some of them have had good natural abilities.

The church occupied the old house of worship until 1860, when a new brick church was built, sixty feet long and forty-five feet wide-a plain and substantial edifice, erected at a cost of $4,031. It was first. occupied in Octo- ber, 1860, and is the present place of worship.

In 1837, the church had seventy-two members. Its membership is now small, and there is regular preaching but one Sunday each month. The whole number of members received from the organization to September, 1881, was 163, of which number more than one-half were received during the first ten years of its existence. Nine persons have been received into the church during the last ten years. Although they are few in numbers, the members show no disposition to falter in their rigid adherence to their original articles of faith. They claim to be the original and regular Baptists. They look with disfavor on Sunday schools, missionary, temperance and tract societies, and regard the doctrine of a general atonement as the heresy which first made the gulf between the schools of Baptists and which still keeps the gulf open.

The following are the names of the pastors of the church. In its early history, there were generally two pastors in charge of the congregation at the same time:

Elder Rune R. Coon, November, 1836. to April, 1838; Elder Hezekiah Stites, 1838 to 1857; Elder Samuel Williams, 1839 to 1868; Elder William Dodd, 1862 to 1864; Elder John A. Thompson, January, 1869; died August 24, 1875; Elder Daniel Hess, April, 1876, to April, 1879; Elder George Tuss- ing, April, 1879, to November, 1879; Elder J. A. Thomas, November, 1879. to November, 1880; Elder Daniel Hess, December, 1880.

First Presbyterian Church of Lebanon .- The records of the first fourteen years of this church having been consumed by fire, there are left only a few brief fragments of papers, together with what can be gathered from the recol- lections of the oldest citizens to supply the defect. From such sources we learn that the church was originally organized upon the ruins of the Turtle Creek Church, located about one mile south of Union Village, and the Bethany Church located a few miles east of the site of Lebanon. Both these churches were swept out by the Presbyterian denomination by what was known as the great New-Light Revival, which commenced in Kentucky in the year 1800, but which began to develop its distinctive features in this neighborhood in 1802. About the year 1805, the Lebanon Church was organized by the members left from the wreck of Turtle Creek and Bethany Churches and by colonists from the First Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati, together with a few from other churches. Who was the minister upon the occasion is not now definitely known -most likely it was either Rev. James Kemper or Rev. James Hoge. Rev. Archibald Steel was the first minister in charge of the congregation. From time to time there was a temporary session elected or appointed, which kept no record of its proceedings. On the 3d day of December, 1807, the congregation met and elected Jonathan Tichenor, Abner Smith, James Gallaher and Silas Hurin, Ruling Elders. Messrs. Hurin and Gallaher were ordained by Rev. James Kemper in the summer of 1808, Mr. Tichenor having been previously ordained in the First Church of Cincinnati, serving afterward in the Turtle Creek Church; Mr. Smith had been ordained some years before in New Jersey.

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The first sessional record was made October 22, 1808; there were then forty-six members scattered over a tract, of country now occupied by five or six Presbyterian Churches. The first original sessional records now in existence begin with the date of September 23, 1814. The earliest date at which the society is named in the county official records is September 7, 1806, when Jona- than Tichenor and Abner Smith received a deed from John Shaw for one acre of ground, now known as the old Presbyterian Graveyard at Lebanon, the deed reciting that the conveyance was " for the only proper use of the Lebanon Presbyterian congregation forever."

The first place of worship of the society was the old court house on Broad- way. As late as April 3, 1817, the Miami Presbytery met in this court house. and David Monfort delivered his popular sermon before being licensed to preach, as the record says, "by candle-light." Some of the early communion meetings of the society were held in a beautiful grove which stood near the in- tersection of Main and High streets. Several ministers were sometimes present at the communion meetings and services were held on several days preceding the Sunday on which the sacrament was administered. One of the earliest records of the session of the church is as follows:

" Thursday, October 13, 1814-The session of Lebanon Church met agree- ably to appointment. Present, Rev. William Grey, Moderator; Jonathan Tiche- nor, Daniel Skinner and Silas Hurin, Elders. Silas Hurin was appointed to make application to the County Commissioners for the use of the court house for public worship for one-half of the time for one year. Agreed by the session that the attention of the congregation be called on Saturday before sacrament relative to the subject of building a meeting-house in this place."

The first meeting-house erected by the society was a commodious brick edifice and was completed about 1817. Capt. John Tharp, a member of the church, was most active and efficient in the work of soliciting subscriptions and overseeing the building of the church. Notwithstanding his age, he traveled over the whole town and surrounding country, and with great energy and per- severance procured the means for erecting the building. In soliciting subscrip- tions, he gave assurances that the seats in the new church would be free to all; but a few years after its completion, the church resolved to sell the pews in order to raise money to support the society. The resolution was carried against the strenuous opposition of Capt. Tharp. When the pews were sold, he refused to purchase one and also resolved not to be deprived of his right to a seat. He was a large and fleshy man and brought his large arm-chair into the church, placed it in an aisle and there sat during public service. He made no other opposition to the measure, but his course proved effectual. The plan of selling pews was abandoned and has never been again attempted in any church in Lebanon from that day to this. but in all the places of worship the seats have been free.

The first church served the purposes of the congregation for about forty years. The present beautiful church edifice of the society was dedicated Feb- ruary 11, 1859, with a sermon by Rev. Thomas E. Thomas, D. D.

The most memorable event in the history of this church was the trial for heresy of one of its most talented pastors, Rev. Simeon Brown, in the winter of 1855-56. The trial was held in the church at Lebanon before the Miami Presbytery, and awakened very considerahle excitement, not only in the Presby- terian Church, but in the community at large. The charge was unsoundness in the faith, chiefly in relation to the atonement. In the specifications under the charge concerning the atonement, Mr. Brown was accused of denying the doc- trine of a limited atonement. Among the expressions cited in support of the charge were: "That Christ died as much for one man as for another; " "all

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may be delivered; " " after this full atonement is made, it must be legall: granted unto all men before any can be required to believe on pain of damna tion;" " the atonement rendered the salvation of every sinner alike possible, and "Christ gave His life for the world, and it is absurd to limit the wor world to the elect."

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The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 54

Author: W. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1081

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1081