USA > Ohio > The plan of union: or a history of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches of the Western Reserve; with biographical sketches of the early missionaries > Part 15
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The convention adjourned to meet at Oberlin on the 15th and 16th of September following. At that meeting nineteen churches were represented, and seventeen formally received through their delegates.
A Constitution was presented, modified, and adopted as fol- lows :
ART. 1. This body shall be called the General Association of the Western Reserve, and shall be formed of ministers, and not more than two delegates from each of the churches connected with it. ( If delegates were included, why was it not named Consociation ?)
2. The object of this Association is not to exercise any ecclesias- tical control or jurisdiction, nor to be a standing council to the churches (provided, nevertheless, that it shall withdraw Christian communion and fellowship from any ministers or churches proving themselves fundamentally corrupt in doctrine or practice). But it. shall be its object to afford to such of them as choose the free exer- cise of their Congregational rights, to facilitate and promote Christian intercourse and communion with one another, to support and aid each other in difficulties and trials, and to unite their counsels and efforts for the welfare of the churches, the salvation of souls, and the gen- eral interests of Christ's Kingdom.
3. Any minister of the Gospel may become a member of this body by assenting to this Constitution, and by presenting proper testimo- nials of his Christian character and standing in the ministry.
- 4. Any Congregational Church on the Reserve, may join the Asso- ciation by giving evidence that it is a church of Christ, and by assent -:
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ing to this Constitution. Churches in places adjacent to the Reserve, may likewise join the Association on the same terms.
5. This Association, believing that we are bound to offer Christian communion and fellowship to all whom Christ receives, design to com- prise in our creed no other points than such as we deem essential to salvation, of which the following is a summary :
CREED.
ART. 1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- ments were given by inspiration of God, and are the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
2. We believe in one God, the Creator and Ruler of the universe, existing in a divine and incomprehensible Trinity, the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, and possessing all divine per- fections.
3. We believe in the fall of our first parents, and the consequent entire apostacy and depravity and lost condition of the human race.
4. We believe in the incarnation, death and atonement of the Son of God, and that salvation is attained only through repentance and faith in his blood.
5. We believe in the necessity of a radical change of heart, and that this is effected through the truth, by the agency of the Holy Ghost.
6. We believe that the moral law is binding upon all mankind as the rule of life, and that obedience to it is the proper evidence of a saving change.
7. We believe that credible evidence of a change of heart is an in- dispensible ground of admission to the privileges of the visible church.
8. We believe that Christ has appointed Baptism and the Lord's Supper to be perpetually observed in the church. (This article, in the copy now used by the Oberlin Church, includes "the Christian Sabbath" as of "perpetual obligation in the Church.")
9. We believe in a future judgment, the endless happiness of the righteous, and the endless misery of the wicked.
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The sixth article of the Constitution provides for officers, meetings, &c.
ART. 7 of the Constitution : Any churches embraced in this General Association, may associate or consociate themselves in smaller bodies, in such manner as they please, not inconsistent with the principles of this Constitution.
NOTE. " While we adopt the foregoing Confession of Faith and Con- stitution, as the basis of this Association, we, as a body, avow our adherence to the system of doctrines, and to the usages generally received among orthodox Congregational Churches in New England. We wish it to be distinctly understood that it is far from our intention to propose a substitution of the Articles of Faith of this Association, in the churches, instead of those which they have already adopted.
The following resolutions were also adopted :
1. That this Association has originated in an honest attachment to the principles of Congregationalism, in a wish to carry out our Sa- viour's laws of Christian Union, and in a regard for the welfare of many churches, both on the Reserve and in the region south of us, that have not been connected with any ecclesiastical body, and have been waiting for and desiring an organization of this sort.
2. This Association entertain a high regard for the Presbyterian ministers and churches on the Reserve, and would most cordially cherish their Christian fellowship, and our movement in forming our- selves into a distinct organization has not originated in any lack of confidence in those brethren, nor in any wish to be dissociated from their communion.
Thus, at last, the Union got itself organized under the name of Association, but prophets were not wanting who augured only disunion and distraction as the fruits of the movement; and some churches and ministers, who at first entered into the pro-
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ject, soon after fell away. Whether in doing so, they " fell from grace," we are not informed.
In both the constitution and the doctrinal basis here adopted, we find something quite different from those upon which the Presbyteries were founded. After reading the fourth, fifth and seventh articles of the Constitution, together with the Ar- ticles of Faith, one cannot but think of the Michigan brother's definition of Congregationalism : "a ten acre lot, with a pair of bars on one side, but no fence around it." Good enough, if nothing mischievous needs to be kept out.
The Ohio Observer, by request, published the proceedings of the Convention, accompanying them with the following editorial :
We have before expressed our views relative to this movement, and our reasons for believing that the time for a change in our church polity had not yet come, and that evils would follow if a move should now be made.
But a move has been made; a new organization will be completed ; and our earnest wish now is, that it may be founded on such principles as will most effectually secure peace and harmony to the churches, and be best calculated to avert the evils which we have predicted.
The fundamental principle of the effort is that of bringing all Chris- tians into one church or denomination. All Christians may unite,- Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, &c.,-all who hold so much of Bible truth as is necessary to salvation. There is no mention made of the doctrines of Election, Perseverance of the Saints, Justification by Faith, Infant Baptism, &c. The principle is, we are bound to offer communion and fellowship to all whom Christ receives. Is this principle a good one, and can it be adopted ? We think not. Many of the doctrines which they hold are fundamentally wrong, and have a ruinous tendency. They may be Christians, but
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so long as they hold these erroneous doctrines we can not consistently receive them to full communion ; and thus declare to the world that in our opinion the denomination to which they belong is strictly Christian.
The article proceeds to point out other objectionable fea- tures in the Constitution above given.
The fundamental error adopted by the Association, consists, not in offering fellowship and communion with all whom Christ receives, but in identifying church relationship with Christian fellowship, and aiming to effect a spiritual union by mere ex- ternal aggregation and amalgamation. True Christian union is to be effected, not by a loose organization and lowering down of the terms of church membership so as to accommodate every- body, but by suffusing all denominations and churches with the charity of the Gospel, and begetting that mutual love which overlooks and tolerates external differences. A hete- rogenous conglomerate of discordant elements is very far from the true ideal of a church.
It is, however, worthy of record, that the church at Oberlin has stood, so far, as the embodied realization of the above basis. With how much real interior unity its members best know.
It was a little curious that the first convention, out of which the Oberlin Association grew, was called in Hudson ; though the union could not there get itself born.
Immediately after the organization effected at Oberlin, the Rev. J. Seward again lifted up his voice of caution and admo- nition ; calling attention to the established organizations, the Presbyteries, as best suited to the wants of the churches. The ground taken by the Observer caused a slight curtailment of its
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subscription list, by those who entered the Association. Mr. Mahan immediately sent forth a sermon on the principles of Christian union, and Church fellowship. And the Observer republished the circular of Portage Presbytery, first sent out in 1833.
The Presbytery of Trumbull also published a circular, in view of the efforts made within its bouuds, to alienate the churches; exhorting them to avoid division and strife, and adhere to the Presbytery, which was so well adapted to pro- mote the union of Congregational and Presbyterian churches.
The organization of the Western Reserve Congregational As- sociation, was regarded as fairly pitting Oberlin against Hudson and the Synod. An effort had previously been made to secure Professor Finney at Hudson ; and thus, by friendly compromise, prevent the organization of a second Theological Seminary. This effort failed. About the same, time the Oberlin men, particularly President Mahan, began to make prominent their distinctive and characteristic doctrines, particularly that called the doctrine of " Christian perfection." Taking also an active part in what was generally regarded as the ultra Anti-Slavery movement, Oberlin became henceforth an object of suspicion and aversion to most of the ministers and churches on the Reserve. Soon after the organization of the " Union," a caus- tic review of that movement appeared, setting forth that the thing at first originated at Oberlin, and was sent to Hudson to be subscribed, and complaining that " strangers on the Reserve should take this early opportunity to strike a blow at existing institutions, a blow tending to divide ministers and churches heretofore harmonious ; (albeit this was disavowed by the mov-
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ers.) They propose universal union, yet aim to break up our union, which is so satisfactory and harmonious ; for the effort aims to draw off all Congregationalists and thus to produce alienations, divisions and dissentions." The writer also con- sidered it unbefitting, " that a minister at the head of a Liter- ary Institution, himself a member of Presbytery, should take the attitude of an assailant of Presbyterianism. Our minis- ters and churches generally, he maintained, are satisfied. If they wanted a change, let them effect it; but let it not be done by a few strangers, who do not so well understand our situation."
This article, of course, was answered, and the charge of aiming at divisions and schism repudiated. Discussion on both sides waxed warmer and fierce. Soon after the doctrinal peculiarities of Oberlin began to elicit extensive public discus- sion and animadversion ; and it became evident that the new Association could not secure the old fashioned Calvanistic Congregationalists.
Shortly after the organization of the General Association, a convention was held at Farmington, and the Trumbull Con- sociation organized, in accordance with a provision in the Con- stitution of the General Association; adopting its Confession of Faith. How long this continued to exist, or what it ac- complished the writer has not learned.
The General Association attained a continued, though for many years, doubtful existence. It may seem strange to Con- gregationalists abroad, that it should have fared no better in a region so largely populated by New Englanders. The reasons however were obvious to those upon the field.
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The attachment of most of the churches and people, to the existing order of things, was strong; and they cared not to experiment with novelties. The movement was forced, and did not grow out of the churches. Much, even of the decided Congregationalism of the Reserve, stood aloof from the novel and heterodox theology, emanating from the new Association ; and the antagonism between some of the independent Congre- gational Churches and Oberlinism, was every way as strong as between the latter and the Synod; and as ruthless divisions were at length driven through some of the independent churches, as through those connected with the Presbyteries. In short, the Congregationalism of the Reserve, was a mixed and heterogeneous mass, having no principles of unity which could continuously hold together its separate elements.
The Oberlin party gathered up the extreme radical, and somewhat Arminian elements, and attracted many of the rest- less and unstable elements, and produced a prodigious fer- ment, with occasional explosions.
But most of the Congregationalism of the Reserve, found less affinity far with that, than with Presbyterianism, and re- mained in its former position. Many who, at first, entered into the movement, were disappointed by the results.
ESQUIRE HUDSON.
The death of Esquire Hudson, in March, 1836, was a se- vere blow for the church in Hudson, and also for the orthodox, consociated Congregationalism which he had advocated.
A man of worth and piety, he enjoyed the respect and con- fidence of all; though known as the firm advocate of a change
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in ecclesiastical matters. Yet the testimony, left shortly be- fore his death, in a letter written to Rev. J. Seward, exhibits a change in his convictions relative to the expediency of fur- ther prosecuting the agitation, and also shows the candor and Christian spirit of the man. An extract from the letter runs as follows :- " It being my honest conviction that the Con- gregationalism which I am endeavoring to sustain, is that happy medium between the independency of the church and the dictatorial power of the clergy ; which is best calculated to pro- mote the piety and peace of all concerned ; as well as being most scriptural of any hitherto devised; I must urge it on the consideration of both ministers and people ; but shall at pres- ent refrain from publishing any thing more on this subject ; because, among other reasons, I find I can not express myself freely, without making statements which would have the effect of lessening the influence on the public mind, which our good ministers ought always to exert. The cause of Christ ought certainly to be dearer to me than my own reputation or any worldly consideration."
The rugged pioneer, esteemed citizen, and devoted Chris- tian, sleeps in peace. On his tomb-stone the visitor may still read the epitaph of his own selection - " A poor sinner, saved by grace."
CONGREGATIONALISM AND THE EXCISION.
The years thirty-six, thirty-seven and thirty-eight, formed a stormy and trying period for the Reserve Synod. On one side was decided and restless Congregationalism constantly working against it on account of its Presbyterianism. On the
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other side was a large proportion of the General Assembly de- nouncing it for its Congregational irregularities. Yet, it is to be testified to its credit, that through all these commotions, it preserved its equanimity and harmony, and quietly worked along in its appointed sphere. Its meetings were peaceful and pleasant, exhibiting Christian love and fidelity to the members and churches, and to the Head of the Church, who did not fail to manifest his approbation.
Nor, despite all the efforts made to weaken and subvert it, did most of the churches and their members fail to see in it an organization happily adjusted to the character and wants of the churches, and an organization efficiently laboring for the cause of Christ.
In the winter of 1836-7, Rev. James Eells, Sen., published a short series of candid articles, exhibiting the Scriptural basis and principles of the Presbyterian polity. Rev. J. Seward, the proper historian and guardian of the peace of the churches, sent forth, anew, his wholesome instructions and exhorta- tions. While more passionate pleaders, both for the Synod and for Congregationalism, failed not to use both voice and pen with facility and zeal.
The General Assembly of 1837, however, sent down upon the persecuted Synod, an avalanche that surpassed all preced- ing onsets.
We are now to consider the Excision of the Western Re- serve Synod from the General Assembly, merely in its bear- ings upon Congregationalism.
The Synod was, at this time, the most prominent exponent of the Plan of Union. The Congregationalism embraced in it,
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and around it, brought it into evil repute with the Assembly ; and, mainly on this account, the Union was repudiated, and the Synod spurned away.
Here then, it might have been surmised, would be the end of the Plan of Union and its fruits. Congregationalists know- ing the extent of Congregational sympathy and elements in the Synod, and the small proportion of original Presbyterians, could but have regarded this movement as offering the very best opportunity to transform the Presbyteries into Consocia- tions, and secure their favorite polity.
To the Presbyterians, the question must have been para- mount, what shall we do ? Now, if ever, was the time to go over to pure Congregationalism. And considering the opposi- tion which Presbyterianism has ever met upon the Reserve, it is difficult to see why a change at that time would not have been advisable.
Could orderly, orthodox associations and consociations have been then established and generally acquiesced in, subsequent agitations might have been prevented. A few more churches would probably have gone to the Old School Assembly ; and some churches might have been divided and ruined. But ju- diciously organized Consociations might probably have gath- ered most of the churches, then in the field, and held them.
Such a change, however, neither met the approbation of the leading ministers and churches, nor the will of Providence.
The Plan of Union had now become a permanent institu- tion, and had a destiny before it. The Associated Congrega- tionalists would not now desert their Presbyterian brethren, who had been for their sakes disinherited; nor would the
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Presbyterians consult their own comfort, reputation and con- nection, so far as to abandon the brethren and churches with which they had so long fraternally co-operated. The Union Synod was not a failure, and could not be demolished. Strong in its own frame work, and in the love of its churches, stronger in the affection and guardianship of the Lord whom it served, it braved the shock of excision ; and, like a strong ship, struck by an iceberg, tremble for a moment, but righted again, re-adjusted sail and rudder, and moved off as strong and majestic as before.
Thus it was demonstrated that the ecclesiasticism of the Re- serve was adequate for its mission, adapted to the people and the soil on which it grew, and could not be subverted.
It does not appear that the Congregationalism which op- posed it, gained any thing by the excision. The battle against Oberlin polity, theology and education, went on ; and the an- tagonism between Oberlin and the orthodox and orderly Con- gregationalism of the Reserve, became more prominent.
Efforts were now and then made, as aforetime, to start Or- thodox Congregational Associations and Consociations .* Zeal- ous adventurers from New England often set about the work courageously, lacking no perceptible talent which could minis- ter to their success. Beautiful organizations were sometimes effected, and began to work hopefully. But invariably, they found a lack of sympathy and of material; and after a few years of decline and struggle, sank to rise no more.
* The term Orthodox is used on the Reserve, not in distinction from Unitarian, as in New England, but to distinguish Calvinistic from Semi-Arminian and Oberlin peculiarities.
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How many specific efforts have been made since 1832, to establish purely Congregational bodies on the Reserve, is per- haps unknown to any person of ordinary powers of memory. Yet, out of them all, there has not yet arisen one, which has answered the expectations of its founders, or become, in any sense, a rival of the Synod or Presbyteries. Each of them, however, has undoubtedly assisted to keep alive the seeds of discontent, and prevent some of the churches of the Reserve from harmonizing with the others. There is a large number of Congregational Churches on the Reserve, standing alone, unconnected with any body of churches; and any successful effort to unite these churches into fraternal co-operation with each other, if with nobody else, would do Christ service. Of late, there seems to be a prospect that something may be done in this direction.
The Puritan Association, organized November, 1852, en- joys a good reputation, as a sound, Calvinistic, orderly body ; embracing ten or twelve ministers and several churches. If a large, efficient, orthodox Congregational Association ever arises in this region, this will probably be the nucleus around which it will gather.
The "Medina Association," and the "North-eastern Associa- tion of Ohio," less known to the writer, are also believed to be promising, though small bodies, and laboring with a Christian spirit to build up churches kindred to those of New England.
The most important Congregational movement of later years, was the formation, in 1852 of a State Conference. The call for the first convention issued form Marietta. The first meet- ing was held at Mansfield, and the roll of members comprised
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seventy-six members of convention and forty-four churches. What proportion of those were from the Reserve is not known. It was not the least remarkable feature of this convention that it first united in friendly conference, representatives of all the different styles and classes of Congregationalists in the State. And the remark of many of the attendants was, "we were surprised to find ourselves so much alike." This surprise pro- bably grew mainly out of the fact, that the Oberlin brethren met with those who enjoyed an unquestioned reputation for orthodoxy. Whether the present resemblance grows out of a modification of Oberlin, or of the others ; or is merely the re- sult of an unprejudiced comparison of views and aims, is un- known to the writer.
It is to be hoped. that the effort so successfully begun, of uniting the scattered and independant Congregationalists of Ohio, may be efficiently prosecuted ; provided, the Congrega- tional sectarianism, which certain organs have been kindling of late, can be excluded.
Still, it is not to be ignored that the fact, that these' con- ferences embrace all the types of Western Congregationalism causes them to be regarded with distrust, and keeps back many, whose prejudices against Oberlin have been too long growing to be readily removed.
As this Conference is apparently destined to exert an impor- tant influence upon the Congregationalism of the Reserve; its doctrinal basis and constitution are here inserted.
CONSTITUTION OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE OF OHIO.
1. In the constituting of this Conference, each local Conference or Association, approving the basis herein proposed, shall be entitled to
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send as many delegates as there are churches connected with it, not less than one half of the delegates appointed being lay members, and each church which, from present existing circumstances, remains inde- pendent and which accedes to the basis of polity and doctrine herein laid down, shall also be entitled to one delegate, and this delegate shall be a lay member as often as each alternate year.
2. The Officers of this Conference shall be a Moderator and Scribe, to be elected annually by ballot, and also a Register to hold his office for three years and until his successor shall be elected; and he shall be ex officio a member of the Conference.
3. Ordained ministers and laymen of evangelical churches who may be present at the meetings of this body, may be invited to sit as cor- responding members.
4. The objects of this Conference shall be to promote harmony and intercourse among the churches of the State and to secure a more extensive co-operation in every good work.
5. The several local Conferences shall retain their individual rights and privileges, and no ecclesiastical power or authority shall ever be assumed by the Conference or be delegated to it.
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