USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Churches of the valley, or, An historical sketch of the old Presbyterian congregations of Cumberland and Franklin counties, in Pennsylvania > Part 14
USA > Pennsylvania > Franklin County > Churches of the valley, or, An historical sketch of the old Presbyterian congregations of Cumberland and Franklin counties, in Pennsylvania > Part 14
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" For souls, which must for ever live- In raptures, or in woe,"-
and therefore, in his case emphatically, "the hoary head found in the way of righteousness is a crown of glory." " How worthless, oh, how hollow and vain, do
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the honours lavished by the world upon the conquer- ing hero, seem, in comparison with those to which HE is entitled as an ambassador for Christ, and which he shall receive and enjoy, when earth with all its pæans and plaudits shall have for ever passed away !
Toward the close of such a life Doctor M'Ginley has now far advanced. He has reached the seventy- fifth year. A long shadow stretches before him on the plain. All the days of his appointed time is he waiting until his change come. For a period longer than many are permitted to live, he has been enabled by grace, to exhibit to the world a happy exemplifica- tion of the wisdom from above, which "is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy," and to preach the word with ten- derness, and ability, and cheering success ; and when the time of his departure shall come, we doubt not that he will enter heaven, to meet with many there, who, though casting their crowns at the Saviour's feet, will not forget the Saviour's instrument for their conversion. "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing ? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ? For ye are our glory and joy."
The following statement, which has been furnished by Dr. M'Ginley, will be read with interest, espe- cially by those living, or who have lived, within the limits of his recent field of labour.
"I can give no information with regard to the
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prosperity of these churches, before A. D., 1802. During the time intervening between 1802 and 1831, there was a regular yearly increase of members. In 1831 there was an addition to the communion of 127 members ; and, in the year following, sixty members were added. Those who were, at one time, in com- munion with us, are numerously scattered over the western country, from Pittsburg to New Orleans. Two western churches, which are now comparatively flourishing, never would have been organized, had it not been for the number and influence of our people who emigrated thither.
"By removal to the West, we lost in one year, thirty-five communicating members, and five were removed by death the same year. Notwithstanding our severe losses, we have nearly as many members now as we ever had.
"In the Lower Church, John Cunningham, Robert Walker, Francis Elliott, Samuel Walker, and Archi- bald Elliott, were the first elders of whom I can gain any information. Since their decease the following persons have been elders in the Lower Church :- David Walker, William Maclay, Paul Geddes, John Campbell, James Walker, and Joseph Brown, all of whom are now dead. The elders now living, and in connexion either with the Lower Church, or the Burnt Cabins' Church, are Alexander Walker, George Elliott, William Elliott, James Campbell, James Cree, Sen., James Cree, Jr., William Camp- bell, and Daniel Brown.
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" The elders who have been in the Upper Church since 1808, were James Alexander, William Alex- ander, John Elder, John Holliday, Andrew Morrow, David Riddle, Stephen Skinner, James McCurdy, Sen., and James McCurdy, Jr., all of whom are dead. Those now acting as elders in the Upper Church, are James Dougall, John Alexander, James Stark, Jacob Shearer, Peter Shearer, John W. Still, William A. Mackey, William Herron, and James McCurdy. The Trustees are James McCartney, John Alexander, and Stephen M. Skinner.
"The oldest elders in the Upper Church, whose names have been handed down to us, are John Hol- liday, James Ardery, David Elder, Samuel Mains, and Richard Morrow."
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CHAPTER XII.
DICKINSON CHURCH.
"In rival haste, the wished-for temples rise! I hear their Sabbath-bells' harmonious chime Float on the breeze-the heavenliest of all sounds, That hill or vale prolongs or multiplies !"
WORDSWORTH.
As the population of Cumberland Valley rapidly increased, at the beginning of the present century, there was necessity for additional churches. Villages springing up in various directions, and numerous families settling around them, a house was required in the several localities, in which the people could conveniently assemble for public worship, and espe- cially such as had not means of conveyance to a dis- tant point. Nor was there, at that time, any objec- tion, that could legitimately be urged against yielding to such a demand, inasmuch as that region was then constantly receiving accessions to its numbers from abroad, instead of sending out, as it has done for the last score of years, family after family, and some- times colonies, to the distant West. It was, it would
DICKINSON CHURCH. 229
seem, in part, at least, under the force of such a necessity, that the church in Dickinson Township, Cumberland County, came into existence.
The first notice of this congregation by Presby- tery, is to be found in their records for the year 1810, and is as follows :-
" An application was made, subscribed by James Moore and Joseph Galbraith, in behalf of a number of persons, calling themselves the Presbyterian Con- gregation of Walnut Bottom, in the County of Cum- berland, that the Rev. Henry R. Wilson should be appointed to supply them, any portion of time which he may be able and willing to give them. Presby- tery thought proper to comply with their request." Mr. Wilson preached to this people a part of the time during his connexion with Dickinson College as Professor of Languages, and, we believe, until he accepted the call given to him from Silvers' Spring.
It was not, however, until 1823, that a congrega- tion was organized in Dickinson Township. At that time an application, for this purpose, was made to Presbytery, by a number of persons residing near the "Stone Meeting-House;" and it was resolved that their request be granted. The Rev. Messrs. Williams, Duffield, and McClelland, carried this reso- lution into effect; and the congregation organized was reported by them as, "The Congregation of Dickinson."
There was no regular public worship among this people, until July, 1826, when Mr. McKnight Wil-
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CHURCHES OF THE VALLEY.
liamson, a Licentiate of the Presbytery of Carlisle, consented to act as a missionary within their bounds, one-half of his time, for the term of nine months. At the expiration of that time, Mr. W. was unani- mously elected pastor of the congregation. The call given him he accepted, and he continued to labour successfully in this field until October, 1834; when, at his own request, he was dismissed, to connect him- self with the Presbytery of Huntingdon.
Just one year after Mr. Williamson's resignation, the congregation, through Presbytery, presented a call to the Rev. Charles P. Cummins, which was ac- cepted. Mr. Cummins faithfully discharged the duties of the pastoral relation, until April, 1844, when he relinquished his post, and was dismissed by Presbytery to connect himself with the Presbytery of Iowa.
Mr. Cummins's successor was the Rev. Oliver O. McClean, who was installed as pastor of the congre- gation, November 4th, 1844, and is still labouring among his attached people with gratifying tokens of the divine favour.
At the organization of Dickinson Church, John Ross and Samuel Woods were the only ruling elders.
At the close of Mr. Williamson's labours as pastor, the Session consisted of Samuel Woods, John Ross, William Woods, Jr., George Davidson, and David W. McCulloch.
At the time of Mr. Cummins's resignation, the act-
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DICKINSON CHURCH.
ing elders were, William Woods, Jr., Robert Donald- son, William G. Davidson, and Lewis H. Williams.
The Session, as at present constituted, consists of William Woods, Jr., Robert Donaldson, William G. Davidson, William Mateer, and John T. Green.
When the church at Dickinson was organized, there were not, as far as can be ascertained, more than from seventeen to twenty members in full communion. The number at present is one hundred and sixty. The temporal condition of the church is prosperous. There is no debt resting on the people. The pastor receives a salary of six hundred dollars. The Board of Foreign and Domestic Missions and the Board of Education, have each separate and distinct appropria- tions made, in aid of them, annually. Other benevo- lent enterprises, of an incidental character, are regard- ed with a spirit of liberality. There are two Sabbath schools in the congregation in a flourishing condition.
At the first stated administration of the word and ordinances among them, the congregation worshipped alternately in the stone church belonging to the Co- venanters, and in the log church of the German Reformed and Lutheran Congregations, both of which are in Dickinson Township. The building in which they now worship was erected in 1829, at an expense of nearly two thousand dollars, and stands on a slight eminence, at the point where the road leading from Mount Rock to Spring Mills crosses the Walnut Bot- tom Road, eight miles west of Carlisle. The lot of ground on which it is erected, was given for the purpose
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CHURCHES OF THE VALLEY.
by William L. Weakley, Esq. The situation is in all respects a beautiful one. The building, which is of brick, is 45 by 56 feet, and is capable of accom- modating with its seventy pews, five hundred persons. Its interior is neatly and comfortably finished, and does credit to the taste and liberality of the congre- gation.
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CHAPTER XIII.
THE CHURCH AT CARLISLE.
ABOUT the year 1736, the Presbyterians erected a log church on the Conodoguinett Creek, about two miles north of Carlisle, or West Pennsborough, as it was then called, at a place known ever since as the "Meeting-House Spring." No vestige of this build- ing now remains, nor are there any of the oldest sur- viving residents of the neighbourhood, who are able to give anything like a satisfactory account of it. The members of the large congregation which wor- shipped within its walls, have all long ago disappeared, and with them the memory of the venerable edifice and the interesting incidents which were doubtless associated with its history, have well-nigh perished.
The first pastor of this church was the Rev. Samuel Thompson, from Ireland. Mr. Thompson was ordained and installed November 14th, 1739. Of this there is the following notice taken on the minutes of a meeting of Presbytery, of that date, at " Penns- boro."
"Mr. Anderson at the meeting-house door gave 20*
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public advertisement that if any could advance any lawful objection against Mr. Samuel Thompson being set apart to the work of the holy ministry to both societies in this place, and no objection appearing, Mr. Craighead delivered a sermon from Ezekiel xxxiii. 6, and presided in the work of ordination. Accord- ingly, Mr. Samuel Thompson was set apart to the work of the sacred ministry by the imposition of hands."
It is probable, however, though Mr. Thompson was the first settled pastor at "Pennsborough," that the Rev. Messrs. Craighead and Caven laboured there for some time previously, in the character of stated supplies. This, at least, seems to be indicated by this record, made at the meeting of Presbytery just referred to :
" It being inquired whether the upper settlement of Pennsborough had paid the arrears due by them to the estate of the deceased Mr. Craighead, Daniel Williams appeared and publicly engaged to pay said arrears speedily, viz .: the sum of £5 6s. 8d. Said Daniel Williams likewise agreed to pay the arrears due by said society to Mr. Caven."
Mr. Thompson resigned his pastoral relation in 1748. To this step he was led "by several reasons, but chiefly by the fact, that he doubted he could not be farther useful in this congregation." He had withdrawn from Lower Pennsboro' in 1744. After his release from this charge, he settled at "Great Conawago," where he remained until the infirmities
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THE CHURCH AT CARLISLE.
of age disqualified him for the active duties of the ministerial office. His son, the Rev. William Thomp- son, was an itinerant missionary, as late as 1766, for several years, in the counties of York and Cumber- land, after these counties were founded, under the direction of the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts."
Before taking leave of the Old Log Church, on the bank of the creek, it may be well to state that the congregation that worshipped in it, had some dif- ficulty with the people of Hopewell, about the erec- tion of a meeting-house at Great Spring. This the following extracts from the Presbyterial Records will serve to show.
"Aug. 31, 1737 .- Mr. Black reports that he sup- plied at Pensborrow, and convened the people and those of Hopewell on the Monday following, and heard them confer about the meeting-house proposed to be built at the Great Spring; but the parties did not agree about the same."
"16th Nov., 1737 .- The affair of perambulation being taken into consideration, and after much dis- course upon it, the Presbytery agree to defer a fur- ther consideration of said affaire until Spring; the report made by the perambulators is, that, in their judgment, the distance between Pennsborough Meet- ing-House and that at the Great Spring, is 8 miles, and that another road is found to be 12 miles."
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CHURCHES OF THE VALLEY.
Shortly after Carlisle was laid out, a Presbyterian congregation was organized in it, and a church was built. In relation to this latter movement, John Armstrong wrote to Richard Peters as follows :-
"Carlisle, 30 June, 1757.
" To-morrow we begin to haul stones for the build- ing of a meeting-house, on the north side of the square ;- there was no other convenient place. I have avoided the place you once pitched for a church. The stones are raised out of Col. Stanwix's entrench- ments : we will want help in this political as well as religious work."
" About the year 1760, a license was obtained from Governor Hamilton, authorizing the congrega- tion to raise by lottery, 'a small sum of money to enable them to build a decent house for the worship of God;' and, in 1766, the ministers and others peti- tioned the Assembly, for the passage of an act to compel the 'managers to settle,' and the ‘adven- turers to pay,' the settlement of the lottery having been for a 'considerable time deferred,' by reason of the 'confusion occasioned by the Indian wars.' The act prayed for was passed." It is unnecessary for us, perhaps, here to state, that the method of raising money by lottery, for church purposes or any other, was not at that time regarded as it is now.
In the year 1759, the Rev. George Duffield was called to the congregations of Carlisle and Big
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THE CHURCH AT CARLISLE.
Spring, and installed as their pastor, with the un- derstanding that two-thirds of his labours were to be given to the former. Two years after his settlement, an effort was made by the people of Big Spring, to obtain one-half of Mr. Duffield's time, but this effort was not successful, because the Carlisle congregation were unwilling to agree to such an arrangement, and because Presbytery apprehended that Mr. Duffield's constitution would not be able to endure, any length of time, the fatigue of being the one-half of his time at Big Spring.
As we find in the Records of Presbytery, of April 16th, 1760, a resolution to " meet the third Tuesday of October, at Mr. Steel's meeting-house in Carlisle," there would seem to have been two Presbyterian Churches at that time in this borough. There were, at least, two congregations, which had a separate existence, in virtue of the division of the church, which then prevailed throughout the Synod .* On this subject, Mr. Rupp, in his History of Cumberland County, says : " A short time afterwards (1761), the congregation in the country, then under the care of the Rev. Mr. Steel, constructed a two-story house of worship in town ; and, some time before the Revolu- tion, erected the present First Presbyterian Church, on the northwest corner of the centre square. Mr. Duffield's congregation erected a gallery in Mr. Steel's church, and the two parties worshipped sepa- rately."
* See Appendix III.
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CHURCHES OF THE VALLEY.
In the year 1764, Carlisle and East Pennsborough. congregations agreed to unite, and to enjoy each an equal proportion of the Rev. John Steel's labours .*
After the removal of Mr. Duffield to Philadelphia, and the death of Mr. Steel, the two congregations, which had been known as the "Old Lights" and " New Lights," united, and called, in 1785, the Rev. Robert Davidson. The following year, the congre- gation thus united was incorporated. Dr. Davidson was removed by death, December 13th, 1812. In connexion with him, and as his colleague, the Rev. Henry R. Wilson preached some time to the con- gregation, whilst professor in Dickinson College.
In 1816, the Rev. George Duffield, a licentiate of the Philadelphia Presbytery, was called to be pastor of the congregation of Carlisle. Mr. Duffield's labours among this people were greatly blessed for a number of years. In 1832, a book was published by him, which was entitled "Duffield on Regeneration," and which as the embodiment of some new views intro- duced by him into his pulpit, produced a distracted state of his congregation. We have not the space to give a minute statement of the proceedings of Presby- tery in relation to this book and its author. As, however, the case is interwoven with the history of Presbyterianism in Carlisle, we are warranted, at least, in presenting the following synoptical view of it.
* See call given to Mr. S., Appendix II.
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THE CHURCH AT CARLISLE.
At a meeting of Presbytery in June, 1832, a com- mittee, previously appointed to examine the above- mentioned book, submitted a report, in which they specified " a number of objectionable doctrines" which it contained, "doctrines in opposition to those con- tained in the Confession of Faith, and on subjects which are essential in the Gospel scheme of salva- tion."*
The report concludes in this wise :
"Finally, the committee would only add, that in many parts of the work the language is exceedingly obscure, or equivocal; many theological terms and phrases, long in use and well understood, are set aside, and a new phraseology is introduced unnecessary, and often unintelligible to most readers ; which things are calculated greatly to embarrass and mislead even honest inquirers after truth, who are not accustomed to very elaborate investigation ; that although the work sometimes professes to set all philosophy aside, and to adhere simply to Scripture and to facts, yet does the author range through every department of natural science; and it is evident his philosophy re- specting the nature of life, runs through the greater part of the work and gives character to it."
The following resolutions were adopted by Presby- tery in regard to this report. "Resolved, That we adopt the concluding part of the report, as expressive of our view of the whole matter of it.
* These doctrines are included in the "charges" to be found on a subsequent page.
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CHURCHES OF THE VALLEY.
" Resolved, That after deliberate consideration, hav- ing declared the foregoing doctrines contained in the book entitled 'Duffield on Regeneration,' as pre- sented in the report of the committee, to be erroneous, and contrary to the doctrines of the Bible and the standards of our Church, we do most solemnly and affectionately warn all our ministers, and elders, and people, to guard against such distracting and danger- ous errors, and this we feel constrained to do, under a deep conviction of our responsibility to the great Head of the Church, to guard against everything which will corrupt the purity or disturb the peace of the Church."
At a meeting of Presbytery in October of the same year, a committee was appointed to take into conside- ration the entire proceedings of Presbytery in regard to Mr. Duffield's book, in order to bring in, if possi- ble, some minute which might be satisfactory to all, and arrest further proceedings. The report of this committee not having been adopted, a committee was appointed at the next meeting of Presbytery, to pre- pare charges against the Rev. George Duffield, and report to Presbytery.
We give the report of this committee, and the action of Presbytery in regard to it :-
" After due deliberation on the several articles of the report of the committee in the case of the Rev. George Duffield, the Presbytery adopted them as relevant charges, and they are as follows :
" The committee appointed to prepare charges of error, to be preferred against the Rev. George Duffield,
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THE CHURCH AT CARLISLE.
are unanimously of opinion, that he may be fairly charged on the ground of 'common fame,' with maintaining and industriously propagating, both from the pulpit and through the press, the following doc- trines or opinions, either absurd in themselves, or directly at variance with some of the most important and vital doctrines and truths taught in the standards of the Presbyterian Church and the word of God, namely :-
"1. That life consists in the regular series of rela- tive, appropriate, characteristic actions in an indi- vidual being, and that the life of God himself is not distinguishable from his own holy volitions and ac- tions.
" 2. That the human soul equally with the body is derived from the parents by traduction or natural generation ; that the soul and body are alike deve- loped in their actions respectively, and the soul as created by God and brought into connexion with the body, whether in conception, quickening, or the first inspiration, is wholly destitute of all capacities what- ever.
"3. That the image of God, in which man or Adam was originally created, principally consisted in a threefold life, with which he was endowed by his Maker, viz., vegetable, animal, and spiritual life.
"4. That Adam was not the federal covenant head of the human race ; that he sustained no other relation to his posterity than that of a natural parent ; and that there did not exist anything which could pro-
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CHURCHES OF THE VALLEY.
perly be denominated a covenant relation between God and Adam, as the representative of his natural offspring.
" 5. That Adam's sin is in no proper sense imputed to his posterity to their legal condemnation, and that the temporal or natural death of infants is the natural result or consequence of Adam's sin, solely by virtue of their connexion with him as a parent.
"6. That all holiness and sin consists exclusively in voluntary acts and exercises of the soul; that there is no principle of holiness or sin inherent in the soul, which exerts any power or causal influence in produc- ing holy or sinful acts and exercises ; and that there is no innate, hereditary, derived depravity or cor- ruption in our nature.
" 7. That no moral character can be appropriately predicated of, or possessed by infants; that they are neither sinful nor holy, are not actually under the government of law, nor above the level of the mere animals ; and that even our Lord Jesus Christ, in his infant state, possessed no holiness of character, other than what might be affirmed of the Mosaic tabernacle or inmost chamber of the temple, and other consecrat- ed instruments of Jewish worship ; and that our first parents themselves were not created in a state of moral rectitude, that is, they possessed no holiness or moral character, anterior to, and independent of, their own volitions and exercises, or, in other words, they had no spiritual life till they acquired it by their own voluntary acts and exercises.
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THE CHURCH AT CARLISLE.
"8. That man in his fallen state is possessed of entire ability to repent, believe, and perform other holy exercises, independently of any new power or ability imparted to him by the regenerating or new- creating influences of the Holy Ghost,-consequently,
"9. That regeneration is essentially a voluntary change or act of the soul, is exclusively the effect of man's own unassisted powers and efforts, independently of any divine influence whatever, except what is of a mere objective moral kind, or, in other language, the moral suasion of the spirit, or the suasive influence of the truth, in connexion with an arrangement of provi- dential circumstances.
"10. That by election, in the Sacred Scriptures, is meant nothing else than the actual selection of a cer- tain number from the great mass, by their being made the subjects of spiritual life, which is not possessed by the rest ; that it is the actual display of God's sovereignty in making believers alive from the dead, or quickening them (believers), from the death of trespasses and of sins, in which they (believers), with all mankind were lying."
This report having been "considered and sus- tained" by Presbytery, they resolved to institute judi- cial process against Mr. Duffield, on the grounds of the specifications contained in it, and to cite him to appear before Presbytery at its next meeting, to an- swer the same.
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