USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Church of the brethren of the Eastern district of Pennsylvania > Part 15
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""'WILLIAM MOORE DANIEL MOORE CATHARINE SHEARMAN SILAS SHEARMAN ANNA MOORE MARY DALRYMPLE
ASA MOORE SARAH BREWER
CAZIAH COWDERICK
MARTHA MOORE
ELIZABETH TRIMMER
HESTER CARSON
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THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
CATHARINE DALRYMPLE MARTHA COWDERICK JACOB FAUSS
WILLIAM MOORE
CATHARINE MOORE
LUCY ANN SINE.'
"The church took the above in consideration, and granted them their request. As they brought no accusation against the church, the church, from the above writing, has disowned them, and (decides) to have no church fellowship with them."
We must now turn our attention for a time from the "Mooreites," until we have traced some of the subsequent history of the Amwell Church.
Israel Poulson, Sr., died February 14, 1856. The same year a committee was sent by the Annual Meeting to adjust difficulties in the New Jersey church. This committee con- sisted of Andrew Spanogle and Peter Long of Pennsyl- vania, and John Kline, J. Wine, and Martin Miller of Vir- ginia. Elder Israel Poulson, Jr., refers to this committee of 1856 when the committee of 1881 investigated the trouble. The seceding members knew nothing of this committee, but it evidently had to do with this trouble. Who had this com- mittee of 1856 come to New Jersey, and what the finding of the committee was, we have not been able to ascertain; but the committee came immediately after the death of the older Poulson. It is not likely that the committee came as a result of his dying request : more likely it came following action by some one who thought that now, as Israel Poulson, Sr., was dead, the seceders might get favorable treatment. The finding of this committee likely suited Poulson, Jr., for his reference to the findings of this committee seems to indicate this. He also refers to the matter having been before adjoining elders. The seceders knew of the trial before "adjoining elders," but claimed that they had not received just treatment. What this finding was we do not know, but it was likely agreeable to the younger Poulson. John Umstad was among those who looked into this trouble. This investigation grew out of a feeling on the part of some of the Amwell Church that the expelled members had not been justly treated. We await the judg- ment of the Annual Meeting Committee of 1881.
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AMWELL CHURCH.
In the meantime the work of the Lord was moving on in Amwell. February 14, 1861, Robeson Hyde and John D. Hoppock were elected "elders"; and Cyrus Van Dolah, William Moore, Paul K. Huffman, and Asa Park were chosen deacons. There seems to have been a reorganization or a replenishing of the organization at this time.
There was quite an awakening in the Amwell Church in 1864. From July II to 31 of this year John H. Umstad, John Slingluff, and "E. H." (likely Emmanuel Heyser) held meetings here. As a result, thirty-two persons were baptized by Israel Poulson.1
Abram Laushe was chosen a deacon to fill the place of Asa Parks, deceased, September 8, 1866. Thomas W. Brewer was elected deacon, September 10, 1870; and Joseph Haines and Theodore Stevenson, April 15, 1873. These are the last minutes of importance we have of the Amwell Church before the notable reversal of conditions in Jersey in 1880.
We now turn our attention to that field of the Brethren in New Jersey afterward known as the Bethel Church.
The beginning of the work in this section was due to the labors of Israel Poulson, Sr. He had preached in the homes hereabouts before 1848. The fruits of these labors made a church here a possibility. The first house was built in 1848 or 1849. The land had been given by Amos Dilts. This first house was quite small, a frame house, built at a cost of only $300. Outsiders to stigmatize called it the Hemlock house, it being built partly of hemlock. The Brethren gave it no regular name. When the new edifice was put up in 1878 it was christened "Bethel."
The principal members here at first were Joseph Ruda- bock, Andrew Shepherd and wife, Annie Baker, Joseph Woodruff and wife, Samuel Case and Tunis Case. Wil- liam Waggoner, elected to the ministry in 1849, lived in this section. Israel Poulson, Jr., became the main preacher here. John Umstad and Jacob Reiner held special meetings with considerable success. And this became for years the main church in the neighborhood.
1 Gospel Visitor of 1864, p. 269.
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THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
Bethel seems to have become a separate organization from Amwell with Brother Robeson Hyde as the presiding minis- ter. The first record of minutes of councils held here are dated September 16, 1876.
On this date the church "met at 21/2 o'clock. Meeting called to order by Bro. R. Hyde. Prayer by Brother Hyde. The church then resolved to have a church record kept of all the proceedings of council meetings; and for this purpose Amos Chamberlain was appointed secretary." Spring and fall councils, as was the Amwell custom also, were held.
On Saturday, August 3, 1878, the church met " according to previous appointment, at two o'clock, to take into consid- eration the building of a new meeting-house on the old site. Agreed to take one week to raise more money." On August IO, accordingly, the church again met in council and decided to build. Ephraim Gary, R. Hyde, and H. H. Anderson were appointed a building committee. It was agreed to tear down the old house on Monday the twelfth.
"According to previous agreement the new meeting-house was dedicated to the service of Almighty God on December 5, 1878. Services at ten o'clock by Bro. J. P. Hetric of Phila- delphia, Pa., by reading 225th hymn. Prayer by Brother Hetric. Bro. James Quinter of Huntingdon, Pa., preached the dedication sermon from the 27th Psalm, 4th verse."
December 2, 1879, at a special meeting for the purpose, the following five brethren were elected trustees of the Bethel house: Ephraim Gary, H. H. Anderson, Servis Trimmer, Sidney L. Bush and John Heller. The Bethel Church sent Bro. R. Hyde as a delegate to District Meeting of 1880. The New Jersey churches were rather loose in organization, and seldom represented at District Meeting. While Brother Hyde was sent by Bethel organization in particular, he is credited in the District Meeting minutes to the New Jersey Church in general.
Amos Chamberlain was succeeded as clerk by J. T. Gary in 1880, but as the latter did not come into possession of the minute book for some time, minutes are not again recorded till 1884. But we have brought the record of the Bethel Church down to 1880, the beginning of a new era in the Jersey church.
GRAVE OF ELDER ISRAEL POULSON, SR., N. J.
THE
GRAVES OF ELDER JOHN P. MOORE AND WIFE, N. J.
SAND BROOK CHURCH, N. J.
CHAPTER II.
SAND BROOK CHURCH.
The beginning of the Sand Brook Church takes us back to 1848, to the expulsion of John P. Moore from the Amwell congregation. On account of this trouble we have learned that eighteen more brethren could no longer walk with the Amwell Church, and were expelled April 7, 1849. These eighteen, with John P. Moore as their speaker, had organ- ized a separate church already on March IO, or nearly a month before their "expulsion" by Amwell. This church was locally called the "Mooreites," but they called them- selves "United Christians." They organized by adopting the following Articles of Association :
"We, the undersigned, after careful and serious considera- tion, do unanimously agree to stand in union together as pro- fessed Christian brethren and sisters, in-as-much as we think it is an all-important matter and privilege that we have the indis- putable right to worship God according to the dictates of our own consciences, consistent with His word as we understand it, for which privilege we confess that we have great reason to be thankful; therefore we have concluded that by the assisting grace of God we design to try to keep the ordinances of the Lord's house according to the doctrines and principles of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and His holy apostles, as they are delivered to us in the Gospel, which our Savior says shall judge us in the coming day. Therefore we feel that we are under obligation, as much as in us lies, to try and live in union together in the church militant (because we feel that it has in time past done much hurt and made sore by being of different minds) ; and therefore we would that there should be no pre- eminence one above another, considered that in regard to the business that we design to transact of importance we want to be united in, and agreed to have officers in said church, and also did legally appoint as elder John P. Moore, and as deacons William H. Moore and Jacob Bouss (Fauss) ; and further agreed that our plan of receiving members in said church is
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THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
that all the members present must be agreed, and, to excom- municate, all must be consulted before and agreed to; which subscribe our names, this tenth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.
"Signed
" JOHN P. MOORE
ELIZABETH TRIMMER
WILLIAM H. MOORE
MARY DALRYMPLE
DANIEL J. MOORE
CATHARINE DALRYMPLE
WILLIAM S. MOORE
ASA MOORE
SARAH BREWER
SILAS SHEARMAN
CATHARINE A. MOORE
MARTHA MOORE
HESTER CARSON
LUCY ANN SINE
KEZIAH COUDRICK
CATHARINE SHEARMAN
MARTHA COUDRICK
ANNA MOORE."
While the " Mooreites " nobly refrained from lodging any complaints against any in the Amwell congregation, yet the nature of their sore may be gathered from this agreement. Preëminence of some in the old church, coercion against the dictates of conscience, and forcing measures through council without consulting all the members. They were in rebellion against the arbitrary kingship of Poulson.
The Sand Brook Church began to grow immediately after its organization. By the end of the year 1849, they had received nine members. Their first council was held in the home of Silas Shearman, May 12, 1849. They lost no time in building a house of worship, the present stone one. Their council of April 13, 1850, was held in the meeting-house. At the first council they decided to observe the salutation of the holy kiss at communion. In the first council in the meeting-house, April 13, 1850, William S. Moore was elected clerk. At this council they also decided to receive members only by trine immersion. Councils were held in March and September.
During the first decade, till 1860, thirty-four members had been received. Among these was Charles W. Moore, who was baptized November 24, 1855. He was afterward deacon, preacher and elder. A week before Charles Moore was baptized, the church elected another preacher. We give the account as recorded in the minutes.
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SAND BROOK CHURCH.
" SAND BROOK, November 17, 1855.
" The church at this place being met together and duly organ- ized in public meeting, a resolution was passed that the Elder- elect should be subject to the deacons, and Henry T. Trout hav- ing received a majority of all the votes cast was elected elder on the day above named.
" Witnesses present " JOHN P. MOORE JACOB FAUSS WILLIAM H. MOORE."
September 17, 1864, Charles W. Moore was elected a deacon.
The total number of persons received into the Sand Brook Church from its organization in 1849 to its reentrance into the Brotherhood in 1880 was fifty-eight. Adding to these the nineteen who formed the original organization, the "Mooreites" as such, in their entire history, had in their communion seventy-seven persons.
The Sand Brook Sunday School was opened in 1875. Charles Moore was elected superintendent; he continued in this office till 1899 at least.
Reentrance into the Brotherhood. Before the Annual Meeting of 1879, Elder John P. Moore remarked to his nephew, Deacon Charles W. Moore, that he thought of going to Annual Meeting that year, and asked him to go along. The latter, however, received the suggestion with little favor; but on thinking the matter over, decided to go. The elder by this time had given up the idea; but Charles decision was deep-seated and carried the day. Both went.
On the train thither they met a preacher of the Brethren by the name of Daniel F. Good. Good became interested in the work in Jersey. Before reaching the place of Annual Meeting, Good stopped off, but forgot his baggage. As the train pulled out, realizing the situation, Good called out to Charles Moore to take the baggage into his custody. This the latter did. Good met him again at Annual Meeting and regained his possessions. This led to warm friendship.
Some time later Good came to New Jersey, and held meet- ings at Sand Brook. But this action on the part of a
13
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THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
brother was not looked on with favor by the Amwell ad- herents. A lovefeast was to be held at Bethel. Good per- suaded Charles Moore to go with him to the feast. The presence of these two men threw the good brethren of Bethel into a complete muddle. Should they ask Good to take a seat with the other ministers? This question delayed the opening of the meeting for hours. But the decision finally went against extending the courtesy to the strange preacher. An old member of the Amwell Church in those days declares that the Amwell members would as soon have worshipped with negroes as with the "Mooreites." After the Bethel feast, the two visitors made straight for their carriage. For some time Good was silent. Finally he exclaimed : "Well, if this is the union you have in New Jersey, I have enough of it!" On his way home Good stopped off and laid this matter before Elder D. P. Saylor of Maryland. The next year a committee was appointed to look into the matter of receiving the "Mooreites" back into the Brotherhood. This committee consisted of D. P. Saylor, R. H. Miller, M. Miller, C. Bucher, and S. Harley. We give the report of the Committee, which speaks for itself.
"We, the undersigned brethren, a Committee appointed by 'Annual Meeting of 1880 to visit a number of petitioners of Sand Brook, Hunterdon Co., New Jersey, report as follows :
"According to appointment, we the undersigned (Elder Christian Bucher having failed to come) met with the peti- tioners in Council Meeting, in the meeting-house at Sand Brook, on Wednesday, August 18, 1880; and upon investigation we found that the petitioners were a remnant of members of the church in New Jersey, who adhered to John P. Moore, who had been expelled from the New Jersey church about the year 1849 or '50, with others who had united with them in maintaining and keeping up a separate organization and worship, up to the present time; but expressing a wish to be in unison with the order of the general Brotherhood, petitions Annual Meeting for a committee, etc.
"We find that John P. Moore was a minister in the second degree, and that a difficulty existed between him and the elder, and that Moore was finally expelled from the church without any elder or minister being present but those belonging to the New Jersey church and they themselves involved in the trouble.
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SAND BROOK CHURCH.
" Such proceedings being contrary to the general order of our Brotherhood, we decide the expulsion of Moore illegal, and hence he was never legally expelled; but inasmuch as he and those members who adhered to him kept up an organization as fully in the order of the Brotherhood as was the church that expelled them, we decide that under the circumstances their worship was in order, and all that were received by baptism should be recognized as members of the German Baptist Church.
"Hence we decide it best to hold this organization, comprised of John P. Moore, those who withdrew and followed him, and those received into their fellowship by baptism, shall be held a church of the Brotherhood, and the present organization be continued as it is till they and the adjoining churches see best to change it; and we advise all to work for peace and union with the other church, and for harmony with the general Brotherhood.
" Signed by the committee- " D. P. SAYLOR, R. H. MILLER, MOSES MILLER, SAMUEL HARLEY.
"This report was read and explained to all the members of both churches present, and the vote of the Sand Brook church taken, and was by them unanimously accepted; and a copy of these same was given to Elder Israel Poulson to be read to the church where he presides and offered to her members for their acceptance.
"D. P. SAYLOR, R. H. MILLER, MOSES MILLER, SAMUEL HARLEY."
The Sand Brook Church met in her first council after the visit of the Committee on September 18, 1880. John P. Moore presided with Gideon C. Moore as secretary. The report of the visit was satisfactory, and the church agreed to hold her love-feast some time in the future, in the old order. From this time full accounts of councils were kept, heretofore the minutes preserved having been very frag- mentary.
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THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
On May II, 1881, a special council was held for the pur- pose of electing a minister and deacon. Charles W. Moore, the only deacon, being elected to the ministry, two deacons were elected. The choices fell on Gideon Brewer and Asa Moore. All were then installed into their offices according to the order of the Brotherhood, by Elder D. P. Saylor. August 23, 1882, at a special meeting, John P. Moore was ordained to the eldership, and Charles W. Moore advanced to the second degree of the ministry. The officiating elders were Samuel Harley and Christian Bucher.
Re-adjustments in Jersey. In 1881 a protest against re- ceiving the Sand Brook delegation, likely from the Amwell congregation, was sent to the District Meeting. The pro- test was voted down. A petition for an investigating com- mittee was also sent up to Annual Meeting. The report of this second committee is self-explanatory, and we herewith give it in full.
"We, the undersigned, being a committee appointed by the Annual Meeting of 1881 to meet the Amwell church in New Jersey to investigate and settle certain difficulties between the above named church and the other persons who had been sepa- rated from said church a number of years, met with the brethren of the Amwell church in council August 18, 1881.
" The petition for the Committee contained two points. The first was a request to investigate the proceedings of a committee sent by Annual Meeting of 1880 to the Sand Brook church; and, second, to investigate difficulties existing between the Amwell and Sand Brook churches. The work contained in the first point devolved upon the undersigned alone, but that of the second point devolved upon the undersigned and Elders D. P. Saylor and R. H. Miller. These two brethren, having been on the committee whose work the undersigned were appointed to examine, were present at the investigation to present and ex- plain their proceedings as far as was necessary for them to do. " Bro. I. Poulson, the elder of the Amwell church, being one of the petitioners, represented the following charge and objec- tions to the work of the former committee. We investigated the objections separately with all the testimony we could obtain ; but while we investigated the objections of Bro. I. Poulson separately, we give our decision upon them together, as they are closely connected.
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SAND BROOK CHURCH.
"It was plain to us that the proceedings of the church in the council presided over by I. Poulson, Sen., and which resulted in the expulsion of J. Moore and others, were not legal, since the elder and his son, I. Poulson, Jr., were parties in the church trials, and as they had no other elders present. The trial not being legal, the expulsion of J. Moore cannot be considered legal; but it did not seem so plain to us that the seventeen persons who withdrew from the church were not really sepa- rated from the church. The testimony that they were really separated or expelled was not as plain as was desirable to prove the fact; the difficulty having occurred over thirty years ago, and many of the witnesses being dead, and others very old, it is difficult to obtain the testimony it is desirable to have to prove the facts in the case. But as the members of the Sand Brook church have manifested a desire to return to our general Broth- erhood, and as we are to exercise charity to all, we decide that the testimony brought before us was not sufficient to reverse the former committee's (work), and we therefore accept it, and give it to the Amwell church as the best we can do under the circumstances, and recommend to all the members of both churches Christian forbearance and brotherly love.
"The second point in the petition will be investigated in the proper order and by the full committee, if it is judged neces- sary. This report was read to the church and explained, and after an exhortation, the viva voce vote of the Amwell church was taken ; and seventy-one of her members voted to accept the. report, and none to reject.
" Signed by the Committee : " JOHN WISE, JAMES QUINTER, CHRISTIAN BUCHER."
"We, the undersigned, being the full committee appointed by the Annual Meeting of 1881 to investigate matters of difficulty existing between the Amwell and Sand Brook churches, accord- ing to the petitioners of the Amwell church to the Annual Meet- ing for a committee, met in the Amwell meeting-house on the 18th of August, 1881, continuing the council which commenced on the previous day.
"The first charge made by Bro. I. Poulson, in behalf of the Amwell church against the Sand Brook church, is the follow- ing: The organization of the Sand Brook church, composed of J. Moore and seventeen members who withdrew until they
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THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN.
could be reconciled, was illegal; and, they assuming another name, put themselves beyond the jurisdiction of the church. On the above charge, we decide that in changing the name for the purpose of getting rid of the Amwell church they did wrong ; and we ask an acknowledgment of them.
" Second, Bro. I. Poulson says they claim that they knew nothing of the committee of 1856, and that they had not a fair trial before the adjoining elders, both of which we deny. In regard to the above charge, we decide in regard to the first item, which relates to the committee of 1856, that the evidence proves a misunderstanding rather than a misrepresentation; and in regard to the second item, we decide that it was not clearly proved that there was a full and satisfactory investigation before the adjoining elders.
" The third charge of Bro. I. Poulson was as follows: We purpose to show that the charge was not that J. Moore was the cause of all the trouble, and that the charge was not brought by my father alone, but that it was the church which brought it. On the first specification in the charge, we decide that the evi- dence proves that the charge of all the trouble was against J. Moore at the time of his expulsion ; but on the second specifica- tion we decide that it was not definitely proved who brought the charge against J. Moore at the time of his expulsion.
"Fourth. The charge of Bro. I. Poulson was: 'They said I was elected in Dalrymple's place and to fill his place, and that I was thus installed.' This is not correct. We decide that on this charge there was not sufficient evidence to prove clearly that Bro. I. Poulson was installed in the second degree of the ministry at the time of his election, but it is very evident that there was trouble growing out of his installation."
"This report was read to the church and explained, and a viva voce vote taken; and fifty-five of the Amwell members present voted to accept it and two to reject; and of the Sand Brook church twelve members were present, and all accepted it.
"Signed by the committee: " JOHN WISE, JAMES QUINTER, D. P. SAYLOR, R. H. MILLER, CHRISTIAN BUCHER."
Other clouds were gathering in the sky for Elder Israel Poulson. He was not as wise in settling up an estate of
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SAND BROOK CHURCH.
which he was executor as he should have been. He moved to the Upper Dublin Church in Pennsylvania, and without a church letter.
October 24, 1882, the church appointed a committee to wait on J. M. Smouse, relative to his becoming pastor of the Amwell Church. Smouse was engaged at a salary of $300 per year, and began his labors December I of this year. Quarterly councils were instituted at the council of Decem- ber 8, 1882; and the first church treasurer, Cyrus Van Dolah, also elected. John D. Hoppock was ordained to the eldership December 28, 1882; bishops present, J. Z. Gott- wals and J. P. Hetric.
In the council of February 28, 1883, a letter " from the bishops was read advising the church to take immediate action in the difficulty existing between the church and Israel Poulson." There were six charges against Poulson, embodying unfaithfulness to his bond as executor, causing division in the church, and removing without a letter of membership. The church after exhausting in vain all efforts for home settlement, called in a committee, which consisted of Elders Christian Bucher, Samuel Harley, and William Hertzler. This committee seems to have been ac- cepted by Annual Meeting, with the addition of Elder Moses Miller as chairman. Elders Gottwals and Hetric were also advised of the investigation. The committee met August 28, 1883, and found Poulson guilty of procrastination which caused his bondsmen to suffer unjustly, and of careless- ness as administrator which led to division in the church, and was condemned for moving away without adjusting dif- ficulties and securing a church letter. He was relieved of the office of bishop, and required to make an humble ac- knowledgment of his short-comings, after which he was to be granted a certificate of church membership as a minister in the second degree. The church accepted the work of the committee by a vote of fifty-three to twenty-three. Poul- son met the conditions, and received the certificate of mem- bership August 29, 1883.
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