USA > Pennsylvania > Huntingdon County > Huntingdon > History of the Presbytery of Huntingdon > Part 18
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JUNKIN's motion be postponed, in order to take up one which he read. proposing the immediate dissolution of the pastoral relation." This motion was lost, and Dr. JUNKIN's motion to cite the congregation, was adopted. But the next day Dr. Woods, who had not voted on the question, but was reckoned with the majority, moved a recon- sidderation of the motion passed the night before. The motion to reconsider was adopted, and the substitute offered by Dr. GIBSON was taken up, amended and passed, and is as follows:
"1st. Resolved, That the request of Mr. LAWRENCE be granted in view of the ascertained consent of the congregation to the dissolution of the pas- toral relation, and that the church of Milroy be declared vacant from and after the 19th of April instant.
2d. Resolved, That the Presbytery highly approve the purpose of the congregation to continue Mr. LAWRENCE'S salary until the 1st of April, 1858, and hereby commend them for their expressed purpose. .
3d. Resolved, That Rev. D. STERRETT be appointed to preach to that congregation on the 2d Sabbath of May, and to declare the pulpit vacant."
At this time ( April, 1857) the Itinerant Missionary made a report of his labors for the last six months, and intimated his desire to retire from the field, whereupon the following resolution was unanimously passed :
" Resolved, That the manner in which our missionary has performed his arduous duties meets with the hearty approbation of Presbytery ; that we rejoice in the results of his labors, and that if compatible with his sense of luty, he be requested to continue in our service another year."
Rev. N. SHOTWELL at this time gave notice of his desire to resign the charge of the congregation of East Kishacoquillas, and the con- gregation was cited to appear at the next stated meeting and give their reasons for or against granting his request. Also Rev. WM. J. GIBSON requested leave to resign the pastoral charge of Lick Run con- gregation, on account of inadequate support.
At the adjourned meeting held at Liek Run, Centre county, June 9. 1857, the Rev. A. B. PRATT was dismissed to the Presbytery of Dane. Mr. PRATT had been principally engaged in teaching while a mem- ber of our Presbytery, and never had any charge of a congregation within its bounds. Rev. W. S. MORRISON, on account of ill health, was compelled to resign the pastoral charge of Upper Tuscarora and Little Aughwiek churches. A letter was received from Tyrone city in con- neetion with Warrior's Mark, asking for the one-half of Mr. JOHN EL- LIOTT's time; whereupon Presbytery requested him to continue his
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labors as heretofore, accepting the invitation of Tyrone city and Warrior's Mark, until the next meeting of the Presbytery. The con- gregation of Clearfield presented a call for the Rev. JOHN M. GALLOWAY, of the Presbytery of Steubenville, and obtained liberty to prosecute it before said Presbytery. The consideration of request of Dr. GIBSON for the dissolution of his pastoral relation to Lick Run congregation, made at the stated meeting in April, was, with his con- sent, deferred till the next stated meeting. The Rev. D. L. HUGHES gave notice of his design to resign the pastoral charge of Spruce Creek Ist and Sinking Valley.
The Rev. JOSEPH MAHON, an agent of the Pennsylvania Colonization Society, being present, addressed the Presbytery on that subject ; when the following resolution was offered by Dr. GIBSON and adopted :
" The Presbytery having heard some interesting statements from Rev. JOSEPH MAHON, agent of the Pennsylvania Colonization Society, in refer- ence to the colonization cause, do most heartily recommend said cause to the affections and liberality of our churches."
At the stated meeting of the Presbytery held at Altoona, October, 1857, Rev. S. LAWRENCE, who had been appointed treasurer on the decease of Rev. JOSHUA MOORE, resigned the office, and Rev. DAVID D. CLARKE was appointed in his stead.
At this time the pastoral relation of Rev. D. L. HUGHES to the con- gregations of Spruce Creek Ist. and Sinking Valley was dissolved, according to his request made at the previous meeting; and he was dismissed from this Presbytery to join the Presbytery of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The following resolution was passed in reference to this event :
" Resolved, That in sundering the ties that bind this brother to us presby- terially, and us to him, this Presbytery entertain a sentiment of sincere regret. His gentle, lovely and laborious life amongst us, and his uniform kindness and dignity as a pastor and a presbyter, have endeared him to us ; and whilst we assure him of our best wishes and our prayers, we commend him to the confidence and affection of all christian people in the distant field in which he expects to bestow his future labors."
Messrs. ALEXANDER McBEAN, WILLIAM O. WILSON of Lower Tusca- rora congregation, and EDMOND KERNS of Little Valley, were received under the care of Presbytery as candidates for the ministry; and recommended for aid to the Board of Education.
The pastoral relation of Rev, N. SHOTWELL to the congregation of East Kishacoquillas was at this time dissolved, according to his request
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made at a previous meeting; and he and Mr. LAWRENCE asked and obtained travelling testimonials.
The Rev. JOHN ELLIOTT received two calls, one to Sinking Valley and Spruce Creek Ist, and the other to Tyrone city and Birmingham. He asked time to consider; but ultimately accepted the calls to the former churches, and was installed their pastor, December 1, 1857. Al- though Mr. ELLIOTT had retired from the missionary field, and become a settled pastor, the Presbytery still resolved to cultivate such parts of the itinerant field as may be vacant at the close of the present ses- sion of Presbytery ; and therefore resolved to continue the committee on itinerancy, and directed them to make prompt and earnest efforts to introduce some efficient laborer or laborers into the field.
The Rev. M. S. CULBERTSON of the Ningpo Mission, being present, preached by invitation of Presbytery, and presented some interesting statements in regard to China, and the other fields of Foreign Mis- sions ; and the Rev. Messrs. HAMILL, D. D. CLARKE, and THOMAS MCAULEY, elder, were appointed a committee to report a minute ex- pressive of the sympathy of this Presbytery with our suffering breth- ren in India. This was about the time of the Sepoy rebellion, when some of our missionaries were slain by the rebels,
The following day Mr. HAMILL reported the following, viz :
"Resolved, Ist. That the trials, perils, and the sufferings of the missiona- ries of our own Board, and other missionary societies, by reason of the mutiny of the native troops in India, have awakened our deepest sympa- thies and most earnest solicitude, and call for increased interest and prayers in their behalf.
2d. That in the opinion of this Presbytery this rage of the heathen is no new thing, but is what the church from Apostolic times to the present has been called to encounter and must expect, and that it furnishes no argument against the glorious missionary enterprise, and so far from proving a dis- couragement ought to stimulate the Church to more confident hope, and more zealous and earnest efforts in sustaining the foreign missionary work.
3d. That the pastors, elders and people, in connection with this Presby- tery, be affectionately urged, in view of these and other signs of the times, to increased zeal, liberality and prayer in behalf of Foreign Missions."
Near the close of this session of the Presbytery a committee con- sisting of three members was appointed as a standing committee on the subject of aged and infirm ministers, who may need aid from the General Assembly's fund for that object.
At the stated meeting in October of this year, the following action was had on the oath, and on the subject of temperance, viz :
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"Resolved, That the members of our several congregations be counsel- . ed, when lawfully called to take the oath before the civil magistrate, to adopt that form of the oath prescribed in the laws of the Commonwealth which seems to be recognized in the Scriptures, viz : with the uplifted hand.
2d. That in the opinion of this Presbytery the ordinance of the oath, which is recognized in our Confession of Faith as a part of religious wor- ship, is not explained from the pulpit with sufficient frequency."
Presbyterians have always held that it was lawful and a duty for christians to come under the solemn obligations of an oath, when pro- perly called to it, the occasion being of sufficient importance to justify an appeal to God for the settling of strife between man and man in the interests of justice. But intelligent Presbyterians have always objected to swearing by or on The Book as superstitious, and also to all extra-judicial oaths, as a profanation of an ordinance of God. The unnecessary frequency, and the general irreverence with which oaths are administered and taken in our courts of justice, have been a great grief to the conscience of all thinking and religious persons. As to the substitution of the "solemn affirmation," instead of the usual form of the oath, this is objectionable mainly on the supposition that the per- son thus affirming does not deem himself under equal obligation to tell the whole truth, and equally responsible to the judgment of God for a false testimony. If this be not implied, then it may be permit- ted as a relief to weak consciences, but is in reality and in substance the oath, and is only an evasion, harmless or otherwise, just as the person thinks of it.
We record the action of the Presbytery at this time on the subject of temperance, just to show that the opinion of Presbytery has been uniformly and unanimously in favor of the temperance reformation from the beginning. The following resolution was offered by Rev. O. O. McCLEAN (now Dr. McCLEAN) and unanimously adopted, viz :
" Resolved, That this Presbytery considers the Temperance Reformation of undiminished importance, and that every minister belonging to the Pres- bytery be requested to deliver one or more discourses upon the subject of temperance before the close of the present year."
CHAPTER IX.
FROM 1858 TO 1865.
Changes-Beulah Church Organized-Overture on Demission of the Ministry -- Rev. G. W. Zahnizer Received, and Accepts a Call-Rev. M. Allison asks leave to Resign his Charge -- The Semi-Centenary of Dr. Linn-Mode of Ordaining Elders-Mr. S. M. Moore Received as a Licentiate-Messrs. D. W. Fisher and N. A. McDonald Ordained as Evangelists with a view to Foreign Missions-Changes in the Book of Discipline and the Boards proposed-Deaths of Rev. Samuel M. Cooper, Rev. George Gray, and Mr. Nelson, a Licentiate-The Rev. J. B. Strain from Presbytery of Carlisle, and Rev. W. G. E. Agnew Received from the M. E. Church-The Expenses of Installation Committees to be Paid-Adjourned Meetings-Dr. Junkin Released-Mr. R. B. Moore, a Licentiate Received-Rev. J. II. Barnard Called to be co-pastor with Dr. Linn-Rev. D. HI. Barron-Death of Dr. J. S. Woods-Mr. Oscar A. Hills -Relief Fund-Of Isabella C. Robinson-The Ashmun Institute-The Revised Book of Discipline-Licensure of Mr. J. D .. Beale, and Reception of Rev. J. H. IIolloway-Rev. Jas. C. Mahon Received-Death of Rev. A. B. Clarke-Mr. Banks Called the Third Time to Altoona -Overtre-Distribution Fund of the Board of Publication-Paper on the State of the Conntry-Mr. Wm. E. Ijams-Mr. J. E. Kearns Licensed-Rev. R. M. Wallace Called to Altoona-Mr. W. O. Wright-Death of Rev. G. W. Thompson, D. D .- Rev. John Moore Re- signs his Charge-Congregational Supplies-Rev. Dr. Knox and the Board of Domestic Missions-Last Appearance of the Venerable Dr. Linn in Presbytery-Rev. N. G. White Called to Williamsburg-Committee on Unemployed Ministers-Board of Foreign Missions -State of Religion-Suggested Increase of Pastor's Salaries-Resolution in Regard to Sab- bath School Libraries-U. S. Christian Commission-Revivals-Roll of Presbytery.
THE year 1858 is chiefly remarkable for the number of changes which took place in the congregations and their pastors. The Rev. JAMES CAMPBELL was dismissed to the Presbytery of Highlands, Kansas ; and the Rev. W. S. GARTHWAITE to the Presbytery of North River. These brethren had never held any pastoral charge within the bounds of the Presbytery, but had been engaged in teaching; the former at Jacksonville, Centre county, the latter in Tuscarora Valley, Juniata county.
The Rev. GEORGE ELLIOTT's pastoral relation to the church of Alex- andria was dissolved on the 13th of April, and, on the same day, Rev. B. E. COLLINS' relation to the congregations of Moshannon and Morris. The Rev. ANDREW JARDINE, having at a previous meeting given notice of his desire to resign his pastoral charge, his relation as pastor of Middle Tuscarora congregation was dissolved at this time also. And yet two more pastoral relations were dissolved at the request of the
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pastors and with the concurrence of the congregations : that of the Rev. T. P. SPEARS to the congregation of Little Valley, and that of the Rev. THOMAS STEVENSON to Pine Grove.
There were at the same meeting, and at the next following of this year, some accesions to the roll of Presbytery and of pastors to the churches. The Rev. JOHN M. GALLOWAY was received from the Presby- tery of Steubenville, and installed pastor of the church of Clearfield. The Rev. JNO. W. WHITE was received from the Presbytery of Carlisle, and installed pastor of the church of Milroy, Kishacoquillas Valley : and the Rev. JAMES WILLIAMSON accepted a call tendered him at the former meeting, and was installed pastor of the church of West Kisha- coquillas. The following young men were received under the care of Presbytery as candidates for the ministry, viz: Messrs. DANIEL BOS- WORTH, JOS. A. PATTERSON, ABRAM D. HAWN and JAMES J. KERR. Mr. JAMES H. REED, a candidate for the ministry, was licensed to preach the Gospel at the adjourned meeting held in June.
At the stated meeting in the Fall, Mr. Wy. BURCHFIELD was taken under the care of Presbytery, and the Rev. M. ALLISON of Mifflin, his pastor, was appointed to superintend his theological studies. The Rev. GEORGE ELLIOTT received and accepted a call from East Kishaco- quillas congregation, and a committee was appointed to install him on the 2d Wednesday of November following.
Mr. SAMUEL T. LOWRIE, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Ohio, was received ; a call presented for him, through the Presbytery, from the church of Alexandria; and being accepted by him, an adjourned meeting was appointed to be held at Alexandria on the 7th day of December following, at which time he was ordained and installed. At the same meeting the Rev. ISRAEL W. WARD, and THOMAS WARD, a licentiate, were dismissed by certificate to the Presbytery of Chicago : and the Rev. T. P. SPEARS to the Presbytery of New Lisbon.
At the stated meeting of the Presbytery, in October of this year, an afternoon of one day was devoted to a conference on the subject of a revival of religion. It will be remembered that this year had been noted for somewhat extensive revivals of religion in various parts of the land. The following topics were indicated as proper subjects for discussion, viz :
" 1st. What reason have we to hope or expect that the present great awakening will be extended to the congregations of this Presbytery ?
2d. Are we ealled on in the providenee of God, as a Presbytery, or as ministers and elders, to make any special efforts to such an end ?
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3d. Assuming that a revival is the normal state of the Church, why have revivals of religion for years past generally so speedily declined ?
4th. How are we as God's instruments to excite, extend and perpetuate a revival state of feeling within the bounds of this Presbytery and our respective congregations ?"
At a special meeting of the Presbytery held at Huntingdon, Decen- ber 23, 1858, the pastoral relation of Rev. O. O. McCLEAN to the con- gregation of Huntingdon was dissolved at his request, on account of his failing health, and a temporary rest from pastoral labors seemed to be necessary for its restoration.
At the stated meeting of the Presbytery, April, 1859, the following pastoral relations were dissolved at the request of the pastors and with the consent of the congregations, viz: The pastoral relation of the Rev. RICHARD CURRAN to the Cottage church, and of the Rev. THOMAS STEVENSON to the 2d church of Spruce Creek. At the same meeting Messrs. N. A. MCDONALD, JOSEPH PATTERSON, JOSEPH BARNARD and DANIEL W. FISHER, candidates under the care of Presbytery, were licensed to preach the gospel.
A committee was appointed, at the request of twenty-one persons, members of the congregation of Mt. Pleasant, to organize them into a separate congregation, to be called Beulah congregation. At a fol- lowing meeting the organization was reported and the congregation entered upon the list of churches. An overture with respect to the demission of the ministerial office was sent down to the Presbyteries by the General Assembly of 1858. The overture will be found on page 299 of the minutes of the General Assembly of that year. At the Spring meeting of the Presbytery in 1859 the overture was con- sidered and answered in the negative.
An adjourned meeting of the Presbytery was held June 14th, at which the Rev. O. O. McCLEAN was dismissed to the Presbytery of Cedar, Iowa, and the Rev. G. W. ZAHNIZER was received from the Presbytery of Erie, and a call put into his hands from the congrega- tion of Huntingdon, and being accepted the Presbytery proceeded to install him.
At the stated meeting in April the Rev. MATTHEW ALLISON having requested leave to resign his pastoral charge of the congregations of Mifflintown and Lost Creek, the congregations were cited to appear and show cause, it any they had, why his request should not be granted; at this adjourned meeting Mr. ALLISON's request was con- sidered, the congregations being represented by their commissioners.
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It appearing that there was a large majority of the people of both congregations opposed to granting Mr. ALLISON's request, and strong- ly in favor of retaining him as their pastor; notwithstanding this action of the congregations, Mr. ALLISON renewed his request to be permitted to resign, yet the Presbytery refused to dissolve the pas- toral relation. This action on the part of Presbytery was eminently wise, as proved by future results. The minority became entirely reconciled; no part of his ministry was more universally acceptable and successful than that which followed till the end of his ministry, and none grieved more than the minority, when death dissolved the pastoral relation in 1872. This case is given with some particularity. for the purpose of suggesting to members of Presbyteries whether they are not apt to be too hasty in dissolving pastoral relations at the request of the pastor who makes it under temporary discouragement -from some untoward conduct in a few members of his charge? In cases where the congregation concurs in the request of the pastor, the case is somewhat altered, yet even in such a case it is not always clear that the pastoral relation ought to be dissolved. In nine cases out of ten the congregations concur, not because they want the separation. but because they suppose the pastor wants to leave them, and they would not retain an unwilling man. This feeling in congregations is altogether natural, if not always just, and the remedy is to be found in the Presbytery. Those ministers who are constantly removing for the sake of change, and on the suspicious plea of enlarging their sphere of usefulness, we would commend to the Methodist Episcopal Church, that the desire may be gratified to their heart's content. In connection with these suggestions, and the case referred to above, just now the Presbyterial records furnish the case of a semi-centenary pas- torate, which closed in the undiminished affection of two, if not three generations of hearers. At the Spring meeting of the Presbytery of this year, the congregation of Bellefonte sent a unanimous request that the Presbytery would hold its regular Fall meeting in their church, as precisely at that time their venerable pastor, Rev. JAMES LINN, D. D., would, if spared, have completed the fiftieth year of his pastorate among them! Of course the request was complied with. and the Presbytery rejoiced in commemorating with the people of his charge, the close of such an honored and honorable pastorate. At this time also order was made at the request of thirty-six petitioners. for the organization of a Presbyterian Church in Bald Eagle Valley.
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The church was organized August 30th following. And ABRAM D. HAWN and JOSEPH L. LOWER were licensed to preach as probationers for the gospel ministry. By special invitation the Presbytery met at Bellefonte, October 4, 1859, with a view to celebrate, with some appro- priate services, the aniversary of the semi-century of the pastor's (Rev. Dr. J. LINN) connection with this church. And as the congregation had expressed a desire that the pastor should give a narrative of the leading facts pertaining to their history during the last fifty years, and as they had invited the Rev. Dr. D. X. JUNKIN to deliver a sermon appropriate to the occasion, Presbytery appointed Wednesday evening, October 5th, as a convenient time for these services; at which time the Presbytery assembled, in the presence of a large and deeply in- terested and solemn audience. The following was the order of exer- cises observed on the occasion :
1st. Anthem by the choir.
2d. Prayer by Dr. WooDs.
3d. Psalmody by Dr. GIBSON.
4th. Reading 7th Chapter of Ist Samuel by Rev. R. HAMILL, D. D.
5th. Historical sketch of the last fifty years of this church by the pastor, Rev. JAMES LINN, D. D.
6th. Hymn of Jubilee, composed for the occasion by Rev. Dr. JUN- KIN, read by Dr. THOMPSON, and sung by the congregation.
7th. Sermon on Ist Samuel 7:12, "Ebenezer, hitherto hath the Lord helped us," by Dr. JUNKIN.
Sth. Prayer by the Rev. GEORGE ELLIOTT.
9th. 509 Hymn, read by Rev. DAVID D. CLARKE, and sung by the congregation.
10th. Doxology.
Ilth. Benediction by Dr. LINN.
As it was an unusual, so it was a very interesting occasion to all present. As all most heartily congratulated the pastor and people on the close of a pastorate of fifty years so pleasantly and profitably maintained, so honorable to both pastor and people, the Presbytery was especially gratified in such an example set before pastors and con- gregations of the possibility of a continued pastorate of fifty years. and withal so pleasantly maintained to the end. And yet the end was not come, Dr. LINN continued to be the sole pastor of this con- gregation for several years afterwards. In this age of changing, what a monument is here set up !
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The following resolution was adopted by the Presbytery at its ses- sions in Bellefonte, October 8, 1859 :
" Resolved, That in the opinion of this Presbytery it is expedient to ordain ruling elders by the imposition of hands."
As a matter of history the following minute is found on page 131, Vol. 5 of the presbyterial records, viz :
" A resolution to refuse to license or ordain any man that will not abstain from all use of tobacco was presented, discussed and laid on the table."
If, instead of the resolution noticed above, it had been a recommen- dation to our young men, candidates for the ministry and others, not to contract the habit of using tobacco in any form, none would have concurred more heartily in it than those who have had most experi- ence in the use of the weed. But a more sweeping resolution could not have been offered in regard to the habitual use of intoxicating drinks. Therefore, when a man puts the use of tobacco on the same level with the use of intoxicating drinks he only hinders the reforma- tion he honestly designs to effect.
At an adjourned meeting, held in Pine Grove in December of this year, Mr. S. M. MOORE, a licentiate of the 2d Presbytery of Philadel- phia, was received, and after the usual examinations ordained, and installed pastor of Pine Grove congregation for half his time; and arrangements made for his installation over Bald Eagle congregation for the other half.
Presbytery met at Hollidaysburg on the 10th of April, 1860, at which time Messrs. D. W. FISHER and N. A. McDONALD, licentiates of the Presbytery, were ordained as Evangelists with a view to Foreign Missions, and dismissed to the Presbytery of Siam, India. Mr. JAMES M. NOURSE, son of the late Rev. JAMES NOURSE, was taken under the care of Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry; and Messrs. MILES C. WILSON, S. L. GAMBLE and W. ALEXANDER were licensed to preach the Gospel. Changes in the Book of Discipline, and in the Boards, were proposed by the General Assembly, and the subjects sent down to the Presbyteries. These matters were taken into consideration at this meeting, and the Presbytery decided that the proposed changes were useless. Occasion was taken at this time to commend Mr. J. M. WILSON'S Historical Almanac to the patronage of the pastors and churches.
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