USA > Pennsylvania > Huntingdon County > Huntingdon > History of the Presbytery of Huntingdon > Part 2
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HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERY OF HUNTINGDON.
had in inducing him to ask a dismission afterwards from the Presby- tery, may only be a matter of conjecture, if it had any influence at all. The next meeting of the Presbytery he delivered another lecture which was sustained. Such a case as this, which must have been the occasion of much mortification to the candidate, probably suggested the following standing rule, adopted by the Presbytery at its next regular meeting : "That no candidate be permitted to deliver any of his discourses before a public audience, except the Lecture and Popular Sermon; and that only after Presbytery has received compe- tent satisfaction on all other parts of trial."
The next year, at the Spring meeting, April, 1796, Mr. SAMUEL BRYSON applied to be taken under the care of the Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry, and after the usual testimonials and exam- inations, he was so received, and assigned parts of trial. This is the second candidate taken under the care of Presbytery after its organization.
Few as were the members when the Presbytery was organized, changes soon came, by which the number was diminished; especially of those who had settled charges. Most of the members were old men at the time the Presbytery was set off from Carlisle. The Rev. JAMES MARTIN died on the twentieth day of June, 1795, being per- mitted ouly once to meet with the Presbytery after its organization. At the second stated meeting of the Presbytery, the Rev. HUGH MAGILL, pastor of Tuscarora congregation (Lower Tuscarora) applied to have the pastoral relation to said congregation dissolved, on account of his age and infirmaties. This request was granted, the congregation consenting.
On the 22nd of June, 1796, Rev. JAMES JOHNSTON, pastor of East and West Kishacoquillas, requested leave to resign his charge. The congregations being cited to appear by their commissioners at the next stated meeting to show cause, if any they had, why Presbytery should not accept his resignation ; did appear by their commisioners, and presented the following paper, signed by a majority of the mem- bers of the congregations : "That the congregations heartily desired that Mr. JOHNSTON should continue their pastor, and that they would be perfectly satisfied with what ministerial duties his health would permit him to discharge." Nevertheless, Mr. JOHNSTON having given sufficient reasons, Presbytery agreed to dismiss him; and he was dis- missed on the fifth day of October, 1796. After Mr. JOHNSTON was relieved of his pastoral charges, he continued to receive appointments
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from Presbytery as an occasional supply of vacant points, as his health would permit; and at the same meeting of the Presbytery at which his pastoral relation was dissolved, the commissioners present from his late charge, requested that he might be appointed to supply their congregation for as much of his time as Presbytery could give them until the next meeting. Two appointments were given him elsewhere, and the rest of the time was left at his own discretion. This record shows that at the time of his resignation of his charge, he was not altogether disabled from any service; and such were the great necessities and destitution of suitable supplies within the ex- tended bounds of the Presbytery, that the old men who, through infirmities, could not assume all the responsibilities of a pastoral charge, were impelled to do all they could to further the cause, and meet the wants of the churches .*
At the time of the organization of the Presbytery, and for many years afterwards, the salaries of pastors were small compared with the salaries now deemed a minimum salary. The largest salary on record till 1809, is that offered in the call from Bellefonte and Lick Run congregations to Rev. JAMES LINN, being $500. The next highest salary was that offered in 1810 to Rev. WILLIAM KENNEDY by Lewis- town and West Kishacoquillas, being $480. And in 1820-1, the largest salary given was only $600; and these were the largest and among the wealthiest congregations in the Presbytery. But after all, compared with the greater wealth of the congregations now, and the greater facilities for obtaining money for every thing a farmer has to sell, and the great advance in the price of the necessaries of life, there need be no hesitation in saying, that the salaries then promised were not only liberal, but more liberal than most now paid outside of the great cities. When a bushel of oats could be purchased at from ten to twelve cents ; potatoes at the same rate; and wheat would only bring from twenty-five to thirty-seven cents, or ever rise to fifty or sixty cents, and no great demand at any price, and not always to be sold for cash ; it may surely be no more than justice to the fathers to say, that the salaries they promised their pastors were comparatively
*The above statement is precisely as gathered from the Minutes of the Presbytery, but it is evident that there is some confusion in the Minutes, as Mr. JOHNSTON continued to be the recognized pastor of East Kishacoquillas congregation till the time of his death, in 1820. It is more than probable that it was the charge of West Kishacoquillas which Mr. J. resigned in 1796. His original charge consisted of both East and West Kishacoquillas, and Little Valley. If the resignation of Mr. J. included both East and West Kishacoquillas, then from that time to the end of life he was only the stated supply of East Kishacoquillas.
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liberal, and their successors in the various congregations have nothing to boast of in the comparison. But there was in many cases, in not in most instances, a great draw back in regard to punctuality in pay- ment. The salary would be permitted to fall behind in a series of years, and the pastor either compelled by his necessities, or out of good-nature, to forgive a part, on condition of prompt payment of the balance. Sometimes the final settlement was not attempted till after the death or removal of the pastor, and then difficulties would arise, and the Presbytery applied to by the executors of the deceased to interfere and prevent the settlement of a pastor till all arrearages had been paid to the former pastor. In several instances such appli- cation was made, and the Presbytery did interpose in all proper cases with the happiest results. And at this distance of time the wisdom displayed in the management of such cases cannot but be admired : e. g. the executors of the estate of Rev. JAMES MARTIN applied to Presbytery "to take such measures as they may deem advisable to bring to the most speedy issue a settlement with the congregations of West Penns Valley, Warrior Mark, and Sinking Valley." Accord- ingly the request was entertained by Presbytery, and two separate committees appointed of most respectable gentlemen-laymen-to ascertain and settle the balance due the deceased from each of the congregations named. To show the character of these committees a single name may be mentioned, the Hon. ANDREW GREGG, then a member of the congregation of Bellefonte, and grand-father of Hon. A. G. CURTIN, late Governor of the State, now Minister to Russia. Executors were not authorized to give a part of a pastor's salary on condition of the prompt payment of the balance.
And here, as well as in any other place, it is due to these old fathers of the Presbytery to say, that the original members of the Presbytery, with the accessions made to their number from time to time till the beginning of the present century, appear to have conducted business not only in strict Presbyterial order, but with great wisdom and prudence. This appears in reviewing the minutes of their proceed- ings in the various emergencies which arose, and the appointment of committees for various objects. From their ecclesiastical origin, we would expect to find strict adherence to sound doctrine, as contained
NOTE .- Salaries were raised by subscription papers passed through the various parts of the congregation, and often the subscriber promised to pay so much in money, and so much in produce-wheat, corn, and oats. And when the formal call was made out the promise was almost always to pay a certain amount in cash, and balance in produce of the farmns.
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in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Catechisms, Larger and Shorter; but in matters requiring only practical discretion apart from authoritative rules, one would not be surprised to meet with some evident mistakes in judgment and prudence. But none such can be seen upon their recorded proceedings, when viewed with the eye of candor, and in the light of the times in which they lived. Particularly in the appointment of committees, for specific objects, they were eminently judicious.
The Presbytery usually continued in session for three days at their Spring and Fall meetings, but seem to have held only one sitting each day. The reason of this, no doubt, was the distance they would have to go to their lodgings at night ; especially when meeting in a country congregation.
The Rev. DAVID WILEY was appointed the first Stated Clerk of the Presbytery on the last day of their sessions, October, 1796, just a year and a half after the organization. No Stated Clerk was needed sooner, for as yet there were few minutes to transcribe. Afterwards, at stated times, a committee of Presbytery was appointed to review the minutes that had been transcribed by the Stated Clerk and report to Presbytery.
The Rev. JAMES JOHNSTON and Rev. JOHN BRYSON were the first commissioners appointed after the formation of the Presbytery to represent it in the General Assembly, and Mr. GEORGE MCCORMICK and DAVID STEWART, Esq., the ruling elders for same purpose. Mr. McCORMICK is believed to have been an elder of one of Mr. GRIER's congregations, and Mr. STEWART of Hart's Log congregation, of which the Rev. JOHN JOHNSTON was pastor. Alternates were appointed to the ministerial delegates, but none to the elders; and for several years afterwards Presbytery appointed no alternates to the elders. Is it to be inferred from this, that the attendance of elders on the General Assembly was a matter of no importance in the estima- tion of the Presbytery ? By no means; the probable reason is to be found in the fact that few elders were willing to undergo the fatigue of the journey to and from Philadelphia, where the General Assembly was then always held, and few could afford the time then required to make the journey, together with the time spent in attend- ance at the Assembly. The journey was in those days made on horse- back, and probably not less than ten days were consumed, riding day after day, in travelling from the extremities of the Presbytery to the place of meeting, and as many on the return. The necessary expenses
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of the commissioners were provided for by the Presbytery. from the commissioners fund, to which all the congregations were required to contribute, but no compensation for lost time. It was difficult to find elders who were willing to go to the Assembly, and the Presbytery selected those whom they had most reason to believe, from their cir- cumstances, would be likely to attend, or who had promised to go, if appointed. The main question in the early times of the Presbytery was, Who will go? Now it is considered a matter of favor to be per- mitted to represent the Presbytery in the General Assembly. In looking over the minutes, it will be observed as not an uncommon occurrence, that a young pastor is sent as a commissioner the first meeting of the Assembly after his ordination and installation; as if the older member of the Presbytery would say, "let him learn to bear the yoke in his youth." But now times are altogether changed ; the facilities of travel are so much improved that time and space are annihilated, and with almost as much ease a person can travel from one extremity of the country to the other, and with almost as little inconvenience and fatigue, as sitting in his parlor at home. In this connection the fact may be stated, that very often at the regular stated Spring and Fall meetings of the Presbytery not more than one half of the ministers would be present; and this especially when the Presbytery met at the extreme ends of the territory; and at the intermediate meetings during Summer and Winter, there would not be more, than was necessary to form a quorum. And on one occasion there was not a quorum until the second day. The state of the roads, and the distances the members had to travel to meet the brethren were the general excuses, and there is not an instance on record of the excuse of a member being deemed insufficient. When it is remem- bered that the Presbytery, till 1811, covered all the territory now occupied by the Presbytery of Northumberland, as well as the present boundaries of Huntingdon, the absence of a large proportion of the members occasionally, from the meetings of the Presbytery, is not to be wondered at. Some would have to travel from one hundred and fifty to two hundred miles to meet the Presbytery, and that on horse- back, by the most difficult roads. And it will also be recollected that the majority of the members were either old men, or past the merid- ian of life.
Mr. SAMUEL BRYSON was the second candidate for the ministry, under the care of the Presbytery ; but was the first the Presbytery licensed ; Mr. JAMES MAGILL having withdrawn before licensure. Mr.
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B. was taken under the care of the Presbytery on the 13th of April, 1796, and was licensed to preach the gospel on the 12th day of April, 1797. Whether he pursued his literary studies privately, or at some public institution is not known, but the Presbytery certify at his licensure, that he had gone through a regular course of literature ; and he probably studied Theology with his brother, the Rev. JOHN BRYSON, of Warrior Run. At this time there were no Theological Seminaries connected with the Presbyterian Church. All theological students studied privately ; generally with the pastor of the congre- gation with which they were connected; or with some neighboring minister.
At the meeting of the Presbytery in October of the same year, a call was handed. into Presbytery from Upper Tuscarora and Little Aughwick congregations for Mr. SAMUEL BRYSON ; which he requested the leave of Presbytery to retain in his hands for consideration till the next stated meeting. The call was accompanied with a subscription paper, amounting to upwards of £150. After consideration, at the next meeting of Presbytery Mr. B. declined this call. At the same meeting of Presbytery, a call from the united congregations of Spruce Creek and Sinking Valley was presented for Mr. BRYSON; accom- panied with subscription papers amounting to upwards of £144, which call he accepted. At an adjourned meeting of the Presbytery held at the house of Mr. ROBERT MCCARTNEY on Spruce Creek, November 20, 1798, he was ordained and installed pastor of said congregations ; in which service Rev. JOHN BRYSON preached the ordination sermon, and Mr. MORRISON presided and gave "the charge" agreeably to ap- pointm'ent of a former meeting. The record of this installation service, in connection with the ordination, would seem to indicate that there was but one charge given, that to the minister.
In both of the calls to which reference has been made, that from Upper Tuscarora and Little Aughwick, and that from Spruce Creek and Sinking Valley, the salary promised seems to have been exceeding- ly liberal for those times, and for country congregations. The former congregations offered upwards of £150, the latter £144, and upwards. But when we know more about this matter, and how the amount was to be paid, it does not look so large, but, on the contrary, is greatly diminished in value. When the clerk of Presbytery records the calls lie adds-" and subscription papers to the amount of £150 and £144." The idea conveyed by this record is, that the accepting minister took the subscription paper or papers as security for his salary, each
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one to pay the amount of his personal subscription as he could, or was willing, in grain, potatoes, or cabbage, more frequently than in money -the minister to collect his own salary as he could-and in case any one who chose to take offense at the minister, refused to pay, there was nothing left for the minister to do but to forgive him, or have a fight with his congregation. In case an appeal was made to the Pres- bytery, and the congregation compelled to make good the deficiencies, in most cases the pastor might as well resign the charge, for such would be the issue sooner or later. In this state of things the usual course of the pastor was to tender to Presbytery his resignation, on the ground of insufficient salary, or defective payment, and then if he were a pastor specially acceptable to the people generally, and his salary had fallen behind more through inconsideration than inten- tion; or if there were a good deal of the grace of honesty among the people, deficiencies would be made up, and the removal of the pastor successfully resisted. We record these things because they are true, and we intend to keep to the truth of history, neither flat- tering people or ministers beyond their due. Congregations, and ministers too, ought to be aware that they are making the materials for future history.
At the Fall meeting of the Presbytery in 1803, Mr. BRYSON requested to be released from his pastoral charge of Spruce Creek and Sinking Val- ley ; and the congregations having appeared by their commissioners, and expressed their concurrence, it was resolved that Mr. BRYSON's request be granted, and he was accordingly relieved from the charge of said congregations. At the same meeting he requested leave to travel out of the bounds of Presbytery, and preach at discretion. The Stated Clerk was ordered to furnish him with proper testimonials of his good standing. Up to this time the Rev. S. BRYSON appears to have been in good standing in the Presbytery. But at the Spring meeting of 1806, the following minute is recorded : "Presbytery agreed that the Stated Clerk be ordered to cite the Rev. Messrs. DAVID BARD and SAMUEL RRYSON to appear at their next meeting, and (agreeably to a resolution of the General Assembly, A. D. 1802) give an account how they have discharged their ministerial duties." (Minutes of Presb'y, Vol. I, 201.) At the next meeting of Presbytery Mr. BARD appeared and fully satis- fied Presbytery in the matter inquired into; but Mr. BRYSON did not appear, and the clerk was ordered to cite him to appear at the next Spring meeting. At this meeting he was again absent, but sent a letter to the Presbytery, stating some reasons for his not attending
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Presbytery, and requesting the Presbytery to write to the elders of Spruce Creek and Sinking Valley congregations, urging them to fulfil their contract with him while he was their pastor. His request was granted, and the clerk directed to write to those congregations on the subject; but at the same time it was ordered, that Mr. B. be cited a third time to attend Presbytery at their Fall meeting. Mr. BRYSON still not appearing, the following minute was made by Presbytery- "The [Rev. SAMUEL BRYSON not obeying the citation of Presbytery, their decision in his case was, on account of some peculiar circum -. stances attending it, deferred until their next meeting."
At the meeting of Presbytery, April, 1808, Mr. S. BRYSON attended, · and assigned reasons why he had for time past neglected to attend to the duties of his office as a gospel minister, as follows: 1. That he was threatened with an incipient pulmonary complaint, which is increased by study. 2. The necessity of providing, by manual labor, for a numerous and increasing family. His reasons were deemed at the time satisfactory, and so recorded. But at the same meeting of the Presbytery a committee of some of the oldest and most judicious ministers and elders of the Presbytery was appointed to investigate reports injurious to Mr. BRYSON's character, then in circulation, but which were in substance denied by him. The committee, according to appointment, met at Spruce Creek church, on the first Monday of May following (1808), and was opened with a sermon by the Rev. JOHN JOHNSTON, one of the committee.
The committee took testimony and reported to the Presbytery at its next meeting, October 5, 1808. After hearing the report of the committee, and the testimony taken by them, the following minute was passed : "The Presbytery having considered the testimony taken by the committee of investigation, appointed in the case of the Rev. SAMUEL BRYSON, were unanimously of opinion that he ought to be suspended from the exercise of the gospel ministry, and he is hereby suspended."
At the meeting of Presbytery, April 17, 1810, Mr. BRYSON made application to have his suspension removed; but Presbytery refused to accede to his request. The next year, at a meeting of the Presby- tery, a paper was received, signed by a number of the members of Spruce Creek congregation, in which they state, "that having been witnesses of Mr. BRYSON's conduct since he was suspended from the gospel ministry, they see nothing in his behavior that should cause a continuation of his suspension." Upon which the following
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minute was adopted : " Reports unfavorable to the character of Mr. B. being still in circulation, Presbytery are of the opinion that no
decision can be made at present upon said paper." But Mr. BRYSON,
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having professed his willingness to make those acknowledgements which the Book of Discipline requires, in the presence of the congre- gation where he resides, Presbytery agreed to receive (restore) him at the next meeting, if their way be clear. Min. Vol. I, p. 253.
According to the above minute, at the October meeting following, the case of Mr. BRYSON was taken up. A free conversation was entered into with a number of the persons who had signed Mr. BRY- SON's certificate, and also with Mr. B. on the same subject, and the following action was had, and record made : " The Presbytery found upon conversing with some of the principal persons who had signed the certificate, that their object in signing was only to have Mr. BRYSON restored to the privilege of a private church member. It appeared to Presbytery that no evidence had been given of any real change in the conduct of Mr. B., but on the contrary, that his walk and conversation since his suspension, have been wholly inconsistent with the character of a minister of the gospel, or even a private christian. It was therefore, unanimously determined, upon the most mature deliberation, that the Rev. SAMUEL BRYSON ought to be deposed from the office of the gospel ministry; and he is hereby deposed."
The history of Mr. SAMUEL BRYSON's entire connection with the Presbytery, and the various steps taken in his case, till it issued in his deposition from the ministry are here given, so as to present the case in one view; as his name does not afterwards appear on the minutes.
In closing the statement of it two or three obvious reflections will occur to the intelligent reader. In the management of the case by the Presbytery there is no record of the charge, or charges, brought against him by Common Fame. Nor is there any record of a copy of the charges being given to Mr. B., with the names of the witnesses. This may have been deemed unnecessary, as he was present at the time when the case was initiated, and it is recorded that he substan- tially denied the charges; though the charges are not named, and took no exception on account of informality. The minutes were afterwards reviewed by the Synod, and no exception taken to the record. Yet it is evident that the Presbytery acted with much cau- tion and deliberation, and with a desire to spare as much as possible
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the feelings of the accused and his friends. But there is one thing in which we think they erred on the score of kindness, namely : in not spreading on the records the offence or offences with which he was charged. They have left the readers of the records in the future to infer that the charges might have been more aggravated than they were. They were bad enough, it is true, but not so bad as could be imagined. Justice to the Presbytery itself in regard to the main charge preferred against him by common fame, as it has come down to us by tradition, would seem to have required its being spread upon the minutes, as a vindication against a slander perpetuated against the ministers of that generation. The main charge as it has come down to us by tradition, was intemperance, or drunkenness. Of course a drunken man will be a fool, both in actions and in words If there were vulgar, or even profane words charged, they are to be laid · at the door of the original offense; not to excuse the one, or the other, but to aggravate both. The man that will take that into his mouth, which he knows "will steal away his senses," is responsible for all the consequences. But it has been charged that the ministers and elders of those times looked with an indulgent eye upon the drinking habits of that day, even when they themselves were strictly temperate, but not abstinent. The truth is, that with all our supposed advance in temperance principles, we do not, as ministers, deserve half the credit for our abstinence that ought to be accorded to the fathers of that day; or rather, to the grace of God in the Fathers. When it is remembered that the bottle was among the family gods of every house ; was set out on every occasion, and it was considered an act of discourtesy to decline it; and that the minister might enter a half dozen different families on the same day ; it is something of a miracle of divine grace that they were not drunkards; or, at least, deceived into a degree of fondness for strong drink, leading to the ship- wreck of the ministerial character ? We may pass a very harsh judg- ment upon the men who fell before the Destroyer in that day, and see no grounds for the exercise of the " charity that thinketh no evil ;" but it might be more becoming to thank God that we are not tried with their temptations. It is only necessary to add, that an entire reformation took place in regard to the habits of Mr. BRYSON. He lived to a good old age, was restored to the communion of the church of Spruce Creek, in the bounds of which he continued to live ; though properly never restored to the ministry. There is a caution which, perhaps, ought to be given here : let not the name of SAMUEL
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