USA > Pennsylvania > Huntingdon County > Huntingdon > History of the Presbytery of Huntingdon > Part 4
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approved of the proceeding of Presbytery in relation to Mr. McIL- WAINE. On the 2nd of October following, a call from the united con- gregation of Upper Tuscarora and Little Aughwick for the pastoral services of Mr: McILWAINE, promising him a salary of £151. Mr. McILWAINE declared his acceptance of the call; and on the 6th day of November of same year he was ordained by the Presbytery, and installed pastor of said congregations. 1195042
On the 4th of October, 1797, as has been stated before, Rev. D. WILEY had been released at his own request, and with concurrence of the congregation from the charge of Sinking Creek congregation, and on the 12th of June, 1799, at a meeting of the Presbytery, called for the purpose, he was released from the congregation of Spring Creek, the other part of his original charge. This also was at his own request, and with the consent of the congregation, though given with apparent reluctance. No doubt the cause was insufficient support, after the separation from Sinking Spring Church. It was a rare thing in those days for a single congregation to undertake the support of a pastor. Towns in which there are now two or three Presbyterian congregations, were then connected sometimes with two or three other congregations in the support of the same pastor. Mr. WILEY about this time resigned his office of stated clerk, and the Rev. JOHN JOHNSTON seems to have been appointed stated clerk. Mr. WILEY con- tinued within the bounds of the Presbytery about a year after the resignation of his pastoral charges, and was dismissed April 22, 1801, to connect with the Presbytery of Baltimore.
In October, 1799, Mr. JOHN B. PATTERSON, a licentiate of the Pres- bytery of New Castle, was received under the care of Presbytery, and calls were immediately presented for him from the congregations of Mahoning (now Danville) and Derry, of which. he declared his accep- tance, and the Presbytery made arrangements for his ordination and installation. An adjourned meeting was appointed to be held at Derry, Northumberland county, on the first Tuesday of December; parts of trial for ordination were assigned to Mr. PATTERSON, and Rev. ISAAC GRIER was appointed to preach the ordination sermon, and the Rev. DAVID WILEY to preside and give the charge, should the way then be clear. At the time appointed, Mr. P. having passed through the usual examinations before ordination to the satisfaction of Pres- bytery, was ordained to the full work of the Gospel ministry, and installed pastor of the united congregations of Mahoning and Derry. Mr. PATTERSON continued to be a useful and highly esteemed member
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of the Presbytery of Huntingdon till the division of the Presbytery in 1811, when he, with his congregations, fell into the bounds of the new Presbytery of Northumberland. He continued to sustain the pastoral relation in which he was ordained and installed till 1831, when his pastoral relation to the congregation of Mahoning was, at his request, dissolved, from which time his ministerial labors were chiefly confined to the congregations of Derry and Washingtonville, a village in the vicinity of which he resided and where a church had been formed.
In the year 1798, the General Assembly adopted certain "regula- tions intended to embrace and extend the existing rules, respecting the reception of foreign ministers and licentiates." The next year the Presbytery of New York, requested the Assembly to reconsider and rescind these regulations, presenting several reasons for said re- quest. Among others, that these regulations were contrary to the constitution of the church till they had been sent down to the Presby- teries, and a majority of them had given their approval in writing. In proof of this, they cited a section from the Form of Government, Chapter XII, which reads as follows: "Before any overtures or regula- tions proposed by the Assembly to be established as constitutional rules, shall be obligatory on the churches, it shall be necessary to transmit them to all the Presbyteries, and to receive the returns of at least a majority of them in writing approving thereof." The commit- tee of the Assembly appointed to consider and report on this matter, although reporting to the Assembly that the request on the part of the Presbytery of New York was founded upon the misinterpretation of an ambiguous expression in the constitution, yet recommend a reference of this article of the constitution to the respective Presby- teries for their interpretation; at the same time recommending to them to advise and empower the next Assembly to substitute the phrase Constitutional Rules, in this article, in the room of Standing Rules. The report of the committee was adopted, and the overture was sent down to the Presbyteries.
At the meeting of the Presbytery held in October, 1799, the Presby- tery acted on this reference, and the following minute was adopted : "To remove all appearance of ambiguity in the 6th Section of the XIIth Chapter in the Form of Government, it was agreed to advise and empower the General Assembly at their next meeting to alter it, so that Constitutional Rules be read therein, instead of Standing Rules, though this Presbytery do not conceive that, even as the section now
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stands, it contravenes the rule of the General Assembly respecting the admission of foreigners to ministerial communion. The rule is highly approved by this Presbytery."
At this meeting of the Presbytery the Rev. DAVID BARD requested leave to resign his pastoral charge. In accordance with the Book of Discipline, the congregation of Frankstown (Hollidaysburg) was cited to appear by commissioners at the next meeting of Presbytery, and oppose or consent to the dissolution of the pastoral relation, as the case might be. The next meeting of Presbytery, which was interme- diate, held at Upper Tuscarora Church, November 5 and 6, the congre- gation of Frankstown appear by their commissioners, consenting to the dissolution of the pastor relation, "in view of Mr. BARD's circum- stances, as well as their own," (although with great reluctance) and the pastoral relation was dissolved.
What were the peculiar circumstances of Mr. BARD and the congre- gation, which required the former to ask and the latter to consent to the dissolution of the pastoral relation, are now not known, for there is no record on the subject, but we know that Mr. BARD represent- ed the Congressional District in the House of Representatives for several terms, and of course there were several months in each year when the congregation must be without regular ministerial services so far as he was concerned, and this might be a very potent reason why the pastoral relation should be dissolved on his part, or he resign his political position. And as to what would have been duty in Mr. BARD's circumstances, between his civil and ecclesiastical relations, at this distance of time, we may be unable to determine with any degree of certainty. We know that persons qualified to represent the peo- ple in Congress were not so numerous as in the present times, neither were qualified ministers then so numerous as they now are. One thing we are sure of, that aspirants to political positions were neither so numerous nor so presumptuous as now; but as a general rule, as it regards ministers and civil or political positions, the opinion may be ventured, that they had better leave these positions to those who can- not preach the gospel, but may be abundantly qualified for the other. To one who is really called to be a minister of the gospel, we think the Saviour's reply to one who proposed to become his disciple, but would first go and bury his father, would be worthy of his considera- tion, " Let the dead bury their dead ;" any body else could do that as well as he could. The circumstances of the congregation also, cannot now be stated, but we suppose it to be the old story, the most common oc-
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casion of the dissolution of the pastoral relation, the inability on their part to pay the amount of salary required or promised. Since those early times, the circumstances of this congregation, as well as of others, have greatly changed, and now, perhaps, there is no more able or liberal congregation in the bounds of the Presbytery.
The last item of business that is on record, as engaging the atten- tion of Presbytery for the year 1799, is a mutual agreement between Mr. GRIER and the congregations which he served, in regard to a re-arrangement of his labors amongst them, in proportion to their ability to pay the salary. Originally, Mr. GRIER gave his time in equal proportions to Lycoming, Pine Creek, and Great Island. But it becoming evident that Great Island was not able to pay its proportion of the salary, it was mutually agreed among them that Mr. GRIER should preach but one-fifth part of his time at Great Island, and that Great Island should be obliged to pay him but one-fifth part of his salary. The rest of his time to be divided between Pine Creek and Lycoming ; and that they pay their salary in proportion; and that this agreement be binding for only one year from the preceeding October. .
Since those times Presbyterianism has made great progress. In each of the places, large and strong congregations now exist, and in one case three or four. Lycoming (Williamsport) including New- berry, which was embraced originally in the one congregation of Lycoming; Pine Creek, now the large and wealthy congregation of Jersey Shore; and Great Island, now Lock Haven.
The year 1800 begins with an effort to square up accounts between pastors and congregations. A standing rule had been adopted three years before to this effect-" That every congregation under the care of Presbytery having a settled pastor give an account, by a commis- sioner or commissioners to the Presbytery, of the state of salary at every Spring meeting." It seems that this rule, if not entirely neg- lected, had in some instances been overlooked, therefore at the Spring meeting of this year the order was renewed, with a special injunction to the trustees of each congregation to send such report to the next Spring meeting. Vol. I, p. 117. And to show that they were in earnest in this matter, a committee was appointed to prepare a circular letter to be addressed to the trustees of each congregation under the care of the Presbytery.
At this meeting of the Presbytery there were but three important items of business that engaged the attention of the members: the
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one mentioned above-the election of commissioners to the approach- ing meeting of the General Assembly-and the issuing of the case of the Rev. HUGH MAGILL, which has already been noticed. It appears that the Presbytery was then entitled to be represented in the Assembly by six commissioners-three ministers and three elders. The fact already noticed, the appointment of alternates to the minis- ters, but none for the elders, occurs again on this occasion. As attendance at the General Assembly was accompanied with so much physical toil and expense, the Presbytery might with equal advantage have been represented by half the number, and the attendance made more certain. Another important item of business was the appoint- ment of supplies to vacant congregations; but this was always a principal item of business at every stated meeting. And when the long and multifarious lists are examined, and we consider the dis- tances of many of the vacancies from the ordinary residences of the persons appointed to supply them, together with the modes of con- veyance, and the state of the roads, the fathers must have endured an immense deal of exposure to cold and heat, and bodily toil, of which their successors now have little or no experience.
And yet another interesting item of business, as belonging to the same meeting of the Presbytery (January 7, 1800) may be mentioned here. It is important mostly in regard to its issue, namely : the recep- tion of the Rev. JAMES SIMPSON, who presented all the usual and satis- factory credentials and collateral testimony of good standing as an ordained minister, from the Presbytery in the "Kingdom of Ireland ;"' . and was received under probation by the Presbytery in accordance with the standing rule in regard to foreign ministers. It may be interesting to record here, once for all, the process through which Mr. . SIMPSON was made to pass, as a specimen of the pains taken by the fathers of the Presbytery to secure a competent and orthodox ministry for the churches. This minute is made,
First-"Presbytery having received satisfactory evidence of Mr. SIMP- SON'S literary attainments, agreed to dispense with a special examination on the languages, arts and sciences.
Second-Presbytery then entered into a free conversation with Mr. S., and received full satisfaction of his soundness in the faith, and of his experimental acquaintance with religion. He was also examined on Theol- ogy, Church History and Government.
Third-Mr. S., having adopted our standards of doctrine and discipline, and promised subjection to the Presbytery in the Lord, it was agreed to receive him as a minister of the Gospel on probation."
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An application was immediately made by Lewistown and Wayne (McVeytown) congregations to have Mr. S. appointed their supply for one year. This request was substantially granted by the Presbytery giving Mr. SIMPSON only two other appointments, and allowing him to supply Lewistown and Wayne at discretion.
At a meeting of the Presbytery, held October 6, 1801, Mr. S. was admitted a member of the Presbytery, his papers having passed the review of the General Assembly previously, and the period of his probation being thus ended, and nothing appearing injurious to his character up"to that time. But the next day, at the same meeting of the Presbytery, a " supplication " was presented from the united con- gregations of Lewistown, Wayne and Derry, on the Juniata, for Mr. S. for stated supply for one year, in which they promise to pay him a salary of £160; and at the same time a remonstrance signed by a num- ber of the inhabitants of Lewistown, opposing the settlement of Mr. S. among them for any term of time whatever; also a remonstrance from Derry and Wayne against his settlement among them. The fol- lowing action was taken by Presbytery in view of these remon- strances : " Whereas, insinuations have been made by remonstrances handed into Presbytery by a commissioner from the congregations of Derry and Wayne, injurious to Mr. SIMPSON's moral character, the Rev. Messrs. JOHN JOHNSTON, JOHN COULTER and WILLIAM STUART, with Messrs. DAVID RIT JLE and DAVID CALDWELL, elders, were ap- pointed a committee to meet at the house of Mr. CASPER DULL in Waynesburg (McVeytown), on the 15th day of this month (October), and inquire into the foundation of these insinuations and the truth of the reports said to be in circulation, and to send for those persons who have either in writing or otherwise circulated them. And if, after inquiry being made, it appears that they are without foundation or cannot be supported, the stated clerk is ordered to furnish Mr. SIMPSON with proper credentials, he being about to travel out of our bounds." Min. p.p. 142, 143.
At an adjourned meeting of the Presbytery, held in November fol- lowing, the committee reported, "That having examined witnesses on oath, brought before them by Mr. SIMPSON's accusers, they found nothing sufficient to condemn him, or deprive him of his credentials." The minutes of the committee were submitted to the Presbytery, read, and their proceedings approved. However, at the stated meet- ing of the Presbytery, April 2, 1802, a paper was presented to Presby- tery, signed by three respectable church members, pledging them-
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selves to prove some aggravated charges, as to moral delinquency, against Mr. SIMPSON. Upon which Presbytery appointed an adjourned meeting, to be held at Lewistown, the 3d Tuesday in June following, and cited Mr. S. to appear and answer to the charges exhibited against him by these persons.
At the time appointed the Presbytery met to try the charges brought against Mr. SIMPSON; heard the witnesses on the part of his accusers and on the part of Mr. SIMPSON, (it appears that there was no church building then in Lewistown, so they met in the Court House.) The Presbytery considered that the charges were fully substantiated, and suspended him from the ministry.
As this may appear inconsistent with the report of the committee sent to inquire into the reports injurious to Mr. SIMPSON's character a short time before, and the approval of their proceedings in the case, the following action was immediately had by the Presbytery at the conclusion of Mr. SIMPSON's case, viz : " Whereas, it has been intimated to Presbytery at our last Spring meeting, and there now appears some reason to suspect that the committee appointed to meet at Waynes- burg in October last, to inquire into the truth and grounds of the insinuations that had been made injurious to the character of Mr. S., did not transact that businesss altogether consistently with the in- structions of Presbytery. Resolved, that ciustions be issued to those persons who were members of that cor. mittee, and also to Judge OLIVER and Gen. JOHN BRATTON, to attend at our next fall meeting at East Kishacoquillas." At the fall meeting, as cited, the committee being present, and being heard in explanation of their proceedings, the following minute was made: "Upon hearing the committee ap- pointed on Mr. SIMPSON's case, the Presbytery are of opinion that any impropriety that took place in that transaction proceeded from inad- vertency and not from design."
At the same meeting Mr. SIMPSON applied to Presbytery to be restored to his former ministerial standing, professing sorrow for the crime of intemperance and other irregularities, but denying the most aggravated charge brought against him, and asking Presbytery to be permitted to bring forward some evidence which had been obtained since the last meeting, which he supposed would invalidate the testi- mony tlien given as to that part of the charge. Presbytery consented to hear said witnesses, but after hearing, did not see cause to modify their verdict or restore Mr. SIMPSON.
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At the meeting of the Presbytery in April, 1803, Mr. S. applied again to be restored, professing the deepest penitence and humiliation for his past conduct, particularly for those irregularities which were the cause of his suspension, at the same time expressing his acquies- cence in the proceedings of Presbytery in his case, and acknowledging the justice of the sentence passed on him, which he admitted to be unavoidable from the evidence which appeared, although his con- science (he said) would not permit him to acknowledge real guilt in regard to the more aggravated charge. He also expressed deep sorrow for his disorderly conduct since, particularly for continuing to preach in open contempt of the authority of Presbytery, and on these pro- fessions asked to be restored to the exercise of his ministry. Presby- tery approved of Mr. SIMPSON's professions of penitence, but could not see the way clear to restore him until a correspondent reformation evinced the sincerity of that repentance, which he himself acknowledg- ed to be very recent. On the refusal of the Presbytery to remove his suspension, Mr. S. "snatched" the paper containing his confession from the clerk's desk, treated the authority of Presbytery with marked contempt, and gave to every member present ocular evidence that the whole of his solemn professions were fallacious and hypocriti- cal. Whereupon it was resolved, (in view of the whole case-lis conduct in times past, and what occurred immediately before the Presbytery,) that Mr. SiMrsox be deposed from the ministry, and he was accordingly deposed.
Mr. SIMPSON gave notice of appeal from the judgment of the Pres- bytery, and the clerk was ordered to furnish him with a copy of the proceedings in his case. Whether this appeal was ever prosecuted before the higher courts the writer has no present means of ascer- taining. One thing is certain, the sentence of disposition was never reversed, the minutes of that year being reviewed by the Synod, and no exception taken but to a few verbal inaccuracies. Of Mr. S. no future mention is made in the proceedings of the Presbytery. What became of Mr. SIMPSON afterwards there may be those living who could give some account, but it is not important. From all that is recorded of him, it may be reasonably inferred, that he was a man of good education, classical and otherwise, possessing considerable popular talent as a preacher, and plausible address, for as soon as he had any . connection with the Presbytery applications were made from impor- tant congregations for his services, and the Presbytery at his reception
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as a probationer from a foreign land, expressed entire satisfaction with his examinations. That which lay at the foundation of the destruc- tion of his moral, and religious and ministerial character, was the accursed drinking habits of the country from which he came; habits by no means suitably discouraged in the country to which he came. Many persons were tainted with this vicious habit, who nevertheless were capable of putting such a restraint upon their appetite, that by no public and overt act, did they expose themselves to ecclesiastical discipline. But now we return and give an account of other matters which occurred during the year eighteen hundred, beyond which we have been carried, with the design of giving a connected history of Mr. SIMPSON's connection with the Presbytery. At the Fall meeting of this year a committee was appointed to inspect the credentials of itinerating and foreign ministers, who might come into the bounds of the Presbytery during the recess, and if the way be clear, make them appointments and give them written recommendations to vacancies, at least two members of the committee being necessary to certify the credentials of a foreign minister. Rev. Messrs. JAMES JOHNSTON, MATTHEW STEPHENS, JOHN JOHNSTON, HUGH MORRISON, JOHN BRYSON, and DAVID WILEY were appointed said committee.
A petition was at this meeting presented to the Presbytery by some of the members of Buffalo congregation, stating that the congrega- tion had signed an obligation to Mr. MORRISON, the pastor, on his first coming to settle among them as their minister, binding themselves to the payment of £75 annually to him during his incumbency. That from death, removal and other causes, a few only of the persons bound for the payment of the money now remained in the congre- gation, they therefore prayed the Presbytery for direction and relief.
In accordance with this petition, a committee of three ministers and three elders was appointed to meet at Buffalo Church, on the 2d Tuesday of November following, to assist in devising and carrying into effect such measures as may be thought best calculated to relieve the petitioners, and promote the best interests of the congregation ; and the congregation was "enjoined to have their papers and accounts so arranged by the time the committee meet, that a full settlement of all arrearages may be made with Mr. MORRISON." At the next meeting of Presbytery, April 21, 1802, Mr. PATTERSON in behalf of the commit- tee reported "That the commissioners on the part of the congrega- tion, not being prepared to exhibit their accounts, they were unable
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to act in the premises." This matter will come up in another shape at a future meeting of the Presbytery.
This meeting of the Presbytery, and this year, are distinguished by the prospect of a large accession to the ministry of the Presbytery. Messrs. WILLIAM STUART and JOHN COULTER, licentiates of the Presby- tery of New Castle, presented certificates of their standing and licensure, and were received under the care of the Presbytery. These brethren lived to be Patriarchs in the Presbytery-living and dying pastors of the congregations in which they were ordained and installed, after pastorates of thirty-three years each. Though they were taken under the care of Presbytery at the same meeting, and both received the calls which they accepted, and served their congre- gations the same length of time, yet it could not. be said that they were joined in their deaths. Mr. COULTER died in 1834, but Mr. STUART was much the older man, for he was in the 76th year of his age when he resigned his charge in the fall of 1834, but lived fourteen years afterwards. Calls were presented for each of these brethren to the Presbytery at the same meeting at which they were received. Mr. STUART was called to Spring Creek, Sinking Creek, and East Penns Valley ; and Mr. COULTER to Middle and Lower Tuscarora. Mr. CoUL- TER was ordained and installed pastor of the united congregations of Middle and Lower Tuscarora, August 11, 1801; and Mr. STUART of the united congregations of Spring Creek, Sinking Creek and East Penns Valley, on the 7th of October, the same year. . As calls were presented for Messrs. STUART and COULTER at the same meeting of Presbytery by which they were received from New Castle Presbytery, of course they had preached as candidates in the congregations which afterwards called them, by the authority of committee appointed to inspect and examine licentiates and ministers coming within the bounds of the Presbytery, as to the validity of their credentials.
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