USA > Virginia > Old churches, ministers and families of Virginia, Vol. II > Part 9
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Copy of a Letter from the Rev. John Thompson to Lady Spottswood.
" MADAM :- By diligently perusing your letter, I perceive there is a material argument, which I ought to have answered, upon which your strongest objection against completing my happiness would seem to depend, viz. : That you would incur ye censures of ye world for marrying a person of my station and character. By which I understand that you think it a diminution of your honour and ye dignity of your family to marry a person in ye station of a clergyman. Now, if I can make it appear that yo ministerial office is an employment in its nature ye most honourable, and in its effects ye most beneficial to mankind, I hope your objections will immediately vanish, yª you will keep me no longer in suspense and misery, but consummate my happiness.
"I make no doubt, madam, but y& you will readily grant y no man can be employed in any work more honourable than what immediately relates to ye King of kings and Lord of lords, and to ye salvation of souls, immortal in their nature, and redeemed by ye blood of the Son of God. The powers committed to their care cannot be exercised by yº greatest princes of earth; and it is ye same work in kind, and ye same in
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ye design of it, with yt of ye blessed Angels, who are ministering spirits for those who shall be heirs of salvation. It is ye same business yt ye Son of God discharged when he condescended to dwell amongst men. Which engages men in ye greatest acts of doing good, in turning sinners from ye errors of their ways, and, by all wise and prudent means, in gaining souls unto God. And the faithful and diligent discharge of this holy function gives a title to ye highest degree of glory in the next world; for they yt be wise shall shine as ye brightness of ye firmament, and they y' turn many to righteousness as ye stars forever and ever.
"All nations, whether learned or ignorant, whether civil or barbarous, have agreed in this as a dictate of natural reason, to express their reve- rence for the Deity, and their affection to religion, by bestowing extraor- dinary privileges of honour upon such as administer in holy things, and by providing liberally for their maintenance. And that the honour due to the holy function flows from ye law of nature appears from hence,-yt in ye earliest times ye civil and sacred authority were united in ye same person. Thus Melchisedeck was King and Priest of Salem; and among ye Egyp- tians ye priesthood was joined with ye crown. Ye Greeks accounted ye priesthood of equal dignity with kingship, which is taken notice of by Aristotle in several places of his Politicks. And among the Latins we have a testimony from Virgil yt at ye same time Anias was both priest and king. Nay, Moses himself, who was Prince of Israel, before Aaron was consecrated, officiated as priest in yt solemn sacrifice by which ye covenant with Israel was confirmed. And ye primitive Christians always expressed a mighty value and esteem for their clergy, as plainly appears from eccle- siastical history. And even in our days, as bad as ye world is, those of ye clergy who live up to ye dignity of their profession are generally reve- renced and esteemed by all religious and well-disposed men.
"From all which it evidently appears y in all ages and nations of ye world, whether Jews, Heathens, or Christians, great honour and dignity has been always conferred upon ye clergy. And, therefore, dear madam, from hence you may infer how absurd and ridiculous those gentlemen's notions are who would fain persuade you yt marrying with ye clergy you would derogate from ye honour and dignity of your family. Whereas in strict reasoning the contrary thereof would rather appear, and yt it would very much tend to support ye honour and dignity of it. Of this I hope you will be better convinced when you consider the titles of honour and respect yt are given to those who are invested with ye ministerial function as amply displayed in ye Scriptures. Those invested with yt character are called ye ministers of Christ, stewards of ye mysteries of God, to whom they have committed ye word of reconciliation, ye glory of Christ, ambas- sadors for Christ in Christ's stead, co-workers with him, angels of ye Churches. And then it is moreover declared yt whosoever despiseth them despiseth not man but God. All which titles shew yt upon many accounts they stand called, appropriated, and devoted to God himself. And, there- fore, if a gentleman of this sacred and honourable character should be married to a lady, though of ye greatest extraction and most excellent personal qualities, (which I am sensible you are endowed with,) it can be no disgrace to her nor her family, nor draw ye censures of ye world upon them for such an action. And therefore, dear madam, your argument being refuted, you can no longer consistently refuse to consummate my happiness. JOHN THOMPSON.
" May, 1742."
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While we entirely agree with all that is written above as to the respectability of the ministry, we would caution against an ill use that is sometimes made of the principle advocated by Mr. Thomp- son. No matter how high the birth, how complete the education, of a lady, if she be truly pious, humble, and devoted to good works, she may be a suitable helpmate to a minister; but it is not often that one very delicately brought up in the higher walks of life can accommodate herself to the circumstances of many of the clergy. As to those who are born to large fortune, let the ministers of re- ligion rather avoid than seek them as companions, taking warning from the many unhappy failures which have resulted from such experiments.
We now proceed with the history of the parish. After employ- ing the Rev. Charles Woodmason for a short time, the vestry elected the Rev. Edward Jones, of Carolina, and had him inducted,-a thing of rare occurrence. In this year Mr. John Waugh is chosen vestry- man. In the year 1773, it appearing that no convenient place, having water, could be found on the land purchased for a glebe, the vestry obtained one hundred more, at a cost of one hundred and fifty pounds, from Mr. Francis Slaughter. One of the churches being burned that year, the vestry determined to build one forty by sixty of wood, on Mr. Robert Freeman's or Peter Bowman's land. This order being reconsidered, it was resolved to build one eighty feet by thirty, of brick, on the land of Peter Bowman. In this year Captain Richard Yancey was vestryman in the place of Major John Green, who had entered the Continental service. In the year 1778, the vestry recommend subscriptions for paying the officers of the church. In the same year Biskett Davenport vestryman in place of William Williams, deceased. In February, 1780, Mr. Jones re- signed the parish, and the vestry advertised it .* Mr. John Gray resigned his seat, Robert Pollard chosen vestryman. In April, 1780, the Rev. Mr. Stephenson was elected. The last meeting re- corded in the vestry-book is in 1784. On the journal of the Con- vention in 1796, Mr. Stephenson appears as the minister of St. George's Church, Fredericksburg, and Mr. Woodville as from St. Mark's parish, they having changed places, as Mr. Woodville had been the minister of St. George's. Mr. Woodville had married the daughter of Mr. Stephenson, who was also the father of Mr. An- drew Stephenson, our late minister to England, and of Mr. Carter
* The Rev. Mr. Iredell also officiated for a time in this parish, but was a disgrace to the ministry.
VOL. II .- 6
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Stephenson, who died some years since in Fredericksburg. With Mr. Woodville I became well acquainted soon after my entrance on the ministry, being often at his house (the glebe) in Culpepper, where he connected a school with the ministry, both of which he conducted in the most conscientious manner, being himself a man of unblemished character. His son James became a lawyer of dis- tinction in Botetourt county, and his son Walker has for many years been supplying some parts of his father's old parish. With his wife and two daughters, Fanny and Sarah, I became intimately acquainted, and with purer spirits I do not expect to be acquainted on this side of heaven. The former has long since gone to her rest. The two latter-Fanny, who married Mr. Payne, and is the mother of a numerous offspring, and Sarah, who is unmarried, and lives. with her-are residing in Mississippi. I often hear from them, and rejoice to know that they still love Virginia and the old Church of Virginia. I cannot take leave of old St. Mark's parish and vestry without a brief reference to those who once composed them,-the Spottswoods, Slaughters, Pendletons, Fields, Lightfoots, Barbers, Greens, Peytons, Caves, Balls, Williamses, Strothers, Knoxes, Stephenses, Watkinses, and others, who amidst all the adversities of the Church have been faithful to her. Others have followed in their path,-the Thompsons, Carters, Randolphs, Winstons, Mor- tons, Stringfellows, Cunninghams, Thoms, and others; but death, removals, and other circumstances, have sadly hindered her pro- gress. Perhaps no part of Virginia has suffered more in this way than the county of Culpepper.
As I am writing of the past for the gratification and benefit of the present, and not of the present for the use of the future, I can despatch the remaining history of St. Marks in a few words. Soon after the resuscitation of the Church of Virginia commenced, a new church, called St. Stephen's, at Culpepper Court-House, was esta- blished within the bounds of St. Mark's parish, and the Rev. Wil- liam Hawley appears on the journal during the years 1814 and 1815 as the minister. He laboured and preached zealously there and in Orange, and with much effect. He was followed by Mr. Herbert Marshall, who for some years laboured faithfully and successfully. In the year 1827, the Rev. George A. Smith com- menced service and continued it for several years. The Rev. Annesley Stewart performed some duty there after Mr. Smith's removal.
The Rev. John Cole has now for a long term of years been minister in Culpepper. Previously to his coming a new church
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had been built at Culpepper Court-House, and since his settlement in the parish two new ones have been built on opposite sides of the county, near each branch of the Rappahannock, while the old brick church in Forke is still remaining. A comfortable parsonage has also been provided for the minister. .
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ARTICLE LV.
Orange County .- St. Thomas Parish.
[The Bishop is indebted for the following communication to the pen and labours of its present minister, the Rev. Mr. Earnest.]
THE county of Orange (embracing St. Mark's parish) was sepa- rated from Spottsylvania in the year 1734. It was " bounden south- erly by the line of Hanover county, northerly by the grant of the Lord Fairfax, and westerly by the utmost limits of Virginia." In 1740, "for the convenience of the minister and the people," the parish of St. Mark's was divided. The southerly portion, including a part of what is now Madison county, was called St. Thomas parish, and its western limits were somewhat reduced. St. George's parish, Spottsylvania, of which St. Thomas was a part, had for its western boundary " the river beyond the high mountains :" the summit of the Blue Ridge being made the western limit of St. Thomas parish.
Before the days of the Revolution St. Thomas parish had within its limits three churches,-viz. : The Pine Stake Church, the Middle or Brick Church, and the Orange Church. The two former have disappeared entirely,-although both were standing and in tolerably good keeping within time of memory. The last named, and the oldest of the three, situated near Ruckersville, a small village about eighteen miles from Orange Court-House, in what is now the county of Green, is still standing, though it has long ceased to be used as a place of worship by an Episcopal congregation. It was for a long while in the occupancy of the Methodists. The old church, which is of wood, has undergone so many repairs since the time it was built, that it is thought, like the old frigate Constitution, little if any of the original timber is to be found in it. As I passed it some years since, for the first time, curiosity-rather I may say veneration for the ancient house of God-led me to stop and take a near view; but my heart was saddened to see this relic of former times so far gone into dilapidation as to be wholly unfit for the sacred purposes for which it was set apart. Here old Major Burton, a staunch patriot and as staunch a Churchman, who had served his country in the war of the Revolution, continued for a long while in the absence of the regular ministry to serve the church as a lav reader.
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This church, though the oldest of these three Colonial churches, was not the first in point of time that was erected within this parish. The first church that was built in the parish was situated about ten miles northwest of Orange Court-House, on a portion of land now owned by Mr. Robert Brooking. The country adjacent was doubt- less sacred ground with the aborigines long anterior to the dis- covery of America; for but a short distance from this "church in the wilderness," upon the right bank of the Rapidan River, is yet to be seen an ancient mound, or burial-place of the Indians. Here, as the waters of this rapid stream lave its banks, there are often exposed to view the bones of the mighty dead,-bones whose giant size indicate that a race of men hardy, athletic, and powerful once inhabited this fertile region.
At what period of time this first " Orange Church" was built, we have it not in our power exactly to verify. We have been told that it was frequented as a place of worship by some of the old settlers as early as 1723. Certain it is, that it was used as such in 1740,- the year in which St. Thomas was formed into a separate parish. The winter of this year was noted in this region for its exceedingly great severity. The degree of cold was so intense that several of the early planters determined on seeking a more genial climate farther south, and accordingly purchased lands in North Carolina. At that time an old Scotch minister of the Episcopal Church, whose name I have not been able to ascertain, but who it seems was fond of good cheer and a game of cards, officiated regularly at this church. He resided with Mr. Benjamin Cave, Sen., a first settler, whose residence was but a short distance from where the old church stood. Subsequently, as the settlements advanced west- ward, the old church was removed about eight miles distant to the place where its remains are still standing.
The Middle or Brick Church was situated about three miles south- east of Orange Court-House, on the old road leading to Fredericks- burg, upon land owned originally by Mr. James Taylor, Sen., a first settler, and subsequently in possession of his grandson, Mr. Zachary Taylor, who was the grandfather of the late General Zachary Taylor, and is now owned by Mr. Erasmus Taylor. We have not been able to ascertain the year in which the church was built; but from certain private records in our possession we can assign the date of its erection somewhere between 1750 and 1758. This church, like the old Colonial churches generally, was well built and of durable materials. As late as 1806, time had made but little impression upon it. But what time failed to accomplish was
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reached by the unsparing hand of man. After the Church in Virginia was.divested of her glebes, her houses of worship came to be regarded by the multitude as "common property." While her hand was against no man, every man's hand seemed to be against her. During or shortly before the last war with Great Britain the work of the church's destruction was begun. Delenda est Carthago seemed to be the watchword of the ruthless foe. They first com- menced with the roof ; this soon yielded to their onset ; the rafters next gave way : the naked, massive walls resisted for a time their further onslaught, but, nothing daunted, they redoubled their forces and renewed the attack. The walls fell, and the triumph of the invaders was complete, as they carried away as so many captives the vanquished, unresisting bricks. The altar-pieces, (the gift of Mr. Andrew Shepherd,) executed in gilt letters, and which long adorned the venerated chancel, were torn from their ancient rest- ing-places, rent into fragments, and were afterward, though with no sacrilegious intent, attached as ornamental appendages to some articles of household furniture.
Amidst the general destruction of the property of the church, even the ancient Communion-plate, belonging to the parish, came to be regarded as common property. This plate, consisting of a massive silver cup and paten, with the name of the parish engraved thereupon, was, as we learn, the gift of a few pious communicants about a century since, among whom were Mrs. Frances Madison, grandmother of the President, and Mrs. James Taylor, mother of the late Mr. Robert Taylor, and Mrs. Balmaine. It has been only by the exercise of vigilance that this solitary remnant of the old church's property has been rescued and handed down in a state of perfect preservation, for the present use of St. Thomas's Church.
The time of the erection of the Pine Stake Church is, like that of the other two, involved in obscurity. It is probable that it was built about the same time as the Middle or Brick Church. It was situated near Mountain Run, about fifteen miles northeast of Orange Court-House, on lands originally taken up by Mr. Francis Taliafero, Sen. It continued to be used as a place of worship by an Episcopal congregation in the early part of the present century, and was standing at least as late as the year 1813. During the war of the Revolution a Mr. Leland, a Baptist preacher, who was a man of considerable notoriety in these parts at that period, ap- plied to the vestry for the use of this church. The following letter from the father of President Madison, who was at the time a member of the vestry, written in a clear, bold hand, (the original of
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which we have in our possession,) answers his application, and at the same time throws no little light upon the rights and privileges of the Church as they stood at that time :-
" August 23, 1781.
" SIR :- For want of opportunity and leisure, I have delayed till now answering your letter relative to your preaching in the Pine Stake Church. When the vestry met I forgot to mention your request to them, as I pro- mised you, till it broke up. I then informed the members present what you required of them; who, as the case was new and to them unprece- dented, thought it had better remain as it then stood, lest the members of the church should be alarmed that their rights and privileges were in danger of being unjustifiably disposed of.
" I do not remember ever to have heard of your claiming a right to preach in the church till you mentioned in your letter of such a report. As to any right in Disesnters to the church, you may see by the Act of Assembly made in the October Session in 1776, they are excluded. The Act, pro- bably to satisfy the members, (as much as the nature of the case would admit of,) reserved to the use of the Church by law established the glebes, churches, books, plate, ornaments, donations, &c. Which, as hath been generally said, the Dissenters were well satisfied with, having in lieu thereof by the same authority gained a very important privilege,-the exemption from contributing to the support of an established Church and ministry, which they had long groaned under and complained of. On considering the case I make no doubt, sir, but your candour will readily excuse the vestry in not granting your petition.
"I am, sir, your humble servant,
"JAMES MADISON.
"Rev. Mr. LELAND."
At a later period, ministers of other denominations had free access to these old Colonial churches, and used and occupied them not so much by courtesy as of common right. The Old Orange Church was for a long while in the exclusive use of another denomination of Christians, and the Middle Church was for some time, as was also Walker's Church in Albemarle, alternately occupied by the Rev. Matthew Maury and the blind Presbyterian preacher. The latter came to this part of Virginia at a period of great depression in the Episcopal Church, and a house of worship was erected for him near Gordonsville, in this county, to which, however, he did not con- fine his ministrations. It was here, probably on his way from Albemarle to Orange Court, that Mr. Wirt was furnished with a theme which has given as much notoriety to himself as to the preacher. Before this Mr. Waddell laboured among his people in comparative obscurity. His fame as a preacher was little known, even in his own immediate vicinity, until after the appearance of Mr. Wirt's celebrated letter in the British Spy. His congregations, which previously had been very small, now became large to over-
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flowing. Persons from a distance far beyond the usual limit of attendance upon divine worship in those days-some on foot, some on horseback, some in "every kind of conveyance"-flocked to hear the famous blind preacher. Without meaning to detract aught from his fame as a preacher, we have no doubt, if we may form an opinion from the representation of persons who knew him well. and heard him often, that his discourse on the occasion referred to owes not a little of its surpassing beauty and effectiveness to the brilliant imagination and fine descriptive powers of the author of the British Spy.
Turning now from the old Colonial churches to the clergy who ministered in this parish in former times, we find ourselves, in the absence of véstry-books and other ancient records, somewhat-at a loss to reproduce in exact chronological order their names and the period of their service. "The memory of man," and some private records in our possession, must furnish all the data upon which we can proceed in this regard. The old Scotch minister to whom we. have already referred, who resided near and preached at the first Orange Church as early as 1740, is the first in the order of time - of whom we can obtain any information; and even his name is passed into oblivion. In 1753, the name of the Rev. Mungo Marshall appears for the first time in connection with this parish, though it is probable he took charge of the same at an earlier period. He continued to reside here until the time of his death, which took place either in 1757 or 1758. We find it on record in the clerk's office of this county, that letters of administration upon his estate were taken out in the latter year. He was buried in the churchyard attached to the Old Brick Church, but for a long while no stone or other memento distinguished the place of his interment. At length, many years after his death, a connec- tion of his bequeathed a certain sum, upon condition that his legatee was not to receive it until he had first placed a tombstone over the remains of the Rev. Mungo Marshall. In due time thereafter this was done. But it was not long permitted to desig- nate the quiet resting-place of the dead. When the work of destruction commenced upon the church, the despoilers did not overlook the churchyard. The graves of the departed, and the monuments sacred to their memory, were not sacred in their eyes. The tombstones were borne off by their sacrilegious hands and ap- propriated to common and unhallowed uses. That which covered the remains of this man of God was used first to grind paints
5
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upon, and afterward served in a tannery for the purpose of dress- ing hides.
.
In 1760, we find the Rev. William Giberne officiating in this parish. Whether he was removed by death or otherwise we cannot ascertain ; but his residence here was a brief one ;* for at the close of the year 1761, the Rev. James Marye, Jr., having just entered into Orders, commenced his ministry in Orange. His first recorded official act to which we are able to refer was his preaching the funeral sermon of the paternal grandmother of President Madison. We find in the family record of her son (James Madison, Sen.) the following entry :- "Frances, wife of Ambrose Madison, departed this life October 25, 1761, and was interred the Sunday following, (at Montpelier in Orange.) Her funeral sermon was preached on Wednesday the 30th of December following, by the Rev. Mr. James Marye, Jr., on Revelations xiv. 13." Mr. Marye was a worthy exception to a class of clergy that obtained in Virginia in olden time. So far as we can learn, he was a man of evangelical views and sincere piety. We have seen a manuscript sermon of his on the religious training of children, which would do honour to the head and heart of any clergyman, and whose evangelical tone and spirit might well commend it to every pious parent and every en- lightened Christian. He remained in charge of this parish about six years. Upon the death of his father, (the Rev. James Marye, Sen.,) who was the minister of St. George's parish, Spottsylvania, for thirty-one years, he was chosen to supply his place,-an unmis- takable evidence of the high regard in which both father and son' were held by the parishioners of St. George's. The Rev. Mr. Marye is the first minister in St. Thomas parish whose residence we can with any degree of certainty fix at the glebe. This farm, after passing through various hands since it ceased to be the property of the Church, is now by a singular coincidence in possession of one of his lineal descendants, Robert B. Marye, Esq.
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