USA > Virginia > Sketches of Virginia : historical and biographical > Part 6
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49
ALEXANDER CRAIGHEAD-ROBERT HENRY.
horse, he was found in the road lifeless. Rev. William Williamson, in his journal, after mentioning that he had dined with Rev. Messrs. Todd and Blair, at the house of Rev. Mr. Irvin, says-Saturday, July 27, "I proceeded onwards to my meeting, at Mountain Plains ; on the road was informed of the death of Mr. Todd,-that he was found on the road. Went on and saw him, with whom I had dined, well the day before, now in eternity. Alarming dispensation. May it be impressed on my mind, and speak to my heart louder than ten thousand thunders. „Went to meeting, spoke from Amos 4th, 12th : ' Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.'"
Mr. Todd preached about forty-two years in Virginia. A son bearing his name, was licensed by Hanover Presbytery, at the Cove, Sept. 13th, 1800, preaching his first sermon where his father preached his last. For sometime he occupied the churches left vacant by his father. In the year 1809, he removed to Kentucky, leaving none of the name in Virginia. But the name of Todd can never be omitted in any history of the Presbyterian church in Virginia, or in the United States of America. It would be very agreeable to the church in coming time, to peruse a sermon from his pen or an essay-but she must content herself with a record of his works.
ALEXANDER CRAIGHEAD. Of this energetic man, a Memoir has been given in the Sketches of North Carolina.
ROBERT HENRY, the minister fourth named in the Presbytery, was a native of Scotland, a graduate of New Jersey College, in the year 1751, and a licentiate of the Presbytery of New York. "Upon representation of the destitute circumstances of Virginia, the Synod appoint-Sept. 29th, 1752,-Mr. Greenman, and Mr. Robert Henry, to go there sometime betwixt this and next Synod." He visited the vacancies of Virginia south of the James, and being acceptable to the congregation, and himself pleased with the prospects of usefulness and comfort, he was ordained by the Presbytery of New York, in 1753, to become the regular pastor. His installation did not take place till after Mr. Davies' return from Great Britain. In 1755, on the 4th of June, the installation services were performed by Mr. Todd, and Mr. Henry was consti- tuted pastor of Cub creek in Charlotte, and Briery in Prince Edward, both then forming part of Lunenburg County. Mr. Todd considered the event and the circumstances of sufficient interest to be communicated to Mr. Whitefield. Mr. Davies, under date of July 14th, 1756, writes -- " About a month ago, I took a journey to Mr. Henry's congregation in Lunenburg, about 120 miles hence, to assist him in administering the sacrament, and in thirteen days I preached 11 or 12 sermons, with encouraging appearance of success. I think Mr. Henry and Mr. Wright's labors continued to be blessed in those parts. At the sacrament in that wilderness, there were about 2000 hearers, and about 200 communicants, and a general seriousness and attention appeared among them ; a consi- 4
50
BRIERY CONGREGATION.
derable number of thoughtless creatures are solicitiously enquiring after religion."
The congregation of Bricry had its origin in one of Mr. Davies' visits to the scattered Presbyterian families on the frontiers. In his missionary excursions he had as many appointments in advance as was convenient to make, and made others as he went along. Sending forward he would engage a place for lodging, and gather the family, "id servants, and if possible, some of the neighbors for evening worship and exposition of Scripture. Passing through Charlotte, one of the company, James Morton, rode forward to the house of Littlejoe Morton, on the little Roanoke, the place since known as little Roanoke bridge, and enquired for lodging for Mr. Davies, the preacher. Mrs. Morton sent for her husband from the fields. They consulted upon the matter. They had heard of the New Lights and of Mr. Davies, but had never heard them, and were not favorably impressed by the report. Their hospitality that knew not how to turn from their door those that asked for accommodation, finally prevailed; and Mr. Davies was made welcome. That night he expounded Scripture with' much feeling and earnestness. In the morning he passed on; but Mr. and Mrs. Morton were both awakened to a sense of their lost condition." Finding peace in believing, they both became devoted friends of Mr. Davies, and ardent Christians. That section of the country had been settled under the pastorage of the Randolph family, by a most worthy population. Mr. Morton was an enterprising man, proverbially honest and kind, and in the confidence and employ of the Randolphs, whose interest he greatly promoted, by making judicious selections of land in their behalf. Upon becoming a believer, he began to talk and pray with his neighbors and friends, and like Morris, of Hanover, to have worship on the Sabbath. His efforts were followed with great success. Mr. Davies visited the neighborhood; and numbers became hopefully Christians, and were formed into a congregation on the little Roanoke and Briery. The traditions of Littlejoe Morton and others of that name, of the Womacs and Spencers and others, had they been committed to writing, would be perused with an interest as intense as the letters of Morris and Davies, about the doings in Hanover, and more abiding as the congregation gathered has flourished to this day, and a great number of the descendants of these first Christians have been eminently pious. Their prayer-meetings, their long rides to church, their communion seasons, and their deep religious exercises, had something of romantic interest in them, as they displayed the mighty power of God's grace. Hanover lives mostly in history ; Briery is a living epistle known and read of all men.
Cub Creek congregation was made up of a colony of Scotch- Irish, led to the frontiers of Virginia, by John Caldwell, about the year 1738. At his request the Synod of Philadelphia appointed a deputation to wait upon the Governor of Virginia, to solicit the favor of the Governor and Council for the proposed colony. Rev.
-
51
REV. ROBERT HENRY.
James Anderson waited on the Governor, Mr. Gooch, a Scotch- man, educated a Presbyterian, and obtained from him a promise of protection and free enjoyment of their religion upon the condition of good citizenship, and compliance with the act of Toleration. It was less difficult to obtain toleration for a colony than for families that chose to leave the established church. Mr. An Erson visited the incipient congregations in the Shenandoah valley oud put them in the way of toleration by the Governor and Council .. Part of the immediate descendants of the colony on Cub Creek went to Ken- tucky, some to South Carolina, and the progeny of the remainder is found in the bounds of the first Cub Creek, which has been the fruitful parent of numerous churches colonized on her borders.
Somewhat eccentric in manners, Mr. Henry was ardently pious and devoted to his work as a gospel. minister. His strong natural passions were controlled by divine grace, and made the instruments of good. "He required"-said the venerable Pattello, in conver- sation with a young minister-" grace enough for two common men, to keep him in order; and he had it." He had much success in his ministry. Mr. M'Aden, the early missionary to North Carolina, after describing the terror of the inhabitants west of the Blue Ridge, upon the receipt of the news of Braddock's defeat, says, on visiting Mr. Henry on his way to Carolina,-" I was much refreshed by a relation of Mr. Henry's success among his people, who told me of several brought in by his ministry, and frequent appearance of new awakenings amongst them; scarcely a Sabbath passing without some life, and appearance of the power of God." Having a great fund of cheerfulness and a fine flow of spirits, Mr. Henry's besetting sin was in exciting levity in others by his humor and eccentricity. His ardent piety, however, was known to all; and very often the involuntary smile which he unintentionally excited, was followed by a tear from a wounded heart. In his preaching he was very animated, sometimes approaching vociferation. This vehement manner, and vein of humor often breaking out in his sermons, rendered him peculiarly acceptable to. the African race, among whom he gathered many converts ; and from his time Cub Creek has been able to number many of that race among her pro- fessors.
The Presbytery in session at Cub Creek, Thursday, Oct. 16th, 1766, adopted the following minute-"Mr. Henry and his session have agreed before the Presbytery, that if the said session cannot settle their congregational affairs respecting Mr. Henry's salary to his satisfaction, in a month from this time, they are willing to acquit him of the pastoral relation, and to allow him to remove where he pleases,-in which Presbytery concur." The month passed without a settlement. Mr. Henry made a journey to North Carolina, and received an invitation to remove to the Catawba. The records of Presbytery, April 1st, 1767, say-"a call was presented to Mr. Henry from the united congregations of Steel Creek and New Providence ; which he accepts upon condition that
52
READING A SERMON.
said congregation, and his former congregation continue in the same state in which he left them; in which the Presbytery concur ; Mr. Henry having previously obtained a regular dismission from his former congregation on Cub Creek, in Virginia." In the Provi- dence of God he was permitted to remain where his heart evidently longed for its home. On the eighth of the succeeding May, he passed to his everlasting rest ; and his bones were laid among the people of his ministry. .
The place where the first stand was erected on Cub Creek, for preaching, can be pointed out ; and also the dwellings in Briery that were opened for the preaching the gospel in the time of the gathering the churches. Since the days of Mr. Henry the two congregations have been sometimes united in the services of a minister, and sometimes separated ; and in these two conditions have enjoyed the labors of Rev. Messrs. Lacy, Alexander, Lyle, Rice, Mahon, Reed, Douglass, Plumer, Osborne, Stewart, Hart, Brown, Scott, and Stuart.
Mr. Henry was not in the habit of reading his sermons, or even of writing. Short notes of preparations were all he used, and not always those. It is said of him that on a certain occasion he thought he ought to prepare himself with greater care than usual, and having written a sermon, he commenced reading from a small manuscript in his Bible. Of course he appeared to go on tamely. A gust of wind suddenly swept the paper from the Bible. He watched its progress as it sailed along to an old elder's seat. The old gentleman had been listening seriously, and as the paper fell at his side he deliberately put his foot upon it. Mr. Henry waited for him to bring it back to him. The old gentleman looked up as if nothing had happened ; and Mr. Henry finished his sermon in the best way he could. It was the end of his written preparations to preach. There is nothing left as a production of his pen .: Mr. Davies gives a testimony of the usefulness of Mr. Henry under date of June 3d, 1757-" But my honest friend Mr. Henry has had remarkable success last winter among the young people of his congregation. No less than seventeen of them were struck to the heart by one occasional evening lecture."
The first instance in which the attention of the Presbytery of Hanover was called to the subject of Psalmody, as embracing the question of propriety or impropriety of singing the version of Dr. Watts, occurred at Cub Creek, Oct. 6th, 1763. "In answer to the petition from Mr. Henry's congregation respecting Psalmody," Mr. Todd read the action of Synod-recommending consideration of the subject-and permission to those that desire to use the version of Watts till further action be had on the subject.
JOHN WRIGHT, the fifth named in the order of Synod, was from Scotland. All that is known of his early life, is from a letter of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards to the Rev. John Erskine, of Scot- land, July 7th, 1752-"Mr. John Wright, a member of New
53
REV. JOHN WRIGHT.
Jersey College, who is to take his degree of Bachelor of Arts the next September, is now at my house. He was born in Scotland ; has lived in Virginia, and is a friend and acquaintance of Mr. Davies ; has a great interest in the esteem of the religious people of Virginia, and is peculiarly esteemed by President Burr ; has been admitted to special intimacy with him; and is a person of a very good character for his understanding, prudence, and piety. He has a desire to have a correspondence with some divine of his native country, and has chosen you for his correspondent, if he may be admitted to such a favor! He intends to send you a letter with this, of which I would ask a favorable reception, as he has laid me únder some special obligations." A
Mr. Wright took his degree in 1752, was licensed by New Castle Presbytery, and ordained by the same in 1753. On the last Sab- bath of July, in the year 1755, he was installed pastor of the church in Cumberland, Virginia. The church-building stands about three miles east from Farmville; the congregation extended west- wardly and southwardly to 'Briery, embracing what is now the college church, and in other directions unlimited, or bounded only by the distance people could ride to the ordinances of the gospel. Wyllis, mountain, and river, belonged to this congregation, and for a time the neighborhood was a promising field of labor. The population was made up of English, Scotch-Irish, and Huguenots. The church as first gathered was the fruit of the labors of Mr. Robinson and Mr. Davies ; principally of the latter. When Mr. Davies obtained license for three houses in addition to the four originally licensed, he asked for a house in Cumberland. The request was not noticed. It is probable its distance from Davies' residence was considered a sufficient reason; the General Court having recalled the license granted by the Court of New Kent County. Capt. John Morton, who accompanied Mr. Davies on his first visit to the house of Littlejoe Morton, was-says Dr. Alex- ander-" one of the persons who first associated together as a Presbyterian church in, Cumberland County, Virginia, of which he soon became elder ; in which office he continued till the day of his death. He was a man of warm, generous heart, ardent in his piety, and public-spirited in a high degree; so that' his heart and his hands were ever ready to engage in any good work."
Mr. Wright, in a letter bearing date August 18th, 1755, soon after Braddock's defeat, and amidst the long drought, says-"the situation of our colony is most doleful, as the Gazette will inform you; we have not only the sword without, but famine within; and also, our people, till the defeat of our army, quite unalarmed and secure ! But now there seems to be a, general concern among all ranks. People generally begin to believe the divine government, and that our judgments are inflicted for our sins ! they now hear sermons with solemnity and attention ; they acknowledge their wick- edness and ignorance, and believe that the New Light clergy and adherents are right. Thus you see, dear sir, that amidst all our
54
REV. JOHN WRIGHT.
troubles, God is gracious and brings real good out of our real evils, adored be his great name. I had the sacrament of the Lord's supper administered, the last Sunday of July, in my infant congre- gation, which proved a solemn season. There was a vast concourse of people, above 2000, I dare say. I was installed at the same time, by Messrs. Davies, and Henry, of Lunenburg. I have had about 180 communicants, above 80 of them never partook before I came here. There were general awakenings for sundry Sabbaths before the sacrament, and new instances of deep and rational conviction, which I found by examining the communicants. I have seen last Lord's day above a hundred weeping and trembling under the word."
"I now preach anywhere, being so distant from the metropolis, and the times being so dangerous and shocking; and I would fain hope not without success."
Here is stated the great cause of the liberty the dissenters enjoyed after Davies' return from England. It is found in the French and Indian war, and the necessity to use the aid of the dissenters, as they were called, then altogether Presbyterians, in defending the country. A license was refused to the people of Cumberland, asking for it in a respectful way and according to law ; in time of peace they should have no house for worship under pro- tection of law ; war comes, and in its troubles and confusion, Mr. Wright preaches in as many places in Cumberland as the people choose, and he is able to occupy. God shakes the earth that his beloved may have peace. We also learn the date of the first communion in Cumberland under the ministry of Mr. Wright, tho last Sabbath of July, 1755. From the circumstances of the case, it is probable this was the first held by any Presbyterian, in the bounds of Cumberland congregation. Previously to this time, the people rode to Briery and Cub Creek, to ordinances administered by Mr. Henry, on one side, and to Hanover, and Louisa, and Goochland, on the other, to enjoy the same privileges under Messrs. Davies and Todd. The number of professors increased, till, at the time of installation, about 180 were numbered. People were used to ride far on communion occasions ; and in the state of the church at that time, to have but 180 communicants assemble at a central place, when Davies, and Henry, and Wright were to officiate after harvest, is scarcely credible. It is therefore most probable that the 180 were all living in the bounds of Mr. Wright's charge, or at least out of the bounds of the other pastoral charges.
Mr. Davies writes under date of March 2d, 1756-about some books sent from England to be distributed at his discretion, -" I sent a few of each sort to my friend and brother Mr. Wright, minister in Cumberland, about ninety miles hence, where there is a great number of negroes, and not a few of them thoughtful and inquisitive about Christianity, and sundry of them hopeful converts. He has been faithful in the distribution, and informs me they meet with a very agreeable and promising reception. He is very labo-
55
CONCERT OF PRAYER : SAD END.
rious in his endeavors to instruct negroes, and has set up two or three schools among them, where they attend before and after sermon, for they have no other leisure time."
Mr. Wright, under date of January 20th, 1757, says-" Blessed be God, we have had more of the power of God last spring, summer, and autumn, than ever. This I told Mr. Adams. But since I wrote him there have been some remarkable revivings in Messrs. Davies and Henry's congregations, and mine. The." former had it chiefly among the negroes ; and the other among the youth ;' and in my congregation I may say it was general and eminently among the young people." Speaking of his communion seasons and members joining the church-he says-"last August about eighty or ninety ; and last July between thirty and forty new ones. At my first I had not quite six young people ; but at my last between fifty and sixty. There seems to be something of a stir among the negroes in my congregation, and among little children. I believe I have five or six of the former who have even now a title to heaven. They received lately a present of addresses done by Mr. Fawcett, of Kidderminster, Testaments, Bibles, &c., which animates them much to learn to read. A good number of ministers in this country entered into a concert of prayer on Saturday evening and Sabbath morning, not only for the church in general, but for one another in particular." Nov. 14th, 1757, he says-"I have been sickly all this spring and summer. I was obliged to quit preaching altogether, but could not keep silence ; at last I fled from my flock, to be out of temptation of preaching, but could not keep away long ; and upon my return must preach or sink into melancholy. I got some ease about the middle of May, and preached at Willis's Creek on Acts 17th, 30th. 'But now he commandeth all men every where to repent.'"' On the 2d Sabbath in the succeeding June, Messrs. Henry and Martin assisted Mr. Wright at a communion in Cumber- land ; thirty-six new communicants were admitted to the ordinance.
It is melancholy to record the fact that a man of the high expectations and esteem, and apparent usefulness of Mr. Wright, should fall under the censure of the Presbytery. In the weakness of body, and the melancholy of which he complains in one of his letters, he sought relief in stimulants, in the once common, but vain belief, that permanent relief might be had by their exciting influence. The things in which he sought renewed health, wrought his disgrace, and his departure from Virginia. In 1762, the Pres- bytery sustained some charges against him of immoderate use of spirituous liquors; and some improprieties connected with that indulgence. His morning of expectation went down in clouds, never to be brighter till Christ the Lord shall come. Then we hope it may appear that wandering he was not finally lost.
The Rev. JOHN BROWN, the sixth named in the order of the Synod, was pastor of Timber Ridge and Providence. A sketch of him is found under the head of Timber Ridge.
56
REV. JOHN MARTIN.
The Rev. JOHN MARTIN, the seventh on the list of members, was the first licensed and the first ordained by the Presbytery of Ilanover. March 18th, 1756, at Providence, in Louisa, Mr. Todd's charge,-" Mr. John Martin offered himself upon trials for the gospel ministry, and delivered a discourse upon Ephesians 2d, 1st, which was sustained as a part of trial ; and he was also examined as to his religious experience, and the reasons of his desiring the ministry ; which was also sustained. He was likewise examined in the Latin and Greek languages, and briefly in Logic, Ontology, Ethics, Natural Philosophy, Rhetoric, Geography, and Astronomy ; in all which his answers in general were very satisfactory. And the Presbytery appoint him to prepare a sermon on 1 Cor. 1st, 22d, 23d, and an exegesis on this question-Num revelatio super- naturalis sit necessaria ?- to be delivered at our next committee. And the Presbytery appoint Messrs. Todd, Wright, and Davies, a committee for that purpose ; to meet in the lower meeting-house in Hanover the last Wednesday in April."
At the time appointed, the parts of trial received the approbation of the committee; and examination was held-"upon the Hebrew, and in sundry extempore questions upon the doctrines of religion, and some cases of conscience, his answers to which were generally sustained." He was requested by the committee to prepare a sermon on Galat. 2d, 20th. "The life which I now live in the flesh"-and an exposition on Isaiah 61st, 1, 2, 3,-The spirit of the Lord is upon me. At Goochland Court House, July 7th, 1756, the sermon and the exposition were delivered before some members in a private capacity, as the Presbytery failed to meet-"which the ministers and elders present do highly approve of and think worthy to be received as part of the trials," and they desire him to com- pose a sermon against the next Presbytery on 1 John 5th, 10th, first part-He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. In the succeeding August, the 25th day-" The Pres- bytery met by appointment of the Moderator-and farther examined Mr. Martin, in sundry extempore questions upon various branches of learning and divinity, and reheard his religious experience ; and upon a review of the sundry trials he has passed through, they judge him qualified to preach the gospel ; and he having declared his assent to, and approbation of the Westminster Confession of Faith, Catechism and Directory, as they have been adopted by the Synod of New York, the Presbytery do license and authorize him to preach as a candidate for the ministry of the gospel, and recom- mend him to the acceptance of the churches. And they order Mr. Davies and Todd to draw up for him a certificate according to the purport of this Minute; and appoint the Moderator to give him some solemn instructions and aumonitions with regard to the dis- charge of his office, which was done accordingly." Mr. Davies was the Moderator.
· The preaching of Mr. Martin was very acceptable to the vacan- cies. First came invitations for a few Sabbaths ; then calls from
57
COMMISSION OF PRESBYTERY : A FAST.
Albemarle-Prince Edward and Lunenburg ; petitions from Peters- burg and Amelia. In all these places he preached to acceptance. Pressing calls for ministerial services came. from North Carolina. April 27th, 1757-" Presbytery is appointed to meet in Hanover on the 2d Wednesday of June, which Mr. Martin is to open with a sermon from Romans 4th. 5th, preparatory to his ordination, which is to be the day following, at which Mr. Davies is to preside." At the appointed time, Mr. Martin preached, and on the next day was regularly ordained. The reasons for his ordination are not stated : they may be inferred. After his ordination he visited North Carolina, and had appointments at Rocky river, Hawfields, and Hico." . He never met the Presbytery again. In October of the same year at a meeting of the committee at Mr. William Smith's, in Cumberland-" Mr. Martin, having entered into the Indian Mis- sion, has, by the hands of Mr. Davies, given 'up both the calls, which he had under consideration." January 25th, 1758, at Capt. Anderson's, Cumberland-" Applications having been made to the committee appointed by the Presbytery, to manage such incidental occurrences as might happen in the interspace between the meetings of the Presbytery, by the society for managing the Indian Mission and schools, that Mr. Martin should be sent among the Indians ; the committee complied :- on which account he is, excused from complying with his other appointments." His name appears on the Minutes of Presbytery for the last time, April 25th, 1759. No reason is given for its omission. The 'Records of the Indian Mis- sion in England, if in existence, would give some interesting facts concerning the mission and this man.
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