USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > Beloit > Past made present : the first fifty years of the First Presbyterian Church and congregation of Beloit, Wisconsin together with a history of Presbyterianism in our state up to the year 1900 > Part 10
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Rev. Thomas E. Barr, Kalamazoo, Michigan, says : "The years of our life at Beloit were the happiest of all my public work. I was a callow theo- logue, full of ambition and the positiveness of inexperience. Fortunately the old church was dominated by men and women who are natural heirs of salvation, and of such stuff aside from their christianity, that they adorn the faith. I reverence their sterling manhood and womanhood, and every year prize more and more the memory and influence of their lives. Some- times we did not agree, but we were getting things done. If I could be with you Sunday and put out my hand to good Dr. Clark, and Dr. Johnson, my knight without fear and without reproach, and Mr. Waterman by whose church attendance I could set my watch, and Mr. Houston and Oliver Smith and Mr. Abbott and Dr. Helm and my honest friend Cham. Ingersoll, and Oscar Thompson my chum, and the throng of friends-I think that we would stand together under the memorial of sainted Fred. Messer and sing the Doxology with one voice and heart."
TEKAMAH, NEB., March 17, 1899.
To the Pastor, Elders and Members of the
First Presbyterian Church of Beloit, Wis .:
My Dear Brethren :- I cheerfully comply with the request of Dr. Brown and your pastor to send you a greeting on the celebration of the fiftieth an- niversary of the organization of your church. My pastorate was brief, and my pathway has not led me to visit your city since my removal, so I expect that not many among you will have any clear memory of me. My words will come like those of a stranger.
If you are half a century old now, I was your pastor during the year of your majority. In a young man's life that is always an interesting period. He is then girding himself for his life-work, and rejoicing in his newly- found freedom and conscious manhood. Something of the same spirit en- tered into your church life at that period. It was the time of the reunion of the dissevered branches of our beloved Zion, when in the spirit of con- ciliation and fraternity, of charity and loyalty to the truth, the Presbyterian church was girding herself for the larger work at home and abroad which lay before her, and which she has during the years since in some measure accomplished. You had wisely anticipated that reunion, and had brought together the two Presbyterian churches of the east and west sides of the river, and they were harmoniously worshipping in the sanctuary of the First Church, when I went among you in 1870.
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At the time I preached to you I thought my ministry was not very fruit- ful. On looking over my register, however, I observe that there were eight baptisms, fourteen members received, ten funerals and twelve marriages. The children of Mrs. Kendall, of Mr. and Mrs. William Austin, and of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Clark, whom I baptized, are if living, now in the the vigor of mature life. I trust that they are walking in the footsteps of the faith- ful parents who dedicated them to God, with full confidence in that old cov- enant, which on God's part has never been broken. And the parents of that day ! God bless them all ! As the shadows of the lengthening years fall upon them may the light that lies beyond life's horizon cheer their way.
The Church Session of 1870-'71 consisted of Messrs. Wadsworth, Otis Manchester, Harvey Graves and A. P. Waterman. The first three have long since gone to their reward. To the survivor, Mr. Waterman, I wish to send my most cordial greetings, and to express my grateful remembrance of his constant and uniform kindness to myself and family, and of his helpfulness in the work of the church. May the Master's presence abide with him in the years to come, and may he realize the blessings promised to those who are planted in the house of the Lord, and bring forth fruit in old age.
In the early months of my ministry a young theological student came home from the Seminary for a vacation. He was the son of the church, in whom all were interested, and who in his occasional pulpit ministrations showed himself able to instruct and interest the people. That early promise was a prophecy of the fruitful ministry and of the high standing which your Dr. W. F. Brown has achieved and now holds in the estimation of the church at large. May his bow long abide in strength.
During the religious interest of 1871 another young man of your con- gregation, then in his High School course, came to talk with the pastor about personal religion. I do not know whether he dates his conversion from that time ; but I rejoice in his career, and that he was for many years the honored pastor of your church-the Rev. Charles D. Merrill.
. I thank God for all that has been done for the cause of Christ by your church in its half century, and I pray that the next half century may be even more fruitful.
Perhaps a few words of family history may be of interest to the older portion of the congregation. Possibly you will remember that the children of the Manse were two in number ; four more were given us afterwards, three boys and one girl. One has slept these many years in the cemetery at Streator, Ill. Of the two in Beloit, the daughter has been a teacher in New York for some years, and the curly-headed boy a missionary in India for nearly five years, where he was joined by a younger brother, a physician, three years ago. The youngest boy is in the First Regiment of Nebraska Volunteers at Manila ; and the youngest daughter a member of the Junior class at Lake Forest University. Their mother and I abide alone as at the beginning of our partnership in life, and, blessed with fair health and the presence of the Lord we love, endeavor to carry on the work He has given us. Fifty years in the life of a man means that his working days will soon be past. "The night cometh." But fifty years in the life of a church ought to be celebrated by a renewal of energy, by a strengthening of resolution to be faithful to the christian life, and by a redoubling of effort to carry the
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gospel, in all its fullness and love, to all the families in the community within reach of its influence. May such be your purpose and resolution. And may the line of those faithful to the truth in the days gone by be per- petuated through you and your children ; and may the divine blessing at- tend your celebration.
Sincerely yours,
REV. T. T. CRESWELL, 1899.
ALEXANDER G. WILSON.
The pastor, Rev. T. T. Cres- well, read the following reso- lutions :
1. Resolved, that we tender our hearty thanks to the com- mittee on decorations, Prof. F. E. Converse and Mrs. P. B. Yates for its tasty pulpit dec- orations.
2. To the special committee on music, Mrs. F. E. Converse and all who so kindly assisted by responding to her request.
3. To the committee on ar- rangements, Dr. W. F. Brown, A. P. Waterman and Dr. E. N. Clark. Special mention should be made of the chairman, Dr. Brown, who by untiring zeal and consummate planning has contributed so much to the enjoyment of the entire occa- sion. We shall never look at the beautiful portraits without thinking of you, doctor, nor shall we soon forget your mas- terly historical address.
4. To that portion of the church who have been content to sit in silence during all of its sessions and yet have provided such a delightful, bountiful repast-the ladies of the church.
5. To the local press of the city for their exceptionally full reports of our celebration.
Mr. Creswell then gave these closing remarks, called
A Glance Forward.
I have been thinking the last few minutes of calling attention to a mis- take which may cast a gloom over this audience. All are thinking that the time of our meeting to-night corresponds with the time of the meeting of the organization of our church. That could not well have occupied over two hours. If that be so this time does not correspond to that time. We are not now in the first half century, but in the second half century. Sixty minutes of our second half century have already passed. The history of the first fifty years of this church is a matter of unalterable record. My thoughts
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may not accord with the spirit of toasts at a banquet, but they do with the sentiments of my heart. We stand now peering into the uncertain second half century. We have just listened to letters and talks from your grand, good old pastors. Let them continue to speak. I am sure that not one has stepped out from serving you but what he has said : "I see mistakes ; I shall never repeat those mistakes. I have had some successes ; I shall try and excel those in the future." Let " Excelsior" be our motto for the next half century. Eleven hundred and thirty-one members to receive in the next fifty years is not nearly enough. Our present perception of spiritual things is not sufficient to enable us to stand in the future. This old church building, grand as it is, will not suffice for another fifty years ; the glory of the latter house must excel the glory of the former. Our present spiritual power is not sufficient, but our cry is for the double portion of the spirit of Elijah, the Excelsior of Longfellow, spiritualized. I look forward, but I take one glance backward. Three members are present to-night who were present fifty years ago as members, and only three. I have no reason to think that the future will deal kindlier than the past. With this idea let us look forward, with a love purified by the thought of possible separation ; with affections centered upon the eternal verities ; with a purpose firmly fixed to redeem the time, with the old word " Excelsior" ringing in our ears. Our clock on the wall with its predecessors, has like the ancient clock in the stairway, been saying " Forever, rever, never, forever." And as this clock ticks on, may it tick out nevermore the mistakes of the past, but for- evermore the progress, the triumphs of this church, in the great work of the loved Master, Jesus Christ.
So with a hymn and benediction by the pastor and final organ harmo- nies, this semi-centennial celebration of our church was duly brought to a close.
A Telepathic Communication.
While sitting in my easy chair last evening, thinking about the next · fifty years, and wondering if there could possibly be any greater discoveries than those of recent date, the Roentgen rays, liquid air, and telegraphing through space without wires, and whether telepathy or thought-transference could ever reach into the future, all at once there was a ringing sound in my ears like some new kind of telephone, and to my amazement I found myself listening to the public exercises of the First Presbyterian Church of Beloit, at its Centennial celebration. The strange telepathic communication seemed even to include some measure of sight also.
There was a large well-furnished interior, with an ample stage. A dim form, the chairman was just remarking, " We will now have a song by our friend the esteemed States Attorney, who, after much urging, says he will only try to give us the same solo which he sang at the semi-centennial just fifty years ago." Amid general silence a gray-haired man apparently of about sixty-five years, tall and somewhat stooping in forin, ascended the steps, the organ sounded, and in a thin and quavering voice, though still sweet and clear, he began to sing Gounod's "Angelus." As all hushed to listen he could be heard very well. But when he came to the words-
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"On such a night in years long perished I too have sung Those dear old lays so sweet, so cherished When life was young.
"Ring on sweet Angelus though thou art shaking My soul to tears ; Voices long silent now with thee are waking From out the years."
The memory of dear ones nearly all gone before overpowered the old gen- tleman, his voice broke with emotion, and as he passed with bowed head from the stage there seemed to be scarcely a dry eye in the whole audience.
Soon the chairman, with an apparent effort commanded himself suffi- ciently to say : "We will listen now to another esteemed townsman, the head of our largest manufacturing establishment, Hon. L. W. Thompson." An erect, hale old gentleman of eighty years came forward, and with a voice and manner which showed that his natural strength was not abated, re- marked : "I am not ashamed to say that while listening to the dear friend who has just favored us I found my eyes among the many that were wet with emotion. Several of our twenty-seven telephone and televid members who are sharing these exercises from their several distant homes, have al- ready wired me that their feelings have been likewise stirred, and that they can scarcely look or listen for emotion. That song brought vividly to my mind the whole experience of fifty years ago. I then spoke for the young people and amı now asked to speak for the old." Buzz - whirr-something broke the connection, and then he was evidently continuing : "While ap- proaching the church this morning, suddenly something came to mind which the historian of that early day, Dr .- you have the old book Mr. chair- man-oh, yes, Dr. Brown, said. I forget names but I remember his very words. He remarked when describing the walls of the first building, plas- tered, and painted to represent marble, that it was beautiful but not Presby- terian. Our rock, said he, is not a sham rock ' True Presbyterianism does not peel off." The old outside walls after peeling once had been re-plastered and painted over to resemble brick, and were peeling again. But to-day, while noting the massive cut stone of this building, and now looking around on this polished oak interior, I feel like saying, 'Our rock is the genuine thing, and our visible Presbyterianism cannot peel off.'" (Applause. )
Another break, and then a strong manly voice was speaking on the sub- ject of church finances. "How strange it seems to hear from our historian that the First Presbyterian Church of Beloit in those earlier days actually labored most of the time under financial difficulties. If I heard correctly, they were really and absolutely out of debt only twice in that first half cen- tury. Our present system of supporting the church just as we do the city and state government, seems so much a matter of common sense that it is hard to see why it wasn't thought of sooner. When our biennial assessment of the property of church members was last made. my record as treasurer shows that only one person out of our 783 members made the slightest ob- jection. The trustees' way of reckoning up January 1st what all running expenses will be for the year, enables us by comparing that with the total assessment, to fix at once the per cent. of offering that each member is to give in proportion to his means. When we add the gifts of many who
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are not on the assessment rolls you can easily see that our only trouble each year is what to do with the constantly accumulating surplus. At the sug- gestion, some years since, of friend Creswell (Robert of course, to whom we are indebted for various new ideas) we have now recently been investing that surplus with some special funds in an endowment for the pastor's wife. We hope in time to have a sum the income of which will be a proper salary of itself. In a regular pastoral call and in all salary arrangements the minister's partner is not even mentioned, yet her services are worth quite as much as his, and sometimes worth more. (Applause from the ladies. ) We deem it eminently fitting therefore, that the value of those services should be recog- nized in this practical way. I am happy to say now to the present Lady Bountiful of this church that for the coming year she will receive from this fund a salary of six hundred dollars, (applause) which you all know is still only one-fifth the amount of that we so gladly pay to our esteemed and beloved pastor." (Great applause. )
An undistinguishable sound which followed gradually became intelligi- ble as a report of the Sunday School or Bible College, as the speaker called it, who was saying, " We are glad to report also a very general interest in the several grades of study and practice established under the national sys- tem of examination. You are all aware that besides the primary and aca- demic classes we have now a four years course of Bible College study with practice in organized evangelistic and philanthropic efforts. Some may not know, however, that the diplomas given by our National Bible College have Alphabet marks of excellence which are based not only on scholarship but also on teaching ability, personal character and practical gifts. Thus, be- sides G, for Graduated, F means Fitted for teaching ; E, suited to the ser- vice as Elder or Evangelist ; D, Devoted, can work anywhere; C, Conductor, organizer ; B, worthy to be a Bishop or Overseer ; while A means a worker of first rank like Gordon, Moody, or that world-wide worker, Joy. You will be glad to learn that, at the recent National Bible College commencement held in Chicago, among the honors then announced (besides Gs) our church had three Es, four Cs, and two Bs. (Calls of, Name ! Name !)
In my excitement I missed connection for awhile, and then became aware that the chairman was introducing as the closing speaker, Hon. Rob- ert Creswell, the well-known reformer and our bachelor member of Congress from the new state of Sonora. I couldn't get all but heard him say :
"Gentlemen and ladies : When your valued treasurer, Mr. Denny, was speaking, I thought to myself that if he had been born fifty years sooner perhaps my life, and my father's life might have turned out quite different- ly. My friend Blazer, the government contractor, who has made a success and a fortune and a big house and family besides- Why wasn't I a con- tractor. I would have made a good one. ( Voice) Which one ! (Answer) All four. (Laughter.) My friend, Dick (who is about four years older than myself, ladies), says he remembers (of course the old man remembers) that in the Sunday School of just fifty years ago, the superintendent told the scholars that many of them would probably live to celebrate the church's one- hundredth anniversary. By the way, how many of them are here this after- noon ? Just twelve. Well that is enough for a jury. Blazer says my father remarked that he would then be only eighty-three and would preach the
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centennial sermon. A vote was put to the school about his giving that ser- vice and it was unanimously carried. You will hardly ex- pect me to remember anything of that semi-centennial, which occurred when I was only two years old. There, I've given away my age (smiles all around). But speaking by request about my father who was pastor then, I will only say in general that after some years of successful work there he was called to the large city of Flomington, then to Min- neapolis, and later to that ten years work in Chicago which killed him. Very early in life I made up my mind that I would never be a minister. But I don't know. Some- times I think that trying to be THE KIND VOICE. an honest Congressman and a reformer is about as bad."
Amid a ripple of laughter from the audience the chairman announced : "Our ladies' committee have sent word that you are near the tavern, and in fact that supper is ready. As a conclusion, which will express I am sure the feelings of all, we will now be led by Mrs. Gladys Denny in singing together that unchanging grand old Doxology, 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow.'"'
The organist drew out his stops with a rush of sound, which unfortun- ately broke off my connection. I seemed to pass through a singular and in- describable change, which can only be characterized as much like common waking up, and heard a very familiar, kind voice remark, "That book business has tired you out. You had better get a good long night's rest. Everything will be all right in the morning." And it was
Friends, it will be, all right, in the Morning.
END OF PART I.
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Part II.
To give this book a wider range of interest and perhaps more permanent value, the writer adds this Second Part. It links the history of our Beloit church into that of the Presbyterian church of our State. It outlines the War Record, and experience of those in both wars, who were either mem- bers of this church or were through their several families, connected at some time with our society. It reveals true life here by showing in the Gypsy Club how several of our boys behaved, who are now church officers, when they were away from church, out of town and removed from the re- straints of ordinary social surroundings. And it records (at least in part ) an ocean adventure as narrated by one of our pioneer young women, a nar- rative, which indicates commendable character, reproduces the circumstan- ces of those early days and seems worth preserving.
WILLIAM FISKE BROWN.
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Part II. Che Presbyterian Church in Wisconsin.
The History of the Presbyterian Church in Wisconsin, preceding the reunion of 1870, is here outlined in three papers, one of which, prepared by the writer for the Wisconsin Synod of 1887, is more particularly related to the New School Branch ; the second by Rev. T. S. Johnson, of Beaver Dam, Wis., describes the Old School Branch. A third presents more particularly the Presbyterian and Congregational Convention arrangement of 1840, with sketches of several of the pioneers.
I. - NEW SCHOOL.
In the year 1665, a Presbyterian judge, Stevens, patented a plantation on the east shore of Chesapeake Bay, and called it by the Bible name (Gen. xxvi, 22) Rehoboth. "Room for us." There, in the spring of 1683, he planted a little vine brought from the north of Ireland, whither he had re- cently written, asking the Presbytery of Laggan to send over a minister. "Who knows," he remarked, "how widely this vine may spread. The church is a vine of God's planting, and I have not relinquished my hope of a reply to that letter, my hope of seeing the Presbyterian church in like manner transplanted to these shores." A few days later came our almost pioneer Presbyterian minister in America, Francis Makemie. There at Re- hoboth, in the spring of 1683 (when Philadelphia was just being founded, and the Jesuits were settling La Pointe, on Lake Superior), Makemie preached his first sermon, and the Presbyterian vine was duly planted. So now, a thousand miles northwest, and two centuries later, we are allowed to look, with grateful hearts, upon a vigorous branch of that vine, the Synod of Wisconsin, and to know that here also is a Rehoboth, room for us.
My special subject is, The origin and formation of the New School Synod of Wisconsin, and its history up to the time of the Reunion.
The first ecclesiastical body formed in the then Territory of Wisconsin was a Presbytery. It was organized at Milwaukee, Jan. 17, 1839, and was called The Presbytery of Wisconsin. It consisted of Revs. Gilbert Craw- ford, Lemuel Hall, Moses Ordway, and Cyrus Nichols. Elder Samuel Hin- man, of the Presbyterian church of Milwaukee, and Deacon Asa Clarke, of the Congregational church of Prairieville, now Waukesha.
This Presbytery was not connected with any Synod or General Assem- bly, and in the same year (1839), July 5th, changed its name to the Presby- tery of Milwaukee. In October, 1840, the members of this Presbytery, com- prising delegates from eight churches (viz : Milwaukee, Green Bay, Geneva, Racine, East Troy. South Prairieville, Platteville and Kenosha), together with delegates from eight Congregational churches, formed what was called the Presbyterian and Congregational Convention of Wisconsin. This con- vention, they said, was not an amalgamation of Presbyterianism and Con- gregationalism, but a cordial union of brethren of both denominations, substantially agreeing in doctrinal belief, and keeping each their own mode of church government. "It is not the design of this body," they write, "to build up one of these denominations to the destruction of the other, but
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rather to build up churches of Christ." The convention was closely con- nected with the American Home Missionary Society, from which nearly all its churches and ministers received aid. Its officers were invariably (so far as I can learn) Congregationalists.
That day of small things, though not to be despised, seemed to require such a uuion. Up to 1830 this part of our country was occupied by wild Indians and the not wilder animals, their prey. The first minister, Rev. Cutting Marsh, came on the field in 1830, and in 1836 organized the first church in Wisconsin, at Green Bay. When the agent of the Amer- ican Home Missionary Society (Rev. Stephen Peet) passed over this terri- tory in 1839, he found but three ministers and five or six churches. Very naturally, therefore, most of the New School Presbyterians, who came to this region between 1840 and 1857, became members of the Convention. It is a significant fact, however, that of all those Convention churches, only three or four are now in connection with Presbytery.
Early in the year 1851, the question of a separate organization was agi- tated, and the Presbytery of Milwaukee was formed. This was not a re-or- ganization of the old Milwaukee Presbytery of 1839, but an entirely new body. It was composed of Rev. Wm. H. Spencer, Eli S. Hunter, D.D., and Rev. M. Steele, the First Presbyterian church of Milwaukee, and a newly organized church at Walker's Point, in that city.
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