USA > West Virginia > Myers' history of West Virginia (1915) Volume II > Part 38
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History of West Virginia
Notwithstanding the repeal of the obnoxious law pertaining to church restrictions in Virginia, in 1745, the Catholic Church did not make much headway in Western Virginia until after the Civil War. . Is late a- 1-41 the only Catholic Church in the state was located at Wheeling. Of course, there were considerable numbers of that faith scattered through the country, some of whom were occasionally visited by priests. It is recorded that priests ministered to their people in Monongalia. Marioa, Preston. Hampshire, Kanawha and other counties as early as 1822. \ priest was stationed at Summersville, Nicholas County, in 1542, who looked after his flock in the Kanawha valley, but no church was built at Summersville until 1852. Two years previous to the construction of this church there were only five churches in the state, namely : Wheel- ing. Weston, Parkersburg. Wythesville and Kingwood.
The Catholic population was small west of the Alleghanies until after the opening up of public works. The building of the Northwestern turn- pike from Winchester to Parkersburg, and the construction of the Bal- timore & Ohio railroad were largely performed by Irish Catholics, many of whom finally purchased land and located and reared large families along the rights of way of the improvements which they helped to make.
The Catholics were loyal and fought hard for American independence. As people and as friends and neighbors, the Protestants and Catholics find no fault with each other. But the cardinal religious principles of the two sects are so widely at variance as to preclude the possibility of the two ever becoming wholly reconciled.
Perhaps the paramount issue between these two great religious bodies is the public school question. Let alone, the Catholic laity are not op- posed to, but rather encourage, the public school system, for it has not only been the means of educating more than nine-tenths of the Catholic children, but gives employment to many of them as teachers.
But so many of the leaders of that Church are seeking to sow seeds of discord that a division of the church itself is threatened.
In 1906 there were 166.066,500 Protestants, and 272,635,500 Roman Catholics in the world: 64.444,000 Protestants, and 36,693,000 Catholics in North America: 261.554 Protestants, and 40.011 Catholics in West Virginia.
In 1913 the Protestant ir the state numbered about 360,000 and the Catholics about 55,000.
Christian Science.
Christian Science, it is claimed. is no new discoverey, but a Divine Principle, as old as creation itself, notwithstanding there is no history of its general application to human and spiritual needs until Jesus' time. Chris- tian Science teaches : That Jesus was, himself the greatest demonstrator of the healing power that was ever known: that what lle performed were not miracies, but a simple demonstration of Divine power which has always existed and will always exist; that it is a power whose benefits have never been For ever will be withheld from any person who under- stand- and accepts the Truth It teaches that God is the only Life, and that this Life i- Truth and Love : that God is to be understood. adored. and demonstrated: that Divine Truth casts ont suppositional error and heals the sick: that error is a supposition that pleasure and pain, that intelligence. substance, life, are existent in matter : that error is neither Mind nor one of Mind's faculties: that error is the contradiction of Truth-a
486
History of West Virginia
belief without understanding : that error is unreal because untrue; that if error were truth, its truth would be error, and we should have a self- evident absurdity-namely, erroneous truth; that God makes all that is made, and that what He makes is good and real; that what He has not made is unreal and is classed as error, therefore sin and sickness are classed as effects of error ; that Christ came to destroy the belief of sin ; that the God-principle is omnipresent and omnipotent ; that He is every- where, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power. That Chirist is the ideal Truth that comes to heal sickness and sin through Christian Science, and attributes all power to God; that Jesus is the name of the man who, more than all other men, has presented Christ, the true idea of God, healing the sick and the sinning: that Jesus is the human man, and Christ is the Divine Idea ; hence the duality of Jesus the Christ ; that Jesus demonstrated what He taught; and that the Principle which heals the sick and casts out devils (error) is divine. Christian Science teaches: That there is ne life. truth, intelligence, in matter ; that all is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. That Spirit is immortal Truth, and matter is mortal error. That Spirit is the real and eternal, while matter is the unreal and temporal. That Spirit is God, and man His image and likeness, and that therefore man is not material, but spiritual. That the only real substance is Spirit, the synonym of Mind, Soul or God. That intelligence is omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence : the primal and eternal quality of infinite Mind. of the trine Principle-Life, Truth and Love-named God. That Mind is God. That the exterminator of error is the great truth that God, good, is the ONLY MIND, and that the suppositions opposite of infinite Mind-called DEVIL or evil-is not Mind, is not Truth, but error, without intelligence or reality. That there can be but one Mind, because there is but one God ; and that if mortals claimed no other Mind and accepted no other, sin would be unknown. That Life is divine Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit. That life is without beginning and without end. That identity is the re- flection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Prin- ciple, Love. That Soul is the substance, Life, and intelligence of man, which is individualized, but not in matter. That Soul can never reflect anything inferior to Spirit. That man is the expression of Soul, and is co-existent with God. That brain does not think; that matter can not perform the functions of Mind, that matter can not see, feel, hear, taste, nor smell.
Christian Science, we are told, was re-discovered zy Mary Baker G. Eddy in the year 1866 The text-book is called "Science and Health," with key to the Seriptures, by its author, supplemented by another book called "Miscellaneous Writings."
The Christian Science Publishing House is at 95 Falmouth street, Boston, Mass., and here is published, besides the two books above men- tioned, other works by the same author. Also the Christian Science Monthly Journal, The Christian Science Weekly, and the Christian Science Bible Lessons.
There are more than one hundred institutions which teach Christian Science, and upwards of 5,000 practitioners of Christian Science Healing. Churches have been organized in practically every country in the world. and in 1913 numbered 1,445. with a membership aggregating approxi- mately onc-half million people. Of the above number of churches, 1,292 of them are located in Continental United States. There are six Chris- tian Science churches in West Virginia, with a membership approximating 2,000.
The writer is not in a position to say when Christian Science was first introduced in West Virginia and embraced as a religious tenet, but
History of West Virginia
the name of the organization has been familiar to most of us for many years Of all church societies it is perhaps the most criticised and least understood, notwithstanding it claims to be founded wholly upon the Bibl, which is liberally quoted from Genesis to Revelations, However reluctant some of us may be to subscribe to the teachings of Christian Science, all who are familiar with its followers must admit that this are most emphatically sincere, and consistently "practice what they preach."
Their services are uniform, consisting of two meetings on Sunday and one on Wednesday evening. No services are preached by a personal pastor, but a sermon made up of selections from the Bible and "Science and Health, with key to the Scriptures," is read by two readers, called the first and second reader. The church is declared to be "emphatically a healing church, and many cases of restoration to health "have been testi- Bed during the past few years."
In fact, it is said that the membership of the Christian Science church is chiefly made up of those who were healed of some bodily infirmity, and members of their families.
They deny that Christian Science is a mind cure, as that is popularly understood, because it recognizes but one Mind, God.
That it is not faith enre, because it does not perform its wonderful works through blind faith in a personal God, but through the under- standing of man's relation to God.
That it is not mesmerism nor hypnotism, because it denies absolutely the power of the human mind and human will, and claims no will but God's.
"That through recognizing the one mind and man as the reflection of that mind, it forever establishes the brotherhood of man. That it is the perfect salvation from sin, sickness and death Christ Jesus came to bring.
Mrs. Eddy defines Christian Science "as the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the principle and rule of eternal harmony."
The following is a conservative statement of membership of churches in West Virginia for the year, 1890 and 1906:
Membership
Membership
Denomination
1890
1900
Baptist bodies
42.454
67.041
Congregationalist-
136
Christian or Disciples
5,407
13,323
German Evangelical Synod of North America
114
Lutheran bodies
4.176
6,506
Methodist bodies
85.102
115,525
Prebyterian bodies
10.952
19,668
Protestant Episcopal
2,906
5,230
Reformed bodies
794
United Brethren bodies
12,242
19,993
Other Protestant bodies
4,360
11,006
Latter Day Saints
106
1,385
Roman Catholics
15,63
40,011
All other bodies
415
365
Total
189,917
301,565
Non-Christians
572.577
774.841
Total population
762,704
1,076,406
1
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History of West Virginia
Of the total population of West Virginia in 1906, the Catholic mem- bership was. 3.7% Protestant membership 24.1%
Other denominations. 0.2%
Non-Christians 72.0%
The membership of the Catholic Church is based upon the supposition that all the children of Catholic parents are members of that church; while the membership of other denominations is based upon actual en- rollment in the church records. It will, therefore, be seen that if we figure the Protestant population upon the same basis as the Catholic mem- bership is determined. about 96.3% instead of 24.1% of the entire popula- tion of West Virginia were Protestants, or 1,036,395 Protestants, and 40,011 Catholics.
The increase in the Catholic membership in the 16 years preceding 1906 was 39.1%. During the same period the Protestant membership, including non church members of Protestant families, increased about 72%.
Of the 301,565 church members reported for 1906, 173,098 were fe- males, and 128,467 were males.
4,042 church homes
In 1906 there were_
of which 3,478 were church edifices
and 564 were rented halls, etc.
The church edifices had a seating capacity of about 950,000 and a valuation approximating $10,000,000. For the same year there were re- ported 659 parsonages, valued at $1,622,566. Estimating the reported and the unreported value of parsonages at $1,700,000 we have a total value in church property amounting to $11,700,000.
Of 3,317 church organizations reporting, only 11% reported an in- debtedness, aggregating $512,412. This amount, together with unreported indebtedness, would probably not exceed $650,000. Deducting this amount from $11,700,000 we find the net wealth of all church property in West Virginia in 1906 was about $11,050,000. Assuming that the church mem- bership and organizations and church property values have maintained the same ratio of increase since 1906 as were made for a corresponding time previous, the figures for 1913 would be about as follows :
Number of church organizations 5,000
Number of church members 383,000
Value of church property. $15,000.000
Sunday Schools.
Number of Sunday Schools reporting for 1906. 3,486
Number of officers and teachers 27,577
Number of scholars 212.577
Of Continental United States. West Virginia takes twenty-ninth place in church membership and church property valuations, and thirtieth in church indebtedness.
There are 217 different church organizations or denominations in Continental United States, the valuation of whose church property ag- gregated $1,257,575,867 in 1906.
INDEX
VOLUME TWO.
CHAPTER XXVIII
Counties of West Virginia-When and From What Formed; From Whom or What Named; Area, and Seat of Justice; Magisterial Districts; Population 1910; Miles of Publie Road, and Average Annual Cost Per Mile for Maintenance; Prin- cipal Products of Each County 1
CHAPTER XXIX
Minerals and Mineral Products and Property
15
CHAPTER XXX
General Statistics-Covering Mileage of Public Roads; Area in Square Miles; Population in 1910; District Road and Bridge Funds; Average Area Per Square Mile of Road; Average Number Inhabitants Per Mile of Road; Average Amount Money Per Mile Road 31
CHAPTER XXXI
West Virginia Schools
41
CHAPTER XXXII
Railroads in West Virginia 58
CHAPTER XXXIII
Brief History of Cameron, Charleston, Clarksburg, Charles Town, Elizabeth, Elkins, Fairmont, Grafton, Harrisville, Huntington, Kingwood, Logan, Madison, Mannington, Martinsburg, Mar- linton, Huntersville, Middlebourne, Moundsville, Morgantown, New Martinsville, New Cumberland, Parkersburg, Pennsboro, Philippi, Point Pleasant, Pineville, Towns in Putnam County, St. Marys, Sutton, Wheeling, West Union, Weston, Welch, Williamson
72
CHAPTER XXXV
Notable Speeches by Notable Men of West Virginia-By John S. Carlisle, Chapman J. Stuart, Waitman T. Willey, John F. Lacy, Mansfield M. Neely, A. B. Fleming, and our own Ol. Gallagher, of Wetzel 238
CHAPTER XXXVI
Biographic Sketches-Arthur Ingram Boreman, Stonewall Jack- son, Francis Harrison Pierpont, Daniel 1). T. Farnsworth, Daniel D. Johnson, John 11. Atkinson, James W. Paxton, James G. West, P. M. Hale, Chester D. Hubbard, Campbell Tarr, John S. Carlisle, Waitman T. Willey, Gibson Lamb Cranmer, J. H. Diss DeBarr, David Hunter Strother, John F. Lacy, Virgil Anson Lewis, Robert McEldowney, Presley Martin, S. R. Martin, Col. T. Moore Jackson, Aaron Morgan, Lewis S. Newman, R. H. Sayre, Dr. T. M. Stone, Col. Archi- bald Woods, Henry G. Davis, S. B. Elkins, Thomas S. Hay- mond, Alpheus F. Haymond, Benjamin F. Martin, A. B. Flem- ing, J. W. McCoy, U. N. Arnett, the Glover Family, the Myers Family, und der Schriststeller
283
CHAPTER XXXVII
Story of Blennerhassett Island; Poem, Entitled Grafton National Cemetery; Poem, Dedicated to Miss Decima Campbell (now Mrs. Barclay); Poem, in Memory of Betty Zane, the Heroine of Fort Henry; West Virginia's New Song, and a Side- splitting Parody on Same; List of Members of Constitutional Convention, 1872; A Letter from General Washington to His Wife; Washington's Map. 365
CHAPTER XXXVIII
Battles Fought in West Virginia. 388
CHAPTER XXXIX
Rivers of West Virginia and How They Were Named 395
CHAPTER XL
The American Indian.
409
CHAPTER XLI
The Virginia Debt Question. 426
CHAPTER XLII
West Virginia Legislature, 1915
466
CHAPTER XLIII
History of Churches in West Virginia.
470
ILLUSTRATIONS
Frontispiece. S. Myers
"Plan of Town at Mouth of Elk 80
Court House, Charles Town, W. Va., where John Brown Trial Was Held. 107
Hon. S. B. Elkins.
114
Court House, New Martinsville, W. Va.
R. H. Sayre of New Martinsville, W. Va. 322
326
Hon. Henry G. Davis. 345
Mrs. Henry G. Davis. 346
The Blennerhasset Mansion 371
Mrs. Blennerhasset 371
Mr. Blennerhasset 371
Indian Scene .. 415
Chief Hollow Horn Bear 420
William T. Bradby 420
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