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What should be the object of
an Anniversary?
I think it should be to
benefit as well as to entertain and instruct.
Therefore, what I shall have
to say today shall be mainly for this purpose - to encourage and to incite
to good work, to more faithfulness and zeal in the Master's work.
I stand here before you today
as a kind of connecting link between the past generation and the present,
as Methuselah was the connecting link between Adam & Noah & the
flood, covering a space of nearly 2000 years. Of course the
generations are not so long lived now as then but I remember well when I
played ball all over this ground where the church stands and where so many
of our friends of precious memory repose, and when there was no thought of
there ever being a church here.
Yet I have lived to see the
first house work out or rather become too small and the second one erected
and in use now these 27 years. (1867-1894)
Over a half a century ago, in
1838 a little Band of Christians believing in the doctrines of the Cumb.
Pres. Church, met to organize or form themselves into a
congregation. They were as follows: Mrs. Jane Cooley, Mrs. Mary
Little, Mrs. Catharine Ash, Miss Susan Leighty, Miss Nancy Leighty, Miss
Eliza Leighty, Mr. Henry Leighty, with some three or four others (names
lost). The Organization was effected and Henry Leighty was elected
and ordained Ruling Elder. The organization was named The East
Liberty Congregation of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. (There
is but one of those named living today - Aunt Nancy Pope, living with the
Widow French in East Liberty.)
In the Spring of 1839 Bro.
Leighty moved out [of] the bounds of the congregation and there was no
regular preaching by our denomination until the spring of 1842 when Bro.
Leighty returned to his former residence within the bounds of the
congregation and sent a special request to Union Pres. for a minister, a
portion of his time, in compliance with which Rev. Jesse Adams, a
licentiate was sent, whose efforts the Lord blessed in a signal manner, he
remaining only 6 months.
Rev. A.B. Brice being the
pastor for the next 6 months, then in the spring of 1843 the labors of
Rev. Wm. Campbell were secured, he remaining with us 3 years during which
time (1845) the first church house was built just 50 years ago this coming
summer which is also the anniversary of my uniting with the church March
18 [?] Prior to that the congregation worshiped in the old school
just below here and in the old Methodist church w. stands between here and
Liberty.
When it was agreed upon to
build a church house the first thing to be done was to select & [?] a
suitable, central site or piece of ground, when the present site was
chosen. But when the cong. went to the owner of the ground old Mr.
Jacob Leighty he utterly refused to sell. So the way seemed to be
completely blocked.
But my father had a field
running back almost to Mr. Leighty's Barn and the old man proposed that
father would give him the same amount of ground off the end of that field,
he would let them have the ground. So father traded one half acre
for the half acre here and then donated it to the church. Then there
have been some 5 or 6 purchases & donations of ground since. [?]
The Brick of the first house
was burnt right where the Barn of Bro Isaac Oglevee now stands. The
Brick of this house were burned right here in the yard.
But to return to the history
of the pastors that served the congregation next after Rev. Wm. Campbell,
Rev. A.G. Osborn preached for us 10 years. J.G. Gibson 5 years, H.G.
Anderson 2; Jas. P. Baird 2; J.N. Edmiston 1; A.G. Swain 5, during which
time in 1868 the present house was built. After Swain we had the
services of E.E. Bailey 1 year; W.G. Danly 3; E.P. Pharr 2; Ken C. Hays,
5; W.M. Hays 3; J.R. Morris 2 which completed the time up to the spring of
'88 when A.B. Elliott came and was with us 6 years.
Then there have been great
numbers of the ministers of the C.P. Church here to assist in [?] &
communion meetings, among them the venerable Isaac Hague, J.P. Wether,
W.E. Post, G.E. Hudson, J.T.A. Henderson, Azel Freeman, Hiram Hunter, Rev.
Wall, J.B.Hail, Wm Baird, J.H. Cotter, Old Father Lindley, J.M. Howard,
J.N. Carey, J.M. Norris, A.B. Miller, Rev. Silvius, Lee Roy Woods, Rev.
Kumic?, J.N. Biddle, N.D. Porter, P. Artell, Rev. Flower, H. Melville, Dr.
Squier.
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(At this point the pages
are no longer numbered and one or two may be missing. In picking up
the story, the writer must be referring to a congregation other than East
Liberty, which at that time had not been in existence for 100 years.)
What was once a strong
organization 100 years ago [?] and met twice every week Sundays &
Thursdays, rain or shine for years and years. And yet in 1872 their
membership became so small that the church was abandoned.
Nothing now remains of this
organization as well as of 3 or 4 others but an old church house with its
500 or more unmarked graves. There are now only five living members
of the Denomination in the County, and they belong to a congregation in
Ohio.
A writer says "when one
approaches the hallowed spot an impressive loneliness steals over
him. Is there a more solemn or weird spot to be visited than an old
dilapidated church, which has long since been out of use? Everything
looks lonely, sad, and dreary. Large trees cast their gaunt shadows
over the half fallen in structure; moss, briars, grape vines and poison
ivy clamber over the walls outside and over the rotten roof, while inside
the floor is torn up, and weeds and grass have taken possession. In
a few more years this building as grim as primitive law can make it will
pass out of existence."
And why? Oh why?
Now let us contrast for a
short time the past with the present in regard to advantages, privileges
& opportunities for doing good. First in regard to the house we
were only able to merely get the walls up and closed in and one rough coat
of plastering on the walls and without any papering for a number of years
before we got the walls white c. One stove donated by old mother
Cooley placed right in the middle of the one aisle served to warm
us. While on either side of this aisle there were leather loops
tacked to the ends of the seats into which pine sticks were stuck with tin
holders on the top for candles. These with two brass candle sticks
for the pulpit and a few tin candle holders on the walls all with candles
within furnished our light.
Again during the time of the
first house the males all sat on the right of the aisle facing the pulpit
while the females all occupied the left. Here on my right sat [?]
while here on my left sat Nancy L together with the scores of others who
are all gone to their rewards. And what is the moral we draw from
this? It is this: that as they have all passed away so are we
following in their foot steps. And the next 50th anniversary of this
congregation will be composed largely of a different people, a large
portion of this audience will have gone the way of all the Earth.
But it is to be hoped that
there will be many more of this congregation remaining here on earth at
the next anniversary, than there are now of those who were of the first
organization. (the following was struck out: Herein consists one of
the greatest contrasts between the past & present. That while
the first church was composed of nearly all old people the present is
composed largely of young people.) This then is one of the great
advantages you have. Then you have so many advantages in the way of
young people auxiliaries and helps in Bible study that we did not have.
I predict better things of
this house and this congregation. I trust that you may realize the
great responsibility resting upon you, that you may see the magnitude of
the work before you, the many souls to be reclaimed. That you labor
zealously for the upbuilding of Zion. That you may lengthen her
cords and strengthen her stakes, and that the prosperity of Zion shall be
your chief joy, and that the Lord may bless your efforts. That he
may comfort and keep you, and finally bring us all to the enjoyment of
Himself in heaven is my prayer.
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