Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1895 — Page 1 Advertisements Column 5 [ADVERTISEMENT]

A somewhat amusing inoident to older I members, was the church trial of Dr. Joshua Clark for alleged slandering of the Laiies Sewing So*isty. The trial commenced April 7th, 1852, and occupied about fifty pages of the minute book. It seems that Dr. Clark had taken exception to certain exercises whioh occurred at the Sewing Society whioh met at Col. Work's residence, on the farm now oocnpied b Mr. Win. Matheisen, and wrote and oiroulated a piper the substano# of which is as follows: "Whereas tbe present Sewing Society was principally gotten up for the purpose of procuring funds for the completion of the Presbyterian Church: And whereas. Certaiu gymnastio axer oises are to a certain and proper extent to be desired, and arc promoters of the health of the members; And, whereas, In the oonduot of tbe*e exercises certain Rtuall improprieties have of late orept out to the just scandal of the good name and fair fan eof said Society ; And, whereas, It is apprehended that unless these indiscretions are oorreoted soma of the strictest may be disposed to withdraw their connection aud support from us, whioh must materially hinder our success; Therefore, be it llesolvod, By the Ladies Hewing Society of Rensselaer, tbit hereafter, in t e exera sen of the meeting, there shall not bo more than one polka danoe of an evening, and in s<ich danoe no member shall raise her loot more than so high, etc.” The evidence shows t at a lady member had edified the Sooiety with a polka step a danoe whioh was then new, and had sung the song ‘Ben Bolt.’ The ev.denot does not show that Unole John Coen or a y ther gentleman indulged in the dance, but it is presumed that some one did. Rev. Thomas Whallonßwas pastor in 1855 to 1859, and ltev. H. A. Mayhewfront 1859 to 1866, then occurred one year pastorates of Revs L. D. Wells, J. B. Patterson, Wm. A Patton aud Mr. Goodsson. Then for a long period of seventeen years the churoh wns without a pastor nnd struggling for life. During this time came the trouble involving Cloero H. Tatmrn, Ezra Wright aud Gen. It. H. Milroy; and John Keller, Stephen Donaldson and Fletoher Monnett moved away. During this period the spiritual life aud corporate existence of this sooiety rested entirely on the two Miss Smiths and Elder John Coen. Within the memory of the speaker Mr. Coen has carried wood from his residence on the outskirts of town to warm tip churoh for Sunday School on cold Sunday mornings. As one of the younger generation I say, "All hail to theso spirits who, through the chaos actendant upon the olosi g of the war and other troubles, oarrjed our churoh ship through and 1 nded her safely in the harbor ”

Who will doubt that a charitable Jehovnh watched over the struggling congregation with a pitying glanoe! In 1883 Rev. Gilbort Small oame, and after him Rev. Aug. Taylor. And from then many students • amo to us from the McCormiok Seminary whioh terminated in ns installing Rev. M. L. Tressler as pastor in 1889. 'The ohurch began to buijff up in 1880, and is now on a fair footing spiritually aud financially.: plThls building was ereoUd in 1851-2 at a oost of SI2OO nnd was without inoident except that the ohurch was sued for the seats and judgment entered, which was ■pon paid. Thorn is to some extent a foeltng of buoyancy within rrs at the tKOnaffittrf-the we yll) rienoe many nanga-er rtgfet at "the thoT of ioaxlhg forever this house that has ■ffibtoct d during infancy, ohtlahood ml manhood. nqftre was the cradle of Presbyterianism in this county, Hore have been baptised as in t ants and adults representatives of almost every family in the town and surrounding country; and from this altar have b'-eu carried the remains of many of those who have goneao that undiscovered ooun■* try from whose bourne no traveler returns. It is meet that we should on this ouoasion dwell upon the past—for as past links us to present, so present links us to the future. We of the present generation can but return to those pioneers our heartfelt gratitude, and our hope is that we o-m in our fteble way carry forward in a worthy manner the work **VLhave begun. f l his old chu ch MSUpass fromQntsighL\ but not from our memory. T A Tit yjfttj J or some of the fondest and sweetest meuS ori s of childhood and youth are entwined with this Old building. The childish Sunday School Bongs, “Come to Jesus,’’ “Climbing Up Zion's Hill,” and many others, were first taught us w thin those walls. Tne Songs, the Sunday School, the Christmas entertainments, the festivals, tho harvest homes, the choir practices, the installations., 1 have engraven themselves upon my mind so that the lapse of years will not eradicate them, and 1 doubt not but many oan testify to the same experience.

hail to the old church; all hail to its bell and pulpit; and the fact that it is supplanted by a grander edifice does not detract one whit from om honor ana reverence for the old building. It is but one way which God has provided .hat His cause goes marching on that we sho tld pull down our old churoh and build a grander, larger one. We know not the ways of God; they are past finding out, but we believe that when Gabriel, with one foot on land and one on seu,s hall pioclaim that time is ne more, and t e Lord shall give due credit to the instruments undo use of by Him in making up His jewels, that the old Presbyterian Church of Rensselaer will have itK doe credit in the Lamb’s Book of Life/Z is reason for all this. All re(L gion, all science, all law, all wisdom of history, and al< noble present energies are centered upon the future, not upon the past. Pietv, patriotism, and progress are not so much concerned about the “From whence?” as with the 'Wbcreunto?' of the world, and the people thereof. and progress is a perpetual pioneer. On and upward btc her impel ative commands, and hare been from the lay man turned from the barred gates of Eden, until he shall come again redeemed and rejoioing through the wide open ; gates of the Eternal City. We welcome the naw churoh with open i arms; w<- will be proud o it, its modern seats, pulpit, windows, towers, conveniences, and its magnificent pipe organ | (for we doubt not we will hav- one). We ! willbe proud to show it to our friends as the offspring of the present generation, and it will prove a blessing to the town and county. I The above sketch does not bring the churoh up to date, but an effort will be made to have it more full and complete in time for placing witlr other matters of record in the corner stone of the new ! building.