People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1895 — HISTORY OF THE CHURCH. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.

BY W. B. AUSTIN. It has been said that railroads are the forerunners of civilization. That this is true is undisputed, but we would still have darkness had we waited on railroads to enlighten us. The church came here in 1847, the railroad in 1877, thirty years later. Like that of the Puritans and Pilgrims of old, the history of the church at this place has not been altogether roseate. Nine persons, headed by James Van Rensselaer, the father of the town, formed the nucleus from which has been evolved the church society of to-day. There were times when the church had apparent prosperity, but on the other hand, for long stretches of years, at one. time from 1806 to 1883, not one ray of light came. That the organization did not entirely disband was due altogether to the efforts of a few faithful ones in maintaining the Sunday school, and in sowing seeds, which in later years have ripened and been harvested, and to-day form the bulwark of the church at this place. Man is of a peculiar nature; he is not always satisfied with his lot. A minister of the gospel is but a man, has a man’s wants aud inclinations, consequently if he is not paid for his services he cannot be expected to continue his employment, and hence it is that this struggling congregation in its early history had. four pastors in that many years. The first minutes of the church society read as follows: ‘•Rensselaer. Indiana, ) Peb. 20th, 1847. \ • ‘-At a meeting of the persons friendly to the organization of a Presbyterian church in Jasper county, Rev. E. VV. Wright was called to the chair. After prayer it was resolved to proceed to constitute a church, and Rev. Jesse Edwards and Z. Sheets, elders from the church at Montieello, were invited as a session to judge of the testimonials of membership. The following persons were received on certificate :

James Van Rensselaer, Susan Van Rensselaer, Susan C. Weston, Ezra Wright, Martha Wright, Lucinda Mahaffie, Henry Barkley, Ira Allen. Louis B. Allen. Resolved, That we now proceed to the election of two elders, and the vote being counted Ezra Wright and Henry Barkley were declared duly elected, audit was agreed that these brethern be ordained to-morrow at three o’clock p. m. Resolved, That this church be denominated the Presbyterian church of Rensselaer. Whereupon the meeting adjourned.” Edward Wright, Chairman. ’ Rev. Edward Wright was a supply for the new congregation which met whenever convenient, until 1848, when Rev. Thomas M. Chestnut was duly installed as pastor, and continued as such until 1852. Mr. Chestnut was the father of Mrs. Fletcher Monnett and Mrs. Sharp. The minutes of June 2d. 1850, are as follows: “Session met and was opened with prayer, Rev. T. M. Chestnut, moderator: elders present — Henry Barkley and Ezra Wright. The following persons were received on certificate from the church atCoal Creek: John Coen, a ruling elder, and AsauethCoen and his wife, as members of this church.” The pioneers of our church, like the pilgrims of old, were very strict in discipline, and although the old-time Calvinistic doctrine of election, even in that day, received many assults, yet the session stood manfully by the confession and at one

time declined to grant but a modified letter of dismissal to James J. Porter, who to some extent questioned the strict Caivinistic interpretation of this doctrine of election. Gen. R. H. Milroy was a member in good standing of the Presbyterian church until a certain political incident occurred. which, owing to the prominence of - the parties involved. deserves to be set out in full. The other persons involved being General, after Governor. Gideon E. Moody and Hefner. afterward notorious with Dodd, BoAvlerand Milligan. The minutes of the session read as follows: “Rensselaer, Ind., March 28. 1861. Session .met according to previous notice and was opened with praver. Present, H. A. Mayhew, moderator: elders, C. Hutton, E. Wright, John Coen, and R. H. Milroy, who voluntarily declines to act at this time. The session took up the following item of business, to-vvit: Robert H. Milroy, a member of the church and of the session, voluntarily came before the session and made the following statements in substance, 1.0-wit: Ist. That sometime during the winter, lie went, at the request of Mr. Moody, a member of the legislature. at Indianapolis. That after arriving there he found there existed a serious personal difficulty between Ml’, Moody a.id Mr. Hefren, Avho was also a member of the legislature, growing out of words spoken in the heat of debate. That he used his influence 10 nave the difficulty honorably settled without a “hostile meeting” of the parties. That the insult offered Mr. Moody by Mr. Hefren was serious; but that he hoped, at first, that the matter would pass

David Nowels was born in Holmes county, Ohio, Sept. 15, 1821. being the seventh son in a family of eight sons and three daughters.

When he was but three years of age his parents moved to Portland, Fountain county. Ind. The family lived here until about 1830 when the mother died. This broke up the home and scattered the family, and, when in the fall of 1834, his father, John Nowels, his eldest sister and her husband, Joseph Yeoman, moved to the “Rapids of the Iroquois,” he, then a lad of thirteen, accompanied them. The present site of Rensselaer was chosen as a suitable place for settlement and here our little band of pioneers reared the first humble cabin within the present limits of Jasper county. Young Nowels was the first white boy who ever came to the county, and he has resided here from that early period until now, more than sixty years. March 10, 1842, he was married to Phebe Ann Benjamin, and moving to the north part es what is uow Marion township, they erected a little cabin and with willing hands and courageous hearts as their only capital began in real earnest the stern struggle of pioneer life. Here for nearly forty years was their home, until having acquired by sturdy endeavor and frugality a reasonable competence, for future years they, some fifteen years ago, they came back to Rensselaer to spend the remaining years of life in rest and quietude.

off without going farther than Mr. Hefren’s receiving a caning in the street from Mr. Moody. That if Mr. Moody had caned

Hefren, he (Milroy) would na\ T e been in sight or hearing, and would have seen that Moedy was not harmed. But that Hefren immediately left the state for the purpose us receiving any communication from Moody, evidently looking to the passing of a challenge to tight a duei. That Hefren went to Kentucky, and that he (Milroy) disliked to go thither with Moody, but that he (Moody) insisting upon his (Milroy’s) accompanying him as a friend, he did accompany him and used every effort while t here to bring about an adjustment, but without success. That Moody finally sent a challenge to Hefren to fight a duel; and that, through Col.

future punishment of the wicked, aud that he now firmly believes that the doctrine of the endless punishment of the finally impenitent is not true, but that he believes that alt will bo finally"!e - stored.” That he makes, A'oluntariiy, the foregoing statements to the session upon both foregoing matters, in order that the session may deal with him as may he in the judgment of the session be for the best, interest of Zion. In vieAvof the above statements the session, after carefully weighing all things in the foregoing statements contained, adopt the following resolutions, to wit : Ist. Resolved, That Ave

David Nowels.