The Apostle of Presbyterianism to Western Pennsylvania by Rev. David T. Myers
You cannot miss the connection. William Tennent sets up the Log College in New Jersey to train ministers for the infant Presbyterian Church in the colonies. Samuel Blair studies under his oversight and eventually becomes the pastor of Faggs Manor Presbyterian Church, near Cochranville, Pennsylvania. A classical school and pastoral school of theology are set up at the latter church. John McMillan, who is born on November 11, 1752, near Faggs Manor of Scots-Irish parents who emigrated from Ireland, studies at Blair’s school, both in the grammar school and then at his pastoral school. He finished his training at Pequea Academy, at Pequea, Pennsylvania under another Presbyterian minister.
Completing his training for the ministry, he attended the College of New Jersey at age 18 and finished by graduating in 1772. There, he studied at the feet of John Witherspoon. Licensed by the Presbytery of New Castle, he began a trek west on foot, preaching to scattered groups of Presbyterians along the way. Arriving in Western Pennsylvania in 1775, he organized two Presbyterian churches, Pigeon Creek Presbyterian Church, where he ministered for nineteen years, and Chartiers Presbyterian Church, where he ministered for forty-seven years. But to clear up one important detail, McMillan hadn’t forgotten his roots or his training, and was ordained in 1777.
Rev. McMillan set up a classical school and training school for ministers in 1785, which became Canonsburg Academy in 1790, and later, Washington and Jefferson College. Later on, the University of Pittsburgh came into existence through his efforts. His influence can also be seen in the establishment of the Pittsburgh Xenia Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania.
It was thought that he had a direct influence upon 100 ministers as they studied for the gospel ministry under him. It was said of him that he aided the church and education more than any other man of his generation. He was a pioneer, preacher, educator, and patriot as he engaged in being “The “Apostle of Presbyterianism in Western Pennsylvania.” He would receive his “Well done, good and faithful servant” on November 16, 1833.
Words to live by: It was reported that he had preached 6000 sermons in his endeavor to reach the West (Western Pennsylvania) for the gospel. That simply proves that the Word will not return to us empty or void, but will accomplish what the Lord wills for His glory and the good of the elect. Let us all remember as witnesses, whether ordained or not, that God is opening and closing doors all the time. Give us insight to see what spiritual doors are open, and by faith to enter into them boldly and faithfully.
For further reading: • Guthrie, Dwight R., John McMillan: The Apostle of Presbyterianism in the West, 1752-1833. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1952. Hb, 296 pp.; indexed; bibliography, pp. 277-287. Articles: • Bennett, D.M., “Concerning the Life and Work of the Rev. John McMillan, D.D., Journal of the Department of History (of the Presbyterian Church), 15.4 (1932): 208-216. • Guthrie, Dwight R., “John McMillan Pioneer Educator,” Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society, 33.2 (1955): 63-86. • Macartney, Clarence Edward, “John McMillan: The Apostle of the Gospel and Presbyterianism in Western Pennsylvania,” Journal of the Department of History (of the Presbyterian Church), 15.3 (1932): 121-132. • Slosser, Gaius J., “Concerning the Life and Work of the Reverend John McMillan, D.D.” Journal of the Department of History (of the Presbyterian Church), 15.3 (35.1): 133-158.
A Sabbath-day meditation from Richard Sibbes, who I like to call my favorite Anglican!–a brief excerpt from one of his sermons, titled “The Saints Safety in Evil Times.” (Works, vol. 1, p. 309) :
Even such, and much more, is God’s mercy to His children, and justice against His enemies. Behold what great things He has done for them, (Ps. 126:2). Shall the heathen say so, and shall not Israel much more? Beloved, we ought to seek out God’s works, and shall we not take notice of them when they are offered to our view? This is especially the duty of the saints of God. ‘All Thy works praise Thee, and Thy saints bless Thee,’ says David, (Ps. 145:10). The works of God praise Him by our mouths and by our tongues. Were it not for some few that by a more divine light and spiritual eye see more of God than others do, what glory should God have in the world? God has not brought us on the stage of this world to be mere gazers, but to extract something out for our own use, and to give Him the glory of His excellencies. But we are too wise to admire anything. It is a matter too mean for our parts to take notice of God and His works. You have some that can see nothing in the works of God worth the admiring; and yet they will have men’s persons in admiration, in hope of some advantage by them. We are apt to admire any outward excellency, like the disciples, before the Holy Ghost came upon them, who stood admiring of the goodly stones of the temple. When our minds are thus taken up, it were good if we heard Christ speaking to us as He did to them, ‘Are these the things you wonder at?’ (Mark 13:1).
Our post today comes from guest author and good friend, Barry Waugh, who begun a blog, PRESBYTERIANS OF THE PAST several years ago. WhereTHIS DAY IN PRESBYTERIAN HISTORY has always been intended as a brief devotional based on Presbyterian history, Barry in contrast posts just a few times a month but with fuller treatment of the subjects he takes up. The following is one of his posts that caught my eye some time back, this on the New School Presbyterians and the availability of some rather rare Minutes of their Synod of Philadelphia:—
During the course of your web-surfing or reading about Presbyterian history you may have run across the terms, “Old School” and “New School,” or their abbreviations, “OS” and “NS.” Before getting to the purpose of this post, which is the PDF download of the minutes of the Synod of Pennsylvania, New School, a brief explanation of the terms “New School” and “Old School” may be beneficial.
Old School—Generally speaking, the Old School believed—in a stricter or fuller subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith and its associated standards; that the issue of slavery was a political and not a church issue; that missionary work should be under the direct oversight of the Presbyterian Church and not through independent mission organizations; and that the Plan of Union of 1801 affiliating the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) and the Congregational Church had been detrimental to the Presbyterians because of some of the theological views and practices from New England. These are not all the points of disagreement but they cover most of the issues. It could be said that the Old School believed—the church should be directly ruled in all its ministries by elders connectionally associated through its sessions, presbyteries, synods, and general assembly, with its interpretation of the Word of God governed by a conservative use of the Westminster Standards, and it believed that the church’s ministry is exclusively spiritual and not political. Thus, the Old School had a strong sense of the Word’s warrant for presbyterian government as the church government and it held to the necessity of confessional standards for proper interpretation of the Bible and governing the church rightly in its spiritual ministry.
New School—Generally speaking, the New School believed that—a considerably lesser adherence to the Westminster Confession of Faith and its associated standards was acceptable, even necessary; the issue of slavery was within the bounds of the spiritual ministry of the church and many believed that immediate abolition was the best solution; the use of what might be called today interdenominational mission organizations was beneficial and more efficient for missionary work and church extension than committees overseen directly by the presbyters; the Plan of Union had not only benefitted the Congregationalists and the Presbyterians, particularly in terms of the growth of both denominations in the western frontier (i.e. New York, Ohio, etc.), but the New England theology influenced the PCUSA to be less rigorous and more open to differing doctrinal ideas. The New School views could be summarized—the Presbyterian Church is governed by elders locally and connectionally but other polities, including congregational, are scriptural as well; the Presbyterians should participate in missionary organizations that are not under direct control of the denomination for more efficient evangelism; the interpretation of the Word of God by the Westminster Confession is of lesser or no importance for church doctrine and practice; and the church’s ministry is spiritual, but the spiritual work does not exclude political activism for what the church sees as pervasive sins in society. Thus, the New School had a lesser sense of the uniqueness of presbyterian church government and a more inclusive idea of denominational ministry; a liberal, or nonexistent, adherence to the confessional standards for doctrine; and an expanded idea of what the spiritual ministry of the church looks like.
If you have never read anything about the Old School and the New School you are probably thinking that the two could not continue to exist together because it was a disaster from day one. You would be correct. The point for the beginning of trouble was seen by the Old School to be 1801 when the Plan of Union was accomplished. There were those who opposed the Plan of Union, but their appeals were not heeded. As the years passed, the members of the respective schools found their points of difference more polarizing, especially as the issue of slavery sectionalized both the nation and the churches. At the 1837 General Assembly of the PCUSA, the Old School had the majority and was able to undo some of the affects of the Plan of Union, the plan itself, and eject the New School. Obviously, it was not a happy situation following the 1837 General Assembly. The press, both private and religious, reported some of the unseemly moments on the floor of the assembly as commissioners railed and argued. Following the division, both sides claimed to be the true PCUSA.
When the Synod of Pennsylvania, New School, convened in the evening of Tuesday, October 17, 1865, in the Third Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, the retiring moderator, B. B. Hotchkin, the pastor of the Marple Church, passed the gavel to Rev. Thomas J. Shepherd of First Church in the Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. The meeting was particularly significant because it was the first annual meeting following the Civil War, the assassination of President Lincoln, and the inauguration of Vice President Andrew Johnson to the presidency. Since the previous synod meeting there were many things that had changed. For the New School, one of, if not the key issue for its identity, abolition of slavery, had been achieved. There was some optimism in the land about the future, especially if one lived north of the Mason-Dixon Line, but the optimism was tenuously mixed with different ideas about how the post-war situation with the Southern states should be handled. In the North, many adamantly contended that the former Confederacy should pay a heavy price, but on the other end were others desiring to see all the states working together as a reunified nation. In the South, there were many fearing retribution, wondering if they would have food, and apprehensive of finding work in the devastated economy, however, there were also numerous others consumed with anger against the North. Between the two poles of ideas in both North and South were a myriad of other perspectives.
The tension in the nation carried over into the meeting of the synod. The presbyters tended towards the heavy-price-to-be-paid view regarding the South’s future. The synod was meeting just a few months after the North and South had ceased killing each other and there was much mourning, ire, and bitterness. A series of six resolutions regarding “the State of the Country” were passed unanimously with a seventh added later, which was also passed unanimously. On the final day of the sessions as the business was coming to an end, a resolution was adopted regarding the health of Rev. Albert Barnes, who was a key figure of the New School and had been tried for heresy with the impetus provided by the Old School. Other resolutions regarding the usual house cleaning at the end of a synod were accomplished including the resolution of thanks to the host church. The synod adjourned to meet in the First Church, Carlisle, October 16, 1866, per the minute taking of Stated Clerk William E. Moore.
Please, download the free PDF of these minutes at the link below. The digital minutes were scanned from a copy owned by the author of this site. The minutes have an appendix that includes the synod’s standing rules; a directory of the presbyteries, churches, ministers, and elders; and there is a list of synod and presbytery officers.
The Rev. John Mitchell Mason [1770-1829] was an Associate Reformed pastor who served for many years in New York City. The following anecdote was published in The Evangelical Guardian, vol. IV, no. 6 (November 1846): 285. The story is related on those pages by the editor of the magazine, as part of his account of travels in New York City that year.
On Sabbath evening before leaving the city, I paid a visit, in company with Mr. McLaren, to old Katherine Ferguson, a colored woman who became a member of Dr. Mason’s Church about 40 years ago. She is a remarkable woman. The most of what she made by keeping a confectioner’s shop (enough to have placed her now in independent circumstances) she spent in feeding, clothing, and educating destitute colored children. She is warmly attached to the Associate Reformed Church, and remembers Dr. Mason, and the ‘days of old.’ with peculiar delight. Two young persons, members of Mr. McLaren’s congregation, were in her house, being there, as I understood, to read the Bible, and converse with her. This would not fail to make on a mind at all accustomed to sober reflection, a favorable impression as to their piety.—One object of my visit, was to obtain from her lips an account of an occurrence which I had sometimes heard related. Her statement was as follows:
“After Dr. Mason commenced preaching in Murray Street, some ‘gay ladies’ from Pearl Street, said to him: ‘Doctor it will not do for those colored people (Katherine and a male relative of her’s who had made a profession of religion) to sit at the same table with the white communicants.—They should be at a Table by themselves at the last.’ The Dr. simply replied, that he would think of it. When the day for the communion came round, and the people were about to take their seats at the Lord’s table, the Doctor came down from the pulpit, and taking the two colored persons by the hands, he said,’This is my brother, this is my sister. He that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister and mother. In Christ Jesus, there is neither Greek, nor Jew,—Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free,’ and then led them forward to the table and set them down ‘first of all.’ “
This was the result of the Doctor’s reflection on the subject, and it settled the question forever.
[excerpted from THE CHRISTIAN OBSERVER, Vol. XXXI, No. 23 (5 June 1852): 89, column 5.]
THE FAMILY OF PRESIDENT EDWARDS.
It was an unspeakable privilege in the view of the late President [Jonathan] Edwards, that when surrounded by a young and growing family, and when his duty to his people, especially in seasons of revival, necessarily occupied his whole attention, he could safely commit his children to the wisdom and piety, the love and faithfulness of their mother [Sarah Pierpont Edwards]. Her views of the responsibility of parents were large and comprehensive. “She thought that, as a parent, she had great and important duties to do toward her children before they were capable of government and instruction. For them she constantly and earnestly prayed, and bore them on her heart before God, in all her secret and most solemn addresses to him; and that, even before they were born. The prospect of her becoming a mother of a rational, immortal creature, which came into existence in an undone and infinitely dreadful state, was sufficient to lead her to bow before God daily for His blessing on it; even redemption and eternal life by Jesus Christ. So that, through all the pain, labor, and sorrow which attended her being the mother of children, she was in travail for them that they should be born of God.
She regularly prayed with her children, from a very early period, and, as there is the best reason to believe, with great earnestness and importunity. Being thoroughly sensible that, in many respects, the chief care of forming children by government and instruction, naturally lies on mothers, as they are most with their children at an age when they commonly receive impressions that are permanent, and have great influence in forming the character for life, she was very careful to do her part in this important business. When she foresaw or met with any special difficulty in this matter, she was wont to apply to her husband for advice and assistance; and on such occasions they would both attend to it, as a matter of the utmost importance. She had an excellent way of governing her children; she knew how to make them regard and obey her cheerfully, without loud, angry words, much less heavy blows. She seldom punished them; and in speaking to them, used gentle and pleasant words. If any correction was necessary, she did not administer it in a passion; and when she had occasion to reprove and rebuke, she would do it in a few words, without warmth and noise, and with all calmness and gentleness of mind. In her directions and reproofs in matters of importance, she would address herself to the reason of her children, that they might not only know her inclination and will, but at the same time be convinced of the reasonableness of it. She had need to speak but once; she was cheerfully obeyed; murmuring and answering again were not known among them. In their manners they were uncommonly respectful to their parents. When their parents came into the room, they all rose instinctively from their seats, and never resumed them until their parents were seated; and when either parent was speaking, no matter with whom they had been conversing, they were all immediately silent and attentive. The kind and gentle treatment they received from their mother, while she strictly and punctiliously maintained her parental authority, seemed naturally to beget and promote a filial respect and affection, and to lead them to a mild, tender treatment of each other. Quarreling and contention, which too frequently take place among children, were in her family wholly unknown. She carefully observed the first appearance of resentment and ill-will in her young children, toward any person whatever, and did not connive at it, as many who have the care of children do, but was careful to show her displeasure, and suppress it to the utmost; yet not by angry, wrathful words, which often provoke children to wrath, and stir up their irascible passions, rather than abate them. Her system of discipline was begun at a very early age, and it was her rule to resist the first, as well as every subsequent exhibition of temper or disobedience in the child, however young, until its will was brought into submission to the will of its parents; wisely reflecting, that until a child will obey its parents, he can never be brought to obey God.
