The Cane Ridge Meeting House

James R. Rogers

4. Reaches Kentucky and Settles in the Close of the Year 1795, as the Preacher of the Congregations of Cane Ridge and Concord, Bourbon County--Is Appointed by Transylvania...

Having finished our labors in Cumberland, we started for Kentucky. We traveled through an extensive, uninhabited tract of barrens, or prairies, but now a fine timbered country, densely settled by wealthy farmers. We continued to preach in Kentucky till the winter set in severely. Brother Anderson stopped by invitation at Ashridge; near Lexington, and I at Cane Ridge and Concord, in Bourbon County. That winter, or early in the spring, a letter of importance recalled my companion, Anderson, to Carolina, whose face I have never since seen.

In Cane Ridge and Concord I spent the chief of my time, at the request of the congregations. I now learned experimentally that the rambling course of preaching which I had taken was of little profit to society and ruinous to the mental improvement of young preachers. I received the advice of my friends to become stationary for awhile, and apply myself closely to reading and study. I witnessed the good effects of this procedure, for many were added to the churches within a few months—about fifty in Concord and thirty in Cane Ridge. I became much attached to these congregations, and was persuaded that the attachment was reciprocal. I at length yielded to their solicitations to become their settled and permanent pastor.

Some unsettled business in Georgia demanded my presence there. By the Transylvania Presbytery I was solicited and appointed to visit Charleston, in South Carolina, and endeavor to obtain money for the purpose of establishing a college in our infant State. I accepted the appointment, having determined from Charleston to return through Virginia, and visit my mother and relations.

Marauding parties of Indians still infested travelers in the wilderness between Kentucky and Virginia, so that travelers always went in companies prepared for defense. In the fall of 1797 I left Cane Ridge for Georgia, in company with Henry Wilson, who, with a led horse packed with silver, was going to Virginia on land business. Having repaired to the house of rendezvous for travelers at the Crab Orchard, we learned that a company had just left that place two hours before, with intention to encamp at the Hazlepatch that night. We instantly followed at a quick pace, determined to ride late and overtake them. About ten o’clock we came to Hazlepatch, but to our distress we found no one there. My companion, being an early settler of Kentucky and often engaged in war with the Indians, advised to turn off the road some distance, and encamp till day. Having kindled a fire, supped, hobbled our horses, and prayed together, we laid down in our blankets to rest. But we were soon aroused from our slumbers by the snorting and running of our horses. We sprang up, and saw a fire about one hundred and fifty yards below us, and in a moment it was pulled asunder; as quikly did my companion pull ours apart also. He whispered to me, “They are Indians after our horses.” We laid down again, not to sleep, but to consult the best method of escape. We soon distinctly heard an Indian cautiously walking on the dry leaves towards our camp, about fifty yards off. Fearing he might shoot us in our blankets, without noise we crept into the bushes. Becoming very chilly there, and contrary to advice, I returned to my blanket, and was followed by my companion. A short time after we heard the Indian walk off in the same cautious manner. We concealed the bag of money and most valuable goods and hung up our blankets and bags of provisions over our camp, and cautiously went towards the course our horses had gone. When it was day, we found their trace, and overtook them about eight o’clock, and rode back very watchfully to our camp. When we came near, with difficulty we compelled our horses to advance, they frequently snorting and wheeling back. Every moment we expected to be fired upon, but were mercifully preserved. We packed up very quickly, and swiftly pursued the company, and late in the day came up with them. They informed us that when they came to the Hazlepatch the evening before they found a camp of white people, just before defeated, several lying dead and mangled in Indian style; that they pushed forward and traveled late at night. We clearly saw the kind hand of God in delivering us.

Having passed through the wilderness, our company parted; some for Virginia, the rest, with myself, for Georgia. After having settled my business, visited my relations, and preached through the country for several weeks, I started alone to Charleston. Nothing of note happened in my journey, except that by my caution and the fleetness of my horse I escaped a band of robbers, who attempted to stop me. I had been previously warned of the danger in those dismal swamps between Augusta and Charleston, and was therefore continually on my guard.

Before I reached Charleston, I passed over Stone River into John’s and Wadmelaw Islands. There I remained some days, and received the most friendly attention of gentlemen professing religion, living in splendid palaces, surrounded with a rich profusion of luxuries, and of everything desirable; these pleasures were heightened by free, humble and pious conversation. But in the midst of all this glory my soul sickened at the sight of slavery in more horrid forms than I had ever seen it before. Poor Negroes! Some chained to their work, some wearing iron collars, all half naked, and followed and driven by the merciless lash of a gentleman overseer, distress appeared scowling in every face. This was the exciting cause of my abandonment of slavery. Having preached several times in the islands, I left my horse on the island, and sailed over to Charleston by water. I lodged with Dr.Hollinshead, a gentleman and preacher of high standing. In the city I met with my former friend and classmate, Samuel Holmes. It was a joyful meeting. We visited the islands and country round in company. I observed the great change in his former simple manners and conversation. But few men can bear prosperity and popularity so as to retain the humble spirit of religion. In one of our excursions from the city in a pleasure vessel, a strong gale fell on us, and tossed us about tremendously on high waves. The scene was new to me, and produced very unpleasant feelings. I noticed the sailors, and saw in them no signs of fear. This calmed my fears, and I remained composed. My companion, Holmes, manifested strong symptoms of fear. One of the sailors, knowing him to be a preacher, looked at him, and with a laugh asked him if he was afraid to go to heaven by water. I smiled, but not with a good grace.

Having spent several weeks in the city and vicinity, we started together, Holmes, myself and two others, to the north. I arrived in safety at my mother’s in Virginia, and found her still alive and enjoying health. But many of my relatives and friends were gone, some to the grave and some to distant lands. When I was in the then far West I often sighed at the remembrance of the home of my youth, and the former haunts of my boyish pleasures, and longed to revisit them. But how disappointed was I! I felt more of a disposition to weep at the sight of these objects than to rejoice—the old schoolhouse in ruins; the old trees, under whose shade we used to play, either destroyed or dwindling with age. Those scenes, which had long ago passed away, never—ah! never to return. Vain world! After remaining some weeks with my mother, I bade a sorrowful adieu, and returned to Kentucky.

In the fall of I798, a call from the united congregations of Cane Ridge and Concord was presented me, through the Presbytery of Transylvania. I accepted, and a day not far ahead was appointed for my ordination. Knowing that at my ordination I should be required to adopt the Confession of Faith, as the system of doctrines taught in the Bible, I determined to give it a careful examination once more. This was to me almost the beginning of sorrows. I stumbled at the doctrine of Trinity as taught in the Confession; I labored to believe it, but could not conscientiously subscribe to it. Doubts, too, arose in my mind on the doctrines of election, reprobation and predestination, as there taught. I had before this time learned from my superiors the way of divesting those doctrines of their hard; repulsive features, and admitted them as true, yet unfathomable mysteries. Viewing them as such, I let them alone in my public discourses, and confined myself to the practical part of religion, and to subjects within my depth. But in reexamining these doctrines I found the covering put over them could not hide them from a discerning eye with close inspection. Indeed, I saw they were necessary to the system without any covering.

In this state of mind the day appointed for my ordination found me. I had determined to tell the presbytery honestly the state of my mind, and to request them to defer my ordination until I should be better informed and settled The presbytery came together, and a large congregation attended. Before its constitution, I took aside the two pillars of it, Dr. James Blythe and Robert Marshall, and made known to them my difficulties, and that I had determined to decline ordination at that times They labored, but in vain, to remove my difficulties and objections. They asked me how far I was willing to receive the Confession. I told them as far as I saw if consistent with the word of God. They concluded that was sufficient. I went into presbytery, and when the question was proposed, “Do you receive and adopt the Confession of Faith, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Bible?” I answered aloud, so that the whole congregation might hear, “I do, as far as I see it consistent with the word of God.” No objection being made, I was ordained.