Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: State of Religion in Kentucky

Continued from the Memoirs of the Rev. David Rice: He Moves to Kentucky.

This is from Chapter IX of the memoirs of Rev. David Rice, which were included in An Outline of the History of the Church in the State of Kentucky, During a Period of Forty Years by Robert Hamilton Bishop and published in 1824.

Mr. Rice soon found that his suspicions concerning the character and situation of those who had put their names to his call, were not without ground. He expected that as soon as he should gave obtained a temporary residence, a number of old professors would have come and made up their acquaintance with him. But he was greatly surprised and distressed to find scarcely any such, a few who had been his old acquaintances and bearers in Virginia excepted. "After I had been here, says he, "some weeks, and had preached at several places, I found scarcely one man but few women who supported a credible profession of religion. Some were grossly ignorant of the first principles of religion. Some were given to quarreling and fighting, some to profane swearing, some to intemperance, and perhaps most of them totally negligent of the forms of religion in their own houses."

"I could not think," continues he, "a church formed of such materials as these could properly be called a church of Christ. With this I was considerably distressed, and made to cry, where am I! What situation am I in? Many of these produced certificates of their having been regular members in full communion and in good standing in the churches from which they had emigrated, and this they thought entitled them to what they called Christian privileges here. Others would be angry and raise a quarrel with their neighbors if they did not certify, contrary to their knowledge and belief, that the bearer was a good moral character. I found indeed very few on whose information I could rely respecting the moral character of those who wished to be church members."

In these perplexities he resolved not to administer sealing ordinances, but preach among the people one year, that he might get better acquainted with them and they with him. This exposed him to much censure from the loose nominal professors and tended greatly to thin his flock; though it was considered by the few solid church members as the best expedient which the circumstances of the case would admit.

At the commencement of the second year all was to begin anew. With a good deal of difficulty, however, a congregation was organized in what is now called Mercer county, with as much formality as their distance from other regular churches, and other disadvantages, would admit.

They had three places of worship, which were known by the names of Danville, Cane-Run, and the Forks of Dick River; and though circumstances were far from being promising, Mr. Rice considered himself as called by the head of the church to preach the gospel and dispense other ordinances within these bounds, and leave the result to the decision of the great day.

Mercer County, Kentucky; courtesy of FamilySearch Wiki

To be continued...

***
I am publishing a chapter of Rev. David Rice's memoirs every Monday.

_______________
Rev. David Rice (1733-1816) was my fifth great grandfather.

Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: He Moves to Kentucky
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: His Comfort and Success among the Peaks of Otter
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Scene of His First Labors
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Devotes of Himself to the Ministry
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Introduction of the Gospel into Virginia
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Relief Obtained
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Further Convictions
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Birth, Parentage, and First Convictions 
Preparing for the Revolutionary War
Pray Together, Stay Together
Apostle of Kentucky

Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: He Moves to Kentucky

Continued from the Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: His Comfort and Success among the Peaks of Otter

This is from Chapter VIII of the memoirs of Rev. David Rice, which were included in An Outline of the History of the Church in the State of Kentucky, During a Period of Forty Years by Robert Hamilton Bishop and published in 1824.

The duty which a christian minister owes to his family is of a varied kind. With every other christian parent he is indeed to be deeply concerned for their eternal welfare, but he is also to have a due regard to their temporal comfort; and to their temporal comfort not only when they are under his roof, in a great measure incapable of providing for their daily wants -- but his views and arrangements ought also to extend as far as possible to the mode in which they may provide for themselves and others when they shall have arrived at maturity, and have other families depending upon them. Now, in what particular way, and to what particular extent a provision of this kind is to be made, is often with a conscientious servant of the cross, a question of difficult solution.

It is doubtful whether any christian parent ought to form and attempt to execute plans having for their chief object any independent fortune either for himself or for his children. All agree that such a spirit cherished in a christian minister is utterly incompatible with his character. Yet a preacher of the gospel, who has a rising family, must look a little ahead and contemplate a period when perhaps he himself may depend entirely for his support upon his own children. It is of importance, then, that as soon as possible these his children be placed in some such situation in which, with the blessing of providence, they may discharge at once parental and filial duties.

It was under circumstances of this nature that Mr. Rice first turned his attention towards Kentucky. It was spoken of and recommended to him as a country where the best of land might be procured with little more expense and trouble than that connected with having it entered and surveyed as the law directed. He accordingly was induced at a convenient time to ride out and see the country, not principally with the view of preaching the gospel, nor even with the view of moving there soon, if ever; but merely to become acquainted with the country, and if all circumstances were encouraging, to procure settlements for some of his numerous family.

Kentucky Landscape by James Pierce Barton; courtesy of Google Cultural
Institute

A land office for Kentucky had just been opened, and swarms of land speculators were pouring into it. -- Though he was charmed with the country, neither the mode appointed by the Legislature of Virginia for taking up land, nor the character of the settlers generally, pleased him. "I saw," says he, "that the spirit of speculation was flowing in such a torrent that it would bear down every weak obstacle that stood in its way. I looked forward to fifty or sixty years, and saw the inhabitants engaged in very expensive and demoralizing litigations about their landed property. I knew the make of my own mind, that I could not enjoy the happiness of life if engaged in disputes and law-suits. I therefore resolved to return home without securing a single feet of land."

While in Kentucky he preached when opportunity offered. On his return he met with upwards of four thousand people moving out. Shortly after his return he received a verbal invitation to come to Kentucky and officiate as a minister. He replied, that if a written invitation were sent him, signed only by those who were permanently settled, and who wished to attach themselves to religious society, he would take it into consideration, and return an answer in due time. After a few months a call, subscribed by three hundred men, was forwarded to him; but from the face of it he had strong suspicions, that his request, respecting the situation of subscribers, had not been attended to. However, he, upon the whole, resolved to remove to this new country, which he did in Oct. 1783.

To be continued...

***
I am publishing a chapter of Rev. David Rice's memoirs every Monday.

_______________
Rev. David Rice (1733-1816) was my fifth great grandfather.

Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: His Comfort and Success among the Peaks of Otter
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Scene of His First Labors
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Devotes of Himself to the Ministry
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Introduction of the Gospel into Virginia
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Relief Obtained
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Further Convictions
Memoirs of Rev. David Rice: Birth, Parentage, and First Convictions 
Preparing for the Revolutionary War
Pray Together, Stay Together
Apostle of Kentucky