The First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee
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* 4)*' ev>. ^'^. DdfiD TT. A. TAYLOR The Centenary OF The First Presbyterian Church OF Nashville, Tennessee The First Presp.vterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee. The Corner Stone Was Laid April 28, 1849, and the Building Dedicated on Faster Sunday, Ajiril jo, 1851. The First Presbyterian Church NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE The Addresses Delivered in Connection with the Observance of the One Hundredth Anniversary, November 8-15, 1914. 1915 Foster & Parkes Companv Nashville, Tcnn. INDEX OF PORTRAITS Page Present Church Edifice 2 Rev. William Hume 8 Rev. Gideon Blackburn, D.D 16 Rev. Obadiah Jennings, D.D 24 Robert H. McEwen t 32 Rev. John Todd Edgar, D.D 40 A. W. Putnam 48 John M. Hill 56 Daniel F. Carter 64 H. Hill McAlister 72 Dr. Paul F. Eve, Sr 80 Rev. Joseph Bardwell 88 Rev. R. F. Bunting, D.D 96 James M. Hamilton 104 A. G. Adams 112 Joseph B. O'Bryan 120 Bradford Nichol 128 Rev. Thomas Verner Moore, D.D 136 Rev. Henry J. Van Dyke, D.D 144 Pastor and Elders First Presbyterian Church 152 Pastor and Deacons First Presbyterian Church 160 Rev. Thomas A. Hoyt, D.D 168 John Hill Eakin 176 Byrd Douglas 184 Rev. Jere Witherspoon, D.D 192 Rev. William M. Anderson, D.D 200 Rev. James I. Vance, D.D 208 CONTENTS / Page Introduction 9 Centennial Sermon By Rev. James I. Vance, D.D 11-21 Our World Obligations By Rev. Egbert Watson Smith, D.D 22-30 Greetings from the Representatives of Other Denomina- tions By Rev. Prof. Thomas Carter, D.D 31-34 Rev. Carey E. Morgan, D.D 35-36 Rev. H. J. Mikell, D.D 36-39 Rev. T. A. Wigginton, D.D « 39-41 Rev. Rufus W. Weaver, D.D 41-44 Rabbi Isidore Lewinthal 44- 46 Bishop Thomas Sebastian Byrne 46 The History of the First Church By WilHam E. Beard 47-71 The Ministers of the First Church By Rev. James H. McNeilly, D.D 72-89 Personal Reminiscences of My Nashville Pastorate By Rev. William M. Anderson, D.D 90- 99 The Church Officers and Their Work By Dr. James D. Plunket 100-161 The Place of Calvinism in History By Prof. Henry E. Dosker, D.D 162-180 Messages from Other Presbyterian Churches in Nash- ville Through Their Pastors From the Second Church, by Rev. A. S. Allen 181-182 From Woodland Street, by Rev. W. L. Caldwell, D.D... 182-184 From Moore Memorial, by Rev. L. E. McNair, D.D 184-187 From Cottage, by Rev. W. S. Barr 187-188 From Adams, by Rev. Thomas H. Harrison 188- 191 From Glen Leven, by Rev. W. C. Alexander, D.D 191-194 From West Nashville, by Rev. G. B. Harris 194-196 Greetings from the Synod of Tennessee By Moderator G. F. Nicolassen 196-198 Greetings from the Executive Committee of Foreign Missions By Rev. S. H. Chester, D.D., Secretary 198-201 Memorial Address By Major Wilbur F. Foster 202-212 The Staying Power of Presbyterianism By President Walter W. Moore, D.D 213-226 The Program of Exercises 227-231 Rev. William Hume. Minister 1801-1833. INTRODUCTORY. The Centennial Anniversary of the founding of the First Presbyterian Church of Nashville was fittingly ob- served with exercises running through the week, beginning with Sunday, November 8, 1914, and concluding with the following Sunday. The arrangements for the event were in the hands of a committee, appointed by the Session, and consisting of the pastor. Rev. James I. Vance, D.D.j and the clerk, Robert S. Cowan. Preliminary to the celebration a new organ had been installed at a cost of some twelve thousand dollars. The case for this magnificent instrument is of black walnut, and was specially designed by the architect, Mr. George C. Nor- ton, to harmonize with the other features of the church. The celebration began with Dr. Vance's sermon on Sun- day morning, November 8, and was carried out in its en- tirety as outlined in the program found elsewhere in this volume. An important feature of the celebration was the open- ing of a new department of work, represented in the Settle- ment House at 17 16 Jo Johnston Avenue. A large com- pany gathered at 11 o'clock on Saturday morning, No- vember 14', many of them bringing with them donations for the work. The formal exercises were conducted by Dr. Vance, and consisted of brief remarks, the reading of Matthew 25:31-40, and prayer. In the work conducted in the institution are classes maintained by the Gleaners as a memorial of their founder. Miss Martha M. O'Bryan. The Master's Workers, as well as the Gleaners, are inter- ested in sustaining the Free Dispensary and Clinic. The reception given by the women's societies of the church on Friday evening, November 13, was largely at- tended, not only by members of the congregation, but by friends from other churches. A feature of the centennial exercises which enlisted the sympathetic interest of the people was the decoration of the graves of the ministers and charter members of the church. It wias in connection with this that Major Foster's address was delivered in the old City Cemetery. At this memorial service the prayer was offered by Mr. Leland Hume, a great-grandson of Rev. William Hume. The daily papers devoted large space to reports of the centenary, and many messages of congratulation and good wishes were received from friends at a distance. 10- CHAPTER I. A CENTURY OLD CHURCH. By The Rev. James I. Vance, D.D. Text.— "As my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in."—Joshua 14:11. We have come today to honor our mother—our spiritual mother—to pay a tribute to the old church that has been our home, and the home of our fathers, for a hundred years. Here on this bit of ground where the church stands for a century God's name has been honored, and the rights of religion administered, in accordance with the faith and order of the Presbyterian Church. Here hymns have been sung and prayers offered and sermons preached. Here mar- riage vows have been taken. From here the dead have been buried. Here a great company of immortal souls have made public their acknowledgment of Christ as Redeemer. And here, through the long years, the faithful have gath- ered at the Holy Supper to keep tryst with Christ. A century ago this church was organized. It is a long time as men count time. During this period in some of the families on our roll six successive generations have regis- tered themselves in our communion. But a century is not long, as God counts time. A thousand years in His sight are but as yesterday when it is past. The great thing with God is, not how long, but how well—not how many years, but how much service—not how many members, but what is the quality of their piety, the measure of their sacrifice, the stature of their faith. In celebrating the church's cen- tennial let us be mindful of the way God counts time. Nevertheless, a century of the modern world is a great —11- : era, and one hundred years of the activities of a great church in the modern world should merit some attention. We are living in times when things happen quickly, when nations spring up in a day, and thrones crumble between two suns, when everything is speeded op, when the world's furniture has been so changed that a modern century is packed with bigger events than an old-time millennium. We are living in a day when Christian effort may swing around the earth and find something great to do for God and humanity at every stage of its world tour. A century nowadays is tre- mendous. Its possibilities and opportunities for the Chris- tian church are limitless. Therefore, the day we celebrate is notable, and we should find in the annals of this century-old church some chapters worth recalling and some achievements worth re- citing. Let us keep the day, not in any spirit of boastful- ness or vainglory, as though importance could attach to us by reason of what others have done, and not in pessimistic gloom, as though all greatness were behind us ; but let us recall the past with a deep and reverent gratitude to God for His unnumbered blessings, with profound appreciation of the toil and sacrifices of those who have gone before us, with a solemn sense of present-day responsibilities, and with the prayer that God will enable us courageously and faithfully to do our work in this our day and generation. OLD AGE AT ITS BEST. The text for the day comes to us across the lips and out of the life of a man to whom age was not infirmity. Down towards the sunset of a splendid career, Caleb said "As my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in." He was a man with a great past. He was one of the two spies who re- turned from Canaan saying, "We can occupy the land." While there he had seen Mount Hebron, and on his return he asked that it might be given him for his possession, when —12— the day should come for Israel to occupy the Land of Promise. His request was granted, and for forty years he lived without a doubt as to the vahie of his title.