362 



HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



health became in a great measure re-established, and he re- 

 ceived ordination June 11, 1806, from the Ontario Asso- 

 ciation. He was employed as a stated supply for one-half 

 of the time at Prattsburgh and the other half at Bath, till 

 the spring of 1808, when he received a call to settle at 

 Bath, and removed there with his family. From this time 

 until the next April the church was mostly without preach- 

 ing, when Rev. James H. Hotchkin visited them by re- 

 quest, and received an unanimous call for settlement, and 

 was installed pastor Aug. 16. 1809. The membership of 

 the church now reached 61, — 52 having been received by 

 letter and 9 on profession of faith. 



With the installation of Mr. Hotchkin began a new era 

 in the church. A pastoral relation which continued thirty 

 years and nine months is an uncommon event, and brings 

 with it a long train of blessings. I should judge from the 

 minutes that Mr. Hotchkin was a very prudent man and an 

 organizer as well as an able preacher of the gospel. His 

 formative influence may be seen down to the present time. 



Oct. 2, 1812, " It was voted that in view of the church 

 it is expedient that the ministers and churches in this 

 county become connected with the Presbyterian Church of 

 the United States, provided the churches may be allowed 

 to transact discipline in the congregational way ;" and at a 

 meeting of the church, April 12, 1813, the delegate to the 

 association was authorized to vote for the dissolution of the 

 association, with a view to a connection with presbytery, 

 and provided this was done, to request Geneva Presbytery 

 to take this church under its care. At a meeting of the 

 Presbytery of Geneva in April, 1813, the following minute 

 was adopted : 



" The presbytery are of the opinion that a union with 

 the ministers and churches of the Ontario Association is 

 highly important, as it will combine their influence in pro- 

 moting the great interests of the Redeemer's kingdom ; and 

 they cordially invite the said ministers and churches to 

 unite with the presbytery by adopting the confession of 

 faith and form of government of the Presbyterian Church. 

 But should anv of the said churches find it most for edifi- 

 cation to continue the practice of receiving and rejecting 

 members by vote of the brethren of church generally, in- 

 stead of a session of ruling elders, the presbytery do not 

 consider that any bar to the contemplated union, and are 

 willing they should continue the practice as long as they 

 shall deem it expedient." 



On the 25th of May, 1813, the association met in Pratts- 

 burgh and adopted the following resolutions : 



'' Whereas, It appears from the Holy Scriptures of immense im- 

 portance that all who love our Lord Jesus Christ should be united in 

 the strictest bonds of Christian fellowship, that they may with one 

 heart and voice unite in opposing error and in disseminating the 

 knowledge of divine truth, and whereas, in the view of this associa- 

 tion there is no reason why these professing Christians, usually called 

 Presbyterian and Congregation alist, should not receive each other as 

 brethren and be united as one body in the strictest sense, and whereas 

 there exists in this country a presbytery connected with the General 

 Assembly of the Presbyterian Church ; therefore, 



"Beaolved, That it is desirable that this association become united 

 with the Presbytery of Geneva. 



^'■llesolved, That as a means of forming the union this association 

 be dissolved." Thus it appears that the famous Accommodating Plan 

 which had so much to do with the future ecclesiastical history of 



this land was formed in this place. On the 21st of September, 1813, 

 this church was received into the Presbytery of Geneva. 



The Presbytery of Bath was organized in 1817. When 

 Mr. Hotchkin commenced his ministry here there were 

 but three ministers and four churches on this territory of 

 the above denominations. He says, " The inhabitants were 

 comparatively few, scattered in groups distant from each 

 other, and experiencing the privations and hardships inci- 

 dent to a new settlement. The roads, where they existed, 

 were in a most unimproved state, and traveling in any 

 form was fatiguing. The inhabitants enjoyed few oppor- 

 tunities of attending public worship, and the work of the 

 ministry was an arduous employment. The writer has been 

 called a distance of forty miles to preach a funeral sermon, 

 being the nearest clergyman of the Presbyterian denomina- 

 tion to be obtained. He has not unfrequently traveled 

 forty or fifty miles to assist in the organization of a new 

 church, to afi'ord a Sabbath's preaching, and to administer 

 the sacraments to a destitute church." 



This church with its pastor thus engaged in missionary 

 work, but never itself received any foreign aid, giving 

 liberally always to spread the gospel. Mr. Hotchkin was 

 active in the ecclesiastical afiiiirs of the church, and in 

 1820, with Judge Porter, represented his Presbytery upon 

 the original Board of Commissioners of Auburn Theologi- 

 cal Seminary, and was the second president of the board. 

 This church gave for the establishment of that seminary 

 over $1400, besides subsequent gifts. 



During Mr. Hotchkin's ministry 318 were received into 

 the church, — 100 by letter and 218 on profession of their 

 faith, — and at its close the church numbered 240 members. 

 As the result of the revival in 1825, a new and elegant 

 church was erected, 60 feet in length and 45 in breadth, 

 and furnished with a bell, and was dedicated Feb. 13, 

 1828. The ground was given by Judge Porter, described 

 as seven rods east from the academy line and of the same 

 depth. He also headed the subscription for pews with the 

 sum of $400. The building cost $4000. 



Rev. George R. Rudd immediately succeeded Mr. Hotch- 

 kin, beginning his labors with the year 1830, and was 

 formally installed pastor on the 24th of March upon a 

 salary of $450, and continued as such until dismissed. May 

 3, 1836. Three revivals occurred during his ministry ; 

 219 were added to the church, 151 at least by profession, 

 leaving the church with 365 members. Mr. Rudd was 

 held in very high esteem, as the records show, but was 

 obliged to give up this charge on account of failing health, 

 and has been obliged to turn aside to secular pursuits, and 

 is now living in Lyons, N. Y. During the pastorate of 

 Mr. Rudd in 1831, the glebe on West Hill, given by 

 Colonel Robert Troup, agent of the Pulteney estate, was 

 exchanged for a lot in this village, being a lot which in- 

 cluded the present parsonage lot and extending south to 

 Chapel Street. The present parsonage was built in 1832- 

 33, at an expense of $835. The old cemetery south of the 

 village was deeded by Captain Pratt to the Prattsburgh 

 Religious Society for the use of a burial-ground. The four 

 acres constituting the public square were also deeded to 

 this society " for the use of a public square." The open 

 square was deeded to the society by Judge Porter, to be 



