The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-11-30

o was COnSlueTeu a very
P'e'eh'lons structure, and was prob
"o'y Inc best church building in the
o'y' Brother Bascom says: .'This
o'u building, which IN its youth was
regarded as a marvel of church archi.
lecture and large dimensions IN those
prini''lVe times, has now sadly dwindled
10 Its age. Time was when lis audi.
ehce room rang with eloquent sermon,
convincing logic and powerful exhor-
'atlon OF snch men as Alexander Camp
oeIi' John Smith, Jacob Creath, Johu
l. Johnson, T. M. Allen, Moses f.
Lara, Benjamin Franklin, Allen Wright
ana a host of others whose voices are
now hushed in death" We would
also add the name of Bro. William
Henry Robinson, "the blind preacher"
to the above list of illustrious names.
As an orator he had few superiors, and
as a logician he had few equals.
John I. johnson, one of the leading
men in the reformation, arrived in
Lexington on the 23d day of November,
1896. He began a meeting the next
night IN the old church, and the audi.
ences we're always large. He preached
powerful sermons, and "a additions
were made to the church, when he
was stricken with pneumonia and died
December Is, 1856. He had preached
fifteen sermons, aud after
his text for the following night, retired
to the residence of Bro. Thomas G..
Bledsoe. He was taken sick imme.
d~lately, and died early the next day
Bro. Johnson had been a lawyer; had
joined the Baptist church; and at the
solicitation OF Alexander Campbell he
quit the bar and began preaching, and
joined the reformation. When n young
man he was "A volunteer aid on the
staff OF Wm. Henry Harrison in the
war with England IN 1912, and was a
distinguished soldier. In 1920 he was
elected to congress to succeed his
brother, and in 1922 he was re-. elecled
September, 1843, Alfred Jones, Ben
edict Thomas and VIM. S. Van Camp
were appointed to solicit subscriptions
to aid IN paying the church debt, anG
also to aid III completing the house. A
the same meeting Levi Van Camp ano
William Musgrove were appointed to
write q letter to the annual meeting to
be held at Mount GIlead, in CLAY
county, on Friday before the firsI
Lords day in October.
October ii, 1S43, the following is OF
record: "ChNrch met for business. 1t
is agreed TO finish the meellug house.
Ordered that the gallery he taken dow,
and a part o the lumber sold. Hiram
NJ. Bledsoe, Alfred Jones and WIN
Musgrove appointed to superlntend the
furnishing OF the bouse. W. d. and
-
Hannah wainwright received by letter
from Paris, Ky"
In December, 1913, an effort wa
made to secure the services of Bro. T..
n. Games a portion of his time. The
effort was successful, and one-tourth OF
his time was secured for the year. A.
this meeting, after deliberate consider
alton, it was agreed ''that the deacons,
by virtue of their Office, have the care
of the meeting house, and are therefore
authorized to appoint a suitable person
for sexton, and to pay him out of the
funds of the church." AT this meeting
DR.. j. G. Chinn proposed ''that an ad
valorem tax be laid on the property OF
the members, which will be sufficient
to cover the expenses of the church ="
The motion was discussed by DR..
Chiuu and Alfred Jones in the affirma-
tive, and by Levi Van Camp in the
negative. The mater was dropped for
awhile, but waS again brought before
the church on the Goth OF Janua,y ,
1874. DR.. Chinn submitted in wiring
the following questions: Flrs;-"Do
the scriptures teach that it is u duty
to support those who preach the
gospcl?' This was settled by u unau-
imous vote in the affirmative. Second
"For the purpose of raising money for
said support, do the scriptures teach
that all should give agreeable to their
abilityP' This question was also set
He'd by u unanimous vote IN the AFFIRM
alive. Two days later, on Monday,
January %, 1914, the following prop
osltion was submitted and unanimously
agreed to; at is agreed that for the
support of the Lords house, including