In relating the death of Dr. A. J. Davis, a very distinguished pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian congregation in Memphis, who died of yellow fever in 1869, we gave an account of the funeral service in the very large auditorium of the church building. He died Saturday evening. Brother Graves, at my request, was present during the sainted believer's last struggle. He lived on the same street, which, indeed, was the center of the infected district -- the finest street in the city.
We, as before said, the ministers held a meeting Sunday morning -- those still remaining in the city. They resolved that the services in all their church-houses should be suspended, and all the congregation attend Dr. Davis' funeral. Dr. Steadman of the "First Presbyterian Church," was selected to conduct the services, and the writer (who was not present at the meeting) chosen by the request of the elders of he church, to preach or speak as I might select.
Notice was given of this arrangement at all the Sunday schools. The house was crowded. Some ten ministers sat on the spacious platform. Dr. Steadman, whose sight was defective, asked me if there were any other ministers in the house. Dr. Graves had just entered with his wife and was seated quite near the pulpit.
"Yes," I replied, "Dr. J. R. Graves is here."
"Well, I shall not invite him to a place on the platform."
"Why not, Dr. Steadman?"
"Well," he replied somewhat tartly, "I have been given the charge of these devotional exercises you are to preach or speak. Graves does not acknowledge us as ministers, I cannot invite [him], that's all."
"But he recognizes you as a brother in Christ for all that, and so he recognized Dr. Davis."
I said no more. But while a hymn was being sung and a solemn worshipful sadness was evident throughout the large assembly -- another pedobaptist entered. "There is Dr. _______," I whispered to Steadman.
"You invite him forward and I will invite Graves. You are right, he recognizes us as teachers in Christ."
SHUTTING OFF THE GAS. But, as Shakespeare says, hereunto hangs a tale. Some ten years before this there was a meeting of Baptists in Memphis to organize a "Sunday School Union." Graves and Dayton were the leaders in the movement. As a matter of course those who were in accord with Graves made up the convention. It was a large and influential body. Officers were elected and [a] board of managers, and a large amount of money pledged.
The several denominations of the city ordered their meeting hours on Sunday to this Baptist gathering. T. J. Drain was the committee to appoint, and he booked some of the most acceptable of preachers -- J. J. Sledge -- afterwards of Texas -- to Dr. Steadman's First Presbyterian Church. The appointments were duly announced in the Sunday morning paper, and the house on Sunday night was full.
Sledge had two Baptist preachers with him in the pulpit. A hymn was sung, and prayer offered, when seeing Dr. Steadman on the front seat, Sledge arose and addressed him and the audience in substance as follows: --
"I have not asked you, Dr. Steadman, though pastor of this church, into the pulpit, as I do no believe in pulpit communion. I do not recognize you as baptized, and therefore cannot indorse your ministerial character. I hope the audience will understand this.
Steadman, as the papers state, never moved, but the people were evidently stirred. Whispers were heard through the audience; and as the organ struck up the prelude to the second hymn, some mischievous person stepped out in the lobby and turned off the gas. The body of the house was in darkness, while a faint light from the organ loft alone permitted the people to grope their way out, for all attempts to turn on the gas was pronounced a failure.
As a matter of course the morning papers had an account of it under glowing head lines, and the Baptist came in for a full share of abuse.
The session of the Sunday School Union met on time in the First Baptist Church. Resolutions were at once introduced disavowing all responsibility for Bro. Sledge and mildly condemning his unnecessary statement, but at the same time denouncing the action of the Presbyterian in stopping the meeting because the brethren dared to [p]resent his statement.
The editor was at the time editor of the Western Recorder and condemning the imprudent, uncalled-for, and indeed reckless course of Bro. Sledge, exonerated J. R. Graves, Pendleton and Dayton from all responsibility for the conduct of their extreme and enthusiastic followers.
However, Dr. Steadman had not forgotten it. Some twelve years had passed with all their sad suffering lessons. He sternly declined to invite Graves into the pulpit on the occasion of the funeral, but the words "He recognizes you as a brother in Christ," seemed to touch the old man's heart and he did invite him and asked him to offer the closing prayer.
Note: Absence at the Southern Baptist Convention and also at [a] Louisville gathering, and at the Kentucky General Assembly, have prevented us from writing out the regular chapter here in this episode. -- SHF
============ [From Ford's Christian Repository and Home Circle, July, 1900, pages 425-427. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
Chapter 11
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