Presbyterian Church 1826

This letter, requesting a French-speaking minister for Vevay, contains details about early Vevay, and commentary about the use of French in the city. There is a question as to whether the date is 1826, as shown on the title page, or 1829, as shown in three places in the printed letter.

Minutes of the Presbyterian Church of the United States With A. D. 1826. Vol. Vi. Philadelphia: Printed by Jesper Harding.1829

LETTER IV.
To the Reverend St. Pilot Joly, Pastor of the French Walloon Church of Frankfort en the Maine, and the Committee appointed to promote the preaching of the Gospel in Vevay, tic.

Dear Brethren in Christ,
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, in the United States of America, received your kind letter, dated Morges, Feb. 3d, 1829, with great satisfaction; and we now hasten to inform you, that Vevay is a post-town in Switzerland county, in the state of Indiana, and is pleasantly situated on the river Ohio. The town contains about two hundred dwelling houses, a court-house, a jail, a printing-office, a library of three hundred volumes, a Sabbath school, and the means of affording the rising generation a common education. The inhabitants, in general were, as you know, emigrants from Switzerland; and their vineyards, which are the chief source of their wealth, lie at the distance of half a mile from the town.

In our country, the civil law neither licenses nor restrains any one from preaching to all who are willing to hear him. The religion of Jesus Christ is supported only by the power of the truth, and the omnipotent grace of its divine author. This will account to you for the fact, that some religious meetings give occasion for, "ridiculous details" of occurrences; for some travelling preachers of some denominations, are both ignorant and extravagant; and until the people of Vevay have some well-informed, pious, stated preacher, it may be expected that they will not unfrequently hear declaimers of little worth. In the town of Vevay, during the past winter, a Presbyterian Church was organized; which is under the care of the Presbytery of Cincinnati. The church, however, has no Pastor, but is visited at intervals by regularly ordained Presbyterian Ministers, who preach in purity the Gospel of the great God our Saviour, Jesus Christ. On these Ministers of the Gospel, during their temporary visits, the inhabitants generally attend; but until they enjoy the stated ministrations of some able and faithful pastor, we cannot expect the young people to be instructed in the truths of the Bible; nor the vicious to be converted from their evil ways; nor the few truly pious people in the place to shine as lights in the world, with a divine brilliancy.

A large portion of the Swiss inhabitants of Vevay can understand the English language, in which the Gospel is preached by the members of the Presbytery of Cincinnati ; but it would be of immense service for the pastor who may be settled with them, at some future time, to be able to speak French ; and such a pastor we think it probable that the Presbyterian Church will be able to furnish them with in less than a year. The inhabitants of Vevay would be able and willing, we think, to contribute in money and provisions, about two hundred and fifty dollars a year, towards the support of a pastor; and he would be obliged for his maintenance to receive an equal sum from some other source.

The pious, influential laymen in Vevay and its vicinity are few. Dear Brethren of the Committee, we rejoice that God has put it into your hearts to seek the salvation of your countrymen, our fellow-citizens, on the banks of the Ohio and we will strive together with you for their everlasting good.

Any communication which you may make to us, through our Stated Clerk, at Philadelphia, will be received with fraternal love.We wish you, and the people of God in Switzerland whom you represent, the richest blessing of our common Lord and Redeemer.

In the name, and by order of the General Assembly,

B. H Rice, Moderator.
John M'Dowell, Permanent Clerk.
Philadelphia, June lst, 1829.