Rev. William Davidson
The Associate Reformed Church in Hamilton might have esteemed itself fortunate in its pastors. The Word of Life has rarely been anywhere set forth with more clearness, or its conclusions urged with more thoroughness, than by its first, or by the one who succeeded him, and whose name is at the head of this biographical notice. Their influence was not confined to their own congregations, but extended throughout the entire county, and beyond its limits.
The Rev. William Davidson was born on the 2d of October, 1817, in Brooke County, West Virginia. He received little education at schools during his early boyhood, but had the assiduous care and watchfulness of his parents, who grounded him in the most necessary portions of learning. When he had arrived at the age of thirteen he was sent away from home to Liberty, Pennsylvania, where he stayed two years. He then went to Franklin College, New Athens, Ohio, where he completed a regular collegiate course. As he was designed for the ministry he received in addition instruction form the Rev. J. O. Neal, pastor of a Church at Short Creek, Virginia. Here he spent his days and nights over the Bible, acquiring a wonderful knowledge of it, and ever after being able to quote from any portion with telling effect. The Bible and a few other explanatory works constituted the whole of his text-books.
The denomination to which Mr. Davidson belonged was the Reformed Dissenting Church, and to that body he applied for reception, being licensed by the presbytery in 1840, at a meeting held in the old "Tent Church," near the place of his nativity. To this whole denomination there had never been more than four ministers at one time, and they were scattered far apart. Few instances of societies of this size have been met with, but they are not altogether unknown. The Old Dissenters, in Scotland, were without a preacher from 1690 to 1706, although they had a number of congregations. Mr. Davidson took earnestly hold of the work which he found to do, and at once began preaching in south-western Ohio and south-eastern Indiana. His labors were not confined to churches, but he discoursed in school-houses, barns, dwellings, and in the open air, meeting with much success.
He was married on the 28th of June, 1842, in Greene County, Indiana, to Mrs. Elizabeth Reynolds, and for some time after lived near the State line between Ohio and Indiana. He had congregations at Vienna, Indiana; at College Corner, which is in both States, and at Carthage and Piqua, Ohio. To these places he rode on horseback, the farthest being fifty miles, and two of the others not less than thirty. He counted no labor too severe to reach them, and to expound the Scriptures to those who might be gathered. He frequently stopped by the way and held services in addition to those at his four regular places.
In May, 1843, he found that he was weakened by his inability to administer the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's-supper, and he returned to West Virginia so that he might be ordained. This was done by the presbytery, and he soon returned to his Churches, where he labored until the close of the year 1847. His health had not been good all of the time, and his physical strength seemed at times overtasked, but he did not desist on that account. He was a man of eloquence, and his burning, fiery words will long be remembered in these places, as well as his shining example.
In 1848 Dr. MacDill had grown weak, and determined to remove to Illinois from Hamilton. Mr. Davidson was chosen his successor, and came to this city to live in March of that year. He joined the Associate Reformed Church, leaving the Reformed Dissenting, and ever after was a preacher in the Associate Reformed and United Presbyterian Churches, the latter being the successor of the former. Dr. MacDill had served this congregation since 1816, and it was no light task to attempt to fill his place. In this, however, Mr. Davidson was successful, and the Church was never more prosperous. He toiled assiduously to strengthen the cause. No labor was too great to be undertaken for his divine Master. He did not content himself alone with his pastoral labor. He went wherever he was called. He did not refuse to visit those in sickness who when well had never listened to him, and he pronounced the solemn words of the Gospel at the grave of those who, when alive, attended no Church. The seed was sown everywhere.
He was not a mere sectarian. He labored for a union of all Christians in essentials, believing that the saving of souls was of more importance than the promulgation of creeds. Yet, on the other hand, he never uttered any of those phrases which are now so common--phrases which admit every act and every person. The kingdom of heaven was not to be attained without striving for, and its laws were firm and immutable. He compromised with no form of sin, nor did he withhold statements of his own belief because it might be unpopular. Slavery was properly characterized, even in those days before the war, when the truth could hardly be endured in pro-slavery Butler; intemperance and the use of intoxicating drinks were denounced, although this was common; nor did his tongue fail to reprove and condemn the other vices of that day and this. He gave an ardent and thorough support to the war, believing it to be the cause of Christianity. He addressed the volunteers as they were going, preaching discourses replete with the soundest patriotism, but saying nothing that was not also tinged by a deep religious feeling. It must not be disguised that the war was not popular here, but was looked upon with disfavor. He fought this tendency, and lost no opportunity of showing the monstrous ingratitude and injustice of those who supported rebel cause.
Mr. Davidson was well equipped for such a struggle, or for the work of the ministry generally. His mind ranged its knowledge systematically, and when he desired to call up any fact or to pursue a chain or reasoning founded upon that fact, it could be found at once. He spoke well extemporaneously. His arguments, although usually prepared beforehand, did not necessarily require this. The stream never ran turbidly. He had an excellent knowledge of the Scriptures; he had read and studied much besides; he was familiar with the statements of those who sought to overturn Christianity, as well as with those who explain and gloss the whole away. He was familiar with their whole armory, and feared no weapon they could draw from it. It is the modern phase of infidelity that is dreaded by the truly devout clergyman, not the ancient. Voltaire and Paine do not undermine so insidiously as Strauss, Renan, or Huxley.
He was attacked, on the 14th of February, 1873, by paralysis, recovering somewhat from it, and preaching a few times afterwards; but his bodily powers were so much lessened that he knew it was time for him to set his house in order. In February, 1874 he gave up his charge, and the pastoral relation was dissolved by the presbytery in April of that year. After that, he prepared for the final hour. In June of 1875 he was confined in-doors, dying on the 21st of July. He had been patient and considerate even in this, his last sickness.
A volume of his sermons was published in 1876 by the Western Tract Society, under the title of "Sermons on the Parables." It contained, in addition, an essay on Mr. Davidson as an orator, preacher, and pastor, by the Rev Dr. John Y. Scouller, and an excellent biographical sketch by David W. McClung, who was for many years an attendant upon his ministrations.
From A History and Biographical Cyclopædia of Butler County Ohio, With Illustrations and Sketches of its Representative Men and Pioneers, Western Biographical Publishing Company, Cincinnati Ohio, 1882.