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"That we request those Associations corresponding
with us, and also others who advocate slavery as a
right, to seriously consider whether they ought not
to drop such correspondence in order to the keeping
up of a harmonious christian correspondence with us."
In 1871 one of the churches was considerably de-
moralized by the heresy of "Soul sleeping." But a
wise committee was sent to the church to talk the mat-
ter over, with the result that it came back into full co-
operation with the Association.
This was found in a quarterly paper of the Home
Mission Society in 1838:
"Madison is a flourishing town on the banks of the
beautiful Ohio, and is destined to become a place of
no inferior commercial importance. One year ago in
November last, by our advice, Brother Reuben Morey
went there, found a small Baptist church divided into
three fragments--the mission, the anti-mission and the
Campbellite Baptists. With our promise of help he
preached for them three months, when on account of
their dissensions he announced his intention of leaving
them. Contrary to expectation all parties were anxious
for his continuance, and so far laid aside the differ-
ences as to join in his support. This was the state
of the church, and of course to all foreign operations,
it was no better than dead and plucked up by the roots.
They applied to the Home Mission society for $150.00,
which was granted, they raising $250.00. . . . .
During the year now past they have raised by a society
among themselves $70.00 for their State Convention,
$81.00 for the Burman Bible, and $7.00 at a monthly
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concert; by collections during a sermon of the State
Convention they raised $40.00 for the cause in Indiana,
and $40.00 for foreign missions of which we will sup-
pose that one-quarter was contributed by the church--
that is, $20.00; by collection of Brother Bennett for
foreign missions $20.00--in all, $198.00 for objects
without themselves. Seventeen had been baptized and
nineteen added by letter. 'There has been,' Mr. Morey
adds, 'we hope, a gradual and constant increase of
union and brotherly love among the members and an
increasing disposition to come up to every good work.'
Brother Morey must have been a good missionary."
The largest aggregate membership of the Associa-
tion was reached in 1844, when it was 2,179; but the
withdrawal of nine churches to form the Sand Creek
Association reduced the number. In 1905 the number
of churches was fifteen and the total membership 1,932;
in 1906 there were sixteen churches and 1,975 mem-
bers. Madison Association was rich in the large num-
ber of representative laymen and ministers it contained;
studying sketches of these we can see why the Asso-
ciation held a foremost place among the Associations
of the State, in all good words and works.
The first to be mentioned is that prince of laymen--
the Hen. Milton Stapp. He was born in Kentucky in
1793; as a young man he enlisted in the regiment com-
manded by Colonel Richard M. Johnson; he was in
many skirmishes with the Indians, and took part in
the battle of Thames in 1813 and was wounded by a
ball. He always regarded the scar from this wound
with a kind of pride. He came to Indiana in 1816 and
