In August, 1808 he and his wife were baptized by William Summers, and they immediately united with the Baptist Church, and in the latter part of the same year he began to preach. This was long before the current Reformation was heard of by the inhabitants of the West. He was, therefore among the very first to break the stillness of Indiana’s forest with the glad tidings of salvation. In January, 1810, he moved to Blue River, four miles south of Salem, and was shortly afterwards joined by his father, where they organized a congregation of Free-Will Baptists. They exerted great influence in behalf of Christianity, and it was not long until they had organized ten Baptist Churches which they organized into what was called Blue River Association.
From the very first, John Wright was of the opinion that all human creeds were heretical and schismatical, and in that region there has not come after him a more persistent contender for the word of God as the only and all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. He labored to destroy all divisions and promote union among all professed followers of the Lord; and in this difficult and most important service he was very successful. Though at first he tolerated the name Baptist, he afterwards waged a war of extermination against all party names. This war was declared in the year 1819, when he offered at the church at Blue River a resolution in favor of discarding all party names. As individuals, he contended that they should be called “friends,” “disciples,” “brethren,” “saints,” “Christians;” and, as a body, “Church of Christ,” or “Church of God.” He opposed the term “Christian” as applied to the church, because it is not so applied in the writings of the apostles.
The resolution was adopted, and, having agreed, also, to lay aside their speculative opinions and contradictory theories, they were prepared to plead consistently for Christian union, and to invite others to stand with them upon the one broad and sure foundation. They then began in earnest the work of reformation, and with such success that by the year 1821 there was not a Baptist Church in all that region.
About this time a spirited controversy over the subject of Trine Immersion was being waged among the Tunkers, of whom there were fifteen congregations in that section of country. The leading spirits in opposition to that doctrine were Abram Kern, of Indiana, and Peter Hon, of Kentucky. At first they contended against great odds, but so many of their opponents finally surrendered that they finally gained a decisive victory in favor of one immersion. At the close of the contest, while both parties were exhausted by the conflict, Mr. Wright recommended to his brethren that they should send a letter to the Annual Conference of the Tunkers, proposing a union of the two bodies on the Bible alone. The letter was written and John Wright, his brother, Peter, and several others, were appointed as messengers to convey it to the conference and there advocate the measures it proposed. So successful was the effort that at the first meeting the union was permanently formed.
About the same time Mr. Wright proposed a correspondence with the Newlights, for the purpose of forming with them a more perfect union. He was appointed to conduct the correspondence on the part of his brethren, which he did with so much ability and discretion, that a joint meeting was assembled at Edinburg, where the union was readily consummated.
A few years subsequent to this, the work of reformation began to progress rapidly among the Regular Baptists of the Silver Creek Association. This was directly through the influence of Absolom and J. T. Littell, and Mordecai Cole, the leading spirits of that locality. Through their teaching hundreds of individuals and some whole churches renounced all human creeds and boldly took a stand on the Bible alone. But still there was a shyness existing between them and those who had done the same thing under the labors of Mr. Wright. The former having held Calvinistic opinions, stood aloof through fear of being called Arians; while the latter feared to make any advances lest they should be stigmatized as “Campbellites.” Thus the two parties stood when Mr. Wright became their mediator communicating the sentiments of each to the other. By this means it was soon ascertained that they were all endeavoring to preach and practice the same thing. The only important difference between them was in regard to the design of baptism, and on this point Mr. Wright yielded as soon as he was convinced of his error. This move resulted in the permanent union of these two large and influential bodies of believers. In consequence of this effort at peace making, more than three thousand united in the bonds of peace, agreeing to stand together on the one foundation and to forget all minor differences in their devotion to the great interests of the Redeemer’s kingdom. This was the greatest achievement of Mr. Wright’s long and eventful life; and he deserves to be held in high esteem for his love of truth, for his moral courage in carrying out his convictions of right, and for the meek and affectionate spirit which gave him such power in leading people out of sectarianism and uniting them together in the bonds of love in Christ Jesus.
HERMAN CHRISTIAN DASHER
The parents of Herman Christian Dasher came to this country from Salzburg, Germany, to escape the persecution of the Roman Catholic Church, and located near Savannah, Georgia. They were Lutherans and had Herman christened in infancy and brought up in that faith. When he arrived at manhood and began to be impressed with the importance of uniting with a church, and of living the Christian life, he was deeply perplexed by the existence, and by the proclaiming of so many contradictory doctrines. Fortunately, instead of becoming an infidel, as so many do under like circumstances, he turned to the Holy Scriptures for light. He soon became thoroughly convinced that immersion is baptism, and that affusion is not, and that therefore he ought to be immersed.
He could not cast his lot with the Baptists, as he could not tell an experience of grace which they required, for he had seen no marvelous light, neither had he heard any marvelous sounds. He was by no means convinced “that God had for Christ’s sake forgiven his sins,” though he did not then understand the doctrine of baptism for remission of sins, as he afterwards did; nor did he think that God demanded any such experience as a prerequisite to baptism and church membership. But he desired most earnestly to become a Christian, believing in his heart that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God, the Savior of sinners.
This brought before him a new difficulty, for within the whole range of his acquaintance, there was not one who would immerse him on a simple confession of his faith in Christ. All demanded that he should profess to have a miraculous and mysterious work of the Holy Spirit within him, in taking away his heart of stone and giving him a heart of flesh.