USA > Maryland > Clergy in Maryland of the Protestant Episcopal Church since the independence of 1783 > Part 9
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Of those who died in Maryland, who became Clergymen here after 1783, we turn in review first to those who were ordained in or for Maryland. Of these, was the Rev. Colin Ferguson, D. D., the first one ordained in the United States-the successor of Dr. Wm. Smith, in the Presidency of Washington College, who presided over that Institution with so much honor to it, as well as to himself, and the learned and profound Samuel Armer, one of the Pro- fessors there. Then there was William Duke, the learned, untiring and self- made scholar, the Professor in St. John's College and Principal of Charlotte Hall, not to speak of his Parishes-so faithful to his Evangelical faith- Preacher to the Convention-often in the Standing Committee, and selected by Bishop Claggett to have charge under him of the Church then planted in Kentucky-the author of published volumes in Defence of Christianity, on Maryland History and of Poetry-living on to the age of 86. And Dent too, the Soldier Captain of the Revolution, and afterwards the no less faithful Soldier of the Cross. These were ordained by Bishop Seabury.
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Of those ordained by Bishop White for Maryland before she had her own Episcopate, may be mentioned Compton the quiet, faithful Parish Minister ; and like him John Weems, the servant of his but one Parish, during his min- isterial life of four and thirty years. Then Coleman, their worthy compeer, the pupil and friend of Deveraux Jarratt, and publisher of his life; and Samuel Keene, Jr. the devoted Christian Pastor, and second Missionary beyond the Alleganies of 1798, whose success inspired such cheering anticipations. And Kemp too, our second Bishop, of whom this is sufficient distinction to be noted here. Young Chew and young McPherson, who were called away almost as soon as invested with their Holy Office, spreading sadness and blasting bright hopes. Bend, too, may be mentioned here, the accurate and energetic business man in the public matters of the Church, as well as Pastor to whom the Church of Maryland owes so much, but never can repay. And Ball, whose Evangelical Ministry, as testified in his published Sermon, so endeared him to all who knew or heard him.
Coming now to Bishop Claggett's Episcopate, the first to receive orders at his hands was Walter D. Addison, so mild yet so intrepid-so self and wealth- sacrificing-so St. John-like. Joseph Jackson, whose foot prints still remain in the Parishes where he ministered for any prolonged season, and whose savings formed the nucleus to the erection of St. James' College. John Allen, the learned Mathematician-Professor successively in two Colleges. Rigg, the zealous Evangelical Pastor-forward in every good work. William Murray Stone, of such impressive earnestness in the Preaching of the Word-with 500 Communicants in a Country Parish, the first fruits of his labors-the third Bishop of Maryland. Simon Wilmer, his friend and co-partner in spirit and active working. Contee, the neighbor, friend, helper, and beloved of Bishop Claggett-the Patriot of the Revolution-the Statesman in our National Coun- cils-yet untiring, if not unrivalled, in his ministerial labors. Rattoone, the Associate of Bend, and afterwards President of the College in Charleston,
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South Carolina. William H. Wilmer, the man of Christian spirit, dignity and faithfulness-so long the President of the General Convention-the President of William and Mary College, Virginia. And then Beasley, the able, stirring Sermonizer, philosophical and profound-and then Provost of the University of Pennsylvania.
And here, not to mention others, or all who might well be mentioned as worthy of being noted during the later Episcopates, we have Keith, of George- town, the translator of Hengstenberg-the learned Theological Professor-the untiring Student-the fervent Christian Minister. Henshaw, twenty-seven years Rector of St. Peter's, Baltimore-the spirit moving, eloquent and suc- cessful Preacher, and then Bishop of Rhode Island. Hawley, abandoning the bar, and ministering for conscience sake, the Gospel for many years in the Capitol of our Country. Lowe, giving up governmental service and patronage for employment in the Master's service-falling early at his post. Barry, the learned, accomplished and pious instructor of youth. Weller, the zealous Churchman, and the Church's able advocate. William Armstrong, the faithful Disciple, and beloved of his Parishes-so recently taken from us. McElheiny, energetic, able, the martyr of the Church's weal. William Jackson, early the merchant's clerk-pious without affectation, rising to the first eminence as a Preacher, Minister and man. Schroeder, the eloquent Assistant in Trinity, New York. Gray, Blanchard, Barnes, Douglass, M. Allen, James, Sitgreaves, Rice, Delaplane, Henry Crosdale, J. D. Nicholson, Williams, Beall, Gassaway, J. Ellison Van Bokkelen, Killin, all leaving their mark, and yet all called home early in their day, before its mid hour had arrived. Nor may we pass unnoticed, Fenner, the devoted Navy Chaplain; Chesley, whom to know was to love; Robert William Goldsborough, too lately taken from us, and too well known to need our eulogy; Humphreys, the dignified Christian Scholar and President of St. John's College for a quarter of a century. But why need we add to our catalogue? Of those now mentioned, twelve had received the honorary distinction of Doctor of Divinity.
Here, then, we turn to the living, once with us in this Diocese, but not now, of whom we number 147-26 only of whom are Marylanders by birth. Of this 26, Mann, of Virginia; Wheat, of Arkansas; Drane, of North Carolina; Brooke, of Ohio; Spencer, of Mississippi; Coleman, of Missouri, are all Doctors of Divinity, of whom Maryland may certainly not be ashamed. Would that a kind Providence had left them to remain and share with us our Master's work here; though doubtless they, and others also of the 20, can be illy spared by the Churches in which their lot is cast. Ask those Churches if they will let us have Bean, and Kepler, and Trapnell, and Moore, and Henshaw, and Hammond, and Kerr, and White, and Machenheimer, back again.
Of those not natives of our State, who yet, in years past, were with us in our field, of the 120 of the 147 mentioned, 26 were here but one year each, 16 but two years each, and a number of others three-too short a time for us
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to know them, or they us-too short a time to carry away any thing but an evil report, or leave for themselves an affectionate remembrance-their foot prints were made in drifting sands. But of the others, the Episcopate has taken away three-the Bishops of Ohio and of North Carolina, and the Assis- tant Bishop of Virginia, making thus seven of the Maryland Clergy to have become members of that body, besides three others who were elected to that office, but were not consecrated, and two others to whom it was publicly offered, but modestly declined. That so many should have been so selected, is most honorable to the Maryland Clergy as a body.
But still further of those who came to us, and subsequently removed from us, and are now in other fields of labor, first in date of Orders is Turner, for years in Chestertown-the learned, distinguished and venerable Professor in the General Theological Seminary; then Wheaton, subsequently President of Trinity College, Connecticut; Clay, of Hagerstown; Walker, of Chestertown; Tyng, of Prince George's; Cruse, of Washington College; Robertson, the Missionary to Greece; Stone, of Fredericktown; Jones, of Chestertown; Higbee and Colton, of Washington City; Coleman, of Cecil; Van Deusen and Winslow, of Annapolis; Lyman, of Hagerstown; S. Buell, of Cumberland ; Pendleton, of Frederick ; Clarkson, of St. James'; Morrison of St. Peter's; not to name others, all Doctors of Divinity, all well known authors, and filling high stations where they now are. Would not the Maryland Church have done well to have retained them in her borders, if she so could have done ? Ought, indeed, any Diocese in our land to hold out higher inducements, or can one show more imperative claims that her desolate waste places be built up than our own? Why then did she not retain them? Was it absence of worldly wealth, or was it a lack of proper appreciation of them individually, or as being the salt of the earth ? If he was unable to be rightly appreciated when on earth, in whom dwelt all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and was alike holy and harmless and indefatigable in doing good, his servants in his work must not wonder if they fare no better than their blessed Master- but we may not linger on this theme.
Others there indeed are, whom we might speak of here, of the class now before us, as highly esteemed while among us, of high standing in their pre- sent places of labor, whom gladly we should have retained among us; of whom, without any disparagement to others, we may mention Owen, now of Texas; Peterkin, of Richmond; Stringfellow, of Virginia; Buel, of Vermont; Miller, of Florida; Hodges, of North Carolina ; Lord and Crane, of Mississippi; but we pass on with the mere mention of one thing certainly most. favorable to us-that of the number removed from us, more than 60 have returned to us again, and met a glad welcome.
But some have left us since 1783, of whom we must speak more particularly. Of the native Maryland Clergy, one seceded to the Romanists-he was brought up a Methodist; two to the Presbyterians-they were brought up in the Church ; another trained up in it, went to the Methodists, and two others so
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trained, seceded to independency of the Church, and one trained up a Metho- dist and a Preacher, left our Ministry for the law, making seven of our native Clergy to have thus left us.
Of those who came to us from elsewhere, not natives of Maryland, one brought up a Romanist, returned to Romanism; two trained up Congrega- tionalists, became also Romanists, and one brought up a Methodist; one trained up a Presbyterian, returned to that connection; one trained up a Swede, and one trained up a Romanist, went also to the Presbyterians; one previously a Methodist Preacher, returned to being so again ; one trained up in the Church, went to the law, and one brought up a Methodist, went, it is said, into blank Atheism. Of those thus mentioned, who came from abroad to us, numbering 10, 7 had removed from the Diocese previous to their removal from the Ministry.
Of the 17 now mentioned, as we may here recapitulate, 5 seceded to Roman- ism, not one of whom was brought up in the Church; 5 to the Presbyterians, two only of whom were brought up in the Church; 2 to the Methodists, and 2 to the law, one of each of whom was brought up in the Church; and 2 brought up in the Church seceded, and became independent of any other religious body.
If these departures from our Ministry show any thing of tendencies, they show us that the tendencies to Romanism in it have been only as five to four- teen, or about one-third as great as to the other denominations of Christians; and in any point of view, not very prevalent, among our 550 Clergy, there having been led off thither in 77 years, less than one in each hundred, and no one of the five having had Church training in their childhood. Though they went out, they were not originally of us.
On the other hand, as showing somewhat the tendencies under God from without towards the Church of our love, more than 134 of her Ministers have become such from the denominations around us. Of 75 in our list, we have not learned under what name they were trained up; of the remainder, 475, 38 have come into our Ministry from the Methodists, of whom 24 were their Preachers; 40 have come in from the Congregationalists, of whom 4 or 5 were their Ministers; 30 have come in from the Presbyterians, of whom 9 were their Ministers; 7 from the Romanists, of whom 2 were Priests; 7 from the Lutherans, of whom 5 were their Preachers; 3 from the Baptists, of whom 1 was a Minister; 1 from the Swedes, and from the German Reformed, Dutch Reformed, Quakerism and Judaism, 2 each, giving us 134 out of 475, or nearly one-fourth to have come into the Ministry of the Church in Maryland from other denominations; and so well have they been received, and so well have they been satisfied, that only 10, as we have seen, have left for any other Ministerial connection. Such is the comparative tendency from without towards us, with that from within, outward-134 to 17.
But a most melancholy going out from our Ministry has been the door of intemperance, immorality or entire neglect of their office and of all religion.
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On account of one or the other of these, 10 have been displaced from the Ministry, and 3 suspended, and 8 escaped discipline by removing beyond its reach, in all 21. It is due, however, to the Maryland Ministry to say, that 15 of these cases occurred more than 50 years ago, and that in 13 of them after removal from this Diocese. That so small a number of our Clergy, 550, should have thus fallen under their peculiar circumstances, we do not hesitate to ascribe to the grace of our Covenant keeping God.
It may not be uninteresting here to see how many, and where the Clergy who have come among us, have come from, and where those who have removed are gone. To begin North of us then. From the Diocese of Maine, there have come 2; from that of Vermont, 4 have come, and to it, 4 have removed; from that of Massachusetts, including what was at one time called the Eastern Diocese, there have come 13, and to it, have removed 9; from that of Rhode Island, 6, and 6 have removed there; from that of Connecticut, 18, and 15 have removed to it; from those of New York, 48, and 43 have removed to it; from that of New Jersey, 15, and 10 have removed to it; from Pennsylvania, 55, and 54 have removed to it. Showing that while we have received from that direction 161, we have given back 141-being a gain from thence of 20. Some of these removals are two of the same person.
Looking Southward now of Mason and Dixon's Line, we have received from the Diocese of Delaware 21, and 15 have removed to it; from that of Vir- ginia, 90, and 64 have removed to it; from that of North Carolina, 11, and 6 have removed to it; from that of South Carolina, 8, and 11 have removed to it; from Georgia, 2, and 2 have removed thither; and from the Diocese of Florida, 3, and 3 have removed thither. Showing that we have received from the South 135, and given back 101-being a gain from that direction of 34.
Turning now our eye West and South-west, we have had go in that direc- tion 58, and 27 come back to us-giving there a majority of 31, which is as it should be.
It will be seen that the majorities shown us from the North and from the South are in favor of the South. But they are not all natives of the North who have either come to us from that direction or have gone thither. Nor are all natives of the South who have come from that quarter, or gone there. Numbers of Northern Clergymen come to us from the South, and of Southern Clergymen from the North. Still, so long as the Maryland Church fails to supply her own wants, and so long as the majorities shall be so nearly the same, flowing in from opposite directions, her field will be a battle ground of Northern and Southern Churchmanship.
But we are not to forget our Clergy as authors, of whom we find about 150, more than one-fourth of the whole-a surprising proportion, we think-and amusingly various, as well as highly creditable to them, are their published productions. Of those here in 1783, we have before spoken. From those subsequent to that date on our list, we have Treatises on Confirmation; on Controversy, Personal, Parochial, Diocesan, Theological; on Criticism and
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Reviews; Defenses of Christianity; Volumes of Fiction; of Family and Church Manuals; on Mathematics; of Memoirs; on Mental Philosophy; Pastoral Letters; Poetry; Scripture Criticism; Sermons; Travels; in Latin; and in Vindication of the Church.
Thus, on Confirmation, we have Wyatt, Henshaw, McIlvaine, Tyng, French and Lewin. On Controversies, Theological, Personal, Parochial and Diocesan, not here to be specified-Kewley, Wilmer, Weller, McIlvaine, J. S. Stone, Hodges and Hoff. On Criticism and Reviews, Berry, Stearns, Passmore and Coxe. Defenses of Christianity and Christian Doctrine, Duke, Beasley, McIl- vaine and C. C. Adams. Edited Volumes, by Bishops Kemp, Henshaw, McIlvaine, Whittingham, Drs. Wyatt, Weller, Colton, Tyng, Cooper, Hawley, Reynolds, K. J. Stewart, some 30 Volumes. On Fiction, Harvey Stanley, and J. J. Nicholson. Manuals, Family and Church, Wyatt, W. H. Wilmer, J. Walker, H. V. D. Johns, Butler and C. C. Adams. Mathematics, J. Allen and McJilton. Memoirs, History, etc., Duke, Coleman, Henshaw, E. Allen, Tyng, T. G. Allen, Cruse, Clay, J. S. Stone, Pinkney, Mason, Steele, Crampton, McJilton, Butler, Waylen, Passmore and Crane. Mental Philosophy, Beasley. On the Ministry, Mason. Pastoral Letters, Diocesan, all the Bishops; Paro- chial, Butler, Rich, Prescott and Harris. Poetry, Duke, McJilton, Butler, W. A. White, Winslow, Passmore, J. Collins McCabe, Gassaway, Lord and Coxe. Posthumous Works of Dr. Wm. Smith, Bishop Kemp, C. Brown and W. Jackson. Sermons in Volumes, Forman, McIlvaine, Tyng, Van Deusen and Coxe. Scripture Criticism, Turner, Keith, Wheaton and C. H. Hall. Travels, Wheaton, Tyng, Harris, Taylor and Coxe. Vindication of the Church, Kemp, Kewley, Judd, W. H. Wilmer, Weller, W. Armstrong, N. M. Jones, Major, S. Buell and Spooner, Works in Latin, A. Walker, Mason, Frost and Jones.
Periodicals, weekly and monthly, have been edited jointly or singly, by H. L. Davis, W. H. Wilmer, Keith, Hawley, E. Allen, McIlvaine, Tyng, Weller, Gray, Whittingham, Colton, Franklin, Ridgely, McJilton and Schenck. And Sermons in Pamphlets have been published by Duke, Bissett, Bend, G. Dashiell, Ball, Rigg, S. Wilmer, W. H. Wilmer, Stephens, Beasley, Turner, Wyatt, M. Johnson, Hawley, Barry, Wheaton, J. R. Walker, E. Allen, Austin, Tyng, Aydelott, Spencer, McElheiny, Schroeder, C. S. Williams, Billopp, J. T. Wheat, H. V. D. Johns, J. T. Brooke, J. S. Stone, Smallwood, Grigg, Higbee, Humphreys, C. Colton, F. D. Goodwin, Pinkney, Phillips, Keppler, Piggot, Peterkin, Mason, Quinan, T. B. Lyman, Butler, McJilton, French, S. Buell, D. H. Buell, Kerfoot, Trevett, Gassaway, Leakin, Pyne, Martin, Nelson, Pendleton, Sweet, Tracy, J. J. Nicholson, Sargeant, Lord, Swope, D. Kerr, Colhoun, Crane, Franklin, Webb, Morrison, Rankin, Coxe, Spooner, J. D. McCabe, J. C. McCabe, Mccullough, C. C. Adams, C. H. Hall, Arnett, Davenport, Morsell, Beckwith, Spear, Schenck; of which, with those of Bishops Kemp, Stone, McIlvaine, Whittingham, Johns, Hen- shaw and Atkinson, I have about 300-besides Pamphlets, other than Ser- mons. Pamphlets on various subjects were published by G. Aisquith, Brady, Bolton, W. J. Clarke, A. Dashiell, H. B. Goodwin, Giddinge, J. Jackson, N. M. Jones, B. Judd, Rafferty, Stearns, Trapnell, Jr., Todd, Van Bokkelen, M. L. Weems. W. Douglass, (colored,) a Volume of Sermons.
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To turn now to another department occupied by our Clergy. There have been, or now are, Presidents of Colleges in nine different States, Dr. William Smith, Dr. Ferguson, Dr. Rattoone, Dr. Andrews, Dr. Davis, Dr. Wilmer, Dr. Beasley, Mr. Cooper, Dr. Wheaton, Dr. Rafferty, Dr. B. Judd, Dr. Ayde- lott, Dr. Williams, Dr. Drane, Dr. Humphreys, Dr. Colton, Dr. Kerfoot, Mr. Lewin, Mr. Van Bokkelen, Dr. Dalrymple and Dr. Nelson. Besides these, 20 have been Professors in Colleges, 6 Professors in Theological Seminaries, and 6 or 7 Principals of Charlotte Hall School. Showing, certainly, the high literary and scientific attainments, as well as Theological, of not a few of our Ministry.
To recur again to the number of deaths among the Clergy. Of the 550, whose names are on our record, 224 have left us for the other world. Of this number, 111 died after their removal to other places, in the Church-leaving but 113 to have died within this Diocese, during the 77 years of our existence as an independent Church, separate from the jurisdiction of the Church of England. During the nine years between that event and the Episcopate of Bishop Claggett, when the annual average of the number of Clergymen was 37, there were 22 deaths-being 2} each year. Indeed, in 1784 and 1785, the deaths were 9.
During Bishop Claggett's Episcopate of 24 years, the deaths of the Clergy in the Diocese were 37, being more than 1} to each year. The annual average of the number of Clergy was only 35. In 1800 and 1810, there were 4 deaths in each year, and in 1813, six.
During Bishop Kemp's Episcopate of 11 years, the number of Clergy dying in the Diocese was but 11-being 1 to each year, and yet the annual average number of the Clergy was 46.
During the two vacancies and Bishop Stone's Episcopate, being about 13 years, the number of deaths among the Clergy was 25, nearly two to each year-now the annual average number was 64; 7 of these died in 1840.
Since the present Episcopate commenced, there has been only 17 deaths in the 20 years-not one a year, and the annual average number has been 116. Of the 17 deaths, only 4 have taken place from among the Clergy who have come into the Ministry here since 1840, whether by ordination or removal.
The average of deaths during the first Episcopate would have given the number of deaths during the second, 18 in number, but it was only 11. The same average in the third period would give but 23-the actual number we have seen was 25-so that the average of this period was greater than that of Bishop Claggett's; while the same average under the present Episcopate would be more than 90! but it has only been 17. This is a marvellous Providence, and calls for the most unfeigned thanksgiving. And it is a startling fact, that during the vacancies in the Episcopate, the average number has been not 1}, that of the first Episcopate, but 2}. In the vacancies of 15 years, the deaths among the Clergy were 37.
The ages at which those who are dead have left this world, is not a mere matter of curiosity. But of the more than 220 who are dead, we have been
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able to ascertain the ages of only about 90. Of this number, 17 died at 70 and upwards; 1 at 82; 1 at 83; 1 at 90; 1 at 93, and 1 at 96. On the other hand, 17 died under 40; 1 died at the age of 30; 2 at 29; 2 at 28; 1 at 26; 1 at 25; and 1 at 24. Near 60 died between the ages of 40 and 70-the far larger number at 50 and upwards.
Under the Ministry at which we have now been looking, while the number has increased from 38, which was the whole number, as we have seen, in 1783, to upwards of 166, the Parishes have increased from 47 to 132, and the places of Worship from about 75 to 182, and the number of Communicants from 1500, as computed, to more than 10,500.
To show something of the progressive increase, it will be seen that in 1783 the Parishes were 47, the places of Worship 75, and the Clergy 38-the Com- municants had not been reported. From that period to the commencement of Bishop Claggett's Episcopate, a space of 9 years, there had been no increase of Parishes or places of Worship, but the number of the Clergy was larger by three.
During Bishop Claggett's Episcopate of 24 years, reaching to 1816, the Parishes and separate organizations were increased 15, being then 62-the places of Worship 12, being 87; but the number of the Clergy had decreased 11-many of the old Clergy had died-indeed, since 1783, about 60 Clergy- men had died in Maryland, and the meagre and uncertain support of the Ministry, together with the march of Methodism on the one hand, and French infidelity on the other, hindered all the vacancies which death made from being filled. Still, there stood the promise, "I will build my Church, and the gates of the unseen world shall not prevail against it." The Communicants were now ascertained to be about 2,200.
Bishop Kemp's Episcopate ended in 1827, reaching over a period of 11 years. At this time, the Parishes, in which I include the organization of separate and independent Churches, had increased 8, making the number 70; the places of Worship 7, making 94; the Clergy 23, making 53; and the Communicants upwards of 1300, giving a total of more than 3,500.
In the following 13 years, which includes Bishop Stone's Episcopate, and the vacancies preceding and following it, which covered about 6 of the 13 years, the number of Parishes was increased by 8, being 78; the places of Worship 12, being 106; the Clergy 17, being 70; and Communicants by 450, there being now somewhat less than 4,000.
Such were the numbers at the commencement of the present Episcopate, in the fall of 1840, not yet 20 years since. Since that time, the Parishes have increased 55, being now 133; the places of Worship 76, being now 182; the Clergy 96, numbering now 166; the Communicants more than 6,000, there being at the last Convention near 10,600.
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