USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Rockaway > A Brief history of the church at Rockaway, New Jersey : with the manual, confession, and covenant of the said church, and a list of the officers and members > Part 1
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GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02998 2516
Gc 974.902 R59b
A Brief history of the church at Rockaway, New
.
S
GIEN
3077 (Rochausey)
A
BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE
CHURCH AT ROCKAWAY,
NEW - JERSEY ;
WITH
THE MANUAL, CONFESSION, AND COVENANT
OF THE SAID CHURCH ;
AND
A LIST OF THE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS.
PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OF THE SESSION.
NEWARK : PRINTED BY UZAL J. TUTTLE & CO. 1833.
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46301-2270
A BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE
CHURCH AT ROCKAWAY, IN NEW JERSEY.
MUCH useful information is lost to the church and to the world for want of a record of the early settlement and progress of the churches. The many difficulties and prejudices of sec- tarianism in all new settlements, tend greatly to impede the progress of true piety, and much that might be gained by united effort and pious instead of party zeal, is lost by a desire to promote particular tenets instead of the religion of our Sa- viour, " which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercies and good fruits," &c.
The Presbyterian church at Rockaway may be said to have been founded about the year 1766, although the first meeting- house (of wood) was raised in September, 1752. The building was the united effort of many denominations, and considerable sums were given by other congregations. The pious Colonel Jacob Ford, sen. of Morristown, gave one hundred pounds. The house was enclosed and benches placed on the ground floor, and divine service held in it in that situation until 1768, when the pulpit and seats below stairs were built. In this situation the house remained until the year 1794, when it was ceiled and the galleries made and seated, as it remained until the new meeting-house was finished as it now is of brick, and dedicated on the sixth day of September, 1832.
The first written record of the parish, wherein they appear to be taking a name, and assuming a denomination, is dated December 23d, 1766, when it was voted "to appoint a com-
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mittee to sign an article of agreement to join with Parsippany in calling and settling a Presbyterian minister to preach, or settle, for both parishes jointly."
On the 2nd of March, 1767, the parish met to consider of and give Mr. James Tuttle a call as a candidate to preach at Rockaway and Parsippany, when it was voted to give Mr. Tuttle a call ; and accordingly at a parish meeting on 11th of May, 1767, held for that purpose, a committee was appointed to sign the call for Mr. James Tuttle to settle with Rockaway and Parsippany ; and Deacon David Beeman was appointed to go to presbytery, carry the call, and obtain an answer.
In April, 1768, the Rev. James Tuttle was ordained at Par- sippany as minister for that congregation and Rockaway. This was the first settled and ordained minister in Rockaway. Mr. David Beeman was appointed chorister, and Mr. Jacob Alling- ton to read the psalm. It appears that sixty pounds was the sum named for the minister's salary ; this for one half the time was equal to one hundred and sixty dollars a year.
In October, 1770, owing to the continued illness of Rev. Mr. Tuttle, the parish voted to sue for a dismission from the Rev. Mr. Tuttle when the presbytery should sit, and a petition was signed accordingly : but on the 9th of April, 1771, the de- cease of the Rev. Mr. Tuttle having taken place, the parish voted "to present a petition to the Rev. presbytery for them to send a candidate if they can, if not, to grant the parish liberty to hire a minister that shall be judged of good standing by some persons that they shall appoint."*
In January, 1772, a contract was made with the Rev. Mr. Simson to preach for eighty-five pounds, light money, a year, and have the use of the parsonage. April Ist, 1772, appointed Jacob Ford, jun. a committee to carry the petition of the parish to the presbytery at Trenton, and voted "to give Mr. Simson twenty-six shillings for every Sabbath he has, or shall preach for us, until the meeting of presbytery in New-Brunswick." It appears Mr. Simson, having preached twelve Sabbaths at the
* By a vote of the parish 11th July, 1771, it should seem that all the pews in the meeting-house were not then built.
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meeting-house, declined the call presented to presbytery for a settlement ; and the congregation remained without a settled pastor, and renewed their application to the New-York Pres- bytery for supplies ; and on 20th April, 1773, it was voted at a parish meeting to send Mr. Isaac Sargeant to New-England for a minister ; but in May, 1773, the vote to send to New- England for a minister was rescinded, and a request made to presbytery for supplies. A list of the names of the ministers who preached as supplies is given to preserve names of the then presbytery-viz. : Rev. Mr. Murdock, Rev. Thomas Lewis, Rev. Timothy Jones, Rev. Jacob Green, Rev. Mr. Clow, Rev. Mr. Burnet, Rev. Mr. Lyon, and Rev. J. Grover.
In September, 1773, the congregation at Parsippany made a request to the congregation at Rockaway to join them again in obtaining a settled minister ; but their offer was declined, and the parish voted to request presbytery to send them a can- didate for settlement or supplies as before.
The first record in regard to the grave-yard was made at this time. David Beeman was to take charge of it, and direct persons where to bury their dead.
In May 1774, the parish made out a call for the Rev. Matthias Burnet, which was presented to the presbytery, then sitting at Elizabethtown, in which they state the society consists of one hundred families, who have raised, and offer him for his sup- port, one hundred pounds (two hundred and sixty-six dollars) annually, with the parsonage with one hundred acres of land, with a house thereon in decent order, and to find him his fire- wood at the door.
The Rev. Mr. Burnet took six months to consider of the call, and then declined accepting it. From this time until 17th March, 1775, the parish received supplies from presbytery, and part of the time hired the Rev. Joseph Grover as a candidate, who afterwards was settled at Parsippany ; after which the parish voted to invite a Dutch minister from Hackensack for a short season ; when Mr. Derondy, a minister of the Reformed Dutch church, supplied the pulpit for seventeen sabbaths ; after which, on the 12th April, 1779, the parish hired the Rev. Mr. Noble Everett as a candidate for six months, with a view to settlement, but which he afterwards declined.
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During this period of the revolutionary war, for the most part of the time, the congregation was supplied by presbytery. No church records or session book having been kept, no records can be referred to, to state the increase of the church. There is occasionally mention made in the parish records of the num- ber of baptisms of infants, but nothing in relation to the progress of religion. The names of particular individuals as officers in the church, occur in the records, but the number of the members or other matter relating to the church proper cannotnow be known.
The Rev. Mr. John Joline (as appears by the records in April, 1779,) had preached as a candidate for six months ; but for reasons not stated, no settlement took place, and the Rev. Mr. Derondy was engaged again in November, 1779, and continued through the winter following until April, 1780.
In May, 1780, an effort was again made to obtain a candi- date from New-England through Mr. Chapman, then minister at Orange. No record appears of the success of this applica- tion ; but in August, 1780, the Rev. Lemuel Fordham was engaged for a short season, and then a Mr. Gilbert was engaged for several Sabbaths as a candidate for settlement, and in Octo- ber, 1780, a petition was made to presbytery for the Rev. Mr. Fordham to be appointed as a probationer with a view to settlement.
In May, 1781, the parish voted to petition presbytery that Mr. Fordham be continued as a candidate for the space of six months ensuing ; and it was further voted that the Rev. Mr. Fordham be permitted to preach the same sermons at Rocka- way that he preaches at Suckasunna, as he may think proper ; from which it is inferred that Mr. Fordham preached but half the time at Rockaway during these six months.
A great depreciation of the currency of the state having taken place, the parish agreed to pay fifty pounds in produce, to pay the salary, to wit : iron at twenty-four shillings per cwt. wheat at six shillings per bushel, rye and corn at four shillings, or in money as much as would purchase those articles.
From October, 1781, to April, 1784, the Rev. Mr. Fordham was a stated supply for one half the time at fifty pounds a year ; and in April, 1784, the Rev. David Baldwin, who formerly was a preacher at Blackriver in Morris county, accepted a
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call and was installed over the congregation, with a salary of eighty pounds a year, the use of the parsonage, and firewood found him at the door .*
That part of divine service pertaining to the singing of psalms, and what version of the psalms should be used in worship, having made great uneasiness and great inquietude, in April, 1786, it was voted to appoint four choristers to set the tunes : " that Benjamin Jackson, Francis M'Carty, and Jacob Lyon be appointed choristers, that they sing in the afternoon without reading the psalm line by line, and David Beeman to sing the forepart of the day, unless otherwise agreed on by Mr. Bee- man and the other choristers; and that they sing any tunes that are sung in the neighboring churches as they shall judge proper."
At a parish meeting held on 14th February, 1787, the Rev. Mr. Baldwin made a proposition to the parish, viz .: " the parish to give him one hundred pounds in cash, to assist in purcha- sing him a small settlement ; and that he would relinquish twenty pound's a year of his salary, and thus have only sixty pounds a year with the use of the parsonage and firewood as usual."
This proposition of Mr. Baldwin's was agreed to, and at the same time the parish agreed to incorporate themselves agree- ably to an Act of Assembly, passed March 16th, 1786.
On the 6th March, 1787, the parish met according to appoint- ment and proceeded to elect their first Board of Trustees ; when " William Winds, Stephen Jackson, Abraham Kitchell, Benjamin Beach, Job Allen, David Beeman, and David Baker were elected ; who accepted the appointment, and do cal themselves by the name of the First Presbyterian Congregation at Rockaway, in the county of Morris. A certificate of which, under the hand and seal of the clerk of the court of the county of Morris is dated 22nd March, 1787.
* Rev. Mr. Baldwin was connected with the Morris County Presbytery we lost our standing in the New-York Presbytery while he was our minister, and after Mr. Carle left the parish, had some difficulties about church govern- ment.
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April, 1789, some further difficulty having arisen respecting the singing in church, it was voted at a parish meeting to have the psalm read line by line, or by two lines, in singing in future, except on particular occasions.
On 17th June, 1789, at a parish meeting, Mr. William Ross, having served the parish as an elder of the church for several years, desired to resign his office as an elder of the church. The parish accepted of his resignation, with their thanks for his services.
This fact is mentioned to show that the method of electing officers of the church must have been by the parish and not by the church only. Mr. David Beeman, at the same time, re- signed his office of elder and chorister for the parish, when a like vote of thanks was given.
In July, 1789, at a parish meeting, the Rev. Mr. Baldwin re- quested the parish to express their views on his appointment by presbytery to preach among vacant congregations, to which the parish unanimously assented. This is the first intimation of a missionary step, which in later times has been so successful in spreading the gospel, and no doubt has the promise of God with it to the end of the world.
January 4th, 1792, at a parish meeting, a proposition of the Rev. Mr. Baldwin was presented to the parish, expressing his willingness to be dismissed, or to be continued as the parish might think proper. Whereupon it was voted to pay up Mr. Baldwin's salary to the first of June, 1792, and after that time the parish consider Mr. Baldwin under no further obligation to them, nor the parish to Mr. Baldwin ; and that Mr. Baldwin have liberty to make engagements at his pleasure.
From what can be gathered from the records, and the re- collections of those now living, the church must have been in a low state. The attendance on the Sabbath did scarcely num- ber thirty of all persons, and many times not more than half that number, but a hope of better times brightened upon the congregation. Some few were left who prayed, and perhaps in proportion, as many as Elijah were astonished to hear prayed. The Lord put it into the hearts of the people to bestir them- selves, and to rebuild the tabernacle of the Lord. Accordingly we find on the 14th May, 1792, at a parish meeting, the pious
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and devotedly good old minister, Mr. Baldwin, paid off to his satisfaction, with his prayers and benediction on the people that God had once placed him over; and thereupon it was voted to apply to Mr. John J. Carle to supply us as a candi- date. Thirty-five for it, and one against it.
The mode of singing was again adjusted by the appointment of Benjamin Jackson, Russel Davis, and Daniel Hurd as cho- risters, and that they act discretionary when to sing without reading the lines.
On 18th June, 1792, it was voted unanimously, (sixty-five present) to present a call to the next New-York presbytery for Mr. John J. Carle for a settlement ; which was accordingly presented and accepted ; and in January, 1793, Mr. Carle was ordained and installed pastor over the church and congregation. This was the first ordination witnessed at Rockaway ; the meet- ing-house being then without gallery or walls; and having stood about forty years, and many efforts had been made to have a settled minister. After the death of the Rev. Mr. Tuttle, a new state of things occurred. A regular session of the church was formed, and although no list of its members appears entire, yet a few were found ready to come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty ; and the five years ministry of Mr. Carle added quite a goodly number to the church ; but in the wise providence of God, we were again, in the spring of 1801, deprived of the stated ordinances of the gospel. The Rev. Mr. Carle asked and obtained a dismission from the parish, and the parish became (as it truly was) like sheep without a shepherd. Part of the time with supplies from pres- bytery, and part of the time with preachers of other and sometimes strange doctrines, until in the mercy of God we once more emerged from the dark cloud which hung over us ; and in the fall of 1808, obtained a settlement of our present beloved pastor, Rev. Barnabas King, who was ordained and installed pastor of our church and congregation on the 27th December, 1808. And under his ministration the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad, and for which we desire to bless his holy name. While we would show the great disparity of the numbers of the church in October, 1808, being then only thirty-five in all, and among them it might be
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said there was only three men that would pray in public, if they ever prayed at all ; but under a faithful and pious ministry of twenty-five years, the Lord has increased the church to the present number of three hundred and thirty-one members in regular standing.
Note .- The new meeting house at Rockaway is of brick, forty-seven by sixty feet, twenty-one feet high above the water- table ; steeple eighteen feet square, forty-two feet high, four pedestals, three feet square, with four pyramids ten feet high on each corner ; four Gothic windows in each broadside and two in the pulpit end, each one hundred and eleven lights of glass ; finished inside with galleries, ceiled, and seated in a plain, neat manner and painted white. About one year in building.
A SERMON,
DELIVERED SEP. 6th, 1832, AT THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW BRICK CHURCH,
BY REV. BARNABAS KING, PASTOR.
Haggai ii. 9.
The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts, and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
THE temple which Solomon built was very splendid, and was honored with the divine presence. But when the Israel- ites began to be assimilated to the heathen, God delivered them into the hands of their enemies. He even suffered their ene- mies to destroy their city and temple : God often scourges his own people by taking from them those privileges which they have abused.
The second temple was erected under very discouraging circumstances. When Darius gave permission to the people of Israel to return and build their temple, their means were small and their enemies were numerous. With the blessing of God, however, they succeeded. Zerubbabel, who laid the foundation, at length brought forth the headstone of the corner. When the old men, who had seen the former temple, saw that this was not so splendid, they manifested great dissatisfaction, and wept. This had a very unhappy effect on the people : it was very discouraging after all the efforts which had been made. To do away the bad impression which was thus made, Haggai was directed to address them in the following manner : "Be strong now, O Zerubbabel, and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jo- sedech, the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work, for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. According to the word that I covenanted with you,
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when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you, fear ye not. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver and the gold are mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts, and in this house will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts."
This prophecy has had a full accomplishment. The nations were afterwards wonderfully shaken: Christ, the desire of all nations, came, and his presence rendered the latter house far more glorious than the former. What were the ornaments of silver and gold compared with the presence of Emmanuel, the prince of peace ? What an interesting time was that when a multitude of the heavenly host were heard, saying, "glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." What an interesting time was that when Christ began to pour the light of truth into the minds of the Jewish doctors ? When again he drove out the traffickers from the temple, and taught the people how to obtain the true riches ? When he discovered himself as the Redeemer who had come to open the prison doors and proclaim liberty to the captives ? Those who wel- comed him in his true character, realized the fulfilment of the declaration, "in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts."
The text which had an accomplishment in the temple at Je- rusalem, we trust will have an accomplishment in this second temple erected for the worship of God in Rockaway.
It may be proper at this interesting moment, first, to take a brief view of the former house and its glory. Second, con- sider some reasons which we have to hope and pray and be- lieve that the prophecy in the text will have an accomplish- ment in regard to this latter house.
First. We are to take a brief view of the former house and its glory. Two things distinguished the former house. It was the effect of a long-continued effort of a few individuals who made important sacrifices in order to accomplish it, and much good has resulted from it. Our revolutionary struggle would
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have been far less glorious, if as a nation we had then been as numerous as we now are. Or, if when terminated, no great change for the better had been the result. The widow's mite was valuable because it was all her living, and because given with such a heart as secured the divine blessing. Such seems to have been the case with the builders of the former house, with those especially who took the leading part in the work.
It was raised A. D. 1752, and finished A. D. 1794. If we allow four years in making preparatory arrangements, as is common in new countries, we may say of it as the Jews did, " forty and six years was this temple in building."
All party names were lost in the desire of the friends of Christ to have a house for the worship of God. Help was sought and obtained from other congregations. The house was soon enclosed, the ground-floor laid, and temporary seats prepared. In this situation it remained, and was occupied as a house of worship for sixteen years. In 1768, the pulpit, pews, and seats below were built, and in 1794, twenty-six years after, it was plastered and ceiled, and the gallery made and seated. This was considered the completion of the building ; some of you remember the time. It was no doubt a joyful day, and a day of thanksgiving. It was commenced under discouraging circumstances, when the people were few in number, and ge- nerally poor in this world's goods. They struggled long and hard, but we trust with a willing heart : considering all the cir- cumstances, we may pronounce it a noble work. It was doing honor to God to cause such a building to arise among the rocks and woods and mountains : but that which rendered it par- ticularly glorious, was that the divine presence was there. The means of grace were used, and those means were blessed.
We can state but few facts in regard to the increase of the church, and the advancement of the cause of religion, during the first forty years, as no session book or church records were kept during that time. Joseph Jackson, Esq. has, however, kindly furnished me with some abstracts from the parish records, from which I am able to make the following statements.
From the time the house was raised, for fifteen years the only regular preaching must have been by supplies from the presbytery of New-York. A. D. 1767, Mr. James Tuttle
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was called to preach at Rockaway and Parsippany. The fol- lowing year he was ordained at Parsippany, and installed pastor of the two congregations. At this time Mr. David Beaman and Mr. Jacob Allington were leading members of the church, and were probably elders. In April, 1771, three years after his ordination, Rev. James Tuttle died. .
Rev. Mr. Simson preached twelve weeks as a candidate ; but having declined a call for settlement, application was made to the New-York presbytery for supplies. The same applica- tion was renewed in 1773.
In 1774, a call was made out for Rev. Matthias Burnet, but was declined. The congregation was supplied a part of the time by the presbytery, and the other part by Rev. Joseph Grover, the Rev. Mr. Derondy of the Dutch Reformed church, and the Rev. Mr. Joline, until 1780. During this year an effort was made to get a candidate from New-England, then to ob- tain a Mr. Gilbert, who preached a short time, and finally to get Mr. Lemuel Fordham as a probationer with a view to set- tlement. Though Mr. Fordham declined the call, he preached at Rockaway and Suckasunna alternately for some time.
In April, 1784, Rev. David Baldwin, who formerly preached at Black River, was installed over the congregation. Mr. Bald- win continued the pastor for about eight years. He had the reputation of being a good man, and no doubt was instrumen- tal in doing much good. But his efforts to promote the cause of Christ were probably much hindered by an unhappy differ- ence which existed in the congregation in regard to singing. We look on this with astonishment, and are ready to say, " what is the chaff to the wheat ?" Let it be a solemn warning to us, not to fall out by the way about things which are not essential.
At the time Mr. Baldwin was dismissed, the number that at- tended church was very small, about thirty. In January, 1793, Rev. Mr. Carle was ordained and installed pastor of this con- gregation. This was the first ordination witnessed in Rockaway.
Mr. Carle was a popular preacher, and was instrumental in collecting a respectable congregation ; but probably did more to promote the temporal than the spiritual interests of the church. At the commencement of his ministry, a church ses-
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sion was formed. David Beaman, John Clark, and Job Allen were chosen elders, and Mr. Beaman was at the same time appointed deacon. Afterwards William Ross, David Peer, and David Garriques were chosen elders. During Mr. Carle's ministry, a period of eight years, eleven persons were received to the communion of the church on examination ; three were received by certificate, and four were restored who were not in regular standing. In April, 1801, Mr. Carle was dismissed with a view to a settlement in Connecticut.
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