USA > New Jersey > Cumberland County > Bridgeton > An outline history of the Presbyterian Church in West or South Jersey, from 1700 to 1865 : a discourse delivered October 3, 1865, in the First Presbyterian Church, Bridgeton, N.J. > Part 3
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Six years after the end of the war, viz., in 1789, the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church was held. Its statistics are valuable and instructive. The churches reported were four hundred and nineteen. The number of ministers-one hundred and seventy- seven-is comparatively small. The number of proba- tioners-one hundred and eleven-is relatively large.
There is a volume of significance in the fact, that after eight years of war and six years of peace, while 3
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two hundred and fifteen churches were supplied with ministers, almost an equal number, two hundred and four, were vacant.
Restricting our view to this region, we learn that in 1788-89, James Watt supplied Cape May; Andrew Hunter supplied Woodbury; George Faitoute supplied Greenwich, and these other churches are recorded vacant, viz., Fairfield, Deerfield, Pittsgrove, Penn's Neck, and Timber Creek.
We cannot depict minutely the effects of the war on each particular church, but a few prominent facts will illustrate the subject. If all the churches had suffered like that of Timber Creek, as its historian has graphi- cally described, their condition had been deplorable indeed.
Of Penn's Neck church, Colonel Johnson tells us that the Rev. Samuel Eaken was its stated preacher from 1773 until 1777, when, having rendered himself obnoxious to the Tories by his zeal in the cause of American liberty, he was compelled to withdraw .* Next to the Rev. George Whitefield, Mr. Eaken was esteemed by our old people the most eloquent minister, who had ever preached in our country. It was related of him that he was so warm a Whig that he never entered the pulpit without imploring the Lord "to teach our people how to fight, and to give them courage and perseverance to overcome their enemies." From the removal of Mr. Eaken until 1797, twenty years, the people had no regular preaching, but only occasional supplies.
Deerfield also affords an illustration of the times. How long Enoch Green labored in Egg Harbour we cannot determine, but he was called thence to settle at
# The Presbyterian, April 26, 1856.
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Deerfield, and installed 1767. He and Philip V. Fithian married daughters of Beatty. Both became chaplains in the army, and both died of camp fever or dysentery. At the battle of White Plains Mr. Fithian fought in the ranks.
John Brainerd, failing in health, was called from the Egg Harbour missions in 1777 to succeed Mr. Green in the church of Deerfield, but not installed. There he died and was buried in 1781. Two sons of Recom- pence Leake, deacon of Deerfield church, were studying for the ministry in Princeton, and were very promising young men. They also died of camp fever .*
The deaths among the ministers of our Church in this region at that period were remarkable. Just before the war, William Ramsey died in 1771; Benjamin Chestnut died 1775; Andrew Hunter died July 23, 1775; Enoch Green died Dec. 2, 1776; Philip V. Fithian died Oct. 9, 1776; Nehemiah Greenman died July 25, 1779; John Brainerd died March 18, 1781.
Had the Lord a controversy with our Zion? Why did he take away so many, who might have been pre- eminently useful in propelling or guiding our Church through those stormy times ?
The historiant of Blackwoodtown says:
" In 1776, John Brainerd preached in the church here a sermon glowing with patriotism. His text was Psalm cxliv. 1, ' Blessed be the Lord, my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.' He appealed to the people to enlist and fight for their country. The audience was deeply impressed. Tears flowed freely; stout hearts and strong wills that day resolved to join the army. Randall Morgan and his two sons ; Lazarus Pine and his sons; John Hedger ; David
* Mrs. E. Thompson.
+ Everitt's Sermon, p. 27.
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Morgan; Richard Cheesman and son, served in the war. Others, no doubt, also enlisted. Thus deprived of its main pillars, the little band, without a shepherd, be- came scattered. The old church was neglected and fell to decay." ... "By the end of the war, however, there was a sad decline in the church. Lazarus Pine, of all the leading men, was alone left. No additions were made to the church, and everything was sadly dilapi- dated; so that near the close of the last century there seems scarce a trace of a living church. The old church, now windowless and doorless, served only as a play- house for boys by day, and a stable for mules or horses by night. The old tavern . . . on the opposite corner, furnished at times a drunken rabble, that held fiendish orgies about the holy ground, and the burial place of our fathers was rooted over by running swine, and pas- tured by drovers' herds. The community had sunken to a very low depth of degradation. As an instance of that, at a tavern, not far from here, a sleighing party were holding their midnight dance, and one of their number fell down dead. Those devotees of Bacchus only stopped long enough to remove the corpse to the side of the room and cover it with a blanket, and then went on with their wild revel."
As we shudder at this picture of moral desolation, we appreciate the feelings of Nehemiah, (chapter ii.,) as he surveyed by night the broken down walls of Jerusalem. We are constrained to inquire, if none exceeded Presbyterian ministers in patriotism and love of liberty, did any other churches suffer so much the injurious consequences of war as the Presbyterian Churches ? Let us turn from the sad scene of desola- tion and seek some light to relieve the picture.
What though the arch enemy of God and man has
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for a season scattered and driven back our fleet with an overwhelming sea of destruction, there remains in that old Scotch keel, laid long ago at Timber Creek, some living material. Though seemingly a hopeless wreck, yet upon examination, it is found worthy to be repaired and rebuilt. The church, though reduced so low, was not extinct, and in 1799, it had two or three members .*
Even in those troublous times, there arose at Fairfield, walls of stone to replace the wooden structure.+ "Stone had been collected for a new building, on a new site, in 1775. But the trials and privations of the Revolution suspended the work until the year 1780, when it was resumed, and the building completed in that and the succeeding year. In the meantime, the old house had so decayed that it became necessary to remove the seats and the pulpit, and place them under the large old corner tree, where Mr. Hollinshead was accustomed to preach."
Thus during the war, stern necessity drove them to build-God in his infinite mercy rewarded their labors, and zeal, and self-denial, in building the walls in troub- lous times, by a signal revival of religion in 1780-81. The next spring, forty-eight new members were added, and the succeeding winter, forty-six more, followed by a few others-in all during these years one hundred and fifteen.
In 1788 Mr. Osborne found only one hundred and twenty-five members.#
* Blackwoodtown Church, erected in 1848, was lengthened in 1862, by an addition of twenty feet, and was reopened August 14th, when the Rev. Ben- jamin S. Everitt delivered the historical discourse, which has been quoted in the preceding pages.
In 1869, the church reports one hundred and fifty members and much prosperity.
+ Old Stone Church, Elmer, pp. 109, 110.
¿ See Elmer's Letters and History.
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After the war, we discover signs of recuperation and growth in the erection of a church at Bridgeton.
BRIDGETON. Sensible of the inconvenience of attend- ing public worship in the neighboring churches, the peo- ple of Bridgeton determined about the year 1774 to build a house for public worship, and to form a congregation in Bridgeton, on or near the lot where the old session house recently stood .* The Revolutionary War coming on soon after, the business was relinquished. In 1788 the subject was revived, but because of disagreement respecting its location, the site was not determined until 1791. The work was begun in 1792, and in the same year the house was inclosed. In May, 1793, a lottery was obtained for raising two thousand dollars for the purpose of finishing the building, which was drawn in January, 1794.
In May, 1795, the house was opened and dedicated by Mr. Davenport of Deerfield.
Although possessed of a house, the people still felt unable to support the gospel alone, and made a propo- sition to Greenwich to unite with them, as a collegiate church, under the name of the United Churches of Green- wich and Bridgeton, with but one set of church officers, and one church-session for both churches, and that for the present, the officers of Greenwich shall control both churches; but in filling future vacancies, elections shall be held and officers chosen alternately at each church. Greenwich did not agree to the proposal, and this plan was relinquished. Application was then made to Pres- bytery for a separate congregation in Bridgeton, and the prayer was granted in October, 1792. In their memorial to Presbytery, it was stated that the popu- lation of the town of Bridgeton was at that time three
* Dr. Jones' MS. Sermon, pp. 25, 36, 40, 54, 55.
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hundred .* Two years elapsed before they obtained a pastor, but they had occasional supplies from Presby- tery, and worshipped in the Court-house. In 1794 the two churches united in calling, and secured Mr. Clark- son, as pastor.
Not until 1823 and '24, did the church of Bridgeton venture to sustain the gospel alone. The separation was speedily accomplished, and thus terminated, April, 1824, the collegiate relation, which had existed for thirty years.
That the Greenwich church felt aggrieved, is evinced by an extract from their formal protest, viz.,
" In justice to ourselves, we declare that this separa- tion has not been sought for on our part, and if in the event, it should be attended with inconvenience or pre- judice to either of the churches, we absolve ourselves from the consequences, and enter this our dissent to the manner in which the separation has been effected, for the satisfaction of those who may interest themselves in the subject, and for the information of our successors and posterity.
Signed, THOMAS E. HUNT, Clerk."
In the light afforded by the origin of this most im- portant church, let us not fear to establish churches in villages now containing only three hundred inhabitants, and let us not despise the day of small things. The erection of the house of worship was retarded not only by the war, but by the vexed and vexatious question, on which side of the creek shall it be located ?
If two churches, such as Greenwich and Bridgeton, 1
* Population in 1869 estimated 7,500, with three Presbyterian churches.
t The First Church of Bridgeton was enlarged in 1861, and reopened in No- vember of that year. By an extension of about thirty feet, forty pews were added on the floor of the house, but the galleries were not extended. Total cost of improvements, $6,500.
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could live conjointly under one pastoral care for thirty years, and the one grow from its birth to vigorous life and self-sustentation, why should newly organized churches at this day, at no greater distance from each other and with far less ability to sustain the gospel, demand that each must have a separate pastor as the essential condition of their infant existence, or abandon all hope, and expire? Enlightened by the events of history, posterity may be excused while indulging a smile of amusement or of amazement at the apprehen- sions of our Greenwich fathers, when they solemnly washed their hands of all responsibility for the evil con- sequences which might ensue upon the separation of two such churches as Bridgeton and Greenwich, after thirty years of union.
From the commencement of the Revolutionary War to 1820, a period of forty-five years, we know of no efforts to extend the Presbyterian Church in West Jer- sey other than that already recorded, notwithstanding that supplications were made to Presbytery from Den- nis's Neck, Stow Creek, and other places. Negative evidence is not always conclusive. We can only say, that we find no substantial record, nor substantial re- sults of efforts. But from what we do know of the Rev. Jonathan Freeman's labors in 1820, the desire is awak- ened to obtain information respecting his efforts during the fifteen earlier years of his pastorate at Bridgeton.
At the beginning of this century there was strong political excitement, from which the ministry did not escape. Soon after, another war with England agitated the whole country. We should remember, too, that the soil of New Jersey, now made productive by marl and other newly discovered fertilizers, began to be impover- ished, and consequently many families emigrated to
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Western States. All these things must have exerted an unfavorable influence upon the churches. We note the absence or feebleness of the missionary spirit, and we infer that the state of religion was not always flourish- ing. We hear no more of supplications for supplies from Barnegat Shore, no more of appointments for Egg Harbour. The Brainerd churches at Longacom- ing, Wading River, Clark's little log meeting-house, Clark's Mill meeting-house, Blackman's meeting-house, and others now unknown, were neglected, abandoned, and swept away into oblivion, until in our own day the discovery of their burial grounds, and deeds, and ruins, afforded to the Presbytery of West Jersey the first knowledge that they ever had existed, and occasioned as much wonder as would the discovery of the cities of an extinct race. We are surprised that Penn's Neck and Aloes Creek did yet survive, and had vigor enough in 1797 to secure a pastor, and even in 1803 had to- gether eighty communicants, at the very time when the two churches of Woodbury and Timber Creek were reduced to seven members .* Mr. Pictou so reported in 1802 and 1804. Once, we wondered what were the causes of the decline of Aloes Creek and Penn's Neck churches. We now wonder that they lived so long, when we read that for twenty years, and again for nine years, the people had no regular preaching, but only occasional supplies, and for another period of seven years had only an annual supply .; How many, rather how few, of our present self-sustaining and larger churches could outlive thirty-six years of pulpit vacancy ? Let history teach us a lesson upon the duty of church sustentation, as well as of church extension.
There must have been a strong, deep attachment to
* Everitt's MS. Sermon, p. 33.
+ The Presbyterian, April 26, 1856.
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the principles of the Presbyterian Church, when they died out with so much difficulty. Why, even down to 1821 there was Presbyterian life, for Mr. Perkins,* missionary of the West Jersey Missionary Society, wrote: "In addition to what I have before said of Penn's Neck, I remark, that at present (1821) a good deal of anxiety is manifested by a number of respecta- ble and wealthy families here to join with the people of Woodbury in settling a minister."
We come now to the
FOURTH PERIOD .- FROM 1820 TO 1840.
This period claims a distinct consideration, simply because, compared with the preceding, there was a remarkable revival or impetus given to missionary effort. Copies of the first and second annual reports of the Domestic Missionary Society of West Jersey, written by the Rev. Jonathan Freeman, president of the Society, are at hand. Some condensed extracts will prove interesting. The first report laments that efforts to secure laborers had not been more successful, having secured only two licentiates, and these for only a short period. It says, "There are in West Jersey about 80,000 inhabitants, and a number of good missionary stations. Among this whole population there are, it is believed, not more than seven regularly educated min- isters of Christ. We have been too much overlooked by our General Assembly in their appointment of missionaries. In West Jersey there has been a lament- able deficiency of missionary exertions. We must look out young men of piety and talents among our- selves, and educate them for the ministry, and thus supply our domestic wants, &c."
* Many years pastor at Allentown, N. J.
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The second annual report indicates a successful experiment and an encouraging prospect. Messrs. Caruthers, Perkins, King, and Safford, had performed twenty-nine weeks of missionary labor. Their duties were to preach; to visit families, and schools, and catechize, where practicable; distribute tracts, and supply those who were destitute of the Bible. Collec- tions received by them were paid into the treasury of the Society.
The reports of these brethren are preserved, whence it appears that Salem, Cumberland, and Cape May Counties were the principal fields of their labor: e. g., They preached at Haines' Neck, Penn's Neck (where the Presbyterian meeting-house was yet standing) at Salem, Sharptown, Woodstown, and Thompson's Bridge. At Millville, Buckshutem, Mauricetown, Ewing's Neck, Leesburgh, and Port Elisabeth. At Townsend's Meeting-house, the Court House, and Dennis' Neck. Also at Longacoming, Blackwoodtown, and Woodbury. They recommended Port Elisabeth, Haines' Neck, and Penn's Neck, as worthy of continued and permanent occupation.
Mr. Freeman's report continues : " A missionary spirit has been excited; prejudices against the Presbyterian interest removed, or softened to a considerable extent. And the directors believe that as soon as our principles, government, and discipline are more fully known, they will be much more extensively embraced. In the town of Salem, the corner-stone of a new Presbyterian church was laid in the beginning of March. The building is fifty feet by thirty, and will probably be finished by the first of October. If missionary services can be obtained for that quarter statedly, in a short time, it is confidently believed, that in Salem, and a sta-
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tion about twelve miles distant, a minister might be comfortably supported.
"The moral darkness and irreligion in West Jersey are truly lamentable in several places visited by the missionaries. One half of the expense of the mission- aries has been paid by the Board of Missions, under the direction of the General Assembly."
Jonathan Freeman died Nov. 17, 1822, and, so far as we know, the West Jersey Missionary Society died with him. But its spirit still lived. The impulse given, carried our Zion onward for a season, and its per- manent monuments appeared in the foundation of the churches of Salem and of Maurice River, the latter hav- ing been first established at Port Elisabeth, and after- wards transferred to Millville.
SALEM. We find an interesting notice of the church of Salem, dated Nov. 15, 1824: "The church has been organized about three years, and has increased from six to thirty-one members. The number who generally attend the ministry of Mr. Burt is about two hundred. The congregation have agreed to give Mr. Burt three hundred dollars per annum and his fire-wood, and find him a house to live in. The people are mostly of com- mon circumstances. Now the sum, which can be con- veniently raised among the people, will not exceed two hundred and fifty dollars. From the attention given to the ministry of Mr. Burt, it is confidently ex- pected, by the goodness of Divine providence, that in a few years the society will be so far increased in num- bers, that they may be enabled to support their minister without the aid of their brethren elsewhere. At pre- sent, they will be thankful to their Christian friends for any pecuniary assistance they may feel disposed to confer upon the infant church in Salem."
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MILLVILLE. The church of Millville was organized August 12th, 1820, at Port Elisabeth, under the name of the First Presbyterian Church on Maurice River, by the Rev. Messrs. Ethan Osborne and Jonathan Freeman, appointed by the Presbytery of Philadelphia to that duty. It began with twenty-one members, including three ruling elders, viz., Nathaniel Foster, Jeremiah Stratton, and Samuel S. Barry. The meetings for pub- lic worship were transferred to Millville, by a kind of common consent, because the members resided here mainly .*
The letters of the young missionaries of the West Jersey Missionary Society show most conclusively that their labors prepared the way for the organization of these two churches. How far such explorations in West Jersey, and perhaps other parts of the State, by zealous young ministers and candidates from Princeton, and their reports of destitution, may have led to the Bible movement, we know not; but from the close suc- cession of time, we may safely infer that one was the cause and the other the effect.
BIBLE DISTRIBUTION .- FORTY THOUSAND DOLLAR SCHEME.
In 1827, a movement was begun in Princeton to sup- ply every family in the State with the Bible, and stu- dents of the Seminary and College went everywhere, carrying the word. This was the first systematic effort of the kind in the United States. But when they found many families to whom the Bible was a sealed book, because of ignorance and inability to read, another work seemed necessary. And as a direct result, in 1828-29,
* The edifice was erected in 1837. Its corner-stone was laid by the Rev. Mr. Kennedy, of Bridgeton. Dedicated in June, 1838, by the Rev. Mr. Blythe, of Woodbury. Enlarged in 1854, and re-dedicated February 4th, 1855, by the Rev. Samuel Beach Jones.
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another scheme was devised, originating in Monmouth County, to raise $40,000 in two years, for the support of missionaries and schools in New Jersey.
The testimony of Dr. Samuel Miller is definite, viz., " The project of raising a large sum of money within two years, to be devoted to the support of missionaries and schools in New Jersey, doubtless took its rise in some measure from the successful effort to supply the State with the sacred Scriptures, and in part from an effort made in the spring of 1827, by the ladies of Princeton, to establish schools in the region of country commonly denominated the Pines; to the importance of which they directed the attention of the churches, by addressing a circular letter to the ladies of the different Presbyterian congregations in the State. Such, in the providence of God, is often the connection between plans designed for promotion of his glory and the welfare of men."
From various causes, the enterprise was only partially successful. After two years, a statement of the Proceed- ings of the Corresponding Executive Committee of the New Jersey Missionary Society, signed by the Rev. Samuel Miller, chairman, and the Rev. George S. Woodhull, secretary, was given to the public. From this document, it appears that the Committee employed, as agents, the Rev. Robert Baird, the Rev. Job F. Hal- sey, and Mr. W. H. Cox. Of $18,000 subscribed, only $1300 were paid by the end of the first year, and the total received and available in the two years was only $4,463.39.
The Committee paid about one-third to the agents; nearly one-third to teachers for salary and expenses, and one-fifth to support young men in obtaining an education, and five hundred dollars to the Domestic
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Missionary Society of New Jersey. They aimed to combine religion with the ordinary instruction of the school, and being compelled to educate suitable teachers, they aided twenty-one members of Presbyterian, Bap- tist, and Methodist churches, in fitting themselves for the business of teaching. Directly, or indirectly, they secured the erection of school-houses or chapels, at Butcher's Works, Turkey, Bowne's Tavern, and Pat- terson, in Monmouth county; also at Gouldtown, in Cumberland, and at Sprout Hill in Sussex county. Thus were the Committee constrained to combine the various works, which are now distributed among the three Boards of Domestic Missions, Education, and Church Extension. With all the embarrassments which they had to encounter, much good was undoubt- edly accomplished, and more would have been, had the original plan been executed. The partial failure of their efforts should not discourage; but rather serve as a beacon light to warn us of the dangers upon which they fell, and point out to us the better way.
FIFTH PERIOD .- FROM 1839-40 TO 1865.
We now arrive at the fifth and last period, from the organization of the Presbytery of West Jersey to the present time.
Ministers and elders of the Southern section of New Jersey, "believing that the Presbyterian Church might erect her standard with great advantage to the cause of Christ, at many points in this region, if exertions syste- matic and persevering were seasonably employed. . ... therefore petitioned that the pastors and churches south of Trenton be constituted as a distinct Presbytery, to be called the Presbytery of West Jersey."
After much difficulty and long delay, the object was
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obtained, and November 5th, 1839, this Presbytery was organized.
CEDARVILLE. While these efforts were in progress, the church of Cedarville was established, October 23, 1839, with thirty-nine members, thirteen male and twenty-six female, from the Fairfield church .* Its building was erected in 1839, (size 51 by 37 feet,) and was enlarged in 1851, by the addition of twenty feet to its length, at an expense of $2500. The want of a church had been felt even twenty years previously, as an extant subscription proves.
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