USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Annals of Morris County > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
106
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
God and the kind assistance of some of my bretbren in the ministry I trust is in a good measure effected. I mean still to continue mv labours and influence to compleate a union even to individuals within the bounds of rea- son and religion, and then leave it with your candid and serious consideration whether you see fit to dismiss me from preaching with you as your minister. I give it up to Providence, but hope that you will do nothing hastily and fall not out by the way.
N. B .- You cannot be insensable, gentlemen, that my ministerial labors have been much impeaded by a constant evocation to mv tem- poral business for the support of my family and still must continue to be the same with- out a more regular way for my relief from worldly inenmbrances.
I subscribe myself in the Bonds of the Gos- pel, your minister and servant, for Christ's sake, DAVID BALDWIN."
Rockaway, January 4th, 1792.
I have no means of ascertaining the actual fruits of Mr. Baldwin's ministry of eight years but in two very interesting papers written at my request by the Rev. Peter Kanouse, men- tion is made of a revival of religion which af- fected this region chiefly under Mr. Baldwin's ministry. As this is the first revival of whneh we have any record in this parish I will quote all that Mr. Kanouse says on the subject merely remarking that the dates in his letter are too late. It was probably in the year of 1790-91 that this revival occurred, for in 1790 there was " a season ofunusual excitement on the subject of religion" in Morristown. (Barnes' Manual of Pres. Ch. Morristown, p. 7.)
" The first revival" says Mr. Kanouse " I remember witnessing was in Rockaway Valley and it was, no doubt, the first special work of grace ever enjoyed in that region. I would veuture to give it date as far back as 1794. A Dutch minister called Mireneus itinerated through the valley, over Green Pond Moun- tain, and Newfoundland. I often heard it said, that he frequently indulged a little too freely with the fashionable dram, and sometimes made his apology by saving to the people, "Do as I say and not as I do, and mina zeal ver yela zeal, my soul for your soul you will be safe." A Rev. Mr. Duryea used also to preach in some house or barn ; school houses were almost unknown in those days. A Mr. Gideon Bostedo, a preacher of the Congregational or- der-a pious man, used to labor in the same purts. But the favorite of that day was a Rev. Mr. Baldwin, a good man, who at an early date of all the good done used to preach at Rocka- way, Rockaway Valley, Hibernia, Charlotten- burgh, Stony Brook and the Owlkill. The work of grace to which I refer was for that time a
great and good work. Rockawar, Parsippany, Hanover, Morristown, Mendham, and no doubt other churches of which I then knew nothing were refreshed. Soon after this the Rev. Messrs. Armstrong, Griffen and Finley. held meetings, in various places, somewhat like protracted meetings, sometimes in the open heavens or some pleasant grove." ( Kanouse's His. Discourse before Presbytery MS. pp 14-16. ) In a letter to me Mr. Kanouse refers to the same seenes. "The Rev. Mr. Baldwin of the Rockaway congregation was the first minister of that place that I have any kuowledge of. He was an or- dinary man, a very woderate preacher, but a good man. I went to school to bis sou, an excel- lent young man. How long Mr. Baldwin preach- ed in Rockaway it is impossible for me to say. He preached in Rockaway Valley at my father's house, say 1796, and my own impression is that he labored in this region under review some years before this date and probably was in- strumental in the revival of 1793 or 1794. I incline to the latter date. * * *
The Methodists came in about this time and made a staud at Mr. Jacob De Mott's, or as we pronounced it Temont's, and for a time they seemed to absorb every otber denomination. Atter a little while they dwindled into a cypher. Amongst them occurred some of the most sin- gular seanes I ever met with. It was not " the Jerks " nor the " Knock Down " but the "fall down " of two very wicked womeo wh.) continued to practice their deceptions for years until a third one joined them who also fell and never rose agam. But I pass it all. The Rev. Mr. Baldwin was the chief means of the awakening, though Grover, Keyper. and a good old man on Green Pond Mountain whose name was Gideon Bostedo were great helps in the work. Some of the subjects of that work I can name: Mr. Jacob Kanouse and four of my sisters, all in their graves now, Samuel Miller, Peter Stickle aud wife, George Stickle and wife, David Peer an Elder in your church (Rockaway ), John Peer, wile, son and dangh- ter, John Cook, wife, son and daugther, Thomas and Samnel Peer, and three sisters and one son, Ephraim and George Taylor and their wives, and some of their sisters. Jacob Dermott and wife, Adam Miller and wife, James Shaw and wite. Frederick Hopler. Mr. Lawson and Mr. Vanhouten, also about tive members of the family, Mr. Mikle Cook. 'These were mainly in and about the valley, and several others whose names I have lost. How many of them united with the church in Rock- away I am unable to say. The valley at that time was regarded as belonging to Boonton. The revival affected Deuville, Rockaway, and l'arcippany, but my acquaintance was too llus- ited to say who were the subjects. Several of
107
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
the converts went to Boonion. some to the Methodists, and D. Peer and wife and I think a daughter, John Peer and wife and daughter. John Cook, wife and daughter, Samuel Miller and wi'e, Peter and George Stickle and their wives united with your church at Rockaway and I shou'd think under the ministry of Rev. Mr. Baldwin."-(MS. Letter of Rev. P. Kau- ouse )
Very fortunately one sermon of our second pastor has been preserved in a mutilated con- dition, but enough of the old aud well worn manuscript has been kept to indicate to us what kind of ministrations were here dispensed by a man who has long since passed from the earth. It was preached in the old church on a winter's day more than twenty years ago at the funeral of Deacon David Beaman's wife, who was reputed te be a very pious woman .* Mr. Baldwin's text on that occasion was Job 31. 4.
I will quote a few sentences from this dis- course reminding you of the fact that he who preached it and all who that day were gathered in the old meeting house, are dead, except a very few who were then children. Mr. Hub- baid S. Stickle was in the house but he was less than three years old.
The first part of this manuscript sermon as it lies before me clearly sets forth the nature of God's law, the sinner's condemnation by that law, and the nature of saving faith. An- ticipating the solemn scenes of the judgment. the preacher then said, " There all our contro- vercies in point of Religion together the high- est attainments of knolidg with be forever swal- lowed up in the infinite wisdom of God. There the sinner will be convinced of his folly iu op- posing the gospel and his guilty conscience roze out against him. Nothing can screen them Irom the piercing eyes of Jehovah, who will bring them to the bar of justice, and maintain the Rights of the godhead in the view of all, when every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father.
** But Thirdiy we are to make some reflec- tions on a preparation for these two great events, Death and Judgment. Death con- cludes our probationary state and what we do preparatory for the judgment is done before Death, lor in the grave there is no repentance. Juugment is an eternal sanction of god upon what we have done whither it be good or whither it be bad. * *
O sinner, the law of
God and thy own consienc witness against thee, thy sins are pointed out by the pure and Ho'y Command of god. You are destitue of that Rgbtionsness which you will have great - est nead of in the Hour of Death and especially at the bar of judgment, when all thy erimes will be brought to light and apear in all their aggrivated Circumstances. Death to uncon- verted will insted of loosing its terrours apear more and more terrible. The nearer its ap- proach the more of its gloomy horrors it wareth, Yon, my bearers, are witnesses to the truth. When Death comes near to ns by removing any of our fellow cretures into the Eternal world it is alarming indeed. But more especially when we are emediately ap- p . hensive of its near approach to our own per. sous, then we are often scared and at our wits end. Then the sinner will cry out lor help yet this will soon be over whin death withdraws a little behind the Curtain. But consider the Curtain will soon be drawn and Espos Death to your view, and your bodys to its cold em- braces. But if living and dying impentient or unconverted, you must feall that awful sting of sin with barded (barved) angnish in your hearts the thoughts of death and judgment will fill the soul with amazement and their apprehensions of eternal death and Darkness rising to its highest tide and the poor Dis- tressed soul sinking into eternal flames where the worm dieth not and the fre is not quenched."
Let me quote a very cheerful passage. " Let us choose what is good among ourselves. Tois sentenee, among ourselves seams to carry in it a friendly corresponding fitness. The family of heaven is united in one and what is for the interest of one individual is for the interest of the hull family. We are to imitate heaven in thus friendly connection. We profess to have heaven on earth, but some may say what good can one do another in heaven whin they are all perfect and full of delight. I answer they delight in one another, and as one star helps till up the firmament with spangled glory, so the saints help each other in flung heaveu with joy and delight. Angells rejoice at the return of a sinner to god and the number helps make their happiness compleat and Saints, Angels rejoice together in the glory of that world."
Here is another impressive passage which is Iltustrited by the havoc death has made among those who heard this funeral discourse. '.This is a changable state in which there is nothing stable aud steadtast. This is not our Home ; we con.e aud go ; the place in which we are now conversant and make members of society delighted with a variety of company and agreable conversation of frien is will soon
*I am told Mrs. Beaman was very happy on ber death bed. When dying she asked these about her to sing " When I can read my title clear." After her speech Jailed ber husband asked ber it her farb remamed ansbakeu, and she bowed her head in assent.
.
108
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
know us no more. Onr seats and places aro emptied and filled by others. Families begin, increas, and prosper for a while and then scatter and are gone, and others come in their stead."
With one more quotation I will close this discourse. Looking forward to the time when the believer is assured of his interest in Christ. Mr. Baldwin says with touching simplicity. " their faith in Christ looks death ont of coun- tenance and disarms it of its soul killing anl beart tormenting weapon, turns all those awful featers (features ) of the King of terrors into the more mild aspect of a welcome mes- senger. * * * *
* * * This opens to our view the prospect of l'uter glory in Heaven where the souls of the Behevers are made perfeel and all tears shall be wiped away from their eyes. Then the wicked sease from troubeling and the weary are at rest. Judg- ment is no terror to the sonl that is prepared to die, but an infinite satisfaction that the day of their Redemption draws nigh when they shall shak of their prison garments and be cloathed with immortality and a crown of glory given unto them which faideth not away.">
After Mr. Baldwin was dismissed he con- tinued to reside on his farm, near Denville, for several years. Whilst there his wife died and le married again. He afterward removed but where I have not learned. Some years afterward, as Mr. Hubbard S. Stickle remem- bers, Mr. Baldwin spent a Sabbath in the par- isb, and preached. He had then become quite infirm. Of bis subsequent Instory I knows nothing §
Upon the whole you will agree with me that all we see of our second pastor as a Christian man and minister, deepens our respeer for his memory. Since making this careful search into his ministry in this community my heart bas felt the expression. I have heard from the lips of so many old people when talking about Mr. Baldwin, " he was a good man," and uo doubt he is now enjoying those heavenly felicities which he described so pleasingly at the fureral cfone who lived the lile and died the death of the righteous.
Mr. William Jachseu says that Mr. Baldwin was about six feet in stature, very erect and with broad shoulders, He was very " slow ot speech and of course spent a full Sabbath in
the delivery of what he had to say, whilst many slept soundly. I recollect distinctly and atmost feel still the hardness of those old wooden seais on which I sat with my mother w hen only five or six years old to hear the old man dehver himself. I of course was not much of a judge of preaching at that age, yet it it bad produced the same impression on me as those hard benches, I think I should have remem- bened much of bis preaching." And yet if not a brilliant preacher he was a good man, which is better.
We have nov reached the ministry of the thud pastor, the Rev. John J. Cirle. As al . ready stated on the 14th of May, 1792, the Parish voted that they "now consider them - selves at full liberty to Treate and agrea with any minister to preach for them which they may Think best," and Inrther that they voted " to apply to Mr. John Carl to supply us as & candidate, 25 lor it 1 contra." The dissenting vote was cast by Abram Kitchel. A committee consisting of Messis. Tuttle. Beaman, Ross and Jackson was appointed to carry ont the wishes of the parish, and from an item in the Parish Books it is evident that Mr. Carl had preached the day before the meeting, that is, May 13th, 1792. The item is this, in the ac- count dated September 16th, 1793. " To Mr. Carl's supplying the 15 Sabbaths from the 13th of May to the 16th of September mu the year 1792 at 50s. per Sabbath," This marks the beginning of Mr. Carl's ministre in Rockaway. Ou the 5th of July, 1792, the Trustees record the fact that "as per vote on Parish book we this day signed a call for Mr. John Carl for settlement in this parish."
The permanent baigam with him bears the dale of September 16th, 1792, as is plain from an item in the account of September 16th, 1793, " To Mr. Carl for one year's salicry from Sept. 16th, 1792, to the present date, £100."
The Parisb evidently agreed to furnish the new minister in addition to the £100, his par- sonage, hay and wood, and also to move his goods and f mily. The Parish is credited with " amount of tax and subscriptions to rais Mr. Cail's valley, move him, and hay the year past, L137, 10, 7." He must have removed his lamily in October as David Broadwell 15th October, 1792, brings in his account against the parish for " leiching 2 loads of goods ficm Brunswick for Mr. Carl," and 27th November a third load. His bill tor the three loads was £2,14,01
The first " Parish obligation and subserip- tions " in Mi. Carle's time was dated June 20th, 1792, the subscribers agreeing to pay the sums severally affixed to our names yearly and every year unto one of the Collector's lur th time being or Mr. John Carle's salary so long
*This manuscript fragment is in the posses- sion of Mr. Beman Stickte, a grandson of the good woman for whose funeral it was pre- pared. The spelling is preserved as in the manuscript which is in Mr. Baldwin's hand- writing.
§Mr. Hubbard S. Stickle tells me that Major Minton, who resides above Dover, is a grand son of Mr. Baldwin.
109
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY.
as he may continue to preach l'or the Parish of Rockaway. Among the signers are Chilean Ford, L1. 10. 0, John Stotesbury, L3. Stephen Jackson, L6, Geo. D. Brinkerhoff, 13, " Johu Jacob Faesch verbally to Geo. D. Brinkerhon tor the year 1791, L.5." Ou the 27th of Decen- ber, 1792 a heavy subscription was made " for the paiment of the sums severally affixed to our names on or before first day of May Lext for the building of the new parsonage honse." Among the largest subscriptions are-omitting the fractions-Benj. Beach, L16, Job Allen, L11, Jobn J. Faesch, L 12. Moses Tuttle, L 17, Josiah Beman, L12, Stephen Jackson L20. Jona than Nicholas was the smallest subscrip- tion five shillings and nine peuce. Gidion Beshup gave eight shillings and " Artbur Young fif teen shillings to be paid to isrel Can- tield." This subscription foots up a little over L235, but in the account of the Parish " the subscriptions to build the parsonage house " are set down as L279. 18. 1 .*
*As showing who were the men of this par- ish in 1793 I copy the names on this subscrip- tion in the order in which they occur. Benj. Beach, Job Allen,
Titus Berry,
Sitis Hatheway,
David Broadwell,
Cornelius Anderson,
David Conger,
Lemuel Bowers,
Wm. Ross,
Bevj. Lamprou,
Stephen Jackson,
David Beman,
Thomas Conger,
Benj. Jackson, his
John » N. Ricts, marl ..
Samuel # Love, mark.
Sanı | Lindsley,
Daniel Lewis,
John Jacob Faesch,
Jacob Harriman,
Wni. Michel,
James Minton,
Moses Hopping,
James Suckle,
Moses Lendley.
Jacksen Ayers,
Ebenezer Lindley,
Edward stickle,
Elephaleb Lyon, Moses Tuttie,
Job Ta'madge,
John J .ekson,
Bernard Smith,
Ezekiel Brown,
William Undlad, L.
Joseph Decamp,
Charles Hoff,
Joşialı Kurr,
John Godden,
Jacob Losey,
Zeba L. Owen,
Samuel Clark,
William Alger,
Thomas King,
John Benwell,
Josiah Beman,
James Clarke,
John Hall,
Matthew Luke,
Edward Wells,
Jobu King,
Jonah Lyon,
Samnel Moore,
Joseph Wright,
John Daly,
James Wheeler,
Moses Doty,
David Hurd,
Samuel Hicks, Jobu Corey,
88 names one of which is that of a woman " Sarah Kent."
Iu a list of names March 1794 tor " monies dne and unpaid, and what may yet be collected for minister's sallery and parsonage house," are some names not on the former one. Among these I note the following :
Matthias Zeig, David Gerdon,
Aaron Bigelow, Nathauiol Roger,
Newton Russell, George Shawger,
David Estler, David Pier,
David Hill, Jno. Smith,
Nath. Bend, Serb Hall.
Thomas Mann, Isaac Osborn,
Matthew Hunting,
Matthias Zeek,
Jacob Stickle,
As to the old parsonage lands Feb. 2d, 1788 the Trustees in great straits for money to pay My. Baldwin. agreed to sell part of the parson- a ge lands and on the 21st of that month say " we have sold and conveyed to Stephen Jack- son twenty acres for thirty-oight pounds sub- ject lo redemption on or before April 15th for L38 pounds in Bloomey iron at L24 per tun, or refund iron at L28." There is no record of its redemption that I find. Sept. 5, 1792, Lem- nel Cobb surveyed the lands into four parcels, reserving about thirty acres of wood land for the new parsonage. Jan. 7, 1793, all the lots were struck off to David Garrigus who refused afterwards to take them, and on March 4th " the house lot was struck of to John Shong at L75. 10. The lot next the house to David Con- ger at L18. 0. 0. The mountain lot to Peter Hiler L27. 18. 6. The Goose lot to Chilion Ford at L12. Amounting in all to L163. 8.5. Stephen Jackson took the goose lot off Ford'a hands.
In 1792 "a legacy was left by Deacon Aller- ton of L30." Including the last two items- the sale of lands and the legacy- the parish the first year of Mr. Carle's ministry raised L650. 10. 21. From the accounts it also ap_ pears that the "new Parsonage lands were bought for L239. 14. 10. This did not include "fense."
The " new parsonage" is still stand- ing (1846 not in 1882) and in the Franklin neighborhood, the house formerly occupied by Mr. Peter Sullivan, and next to Mr. Seely Tompkins. It has a beautiful prospect but a very poor soil. On the 30th of July 1792 we learn that the Trustees "agread with William Ross for the Purchase of a house and about Fifty acres of land Laying on the Road that leads from Rockaway to Franklin forge for which we have agreed to give bim L230." Feb. 31, 1793 it is said that William Ross attended and executed a deed lor the New Parsonage lands and the Trustees exe- cuted a Bond of security to William Ross and Moses Tuttle on account of their giving their bonds to Jacob Shotwell for the purchase of the New Parsonage Lands." This shows that
Joel Phelps,
" Sam' Churchill in shoes near franklin forge,"
Jacob Garrigus,
Simon Huntington,
Gibert Huntington,
. Jonathan Nicsols, Samuel Parmer,
David Beach,
Samuel Daniels, Jolin Hiler, Jr.,
Moses Ross,
Amos Lindley,
Zepbamiah Bagles,
Arıbur Young, David Garrigus,
"isrel Canbeld,"
D. Herrienan,
Joseph Losey,
John Parkbnrsb, Abner Beach,
Gecion Beshup, Joshns Winget, Sarah Kent,
Samuel Williams,
Cornehus Hoagland,
Chihon Ford,
Geo. Stickle,
110
ANNALS OF MORRIS COUNTY,
Ross acted as the agent of Shotwell. Aud as I suppose in 1793 Mr. Carle moved into this bouse and occupied it until be purchased a house of his own in Rockaway. In the bills for the parsonage num is painfully freqnent as an item of expense. Batts, nails, hinges, aud RUM are mixed up as if there were as many " quarts and pails of rum " as ponuds of nails. In an account headed "1792 Trustees Rockaway parish to Messrs Stickle and Guri- gues Dr," and one hundred and fourteen items with dates there are only thirty-nine items which are not rnm. Amung these seventy-five charges in one bill for rum for the parsonage we have " 12 Gills. rum for raising parsonage house 12s " and " David Broadwell for rum be had for the use of the parsonage 93." The original of this remarkable bill I have bound up in the copy I have had made of the Parish recorde. It is in the handwriting of George Stiekle and is very beautiful. On the first page " two bars of iron" make the only excep- tion to the " rum" items, and on the second we have a pewter tea pot, a plug of tobacco and a few pounds of nails to relieve the monot . ony of the rum !
The Rev. John J. Carle was the son of John Carle, of Baskingridge. The father was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church at that place, was a Judge of the Court at different times, a member ofboth Houses ofthe Legislature. He was a man of influence and property. His son, John J. Carle. was graduated at Queen's Col- lego, as Rutger's College, at New Brunswick was then called, in 1789. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New Brunswick at Pennington, N. J., September 21st, 1791. Sep- tember 18th, 1792, having received a call to Rockaway, he was dismissed to be under the care of the Presbytery of New York. He re- ceived his second academic degree of A. M. in 1792, from the College of New Jersey. In the fall of this year he removed his family to Rock- away, and in January, 1793, ho was ordained to the gospel ministry, the first ordination ever witnessed in this place.
He is described as a young man of fine ap- pearance and talents. One who knew him speaks of hutu as " a fineut pulpit orator, oreet and of easy address and manners, a most jovial compamon when ont of the pulpit, fond of a joke and good company. He never held any weekly lectures or prayer meetings. His sermons were short and such as not to disturb his bearers' consciences. He once said that be never knew but one person who traced bis conversion to his preaching."
his appetite in this respect, and although he did not here go to great excesses the habit impaired Ins infinence and caused the " church to dwindle nudler his ministry." Many anec dotes are still related as to his neglect of study and the duties of his office, as also of his habit. jast referred to. In the Manual of 1833 Col. Jackson says " Mr. Carle added a goodly num- ber to the chnreb," and Mr. King in his Dedica- tion sermon, September, 1832, says that "dur- ing Mr. Carle's ministry, a period of eight years, eleven persons were received into the communion of the church on examination and three by certificate."
The same charitable critic ir. his " Fortieth Anniversary Sermon"-December, 1848-wrote that his own ministry "had been preceded by the ministrations of one who had more talents than pietv-more learning than humility-and seemed to take more satisfaction in the pleas- ures of sense than in endeavoring to feed the people with knowledge and understanding. You may well conclude that religion was at a low ebb, almost as low as it could be and pot become extinct."
The one great fault of Mr. Carle was very common in that day, and not a few clergymen fell into it. There is no reason so far as I can see why he should not have become an able " minister of the word," and a good man in all the relations of life, but this one. This led to the unbanpiness which overtook him as A minister and a citizen. For this he was de- posed from the muistry in Connecticut, and suffered greatly in the relations he sustained to bis father and his family. After his return to Baskingridge in consequence of an uncle's death who had left him his principal heir, he becaino very iutemperate, subjected his family to such anffering that Their ouly relief was a resort to the law, and fiualiy died "about 1808." Mr. Jacob Collyer, who gave me these and other facts, also pointed out to me Mt. Carte's grave in the Buskingridge church yard, and which was then unmarked by a monument.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.