USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > Perth Amboy > Contributions to the early history of Perth Amboy and adjoining country : with sketches of men and events in New Jersey during the provincial era > Part 22
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RESIDENT GOVERNORS.
hours :- by her attitude and expression reminding the assem- bled representatives of the nation that the history of each pass- ing moment receives from them its impress, is stamped indeli- bly, by their proceedings, with characteristics which must redound to the welfare or the dishonor of the republic.
We may all, in our respective spheres, heed the lesson. As citizens of the State-as portions of the several communi- ties in which we reside-let us ponder the responsibilities and duties which rest upon us, and in proportion to our faithful- ness shall be our reward.79
79 Most of the foregoing sketch was read before the New Jersey Historical Society, Sept. 27th, 1848, and in ac- cordance with the request of the mem-
bers it was allowed to be printed, as read, in the Proceedings of the Soci- ety.
Chapter VI .- Religious Denominations.
" Each ray that shone, in early time, to light The faltering footstep in the path of right, Each gleam of clearer brightness shed to aid In man's maturer days his bolder sight, All blended, like the rainbow's radiant braid,
Pour yet, and still shall pour, the blaze that cannot fade."
THOSE towns in East Jersey that were settled exclusively by immigrants from New England, possessed advantages over those consisting of more heterogeneous assemblages, in their facilities for securing religious services. Each community formed but one congregation, and the support of a minister, where one could be procured, was rendered easy by including his salary among the annual expenses of the town, for which provision was made by a general rate assessed upon all the inhabitants. We find that Newark and Elizabethtown were supplied with clergymen at an early period, and so continued to be with occasional intermissions ; and Woodbridge, al- though unfortunate in obtaining a permanent pastor, found no difficulty in supporting whoever for the time officiated in the town.1
In Perth Amboy a large number of the inhabitants were Quakers and Anabaptists, and many belonged to the Scotch Kirk, while in the adjacent county, Congregationalists or In- dependents were numerous. This diversity of sects necessarily rendered it difficult to procure a clergyman who would be generally acceptable, and although the want of one was felt and deplored, yet fifteen years elapsed after the settlement without any regular religious services.
1 See subsequent chapter, and East Jersey, &c., pp. 299, 301.
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RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.
PROTESTANT EPISCOPALIANS.
About 1695 several of the East Jersey Proprietors applied to Bishop Compton of London for a minister of the established church, and in compliance with their request the Reverend Edward Perthuck was sent to the Province towards the close of 1698. Upon his arrival at Perth Amboy the Board of Proprietors ordered (Feb'y 21st, 1698-9) one of the houses which had been built at the charge of the general proprieta- ries to be given for a church for the use of the town, and being soon fitted up by a number of the inhabitants, Mr. Perthuck commenced the performance of religious services within it.2
This house stood near the Ferry over the Raritan, and tradition designates a small hollow, a short distance south of the avenue leading to the residence of Mr. Paterson, as its location, and that such was the site is rendered certain from its being within the limits of the ground marked on an early map as the "Church lot." It is presumed that the stone bearing the date "1685" inserted in the rear wall of the church recently taken down, was from this building. This was the foundation in Amboy of the congregation of Protes- tant Episcopalians.
How long Mr. Perthuck remained in Amboy is not known. Humphries, in his " Historical Account of the Society for the
2 Proprietary Minutes. Humphries' Hist. Acc. The Proprietors ever evinced a desire to foster good princi-
ples in the Province in accordance with the device on their seal.
THE SEAL OF THE EASTERN PROPRIETORS.
14
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Propagation of the Gospel," states that prior to the incorpo- ration of that society in 1701, clergymen occasionally visited the place, performing divine service and administering the sacraments ; from which it is judged Mr. Perthuck did not continue permanently in charge of the congregation.
The increase of religion in the colonies and the moral cul- ture of the inhabitants, had been the subjects of many private schemes and individual exertions which resulted in little bene- fit ; and it was found necessary, to make the endeavors effec- tual, to obtain a charter for a society calculated especially to subserve the purposes in view. In consequence of a represen- tation made by Doctor Thomas Tenison (then Archbishop of Canterbury) to King William III., a charter was obtained bearing date June 16th, 1701, incorporating several persons distinguished for their stations and virtues, by the title above given. The proper officers of the society were chosen on the 27th June, and measures were immediately adopted for the obtainment of funds and perfecting other necessary arrange- ments. The provinces of New York and New Jersey profited at once by the labors of their missionaries.
The instructions of Queen Anne to Lord Cornbury in 1702, relative to religious observances, were full and precise :-
" You shall take especial care"-so runs the document-"that God Almighty be devoutly and duly served throughout your government, the book of Common Prayer, as by law established, read each Sunday and holy day, and the blessed sacrament administered according to the rites of the Church of England. You shall take care that the churches already built there be well and orderly kept, and that more be built as the colony shall, by God's blessing, be improved, and that, besides a competent main- tenance to be assigned to the minister of each orthodox church, a conve- nient house be built, at the common charge, for each minister, and a com- petent proportion of land assigned to him for a glebe and exercise of his industry.
" And you are to take care, that the parishes be so limited and settled, as you shall find most convenient for the accomplishing this good work. You are not to prefer any minister to any ecclesiastical benefice in that our province, without a .certificate from the Right Reverend Father in God the lord bishop of London, of his being conformable to the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, and of a good life and conversa- tion ; and if any person already preferred to a benefice shall appear to you to give scandal either by his doctrine or manners you are to use the best means for the removal of him, and to supply the vacancy in such manner as we have directed.
"You are to give order, that every orthodox minister within your government be one of the vestry in his respective parish, and that no
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vestry be held without him, except in case of sickness, or that after the notice of a vestry summoned he omit to come.
" You are to inquire whether there be any minister within your gov- ernment who preaches and administers the sacrament in any orthodox church or chapel without being in due orders, and to give account thereof to the said lord bishop of London. * * *
* * And you are to take especial care that a table of marriages established by the canons of the Church of England, be hung up in every orthodox church and duly ob- served, and you are to endeavor to get a law passed by the Assembly of our said Province (if not already done) for the strict observation of the said table." 3
In the hands of a discreet and worthy man these regula- tions would have assuredly contributed essentially to the well being of the Church of England in America, and to the inter- ests of religion generally, but to make Lord Cornbury a censor of morals and manners appeared to most of the good people of New York and New Jersey a ridiculous procedure, if its seri- ous effects did not prevent their regarding it so lightly. The history of that period shows conclusively how much of evil may result from the mal-administration of the best-devised schemes, and is calculated to prompt many regrets that these powers should have been intrusted to such profligate hands.4
In 1702 the Rev. George Keith was sent out by the So- ciety as a missionary to the Colonies, having the Rev. Mr. Talbot associated with him. They preached repeatedly in New Jersey, and special mention is made of their officiating at Perth Amboy.5 Their visits there" caused the old church to
Smith's N. J., p. 252.
3 The following is a copy of one of - Lord Cornbury's Licenses :
" By his Excellency Edward Vis- count Cornbury, Captain-General, &c. To A. B., greeting: I do hereby li- cense and tolerate you to be minister of the congregation at B, in C county, in the Province of New Jersey, and to have and exercise the liberty and use of your religion pursu- ant to her Majesty's pleasure therein signified to me, in her royal instruc- tions, for and during so long a time as to me shall seem meet. And all min- isters and others are hereby required to take notice thereof. Given under my hand, &c."
For want of these licenses ministers of the Church of England were impri- soncd, and several non-conformists
prosecuted. See Smith's N.J., p. 333; Smith's N. Y., Vol. I., pp. 148, 149; and other works.
5 See page 16 for a notice of Keith. In his Journal I find the following notices of his services :- " Sunday, Oct. 3, 1702, I preached at Amboy in East Jersey ; the auditory was small ; my text was Titus 2: 11, 12; but such as were there well affected ; some of them of my former acquaintance, and others who had been formerly Quakers but were come over to the Church, particularly Miles Forster [see page 46] and John Barclay [see page 42]. The place has very few inhabitants. We were several days kindly enter- tained by Miles Forster at his house there."
" December 12th, 1703, Sunday, I preached at Amboy, at my Lord Corn-
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be to some extent refitted in 1702-3, and the erection of a new one to be taken into consideration.6
Through the efficient labors of Messrs. Keith and Talbot a congregation was gathered at Burlington, and on the 25th March, 1703, the corner stone of the first church (the present St. Mary's) was laid at that place, and the following year a church was erected by the people of Hopewell.
The Rev. Mr. Brook was sent in 1704 as missionary to Elizabethtown," and by Lord Cornbury's directions he officiated sometimes at Amboy. The irregular services of the sanctuary, with which alone they had been favored, had not been calcu- lated to strengthen or advance the religious character of the people, and at this period the inhabitants both of Elizabeth- town and Amboy are represented as being very deficient, many of them professing no religion at all ; but under the assiduous care and earnest labors of Mr. Brook they were brought to approve, to a considerable extent, of the doctrines and services of the Church of England. In Elizabethtown a church edifice was erected and covered in 1706, and the people of Amboy commenced a year previous the collection of materials for a similar building.8
bury's lodgings, where he was present and many with him. My text was John 12: 35, 36." He preached there again on Christmas day, from 1 Tim. 3: 16 ; and on January 2d from Heb. 8: 10, 11. On 30th Dec. previous, he preached at both Woodbridge and Piscataway. John Barclay appears to have formed so strong an attachment to Keith, that he travelled with him all the way to James River, Virginia, re- maining with him until he saw him on board his vessel, June 8th, 1703, "when," says Keith, "we took our farewell."
On Dec. 1st, 1702, six pounds were appropriated by the Proprietors for "repairing the present church until the new church be built ; " and Messrs. Willocks and Forster, on condition of paying all of it themselves, had their lots released from quit-rents. For similar releases, William Frost was obliged to give one month's work, and John Reid to pay ten " hard-pieces-of- eight " towards repairing the old, or
building a new church .- Proprietary Minutes.
7 As has been stated in the text, Elizabethtown from an early period had Congregationalist or Presbyterian ministers, but the names have not all been preserved. John Fletcher died August, 1682 (there is a contract of marriage between him and Mrs. Mary Pierson of Long Island on record, Liber 4, p. 20) ; and from about 1690 to 1699 John Harriman was settled there. On the 20th November, 1692, he applied to the Proprietors for land "at an easie acknowledgement in re- spect of his numerous family " (seven sons, &c.), and one hundred acres were granted to him, Feb'y 28th, 1692-3.
" For an interesting account of the progress of the Elizabethtown congre- gation the reader is referred to a His- torical Discourse by Rev. John C. Rudd, D.D., Rector of the Church, preached Nov. 21st, 1824-part of which is reprinted as an appendix to
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There is abundant evidence that Mr. Brook was an active, energetic and efficient servant of the Cross, performing divine service at seven different places, covering ground fifty miles in extent-" at Elizabethtown, Rahway, Perth Amboy, Cheese- quakes, Piscataway, Rocky Hill, and in a congregation at Free- hold, near Page's." This duty was necessarily difficult and laborious. " Besides preaching he used to catechise and ex- pound fourteen times a month, which obliged him to be on horse- back almost every day, which was expensive as well as toilsome to him. However, this diligence raised a very zealous spirit in many of the people." 9 His services, most unfortu- nately for the province, were brought to a melancholy termi- nation in the autumn of 1707, by his being lost at sea on his way to England.
The circumstances which led to his departure, were as follows.10 The Reverend Thorowgood Moore, who had been a missionary at Albany and among the Indians, had been induced by the want of ministers in New Jersey to remove into the
Bishop Doane's sermon, "The Bush that burned with Fire," preached in the Church, Dec. 31st, 1840. The fol- lowing interesting extract from one of Mr. Brook's reports to the Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel exhibits the zeal and tact with which he discharged his duties :
He had preached first in Col. Town- ley's house, but that in half a year's time had grown too small. The congrega- tion then occupied a barn, which, when harvest-time came, they had to relinquish. "Upon which, " says Mr. Brook, " the Dissenters who, presently after I came, were destitute of their old Teachers (one of them being struck with death in their meeting-house as he was railing against the church, and the other being at Boston), would not suffer me, upon my request, to officiate in their meeting-house unless I would promise not to read any of the prayers of the Church, which I complied with, upon condition I might read the psalms, lessons, epistles and gospel appointed for the day, which I did, and said all the rest of the service by heart ; the doing of which brought a great many to hear me who otherwise,
probably, would never have heard the service of the Church and (through God's blessing) hath taken away their prejudice to such a degree as that they have invited me now to preach in their meeting-house 'till our church be built. Their Teacher begins at 8 in the morn- ing and ends at 10, and then our ser- vice begins, and in the afternoon we begin at 2. The greatest part of the Dissenters generally stay to hear all our service."-Letter of October 11th, 1706. I must acknowledge the great obligations I am under to Rev. Francis L. Hawks, D.D., for the privilege of examining the manuscript copies of the Records of the Society which are in his possession ; obtained by him in Eng- land for the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
9 Humphries' Hist. Acc. The widow of Mr. Brook, who was a sister of Christopher Billop of Staten Island, became the wife of Rev. Win. Skin- ner. See a preceding page.
10 From the Society's Records. Mr. Moore's letter, Aug. 27, 1707-Lord Cornbury's, Nov 20, 1707-Mr. Tal- bot's, Aug. 20, 1708-M. Neau's, Feb. 27,1708-9.
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province in the year 1705, and officiated chiefly at Burling- ton. Lord Cornbury had an "unfortunate custom "-as it was called by M. Neau the Catechist of the Society in New York-of dressing himself in women's clothes, and in such garb exposing himself on the ramparts of the fort to public view, honoring the great holidays, especially, by his exhibi- tions, sometimes immediately after partaking of the Holy Communion ; and of course, numbers of the populace were drawn thither to witness the spectacle. Mr. Moore, who ap- pears to have been a truly zealous and sincere clergyman of the Church, not allowing his fear of man to influence his duty as a Christian minister, not only condemned the practices of the Governor, but said publicly that his Lordship ought to be excommunicated. On account of some debauchery and pro- faneness of Lieutenant-governor Ingoldsby, he also refused to administer the Communion to that officer.
For this upright conduct and for some minor offences of a similar character, Cornbury, in August, 1707, summoned the missionary to appear before him in New York ; but act- ing under good advice, Mr. Moore gave no heed to the man- date. New York and New Jersey were distinct governments, and in the absence of the Governor from either, the chief au- thority devolved upon the Lieutenant-governor ; Cornbury consequently, while in New York, could have no authority to compel the attendance of an individual there, charged with misdemeanors committed in New Jersey. Mr. Moore was alike regardless of a sentence of suspension from the ministry attempted to be enforced against him by the Lieutenant-gov- ernor ; and exasperated by his independence, Cornbury issued a warrant directed to the Sheriff of Burlington County to bring the offender before him at Perth Amboy. To this legal process no resistance was opposed, and the officer and his prisoner presented themselves before the Governor, 11 and after an au- dience was given to him in the presence only of Ingoldsby, Mr. Moore was remanded to the custody of the Sheriff for several days. On being commanded again to attend his Excellency, 12 he thus graphically describes what followed :
11 Saturday, August 16th, 1707.
12 Saturday, Aug. 23d.
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" I found him at a house about a bow-shot from the water's edge. The Sheriff, having spoke to my Lord, told me he was commanded to attend me into the barge. I told him I could not understand that, however, I would not go unless I was forced; but the Sheriff going again to my Lord into the house (for I was at the door) and returning with fresh commands, I went a little way with him to the other side of the house, where I found my Lord, and told his Excellency what I had told the Sheriff. His Excel- lency then asked me whether I wanted to be carried, and commanded the Sheriff again to do his office ; but he being unwilling to do that which his Lordship called so, his Lordship commanded the Amboy Sheriff who stood by to take me, and force me to go, and the Lieutenant-governor commanding him likewise, he took me by the sleeve; so we went with the rest of the company towards the water side, but as we were walking, I told the Sheriff the danger of what he was doing and bade him have a care how he forced me.
" When I was come pretty near the barge, I told his Excellency I wished him a good voyage and that I designed to go no farther, unless I was forced to it (for the Sheriff had not then hold of me). My Lord in great anger bid the Sheriff again to do his office, and the Lieutenant-governor commanding the same, but the Sheriff refusing to obey them, my Lord comes himself to me, and takes me by my gown and sleeve, and leads me about ten paces, but being persuaded by the Lieutenant-governor, or, rather more probably, by other reasons, he leaves me again to the Sheriff, who, en- couraged by my Lord's example and the earnestness of the Lieutenant- governor, took hold of my gown and went before me into my Lord's barge in which my Lord brought me to York."
Arrived there he was committed, a prisoner, to the cus- tody of a guard at the fort.
Mr. Brook, although not subjected to the same rigorous treatment, was looked upon with a sinister eye by the Gov- ernor, as it was known he "said Amen to all that Mr. Moore did." He was allowed, however, to visit his friend, and the Governor leaving the city for Albany about three weeks after Mr. Moore's arrival, advantage was taken of the relaxed disci- pline consequent thereupon to get the prisoner past the sen- try ; and being joined by Mr, Brook, the two proceeded to Boston whence they sailed for England ; " having been so dra- gooned "-says their fellow-laborer Talbot-" that they had rather be taken into France than into the Fort at New York." They were never heard of more.
The disadvantages under which the clergymen of the Church of England labored in both New York and New Jersey, may be in some measure realized when we find them thus subjected to the tyranny of a dissolute governor, and having to combat not only the prejudices which education and association excited in
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the minds of the majority of the settlers, but the evil example of one claiming to be their spiritual head.13
Mr. Brook was succeeded by the Rev. Edward Vaughan, in 1709, and his mantle, it would seem, could not have fallen upon more worthy shoulders. Mr. Vaughan executed the duties of his holy calling with the utmost application and dili- gence, rendering himself exceedingly acceptable to the people throughout the country, for he, too, officiated in many different places, Amboy among the number. 14
The growth of the Elizabethtown congregation requiring more and more of Mr. Vaughan's attention, the inhabitants of Amboy were obliged to procure a separate minister, and the Rev. Thomas Halliday commenced his labors there in the summer of 1711 :- the congregation of Piscataway being also under his charge.
Mr. Halliday had not been long in the Province before he became involved with the political factions which at that time, and subsequently, caused such unhappy dissensions in New Jer- sey; harmonizing with the party which included those who had supported Cornbury, and who were then engaged in an endeavor to repress the growing power of the Quakers and strengthen the influence of the Church of England with the government. As the leader of this party, Peter Sonmans was
13 "I am assured"-says M. Neau, writing after the Governor had been arrested for debt, and his household goods sold-"I am assured that he continues to dress himself in women's clothes, but now 'tis after the Dutch manner."
14 Humphries. Dr. Rudd's Hist. Discourse. Mr. Henderson's Centen. Sermon. To great sprightliness of manner and engaging conversational powers, Mr. Vaughan united a readi- ness of repartee that made him-al- though he never lost sight of the dig- nity of the ministerial office-a most amusing companion. The following anecdote is narrated of him :- Mr. Bel- cher arrived in the province as Gover- nor a few months before Mr. Vaughan's death, and the Presbyterians were, very naturally, much exhilarated thereby : "our congregations are in- sulted, " wrote a worthy missionary,
" for the Independents stick not to say they are the established church in this province now, and all others are only tolerated." Among other mea- sures calculated to advance the inter- ests of his denomination was the mak- ing of many of the Presbyterian Di- vines Justices of the Peace; and on one occasion, when Mr. Vaughan was riding on a fine horse, handsomely caparisoned (being fond of such equip- ments), he was met by two of them, who, relying upon his presumed igno- rance of their names, accosted him rudely with, "Why Parson, you are not like your Lord and Master, for he was content to ride upon an Ass " !- "So would I be, brethren," was the quick reply, " but our Governor has made them all Justices of the Peace." The accompanying likeness is from an original drawing by John Watson in my possession.
From an Original Sketch by John Watson in the possession of WA Whitehead
REVE EDWARD VAUGHAN . Missionary to New Jersey from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, 1709.
LITH. OF SARONY & CO N.Y.
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almost as objectionable, both in public and in private life, as Cornbury had been. The course of Mr. Halliday was very obnoxious to his congregation at Amboy, most of whom were of the opposition, and one of them, George Willocks, one of its prominent leaders-a state of things which his irascibility of temper, and, probably, some irregularity of life, tended to ag- gravate.15 He seems, however, to have been borne with and treated respectfully by his parishioners, until he shocked their sense of propriety by selecting Sonmans for his Church War- den, and denouncing Willocks openly from his desk for a pre- sumed misappropriation of some funds collected for the erec- tion of a church edifice. They then refused him access to the church. This was in the summer of 1713.16 For some time he continued as missionary at Piscataway, and thereafter, until 1718, remained in the province or in New York, officia- ting occasionally in different places, much to the annoyance of many of the people.17
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