USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > First church in Newark : historical discourses, relating to the First Presbyterian church in Newark; originally delivered to the congregation of that church during the month of January, 1851 > Part 15
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Webb's church, but the house was crowd- ed before Mr. Whitefield came. The peo- ple, especially the women, were put into a fright, under a mistaken notion, that the galleries were falling, which caused them to hurry out in such a violent manner that many were seriously injured, and five killed. The same day Whitefield preached at Mr. Gee's church. In the evening he preached at Dr. Sewall's church. On Sat- urday I went to hear him in the Com- mons; there were about eight thousand hearers. He expounded the parable of the Prodigal Son in a very moving man- ner. Many melted into tears. On the 4th
160
BURR IN BOSTON.
Burr's return, Whitefield preached to this congrega- tion. His own record of the fact is as follows :* " Rode after sermon" (he had been preaching from a wagon that morning on Staten Island) " to Newark. Preached to a considerable congregation, but with lit- tle influence. However at night the Lord manifested forth His glory. In coming down to family-prayer where I lodged, and perceiving many young men around me, my very soul was, as it were, melted down with concern for them. After singing, I gave a word of exhortation. But how did the Word fall like a hammer and like fire! What a weeping was there! One poor creature in particular was ready to sink into the earth." One of the Tennents was at this time in the company, and the remainder of the evening was spent, with Whitefield lying on the bed in great ex- haustion, in hearing Mr. Tennent give an account of one of his recent preaching excursions.+
An incident, which probably occurred during this visit to Boston, and is related in a letter from a person in that place to a minister in Glasgow, deserves notice here, as illustrating Mr. Burr's character as a preacher, and his influence in promoting the progress of the great revival. A young lady of great wealth and ac- complishments, a favorite in all gay company, but very
of October, being on my return to New ton, morning after morning, three or four Jersey, I arrived at Fairfield, where I re- mained two days with my friends." Jour- nal of A. Burr.
Philip says, (see Life and Times of Geo. Whitefield, p. 419,) that again, in 1754, "President Burr accompanied him [White- field] to New England, and saw at Bos-
thousand people hanging in breathless silence on the lips of the preacher, and weeping silent tears."
* Whitefield's Journal, p. 423. London, 1756.
t Whitefield's Journal. London edition. p. 423.
161
BURR AS PASTOR.
thoughtless on the subject of religion, was passing by Mr. Prince's meeting-house, on her way to some cere- monious visit, when her attention was arrested by see- ing great multitudes flocking into the house; and learn- ing on inquiry, that there was a lecture there that morn- ing, she determined to go in and see what they were doing. Mr. Burr " mounted the desk." Seeing noth- ing remarkable in his appearance, she regarded him with contempt, "thinking such a person could not say any thing worth such crowding after," and would have left the assembly at once, had not decency restrained her. "But she soon found," says the narrative, "what she never felt before, for the Spirit of God accompa- nied the word in a most powerful manner," and the result was a complete change in her life and character. She died about four or five years afterwards, in the triumph of faith and hope."
As a pastor, Mr. Burr was eminently faithful and assiduous. Of winning manners and distinguished skill in finding out and opening the avenues of the heart, he employed his address, learning and activity for the promotion of the moral improvement and spiritual welfare of the souls committed to him. "To examine into the condition of his flock," says an eminent civilian who well knew him,t "to watch against essential er-
Gillie's Historical Collections, p. 328, 329.
+ Governor Livingston. See his Eulogy on the death of Mr. Burr, a copy of which is to be found in the Library of the Mass. Hist. Soc., in Boston, with the following title :
" A Funeral Eulogium on the Reverend
Mr. Aaron Burr, of New Jersey. By Wil- liam Livingston, Esq.
of comfort no man speak, Let's talk of graves, and worms, and epi- taphs ;
Make dust our paper, and with rainy eyes Write sorrow in the bosom of the earth.' " SHAKSPEARE.
11
162
BURR AS PASTOR.
rors, to instruct the ignorant, to revive the disconso- late, to animate the penitent, to reclaim the relapsing, to confirm the irresolute, to humble the arrogant and immoral, were his constant and most delightful em- ployments." "He was none of those 'downy doctors' who soothe their hearers into delusive hopes of divine acceptance, or substitute external morality in the room of vital godliness. On the contrary, he scorned to pro- claim the peace of God till the rebel laid down his arms, and returned to his allegiance. He was an am- bassador that adhered inviolably to his instructions and never acceded to a treaty that would not be rati- fied in the Court of Heaven. He searched the con- science with the terror of the law, before he assuaged its anguish with the balm of Gilead, or presented the sweet emollients of a bleeding Deity. He acted, in short, like one, not intrusted with the lives and for- tunes, but the everlasting interests of his fellow-mor- tals, and therefore made it his business to advance the divine life, and restore the beautiful image of God, dis- figured by the apostacy of man."
With such personal and ministerial qualifications, joined with social and literary accomplishments of the highest order, and an example which justified the re- mark of the distinguished eulogist just referred to,
"Stat sua cuique, Dies, breve et irrepara- bile Tempus
Omnibus est vitæ, sed famam extendere factis Hoc virtutis opus.
"New York, printed. Boston, reprinted by Green & Russel, in Queen street, for J. Winter, in Union street. MDCCLVIII."
The style of this performance is pane-
gyrical, and somewhat inflated; but that the estimate of character is not exagger- ated, may be seen by comparing it with the plainer compositions of Caleb Smith and the writers of the obituary notices. I know of no character concerning which all the testimony more fully agrees in its ap- plause.
163
CALL TO NEW HAVEN.
that "what he preached in the pulpit he lived out of it," it is no wonder that the devotion of the people to their eloquent pastor was strong and fervent.
At an early period in his ministry, Mr. Burr was so- licited to resign the charge of this Church, and remove to another field of service. Several difficulties existing in the First Church in New Haven, Mr. Dickinson, it is said, had advised the people to end their troubles by settling a colleague. Accordingly, in the month of June, 1742, they presented a call to Mr. Burr to become their assistant pastor with the Rev. Mr. Noyes ; and in pursuance of this call, a committee was appoint- ed, with President Clap at their head, to go to Newark and lay the call before Mr. Burr, and prosecute it be- fore the Presbytery to which he belonged, with direc- tions likewise, "to treat with the good people of New- ark and obtain their consent to Mr. Burr's removal to New Haven." All we know of the result of this appli- cation is that it was unsuccessful. Probably the good people of Newark could not be induced, even by the persuasive powers of President Clap, to give their con- sent to a bereavement of so serious a character. In- deed, such was the strong and mutual attachment be- tween Mr. Burr and his people, as to forbid the thought of such a change, except under the pressure of the most urgent reasons. Through all his ministry there sub- sisted between him and them the most entire harmony. They regretted, it is said, even his occasional absence from them, "though the pulpit was not meanly sup -. plied by another ;" for so high was their appreciation
164
DAVID BRAINERD.
of his eminent services, "that they scarce could have a tolerable relish for any change of spiritual fare."*
It was in the early part of Mr. Burr's ministry, that David Brainerd, a name illustrious in the annals of piety, received ordination in the house of worship be- longing to this Church, as missionary to the Aborig- ines of our country. Mr. Burr, with Dickinson and others, distressed in view of the neglected condition of the heathen in the very midst of them, were in corres- pondence with the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, and had secured from them the promise to support two missionaries to labor in that field. Brainerd was the second person selected and appointed by the Society's correspondents for that work. We find him here on the 19th of March, 1743 in great spiritual distress ; but he records in his jour- nal, that "he had some sweetness in conversation with Mr. Burr, and in praying together," and exclaims, in view of the privilege, "O blessed be God for any en- livening and quickening seasons."+ Brainerd had been expelled from college, where his standing as a scholar would otherwise have entitled him to the first honors of his class, for what must now be acknowledged to have been only a trifling indiscretion. As commence- ment approached, the anticipation of the scene was very oppressive to him. His friends made every exertion to have him restored, and Mr. Burr, commissioned by his associates in the Indian mission, made a journey to New Haven for the express purpose. But though
* Funeral sermon by Rev. Caleb Smith. + Edwards' Works, vol. x, p. 69. New York edition.
165
BRAINERD'S ORDINATION.
Brainerd had prepared and offered a most humble confession, lamenting his fault, and seeking forgiveness, the authorities of the College were inflexible, and his degree was denied him, except on the condition of his remaining in college another year, which he could not do without breaking up all his plans of missionary ser- vice.
Mr. Brainerd came to Newark on the 29th of May, 1744, and spent about two weeks here, and at Eliza- bethtown, and in New York. The Presbytery met at Newark, on the 11th of June, and in the afternoon of that day, the young candidate preached his probation sermon, from Acts xxvi: 17, 18. "Delivering thee from the people and the Gentiles," &c. The next day at ten o'clock, having passed through his trials with universal approbation, he was set apart to the work of the ministry, and Mr. Pemberton, of New York, preached the ordination sermon, from Luke xiv: 23. " And the Lord said, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in," &c.
These facts deserve notice, both because the pre- cious name of this sainted missionary should be cher- ished as a sweet odor in every Church whose history is connected with his memory, and because the connec- tion of Brainerd with Burr and his associates had an assignable influence on the subsequent course of affairs in this congregation .*
About the time of Mr. Burr's ordination, some
* I refer particularly to the establish- the prime of life, and removal to Prince- ment of the College in Newark; the mar- ton; the ministry of John Brainerd, &c. riage of Mr. Burr, and his dismission in
166
PRESBYTERY OF NEW YORK FORMED.
changes took place in the external relations of the Church. The large and flourishing Presbytery of East Jersey was increased still further by the addition of the small Presbytery of Long Island, which had be- come so reduced, as to be unable to maintain advan- tageously its separate existence, and received the new designation of the Presbytery of New York. With this body so denominated, the Church continued in connection during seventy-one years .*
At the same meeting of the Synod, namely, in 1738, several Churches previously belonging to the Presby- tery of East Jersey were detached from it, and with some others taken from that of Philadelphia, erected into a new body, under the name of the Presbytery of New Brunswick. It was composed chiefly, if not wholly, of men warmly engaged in promoting the great revival already spoken of; and being formed into a separate body, they began to prosecute with great vigor the plans and methods by which that remarka- ble movement was characterized.+ These proceedings had an important influence upon the course of affairs which we must now proceed to consider.
The period of Mr. Burr's ministy was distinguished by an event sadly memorable in the history of the Presbyterian Church, and to which his relations and
* See Minutes of the Synod of Philadel- phia, p. 134.
+ Whitefield says, under date of Nov. 25, 1739 : "It happens very providentially that Mr. Tennent and his brethren are ap- pointed to be a Presbytery by the Synod, so that they intend breeding up gracious youth and sending them out from time to
time into our Lord's vineyard." (Journal, p. 281.) It was even rumored, at one time, that Whitefield had a plan to bring out young preachers from England, and have them ordained by this Presbytery, in order to supplant those pastors of churches whose piety and ministerial zeal he re- garded as deficient.
167
THE GREAT SCHISM.
those of the Presbytery to which this Church belonged, were such as to reflect the highest honor on their wis- dom and piety. I refer to what has been denominated THE GREAT SCHISM. The revival of religion before re- ferred to, had both given rise to a new system of measures in the Churches which had felt its power, and created an obvious necessity for a more copious supply of ministers than could be readily obtained in the existing state of learning and piety in the country. The consequence was that some serious irregularities disturbed the order of the Church, and some men were introduced into the sacred office, whose proficiency in learning did not correspond with their zeal and fer- vency. To those who were not in full sympathy with the movement, these evils gave serious offence, and furnished both the occasion and the pretext for oppos- ing in some instances, the work itself. In the year 1737, an act was passed in the Synod restricting itine- rant preaching, and prohibiting the members of one Presbytery to preach within the bounds of another without an explicit permission. In the year following, the Synod enacted that no Presbytery should ordain or license any candidate for the ministy, who could not furnish a diploma from some European or New England College, without first subjecting him to an examination with respect to his scholarship, before a commission of the Synod. As these regulations, how- ever proper in themselves, had the effect to counteract the most efficient measures which had been resorted to by the friends of the revival, and were supposed by them to be designed for that purpose, they of course
168
CAUSES OF THE SCHISM.
regarded them with great repugnance. Some modifi- cation were made, but the opponents of the restric- tions were not satisfied. The Presbytery of New Brunswick, in which the influence of the Messrs. Tennent was prominent, threw themselves back upon their reserved rights, and the old controversy on Mr. Gillespie's overture, so happily settled in 1722, by the adoption of Mr. Dickinson's articles, was in a measure revived. Alleging conscientious objections to the acts of the Synod, this Presbytery claimed the legal right not to be bound by them, and thereupon actually pro- ceeded to grant licenses to one or more candidates. without the required examination. Matters went on in this way-the irritation all the while becoming greater, and the breach between the two parties wider and wider-till the year 1741, when the advocates of the restrictions, weary of opposition, determined on settling the whole affair in a summary manner, by the ejection of their refractory brethren. A long and se- vere protest was introduced into the Synod, in which the authors of it, declaring themselves "grieved at our very hearts with the dreadful divisions, distractions and convulsions which all of a sudden have seized this infant Church," of which all they say, their protesting brethren, that is the New Brunswick Presbytery and their associates, were the "direct and proper cause, by their unwearied, unscriptural, anti-presbyterial, unchar- itable and abusive practices," proceed to assert in the most formal and solemn manner, that these brethren have no right to be considered members of that body, on account of "principles and practices which render
169
ATTEMPTS AT MEDIATION.
all union with them in ecclesiastical matters monstrous and absurd ;" and to declare further, that if these brethren shall still be allowed to sit and act, "what- soever shall be done, voted or transacted by them con- trary to our judgment, shall be of no force or obliga- tion to us, being done or acted by a judicatory, consist- ing in part of members who have no authority to act with us in ecclesiastical matters."* All this while, it must be remembered, the accused party had had no trial, and not one of the charges on the ground of which they were thus declared out of the pale of the Presbyterian Church had been legally proved. On a trial of strength, the adherents to the party thus pro- testing being found to be in the majority, the minority were compelled to withdraw.
The members of the Presbytery of New York were all absent when these violent proceedings took place. But the next year they made their appearance in the Synod, and, with that noble champion of truth and right, Jonathan Dickinson, at their head, commenced a vigorous effort to heal. the melancholy breach. A conference was proposed and ordered, but the question now arose, who should be the judges in the case. The ejected members insisted on excluding all who signed the offensive protest, which would throw the power of deciding mainly into the hands of the New York Pres- bytery. The protesting brethren would neither allow the ejected members nor the absentees of the last year
* This protest, which is too long to be a long series of mutual irritations, may inserted here, is a singular proof of the carry even good men. Its language is in extent to which party spirit, influenced by the highest degree harsh and vituperative.
170
NEW YORK PRESBYTERY PROTEST
to act in the matter, insisting that they themselves were the Synod when they adopted the protest, and had acted as such, and would be called to account, neither by absent members nor by any judicature on earth. One of their number declared his judgment in favor of submitting to a review in the Synod as now met, but whether he intended the ejected members should be admitted to a vote in that review, his re- corded opinion does not affirm.
Finding all attempts to secure a reconsideration ineffectual, the New York members now entered their solemn protest against the whole transaction, as illegal, unprecedented, " contrary to the rules of the Gospel, and subversive of our excellent constitution;" declar- ing, moreover that "the excluded members ought to be owned and esteemed as members of the Synod, un- til they are excluded by a regular and impartial pro- cess against them, according to the methods presented in Sacred Scripture, and practiced by the Churches of the Presbyterian persuasion." This protest they de- sired should be recorded in the minutes for a perpet- ual memorial Nor did they stop with this. Very earnestly did this noble body of men, constituting the flower of the whole Synod, labor for reconciliation. That the party who had been ejected were wrong in many respects, they freely acknowledged. They were by no means disposed to justify their disorderly intrusions into other congregations than their own, their censorious judgments of the spiritual state of men of unimpeached standing in the Church, and especially their refusal to submit to the regulations of the Synod
171
AND REMONSTRANCE.
in respect to the examination of candidates for the ministry .* But they had strong sympathy with them as men zealous for the promotion of living piety ; they believed the right was on their side in the matter now immediately in contest; and could not allow them to be censured by the highest judicatory of the Church, much less ejected from its membership, without the- process of a legal trial. At a meeting convened in Newark, in the Spring of 1743, they presented a very able and temperate paper, kindly but faithfully ex- pressing their views of what was wrong in both parties, urging a reconciliation, and proposing as a last resort, that another Synod should be created by a mutual agreement; so that all the members having free per- mission to choose between the two bodies, both parties might be able to labor in their spheres for the com- mon cause, and be at the same time on friendly rela-
* The following extract, furnished me by the kindness of Rev. Richard Webster, from a letter of Mr. Burr to Dr. Bellamy, shows the cautious wisdom with which this class of men were accustomed to watch every evil tendency which they dis- covered mingling itself with the great re- ligious movement of the age :
"June 28, 1742, Beloved Brother-I have so many things lying on my mind that I know not how to communicate them with pen and ink. I long to have you alone a few hours, that I might un- bosom myself freely ; but 'tis good to have no will of our own. 'Tis glad tidings of great joy we hear from Southberry. But some things that I have heard from there I don't see through, which in some meas- ure damps my joy. The bearer has given me more satisfaction. Glory be to God, that He carries on His work in any way, I do rejoice, and will rejoice. However, there are some things that persons are apt
to run into at the present day that we ought not to encourage: 1. Their being led by impressions and impulses made on their minds with or without a text of Scripture, and taking their own passions and imagin- ations for the operations of God's Spirit. 2. Giving heed to visions, trances and rev- elations. 3. Speaking of divine things with an air of levity, vanity, laughter, &c. 4. Declaring their judgment about others openly and freely in their absence, wheth- er they are converted or not. 5. Making their own feelings a rule to judge others by. 6. For laymen to take upon them to exhort in a public assembly. 7. Separa- ting from their minister under a notion of his being unconverted. . . Things with us are much as when I saw you. I have had a few intervals of nearness to God, but alas! how short. But Oh, how sweet and pleasant. 'Let Him kiss me with the kisses of His mouth, for His love is sweeter than wine.'"
172
SEPARATION CONSUMMATED.
tions. But here again their efforts failed. The ejected brethren would listen to no terms till the illegal protest should be withdrawn. The members of the other party would make none which do not include satisfaction for the past, promises of amendment for the future, and an undoing of all that had been done contrary to their judgment. On these conditions alone would they allow the ejected brethren to take a seat in " our Synod;" and as to the mutual agreement to form a new one, that would be, they judged, to perpetuate schism, and therefore could not be done.
The proposals of the Presbytery of New York being thus unanimously rejected, another paper was presented, signed by four ministers, of whom Mr. Burr was one, in which they declared that while they had no unbroth- erly treatment from the Synod to complain of in rela- tion to themselves, they could not consent to sit and act as the Synod of Philadelphia, while the members of the New Brunswick Presbytery and their adherents, who were as truly members of the Synod as themselves, were denied a seat in it.
The next year all the members of the New York Presbytery were absent. Some further efforts were made to bring about an agreement, either to renew the union, or separate on terms deemed equitable by both the parties; but these proving ineffectual, the Presbytery of New York having determined to make common cause with the aggrieved party, united with the two Presbyteries into which the former Presby- tery of New Brunswick had now grown, and founded in the month of September, 1745, THE SYNOD OF NEW
173
SYNOD OF NEW YORK FORMED.
YORK." This Synod held its first meeting at Eliza- bethtown, and chose for its first Moderator, the Rev. Jonathan Dickinson. Thus was consummated the First Great Schism in the Presbyterian Church.
* Minutes, p. 232. The Presbyteries composing the new Synod were those of New York, New Brunswick and New Cas- tle. Of the Presbytery of New York were present the following ministers: Messrs. Jonathan Dickinson, John Pierson, Eben- ezer Pemberton, Simon Horton, Aaron Burr, Azariah Horton, Timothy Jones, Eliab Byram, Robert Sturgeon. The platform on which it established itself is as follows :
"The ministers and elders before men- tioned, first considered and agreed upon the following articles, as the plan and foundation of their Synodical union :
"1. They agree that the Westminster Confession of Faith, with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, be the public con- fession of their faith, in such manner as was agreed unto by the Synod of Phila- delphia in the year 1729, and to be inserted in the latter end of this book. And they declare their approbation of the Directory of the Assembly of Divines at Westmin- ster as the general plan of worship and discipline.
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