USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > Woodbridge > History First Presbyterian Church, Woodbridge, New Jersey 300th Anniversary May 25, 1975 > Part 3
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At the close of the eighteenth century a revival started in Ken- tucky and spread north. It was known as the 'Great Awakening', and it developed into the beginning of missions and expansion of the churches into new territory being opened to the west. This revival was reflected in the local church and gladdened the heart of Pastor Roe toward the end of his ministry.
Dr. Roe's Historical Sermon records that "in April, 1803, the people set about building them a new house of worship, their present house being old and going to decay, having stood for about a century. They undertook the building of the house with great unanimity and
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spirit and had it almost finished by fall. So that it was opened and consecrated in the beginning of December and is a very decent and convenient house, sufficiently large and spacious." 10
Dally's history gives a few more details, but states that there was little need to describe the building since when he was writing in 1873 "the structure still stands, with but slight alterations, on the old Meeting- House Green." Dally records that a paper was circulated in April, 1802, with the understanding that a fourth part of the amount each man subscribed was to be paid in August; a fourth in January, 1803; a fourth in July and the remainder in January, 1804. The money was to be applied to the erection of a Presbyterian Church, as the paper states, 'nearly where the old one stands', to be sixty-six by forty-six feet, with posts twenty-four feet high and enclosed with shingles. Dally gives the list of subscribers and the amount each pledged, the total $3,522. 11
Elder Jonathan Freeman, the father of Dr. E. B. Freeman, was the architect and builder. He was the great-great-grandfather of the wife of Rev. Joseph McNulty, who served the church beginning in 1874. McNulty writes that Freeman "looked in vain among other church edifices of the time for something that suited him as a model, hence its design differs from most others of the period." 12
Some excerpts from Book 6, Session minutes for 1802 and 1803, give a glimpse into the time when the building took place. Quote: "That David Edgar be requested to ask the parish generally to turn out with their teams to assist in hauling timber for the new meeting house and that there be a refreshment provided." Next entry: "At a special parish meeting held on the ground where the old meeting house stood by advertisement of regular notice, for the purpose of concluding where the new house is to stand.
Maj. Wm. Edgar, moderator June 1, 1803
1. Voted that the new house stand facing the west.
2. That there be a door to the south.
Attest by James Paton, Clerk
"At a parish meeting held at the new meeting house"
October 15, 1803
1. Voted that Maj. Wm. Edgar present the subscriptions to the people within the congregation that have not subscribed.
2. That a committee be appointed to approve the seats of five persons, Ichabod Patton, Esq., John Brown, James Edgar, Jos. Barron, General Clarkson Edgar.
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3. Be the committee to assess the sum of $3.00 immediately. 4. That the assessments on the seats commence 1st of Jan. 1804. James Paton, Clerk
From the picture of the 1803 church published in the 225th An- niversary book it would seem the exterior was very simple, with no windows on the sides, five multiple paned windows on the front, plus windows in the tower and steeple, two doors with transoms on the front. Joseph McNulty wrote, "It stood out in its plainness and sim- plicity and whiteness, firmly and substantially constructed, a very ex- pressive image in these epithets of the character, for the most part, of those who originally erected and worshipped in it. The external shingling is suggestive of its antiquity." 13
The bell for the spire was bought in 1825 by popular subscription.
In connection with church property it should be noted that the Sexton's house was built in 1839; in 1841 it was voted to build a new parsonage (manse); 1868-1869 the Sunday School room was built on the rear of the church, a Sunday School or lecture hall near the par- sonage having been used previously.
Mr. Thos. Barron presented to the church its first musical instru- ment, a melodeon, to supercede the old tuning fork. An organ, which may have been given as early as 1865 was presented by Mr. Henry Morris, who also is reputed to have given the chandelier sometime before the 200th Anniversary.
Before the celebration, the pulpit was removed from its position high upon the wall and placed more nearly on a level with the con- gregation, and a new system of pews was installed. 14
The Woodbridge Church was blessed with fine ministers during this formative century of American Christianity and the new and ex- panding nation. None was more illustrious than Dr. Azel Roe. Not only was he an ardent patriot, "a devoted Pastor and forcible preacher, he was a trustee of Princeton College for twenty years, and Moder- ator of General Assembly in 1802, the only minister of this church to have been so honored. Dr. Roe died in 1815 at the age of seventy- seven, fifty-three of which embraced his ministry. Dr. Roe is spoken of as a man of commanding presence and excellent address, energetic and zealous in the Master's work." 15
The Pastorates which follow Dr. Roe's were shorter and less event- ful. June 11, 1816 the Presbytery of Jersey met at Woodbridge and ordained Dr. Henry Mills, who became pastor of the church. Most important during his pastorate was the organization of the Sunday
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The Old Manse
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Sexton House
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School in June, 1818, by three women - Sally Potter, Jane Potter and Mrs. Harriett Paton, one of the first, if not the first, organized in the state. This was a period when the climate was that of union, when Congregationalists and Presbyterians and other denominations worked together to establish missions, Bible societies and Sunday Schools throughout the land. New seminaries were also founded and Dr. Henry Mills was called to Auburn Theological Seminary in 1821, where he became one of the leading professors.
Henry Mills was an educator. Before he was ordained as a min- ister he was principal, in 1802, of the Elizabethtown Academy. It is not surprising that the Sunday School was organized while he was the preacher. Dally records, "He was a man of scholarly attainments, and the degree of D.D. was justly bestowed upon him." 16
"Dr. Mills is remembered as a scholarly and refined man, an earnest and evangelical preacher, much beloved as he went in and out among the people." 17
"In 1822 Rev. William B. Barton was ordained and installed as pastor, then 29 years of age. For nearly thirty years he discharged his duties as the shepherd of the flock with fidelity and earnestness." 18
"Rev. Barton served as Sunday School superintendent also. It was through the efforts of his wife that a society of young ladies was organized and known as the Sunday School Society. They met after- noons at different houses to sew and the proceeds of their labor were used to purchase the child's paper for the Sunday School." 19
". . . He was a Godly man and a good preacher. During the latter part of his ministry the Spirit of God was specially poured out. The Church experienced a revival in 1843 and following. Death claimed him on the 7th of April, 1852." 20
"During that same year a call was extended to Rev. William M. Martin. He accepted it and remained the zealous and enterprising pastor for eleven years. With a heart full of love to the Master, he overcame many 'obstacles' in his path, and his ministry was charac- terized by ability, earnestness, and industry until Providence called him to California. A spirit of revival accompanied his efforts during most of his ministry." We are not told what the 'obstacles' were, but we know that Presbyterians of this period were torn between the 'Old School' and the 'New School', slavery and anti-slavery. Churches and missions were becoming more strictly denominational, and it was the era of greatest geographical expansion in American history. The Gold Rush was on, The Homestead Act was passed, there was much to
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distract young men from local church interests, and Rev. Martin him- self seems to have been drawn to where the action was.
It was during Rev. Martin's pastorate that the First Presbyterian Church Aid Society was first formed in December, 1858, its purpose being "to aid in defraying the expense of the church. Members con- sisted of anyone who contributed at any meeting any amount of work or money. The society dwindled and was reorganized in 1873. Fairs, Strawberry Festivals and Harvest Homes were among the favorite ways of raising money. 21
"Rev. George C. Lucas became pastor in 1863 and continued in the discharge of the pastorate for ten years. He was a fine sermonizer and a scholarly man." 22 Leon C. McElroy's notes refer to him as Rev. George C. Lucas of Jersey City, who had been called from the Allen Street Presbyterian Church in New York City. McElroy also notes: "Mr. Lucas had been called to the local church by unanimous vote but it was charged by some that his ministry was not successful, the membership not being so good at the end of ten years of his oc- cupancy as it was at the commencement. This claim was refuted by statements that the cause of diminished attendance was due to the removal from the neighborhood of a number of families whose places were not made up by others and not from any want of ability or con- geniality in the Pastor, Mr. Lucas having played a very important part in the life of the community." Loss of members may have been partly due to the general westward migration at this time.
After Rev. Lucas left, the church was without a pastor for a time. Then Rev. Joseph M. McNulty seems to have occupied the manse by some arrangement other than a call by the whole congre- gation. This caused dissention and a group including elders decided to resign and form a Congregational Church, claiming their objective was to "go back to the good old ways." The incident which brought about the break may seem small in retrospect, but it must be remem- bered that decision making by the congregation rather than by repre- sentatives is paramount to Congregationalists. Systems of government rather than doctrine divide Congregationalists from Presbyterians. There was the heritage of Congregationalism in the Old White Church since its founding by Independents from New England. The key to the situation in this particular church during its second century may be found in Leotacher's A Brief History of the Presbyterians. He writes, "By the opening of the nineteenth century, there was becoming visible a distinctly "American" type of Christianity. It had a common heri- tage from English Puritanism and had been further shaped by common American experiences like frontier life and revivalism. It included such
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groups as Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists and, in part, Low Church Episcopalians . . . A new American patriotism was greatly strengthening the forces of heritage and religious environment that were working for Christian unity at this time . .. Co-operation between Presbyterians and Congregationalists came with particular readiness and formed the nucleus of the growing unity. Relations between these two bodies had been cordial during the colonial period and since. Both accepted the Reformed or Calvinistic doctrines and both used a simple Puritan type of worship. The chief differences were in church govern- ment, the Congregationalists having no presbyteries over the local con- gregations. But even at this point the Congregationalists, with a Gen- eral Association in each New England state, seemed to be coming somewhat nearer to the Presbyterian practice." 23
In 1801 a 'Plan of Union' was adopted by both the General Association and the General Assembly. "The Plan of Union was an ingenious arrangement making it possible for congregations to be con- nected with both the Congregational and the Presbyterian denomina- tions at the same time, and to be served by pastors of either." 24 Under these circumstances, those with Congregationalist backgrounds or lean- ings were contented members of the First Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge during the early years of the nineteenth century and through it gave support to the 'nondenominational' voluntary societies formed during the first quarter of the century on behalf of Foreign Missions, Home Missions and Christian education in the form of the American Bible Society and the founding of seminaries. The Old White Church has had close ties with Princeton Seminary which opened in August, 1812. The Plan of Union eventually proved impracticable.
"Seeds of disunity were implanted in the Woodbridge Church by the division of the religious body of the Presbyterian Church. During the years of division, 1837-1869, the two churches were popularly known as Old School and New School." 25
"But for some years before 1837 there had been ominous rum- blings of controversy between 'Old School' and 'New School' parties within the church on questions of church government and doctrine. The Old School, reflecting its 'churchly' tradition and interest, was dissatisfied with the Plan of Union of 1801 with the Congregationalists, charging that the churches erected under the Plan were not truly Pres- byterian at all, and that adequate control and discipline of them by the church courts was impossible. The Old School also felt that the Presbyterian Church should have its own denominational church boards, responsible to the General Assembly, rather than work through such nondenominational agencies as the American Board and the
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American Home Missionary Society. On the other hand, the New School, many members of which were of Congregational background and training, were quite satisfied with the Plan of Union and the non- denominational voluntary societies.
"The Old School and the New School also disagreed on cer- tain matters of doctrine. Jonathan Edwards, one of the leaders of the Great Awakening in the eighteenth century, had restated - his fol- lowers said 'improved' - some of the doctrines of Calvinism. Samuel Hopkins carried these innovations farther and Nathaniel W. Taylor farther yet. 'Hopkinsianism' and 'Taylorism' were types of doctrine popular in the New School party.
"In 1835 some members of the Old School Party, becoming alarmed, circulated through the church an Act and Testimony' over their signatures warning of 'the prevalence of unsound doctrine and laxity in discipline'. Finding themselves in a majority in the General Assembly of 1837 the Old School men felt that the time for drastic action had arrived. They voted to abrogate the Plan of Union of 1801. They then took action stating that this abrogation was retroactive and that the four Synods ... organized under the Plan of Union were no longer a part of the church. This definitely removed the New School party from the church.
"The next year the commissioners from the exscinded presbyteries presented their credentials, but were refused seals. They organized themselves as a General Assembly and adjourned to another building . . . The Old School contained about five ninths of the original mem- bership, and was declared by the civil courts to be the legal successor of the undivided church." 26
The Old White Church was officially 'Old School' but some of its members were 'New School' at heart and became potential Con- gregationalists.
The conservative influence of the Old School is evident in the almost total absence of reference to the issue of slavery and the Civil War in church records. The situation in the country must have been disquieting to the church. Lefferts A. Loetscher writes: "From 1830 to 1860 the all-absorbing political question in the nation was that of słavery. Most of the churches, by their official utterances, became, to a greater or less degree, involved in the problem. The Presbyterian Church, true to its Scotch-Irish conservatism, was cautious in its han- dling of the issue.
"The first official utterance of the church came from the Synod of New York and Philadelphia in 1787. They (the Synod) recom-
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mended to all their people to use the most prudent measures, consistent with the interest and state of civil society, in the counties where they live, to procure eventually the final abolition of slavery in America. This action was reaffirmed by five General Assemblies.
"In 1818 the General Assembly adopted an unusually strong ut- terance: 'We consider the voluntary enslaving of one part of the human race by another ... utterly inconsistent with the law of God . . . and . . . totally irreconcilable with the spirit and principles of the gospel of Christ.'
"After 1832 the discussion of slavery had become so embittered in the nation as a whole that the General Assembly of 1836 voted: 'Resolved that this whole subject be indefinitely postponed.'
After the division of 1837, the New School Church, with more than seven eighths of its membership in the North, took a more pro- nounced stand against slavery; while the Old School Church, with over one third of its members in the South, maintained a more conservative attitude. As a result, the relatively small Southern section of the New School Church withdrew in 1857 to form the "United Synod of the Presbyterian Church." In the Old School Church, on the other hand, men of North and South continued in fellowship until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. 27
Shortly after the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the Old School Assembly met in Philadelphia and after some hesitation and pressure from the North expressed their 'devotion to the Union of these States'. This action resulted in the separation of the Old School Church in the South, which merged with the New School Church in the South after the war was over. This merged Southern church changed its name to the 'Presbyterian Church in the United States.' The Woodbridge Church seems to have followed the counsel of the Old School General As- sembly through these years. Locally, slavery was no big problem. Early in the nineteenth century New Jersey had acted for the gradual abolishment of slavery. In 1846 it was abolished by law and those remaining were known as apprentices. By 1860 only eighteen appren- tices were left in Woodbridge. During the Civil War many members of the Old White Church served in Col. Isaac Inslee's regiment, Co. F. 28th, it is recorded. It is quite understandable that so little mention of the Civil War is made, if it is remembered that most church par- ticipation was through voluntary societies, which made efforts to min- ister to the spiritual needs of the soldiers.
In 1861 the Christian Commission was organized in New York to send preachers, nurses, libraries, religious literature and comforts to
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men at the front. The American Bible Society, too, was very active, giving Bibles and Testaments to both Union and Confederate armies. In working for these mutual objectives, forces for closer unity were at work in the Presbyterian Church in the North. There were other factors bringing the Old School Church and the New School Church together. They reunited in 1869 under the name of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America - the name before the divi- sion and the name that each of the branches held during the division. The discipline and doctrine of the Old School and the New School had grown more similar. There were, however, root level splits that were hard to heal, and the division of the New and Old School Churches may have been an underlying cause for a group to leave the First Presbyterian Church in Woodbridge to form a Congregational Church in 1874, though not the immediate cause.
The shock of division within the local church seems to have stirred a perhaps slightly apathetic church (membership had fallen off some) to action. The faithful rallied under the leadership of Rev. Joseph McNulty and prepared to celebrate the two hundredth Anniversary.
It is interesting to study the table of church members compiled by Whitehead and completed by Dally, and try to understand why the numbers built up, reaching a peak in 1843, a time of revival and then dropped off. In 1787, 82 members; 1830, 160; 1831, 157; 1832, 170; 1833, 181; 1834, 184; 1835, 211; 1837, 196; 1838, 206; 1839, 198; 1840, 201; 1841, 194; 1843, 242; 1845, 233; 1847, 213; 1850, 200; 1853, 163. Dally adds from later church records 1863, 179, and in 1873, the year he was writing, the number was only 125. This would be before some left to form the Congregational Church in 1874. In 1873 the Sabbath-school numbered over 100 scholars in actual at- tendance, up to 200 on the rolls. This indicates a larger attendance at Sunday School than at church worship services.
It is interesting to note that during the period 1787 to 1830, the membership almost doubled. Following the devastation of the Revo- lution and under the dedicated leadership of Dr. Roe, the Church became first in importance in the lives of its members. They had courage and foresight, and literally worked together to build a new church building, sturdy and large enough to serve the congregation more than a century. Shortly after the new church was built, while Dr. Roe was still active, the church experienced a revival which aug- mented its membership.
After Dr. Roe's death, during the pasorate of Rev. Henry Mills, the church seems to have enjoyed a tranquil period of quiet growth
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and expansion into new fields, especially religious education and a start toward missions.
The peak in membership was reached in 1843, which was the year there was a revival during Rev. William Barton's ministry. After 1843 there was a gradual falling off in the membership for the next twenty-five years or so. While there was dissatisfaction stirring among the members at this period, there were other influences inhibiting the growth of the Church. The disturbing influence of the conflicts in the General Assembly, especially between the Old School and the New School, the disruption of interest in the church caused by the Civil War and its aftermath and the lure of the West have already been mentioned. The publishing in 1859 of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" and rumors of so called "higher criticism" being applied in the field of Biblical studies may also have raised questions in the minds of some young people which deterred them from joining the church. Another important factor, however, was the change in Woodbridge itself. From a country village, a hospitable stopover station for the stagecoach and horseback traveler, it was becoming a town with a thriving industry - clay-mining, manufacturing and exporting. More- over, there was the beginning of commuting to New York City, first by boat and then by 1864 rail service came to Woodbridge. Some industrialists, seeing a future in the clay business, moved in. Wood- bridge was also becoming something of a summer resort, especially in the Sewaren section, until fishing and bathing were spoiled by in- dustry.
It was not easy to interest the newly arrived industrialists or the summer visitors in the support of the Old White Church. Meanwhile, tales of adventure and gold were drawing the youth and sometimes whole families, whose forefathers had been the mainstay of the church, westward. They were inspired, for example, by stories of Zebulon Mont- gomery Pike, who spent his boyhood in Woodbridge and was the son of Col. Zebulon Pike. The younger Pike explored the southwest and is credited with having discovered 'Pike's Peak'. Discovery of gold in the far west drew others. Young men were attracted to dig for wealth in new territory, rather than dig clay in their own backyards. The clay industry did bring an influx of laborers, but they settled mostly in the southern section near the brick works and the clay pits, a long way from the church for those without horses. Moreover, many were Ger- man and Irish immigrants who were Lutheran, Methodist and Catholic and wanted no part in a Presbyterian Church. Records suggest there was some effort to serve the newcomers. Rev. Lucas is mentioned for his civic work and children were recruited for the Sunday School. Per-
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haps the plan to hold the big supper in celebration of the 200th Anni- versary at the "House of Hampton Cutter, Justice of the Peace, on Strawberry Hill, opposite ye Clay Banks" was a gesture of hospitality, as the invitation is said to have been circulated throughout the village.
The Old White Church can be proud of its second hundred years. It has a glorious record of service during the Revolution and a part in the estabilshment of federal government in both church and state. In spite of hard times following the war, it built a new sanctuary dur- ing the same ministry and generation. It reflected its countries' pio- neering spirit by establishing the first Sunday School in the State and taking an interest in missionary projects. The Great Awakening and other revivals had their counterpart in the Old White Church. Divi- sions and controversial issues such as slavery, domination of Old School or New School in church doctrine had to be dealt with. The Church also had to adjust to its role in Woodbridge, which changed from a rural village to a town with a thriving clay industry. Through it all, the Church honored its heritage, and approached its 200th birth- day in a spirit of celebration and faith in the future. It was definitely Presbyterian in doctrine and government, and undaunted in spirit.
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