USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1882 pt 1 > Part 57
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The Meeting house and graveyard ar in- closed by a neat piket fence, with a rail on the outside where horses may be fasnd. As many as sixty teams hav alredy arived, bringing the wimen folks and children, for the men who do not cum on horseback ar acustomd to walk. Most of the wagons ar plain boxes, without springs; and a bundl of straw on a board makes a good enuf seat. The larjer part of the congrega- tion cum a long distance, sum of them six and eight miles. New Vernon and Green Village send forty or fifty families ; Prud- den-town and Washington Valley, each as many more. Those that come from Wash- ton Valley turn off thru Mills street and approach the Meeting house thru Spring and Water streets,as the Court-house hil of a later day, and the brook in Bridge street, hav not yet bin crost by good road or bridge. The largest number cum from Watnung or Morris Plains and Littleton, the latter being a prosperous and populous village on the direct stage line to the west. The arrival of an ox-cart, tho not an un- usual siht, made "quite sum" sport for the young folks this morning. For its owner, who always oblijd his wife to walk the four miles to meeting, took her at her word to-day, when she begd to ride, "even like a load of stone in the ox-cart ;" and on reaching the Meeting house gate, before she knew what he was about, he tilted the cart and dumpt her to the ground .*
( To be continued.)
THINGS OF TO-DAY.
Standing Notices :
Sunday: Church Services, 10.30 A. M .. and 7.30 P. M.
Sunday : Sunday-school, 3 P. M.
Sunday : Young People's prayer meeting, 6.45 P. M.
Tuesday : The Pastor may be found at his house from 4 to 5.30 P. M.
*It has since bin lernd that this insident did not occur here, but at Mendham.
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THE RECORD.
Thursday : Young Men's prayer meet- ing, 6.45 P. M.
Thursday: Church Service of Prayer, 7.45 P. M. ; preceded by a Song Service at 7.30 P. M.
Friday : Young Ladies' Missionary So- ciety, from 3 to 5 P. M.
Saturday : Bible-class and Teachers' meeting, led by the Rev. Dr. Erdman, 4 P. M.
Special Calendar :
March 1, Sunday ; Collection for Bloom- field Seminary.
5, Thursday ; "Keeping the Heart." Prov .. iv. 23.
9, Monday ; Woman's Foreign Mis- sionary Society.
11, Wednesday ; Literary and Social Union.
66 12, Thursday ; Mexico. "The Warn- ing Voice." Mark xiii. 32-37.
17, Tuesday ; Annual Parish Meeting. ¥
66 19, Thursday ; " Watching for Souls." Heb. xiii. 17.
25, Wednesday ; Session meeting, 4 P. M .; applications for Church membership.
26, Thursday ; "Joy in Heaven." Luke xv. 10.
29, Sunday ; Sunday-school, Mission Quarterly.
April 2, Thursday ; Preparatory prayer meeting.
3, Friday : Preparatory Lecture, 3.30 P. M. Baptism of infants.
66
5, Sunday ; Communion. Collec- tion for Sustentation.
The friends of Mr. William B. Hopkins, a member of our Church, will be saddened to learn, that he died in Shanghai, on the 7th of January, at the early age of twenty-two.
Parish Meeting on March 17th, will fall a week later than usual, in accordance with a resolution adopted last year. There should always be a good attendance ; but this year it may not be necessary to urge it, since many will be interested to hear the report of the Building Committee.
Judging from the remarks that have been heard, their number and favorable tone, there seems to be a pretty general opinion that our suggestion of last month to call the new building the Manse was a good one. If the inference is correct, it would be well to have the name regularly adopted at the Parish meeting.
,
The exercises of the Literary and Social Union last month were very entertaining. Whoever suggested the novel device to mystify the audience is a genius. And the device gave us the privilege of hearing several who have not heretofore appeared on the programs of the Union. It is to be hoped that this new talent, and more of the same good sort, will not hide in shadows any longer. Those who realized too late what they lost by not attending the last meeting, should be sure to be present at the next.
WOMEN'S MISSIONS.
The meeting of the Woman's Missionary Society, which was announced in the last RECORD for the second Monday in Febru- ary, was held at that time, but with a change of program. Instead of the popular exercises intended, a reorganization of the Society was effected, and other necessary business transacted preparatory to future effort. Altho a very stormy day, about fifty ladies were present, and much interest was manifested. It is hoped that both branches of Woman's work in our Church, Home and Foreign, have taken a new departure, and will henceforth work upon a broader basis, extending their sympathies and in- creasing their offerings. Meetings are to be held monthly, in the interest alternately of the Home and Foreign Societies. The next one will be held the second Monday of March, (the 9th,) by the Foreign Society ; subject; "Africa." Thearrangements are in the hands of a very efficient committee, and an interesting program may be expected. Let every woman in the Church count it her duty and privilege to be present.
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THE RECORD.
EVENING SERVICE.
Practically the sittings at our evening Service on Sunday are free. Strangers and members of the Congregation, who find it difficult to obtain such sittings at the morn- ing Service as they would like, will be cheer- fully accommodated in the evening. The evening attendance has been frequently re- marked, as " good, if not large, considering the customs of the place, and the traditions of the Church." It does not, however, seem to be generally appreciated by those who attend, that the grouping of a congregation has much to do both with their enjoyment of the Service and with the ease and effec- tiveness of most preachers. To sit off un- der the galleries, or back by the door, while there are empty pews in the centre and near the pulpit, is to do as much as possible to make the Service cold, to discourage the preacher, and to render the sermon dull and uninteresting. Let the ushers give you a sitting in the middle aisle, and well up to- wards the pulpit.
WHY NOT ?
Would it not add to the interest of our weekly prayer meeting, if those who think they cannot otherwise take part, would read a short extract from some good book or pa- per, bearing on the subject of the evening if possible ; or, if not relating to the even- ing's subject, something helpful to spiritual life? The weekly religious papers. one of which every family in the Church is suppo- sed to take, always contain stirring appeals or vivid illustrations of truth, which come home forcibly to the heart of the reader, and might be equally impressive to the hearers, if read in the social. prayer meeting. The Bible at any rate is always at hand for read- ing 'at such a meeting, and there is no law against anyone's reading from it. A short passage, or even a single verse, read aloud after a prayer or hymn, would aften drive a truth home, and bring encouragement, com- fort, or new impulse for the Christian life. Don't wait for įsomebody else to begin, if you think the suggestion a good one ; but set the good example yourself.
BLOOMFIELD SEMINARY.
This German Theological School of our Church makes the following report : Number of graduates, 35
German Churches and Missions un- der their care, 37
Number of Church-members, 3,704
Of these there are 31 organized Churches with an average membership of 119. There are also 5,718 Sunday-school members un- der their care, with an average of 178 in each school.
The additions to the Churches for last year were :
On Examination, 449
On Certificates, 46
In all
495
Financial results in contributions :
Benevolent objects. $1,345
General Assembly. &c., 181
Congregational objects, 40,533
Miscellaneous, 1.274
Total, $43,333
The Churches under the care of the first two classes (1874 and 1875.) contributed, during the past year, for the above objects, $23.005.
These same German Churches, since these graduates assumed their care in 1874 and 1875, have contributed to all the above objects $132,075,-a sum much larger than the total cost of the current expense of the institution since it was founded.
At its meeting in October last, our Synod of New Jersey adopted the following : "That we endeavor, so far as opportunity offers, to induce competent young men of German parentage and of unquestioned piety, to consider the claims of the Gospel ministry, and to turn their attention to- wards the German Theological School.
"That we endeavor to make up the defi- cit of last year and to increase contributions for the current expenses."
Our Church has also a German Seminary at Dubuque, Iowa; and the graduates of these two schools now supply some sixty- five German Churches with pastors.
The necessary expenses at Bloomfield so far this year have been much in excess of the income. The School is in urgent need of an increase in its ordinary current con- tributions ; and also of funds to pay the de- ficit of last year. And this need is a pre- sent one. Nine months of the School year have passed.
THE RECORD
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, MORRISTOWN, N. J. " THIS SHALL BE WRITTEN FOR THE GENERATION TO COME."-Psalms 102 : 18.
VOLUME V.
APRIL, 1885. NUMBER 28.
[Printed with the Approval of the Session.]
THE RECORD
Is published monthly ; terms $1.00 a year, in advance. Single numbers for any month, 10 cents each. Subscriptions should be made to Mr. James R. Voorhees.
Matters pertaining to the publication should be addressed to the
EDITOR OF THE RECORD.
Entered at the Post Office at Morristown, N. J., as second class matter.
CALENDAR FOR APRIL.
2. Thursday : Preparatory prayer meet- ing.
3. Friday : Preparatory Lecture, 3.30 P. M., Baptism of Infants.
5. Sunday : Communion. Collection for Sustentation. S. S. Lesson : Paul's Voy- age, Acts. xxvii. 1, 2, 14-26.
9. Thursday : "Test of Love to Christ," I Jno. iii. 14 ; and India.
12. Sunday : S. S. Lesson. Paul's Ship- wreck, Acts. xxvii. 27-44.
16. Thursday : "Symmetry of Christian Character," Ps. cxix, 6
19. Sunday : S. S. Lesson. Paul going to Rome, Acts xxviii, 1-15.
22. Wednesday : 7.30 P. M., Session meet- ing.
23. Thursday : "The Two Ways," Matt. vii. 13, 14.
26. Sunday : S. S. Lesson : Paul at Rome, Acts xxviii. 16-31.
30. Thursday : " The Blessedness of Giving." Acts xx. 35.
EVERY WEEK.
Sunday : Church Services, 10.30 A. M., and 7.30 P. M.
Sunday: Sunday-school, 3 P. M. Young People's prayer meet- ing, 6.45 P. M.
Thursday : Young Men's prayer meeting, 7:00 P. M.
Thursday : Church Service of Prayer, 7.45 P. M. ; preceded by a Song Service at 7.30 P. M.
Friday : Young Ladies' Missionary So- ciety, from 3 to 5 P. M.
Saturday : Bible-class and Teachers', meeting, led by the Rev. Dr. Erdman, 4 P. M.
SUPPLEMENT.
The Supplement for this month com- pletes the Minutes of the Session for the pastorate of Mr. French ; and brings the Minutes of the Trustees and Parish down to March 25, 1872.
PARISH MEETING.
REPORT ON THE MANSE.
The Annual Parish Meeting was held or the 17th of March, at 3.30 P. M. : Mr. John. Whitehead, Chairman. The Trustees re- ported an unusually good condition of the finances, and recommended an appropriation of $6,750. for the coming year. The following were elected :- Trustees : Isaac N. White- head, H. C. Pitney, A. B. Hull, J. H. Van Doren, Henry Cory, James R. Voorhees, Edward Pierson; Treasurer, Henry Cory ; Parish Clerk, James R. Voorhees.
The Committee appointed to build a Par- sonage reported as follows : " Having been appointed, at an adjourned meeting held May 13th, 1884, to erect a stone building for a Parsonage, at a cost not to exceed $15,000. ; your Committee accepted the plans offered by Mr. Louis R. Hazeltine, Architect.
"We were assured that the cost of con- struction would not exceed $15,000., but when the bids were opened, it was found that the cost of the building as planned would not be far from $18,000. The season was already well advanced when the bids were received, and as it was evident a smal-
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THE RECORD.
ler building would be unsuitable for our needs, we concluded not to call for new plans, which would delay the commence- ment of work a full month. We proceeded at once to cut off all ornamental work, in- side and outside, which was not absolutely necessary to the safety and security of the building. By abandoning all the Ohio stone trimmings, the bay window in the dining- room, the laundry conveniences, various other bits of ornamental work outside, all the hard-wood flooring and trim inside, excepting in the hall and stair case where we left the cherry floor and stairs, all the double floors, &c., &c., leaving the finish throughout of white pine; we found that we could construct the building for about $15,000., or a few dollars less. We adopted this plan with great reluctance. It left us with a commodious and substantial, but very plain and unornamental building, Nev- ertheless it would be of stone, and would not cost more than $15,000. ; and so we separated with saddened hearts.
" Shortly afterwards word was sent to us, that an aged member of the Parish, who had already contributed very liberally, was so much interested in the project, and so desirous that we ! should have a beautiful building according to the original design, that he was willing to make a special con- tribution of $500. towards the $1,000. needed to restore the original exterior. The re- maining $500. necessary was at once made up, as a special gift for this purpose, by three other gentlemen who also had previ- ously contributed liberally. With this en- couragement, the work of construction was immediately begun.
" As already stated, the reductions found to be necessary, left us with a pine finish inside, except the main staircase and hall floor. When the outside was completed. we felt that to trim a stone-building, of its pretensions, in these times, with pine, would be an offence against good taste, for which the Parish would not excuse us ; and, after careful deliberation, we concluded to restore the hard-wood trim on the first story. We were at once met with the liberal offer, from another member of the Parish, to fit up the dining-room in oak at his own expense, in accordance with designs to be approved by the Pastor. This offer reduced the expense
to the Committee by $350., as it was in- tended to be a special contribution for that purpose. The double floors were also re- stored, and yellow pine floors laid in the second Story at very little additional ex- pense.
"The requisite amount of stained glass had been included in the Committee's estimates, but the Sunday-school, in response to a suggestion from us, have offered to erect the triple window in the hall at a cost of $160., to be their special contribution. The design, by Miss M. Van Pelt, is heartily approved by Slack & Co., of Orange, who are to do the work.
" The whole estimated cost of the build- ing is $16,743.64, and deducting from this amount $1,510. of special contributions, the net cost to the Parish is $15,233.64. Of this amount there remains to be raised but $4,679.07.
" Your Committee have labored together cheerfully and harmoniously from the be- ginning of the work until the present day ; but by far the major portion of the work has been done by two members, Messrs. Voorhees and Whitehead. These gentle- men have urgently requested that this re- port should not particularly refer to them, but the remaining members of the Commit- tee insist that the Parish shall hereby learn a little of what it owes to them. By request of the Committee, Mr. Whitehead assumed special charge of the construction of the building, in addition to the overseeing to be done by the Architect. He has been present at the building almost every day ; and it is safe to say that his labors have saved the Parish a great many dollars, and secured a building well and faithfully con- structed from cellar to roof. Mr. Voor- hees, as Chairman and Treasurer, has had entire charge of the financial part of the work, has attended to all the correspon- dence, kept the accounts, paid the bills, &c., &c., in addition to his other work as a member of the Committee. And we, the three remaining members, H. C. Pitney, W. D. Johnson and Stephen Pierson, desire to place upon record here our testimony con- cerning the faithful and efficient labors of the two gentlemen above named.
"We recommend: Ist, That the new
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THE RECORD.
building be designated formally as the of Moses Estey's bilding adjoining the Court ' Manse.' house.
"2d, That the necessary funds to com- plete the building be obtained by the Board of Trustees, by temporary loans upon the credit of the Parish, and not by a mortgage upon the property.
"3d, That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is possible as well as desirable to pay off the whole of the debt during the year ; and that the Building Committee be instructed to make an appeal to this effect to the con- gregation."
The report, with its recommendations, was adopted, after remarks in approval of the work ; and the Committee was contin- ued to complete the Manse, a vote of thanks to them being carried unanimously and heartily.
A SUNDAY IN THE FIRST CHURCH. BETWEEN 1800 AND 1825. HISTORICAL SERMON BY THE PASTOR, PREACHED 13TH APRIL 1884. (Continued.)
Behind the Meeting house a litl group listens while John Mills, President of the Trustees, points out where the Session house ouht to stand, with its corners to the points of the compass and its entrance fac- ing the northwest angl of the Meeting house. He declares that it should be bilt of brik and at once, offering, in his generous enthusiasm, to advance the money, if the subscriptions ar not sufficient to begin work with the opening of spring .* Near by, an- other group is discussing the recent action of the Parish in conveying the Green to the town for a perpetual comnon, in consid- eration of $1,600., most of which was given by members of the Church. Edward Con- dict reminds them of the attemt to defraud the Parish of its rihts in the property, and of his jurney, not long since, to Amboy for the purpose of securing the titl in the Green from the Board of Proprietors. And Rich- ard Johnson explains the connection be- tween that attemted fraud and the remons- trance of the Trustees agenst the erection
"This was bilt, and stood til the present Chapel was erected in 1869.
An excited crowd surrounds the doors, talking loudly about the stoves that wer put in the Meeting house last week for the first, and ar now to do away with the hot bricks and litl foot-stoves which sum of the wimen hav bin accustomd to bring. One venerabl old man, with emfatic ges- tures, says : " It is sacrelegious to desecrate the house of God with the devices and in- ventions of man. Providence has kept us and our fathers warm enuf without stoves in the coldest winters, for eighty years in the old Meeting house and in this, and Providence wil keep us warm in the fu- ture, if we wil only put our trust in it. But that is just the trubl ; this generation has n't any faith. Mark my words : before the year is out, on sum tedious day like this, you'l find that Providence has let your stoves burn the Meeting house to the ground, as a punishment for your sin. It is all of a peece with this new-fangld pro- posal of an assurance on the Meeting house, another invention of Satan to tempt the Lord. But no wonder ; for when you lose faith in Providence to keep you warm in his worship, of course you must get the devil's help to protect you from fire. I praise the Lord that the Parish has de- feated this last ' device of the grand Adver- sary' to ensnare us. But can we expect the word to profit us withal, when, in the very house of God, we put our confidence in the sinful devices of man ?" Then elder M .- speaks up. " I quite agree with you, brother Benoni, and let me tel these youngsters, ther is another very practical objection agenst their hot stoves. It wil be simply impossibl to keep the fires low enuf, and their heat, aded to that generated from the the bodies of the great congregation, wil suffocate us." With that, he goes to the porch, takes the big bar, used on the inside to hold the door shut, and with it braces the door wide open : determind that ther shal be as much circulation of air in the Meeting house as he can secure on this windy day. Miss O., in passing, thanks elder M. and remarks on the " dredful hot blast" he has let out ; saying that she fears, even with the doors open, she "cannot stand the heat thru all the meeting time."
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THE RECORD.
In order to view the interior we enter early by the commanding porch that opens thru the front of the steepl, facing the Green. Ther ar no steps from the porch up to the floor of the Church, and a glance within shows the archt ceiling rising to a majestic hight .* Here in the porch a man is "affixt," who receivs six-pence a Sab- bath for keeping dogs out of the Meeting house. He explains to us a paper takt to the door : saying that it is an old notice of a vendue by the Trustees, which was held last week to dispose of two sadls and sum other property takn for pew rent ; and that one of the sadls sold for ten dollars and ten cents, while the other broht ten dollars and four cents, the purchasers giving their notes payabl with interest in three months. As we pass the gallery stairs, we observ the stalwart forms of Jeduthan and Usual Con- dict, who stand as sentinels, one on each side, " to take charge of, and prevent as much as may be, disorderly and ill behav- ed boys siting on the stares, from playing and making disturbance in time of public service."
Now stand for a moment in the shadow of the gallery, and catch the pleasing effect of color and arrangement. The interior is painted a " light sky blue." Tall, substan- tial pillars of oak support the lofty gallery that sweeps around the house except at the end opposit to the entrance, where the pul- pit towers alone. At that end, on either side of the pulpit, ar three square pews ; ten similar pews line each side wall, separated by ampl iles from two bloks of slip-pews that ar themselvs separated by a broad ile down the midl of the Meeting house. All of the pews ar partitiond by high baks, reaching wel up the shoulders of those who sit in them. They sold originally at from $600. down to $100. and now pay a rent equal to seven and a half per cent of their valuation, or from $50. down to $7., accord- ing to location, those nearest the pulpit being most valuabl. In No. 1, the square pew next the pulpit, on the riht as we look from the entrance, sits the pastor's family, in plain siht of the congregation. Dr. Wm. Campfield occupies the square pew in the
corner, whose high floor, which givs him a commanding view of the house, has bin a bone of contention for sixteen years: at last the Parish has orderd the Trustees to remove it at their expense. In another cor- ner ar benches, where sit the negroe slaves of consequential families. In the gallery ar benches for the volunteer choir, a band of singers wel traind by Mr. Dunham, "the chorrister," who receives $40. a year for his services : all ar under the direction of the singing comitee, Lewis Condict, Joseph Cutler, Loammi Moore, Ezekiel Whitehead and Zophar Freeman, who "ar authorized to appoint chorristers, point out proper tunes to be sung, and generally do all things necessary for the promotion of har- mony in the singing and with the singers." No " ritualistic organ " has yet bin intro- duced to despoil the praise of God with its " bag o' whustles. ' The Sabbath School is up here in the gallery, holding its session before meeting begins. No men ar to be seen, the superintendent and the half dozn teachers are all wimen ; for the scool is an innovation, introduced only a few years ago (1816), and thot by many to bode more harm than good : quiet horse-talk and gos- sip, about the Meeting house door, ar bet- ter for both men and wimen, elders and deacons, their wives and dauhters. Conse- quently only a score or so of very litl chil- dren ar on the benches to-day, studying A. B. C. Primers, reciting Scripture verses and the Shorter Catechism. Among them is a golden-haird descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Mullens, sitting between the first Fanny and the first George Washing- ton in the conimunity, whose names sound very stranj mingld with the many Naomi's and Phebe's, the Ebenezer's and Timo thy's and other good old patriarchs and saints who hav stept out of the Pulpit Bible to becum agen restiv litl ones on these benches.
Descending to the floor, we notice the disturbing element of the day, the two stoves ; plain affairs, iron boxes to burn long stiks of wood ; together they cost but $37. Their long pipes, however, ar for- midabl, and cost nearly $80. Another inno- vation broht in along with the stoves, ar elevn lamps, each costing $6.25 ; great evils, according to sum, sure to drip oil, and (To be continued.)
*In 1842, the floor was raised to its present level, and a flat ceiling thrown under the old arch.
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