History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1882 pt 1, Part 69

Author: First Presbyterian Church in Morristown (N.J.)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Morristown, N.J. : "Banner" Steam Print
Number of Pages: 942

USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1882 pt 1 > Part 69

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Annual Parish Meeting held 15th Sep., 1813, Lewis Condict was chosen Moderator, and Lewis Mills, Clerk.

Voted that no person serve as Trustee for more than two years without being reap- pointed ; and that Jonathan Ogden, Daniel Phoenix, Ebenezer H. Person, Silas Condict and Lewis Condict, who have been Trustees for two years past are now out of office as Trustees until they are reappointed.

Voted that all who pay salary have a right to vote.

Voted that the Trustees be appointed one only at a time. John Mills, Jonathan Ogden. Silas Lindsly, Benjamin Person and Charles Ford, were elected Trustees.

Voted that the recinding vote passed the 12th Sep., 1811. respecting selling building lots on the north side of the Green be re- cinded ; and that the Trustees be directed to sell said building lots, agreeable to a vote passed 6th Nov., 1810, and convey the same as they think best.

Voted that if any part of the Congrega- tion do by subscription, or otherwise raise the sum of three thousand dollars to add to the funds of the parish ; that the Trustees be instructed not to sell any part of the Green or parish land which now lieth com- mon, but that they relinquish the whole to remain as a common forever on the money being paid or secured to be paid to them ; and in that case the people of the town have a right to ornament the Green at their own expense.

Voted that a committee be appointed to circulate a subscription to carry into effect the resolution of raising three thousand dol- lars as a substitute for selling the Green. Daniel Phoenix, John Mills and Samuel Halliday were appointed accordingly.

21 Sept., 1813. Trustees met at the house of Stephen Halsey ; all present, when John Mills, Jon'n Ogden, Benj'n Person, Silas Lindsly and Charles Ford, who were chosen

Trustees last week, were sworn into office as the law directs ; and John Mills appoint - ed President, and Silas Lindsly Clerk. The meeting then adjourned to meet at the same place this day two weeks, at 4 o'clock.

At a Parish Meeting held the 15th Feb'y, 1814, for the purpose of knowing the mind of the congregation respecting Mr. Fisher's continuing in or being dismissed from his present charge as Pastor of this Congrega- tion, Lewis Mills was chosen Moderator and Charles Carmichael, Cl'k. Voted that all persons that have paid salary shall be entitled to vote at this meeting, and that the votes are taken by voice and their names recorded on the following question, viz: Do this Congregation wish their Minister, the Rev'd Samuel Fisher, to join with them in requesting Presbytery to dis- miss him from his present charge as pastor of this Congregation? The vote being counted there were yeas eighty-one 81, and nays, including eight women voters, were one hundred 100.

At a meeting of the Trustees 8th April, 1813, at the house of Stephen Halsey, all present but Mr. Person-voted that the Trustees will pay to the Rev'd Samuel Fisher one hundred and fifty dollars over and above what shall be due to him the 30th day of this month, on the following condi- tions, viz: That he shall join with the Congregation in requesting Presbytery at their next siting, the 26th instant at New- ark, to dismiss him from his present charge as pastor of this Congregation ; and that Presbytery do accordingly dismiss him, and that he make no charge for interest or any salary due to him before that time ; and al- so, that he transfer his right to 5-8 of seat No. 50, in the gallery in the Meeting House to the Trustees. The Trustees appointed Mr. John Mills to make a final settlement with Mr. Fisher.

At a parish meeting held 21st of April, 1814, by the First Presbyterian Church and Congregation at Morristown, Lewis Mills was chosen Moderator and Francis C. Johnes, Clerk. Voted that John Mills, Peter A. Johnson and David Lindsly be appointed Commissioners to Presbytery, and that they or either of them be authorised and in- structed to attend Presbytery at their next meeting, and in behalf of this Congregation

MINUTES OF THE SESSION.

to join with the Rev'd Samuel Fisher in re- questing Presbytery to dismiss him from his present charge as pastor of this Congre- gation. Voted that a committee be ap- pointed to furnish supplies for the pulpit after the dismissal ot the Rev'd Samuel Fisher ; that John Mills, Samuel Halliday and Jesse Cutler be that committee; that the Commissioners ask of Presbytery a sup- ply for the first Sabbath in May, and to ad- minister the sacrament.

At a Parish Meeting held 29th September, ! 1814, the Rev'd Barnabas King, Moderator, and Peter A. Johnson, Clerk. Voted that a call be made out for the Rev'd William A. McDowell, requesting him to become the pastor of this Congregation, engaging to

pay him annually a salary of one thousand . dollars in equal half yearly payments ; and that Richard Johnson, Henry Vail and David Lindsly be appointed a Committee to sign said call in behalf of the Congrega- tion ; and that John Mills be appointed Commissioner to prosecute said call at the Presbyteries of Jersey and New Bruns- wick. Lewis Mills appointed Moderator for the other business. Samuel Hallida and David Mills having served as Trustees for two years past were now out of office by a vote passed last year. The meeting then re- appointed David Mills Trustee, and also ap- pointed Joseph Cutler Trustee in the place of Samuel Hallida.

PASTORATE OF REV. WM. A. MCDOWELL,

From Dec. 1814 to Oct. 1823. -: O: -

MINUTES OF THE SESSION.

Dec. 22, 1814. Session met at the house of Mr. McDowell, & was opened with pray- er. Present, Wm. A. McDowell, Minister, Messrs. Jesse Cutler, David Lindsley, Stephen Youngs, Zophar Freeman, Jacob Pierson, Peter A. Johnson & Lewis Mills, Elders. Absent, Caleb Munson, Joseph Prudden, Gilbert Allen, Joseph Lindsley, Samuel Freeman, Ezra Halsey and Henry Vail.

The minutes of the last meeting were read. Messrs. Cutler, Pierson & Zophar Freeman gave excuses for absence from that meeting, which were sustained. [Mr. Mc- Dowell acted as Clerk of Session from this date until May, 1816.]

Jan. 18, 1815. Mr. Pierson, who was ap- pointed to wait on Mr. P. & cite him to ap- pear before session, reported that he had done as directed, & that Mr. P. did not deny the charge alledged against him, [of " in- dulging too freely in the use of ardent spirits,"] but endeavored to excuse himself from appearing before session, by pleading

his great diffidence & inability to say any- thing should he come. On motion, resolved, That the report be accepted, & that Mr. Lindsley & Mr. Pierson be a committee to wait again on Mr. P. & serve him with a written citation to appear before session at their next meeting.

According to a standing rule [see Dec. 25, 1812] session took a careful review of the names of the communicants.

April 19, 1815. Mrs. T. appeared before the session & confessed she had been guilty of the crime [of antenuptial fornication] al- ledged against her ; professed & manifested deep contrition. After conversing freely with her, & carefully considering her case, it was on motion Res., That she be required to niake a publick confession of her sin, ask forgiveness of the church, & promise amendment ; &, having done this, that she be restored.

The moderator reported that on the Thanksgiving day (April 13), the sum of $24.68cts had been collected for the benefit of the poor. [Treaty of Ghent ratified Feb.

PASTORATE OF THE REV. WM. A. McDOWELL.

17. & second war with England brought to an end.]

Jan. 30, 1816. The order of Synod in re- gard to the formation of societies for the instruction of the young in the scriptures was read, & the Moderator was appointed to draw a plan for the establishment & regula- tion of such societies or classes. [Probably outgrowth of the idea suggested by Robert Finley, of Baskingridge, which received the endorsement of the General Assembly in 1815; and undoubtedly the origin of the Sunday School of this Church.]

According to a standing rule [see Dcc. 25, 1812]. the session took a careful review of the names of the communicants.

On inquiry it appeared that James S. who has received a certificate from this church but has never found another, lives in the neglect of the ordinances of the gospel & the worship of God in his family. Resolved, That Mr. Pierson be appointed to wait upon him & inquire into this matter.

Aug. 15, 1816. Resolved, That we unite with other churches in the Presbytery in observing next Tuesday, the 22 inst., as a day of fasting, humiliation & prayer, on ac- count of the aspect of Providence towards us ; the suspension of the Divine Influences upon some of our churches ; & also on ac- count of the coldness of Professing Christ- ians among ourselves in the midst of the displays of the divine goodness.

Dec. 23, 1816. It appeared, from informa- tion laid before the Session, that Mr. X. a member of this body [i. e. an elder], had permitted his workmen to cut his Buck- wheat on a Sabbath day of last Autumn. Mr. X. confessed he had permitted this to be done; & gave as his reason, that his buckwheat had been struck with the frost & he feared, if a rain or wind should follow, it would be so beaten down that he would be unable to gather it. The Session. after maturely deliberating on the case, were not satisfied that this was a work of necessity ; & as the act was publick, &, they conceived, That Mr. X. be required publickly to ex- press to the congregation his grief for this act, by which his brethren think the cause of Christ has been injured; & to ask for- giveness of God, & his brethren who may

have been offended. He refused to do this, as will be seen later.]

Feb. 20, 1817. The Session, according to previous agreement, spent the remainder of the afternoon in special prayer for the out- pouring of the Holy Spirit.

May 22, 1817. On motion resolved, That it is deemed expedient by the Session to have a 3d deacon appointed, & that such an appointment be recommended to the con- gregation. Resolved further, That if a 3d deacon be appointed, the treasurer be di- rected to procure two additional cups & an additional plate, for serving the ordinance of the supper. [Elders Jesse Cutler & Sam- uel Freeman were Deacons at the time. Neither the Minutes of the Parish nor those of the Session contain any record of the election of the third Deacon ; but Mr. Barnes' "Manual," printed in 1828, re- cords "David Lindsly, May 22, 1817," in the List of Deacons.]

Sept. 3, 1817. The Session then proceed- ed to consider the case of Mr. X. in reference to his cutting his buckwheat on the Sab- bath last fall, which had been deferred at a meeting in Dec'r last [see Dec. 23, 1816.] After considering the subject for some time, Mr. X. assented to the following confession, viz : That he is liable to err, & that notwith- standing his own views of the subject, he may have done wrong in suffering his buck- wheat to be cut as he did ; &, as this is the decision of his brethren, the members of the Session, he confesses if he has done wrong he is sorry, & asks forgiveness of God & of the Church. Ordered that this confession be read from the pulpit on the day of the preparatory lecture. [See Presbytery's ex- ception, Oct. 7, 1818.]

Nov. 27, 1817. A communication from Presbytery on the subject of exercising à pastoral care over baptized children, was laid before the Session, & ordered to be read from the pulpit.

The Moderator reported that on the thanksgiving day, Oct. 31st, the sum of fit of the poor of the Church & distributed [to five widows.]

a breach of the Sabbath, therefore Resolved, .$14.10 cts, had been collected for the bene-

The Treasurer made his report to the Session, which being examined by a com- mittee was found to be correct.

MINUTES OF THE SESSION.

Resolved, That it be recommended to this congregation to observe the Ist day of Janu- ary next as a day of thanksgiving.

Feb. 19, 1818. According to a standing rule [Dec. 25, 1812] the Session took a care- ful review of the list of members.

Thus far examined & approved in Presby- tery at Elizabeth Town, October 7, 1818, with the exception of Deacon X's confession. [See page 40, under date of Sept 3, 1817.] " If he is to blame," is no confession of error. The decision of the Session ought to have been complied with, & they ought not to have yielded their views to the feelings of an individual.

HENRY MILLS, Moderator.

Nov. 11, 1819. It was mentioned before the Session that report charged Mr. A. B. with a breach of the Sabbath, at a late Methodist Camp meeting in the neighbour- hood of this Town, when he, or his hands, were engaged on the Lord's day in selling beer & spirituous liquor. Resolved, that Mr. Vail & Mr. Lindsley be a committee to see Mr. B. & inquire into this matter.

Mar. 16, 1820. The committee appointed to wait on Mr. B. reported that they had attended to the business assigned them, & that Mr. B. denied the charge of selling liquor on the Sabbath, but confessed he had furnished cake & Beer ; at the request, how- ever, of the Methodists themselves. Re- solved, that the report be accepted, & that Mr. Vail be appointed to admonish him of the impropriety of selling on the Sabbath, & the business be dismissed.

According to a standing rule [Dec. 25, 1812], the Session took a careful review of the list of members.

June 18, 1821. The Moderator laid before the Session an application from Mr. Wm. W. Miller & Wm. B. Paterson, which was read & is as follows, viz :-

"To the Bishop & Ruling Elders consti- tuting the Session of the Presbyterian Church at Morris Town, in the State of New Jersey :-

" William B. Paterson & William B. Miller, having been regularly received by baptism in their infancy into Christ's visible Church ; & being at present members of the particu- lar church and congregation established at Morris Town within the bound's of the Pres-

bytery of Jersey, respectfully ask the Judi- catory of the Church or congregation above mentioned, to admit them, in the name & for the benefit of their infant children, to participate in the initiatory sacrament of our holy religion. In support of their applica- tion, they take leave to adduce the follow- ing passages, among others, from the con- fession of Faith : ‘Baptism is not to be ad- ministered to any who are out of the visible Church till they profess their faith in Christ & obedience to him, but the infants of such as are members of the visible Church are to be baptised'-Shorter Catechism, Ans. to Quest. 95. As was before stated, the subscribers be- came members of the visible Church by bap- tism in their infancy ; & as they have always manifested their belief in, & their reverence for the great truths of Christianity, by their continued support of the Ordinances of the Gospel, & by their regular attendance there- on ; & as no ecclesiastical tribunal has ever dissolved their relation to the 'House & family of God,' they humbly conceive that they still retain the character which, in their early years, was solemnly acquired, & are entitled to all the privileges which that character confers. Being then, as baptized persons, members of the Church, &, as the confession of Faith expressly declares that ' the infants of such as are members of the Church are to be baptised,' they feel con- strained, by the most powerful & interest- ing considerations, to claim the public re- cognition of their rights as Christian parents. " And as the same Book (Form of Process, chap. Ist, sect. Ist) lays down the follow- ing direction, 'Inasmuch as all baptised persons are members of the Church, when they have arrived at the years of discretion they are bound to perform all the duties of Church members ; and as one of their duties is to place their children under the care and government of the Church, obligations of no small moment, as well as the strongest conviction of the justice of their case, urge the propriety of the present application.

" The subscribers freely acknowledge that they do not perform all the duties of Church members ; but they cannot imagine that, in a clause so general and comprehensive in its requirements as the one just cited, which enters into no enumeration or detail of the duties to be done, any allusion could be had

PASTORATE OF THE REV. WM. A. MCDOWELL,

to one particular duty-that, for instance, of going to the sacrament table-more than to another; or, that by neglecting to per- form any one duty, the delinquent member becomes disabled from discharging all other duties, or should be excluded from the ex- ercise of those rights which the charter of the religious community, to which he be- longs, had explicitly granted him. A vested right, like the one now claimed, never can be forfeited or lost by mere presump- tion or implication. Indeed the idea of con- struction or implied forfeiture, which is so odious in its nature and so oppressive in its consequences, is absolutely disclaimed in the following extract from the Confession of Faith : 'Every congregation shall elect to the office of Ruling Elder, or to the office of Deacon, or either of them, in the mode most approved and in use in that congrega- tion. But in all cases the persons elected must be communicating members in that Church in which they are to exercise their office, (Form of Gov't, chap. 12, sec. 2.) This Section explicitly recognizes the member- ship of all baptized persons. None but communicating members can be candidates for the office of Elders and Deacons. Of course, then, the Church is composed of other members besides communicants : and these members must have been adults, who could have acquired their membership in no other way than by baptism: As they had arrived at years of discretion, they were bound to perform all the duties of Church members. Partaking of the Lord's Supper is one of those duties. This however they had not done, notwithstanding in this re- spect, they are still considered as members of the Church, & as possessing all the priv- ileges incident to that relation, except the one thus positively withdrawn from them. The difference of the language used by the framers of our standards, when designating the persons proper to be admitted to the sacrament of baptism, & those to be chosen officers of the Church, clearly explains their views with regard to the point now submit- ted. 'All baptised members of the Church'; ' the children of all members of the Church are to be baptized'; but only communica- ting members are to be chosen Elders & Deacons. Had not these qualifying words been added a// members, i. e. all baptized

persons, would have been eligible to the offices therein mentioned. This the authors of the Confession of Faith knew; but, as that was not their intention, they took care to insert the restrictive clause above quoted. The limitation, or abridgement, of a general right is an avowal of the existence & oper- ation.of that right, as to all purposes except the one e particularly specified. When, therefore, it is declared that only commu- nicating members are to be chosen Elders & Deacons, it is tantamount to a confirma- tion of all the other rights, which such members as are not communicants were ac- Customed to enjoy. The forfeiture of a positive right cannot be inferred from the omission to discharge a certain duty, inas- much as such an inference is not only con- trary to the nature of all positive or vested right, but is repelled by a fair implication of a diametrically opposite character.

" These are the passages, among others, in the Confession of Faith, on which the sub- scribers rest the merits of their case. And, when in addition to their plain and decisive language we advert to the ancient, uniform, (and until a few years since) uninterrupted practice of the Presbyterian Church in this country, and to what still is the universal practice of the Church of Scotland, from whose bosom we sprang; whose formularies of doctrine and discipline we have adopted, and whose supreme Judicatory, for a long period, we dutifully obeyed; when we re- view the ministerial conduct of those wise and learned and pious men who founded the American Church and finally settled our re- ligious standards ; when, with filial grati- tude, we call to remembrance the baptismal acts which those departed worthies, the Tennants & Davies & Witherspoons & Mc- Whorters & Rodgers did not scruple to per- form and hand down as no unhallowed ex- amples to their successors ; & when we re- collect that, with respect to the subject matter in question, all these venerable fathers knew but one sentiment, spoke but one language, &. like brethren that agreed, pursued the same harmonious course ; when all these circumstances are brought toge- ther and duly weighed, they furnish a mass of testimony which, your applicants honestly confess, appears to them irresistible and con- clusive.

TRUSTEES AND PARISH.

" With these observations they respect- fully submit the case to the consideration of this Congregational Court, and beg their decision upon it.

WM. W. MILLER, WM. B. PATERSON."

After carefully considering the applica" tion, the Session were unanimously of the opinion, that, inasmuch as their applicants, according to their own acknowledgment, have never complied with what our Confes- sion of Faith, and, the Session believe, the Word of God also requires of parents who offer children in baptism-that of professing their faith in & obedience to him,"-they cannot consistently comply with their re- quest. Therefore unanimously resolved, that the prayer of the petitioners be not granted.

Jan. 28, 1822, according to a standing rule [Dec. 25, 1812,] the Session took a careful review of their list of members.

May 26, 1823, Mr. H. appeared before the Session. [He appeared in response to a second citation, charging him "with gross dishonesty in several instances." The animus seems to have been similar to that shown in the next extract ; the desire to call distillers of liquor to account.]

After some remarks, Mr. H. gave them to understand that he had never been re- ceived a member of this Church, but was connected with the Church in N., in the State of New York. And, on examination of the Sessional Records, this was found to be a fact, thatMr. H., tho' for several years considered as a member and partaking of all the privileges of this Church, never has been regularly received into it, and conse- quently is not under the jurisdiction of this Session. After some deliberation, the Ses- sion Resolved that they have no authority to proceed in this business, and therefore that it be dismissed. Resolved further, that inasmuch as Mr. H. has for many years been looked upon as a member of this Church, entitled to its privileges and subject to its discipline, and in view of the Church and of the word, The Session are responsible for their faithfulness to him as a member, Therefore they feel bound, in justice to themselves and to the cause of religion, to make a full and candid statement of his case to the Church ; that it may be known that

we are not responsible. Resolved that the statement be drawn up by the moderator and read to the Church on friday next, after the preparatory Lecture. Resolved that the Moderator, as soon as convenient, write to the Pastor of the Church in N., and inform him of this case.

Aug. 26, 1823, Mr. M. appeared before the Session and confessed that he had run his distillery on the sabbath last fall, but plead peculiar circumstances in the case as ren- dering it necessary. The Session after ma- turely considering the case, were of opinion that there was no necessity in the case that authorized such a breach of the sabbath. Whereupon, Resolved that Mr. M. be re- quired to appear before the session again. and that the Moderator state to him the views of the Session, solemnly admonish him for his sin, and state to him that a repe- tition of the act must expose him to a still higher censure. Mr. Johnson was appointed to inform Mr. M. of the Resolution. Mr. Johnson asked the privilege of entering his protest against the foregoing resolution re- quiring only admonition, which was granted.

TRUSTEES AND PARISH.

Articles of vendue held the 3d day of June, 1815, by the Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church at Morristown, for sel- ling forfited seats and pews in their meeting house are as follows, viz: Ist. The highest bider to be buyer, who must pay the pur- chase money on tender of the deed to be three weeks from this day, or if the former owner shall in that time redeem the prop- erty by paying up the sallary or rent then due the sale to be void. 2d. The buyer to have the same right to the seat or pew, they buy as the former owner had and must pay the stipulated sallary thereon ac- cordingly. 3d. Any buyer refusing or neg- lecting to comply as above for two weeks, the seat or pew, or part, they buy to be rendered liable to a second sale, and the first buyer to make good the amount of the first sale, and not to have any benefit of any access of the second sale.

3d June, 1815. Seats sold as follow : No. 49 in Gallary, of William Addison, sold to Mahlon Ford for $6.50

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History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1882 pt 1, Part 69

Author: First Presbyterian Church in Morristown (N.J.) Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Morristown, N.J. : "Banner" Steam Print Number of Pages: 942

Author: First Presbyterian Church in Morristown (N.J.)
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Morristown, N.J. : "Banner" Steam Print
Number of Pages: 942