History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1882 pt 1, Part 89

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

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TRUSTEES AND PARISH.

Mar. 19. 1878. Annual Parish Meeting Mr. James C. Youngblood, Chairman. The Trustees reported ; That the sum of $595.50 was raised by special application to the members of the congregation, (the work being in excess of the estimate of the Parish Meeting and not included in it), and with this amount the church was thoroughly painted, and such minor repairs were made as ap- peared to be needed. That the matter of a parsonage coming up, and Mr. Green having requested that the Trustees would, instead of renting him an unfurnished house, pay him such sum as they thought right towards the rent of the furnished house of Mrs. Donaghe, he to make up the balance, your Board offered for this year to pay the whole rent of the said house furnished, amounting to $1,000, and the offer was accepted and the liability assumed. That for the purpose of having the pecuniary affairs of the Parish conducted, even down to details, in a busi - ness-like manner, your Board added to the number of Standing committees an audit- ing committee, and has required all bills to be favorably reported upon by such com" mittee and signed by the President and counter-signed by the Clerk before being

paid. That, upon recommendation of the Session, your Board ordered paid to the Treasurer of the Sabbath School, Mr. Phil. B. Pierson, the whole sum of $300, appro- priated for that purpose by the Parish, but the state of the finances of the Parish at the end of the year has permitted only the half of it to be paid. That during the year the subject of insurance upon the church prop- erty has received careful attention in detail, changes being made when wisdom dictated, in amount and in under-writers, until at this time, in spite of the financial troubles of many companies, your Board feels able to report that all the church property is care- fully insured. In this work especially the Board has had the valuable assistance of the Treasurer. Mr. A. B. Hull. That the need of some immediate action on the part of the Parish is felt by your Board to protect the chapel from injury by a system of gutters and drains, which will carry the water away from the walls and foundations, now being injured by it. That nothing having been accomplished by the committee appointed by the Parish at its last annual meeting to raise funds to build a parsonage, your Board felt called upon, as the Parish year drew to an end, to take steps to put the Pastor in possession of a house, for a term of years, and accordingly sought out a list of eligible houses, which could be had for what seemed a fair rent, and offered the choice of them to the Pastor, with the option of his re- ceiving the rent in money, fixing it at $700 per annum. The Pastor preferred the money payment and the Board has pledged the same to him for three years from the first of May next, in addition to the salary, in lieu of a Parsonage. That nothing has been done under the plan adopted at the last Par- ish meeting for securing at least a minimum revenue from each pew ; difficulties meeting the Trustees in the fact that the pews are so often not owned by the church, but by the occupants, making the plan impracticable. Your Board would recommend, therefore, the desirability of providing for the sale by the Trustees, of any pew, the owner of which does not contribute to our home work, an amount equal to the sum fixed by the Par- ish's special committee of assessment of pews, as the minimum revenue, which should be produced by such pew,

164

PASTORATE OF THE REV. RUFUS S. GREEN.

The Treas, reported :

Total Receipts,

$7,280.72

Disbursements,

7,280.72

Messrs. Charles E, Noble, Victor Fleury, Henry M. Olmsted, 'Andrew Reasoner, Dr. Stephen Pierson, J. Duryee Stevenson, George L. Hull, were elected Trustees.

On motion of Mr. Richard W. Stites, it was resolved to rescind resolution passed Oct. 18, 1861, viz : "That in the opinion of this Parish Meeting the appointment of an Elder of the Church as one of the Trustees is improper."

Mr. A. B. Hull was elected Treasurer, and James R. Voorhees, Parish Clerk.

March 11, 1879. Annual Parish Meeting. Mr. John Henry Johnson, Chairman ; 35 persons present.

The Treas, reported :

Total Receipts, $6,106.26

Disbursements,

5,977.58

Balance, $128.68

The following were elected Trustees : Aurelius B. Hull, Joseph H. VanDoren, Ed- ward Pierson,.W. Spaulding, T. C. Bush nell, H. C. Pitney, Wm. E. Church. Mr. A. B. Hull was re-elected Treasurer, and Mr. James R. Voorhees, Parish Clerk. Resolv- ed, That the Pastor be requested to preach a sermon at his earliest convenience on the duty resting on each member of the Church and Congregation to contribute to its sup- port, according to his ability, and to do so in the mode which the Church may pro- vide.

March 16, 1880. Annual Parish Meeting ; 35 persons present. Mr. H. M. Dalrymple, Chairman.

The Treasurer reported :

Total Receipts, $6,420.41

Total Disbursements. 6,339:45

Balance, $ 80.96

Messrs. A. B. Hull, J. H. VanDoren, Ed- ward Pierson, W. Spaulding, T. C. Bushnell, H. C. Pitney, W. E. Church, were elected Trustees. Mr. A. B. Hull was re-elected Treasurer, and Mr. James R. Voorhees, Parish Clerk.

Resolved, [Ist, ] To request the Trustees, during the coming year to enlarge this Chapel for the better accommodation of our

Sabbath School; also to build at the same time a Parsonage for our Pastor on the lot adjoining the Church; [2d,] That they raise for these two enterprises the sum of $10,000, or any other amount needed ; the work to commence when one-half the re- quired amount is subscribed, and that the whole sum be raised before its completion.

March 15, 1881. Parish Meeting ; 35 per- sons present, Mr. John R. Runyon was nominated Chairman. The Trustees re- ported : That the Church buildings. have been kept insured and all expenses for the year paid. That the interior of the Church needs to be re-painted; also needs new carpets and new covers to the cushions, &c .; but as it was found that something like $1,400. would be needed for this, it was thought advisable, inasmuch as an effort was being made to enlarge the Chapel, in- volving a considerable outlay of money, not to undertake the work. That, as to the en- largement of the Chapel, not until late in the season was there such an amount of money collected for this purpose as would seem to justify the Trustees in taking the necessary steps for the accomplishment of the work. That then we employed Mr. Cady, of New York, as architect to furnish the necessary plans and specifications, at the same time informing him of the desire of the Parish that the enlargement should not cost over $3,000; and as soon as the said plans and specifications had been re- ceived, they were placed in the hands of competent builders of Morristown for esti- mates. A number of these estimates have been handed in, and we regret to be obliged to report that we find our architect has gone far beyond the limit which had been given him, and that if his plans as furnished are carried out the expense will be nearly twice as large as contemplated,

The Treasurer reported :

Total Receipts, $6,148.02

Total Disbursements, 6,008.72

Balance, $139.30

Messrs. A. B. Hull, J. H. VanDoren, Ed- ward Pierson, H. C. Pitney, T. C. Bushnell, W. E. Church, G. E. Voorhees, were elected Trustees ; Mr. A. B. Hull was re-elected Treasurer, and Mr. James R. Voorhees, Parish Clerk,

165

TRUSTEES AND PARISH:

Oct. 4, 1881. A meeting of the Congrega- tion. Rev. Theodore F. White, Moderator. About 200 persons present. At the request of Mr. Green two Commissioners were ap- pointed, Elder Joel Davis and Mr. Wm. E. Church, to accompany him to Presbytery and to ask for a dissolution of his pastoral relations with this Church.

It was stated that Presbytery would meet in this building on Tuesday, Oct. 11th, at 9:30 o'clock in the morning.

The following resolutions were unani- mously adopted : Resolved [Ist,] That in acceding to the request of Rev. Rufus S.

Green for the dissolution of his pastoral re- lations with this Church, we desire to re- cord our sincere appreciation of his devout Christian character, and our deep sense and cordial acknowledgement of the faithfulness of his labors among us, in both the public and private ministrations of his office; [2d.] That it is our earnest prayer that in the new field of labor to which he is called, he may meet with rich success in winning souls to Christ, and that in his heart, in his home and in all the work of the Gospel ministry he may receive abundant blessing.

PASTORATE VACANT, FROM OCT. 1881 TO MAY 1882.

- -: 0:

MINUTES OF THE SESSION.

1882, Jan. 19. In view of the repairs of the Church, now in progress, it was deemed ad- visable to omit the celebration of the Lord's Supper, which would regularly occur on the first Sunday of February.

1882, Feb. 15. It was Resolved, That the Church be requested to make our present condition a matter of special prayer, and more particularly for God's guidance of the committee to whom has been committed the responsibility of selecting and recom- mending a Pastor ; and also that the services of the Thursday evening meeting be di- rected to the same end.

1882, April 20. Resolved, That John H. Warner be employed as Organist, in accord- ance with the recommendation of the Com- mittee on Music, for three months from the 23d inst., at a salary of $300 per annum.

1882, May 7. Resolved, That an invita- tion be sent by the Clerk, in the name of the Session, to the Pastor and Congrega- tion of the South Street Church, to partici- pate in the service incident to the installa- tion of our Pastor-elect, on Thursday even- ing, May 11th,

TRUSTEES AND PARISH.

Mar. 14, 1882. Meeting of the congrega-

tion. In accordance with the two following notices, which were read from the pulpit on Sunday, the 12th, about one hundred and fifty assembled in the chapel.

[Ist.] " In pursuance of the recommenda- tion of the conference held last Monday evening, there will be a meeting of the con- gregation in the chapel on next Tuesday af- ternoon at half-past three o'clock, to con- sider the subject of making out a call for a Pastor, and if it shall then be thought to be advisable, to make out such a call.

"The conference on Monday evening was gratifyingly large, and it is believed was pro- ductive of good, and as the selection of a Pastor is so vitally connected with the future welfare of the church it is hoped that the meeting on Tuesday will have suf- ficient interest to secure a very large attend- ance.

By order of the committee." [2d.] " The annual Parish meeting of this church will be held in the chapel on Tues- day afternoon, March 14th, at half-past three. James R. Voorhees, Parish Clerk."

The Rev. T. F. White, D. D., was Modera- tor.

Resolved, [Ist.] That a call be made to Rev. William Durant, of the 6th Presbyte- rian Church of Albany, N. Y., to become our

166

PASTORATE VACANT.

Pastor. [ad.] That before voting on the question, an informal vote by ballot bef taken, but not to appear on record. [3d.] That the final vote on the original question be taken by standing. The original ques- tion was declared carried, by a vote of 87 in the affirmative and 15 in the negative.

Mr. Theodore Little, from the Session, Mr. A. B. Hull from the Board of Trustees, and Mr. John Whitehead from the congregation at large, were appointed a committee to sign and prosecute the call. The salary was fixed at $3,000 per annum, with such sum in lieu of Parsonage as the Board of Trustees may name.

The regular business of the Parish meet- ing was taken up, and Rev. Mr. White being obliged to leave, Mr. Stephen Pierson, M. D., was requested to occupy the chair.

The Board of Trustees make the follow- ing statement :

For all information respecting the finances of the Church you are referred to the Treasurer's report.

The Trustees reported : That, in the mat- ter of the enlargement of our Chapel, on the 15th of October last, a contract was entered into with Messrs. Greenwood & Hays, to build an addition to the Chapel, consisting of an extension of the rear of the present building and a wing on the north side, ac- cording to plans and specifications agreed upon, for the sum of 83,975,, the work to be completed by June Ist, 1882. Of this $3,975. the sum of $2.868.73 has been subscribed and paid in. For the balance we have good subscriptions to the amount of $574., and a written guarantee signed by responsible parties for $625. Total amount actually paid in, subscribed and guaranteed, $4,067.73. This $625. guaranteed as above stated, should of course be met by the Congrega- tion at-large. We understand that about $300 of this amount has been secured by means of a fair recently held by the young people of the Church and Congregation, leaving the sum of $325 yet to be raised. besides this some money will be needed for additional furniture for the Chapel, new matting, &c. That about $2,000 has been raised during the year by subscription and has been expended in the renovation of the interior of the Church.

The Treasurer reported :

Total Receipts, $5,632.37

Total Disbursements. 5,286.76

Balance, $345.61

Payments have been made with more regularity and promptness than in former years,and the unpaid balances of pledges fcr the year are much smaller, amounting at present date to $133.67, of which about one- half is good and collectable.

The cash balance in bank includes in the $345.61, the sum of $192.50 paid in advance for the new year which commences to-day, which reduces the balance proper to the year to $153.II.

The realized income of the Parish from all sources has fallen short of that of the pre- vious year $573.99, and but for the cessa- tion of expense of a settled Pastor since Oc- tober 19th, 1881, would have been insuffi- cient for the year's expenses, by the sum of at least $250. A majority of the occupants of pews still continue to pay less than the assessment of thirty-five per cent. upon the valuation of their pews, which assessment is required to produce the needful income to sustain our home work. With the excep- tion of cost of cleaning and repairing the organ not yet finished, there are no debts of any importance owing by the Parish, known to the Treasurer. A. B. Hull. The Treasurer of the Sunday School, re- ported : Total Receipts, $217.93

Total Disbursements, 204.02

Balance, $13.91

The following were elected Trustees : A. B. Hull, J. H. Van Doren, H. C. Pitney, Ed ward Pierson, T. C. Bushnell, W. E. Church, Stephen Pierson, M. D. Mr. A. B. Hull was re-elected Treasurer, and Mr. James R. Voor- hees, Parish Clerk.

Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed to : equest the Common Council to flag the walk from the crossing at Mrs. Greenmyer's corner to the crossing at the church, and to continue the present walk, now in front of the church to the flagging near the Police Headquarters in Speedwell Avenue, and to lay an additional and more direct crossing (at right angles) from near the easterly corner of the Park to the present walk now in front of the church. Messrs. T. Little, A. B. Hull, H. M. Dalrym- ple were appointed said committee.

MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS.

ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.

Extract from the Minutes of the Synod of Philadelphia.

Sept. 20th, 1733. The affairs of Hanover coming under consideration, and many pa- pers being read to give light to the Synod in that affair, it was agreed that the com- mittee bring in an overture on said business at our next sederunt.

Sept. 21st, 1733. The committee having spent much time in reasoning on the affair of Hanover committed to them, at length agreed upon an overture on it in the fol- lowing articles, viz : First, That the Synod look upon the practice of submitting of con- gregational affairs to the decision of a lot, though accompanied with sacred solemnity. to be unwarrantable, inasmuch as lots are only warrantably used to decide matters that can't be otherwise determined in a ra- tional way; particularly by applying to higher judicatories.

Secondly. The Synod do think that in their present circumstances of poverty and weak- ness, it might be very advisable for the peo- ple of West Hanover, at least for some time, to join themselves with the congregations of East Hanover and Basking Ridge, as may be most convenient, until they, as well as the said neighbouring congregations, be more able to subsist of themselves separately. Yet in the meantime, as the case now stands with that people, if re-union between East and West Hanover be found impracticable, according to our above advice, the Synod judge that the people of West Hanover be left to their liberty to erect themselves intoa separate congregation. Withal we earnestly obtest and beseech, that nothing be done in that affair that may have a tendency to hurt the interest of religion in those places so far as in them lies.

The above overture being read was ap- proven by a great majority of votes.

Sept. 24th, 1733. Mr. Nutman represent- ing to the Synod, the great difficulties he is falled under, as to his continuing pastor of the congregation of East Hanover, by rea- son of the division and discord between them and the people of West Hanover; they, viz : of West Hanover being allowed by this Synod, to erect themselves into a separate congregation (in case, as per min- utes of the Synod) the Synod considering the same, do earnestly recommend it to the Presbytery of East New-Jersey to travail with the people of West Hanover and East Hanover, in order to prevail with them to agree upon conditions of re-union, at least for a while, until they be better able to sub- sist apart. But if the Presbytery's endea- vors to this purpose should not have ef- fect, it is this Synod's judgment, that a

dismission may be granted to Mr. Nutman from the people of East Hanover, by the said Presbytery, upon his application for the same.

Sept. 19th, 1734. 10 A. M. Ordered that the last year's minutes with relation to Mr. Nutman and the people of Hanover, be further considered. 4 P. M. The affair of Mr. Nutman and Hanover continued.

Sept. 20th, 1734, 10 A. M. The affair of Mr. Nutman further considered. 3 P. M. The affair of Mr. Nutman continued.

Sept. 21st, 1734, 9 A. M. The affair of Mr. Nutman-yet continued. 4 P. M. Mr. Nut- man's affairs still continued.

Sept. 23rd, 1734, 10 A. M. Resolved, That the affair of Mr. Nutman, from time to time continued. be first considered the next. se- derunt. 3 P. M. The affair of Mr. Nutman and the people of Hanover resumed, and after reading our last year's minutes, and Mr. Dickinson proposing a difficultv con- cerning the obligation of the determination by the lot mentioned in said minutes, whether the obligation of the said determi- nation yet remains binding upon said peo- ple, the Synod after much discourse and reasoning about that matter, at length came to a judgment in the following propo- sitions :

I. That the Synod look upon the obliga- tion of a determination of a difference by a lot, to be sacred and binding upon the con- science, if the matter so determined be law- ful and practicable, and consequently to act contrary thereunto must be a very great sin.

2. That as the foundation upon which a lot is cast may cease, and the practicable- ness of acting according to the determina- tion thereof may, in time, cease also, (though for a time it may continue practicable,) in such a case we judge that the obligation thereof doth cease also, because it can never be designed that such an obligation should remain after the design thereof becomes either impossible or hath been fully obtained.

3. Our determination last year relating to the people of Hanover did wholly go upon this supposition, that the affairs of that people and their circumstances were so far altered, upon representations then made to us, that we supposed the founda- tion of said lot, and of the people's acting upon it were ceased, which, whether it be certainly so or not, we do not peremptorily determine, but leave parties to judge thereof as in conscience they can.

4. That however, as in our minutes last Synod, we disapprove of the use of lots, without necessity, yet we are afraid, upon representation, that there hath been much sin committed by many, if not all that peo- ple, in their profane disregard of said lot in

168

MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS.

time past, and therefore excite them to re- flect upon their past practices in reference thereunto, in order to their repentance.

September 24th, 1735. The West part of Hanover having applied to the Synod for the ordination of Mr. Cleverly, the Synod do order it to be left to the Presbytery of Philadelphia.

May 29, 1738 ... Upon the affairs of West Hanover, overtured as follows : Upon Mr. Budd's representation of the affairs of Han- over : Overtured, That, however in a former minute relating to West Hanover, we have granted, that solemn obligations by lot or otherwise may cease, when by any turn of Providence what is engaged unto becomes Impossible or impracticable, or the end there- of is otherwise fully and completely an- swered; yet it appearing doubtful to us whether this be the case of said people in respect of the obligation laid upon them to unite or join with the people of East Han- over, by a lot or solemn engagement to sub- mit to the judgment of the committee of the Presbytery of East Jersey, who were called to judge in that affair ; the Synod does judge that the safest way to come to a final deter. mination of that affair is, that a committee be appointed to meet in that place in order to make as exact inquiry as they can into the circumstances of that people, whether there really be such a change in their case as to cause the above obligation to cease, and either give their judgment of this matter. or else represent it as it shall appear to them to the Synod at our next meeting, which they shall judge most meet, and that Messrs. Gilbert Tennent, William Tennent, Junior, Samuel Blair, David Cowell, Eleazar Wales, Jedediah Andrews, Aaron Burr, John Cross and Richard Treat, be a committee to meet at Hanover the last Wednesday of July next, upon the affair, at eleven of the clock ante meridiem. Approved nemine contradicente.

May 24th, 1739. The committee appointed to go to Hanover and help the people there in their difficulties, made report to the Synod of their compliance, and brought in the minutes of their proceedings, which being read were approved and ordered to be inserted in their minutes, and are as follows, viz. : At a committee of the Synod met at Hanover, July 26th, 1738, according to ap- pointment of Synod ubi postpreces sederunt Messrs. Jedediah Andrews, Gilbert Tennent, William Tennent. Jun'r., John Cross, David Cowell and Richard Treat. Ministers of the Committee absent : Messrs. Samuel Blair, Eleazer Wales and Aaron Burr. Mr. An- drews chosen Moderator ; Mr. Treat, Clerk ; Mr. Gilbert Tennent opened the committee by a sermon, Ezek. xi. 19. The committee in order to lay, a clear foundation to go upon, thought proper to read and con- sider the minutes of the Synod in relation to the affairs, and after that was done the Moderator proceeded to inquire into the

matter they were come about, and asked the people of West Hanover; whether their circumstances were altered for the better since the casting of the lot, and it was an- swered by some of them in the hearing and behalf of the whole that they were much in- creased as to numbers of persons in their so- ciety, and that they were near one-halfabler than they were. Which representation was not contradicted nor disproved by any, and plainly appeared to the committee to be the truth of their case. A paper was also brought in by Mr. Kitchell and some others, in be- half of the eastern part, as their committee, setting forth their weakness and expressing their desire of an union with their western brethren, if it could be had upon reasonable terms. Upon which, that the committee might come to understand the real truth with respect to said eastern people, the Moderator proceeded to interrogate Mr. Kitchell, and others of said eastern part, about their affairs and they informed the committee that they were much stronger than when the lot was cast, that though it was hard with them for the present to ful- fil their obligations to Mr. Nutman, vet they cannot but acknowledge they are in grow- ing circumstances, and able to support of themselves ; adding withal, that it is their mind and the mind of this society, not to have an union with the whole of the west- tern society but with a part only, and that if the committee should judge them to unite upon any of the former terms, covenants and agreement, it would be the destruction of the whole, and be prejudicial to the in- terest of religion among them. Whereupon the committee came unanimously to form their judgment after the following manner, viz : That according as things are repre- sented to them and as they appear, they Cannot but judge.

I. That the former obligations of said people, by virtue of the lot formerly cast among them, are now impracticable.

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History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1882 pt 1, Part 89

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