USA > New Jersey > Burlington County > Burlington > History of the church in Burlington, New Jersey : comprising the facts and incidents of nearly two hundred years, from original, contemporaneous sources > Part 4
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"Your real Friend, " And servant, "J. T."
THE FIRST SERMON IN THE CHURCH.
" August 22, Sunday, 1703. I preached at the New Church at Burlington, on 2 Sam. 23. 3, 4 .- [The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.]-My Lord Cornbury was present and many Gentlemen who accom- panied him, both from New York, and the two Jerseys, having had his Commission to be Governour of West and East-Jersey,
*
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Read at the Town House there, some Days before. It was the first Sermon that was Preached in that Church.
" August 29, Sunday. I preached again at the Church in Bur- lington, on James 1. 22 .- [But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.]
" Sept. 5, Sunday. I preached at Philadelphia, on Acts 2. 41, 42 .- [ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.]-being Sacrament Day.
"Sept. 12, Sunday. I preached at the Church in Burlington, a Second Sermon, on James 1. 22. Mr. Talbot preached that Day at Chester in Pensilvania." Keith's Journal.
THE CHURCH ALMOST FINISHED.
Mr. Talbot to the Secretary .- Extract. " Philadelphia, 1st September, 1703. " SIR :
"Mr. Keith and I have preached the Gospel to all sorts and conditions of men, we have baptized several scores of men, women and children, chiefly those of his old Friends (the rest are hardened just like the Jews who please not God and are contrary to all men), we have gathered several hundreds together for the Church of England, and what is more, to build houses for her service. There are four or five going forward now in this province and the next. That at Burlington is allmost finished. Mr. Keith preached the first sermon in it before my Lord Cornbury, whom the Queen has made Gover- nour of Jersey to the satisfaction of all Christian people. Churches are going up amain where there were never any before. They are going to build three at N. Carolina to keep the: people together, lest they should fall into Heathenism, Quaker- ism &c. &c., and three more in these lower counties about New Castle, besides that at Chester, Burlington and Amboy.
" And I must be so just to a member of your Society, his- Excellency Francis Nicholson, Governour of Virginia, as to.
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acknowledge him to be the Prime Benefactor and Founder, in chief of them all; so generous has he been to the church; so just to the State, so far from taking of bribes, that he will not receive a present from any, great or small. Therefore we have hopes that it will please God and the Queen to give him time to perfect the good works that he has begun ; that he may see the Church prosper and prevail against all her enemies, which I dare say is all that he desires ; being zealous for the honour of the Church of England which is the mother of us all. Upon her account it was that I was willing to travel with Mr. Keith, indeed I was loath he should go alone, now he was for us, who I'm sure would have had followers enough had he come against us. Besides, I had another end in it, that by his free Conversa- tion and Learned Disputes both with his Friends and Enemies, I have Learnt better in a year to deal with the Quakers, than I could by several years' study in the schools. We want more of his narratives which would be of good use here where we often meet with the Quakers and their Books. More of his answers to Robert Barklay would come well to the clergy of Maryland and Virginia, &c. Barklay's book has done most mischief, therefore Mr. Keith's answer is more requisite and necessary. Mr. Keith has done great service to the Church where ever he has been, by. Preaching and disputing, publicly and from house to house ; he has confuted many (especially the Anabaptists) ; by Labor and Travel night and day, by writing and printing of books mostly at his own charge and costs and giving them out freely, which has been very expensive to him. By these means People are much awakened, and their Eyes opened to see the good old way, and they are very well pleased to find the Church at last take such care of her children. For it is a sad thing to consider the years that are past, how some that were born of the English, never heard of the name of Christ, how many others were baptized in his name and follow away to Heathenism, Quakerism, and Atheism for want of confirmation.
" It seems the strangest thing in the world and 'tis thought History can not parallel it, that any place has received the Word of God so many years, so many hundred Churches built, so many thousand proselytes made, and still remain altogether in
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the wilderness as sheep without a shepherd. The poor church of America is worse off in this respect than any of her adversaries.
" The Presbyterians here come a great way to lay hands one on another ; but after all I think they had as good stay at home, for the good they do. The Independents are called by their Sovereign Lord the People. The Anabaptists and Quakers pretend to the spirit. But the poor Church has no body upon the spot to comfort or confirm her children. No body to ordain severall that are willing to serve, were they authorized for the work of the ministry. Therefore they fall back again into the Herd of the Dissenters, rather than they will be at the Hazard and Charge to go as far as England for orders ; so that we have seen severall Counties, Islands and Provinces, which have hardly an Orthodox minister amongst them, which might have been supplied had we been so happy as to see a Bishop or Suffragan apud Americanos.
" We count ourselves happy, and indeed so we are, under the protection and Fatherly Care of the Right Rev. Father in God, Henry Lord Bishop of London, and we are all satisfied that we can't have a greater Friend and Patron than himself. But alas ! there is such a great Gulph fixt between us, that we can't pass to him nor he to us; but may he not send a Suffragan? I believe I am sure there are a great many learned and Good men in England, and I believe also did our Gracious Queen Anne but know the necessities of her many good subjects in these parts of the world, she would allow £1000 per annum, rather than so many souls should suffer ; and then it would be a hard case if there should not be found one amongst so many pastors and Doctors (de tot millibus, unus qui transiens, adjuvet nos) ; meanwhile I don't doubt but some learned and good man would go further, and do the Church more service with &100 per annum than with a coach and six, 100 years hence.
"The Reverend author of the 'Snake in the Grass' has done great service here by his Excellent Book ; no body that I know since the Apostles' dayes has managed controversie better against all Jews, Heathens and Heretics; many here have desired to see the author, however I hope we shall not want his works,
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especially against the Quakers, and the five discourses which have convinced many, and are much desiderated.
"Those boxes of books that were sent over last year, Mr. Keith has disposed of in their several Places as directed. I have carried of the small sort, in a wallet, some hundred miles,t and distributed them to the people as I saw need. They have been long upon the search for truth in these parts, they see through the vanity and pretences of all Dissenters, and generally tend directly to the Church. Now is the time of harvest, we want a hundred hands for the work, meanwhile two or three, that are well chosen, will do more good there than all the rest ; for we find by sad experience that people are better where they have none, than where they have an ill minister. Next unto God, our eyes are upon the Corporation for help in this heavy case. I dare say nothing has obtained more reputation to the Church and nation of England abroad than the honorable society for Reformation of manners and the Reverend and honorable corporation for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
" The Quakers compass sea and land to make proselytes ; they send out yearly a parcel of vagabond Fellows that ought to be taken up and put in Bedlam rather than suffer to go about raving and railing against the Laws and Orders of Christ and his Church ; and for why ? Their preaching is of cursing and Lyes, poysoning the souls of the people with damnable errors and heresies, and not content with this in their own Territories of Pensylvania, but they travel with mischief over all parts as far as they can goe, over Virginia and Maryland, and again through Jersey and New York as far as New England ; but there they stop, for they have prevented them by good Laws and due Execution ; Fas est ab hoste doceri. Sir
" Your most humble and obedient servant,
" JOHN TALBOT."
At the head of the fourth page of the Parish Register, Mr. Talbot has inscribed, in bold and beautiful letters, "LAUS DEO APUD AMERICANOS." Immediately following this, are recorded, baptisms administered by him, in "Long Island, Oyster Bay ;" "Freehold ;" "" Amboy ;" and "Raway, East Jersey."
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
THE FIRST CHURCHWARDENS APPEAL FOR AID.
The Church Wardens &c of Burlington to the Lord Bishop of London.
" BURLINGTON in West Jersey 4 Sept" 1703 " Most Reverend Father,
" We few members of the church of England in this Collony of West new Jersey in America by the advice of our worthy Patron Coll. Nicholson Governor of Virginia did in November last penn our humble addresse to our majesty our Gracious Queen and also a petition to your Lordship wherein we demonstrated our Designe to erect a church for the worship of God according to Law as established in England.
" But the Quakers being numerous amongst us, & we a very few concerned are not able without the assistance of well dis- posed christians to accomplish this our religious undertaking, yet tho' it was not quite covered and flored nor plastered, nor glazed the 22th of Aug. last M' Keith & Mr Talbot preached before my Lord Cornbury therein, who was here then to pro- claime her majesty's commission for Governour of the Jerseys.
" With our petition to your Lordship we presumed to inclose a little memorial : That when our Infant church by divine providence mett with benefactors in England some things might be sent us as Common Prayer Books Catechisms necessaries for the Communion Table & Pulpitt, Glass, nayles, Linseed Oyle; & a Bell these are things not to be had here for money, so we are in hopes God Almighty will move the hearts of well dis- posed christians to help us.
"By a Letter from your Lordship to Coll Morris of East Jersey we are informed your Lordship designed sending us a. minister for wch we have cause to adore the goodness of God who is pleased to move your Lordships heart to take pity upon our poor souls, we most humbly begg your Lordships prayers for us, that the Almighty's Blessing may be upon us that Schisms & Heresies may vanish, that many souls amongst us may be brought into the true orthodox faith : then shall our congrega- tion encrease we & our Posterity for so great a blessing will have ever cause to praise and magnify God Almightie's goodness
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IN BURLINGTON.
for his Instruments in Promoting so religious and glorious a work.
" We having but even now notice of Mr Thomas the Minister att Philadelphia his departing from thence in a day or two, we could not get more hands, many of our bretheren being att some considerable distance, on our own and their behalfs presumed to subscribe our selves
" Right reverend Father in God, your Lordships " ever obliged humble & obedient Servants,
NATH' WESTLAND
" Church wardens - ROBERT WHEELER JOHN JEWELL."
EVERY PLACE WANTS MR. TALBOT.
Mr. Keith to the Secretary.
" PHILADELPHIA, 4th September 1703. " Notwithstanding the averseness of those called Foxonian Quakers, everywhere generally (some few excepted) those formerly called Keithian Quakers both in E. & W. Jersey and Pensylvania and at New York did kindly receive us and most are come over to the Church with good zeal, so that in E. & W. Jersey and some other places above a hundred have been baptized by Mr Talbot and me and My Evans very lately ; most of them Keithians formerly so called, and their children : and they greatly desire that good and able ministers may be sent among them, particularly at Burlington in W. Jersey, at Shrews- bury in E. Jersey, where Coll. Morris lives, and who has been very Instrumental to them, & very kind to us and hospitable ; also at Chester in Pensylvania they greatly desire a minister, and at New Castle by the River Delaware. In Burlington, the people assisted by the county and some others, especially by the beneficence of Governour Nicholson, have built a church of Brick where I preached two weeks ago before Lord Cornbury, who was come thither to publish his Commission to be Gover- nour of these two provinces of E. & W. Jersey now put into one. The Church was very full of People, and the next Sunday after that, I preached there again and had a considerable audi- tory. * I had your kind letter wherein you give me notice
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-that the Hororable Corporation hath allowed Mr. John Talbot to be my associate in my travels, and that they give £60 per annum to bear his charge, for which I humbly thank them : he hath been very comfortable to me and serviceable throughout, and is universally so well beloved that in every place where they want a Minister they have desired to have him, and especially at Burlington and in E. Jersey. He designs to stay in these American parts, and in my opinion I think the Corporation will hardly find any one fitter to send to be their missionary, (and to give him the best post either on Long Island or E. or W. Jersey,) than he is, being so well known & beloved both for his preaching and good Conversation, and civil and obliging be- haviour. But I leave it wholly to the discretion of the Honor- able Corporation where to fix him after his time is expired with me, which will be about eight months hence, when my two years which I design to travel in these American parts will be out ; and, God willing, I design to come to England in the Fleet that is to sail from Virginia to London next Spring or Summer, if God please to spare my life and give me health and Preservation. *
" As you advised me I keep a Journal of all observable occurrences which I hope to produce at my return.
" I remain,
" Your obliged and affectionate friend, " GEORGE KEITH."
THE KEITHIAN QUAKERS WELL AFFECTED.
Mr. Keith to Dr. Bray. "Philadelphia, 24th Feb. 1703-4. "Dr. BRAY-
"REVEREND AND WORTHY SIR:
"My very humble and kind respects remembered to you, and all our friends with you ; having this occasion I was glad to accept of it (as of all occasions that occur) to write unto you. I writ unto you from New York, in Novem- ber last, together with our scheme of the State of the Church in these Northern parts of America, and therewith I sent a long
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letter to the Honourable Corporation for Propagating the Gospell in Foreign Parts, and a letter to my Lord of London, all which I enclosed in my letter to you, which I hope you have received. I have had no letter from you as yet, nor from any of your honourable Corporation, but one from my worthy friend, Mr. Chamberlayne, wherein he signified to me that your Cor- poration had not met, betwixt his receiving my Letters and the time of his writing to me, so that he could not say any thing, what the Corporation would do, concerning allowing Mr. Tal- bot his charge in travelling with me, but he thought that they would be well satisfied that he was my companion, and would allow him what they thought was convenient. I have heard Mr. Talbot say that if they allow him £50 English money per annum, it will do, and indeed that is little enough, and would not near do, but that we are often upon free quarters, more especially among our friends. Mr. Talbot, I hear, has a good character given of him, to my Lord of Canterbury, and indeed he deserves it, he has been mightly serviceable and comfortable to me in all respects, as a Son to his Father, and is well beloved by all where we have travelled, who are well affected to the Church ; and has been much desired by the People in severa Places, to be their Minister (after he has finished liis travels with me, which are like to be done, somewhat above a year hereafter) particularly at Chester, about 16 miles Southward from Philadelphia, by the river Delaware, where he has once preached, and hath brought over the same time there also, in the said Town of Chester, Mr. Yeates who lives there, and who- has been the principal person, to cause build a Church, very decent and convenient of Brick, that will hold a thousand people, it is well glazed, but not as yet wainscotted nor plais- tered, but it is fit for use, and we have preached in it twice : the the 14th of this instant I preached in it, and there were above two hundred hearers, all generally well affected to the Church ; but they greatly desire a Minister, and if the Corporation please to give an yearly supply of £50 per annum, the people there, and thereabouts, would contribute to make up the rest. This,
+ He was Secretary of the Society ..
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Mr. Yeates desired me to write to you to lay before my Lord of London and the Honourable Corporation.
" Betwixt New York and Pensylvania we continued about a month, viz. from 14th of December to 11th of January travel- ling among the Friends, call'd formerly the Keithian Quakers especially for East Jersey, having been about a whole month travelling among them before that, which was in the month October; and by God's blessing our labour has had good suc- cess among them, so that generally very few excepted, all the Keithians in East Jersey are well affected to the Church, and we baptized twenty two persons in East Jersey, all either Keith- ians or Keithian children. I am forced to use this name of distinction to distinguish them from the other Quakers who are generally very stiff and averse from the Church, and all princi- ples of true Christianity everywhere, and who decline all dis- course or converse with us. Colonel Morris did very kindly entertain us at his house in East Jersey, and both he and his Lady went with us from meeting to meeting in divers places. At Amboy in East Jersey they have contributed about £200 towards building a Church and greatly desire a Minister. The Contributors are some Keithians and some other persons well affected to the Church. At Burlington also several persons (among whom some are Keithians) well affected to the Church have contributed about two hundred pounds towards building of a Church and they are to begin the Building this Spring. In all these new erectings of Churches in these Northern parts, Governor Nicholson has largely contributed, and is a mighty promoter and encourager of them by his Letters and Advice as well as his purse ; as not only at Boston and Rhode Island, but at Burlington, in West Jersey, Chester, in Pensylvania, and here at Philadelphia. In all places where I have yet travelled, at Boston, Rhode Island, N. York and Philadelphia, the Ministers live very regularly and are in good esteem, and the Churches in good order, and the people generally devout, and well affected to the Word and the publick worship of God; at Concord, in Pensilvania, and thereabouts, especially at Thomas Powell's, formerly a Keithian, several people formerly Keithians, are well affected to the Church and entertained us kindly. Mr. Evans,
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Minister of Philadelphia, was with me and I preached at two severall places among them and they were well affected; also I had a publick dispute with one Killingsworth, an Anabaptist preacher at the house of Thomas Powell. This Killingsworth was sent for by some Anabaptists forty miles off to dispute with me. The dispute continued four hours, it has had good effect and it's hoped will have more; they belong to the new Church at Chester above mentioned. I have preached here at Phila- delphia nine several times, and had great auditories, in some of them a thousand people were thought to be present, many besides the Church People, Quakers, Presbyterians and Ana- baptists. But of late the Quakers have made an act in their meeting that none of them may come to Church, which has of late deterred them from coming. The ministers here are in very good esteem among the People and they have a brave vestry of good and wise men, and good concord, love and unanimity among them, so that the Church here is in a Flour- ishing Condition. And at Newcastle, 40 miles from Philadel- phia, there is at present no minister, they had a Presbyterian minister called Willson, but he has been gone about half a year. Could a Minister of the Church of England be sent among them, it's thought they would gladly receive him, and it would be of mighty service for advancing the Church in this province, it being, as it were, the Frontier. Also in other parts below New Castle, they want a Minister.
" There is a mighty cry and desire, almost in all places where we have travelled, to have Ministers of the Church of England sent to them in these Northern parts of America; so that it may be said the Harvest is great but the labourers few, and some well affected to the Church have desired me to write to my Lord of London and to you that if a Minister be not sent with the first Conveniency, Presbyterian Ministers from N. England would swarm into those countries and prevent the increase of the Church. They have here a Presbyterian meeting and minister, one called Andrews; but they are not like to increase here. I have had severall meetings with the Keithian Quakers here at my lodgings, and friendly conferences with them and their Preachers, and last Sunday I preached at a Keithian meet-
D
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ing house, and was kindly invited to dinner after the meeting by a man and his wife of that meeting, and that evening I preached at the Church. Divers of them (God be praised for the success) are like to be gained to the Church who have heard us frequently at the Church and are well affected. Their chief speaker, John Hart, has vented a most absurd notion in his Discourses and vindicates it in his preaching, (viz.) That true Believers ought not to fear Hell and Damnation, so much as conditionally, and they ought to serve God only from love to him, without all regard to punishment or Scripture threaten- ings, so much as conditionally. I have in two severall meet- ings at my Lodgings, in the hearing of his followers, detected his errors, and last Sunday I preached a long sermon against it, in the Keithian Meeting, upon that Text, 1 Pet. 1-17, where I opened many other Texts of Scripture, to prove that a Condi- tioned fear is necessary to the best of Men : such as Heb. 4: 1; Rom. 14: 10, &c. Most of his hearers and followers are dissatis- fied with the strange doctrine, and are like to forsake him. I have told them 'tis vile Antinomianism and the Root of Ranter- ism and Libertinism ; and some of his female hearers are offended at him for his telling them, they need not fear to commit the sin of whoredom, being chaste women. He openly denied before many judicious persons to me at my lodgings last Monday, 22d of this Instant, that publick punishment of death was inflicted upon a murtherer for a terror to others, if innocent, which I told him was contrary to Deut. 13: 10, 11.
" The six boxes you sent are all come safe; that to Boston, that to New York, that to the two Jerseys, and that to Pensyl- vania, are disposed of already according to your orders, and are very acceptable to the people. The great Bibles in folio I have given one of them to the Church in Philadelphia, at the Minis- ter's request, another to the new Church at Chester above men- tioned, another I think to give to the Church at Burlington, and another to that of Amboy, and the rest to other Churches when erected. There is a great need of Common Prayer Books in Svo for the use of the people, many would gladly buy them and some might be given to the Poorer Sort. I wish 2 or 300 were sent over to these parts, direct them to Mr. Evans, the
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IN BURLINGTON.
minister, if you send them; also the new Psalms, being only used here in this Church, the people want them greatly; if you would send over 100 of them at least, I believe the people would gladly buy them. They sing very well in the Church here, and the youth have learned to sing and delight much in it. I have disposed of many of your lectures in folio which are very acceptable to the people, and as you ordered, have desired them to read them to their families and neighbours on Sundays.
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