USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > Flemington > One hundredth anniversary exercises of the Baptist Church, Flemington, N.J. June 17th, 18th and 19th, 1898 > Part 4
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Baptist Church, Flemington, N. J. .65
There is an element of weakness in God's people not found in the children of the world, The first manifestation of these characteristics we see when the unrighteous Cain arose against his righteous brother, Abel, and slew him. Evil stronger, more aggressive, and victorious over good. All succeeding generations have confirmed this esti- mate: the godly are humble and self-diffident, and have suffered much from the high-handed self-reliance of those who defy the Almighty.
But history and the teachings of Scripture also agree in this: whenever God's people bestir themselves in defensive or in aggressive warfare against the wicked they are always victorious. What Judge of Israel ever failed to deliver the oppressed nation when the people offered them- selves willingly ? What David ever was repulsed before his Goliath when he ran to meet him? What Prophet was ever put to shame before the priests of Baal, when he dared to flood the altar and the sacrifice with water and then pray for fire from heaven? The Evil One may raise a proud head and show a bold front. The righteous may fail to assert his manhood and, standing with sluggish hands, suffer and be despised. But, resist the devil and he will flee from you. The devil may go about as a roaring lion ; the wrath of the lamb will put him to confusion. "One shall chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight."
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Rev. R. F. Y. Pierce, of Scranton, Pennsyl- vania, had expected to be present, but being detained, sent this letter :
SCRANTON, PA., June 15, 1898.
I will not be able to participate in the services of the dear old church at Flemington this week. After receiving your kind invitation, I began planning to be with you, but must give up the pleasure at this time. Will you kindly express to the church my hearty congratulations, that with the gathering years, she has retained her youth and loyalty to the truth.
I deeply appreciate the inspiration and encour- agement received in the fellowship and services of the church, and rejoice that it was my privi- lege to be set apart to the Christian ministry within her sacred walls, and with the church's benediction.
From the hour of my ordination, God has graciously blessed my ministry and crowned my life with His sweetest benedictions.
It may be interesting to know that each week for many years past, God has helped me present His truth by picture lessons to hundreds of thousands, in all parts of the world, through which many hundreds at home and abroad, have been won to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Last week the Penn Avenue Baptist Church of Scranton, Pennsylvania, most cordially invited me to become their pastor, and it is possible that
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I will enter upon this new relation at the same time you enter upon your new century of precious church history and hallowed service for our Lord and Master. God bless the church, its officers and members, its past and its future-"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."- Phil. 1 :3. Faithfully yours,
ROBERT F. Y. PIERCE.
Rev. T. E. Vassar, Jr., of Port Murray, New Jersey, another Flemington boy, sent this letter :
I sincerely regret that owing to the sudden death of an active member of my church, I shall not be able to take the place which you had assigned me on your program for Friday. Strictly speaking, I can hardly claim company with the other preachers who, in the Flemington Church, found the new life in Christ Jesus dawn, or went out with its sanction to tell the old story of redeeming love. I was but a child when my father left Flemington, and it was elsewhere that I first glimpsed the new and living way, and received the official approval of the Lord's people to exercise my gifts in the ministry. There are some memories of my early home, however, that abide, and some experience of later years have brought me in closer touch with the place and with the church, which so long and so effectively has witnessed for the Master there. I may be allowed to send it therefore,
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my hearty congratulations on the completion of this protracted and gracious term of service, and to breathe the hope and prayer that under the leadership of its Divine Head and Master, it may push on to grander victories."
Following these addresses and letters came words of congratulation from the two pastors of the village, Dr. Rogan of the Presbyterian church, and Rev. Mr. Martin of the Methodist.
ADDRESS OF REV. WESLEY MARTIN.
When asked by an official of this church to make an address, at this, your centennial cele- bration, I said to him: "I am neither a cente- narian nor a Baptist; why should you ask me to talk about something that occured before I was born, or of a church with the history of which I am almost entirely ignorant?" However, I am glad that I was not here at your organization, one hundred years ago, because that would proba- bly have debarred me of the pleasure afforded me to-day. I should rather witness the gather- ing of the fruit from the full grown tree, even though that tree is a hundred years old, than to have seen the little twig when it, was being planted. It affords me great pleasure to be present on this joyful occasion, and bring to you the kindly greetings of your younger sister, the Methodist Episcopal Church, of this, our beauti- ful town.
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You are certainly to be congratulated on your almost phenomenal growth and success as a church.
To have lived one hundred years is to have done well. But that you should be more health- ful and vigorous at that age than you were in childhood and early manhood, humanly speak- ing, is marvelous. One hundred years ago, doubtless, your numbers were but few and your strength very meagre. That you are able to-day, on this your one hundredth anniversary, to count five hundred communicants, own such a spacious and substantial church edifice, and among your many members exhibit so much marked talent and efficiency, every department of your church being so thoroughly systematized and equipped, is that of which you may justly be proud, and if you please boast.
It was a great thing for Moses, to be able to say, when he had passed his one hundredth year, that his "strength had not abated," but he could not say that his strength was many fold greater than at the beginning of that period, which can truth- fully be said of this church. But let me further . observe, that while you may be able to measure these walls or reckon the expense in erecting this building, and tabulate by hundreds, your communicants; this is but a very small part of the good that has been done through this organi- zation. The invisible membership of this, your
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beloved ·church, is doubtless very much larger than the visible .. You can but remember to-day, the hundreds of sainted ones who have gone from your connection and communion, to join the church triumphant. All these must be remembered when you count the good that has been done. You may feel that you are poorer, while you know that heaven is richer because that they are gone. But they must not be counted out. Your church to-day is composed of two apartments : one is located here on earth, the other there in heaven. The house you have builded there of those "living stones," "hewed, polished and made ready," in this "mountain of Lebanon," which have been transported by way of the sea of death, to the New Jerusalem, by far outshines, even eclipses in grandeur and glory, that which you have builded here. But the good that has been done by this church can- not be fully determined in this life; it is too far reaching. You have not only lived to bless this community. The money you have raised and sent abroad, even to the ends of the earth, there- by purchasing and scattering "leaves from the tree of life," will continue while time lasts to transport materials-souls-that shall be placed in that spiritual temple or "house, not made with hands; eternal in the heavens."
There is an Indian legend which may serve to illustrate my meaning. The legend depicts a
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certain king who resolved to build the most' wonderful palace ever erected on this earth. To this end, he employed one Jakoob, a builder, and giving him a large sum of money, sent him far away among the Himalayas, there to erect the wonderful palace. But when Jakoob arrived at the place, he found the people suffering from a sore famine and many of them dying. So he took the king's money and all his own, and pro- vided food for the starving multitudes, thereby saving many lives. By and by the king went to see his palace, but found that nothing had been done toward it. Then the king, being very angry sent for Jakoob, and learning why his commands had not been obeyed, cast him into prison, saying that on the morrow he must die. But that night the king had a dream. In his dream he was taken to heaven and there saw a most wonderful palace, more wonderful than any he had ever seen on earth. He asked what palace it was and was told that it was built by Jakoob the builder.' In spending the king's money for the relief of the suffering ones on earth, he had reared this wonderful palace inside the gates of heaven.
Even so the moneys you have spent for benevo- lent and evangelistic purposes, and the sacrifices you have made in order to save perishing souls, have all been transported to heaven and are building a much more wonderful and beautiful
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palace inside those pearly gates than you have ever builded here.
I invoke God's blessing upon you at the beginning of this, your second century, and pray that you may be much more prosperous and fruitful in the next one hundred years than you have been in those that are past and gone.
ADDRESS OF REV, DR. ROGAN, of the Presbyterian Church.
Christian brethren, you have listened to a greeting from the church of John Wesley, and now the church of John Witherspoon, of John Knox, of John Calvin, of Augustine, of Paul Salutes you.
I am glad to be with you on this your centen- ary occasion. Anything good that has attained a hundred years of age, deserves a celebration, and anything that is not good scarcely ever fills out so many years. I like to go out sometimes, by day, and hear the story of antiquity the hills and the mountains have to tell, or go out by night, and with bowed head, stand beneath heaven's canopy look up at the stars and listen to them as they celebrate their milleniums.
New Jersey is a great place for celebrations. Last June I went down to the southern part of the state to be present at the exercises connected with the fortieth anniversary of the settlement of one of our pastors. On the first day of this
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month, I had the pleasure of participating in the one hundred and sixtieth anniversary exer- cises of the Presbyterian Church at Reaville, and now it is my privilege to be here at your centennial feast. The Baptists did not come in any numbers into this country as soon as some others, but when they did come there was heard "a sound as of rushing mighty waters."
For one reason it is particularly fitting that I should be here to-day. Dr. Mott, my honored predecessor, in his history of your sister Presby- terian Church, states that in April, 1791, a paper was circulated in Flemington, asking subscrip- tions for a fund to be paid toward the support of Rev. Dr. Grant, a Presbyterian preacher, if he would preach in and about Flemington, one- quarter of his time, "stating that the Baptist meeting house had been offered for that purpose, when not wanted by that congregation." On January 9th, 1792, a meeting was held of the newly formed congregation, in the Baptist meet- ing house, "where more than thirty families (of Presbyterians), statedly assembled for worship." This shows the Presbyterians accepted the hos- . pitality of their Baptist brethren. It was very kind in your people to lend a place of worship to our people. I sincerely hope that they. showed their appreciation of the kindness, and if, by any chance, it has not yet been done, I want now, publicly, to thank you for your
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generosity. If we, as a people, can do anything for you, let us know.
I heartily congratulate you upon your strong and efficient church, and upon the history of the denomination to which you belong, has made. I have no sympathy with the one church idea. Let us have as much as possible of the unity of the Spirit, but at the same time let it be remembered that we are doing the work better as different denominations, than if we were all one church.
The Young People's Society of Christian En- deavor, emphasizes the two thoughts of denomi- national loyalty and inter-denominational fellow- ship. While the Baptists have shown their inter-denominational fellowship by sticking to the endeavor movement, they also have looked after the denominational loyalty in their Baptist Young People's Union. Thus you have some- thing corresponding to the centrifugal and cen- tripetal forces of nature. I am very sure that a Baptist could never have made such a mistake as a young woman of whom I have heard. Her lover had proposed and had been accepted, but when he came the next night he seemed to have something weighing on his mind. After a good deal of questioning on the part of his fiancé he finally confessed : "darling, there was something I did not tell you last night." "Why, what was it" asked the frightened girl, as her
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heart leaped into her mouth and the color went from her cheeks. "Why, to confess the truth, I am a somnambulist." "Oh, darling!" replied the greatly relieved girl, as the color came back to her and the clouds lifted, "that need not stand in the way of our union. I am an Episco- pal myself, but I am willing to go with you on Sunday."
You have the right to be proud of some of the names that grace your communion roll. Among others, I remember that John Bunyan, the Bed -. ford tinker, the only man that ever dreamed him- self into immortality, the author of the "Pilgrim's Progress," was a Baptist. To your church also belonged John Fawcett, the author of that hymn which the whole Christian Church loves so dearly.
"Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts in Christian love."
William Carey, the man who gave the impulse to the modern missionary movement, was .a Baptist. I recall again. that Roger Williams, the apostle of freedom, was a Baptist; so was Samuel F. Smith, the author of
"My country 'tis of thee," and "The morning light is breaking."
and, not to mention others, Adoniram Judson was a Baptist, as was also his great namesake, Adoniram Judson Gordon. Did I say these were Baptists ? They were Christians. Such men as
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these do not belong to a denomination; they . belong to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ; her beneficent gift to a needy, sorrowing world. Though wearing a different denominational name from you, I claim the right to-day to rejoice with you in all that is rich in your denominational history, and I congratulate you on all the good you have done as a local church, and I pray the Master's richest blessing upon you for the future.
"Like a mighty army Moves the Church of God; Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod; We are not divided, All one body we: One in hope and doctrine, One in charity.
The following communication was presented from the Methodist Episcopal Church :
. The official Board of the Flemington Metho- : dist Church, extend greetings to the board and congregation of the Flemington Baptist Church.
We congratulate you, upon this the comple- tion of a century of noble effort, in raising fallen humanity and of proclaiming the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ.
We congratulate you upon your position in the village of Flemington. Striving to work for a common end, our churches have united
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once each month, and in this you were always ready to give your hearty support. You have always accorded to. other churches that freedom which, while not comprising individual preroga- tive, has shown the mobility and adaptiveness of Christian charity.
So long as there shall be individuals in the world, there will be individuality of thought. God grant the line of work which you have chosen and which through Christ you have pur- sued so effectively, may continue, and that a cycle of years shall find your church stronger even than to-day.
The blessing of Almighty God attend your work through the coming years.
Yours in Christ, THE OFFICIAL BOARD OF THIE FLEMINGTON M. E. CHURCHI. W. H. BODINE, Sec'y. I. D. CRAMER. Pres't.
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FRIDAY EVENING,
A T 7:45 the house was filled to the doors. After devotional services conducted by brother Finn of Cherryville, the Rev. Kerr Boyce Tupper, D. D., LL. D., pastor of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia, delivered an address on, "A Common Platform for all Christians." We regret that we have only the barest outlines of a discourse that for an hour held the attention of the immense congregation. These outlines we give.
Among the many things for which Evangelical Christianity stands upon a broad platform, may be mentioned, first of of all :
(i) An inspired Bible. To us the word of God is above all the books that fill our libraries and thrill our hearts. It is the one great book which has God as its author, man as its subject, salvation as its object and eternity as its destiny. This work not only contains, but is the word of God.
(2) A divine Saviour. The centre fact in our Christian system is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We may differ speculatively, but we cannot differ essentially, when we all acknowledge the supremacy of Christ as Sovereign and Saviour. Thank God that amid all the variations of theo- logical thought and all the divergencies of theo-
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logical opinions and all the controversies of theo- logical schools there is one name we all delight to hear and one star from which we all delight to make our reckoning.
(3) Christian union. The time will never come, perhaps, when there will be an organized union of all God's people, and possibly this is not desirable, but who can deny that to-day the great body of Christ is becoming more closely con- nected than ever before in the history of the World. The church universal is now more than the church local. In sentiment, in spirit we are drawn nearer and nearer together as Christ be- comes the centre of our thought and life.
(4) Earnest Christian work. Our conceptions of the church have changed during the last fifty years. The church is not now so much of an ark in which to save the elect as it is a great bee-hive of multiform and multiplied energies, an institu- tion of Almighty God for the saving of man, in body, mind, spirit, character, power and posses- sion. And with this conception of the church, our Christian work is more definite than ever before. Creeds are being matched by conduct, sermons by services, and doctrine by doing.
God hasten the day when more and more the world about us shall recognize that the prayer of the Master is being answered; "That they all may be one as Thou art in me and I am in Thee, that they all may be one in Us."
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The evening meeting closed with the singing of the following hymn which had been prepared for the occasion. .
(Tune, Old Hundred.)
We stand on ground our father's trod, And lift our grateful hearts to God; In pastures green His flock hath fed; By waters still His hand hath led.
Fresh manna on the pilgrim way; New Elim springs from day to day ;
Fair views from later Pisgah height Stands out through shadows of the night.
June greets us with its smiling face ; The Summer decks our fields with grace ;
Let birthday service thus be bright While vanished years and scenes we sight.
With memories glad let hope unite; Make festal cheer a holy rite, As at Thy feet we humbly cast This offering for the mercies past.
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SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
I N view of the fact that the previous day had been a very full one, and that Sunday was to be still more crowded, but a single session was held on Saturday, and it was exclusively a missionary service. After devotional services conducted by brethren Vassar and Chapell, the following report of the Women's Society was read by Mrs. H. A. Fluck.
REPORT 1875-1898.
The Women's Foreign Missionary Circle of Flemington Baptist Church, was organized September 3rd, 1875 by the aid of Mrs. H. F. Smith, then of New Brunswick, N. J., who came by invitation from the pastor, Rev. T. E. Vassar, and gave advice and encouragement, and sub- mitted plans and the pledge then in use by The Foreign Missionary Society in her own church, the First Baptist of New Brunswick. The following officers were elected; President, Mrs. T. E. Vassar ; Vice-President, Mrs. A. Parker; Secretary, Miss Julia Higgins; Treasurer, Miss Charlotte Webster.
The pledge was adopted and copies of it dis- tributed among our ladies. Membership was to
r
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consist of the payment of one dollar per year. Meetings were to be held bi-monthly, one-half hour before covenant meetings. After six months of volunteer payment, in March, 1876, it was thought best to appoint collectors to gather the offerings. The result proved the plan to be a success. Perhaps it would be of interest to mention the names of those first collectors, some of whom are still serving and all but one yet . living. Mrs. Luella Fisher, Lizzie Trimmer, Hannah Suydam, Ella Merrell, Ella Carkhuff, Rachel Gray, Sallie Barton, Ella Staats, Reby * McCue.
MY PLEDGE .- I do promise, voluntarily to hand or send my annual offering to the Treasurer of the Woman's Missionary Society of Baptist Church, Flemington. Also, I will pray for the Divine blessing upon this department of Christian effort and try to be present at all, or as many of its meetings, as circumstances will permit.
The financial year closes March 1, 1876. Treasurer for 1875-76. CHARLOTTE WEBSTER.
The enthusiasm of a new movement was seen in the fact that fifty copies of The Helping Hand were taken. The average attendance was twenty- five, and for the first eighteen months one hun- dred and thirteen dollars and eighty-four cents was raised.
In May, 1877, the first annual meeting was held. In June, 1878, having found some who were
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not interested in Foreign Missions but were in Home, the collectors were instructed to ask the ladies to designate for which Society they wished the money used, this being the beginning of Home work.
In 1880, we lost, by removal, our faithful President, Mrs. T. E. Vassar, who, with but one exception, had attended every meeting since the organization. Mrs. Vassar took up the work with reluctance, as it was a great trial to have the leadership devolve upon her, but having gone into it, she never failed in her duty, and her faithfulness was greatly appreciated. During this year, it was recommended that a Mission Band be started, the idea having been suggested by the liberal and continuous contribution of Miss Ella Merrell's Sunday-school Class.
In 1881, Mrs. James G. Ewing was elected President, and Mrs. F. L. Chapell, Vice-Presi- dent. Mrs. Chapell brought great zeal and ex- perience into the work, and it was rewarded by increased interest and attendance as well as an in- creased contribution. Contributors numbered one hundred and ten. The money raised was nearly seventy-five dollars. The Club for The Helping Hand increased to fifty-six, which was the highest number ever reached, and the Mission Band which had been suggested was organized in September. In the fall, the first Home Mission- ary Box was sent out, valued at one hundred and thirty dollars.
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In February, 1882, Mrs. James G. Ewing re- signed and Mrs. John S. Higgins was unani- mously elected President. An office which she has faithfully filled, and with the exception of the time of an extended western visit, has been absent from very few of the meetings in all her sixteen years of service. In this same month, a plan was adopted for the reading of a bi-monthly
report by the Secretary. Annual Meeting Re- ports of the Secretary included the money raised for the year. After five years, the Secretary's reports refer to Treasurer's reports for amounts raised, and so we conclude that after this time the Treasurer made annual reports. These have not been lost but mislaid.
In April 1883, it was decided to hold the meet- ings monthly. Mrs. Charlotte Moore who had been Treasurer since the organization, died on May 24, after a long and painful illness, and in June, Mrs. Moses K. Everett was elected to fill the office. An afternoon prayer meeting which had been kept up for a year, was in December merged into the W. C. T. U., which had been organized and appointed for the same hour. In March, Mr. and Mrs. Downie of Nellore, India, spent a Sun- day with us and gave interesting addresses on their work. Twenty-five dollars and eighty-five cents was raised toward an Industrial School they were establishing. A club for Tidings was started, and the envelope system of giving adopted.
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