USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > The Record of the First Presbyterian Church of Morristown, N.J. : v. 1-5 Jan. 1880-Dec. 1885, pt 1 > Part 21
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THE RECORD.
model minister, throughout this region and the church at large.
Except some slight friction in his pastor- ate, like the one alluded to, Mr. R. lived in the affections of his people, they treated him with respect and esteemed him highly for his work's sake. His charge was laborious but pleasant, of the relation in after years,
he thus speaks: "Never was a minister more happy with his people than I with mine during the 15 years I spent among you. I can truly say that if there be a spot on earth to which my mind turns with more than ordinary affection it is that where I was or- dained to the work of the gospel ministry." Of one thing he felt that he had ground to complain, and that was of an inadequate support. His salary as we have seen was $440 per annum, with certain perquisites. Immediately on his marriage he purchased a lot of the church in South street, consisting of half an acre for $300, on which he erected the house now occupied by Mr. George King, afterwards he purchased I 1-2 acres for $200 and enlarged the grounds attached to it. Some of the congregation lent him money, which he paid when convenient. His salary was increased in 1804 to $565 per annum. But this was inadequate to meet the growing necessities of his family. For a time he kept boarders, which added large- ly to his cares and against which some of his warm friends demurred. To relieve him of this burden and pay him a salary more in proportion to the ability of the congre- gation and his just claims a parish meeting was called in 1808. To this measure some were opposed, as they could not see why the minister could not live on his salary, which was more than many received ; others were in favor of the movement, but thought it was ill-timed. These two combined car- ried their motion for delay over those who were anxious for immediate action. The matter was postponed till the next parish meeting ; they met, talked and separated without coming to any result. Again they met and did the same. This was a severe trial to the pastor and preyed upon his mind. But rising above the trials and the mortification attached to it, he devoted himself with greater energy to his work, believing that God would make all things plain. Thus laboring, an application was
made to him to become the successor of Dr. Griffin, as pastor of the First Church of Newark. This call, after a painful con- flict, he accepted. When it was too late the congregation increased his salary to $1,000, yet hoping that it might with other con- siderations brought before him, so influence his action as to make it favorable to his re- maining. Two formal memorials were ad- dressed to him, one sent from a meeting of 71 ladies, which did honor to both pastor and people, but all were unavailing, he had gone too far to draw back, yet he was heard to say that had he known in time the strength and tenderness of affection of his people, he would never have accepted the call. At the spring meeting of the Presby- tery,' 1809, his pastoral relation with this congregation was dissolved, when he im- mediately entered upon his new field of labor. Mr. Richard's ministry here continued nearly 14 years. During that time there were admitted to the communion of the church on examination, 214 ; and on certifi- cate, 29; baptisms, 444. Of these and now living members of this church, are only Phebe Burnet, Lewis Mills, Catharine, widow of David Mills, Silas Johnson, Rhoda, widow of Simeon Cory, Rebecca Beers, wife of Wm. Enslee, and Phebe Mills, widow of D.C. Dusenberry. The elders who were in of- fice at the time of his installation were Gil- bert Allen, Joseph Lindsley, Philip Condict, Jonas Phillips, Caleb Munson, Philip Lindsly, Ezra Halsey, Isaac Prudden, Sam- uel Freeman, Jesse Cutler, Matthias Crane, Joseph Pruden. These were reduced in 1805 to seven, when the bench of elders was increased by the ordination of Henry Vail, David Lindsly, Zophar Freeman, James Stephenson, Sept. 11, 1805. These have all gone, reunited no doubt to their beloved pastors, Johnes and Richards, in the realms of purity. Of the number of communicants at his installation we cannot learn from the manner in which the books were kept, three months after his departure, a new roll was made and there were 298 in full communion.
Mr. Richards was dismissed by Presby- tery April 26, 1809; moved to Newark May 17th. Soon after this Mr. Fisher was in- vited to preach as a candidate, having a short time before been introduced to the people by Mr. Richards, which he did with such acceptance that on the 29th of May, an unanimous call was presented to him by the congregation which he accepted and was installed pastor Aug. 9th, 1809.
(To be continued. )
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THE RECORD.
(Continued from page 141.) MEMBERS.
[The third column on this page is the work of the RECORD. Information which will lead to the correction of any mistake, or the filling of any blank, will be thankfully re- Ceived .- ED.]
PASTORATE OF REV. JAMES RICHARDS.
Names.
When Received. When Dismissed or Died.
Hannah Kinney (Abraham), Feb'y 1795. .6
Phebe Kinney (John), .6
Katey Emmick, (widow,)
July 3,
Esther Scott (John), .
Anna Phoenix (Daniel), . July I, 1796.
Anna Beach (Jabez), . Martha Lindsly (Ephraim),
Phebe Hathaway (Abrm.), ..
64
Polly Condict (Edward), .
..
Joanna Munson (Joseph),
24,
Nov. 6, March 27,1823, aet. 60 y. I m. and 5 d.
..
Esther Munson (Jacob),
.€
44
Abigail Lee (Wm).,
64
Jane Wilson (Lawrence),
Phebe Hathaway (Theophilus), =
Polly Lyon,
Sally DeCamp,
.6
.6
Abigail Charlot,
Abigail Ayers,
..
.. .. Polly Ayers,
Patty Shipman, Edward Condict, .
.6
Stephen Jones Wheeler,
Jonas Alwood,
..
Stephen Wood,
.€
Ruth Pierson, (Gabriel), . .. Dec. I,
Gabriel Pierson,
David Pierson,
Jan. I. 1797.
Abigail Pierson (David), Jeduthan Condict,
.6
Hannah Condict (Jed),
..
Sept. 6, 1837, aet. 63.
Theodocia Condict (Uzal).
Anna Byram (Eleazar),
.€
Esther Prudden (Peter), .
..
Rachel Bond (Nath'l),
..
Hannah Lum (Matthew),
Betsey Ward, .
"
Sally Ball, .
Abigail Condict Whitehead,(Abner), Rachel Roff,
Nancy Bowen, .
Disciplined Dec. 19, 1803.
Betsey McClure,
Rachel Arnold,
..
Polly Trowbridge, Nancy Douglass,
( To be continued.)
Dis. June 15, 1820 to Mt. Freedom.
--
Died 1820. Dismissed May 28, 1840.
Feb. 18, 1812, aet. 39 y. 2 m. 22 d.
Died Dec. 1, 1855, born Nov. 15, 1769. Dismissed Apr. 3. 1826, to Hanover. Dis. Jan. 26, 1841 to 2d P. ch. Mor- [ristown, died Dec. 25, 1841,aet. 71. Dis. Jan. 26, 1841, 2d P.ch., Morristown. .. Died Mar. 22, 1824, born Aug. 29,1763. Died Apr. 4, 1842, born Jan. 13, 1769. April 8, 1833, aet. 64.
Later Mrs. Henry Vail, Dec. 10, 1827, aet. 65.
Dis. Apr. 26, 1813, to Hanover. Dis. Jan. 26, 1841, 2d P. ch., Morris- [ristown, died Mar. 27,1848, aet. 67.
..
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Dismissed Apr. 19, 1815 to N. Y. City.
Eunice Marsh (Benj.), Rhoda Lindsly (Dan'l), Sarah Losey (John),
.
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THE RECORD.
(Continued from page 142.) BAPTISMS. 1
1773.
Apr. 11. Nathaniel Armstrong & wf., ch. Phebe, born Feb. 9, 1773.
" 25. Nathaniel Peck & wf., ch. Mary, born March 11, 1773.
" 29. Cornelius Woodruff & wf., ch.
May 2. Christopher Wood & wf., ch. Phebe, born Sept. 3. 1772.
" " Phineas Fairchild & wf., ch. Sarah, born Feb. 26, 1773.
9. Gilbard Ludlam & wf., ch. Elizabeth, born Nov. 26, 1772.
" . " Daniel Bishop & wf., ch. Ruth, born March 29, 1773.
" 23. Usual Coe & wf., ch. Phebe, born April 8, 1773.
" 30. James Wilkerson & wf., ch. Mary, born March 28, 1772.
" " Isaac Prudden & wf., ch. Daniel, born April 19, 1773.
" " Moses Munson & wf., ch. Solomon, born April 18, 1773.
. June 13. Daniel Tichenor & wf., ch. Jacob, born April 8, 1773.
" " John Hathaway & wf., ch. Henry, born May 8, 1773.
June 27. John Winnup & wf., ch. Jabez, born April 22, 1773.
" " Howell Orsborn & wf., ch. Rhoda, born Nov. 8, 1772.
July 1. Peter Norris & wf., chn.,by Bevens, Moses, born Dec 6, 1760, and Evan, born Dec, 22, 1763.
" 18. Joseph Lewis & wf., ch. Stevens Johnes, born May 27, 1773.
" " David Moor & wf., chn. Rachel, born April 29, 1771 ; Phebe, born Aug. 10, 1772.
" " Timo. Loce on wf's acct.,chn. Anne, born March 25, 1768 ; Stephen, born July 9, 1769 .; Silas Sayre, born April 25, 1773.
Calvin Extel & wf., ch. Timothy, born Sept. 11, 1772.
" 25. Capn. Peter Dickerson & wf., ch. William, born June 18, 1773.
" " Andrew Whitehead & wf., ch. Eliza- beth, born June 2, 1773.
" " Jedidiah Mills & wf., ch. John, born June 24, 1773.
Aug. 8. John Jacks on wt's acct., ch. John Reed, born June 2, 1773.
" 15. David Day's wife in absence of her husband, ch. David, born July 7, 1773.
« " John Pool & wt., ch. Silas, born July 6, 1773.
Wm. Gray on wf's acct., ch. Eliza- beth, born Dec. 7, 1772.
" 22 .: David Woodruff & wf., ch. David, born June 29, 1773.
Sep. 5. - John Mills & wf., ch. David, born Aug. 6, 1773.
" Nathan Turner & wf., chn. Silas; born April 26, 1771; Phebe, born July 17, 1773. 1
" " John Rogers on wf's acct., ch. Jabish, born July 13, 1773.
" 12. Eliphalet Lyon & wf., ch. James, born Aug. 4, 1773.
" 19. Benj. Lindsley & wf., ch. Timothy, born Aug. 13, 1773.
" 26. Philip Hathaway & wf., ch, Philip, born Aug. 20, 1773.
" Lindsley Burnet & wf., ch. Aaron, born Aug. 15, 1773.
Oct. 3. Eleazar Hathaway & wf., ch. Ste- phen, born Aug. 23, 1773.
" 10. Jonathan Raynor & wf., ch. Par- nela, born Aug. 1, 1773.
Silas Condict & wf., a negro child, Cezar, born Aug. 18, 1773.
" 17. Onesimus Whitehead & wf., ch: Isaac, born Aug. 29, 1773.
" 30. Abner Wines' ch. on Timo. Person's & wf'sacct., grand parents, Eliza- beth, born Jan. 18. 1770.
« " Capn. James Keen & wf., ch, Jane, born Sept. 28, 1773.
Nov. 5. Jane Burnet, ch. Mehitabel, born Aug. 22, 1773.
" 21. Boyce Jno. Prudden & wf., ch. Silas, born Oct. 10, 1773.
" Stephen Arnold & wf., ch. Naomi, born Oct. 13, 1773.
" 18. James Gillespie & wf., ch. John Marsh, born Oct. 8, 1773.
" 28. James Smith & wf., ch. Sarah, born Oct. 12, 1773.
" Daniel Carmichael & wf., ch, Abi- gail, born Oct. 14, 1773.
Dec. 14. Jacob Arnold on wf's acct., ch. Hannah, born July 29, 1772. (To be continued.)
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THE RECORD.
( Continued from page 143.) BILL OF MORTALITY.
$791.
Jaa. 30. William, son of Doct. Ebenezer Blachly, t bleeding at the lungs, aet. 23.
feb. 1. Mary, wife of Elijah Brown, old-age, aet. 61.
" 23. A child of Samuel Leonard, still- born.
Mar. 6. Mahlon, son of Zenas Mills. whoop- ing-cough.
* 17. Elizabeth, widow of Rev. John Walton,t* consumption, aet. 49. Apr. 4. Mariah, daughter of James Pitney, small-pox, aet 3.
.. 5. A child of William Davis, whoop- ing-cough, aet. 2.
" 18. Silas, son of Zophar Freeman, Jun., Whooping-cough, aet. I.
" 23. Nancy, daughter of Samuel Prud- den, small-pox, aet. 7.
" " Anthony, son of William Ford, small-pox, aet. 8.
" 24. Baldwin, son of David Wood, small-pox.
Benjamin Sylvester, small-pox, aet. 16.
" 30. Mary, wife of Ziba Arnold,* con- sumption, aet. 38.
May 14. A child of Vincent Guering.
" 16. William, son of Timothy Humpher- ville, sudden, aet. 8.
". 22. Elias, son of Peter Prudden, whoop- ing-cough.
" 26. A child of Stephen Ludlow, still- born.
June26. Deacon Jonas Goble,t* decay, aet. 84. ,
July 7. Silas Stiles, son of James Pitney, dysentery.
" 14. A child of David P. Tuttle.
" 17. James, son of James Louhhead,t bleeding, aet. 10.
Aug.16. William, son of John Bryan, worms and fits.
Sept. 5. Thomas M'Speldon, consumption, aet., 34.
" 6. A child of Elijah Taylor, still-born.
" 9. Stephen Conkling,+ fever, act. 70.
" 12. Isaac Conkling, remitting-fever, aet. 30.
Sept.24. Harvah, son of Mattaniah Lyon, consumption, aet. 23.
Oct. 3. Sarah, daughter of Stephen Norris, nervous-fever, aet. 20.
20. Thomas Doughty, Esq., old-age, aet. 73.
1792.
Jan. 3. Benjamin Pierson,* consumption, aet. 55.
5. John Pool, pleurisy, aet. 69.
14. Keziah, daughter of Abraham Mun- son, fever.
" 16. Elizabeth, wife of Henry Howell, consumption, aet. 45.
" 18. Wife of Simeon Hathaway, feyer, aet. 24.
20. Abraham Pierson, pleurisy, aet. 57. 22. Child of Ichabod Badgley.
= 27. Lydia, widow of David Trow- bridge,t* old-age, aet. 76.
" 28. Elizabeth, wife of Daniel Stiles, consumption, aet. 25.
Feb. 5. James, son of William Meeker, burn, aet. 3.
" 15. Wife of Abraham Lyon, fever, aet. 40. 23. David Muir, colic, aet. 52.
"
" Child of John T. Howell, still-born.
Apr.12. Elizabeth, daughter of Theophilus Hathaway, scarlet-fever, aet. 9.
" 13. Servant child of Frederick King, Quinsey, aet. I.
May.25. Sarah, widow of Samuel Stevens Johnes, consumption, aet. 46.
Junezo. Rebeckah, wife of Timothy Hum- pherville, consumption, aet. 39. July 10. Child of Matthias Ward.
Sept. 3. Daniel Stiles, bilious-colic, aet. 30.
" 10. Servant woman of Joseph Morgan, consumption, aet. 30.
" 19. Child of Anthony Cazatt.
" 21. Hannah, wife of Zebedee Brown, old-age, aet. 77.
" 24. Timothy Goble,t accidental, aet. 34. Dec. 15. Phoebe, daughter of Ichabod Cooper, hives, aet. 3.
" 16. Benjamin, son of Thomas Mitchell, putrid-fever, aet. 3.
1793.
Jan. 1. Child of Daniel Guering.
" 19. Child of James Chidester, sudden,
Feb. 5. Sarah, widow of Joseph Hathaway, consumption, act. 58. ( To be continued.)
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( Continued from page 144.) TRUSTEES' BOOK.
At a meeting of the Trustees at Mr. Crain's on the 10th of Sept., 1793-present, the President, Mr. Lindsley, Mr. Mills, Mr. Pierson. Mr. Ogden.
Mr. Condict informed the Board Mr. Col- lins offered his right to the Mulberry nurs- ery, provided the Congregation would pay up his salary to the time affixed by the com- mittee immediately. This gratuity Mr. Collins considers as some acknowledg- ment of the many inconveniences and great difficulties he has been the means of involving this society in. The trustees having taken into consideration said offer, agree to postpone the determination to a subsequent meeting.
At a meeting of the Trustees at Mr. Mill's house, 23d Sept., 1793. Mr. Condict, Mr. Lindsley, Mr. Mills, Mr. Pierson and Mr. Ogden being present. Rev. Mr. Col- lins made a present to the Trustees for the use of the congregation his right to the Mulberry Nursery.
Voted Mr. Mills & Mr. Ogden be a com- mittee to settle with the Rev. Mr. Collins his accounts with the congregation.
Voted the Trustees shall discharge Mr. Collins, obligation in favour of Phineas Fair- child and such other debts agt. Mr. Col- lins, not to exceed the sum due from the congregation to Mr. Collins, and that the committee procure and advance to Mr. Collins near the amount probably due him after the above payments are made, and that the Trustees obligate as a body to pay the moneys which may be advanced. Voted Mr. Mills and Mr. Lindsley be a committee to take care of the parsonage and sell the mulberry trees.
At a meeting of the Trustees at Mr. Mills' house the 7th of Nov., 1793. The Presi- dent, Mr. Lindsley, Mr. Mills and Mr. Og- den being met.
Voted that Mr. Lindsley and Mr. Pierson be a committee to sell the old wood lying down on the parsonage lot.
Voted that the stove be sold which was purchased for Mr. Collins.
At a meeting of the congregation 25th of Dec., 1793, Deacon Alling, Moderator and Israel Canfield, Clk .; Eliza Holloway, John | other sort.
Oliver and Silas Alling be appointed chor- isters.
At a meeting of the Trustees at the house of George O'Hara, Jan. 28th, 1794. Present, Mr. Condict, Mr. Lindsley, Mr. Mills, Mt. . Ogden. Benj. Pierson appeared and was sworn agreeable to law. Joseph Munson applied for a piece of land adjoining the lands of James Pitney and Sam'l Morrison. Voted Mr. Munson should have the refusal of a building spot at sixty pounds per acre.
At a meeting of the Trustees 3d of March, 1794, at Mr. Mills' house, the Pres. Mr. Lindsley, Mr. Mills, Mr. Pierson and Mr. Ogden being present. Mr. Mills was ap- pointed to collect the arrears of taxes due on Mr. Collins' salary and take up Mr. Col- lins' bond in favor of Phineas Fairchild- that Mr. Mills will inform delinquents they must be sued immediately in case of non- payment as the congregation is in needy circumstances. Mr. Lindsley & Mr. Pier- son, a committee appointed for that pur- pose, report they have agreed with Jona- than Dickerson for two shillings and six pence per cord for old tops of trees lying on the parsonage lot. Voted the committee appointed to take care of the Mulberry Nursery shall advertise in Elizabethtown & Newark papers, to sell trees at ten shillings per hundred, the leaves remaining on the trees unsold to be sold also at public ven- due trees not to be sold after the first of May. At a meeting of the Trustees at the Court House, 22d of April, 1794, Mr. Lindsley, Mr. Mills, Mr. Ogden & Mr. Pierson present. Voted the parsonage lot in town be hired out by vendue until the Ist of Nov. next, that Mr. Mills & Mr. Og- den be a committee to superintend this bus- iness.
( To be continued.)
The roll of membership begins this month with the pastorate of Rev. James Richards. The Historical Sermon of Rev. Dr. Irving covers the whole period of his ministry in this church. He was pastor here about fourteen years, and was obliged to leave on account of insufficiency of salary. His pre- decessor, the Rev. Mr. Collins, the colleague of Rev. Dr. Johnes, will be found in the Trustees' Book to have had trouble of an-
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, MORRISTOWN, N. J. " THIS SHALL BE WRITTEN FOR THE GENERATION TO COME."-Psalms 102 : 18.
VOL. II.
AUGUST, 1881. NO. 8.
(Printed with the approval of Session.)
THE RECORD
Will be printed and published monthly at Morristown, N. J. Terms, 50 cents per an- sam in advance ; 75 cents after June.
Subscriptions will be received at the Awk-stores of Messrs. Runyon and Emmell, of through the mail. All communications should be addressed to the
EDITOR OF THE RECORD,
Lock box 44. Morristown, N. J.
Vol. I. complete, 75 cents.
Entered at the Post Office at Morristown, N J., as second class matter. --: 0 :-
( Continued from page 148. )
HISTORICAL SERMON-No. 2.
By REV. DAVID IRVING, D.D.
Jonathan Fisher who held a commission of Lieutenant in the Revolutionary army, was taken sick in the performance of his duties and died of camp fever in this town in March, 1777, and three months before the birth of Samuel Fisher, the successor of Mr. Richards. His remains are entombed in the grave yard. He was a man of ardent piety and his last moments were spent in prayer for his family and his country. Of his four sons three became ministers of the gospel. Mr. Fisher was born in Sunderland, Mass., June 30, 1777, received his collegiate education at Williams College, graduated in 1799, and was appointed tutor, which office he filled for some time. (Ilis first public performance was delivering an eulogy on George Washington, Jan. 8th, 1800. A few days after his predecessor, Mr. R., delivered a sermon and eulogy on the same in this church.) Mr. Fisher was ordained to the ministry Nov. 1, 1805, and was settled over the Congregational Church of Wilton, Con- necticut, when he was called to this church as already stated and installed pastor by the
Presbytery of New York, which was divided in Nov. of the same year into two Presby- teries, the one retaining the old name and the other known as the Presbytery of Jersey; the first meeting of this new Presbytery was held in this church, April 24, 1810.
The salary promised to Mr. Fisher in the call was $1,000. The pew rents according to the old assessment yielded only $566. A vote was passed by the parish that the trustees should assess the deficiency in pro- portion to the original appraisal, which was rescinded at the next meeting. The fund owned by the church at this time was nearly $6,000, besides real estate in town lots and wood land which were occasionally sold to meet current expenses, until all disappeared, so that the church owns now no property to trouble and restrain our liberality, and thanks to an overruling Providence and the short sighted policy of our fathers, we have nothing but the parsonage house and lot and the grave yard to keep in repair. As the funds dwindled away the assessment had to be increased to meet the deficiencies until it is now more than treble the amount imposed at the first sale of the pews, yet not as high as upon pews in other churches of the same size throughout our country.
Mr. Fisher was a man of fervent piety, untiring industry, and of strong practical sense. There was a directness in his efforts that did not always win the active co-oper- ation of those who differed from him. His aim was to do good to the souls of men and bring them under the control of the noblest principles. In the first year of his pastor- ate seven were received into the church on profession and eleven by certificate ; in 1813, twenty-four were admitted to sealing ordi- nances on confession and nine by letter. In October, 1812, he reported to Presbytery a membership of 325, and in 1813. 346. Dur-
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ing the years 1811-'12 he took a census of embracing 500 families, and though all did the village and township, and found the number of males to be 466, females 511, blacks 134 -- total 1, 111, Inhabitants out of the village, males 1,018, females 1,020, blacks 68-total, 2,106, in all 3,217. Number of baptized persons in village 152, in the coun- try 378-total of 530. Church members in the village 102, in the parish out of the vil- lage 206-total 308.
not attend the sanctuary, yet in case of mar- riages and deaths these families wished to be considered as under his pastoral charge These, together with twenty-seven families of other denominations,he visited during his pastorate. He was a laborious minister and was active in everything that promoted the well-being of his people and the prosperity of the town, but all was in vain to allay the opposition against him, and finding that this crippled his usefulness, he sought in the early part of 1814 1 dissolution of his pastoral relation. At a parish meeting held on Feb. 15, the follow: ing question was put to the house : " Does this congregation wish their minister to join with them requesting Presbytery to dismiss him from his present charge ?" It was decided in the negative by 19 majority. He applied however to Presbytery for a dis- solution of the relation and was dismissed by that body on April 27, 1814. The last person received into the communion of the church was an aged woman, who had 37 years before attended his father in his last illness.
Political excitement was very high during the latter part of his ministry ; he was a de- cided federalist, while the larger part of his congregation belonged to the opposite party, who watched for an unwise word in sermons and in prayers. Umbrage was taken to two discourses preached in 1812, as censuring those in authority, introducing political discussion into the pulpit, and stirring up strife without profit. To show the groundlessness of the charge, he print- ed the sermons, together with an address, in which he vindicates his course and nobly defends himself against certain unrighteous assaults. Says he, "when called to bear testimony against vice, in any shape or form whatever-no frowns, no flatteries, no prom- ises nor threatenings shall ever deter me. From his private records we have the fol- lowing items : value of presents received during his pastorate from his people, $917.37; marriages 86, marriage fees, $276.10 ; deaths from Sept. 5, 1809 to May 1, 1814, 279. There were added to the church in the same time 65 on profession and 32 by certificate. In 1812, Stephen Young, Jacob Pierson, Lewis Mills, Peter A. Johnson and Frances Johnes, were ordained and added to the bench of Elders, and here I may record it as a singular fact that only one of the ninety- seven admitted to the church under Mr. Fisher's ministry is at present connected with it. Earth and hell combined shall never silence my voice till it is silenced in death." He then meets the accusation that he was an enemy to his country, and that he was haughty and imperious, and of feeling above the congregation. Both were unjust as he feelingly and ably declared, but it is only another evidence of what party spirit and prejudice will seize upon in times of great political excitement to injure one who oc- cupies a prominent position in his honest differences from them. There is nothing in them of a partizan character, though he does not spare the infidel, the vicious, the Sabbath breaker, the profane swearer, the The congregation supplied by Messrs. Chandler, How, Gildersleeve, Clark, Condit, McDowell from the beginning of May till the coming of the latter in Octo- ber, the society having on Sept. 29, 1814, made out a call to Mr. McDowell. gambler, the intemperate, the duelist, the murderer who are in the National Coun- cil, who walk with impugnity the floor of Congress and who are seated on the bench of justice ; whilst thus condemned by one part of his congregation for any allu- Wm. A. McDowell, was born at Laming- ton, N. J., in May 1789 ; received part of his. classical education at Elizabethtown, where he was taught by Mr. Henry Mills, a son of this church and afterwards professor in the sion to national topics, he was upheld by the mass of his people in all his ministerial du- ties, and over such his influence and preach- ing were not in vain. His congregation was very large, covering a large territory and | Theological Seminary, Auburn ; graduated
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