USA > New York > New York City > A history of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the city of New York > Part 9
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On the other hand, there were recognized advan- tages. The relation of Dr. Rodgers to both congre- gations, beloved as he was by every individual in them, made a mighty plea for its own continuance. And the people were content: they did not wish to change. This in itself was enough to determine that at that time no change should be made.
Dr. Miller's opinion, however, did not alter. He still looked forward to the time when "the Siamese twins," as he called them, would be cut apart. With what success his arguments, aided no doubt by the force of circumstances, pleaded the cause of separa- tion during the next decade, is clearly seen in a set of resolutions adopted by the officers of the church in July, 1805. From these we learn that the extension of the collegiate system eight years before, to include a third church,* was by this time felt to be a some- what doubtful expedient. It is true that the officers voted to continue the union of the three congregations as "beneficial to the interests of the First Presbyterian Church," but only on certain rather radical condi- tions. The newest church, on Rutgers Street, was
* See above, p. 85.
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now to have a separate minister of its own, enjoying his entire and undivided services and paying his salary. It was also to pay henceforth all its own running expenses, instead of drawing on the general treasury, and it was to receive a certain fixed portion of the fees of the burial-ground and of the outstanding debts due to the corporation. It will be evident at once that so far as this third church was concerned the collegiate arrangement had by this new plan been reduced to a minimum. Except that it had no elders or deacons of its own, the Rutgers Street Church was henceforth a practically independent body.
Three years later, in 1808, the tendency of public opinion again plainly declared itself. Still another new place of worship being then demanded by the increasing congregations of the First Presbyterian Church, an entirely separate organization was cre- ated. The relation of this new church on Cedar Street to the older collegiate churches * was as hearty as could be desired-Dr. Rodgers laid the corner- stone and preached the opening sermon-but the old
* For the sake of clearness a list of all the Presbyterian churches exist- ing at this time in the city is here given.
(1) The First Presbyterian Church (1706), including:
(a) The Wall Street Congregation (1719), now the old First Church;
(b) The Brick Church Congregation (1767), now the Brick Church:
(c) The Rutgers Street Congregation (1798), now the Rutgers Riverside Church.
(2) The First Associate Reformed Church, originally, and again later, called the Scotch Presbyterian Church (1756), now at Central Park West and Ninety-sixth Street.
(3) The Fourth Presbyterian, known for a time as the First Associate Presbyterian Church (organized, 1787, incorporated, 1803), now at West End Avenue and Ninety-first Street.
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idea of an organic union had here been utterly aban- doned, and Dr. McKnight, in giving the charge to the new pastor * at his installation, pointedly congratu- lated him upon his good fortune in being the sole pastor of his church.
The object-lesson, thus provided, of an independent organization "was doubtless," says Dr. Miller, "one of the principal means employed by Providence for breaking up the system of 'collegiate charges.' Though this system, wherever it exists, is injurious to the body of the churches so united, and perplexing and discouraging to the ministers, .. . yet where it has been in operation for forty or fifty years, and where its disruption must invade the feelings and prejudices of many individuals, none can expect to accomplish such a measure without much agitation and trouble. The establishment of the Cedar Street Church, toward the close of 1808, the unusual degree of success which attended the whole undertaking, the numerous advantages which soon began to dis- close themselves, as resulting from a separate pastoral charge, and the impression which these advantages made, silently but deeply, on the public mind-all tended at once to hasten and to facilitate the attempt to separate the old collegiate churches."} It should
(4) The second Associate Reformed Church (1797), originally a part of the Scotch Church, and bound to it in "collegiate" organization until 1803. It now forms a part of the Central Church on West Fifty-seventh Street
(5) The Cedar Street Church (1808), referred to in the text, now the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.
(6) The Orange Street Church was founded later in 1808. It is now extinct.
* The Rev. John B. Romeyn, from Albany.
t "Rodgers Mem.," pp. 420 f.
4
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be added, on the other hand, that Dr. Rodgers, not unnaturally, was unable to see the necessity for any change.
As early as December, 1808, the session adopted a resolution * requesting the elders, deacons, and trustees "to meet and confer together respecting the propriety and expediency of attempting a division of the First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York into three separately organized churches." Several such joint meetings were accordingly held, and the main proposition meeting with approval, the following ten articles ; were proposed on March 27th, 1809, by way of a definite plan of separation, espe- cially as related to the two older churches. The Rutgers Street Church seems to be concerned in but one of the articles (the fourth.)
Ist. The charity school-house and the lot of ground on which it stands shall continue to be held in com- mon, each church, when divided, to bear an equal proportion of the expenses of supporting the school, which shall be under the care of the ministers of the two churches and committees appointed by their boards of trustees.
2d and 3d. The churches on Wall and Beekman streets, with the land on which they stand, shall be the sole property of their respective congregations.
4th. The twenty-four lots purchased from James R. [or K.] Beekman for a burial ground shall be equally divided between the three churches.
5th. The lot on Hester Street and any other real
* From this point the minutes of the trustees and of the session of the Brick Church become our chief sources.
t Given here in condensed form.
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estate held or claimed by the corporation of the two churches shall continue to be held in common.
6th. All the personal estate belonging to the two churches shall be equally divided .*
7th. Dr. McKnight shall take the parochial charge of the Brick Church, Dr. Miller of the Wall Street Church, and they are to interchange mutually as heretofore.
8th. The Wall Street Church shall pay to the Brick Church $2,500.
9th. The two churches shall share in paying Dr. Rodgers' salary; Dr. McKnight's salary shall be paid by the Brick Church, and Dr. Miller's by the Wall Street Church.
10th. The annuity of £100 from the lot on Robin- son Street shall be enjoyed by the senior pastor of the two churches forever.
These articles were submitted first to the congrega- tions, separately, on Monday, April 3d, and on the following Thursday to a joint meeting held at the Wall Street Church. On this occasion the separation of the Rutgers Street Church from the other two, in regard to which there was general agreement, was determined upon. Besides the property already ap- propriated to the use of the people worshipping there, they were to receive one equal undivided part of the Beekman lots (see article 4th) and also, what the "articles" did not contemplate, "such part of the personal estate of this corporation as may be justly due." The vote upon this question was unanimous.
* On the basis of this article the people of the Brick Church supposed that they had a claim to half of the silver communion service. When their claim was asserted, however, in 1819, it was challenged, and for the sake of peace they felt constrained to abandon it.
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But when the proposal to separate the two older churches was voted upon, it was lost by a vote of forty-seven to forty-six.
The causes for this apparently hopeless disagree- ment are in part unknown to us. A chief difficulty, however, had certainly arisen in connection with the question of Dr. McKnight's future relation to the churches. Some of the Brick Church people were distinctly dissatisfied that he, rather than Dr. Miller, should now become their sole pastor. Dr. Mc- Knight, on his side, was even more emphatic in ex- pressing dissatisfaction with his assignment to the Brick Church. It is evident that a letter from him, proposing to resign altogether, was an important cause of the adverse vote of April 6th.
All that could be done was to appoint a committee to "consult on the present unhappy state of affairs in the two churches, and make report to the two congre- gations." This committee, after considering all means of "restoring harmony," recommended the adoption of the original plan of March 27th, and at the same time provided that an endeavor be made to convince Dr. McKnight "of the sincere love and esteem of the congregations for him" and to gain his acquiescence and, if possible, his support.
In one respect this committee failed in its purpose. It could not persuade Dr. McKnight to alter his de- cision: he persisted in resigning. But the continued canvassing of the matter among the congregation, by changing the views of some and arousing many to action who had not been heard from at all in the first instance, opened the way to a practical solution of the main problem. At a second meeting of the congrega-
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tion, held on April 12th, the general subject of separa- tion being put to vote without debate, it was found that ninety-two were in favor as against seventy-six opposed. The original plan, with such modifications, of course, as were necessitated by the previous separation of the Rutgers Street Church and by Dr. McKnight's complete withdrawal, was then adopted; and at last this "perplexed and embarrassing situa- tion" was brought to an end.
The Presbytery of New York, meeting two weeks later, approved in two separate articles the formation of the Rutgers Street congregation into a distinct and independent church, and the separation of the Wall Street and Brick churches one from the other .* At the same time they granted the request of Dr. McKnight, that the pastoral relation between him and the united Presbyterian congregations of New York be dissolved. It is noted that in this the con- gregations concurred "with great reluctance."
In conformity with these proceedings Dr. Rodgers and seven of the Presbyterian elders,į namely, Abra- ham Van Gelder, John Thompson, Thomas Ogilvie, Benjamin Egbert, William Frazer, John Bingham,
* The separation had already been authorized by an act of Legislature, February 17th, 1809.
t The excellent effects of the separation were in a short time very appar- ent. Dr. Miller, who afterward was inclined to believe that his own part in this matter was his greatest service to the Presbyterian Church in New York, wrote in 1813: "The writer is persuaded that he is chargeable with no exaggeration, when he asserts that all the churches which were once united have become more flourishing since they were separated, and that in the period of four years since that event occurred nearly double the number of members has been added to the aggregate Presbyterian body in New York than was ever added to it in a similar period before." ("Rod- gers Mem.," p. 422. Cf. also "Life of Samuel Miller.")
# See Appendices C and D, pp. 517, 519.
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and John Mills were constituted a new session for the Brick Church, and that body held its first meeting on Monday evening, May 1st, 1809. Besides arranging to pay $15* a Sunday for the supply of their now vacant pulpit (Dr. Rodgers was too old to preach), they on that occasion nominated Samuel Osgood and William Whitlock for the office of elder. These two gentlemen, who were shortly afterward ordained, thus belonged practically to the first session of the independent church.
Of the five Presbyterian deacons ; at the time of the separation three, namely, Mr. Richard Cunningham, Mr. Hutchins and Mr. Miller, became deacons of the Brick Church, and began their work there with the sum of $75.87, brought over from the old treasury.
The trustees į who composed the original board must also be given by name. They were Samuel Osgood, John R. Murray, John Mills, Benjamin Egbert, John Bingham, Grove Wright, Richard Cun- ningham, John Adams and Peter Bonnett. Their first act was to adopt as the official title "The Cor- poration of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York." Immediately their minutes indicate activity in many directions. They divide themselves up into committees on finance, on repairs, and on the charity school. They appoint a collector of pew- rents. They provide for the erection of a fence about the church, consisting of a stone basement twelve inches high, surmounted with wooden pales. They secure the right to build burial vaults in the church-
* This was later increased $5 by the trustees for supplies from New Jersey or Long Island.
t See Appendix E, p. 520.
# See Appendices F, G, H, and I, pp. 522, 524, 525, 526.
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yard and proceed to build and to sell them. They provide for a division of the burying-ground together with its appurtenances, such as the hearse-house, the hearse, and the silk and the cotton palls. They appoint James Forrester as teacher of the charity school at a salary of $250. Several of these items refer to subjects which will demand fuller attention in later chapters, but at present it is necessary to turn to the one great task which now confronted the whole church, the calling of a pastor.
PART TWO THE LONG PASTORATE
CHAPTER IX
THE CALL OF GARDINER SPRING: 1809- 1810
" And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest."- Judges 17 : 9 f.
"It appeared to my own mind the call of the great Head of the Church to a field of labor too important to be compared with others."-GARDINER SPRING. "The Brick Church Memorial," p. 14.
T must be confessed that the independent life of the Brick Church did not begin under very favorable auspices. The separation which created it had been opposed by a considerable minor- ity. As a result the church was to some extent di- vided. Except the decay of faith and morals, nothing is more destructive of a church's welfare than division of this sort. By it every action of the church is hindered, and especially the work of choosing a pastor becomes, under such circumstances, a very difficult matter.
This proved abundantly true in the case of the Brick Church. Moreover, it was soon discovered that, not unnaturally, the conditions then existing did not prove attractive to such men as were invited to consider the pastorate. The Rev. John Brown, of North Carolina, being earnestly requested by the session to make the church a visit "with a view to further measures," sent word through Dr. Miller
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"that his engagements were such that he could not make a visit to the city of New York." In September a congregational meeting issued a unanimous call to the Rev. John McDowell, of Elizabethtown, N. J., at a salary of $2,000, but this promising step led to nothing. The elders who had been appointed to prosecute the call before Presbytery reported that they were unsuccessful and that the call had been returned. But the persistency of the session and their promptness in bringing forward a new candidate were certainly admirable. In November they had secured the Rev. Andrew Yates, of East Hartford, Conn., as supply for the Brick Church pulpit, and in the same month he also was unanimously called. Not until January, 1810, was it learned that disap- pointment must again be borne. The Council of Congregational Churches called to consider Mr. Yates's removal to New York were of the opinion that his present pastoral relation should not be dis- solved, and in their decision he acquiesced.
The next name that came before the session was that of the Rev. Lyman Beecher, then of East Hamp- ton, Long Island. It is interesting to think that the father of Henry Ward Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe, might have been chosen at this time to guide the fortunes of the Brick Church. He had supplied the pulpit twice in December, and at that time had written to his wife, "if the city clergymen alone were concerned [I] should, I was given to understand, be gladly stationed among them."* Two months later, on February 10th, he tells the result of a later visit. He says, "I preached three Sabbaths in New York
* " Autobiography of Lyman Beecher," Vol. I, p. 179.
THE CALL OF GARDINER SPRING 119
for the Brick Church, and came as near having a call as the fellow did being killed who came to the field the day after the battle." * This statement was per- haps not quite just to himself, for after his visit the proposal to call him was by no means summarily dismissed. At four separate meetings of the session or of all the officers of the church together the question of calling Mr. Beecher was under discussion, but such a decided and persistent difference of opinion was discovered that the matter was never brought before the congregation. A friend, writing to Mr. Beecher from New York, says that the opposition came chiefly from two of the trustees, others voting with them in the negative chiefly for the sake of pre- serving harmony, and that in his judgment three- quarters of the congregation were disappointed in the outcome .; At any rate no pastor had yet been secured.
It is certainly no wonder that after such prolonged discouragement the difficulty of uniting upon a pastor had increased. In May the session passed a resolu- tion which reveals the truly pathetic state of this pastorless church. A committee of two was "author- ized to proceed to Philadelphia so as to be there before, or as soon as, the General Assembly meets, and make application to any of the Presbyterian ministers that may be convened there, whose piety and talents would in their judgment render him ac- ceptable to the congregation of the Brick Church, and earnestly solicit such minister to make said church a visit for two or three Sabbaths with a view to a perma-
* "Autobiography of Lyman Beecher," Vol. I, p. 183.
· + Ibid., Vol. I, p. 188.
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nent settlement as pastor of said congregation; and in case they should not find any minister there, suitably qualified, that would be willing to come, that they make inquiry of the ministers present, and if they received well-grounded information respecting any minister whose piety and talents would probably make him acceptable to the congregation of the Brick Church, that they take such measures for procuring a visit from such minister as they may think proper either by writing or by personal application." *
Before this humble quest, in search of some one to take pity on their need, could be carried out, a young man, who was passing through the city on his way to the meeting of the Assembly, and who preached at an evening lecture in the Cedar Street Church in the absence of Dr. Romeyn, was heard by a number of Brick Church people, and made upon them a favorable impression. This was Mr. Gardiner Spring, a candidate for the ministry, who had just completed his theological studies at Andover .; A few days later, after he had returned from Phila- delphia, he was invited to preach for three Sabbaths in the Brick Church. The instructions to the com- mittee appointed to invite him seem to suggest the same chastened spirit and sensitiveness in regard to a possible rebuff which have already been observed. The committee is "to call on Mr. Spring and to re- quest him to inform them whether it will be con- venient for him to accept the invitation for that
* At the meeting when this resolution was passed it was also voted to invite the Rev. Mr. Speece, of Virginia, to visit the church, but of this nothing came.
t "The Life and Times of Gardiner Spring," by himself, now becomes an important source.
THE CALL OF GARDINER SPRING 121
number of Sabbaths, and if not, how many Sabbaths he can supply their pulpit."
He made his first appearance in the Brick Church at the Sunday morning service on June 3d, 1810, when he preached from the text, "Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord of Hosts." Immediately after this service the session met in the church and voted that at the close of the services that very afternoon and evening a notice be read, calling a meeting of the pew- holders and stated hearers on the next day at noon, to consider the propriety of making out a call for Mr. Gardiner Spring to be the stated pastor of the church. The meeting was held at the time appointed, the call was unanimously voted at a salary of $2,500,* a year, and almost immediately came through Mr. John Mills, the senior elder, the good tidings that Mr. Spring intended to accept. If in the relation between church and minister there is ever such a thing as love at first sight, this was certainly an instance of it.
It must have been gratifying to the somewhat dis- couraged and humiliated church to know that the delay of a month in Mr. Spring's more formal ac- ceptance ; was due to the fact that in courtesy he
* In the signed copy sent to the pastor-elect and now in the possession of the church, the figure was originally $2,000, the extra $500 being added by an interlineation.
t The text of the acceptance was as follows:
" ANDOVER, July 6th, 1810.
"To the Congregation of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York.
"DEAR BRETHREN:
"Your communication containing a call to me to settle among you as a gospel minister has been the subject of advice, prayer,
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must first dispose of two other calls, from Andover and the Park Street Church, Boston, and also a request to entertain a call from New Haven. But, no doubt, their own personal assurance that they had found the right man was enough to satisfy them. He himself, it is true, speaking in later years of the sermons preached by him in the Brick Church on that momentous third of June, said that he had "often been filled with wonder that these two jejune and puerile discourses should have decided the question on which so many interests depended." * The fact was, probably, that the young preacher was chosen for himself rather than for his sermons, and, moreover, back of all such explanations, as he himself said, "the hand of God was in the whole proceeding."
Like the proverbial "course of true love" the necessary preliminaries to the formal settlement of the "new pastor did not "run smooth." For a time it seemed as though the banns might yet be forbidden. When Mr. Spring was examined before the Presby- tery, many heads were doubtfully shaken over the question of his orthodoxy. "My trial sermon," he says, "was a frank avowal of my sentiments, and a
and serious deliberation. I hereby accept it. Believe me, dear brethren, that I feel thankful for the unmerited attention and respect which a call from so respectable a congregation has manifested. By the blessing of God I hope to be with you in the course of a few weeks. I have given myself up to God. Without recalling that act, I now give myself to you. Pray for me, fathers and brethren, that I may be sent in the fulness of the blessings of the gospel of peace.
"Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
" I am, dear brethren, "Your servant in the Lord, "GARDINER SPRING."
* "Br. Ch. Mem.," p. 13.
The Congregation of this bricks presbyterian church in the City of Chew Morte , being on goods grounds , well satisfieds of the ministeriales qualifications of you , I Gardiner Spring and having wels founded hopes , So far as they have hade experience of your ministeriale labors , that your ministrations in the Gospel will be profitable to ain Spirituale Interests, de carnestù call, and desure you to undertake the pastorale Ofice in saide Congregation : promising you , in the discharge of your duty, all profer Supports; encouragement Volioence in the Lords. And that you may be free from worldly cares avocations, we hereby promise, and oblige ourselves to pay to you the Sim of two thousand dollars annually in regular quarterty payments during the time of your being and continuing the regular pastor of the afousaide Congregation
Chevelante func 4 1810. Lignit by Didn't in behalf of raw Congregation N/3. the words" five hundred" intestines before figuring
1. 6Van Gede: John Bingham Elders
The" Ogilvie
William Miller Deacons
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