A history of the parish of Trinity Church in the city of New York, pt 4, Part 4

Author: Dix, Morgan, 1827-1908, ed. cn; Dix, John Adams, 1880-1945, comp; Lewis, Leicester Crosby, 1887-1949, ed; Bridgeman, Charles Thorley, 1893-1967, comp; Morehouse, Clifford P., ed
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: New York, Putnam
Number of Pages: 1266


USA > New York > New York City > A history of the parish of Trinity Church in the city of New York, pt 4 > Part 4


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49


" I shall remain in Liverpool until Monday next when I purpose to set off with all speed for London, and as soon as I can, after my ar- rival there, will endeavour to ascertain whether you are at Hackney & for this purpose will call at the Messrs Rivingtons.


"When I left N. Y. I was too weak to walk down to the vessel on which I embarked, but the sea voyage has so much improved my health, that I am almost afraid when you see me, you will think that my sickness has been only pretence.


" Believe me that I look forward to meeting you with the highest pleasure & that I am


"most faithfully " & truly yrs " J. H. HOBART."


The above letter unexpectedly verifies the view we took, when commenting on the actual date of the Bishop's landing in England, that the day must have been Thurs- day, October 30th.1


" YORK, Dec: 8: 1823.


" MY DEAR SIR,


"I conclude that by the time this letter reaches Hackney, you will have returned to your own mansion, which, whatever you may think of ' See Part III., p. 297.


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1824] Letters of Bishop Hobart to H. H. Norris


it, is the pleasantest which I have yet seen in this country, and I am confident I shall not find any more interesting to me. For I feel with you as with the friend of my earliest years, &, allow me to say, I am inexpressibly happy in the enjoyment as I trust of your friendship.


"I passed yesterday in this place; &, as usual, having no duty to perform myself, was solicitous to know how others performed their duty. The Cathedral service in that most magnificent building was truly grand. I think incomparably better performed than at either London or Westminster.


" I shall feel somewhat solicitous to know what course my brother Bp C. is pursuing. If you hear anything do let me know. Direct me to the care of your friend the Rev: Mr Walker at Edinburgh.


"I am very desirous that the Bp of Durham should be kept right in this business. Mr Watson intimated to me the day before I left Lon- don that it would be proper for me to wait on his Lordship, which I had previously supposed it would not be proper for me to do without an introduction. The intimation however came too late. I requested the young man at Rivingtons Waterloo Place to send to him the docu- ments published by me & the number of the British Critic. I hope he has done so.


"I promised Mr Coleridge to prepare for the next Remembrancer a short account of the American Church. Please to let him know that I will forward this to him next week from Edinburgh.


" I am much delighted with the Bp of Llandaff, there is great sim- plicity & frankness of manners.


" With my best regards to Mrs Norris, I am my dear Sir;


" most truly & affecty yrs " J. H. HOBART."


" ROME. May 25th, 1824.


" MY DEAR NORRIS,


" My absence at Naples prevented the earlier receipt & acknow- ledgement of your kind letter.


"I am afraid you think that Italy has such attractions for me that I am disposed to forego in order to enjoy them all the religious & in- tellectual & moral joys of England, some of which with the view of exciting my feelings, you drip off in your letter. But you must recol- lect my dear friend, that my flight from England was a flight from cares, perplexities and business which to the serious detriment of my health had occupied me thro' the winter, & spring. And tho' I do not pretend to be insensible to those charms of climate & of scenery, & to


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History of Trinity Church


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those interesting antiquities which have been so often seen with de- light, by wiser & better men than myself; & tho' I do not think even the view of the mummeries of the Church of Rome in the seat of its do- minion, an unedifying sight to a Protestant, yet I would certainly have wished that my original arrangement of spending the winter in Italy & the spring in London had not been defeated by circumstances which you well know.


"I arrived at Rome on Easter Even; & when I found that the holy Communion was administered by some Church of England Clergyman on Easter morning, I did not hesitate for an instant to give up (which is more than some Chh of Eng: Clergy at Rome did) for the enjoyment of this privilege the view of the spectacle of the Pope's benediction &c, &c, &c, which took place at the same hour, nor did I see as you suppose the full illumination at St Peters. There were 4 Clergy at the Communion. But as I did not know them I participated among the Laity. Afterwards on my way to Naples, I formed an ac- quaintance with one of them, & found to my great mortification that I had missed an opportunity of becoming acquainted with Dr Nott, the author of the Bampton lectures who was one of the Clergy who offici- ated. I also became acquainted at Naples with another Clergyman who intended to pursue on his return the very route which would gratify me; & he was exceedingly desirous we should travel in com- pany. But I was so desirous to get to London, as I promised you, by the 10th of June that I resisted every solicitation; & made arrange- ments for returning in time. But alas! I shall be disappointed. I was taken on my way from Naples to Rome with slight chills & fever, which have yielded to active medicines, but I am too weak to travel, & have found it necessary to lie by. I shall go on as soon as possible. As writing fatigues me, I wish you would have the goodness to write a line to Mr Wheaton, 16 Chapel place, Cavendish Square, informing of my having made arrangements for reaching England by the time I mentioned, & of the cause of my detention. And will you ask Mr Riv- ington to give the same information to his neighbour Serjt Sellon. With my kind remembrances to Mrs Norris, Mr Joshua Watson & all our friends, I am


" faithfully & affecly yrs " J. H. HOBART."


As soon as the Theological Quarterly Review contain- ing the article in criticism of the Bishop's sermon reached these shores, the Rev. H. U. Onderdonk, as will be seen


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1826] Letter of H. U. Onderdonk to Bishop Hobart


in the following letter, immediately wrote a reply, natur- ally thinking that the Bishop would not himself deign to answer his critic, but leave it to his friends to defend him from all such attacks.


" BROOKLYN, Sept. 22nd, 1826. " RT: REV: & DEAR SIR


" I trouble you again, to exonerate the Messrs. Swords from any blame as to the publication of a notice of the English Review of your sermon. When I first heard of that Review, the hope was expressed (by whom I do not recollect, but I have since heard it from several) that no answer should be given it by the Bp, whether anonymously or otherwise, & in this I fully agreed, & was more positively confirmed after obtaining and reading it. In this feeling the notice of it was written, & taken to Swords', but they told me of your wish that none but an an- swer from yourself should appear in the Journal. My own opinion as to the propriety of your not noticing it was & (pardon me for saying so) is still unchanged. It was not on that ground, however, that I urged them to print my piece, but for other reasons, you had seen the Review but a short time before leaving town, & your intention to answer it was formed under the excitement whh such venomous abuse would of course occasion, you were to send them copy (so they expected) within, say a week or ten days, (they expected it from Boston, & Mr. J. Swords wrote to you at Albany), whh not being done led me to believe that you had changed your intention of answering it, the decision to insert mine was delayed some days after it was handed in, the setting up some days longer, & the first half sheet was not worked off till all expectation of hearing from you on the subject was at an end, these were strong & I supposed sufficient reasons for proceeding, so that for at least a week past I have not had the least fear or anxiety as to the view you would take of the measure; but the final & conclusive reason for proceeding to print my piece was that the entire Review was to precede your remarks, & to print it entirely in the smallest type would occupy ten or twelve pages of the Journal (so said Mr. T. Swords), & your remarks could hardly occupy a less space, whh would engross more in proportion than is ever appropriated to one subject in any one number of a miscellaneous Journal. In this latter respect the Messrs. Swords agreed with me that you would not probably wish the Review & your answer to appear in the Journal, should you still intend to print any thing on the subject, but would give it in a pamphlet. In every other particular, the blame is mine, as


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I was very urgent with them. More especially if your notice was to be too large for the Journal, & therefore be a pamphlet, it seemed a mat- ter of course that the Journal was open to a notice of the Review from any other quarter. I speak of your issuing a pamphlet, not that I be- lieved you would answer the Review, but only in case you should still retain the intention with whh you left the city. I did not think that you would, because the Reviewer has defeated himself by his violence with even the English who are tolerably informed, & because his uniting you with America at large in his denunciations will secure you a still deeper & more extended affection from our citizens, & therefore no answer to it is necessary, except for form's sake, if I may so express it, that is, that it may not be alledged that it cannot be answered. Such arguments as these I hoped were the occasion of your not sending copy to Messrs. Swords, & nothing more to them on the subject.


" In a sentence on the other page, I say that the opinion that the Bp. ought not to answer an anonymous & gross reviler was not my rea- son for urging Messrs. Swords to print my piece, I mean that I had no view of defeating any wishes of yours to whh you might adhere, without denying that I spoke very frankly to those gentlemen on that point. It struck me as highly probable that you would recede from your pur- pose when you found a volunteer enlisted in your place. How far my extreme repugnance to the very idea of an American Bp's answering a blustering foreign scribbler may have insensibly influenced me in wish- ing my piece to appear & in urging Messrs. Swords to allow it to do so, it is impossible for me to say. If nothing more should appear in England, nothing of a respectable stamp, will it not be a great pity that you should have condescended to notice this beastly effusion ? & will it not show that the English do not concur with this Reviewer ? If, on the other hand, any thing fit for answering should appear there, might not your vindication of yourself be much better grounded on that, tho' including also your defence against the Theol: Quarterly ?


" New York, Sept. 23rd. I have seen Messrs. Swords on the sub- ject. They are setting up the Review & the communication from yourself whh will appear in the present number of the Journal, proba- bly as an appendix. The article by myself it was at first intended to cancel, but some of the half-sheets have already got abroad, whh ren- ders that measure impracticable, it contains some prominent Extracts from the Review & was put as the first article of the Number. I still do regret that you condescend to notice such a production. The Chh Register of to-day contains an article in your defence, the Xtian Journal has one printed, the other Episcopal magazines will of course


new York. May 29- 1826.


Vericem meppel handy on Fire


opportunity of introducing to you my friend T'as. I. Cooper. Ing. when reputation as un author the pride of his countrymest is doubtless known " . you , as his works have been republis hed at. Paris & London.


In booker is a Churchman & married into one of the older ? & most respectable of our new-york Chunk families . Mrs bookes Brother, (G. M. are Lancey Yg) is a principal H supporter of the Church in the place of his sesi -


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Letter from Bishop Hobart, to Bishop Luscombe introducing Mr Fenimore Cooper


dence near Priority; 8 her brother (The Nu Com As Lanay) is a distinguished blegyman of our thank on Miladelphia. as a Communicant of the Church. MY booker will exceedingly nature The jours of your acquaintance. and as the & m booker purpose to spend some lime abroad , it may be in your hours to ena- be Them , when they leave Paris , to form some clerical acquaintance in Pre klaus which The ., may visit.


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your civilities to them will confer a great favor on


wir fai vhjul. &affectiondle brother


Letter from Bishop Hobart to Bishop Luscombe introducing Mr Fenimore Cooper


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1826] Letter of Introduction for Fenimore Cooper


defend you, then why should you appear in person, for your style will infallibly speak for any anonymous signature? why not wait till you have a respectable article to answer? Mr. Swords has the English periodicals down to August, & they contain nothing on the subject. My only regret in this matter is that what I have done is so very con- trary to your wishes, & that there is now no remedy. Believe me when I again assure you that before any part of my piece was printed, we all (Messrs. Swords, Stanford & myself) were of opinion that you had relinquished your intention of writing your own defence.


" Very respectfully and affectionately,


"Your obed! serv. "H. U. ONDERDONK."


The following letter is one introducing Fenimore Cooper to a brother bishop, undoubtedly to Bishop Lus- combe who was in charge of the congregation of Eng- lish churchmen upon the continent of Europe but resided principally at Paris, acting as chaplain to the British Ambassador :


" NEW-YORK, May 29, 1826. "RT REV & DR SIR,


"I esteem myself happy in the opportunity of introducing to you my friend Jas. F. Cooper, Esq. whose reputation as an Author the pride of his countrymen is doubtless known to you, as his works have been republished at Paris & London.


" Mr. Cooper is a Churchman & married into one of the oldest & most respectable of our New-York Church families. Mrs. Cooper's Father, (J. P. DeLancey Esq) is a principal supporter of the Church in the place of his residence near this city; & her brother (the Rev Wm DeLancey) is a distinguished Clergyman of our Church in Philadelphia. As a Communicant of the Church Mrs. Cooper will exceedingly value the favor of your acquaintance. And as she & Mr. Cooper purpose to spend some time abroad, it may be in your power to enable them, when they leave Paris, to form some clerical acquaintance in the places which they may visit.


" Your civilities to them will confer a great favor on,


" Rt Rev & D' Sir, "your faithful


" & affectionate " brother, " J. H. HOBART."


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This letter is reproduced, not only for the sake of the literary interest attaching to it on account of its intro- ducing Mr. Cooper, but also as giving a specimen of the Bishop's handwriting in his mature years. This makes the third example of the Bishop's writing which we have reproduced ; the first (facing p. 91, Part III.) written when but a lad; the second (facing p. 358, Part III.) showing his usual hand when writing rapidly, and this one, when writing carefully.


Among the letters of 1826 there is a circular of the Steam Navigation Company, which is interesting as show- ing the method of transportation on the river in those days. A steel engraving shows a paddle steamer towing an excursion barge. It is claimed that this method ensures the greatest possible safety and comfort to passengers.


" Passengers on board the Safety Barges will not be in the least exposed to any accident which may happen by reason of fire, or steam on board the Steam Boats. The noise of the machinery, the trembling of the boat, the heat from the furnace, boilers, and kitchen, and every thing which may be unpleasant or dangerous on board of a Steam Boat are entirely avoided."


We may nowadays consider this method of travel rather antiquated ; still in view of recent disasters it is open to doubt as to whether it might not be wiser both on the score of safety and comfort to revert to some such mode of travel for Sunday-School excursions where speed can be no great object.


The Rev. Jasper Adams became Principal of the Col- lege at Charleston, S. C., in 1824, but owing to the great difficulties which he encountered in raising the stand- ing of that College, he gladly accepted the invitation of Bishop Hobart and the other trustees to take the Presidency of Geneva College. This position, however,


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Letter from Jasper Adams


1826]


he resigned in the spring of 1828, returning in April of that year to Charleston College, as its prospects had materially improved since he had left it, and there he remained till the close of 1836. In 1837 he became Pro- fessor of Ethics at the Military Academy at West Point, and died in 1841.


" CHARLESTON, July 5th 1826.


" RT. REVD. & DEAR SIR,


" Your obliging favour of June 23d was received five days since, and for the sentiments of regard and confidence which it contains, I hope you will accept my sincere and very respectful acknowledgments. " The letter of Rev. Mr. Clark and Mr. De Zeng in relation to my election at Geneva, was received on the 13th of June, who informed me that they had consulted with yourself on the subject, and that you were favourably disposed towards me. It was very gratifying to hear of your favourable impression with respect to me, from any source, but it is especially so to be informed of this by yourself. The Rev. Mr. Wainwright and Rev. Mr. Barlow, were also so kind as to write to me. Even before receiving their letters, I was well furnished with informa- tion respecting the condition and prospects of the college at Geneva, and it was, therefore in my power, to send an early answer to Messrs Clark and DeZeng, that I was prepared to accept the appointment which it was proposed to confer on me. The institution with which I am at present connected, must, from circumstances, be always limited in its sphere of operation, compared with what may be expected in reference to the college at Geneva. If I should be elected there, I shall contemplate an extensive field of useful and interesting labour.


" Permit me, tho' late, to express my gratification that your travels in Europe have restored your health, and that you have returned in safety to resume your station of eminent dignity and usefulness.


"I am, Rt. Revd. and dear sir, with sentiments of great respect "Your very obt. servant


" J. ADAMS."


The Rev. Evan M. Johnson won for himself such a unique position in Brooklyn that the following letter is worth placing on record.


Bishop Hobart was unalterably opposed, as we have


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History of Trinity Church


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already seen, to the Masons taking any part in Church functions.


"NEW-TOWN, L. I., July 18th 1826. " RIGHT REV. SIR,


"I regreted not finding you in town when I last was there. My Brother R- communicated in a letter to me his conversation with yourself relative to laying the corner stone of the chapel in Brooklyn. I am extremely sorry Right Rev. Sir, that the procedure on that oc- casion did not meet your approbation and am doubly more so, if you consider that any personal slight was intended by me, in permit- ting the masons to perform that ceremony. I think, Right Rev. Sir, that this undertaking must be viewed in a different light from that of the ordinary proceedings, of a congregation. I do not know that the plan will succeed. If it should fail and I cannot raise an Episcopal congregation I do not wish to do any act, which would be in the way of any other disposal of the Building.


"Should the plan succeed, should a congregation be gathered, I never have thot, but in that case, to have a vestry organised, the chapel consecrated and to place the whole, like other churches under your Episcopal care. I know, Sir, the whole undertaking is novel ; it may be visionary; I am determined, let the expense and sacrifice be what it will, to make the trial. I should wish in all things to have your approbation and yet, considering the matter with reference to the other congregation, I have felt unwilling to ask of you at present the taking of any decided stand.


"I learn by the papers that you will soon visit some of the churches on Long-Island. I hope, Right Rev. Sir the one to which I minister will be among the number. I will esteem it a favour if you will, at as early a day as may suit your convenience inform me of the time. I trust, Right Rev. Sir, you will give me credit, when I say, that if in some points of doctrine or policy I am compelled to differ with you in opinion, there is not a clergyman in Diocese more anxious and willing in all things to pay you a canonical obedience than your dutiful servant


" EVAN M. JOHNSON.


" RIGHT REV. BISHOP HOBART."


The Rev. Henri Peneveyre, who had lately resigned the Church du St. Esprit gives the Bishop a chatty


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Letter from Dr. Péneveyre


1826]


account of his return home to Switzerland, his native country.


" LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND, " August 25th, 1826.


" RIGHT REVD. AND DEAR SIR:


" I have to apologize for my delaying so long before letting you hear of me. It was my duty, certainly, to write soon after my arrival in my country; but I have been so much engaged with my friends and relations, as well as in several excursions, that it proved impossible for me to find an earlier opportunity. I hope, Sir, you will be so much in- dulgent as to pardon my too long protraction.


" I have taken care of all your orders, except the atlas which is still waiting for an opportunity for the mount of St. Bernard. With respect to the books for the Valleys of Piemont, I left them with the Revd. Mr. Claparède in Lyons, who promised me to forward them by an early and safe opportunity. Your pamphlet for Mr. Beasley in Havre had been taken by mistake in my trunk to Switzerland, but I have sent it to a friend in Paris who will forward it to Havre, free of expenses.


" Now, Sir, I am happy to inform you of my safe arrival in the land of my forefathers, where I met with a kind brother, an excellent sister, and a number of good friends, who welcomed me very heartily; but their kindness cannot oblitterate the remembrance of the kind and valuable friends I left in New-York; their memory is still, and will ever be dear to my heart.


" I did not meet Dr. Luscombe in Paris; he was upon an excursion in the country to perform his Episcopal duties. I saw but the son of that Gentleman, and he told me that his father being intended to visit Switzerland in August, he would probably call upon me in Lausanne: hereto however, I have not heard of him at all.


"I preached but twice in this country, and there is very little probability of my being called to preach to any Episcopal congrega- tion, as on account of the disturbances caused by the methodists, lately intruded in Switzerland, our government has enforced the laws against the introduction of any new or foreign doctrine. An ex- ception may be granted in favor of foreigners only; they enjoy the liberty of their own worship, in their own language; as for me, would I attempt to raise an Episcopalian congregation, I should be considered either as a controvertist or a dissenter. Therefore I would rather choose to go back to New-York, than to attempt anything the conse- quences of which could be a contest with the rulers of my country; for


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History of Trinity Church


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I am certain that in the present circumstances such attempt, instead of contributing to the glory of God, would cause serious disturbances in the church.


" It was a source of great pleasure for me and of gratitude to God, to find that the Clergy of Lausanne have guarded themselves against the contagion of Socinianism which has infected the Clergy of Geneva. This city which was called formerly the Rome of the Protestant World, is now a Babylon for infidelity. With the exception of a few, who have retained the orthodox faith, all the rest have adopted secretly the opin- ions of Socinians, which they have betrayed every ways, either in their new translation of the bible or the alteration of their Liturgy; so that one cannot guard too much against anything which comes from that quarter.


"I was informed, when in Lyons, that a Clergyman of Geneva, called Mr. Defernex, had left this last city for New-York, with strong recommendations from General La Fayette; he is reported to be a very learned man, but a poor preacher. If so, he is not the man for the French Church du St. Esprit.


"Were I not afraid of being too much indiscreet, and perhaps over- bold, I would request you very respectfully, Rt. Revd. Sir, to be so good as to remember me to my Revd. Bretheren, the Gentlemen of the Clergy in general, and above all of that of New-York: their kindness I will never forget, and their remembrance I will cherish to the last.


" Please to accept for yourself, Right Revd. and dear Sir my best wishes and the protestation of my everlasting gratitude and sincere affection


"Yours respectfully " HRI. PÉNEVEYRE, D.D."


The following note of introduction is of double inter- est on account of the writer who gives the note, and also on account of the person introduced :




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