USA > New York > New York City > A history of the parish of Trinity Church in the city of New York, pt 4 > Part 5
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" U. COLLEGE, Sept. 23d 1826.
" RIGHT REV. AND DEAR SIR,
" I beg leave to introduce to you Mr. H. Potter who is about to enter your Theological Seminary. He is a brother of mine and one in whom I feel peculiar interest. I look forward with deep solici- tude to his future progress and tho' I have so often trespassed on your kindness I cannot forbear requesting on his behalf your kind consideration.
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Books for Seminary Library
1826]
"Occasions may arise when young men in his situation need pa- ternal admonition and counsel and I shall esteem it a great favour if on such occasions you will permit him to resort to you.
" I am with sincere affection as ever
" Yours
" A. POTTER.
" THE RIGHT REV. J. H. HOBART, " HUDSON-SQUARE."
In a letter from " Paris, October 26th 1826," the Rev. Samuel F. Jarvis mentions the gift to the Seminary Li- brary through him by the Rev. Thomas Bowdler, Rector of Addington, near West Malling, Kent, of standard Eng- lish theology including the works of Bishop Bull, Dr. Waterland, G. Ridley On the Holy Ghost, Matthew's Greek Testament, Critici Sacri, Macknight's Translations of the Epistles, Dr. Jackson's Works, and other books on Theology. He speaks also of the good Dr. Luscombe was doing on the Continent and encloses an estimate of the number of British residents in the various cities and large towns. He says that it is proposed to build a church for him in Paris, and refers to the interview with Mr. Canning on the subject.
A memorandum of the Rev. William R. Whitting- ham, upon the books presented by the Rev. Thomas H. Horne mentions the fact that Mr. James F. DePeyster as the agent of Dr. Jarvis paid duties of $26 upon them, and with other expenses the charges due to Mr. DePeyster were $28.47. An application for the remission of duty on the ground that the Seminary was an incorporated literary institution was met by the Collector of the Port of New York with a refusal "on the ground that literary insti- tutions are entitled to exemption of duties only in the case of books ordered by them." The extracts forming the memorandum are in a letter to the Rev. Henry U.
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History of Trinity Church
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Onderdonk, D.D., Secretary of the Standing Committee of the General Theological Seminary, March 5, 1827.
The Scottish Bishops were much drawn towards Bishop Hobart, and this letter from the Bishop of Aberdeen is but one selected out of many :
" ABERDEEN 13th of JanY 1827.
" RIGHT REVD. AND DEAR SIR:
" It was with very sincere pleasure that I received the other day a call from Mr. David Hadden of your city, a townsman of my own, but with whom I had no previous acquaintance, & who most kindly looked in upon me to say that he had left you and your family in excellent health, and, as usual, in full & active employment in the discharge of your manifold & highly important official duties. It was a grievous disappointment to your friends in Scotland, & to none more than to this family, to be denied the confidently anticipated pleasure of a visit from you, before you quitted our British Shores- and to the very last moment, until your departure was actually an- nounced, I cherished the hope of once more seeing you in Scotland, as you had never made good your promise of writing and informing either my brother or myself, what benefit your health had received from your continental residence, and from the relaxation which it afforded from the cares and toils of business. I am quite aware how much you must be occupied by unavoidable correspondence, & what little time you can have to bestow on mere letters of friendship, but a very few lines would have been most gratifying to us, and have prevented us from entertaining even a suspicion, that your Scottish friends no longer found a place in your regards, which I am confident is not the case. I cannot indeed acquit myself of blame & apparent ingratitude for not acknowledging, what I nevertheless assure you, were duly valued by me, your excellent selection of sacred Music, & two volumes of Sermons; and tho' the offer is far too late, yet I hope you will not disdain to accept my best thanks for these testimonies of your much esteemed friendship. I feel a very warm interest in the continued prosperity of your thriving branch of the Catholic Church, & regard its acts & Ministers with affection nothing short of frater- nal. But I greatly fear, since my Boston correspondent Dr. Jarvis left America, I cannot hope to receive any such interesting information respecting its ecclesiastical affairs, as I have of late years been favoured with thro' his kind attentions. I esteemed him indeed a most valua-
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Letter from Bishop Skinner
1827]
ble correspondent in that respect, & look forward with pleasure to a personal acquaintance, when he shall make good his promised visit to Scotland next Spring.
" In regard to our own little church, no event has occurred of any importance, since the Consecration and Mission of Bp Luscombe. It is very gratifying to find that the cautious & prudent conduct of that good man is likely to realise all the benefits so fondly anticipated by some from the experiment: and in time, I would hope, very con- siderable advantages may accrue from his labours to the cause of pro- testant Episcopacy on the Continent of Europe; but in order to his success extreme caution & prudence seem requisite.
" There was an intention of renewing, in the ensuing Session of parliament, the application for a public pecuniary grant towards the support of the Bishops & Clergy of our communion: and upon feel- ing our way a little among persons of influence we have met with considerable encouragement, but the aspect of the times & of our political relations with respect to Spain & Portugal is rather forbid- ding, & it now seems not a little doubtful whether it would be prudent in us to agitate our application at all, & whether we may not have a better chance of ultimate success by waiting for a more favourable season.
"I doubt not but my Colleagues Bps Jolly and Torry have felt highly gratified by the mark of brotherly regard & attention bestowed on them by your Universities; we all indeed feel it as such, & most gratefully acknowledge the kindness.
"Should a leisure moment ever fall in your way-a most rare occurrence I fear-need I say, what gratification I should feel in hear- ing particularly of your welfare & continued usefulness & happiness. For a most abundant portion of all these to yourself & family, & for many happy years, be assured of the hearty and fervent prayers of, my dear Sir, Your very faithful and affte
" friend & brother, "W. S. SKINNER.
"My Wife and daughter make offer of their very kind remem- brance, as I am confident my brother at Forfar would gladly have done, had he known I was writing to Bishop Hobart."
Mr. Key, famous as the writer of our stirring National Anthem, " The Star Spangled Banner," was an active and zealous Churchman of the Diocese of Maryland. He was
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a personal friend of Bishop Meade and other leaders of the Evangelical school. He was prominent in the Gen- eral Conventions of the American Church for a long series of years, and served as a member of the Committee on Hymns which prepared the collection of two hundred and twelve set forth in 1826.
To this collection he contributed the well-known hymn, " Lord with Glowing Heart I'd Praise Thee," which is retained in our present hymnal as No. 443. It has had a wide circulation and is deservedly a favorite. It has been styled by a competent hymnologist as "very genu- ine," and "as memorable a piece of work as 'The Star Spangled Banner.'"
" GEO TOWN " Feby 4-27
"REVd & DEAR SIR,
" I had the pleasure of receiving your letter yesterday, & as I have an opportunity of writing to Mr. Meade to morrow or the next day, & as I know it will be gratifying to him, I will enclose it to him.
" The circumstance you mention about the first proposition from the House of Bishops, did create unfavorable impressions in some persons, but they were more suspicious persons than either Meade or myself. They were suggested to him, though I know not by whom. I should never have supposed that anything unfair was attempted by it. The frank and conciliatory course pursued by you would certainly have exonerated you from any share in the suspicion, even if it could have been entertained towards others.
"I regret with you that the measures proposed & adopted were not received with unanimity and gratitude, as proofs that a spirit of har- mony and confidence was vouchsafed to the Church.
"But I am thankful whenever I reflect upon the occurrences of our last meeting, for two things-One is that I have a far more favorable and (I truly believe) a far more just impression as to the religious char- acters of those I there met with, than I had entertained (as I candidly acknowledge) before-The other is that I believe you and others re- ceived the same gratification. We may still differ, (as I have no doubt we do), about many things ; but they are small, very small, indeed nothing compared with the great concerns in which we all agree, and
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Letter from F. S. Key
1827]
in which, I hope, we shall always endeavour to think that we do agree.
" I have been looking for the hymns & supposed that some such dif- ficulty had occurred.
"I have lately had an interesting letter from the Revd Mr. Horrel of our Church who moved out a few years ago to Missouri .- He has established a Congregation at St. Louis which is a very important station, & they have begun a Church, but are unable to finish it without calling for help. It is very desirable that our Church should have a respectable establishment in that growing State. Here we are, I fear, too poor to do much, if any thing, in their behalf. But you may have it in your power to send them aid. In my answer to him, I told him I would suggest it to you.
"I know him well as a most excellent man, who, I am sure, will be a blessing to the people of that Country.
"With sincere regard, "I am, truly yrs., "F. S. KEY."
The work of the Rev. Thomas Horrel in St. Louis was effective and acceptable. This town was one of the early mission stations of the Domestic and Foreign Mis- sionary Society. A stipend was allowed to Mr. Horrel for five years, and in 1829 withdrawn, since " the Church may be considered as permanently established."
The Bishop of South Carolina had been for some years before his elevation to the Episcopate the beloved Rector of Grace Church, New York City. He had been on very intimate terms with Bishop Hobart, and thus ex- pressed himself freely in his letters.
The sudden death of his daughter in October, 1826, called him home from the General Convention of 1826 which was held in Philadelphia. He received the formal sympathy of his brethren in the Episcopate through a Committee composed of Bishop Hobart and Bishop Croes.
The following letter gives some particulars, otherwise unknown, of the previous discussion of the proposed VOL. IV .- 3.
ยท
Tou
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changes in the Book of Common Prayer in the Conven- tion of 1826.
The periodical mentioned is one then published in Charleston under the control of the Bishop, and entitled The Gospel Messenger. It continued several years and had not only a local but general circulation. The year of this letter is 1827.
"CHARLESTON, Feby 13.
" RIGHT REV. & DEAR SIR,
"Your affectionate condolence in my sorrow has been affectionately & thankfully received. It has indeed, pleased God to deal with me most severely. My bereavement is bitter beyond any possibility of ex- pression. My daughter was the delight of my affections, my son the pride & confidence of all my hopes & prospects, as the father of a large and helpless family.
"God has seen it good for me that all such too temporal sensibili- ties should be frustrated, and even give place to an extreme of parental anguish of heart. How I have been kept from utterly failing God knows. I have endeavoured to bear the burden he has seen fit to put upon me, and the effort to sustain myself has, I will hope, been blessed and seconded. The interest of life remains to me yet large, I was permitted to see & feel, in the obligations due.my Diocess, my Parish, & my family-and I have struggled to meet its demands.
"Occupation the most active and various, if not laborious, I have found next to prayer my best means of strength; and thus, my dear Sir, I am able to attend to the particular subject of your com- munication. I could in writing to you fill my paper even to over- running with the subject of my sorrows. For converse with those who have hearts to feel is a real relief to me. But I must not trouble you more, with things on which, if permitted I should weary even you.
"You are perfectly right in your recollection of the conversation which passed between us at Dr. Wainwright's in reference to altera- tions in the Liturgy to be proposed, according to the impression which I have retained of it.
"I not only had not any objection to the suggestion of alteration as to the office of Confirmation, the first particular in that interview which was adverted to, but even anticipated your communication of the sentiments with which you were affected respecting it. In refer- ence to the license to be given as to the lessons & Psalms, we were also
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1798607 Letter from Bishop Bowen
1827]
not at variance, although I had not as fully made up my mind as I have since that the alteration proposed in these particulars would be useful. I think it indeed desirable that some modification at any rate should be made of the Ministers' duty in their reading the Psalms & other Scriptures, and at present am under the impression that a new appointment of lessons, as the result of revision, in many instances would be the best plan, and the adoption into the Book of Common Prayer of a greater number than the present of short selections of Psalms, shorter than those we have now, any of which the Minister might be at liberty to use.
"As to the license to omit the Litany except at certain times, I signified to you dislike of it, & I well recollect your saying you should be by no means so anxious for that yourself, as for other particulars. Indeed the alteration in the office of Confirmation, appeared to us the only one of them that was indispensably necessary; while we hoped the other might be found practicable without opposition or difficulty.
"I regret that you should have been affected as you have by the article that appeared in the Messenger. The expression, 'undignified,' was not meant to qualify the conduct of the Bishops but the whole proceeding as a measure of the Convention should it become so. So the writer of it assures me. He is a very high Chhman, and I saw the piece before it was given for insertion. My sentiments as differing from those of the writer were frankly expressed; but not considering the manner of the thing offensive, I expressed a willingness that it should be published lest I should be charged with controlling the course of opinion relative to this subject.
"I had intended, at our Convention, which has just adjourned, to express myself fully on the subject of the proposed alterations, had the Journal been received, but as it had not been, the want of authen- tic communication of them was good reason for saying nothing about them.
"I shall, whenever occasion is duly afforded advocate the measure as to the 3 particulars of which I now understand it to consist. We differ only on one point.
"The 8th Article of the Constitution, and the 44th Canon compared, completely & clearly satisfy me that the State Conventions may, if they see fit, take the alterations under consideration, and express by instructions to their Delegates to the Gen Con" their sense as to their adoption or rejection.
" I think with you, that the probability is against their adoption in any shape.
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"It is taken for granted by a numerous party opposed to them, that they now have the license of necessity for abbreviation or garbling to any extent they please. They would not have this restrained by legal definition, and. they with some who are excellent Chmen, but who know not enough practically & experimentally of the grounds on which we wish such alterations, will be a majority against their adoption.
"I think it probable y' pastoral letter will have effect out of y' diocese, but fear that still the majority will be of another mind than we.
" With our best regards to your excellent Mrs. H., and my fervent prayer that you may always be exempted from any such affliction as that under which we are labouring,
" I remain, " Affectionately & respec !! " Y' Friend & B' " N. BOWEN. " BISHOP HOBART."
This frank letter of Dr. Meade, a leader of the Evan- gelical party and afterward the Bishop of Virginia, will be read with interest. It shows that, while opinions of the merits of the proposed liberty in the use of the Book of Common Prayer were largely adverse, there were some who appreciated the motive which prompted Bishop Ho- bart's resolution and arguments. Expressions similar to those of Dr. Meade were used by writers in our own day previous to the revision of 1892.
" MILLWOOD, FREDERICK COUNTY, " VIRGINIA, " February 22, 1827.
" RIGHT REV" AND DEAR SIR,
"I received a few days since from my friend Mr. Key a letter enclosing one from yourself which appears to be designed for us both. I should be wanting in common courtesy as well as Christian feeling not to acknowledge the same, especially as it states that you would have written to myself had you known my direction. It is true as stated to you by Judge Emot that a very unpleasant impression was made upon me by the manner in which the Canon relative to the Ante
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Letter from Bishop Meade
1827]
Communion service was introduced. It was the more painful not only because unexpected after what had passed between us, but because it fell upon a heart softened by the assurance that a spirit of conciliation was to be the ruling spirit of the Convention. I was previously pre- pared to rejoice in the proposition of the Bishops because the subject had for the last six months, in a very unusual manner occupied my thoughts & encited my prayers. I earnestly desired & could not but believe that some method might & would be devised to put a stop to a dispute which I had long considered as disgraceful to the Church & prejudicial to religion. I had almost come to a conclusion to bring forward some proposition myself if no one else would. At any rate I had determined (as I mentioned to you in New York) to speak of it to Bishop White, well knowing his sentiments on the subject, & urge him to do this last act of kindness to the Church. The transactions of the Philadelphia Convention & certain intimations thrown out (as I was informed) and indeed Bishop White's address would have prevented me, however, for reasons sufficiently obvious. It was therefore, with equal pleasure and surprise that I found from yourself and Bishop Croes, that other heads and hearts had been engaged in the same work, and must we not believe under the influence of one spirit. The pleasure I felt was for a time suspended by the Canon above mentioned but the readiness with which the desired alteration was made at once restored me to my first pleasing assurance. It gives me additional pleasure to learn that yourself was the author of the change .. At the very moment of receiving your letter I was engaged in reviewing the Psalms & lessons for Sunday in order to determine my opinion as to the changes proposed. The result as to the Psalms is a decided con- viction that the plan proposed (and which was advocated by Bishop White & others in the first Convention) is the best & only good one.
" I am only surprised that I was never before made sensible of the great imperfection of the present plan for the general use of the Church. Let any read over the Psalms & strike out those which are peculiar to David's state of mind under his troubles and which in their present translation at least contain passages which cannot be edi- fying in public worship, those also which are peculiar to the Jewish nation & to the ancient times, & are not (by comparison at least) suit- able for Christian worship, and he will find the number very much re- duced. Let us also consider that since four fifths of our congregations are in the country or in villages where there is only one service, of course one half of the Psalms are never read to them at all ; again some of the morning divisions contain certain imprecatory passages
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which we do not like to read, and therefore turn to a selection by which means we lose some of the best psalms which are contained in those same divisions & and are also led to the undue use of the selections especially of a few of the shortest of them. Lastly two fifths of the Psalms at least of the Morning Psalms are read over twice or three times in the year, and it often happens these are among the most in- different or unsuitable. Surely any minister might do better than this for himself & make a more profitable use of the Psalms.
" As to the lessons for Sunday & holy days, certainly many of them might be innocently, or profitably abridged. Witness the 6th Chap- ter of St. John's Gospel and particularly the 25th of St. Matthew, the whole of which is appointed to be read at one lesson whereas it consists of three distinct parables, the first of which is too short but the other two of sufficient length for separate lessons & which read separately would in my opinion make a deeper impression than if all three were read together. So far as they go I am pleased with the alterations & cannot see the evil that some seem to apprehend from them. I think, however, that it would be very desirable to abridge the service on Com- munion days by permitting the omission of the Litany on such occa- sions. This is more necessary in Country Congregations because all persons young & old, whether communicants or not must remain in the Church during celebrations or else be tempted to spend the time of waiting for their friends improperly around the Church.
" It cannot be proper to use a lengthened service before a mixed assembly of Children and irreligious persons who are wishing it over. I hope such alternative will yet be made or at least silently permitted. Upon the whole I am more & more deeply convinced that if some arrangement suitable to the varying circumstances of the Church & according with the general opinion as to its undue length is not made a heavy guilt will rest upon us. Nothing can prevent it but pride, obsti- nacy, prejudice & uncharitableness, and if we continue to bite & devour one another we must expect to be consumed & to be made a laughing- stock to our enemies which malign us. I have seen the objections of the Recorder & Gospel Messenger & should like to see the defence in the Christian Journal. If you can procure a copy you would oblige me by forwarding it to me. I have said nothing as to the proposed change in the Confirmation service, not having examined it as I wish & intend to do.
" It seems to be good so far as it goes but I could most heartily wish that another Prayer on the same plan were introduced into the Baptismal service & allowed to be used in place of that which I never
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The Prayer Book Societies
1827]
use without pain because its plain literal meaning contradicts my belief.
"The explanation afforded by the proposed prayer in the Con- firmation office is certainly a help & relief.
"I have thus, my dear Sir, freely laid before you my sentiments as to the subjects now agitating the Church. I sincerely hope for a favourable issue, and that a fruitful cause of most unchristian strife may thus be removed. These things are not the faith for which we are bound earnestly to contend.
" Permit me in conclusion to say that altho' I am not a High Churchman according to the standard you erect, yet my conviction of the excellency & scriptural character of the Episcopal Church and my attachment to her doctrines, discipline & worship will I trust ever make me desirous to know & do what will promote her real welfare.
"Sincerely hoping that you may succeed in infusing the same sen- timents which you hold on the subject before into those who usually agree with you but now differ from you & that you may enjoy the satisfaction of seeing much good arise from your exertions,
" I remain with the best wishes & prayers, "Yours respectfully & affectionately, "WILLIAM MEADE."
At this time there was a strong conviction among Churchmen in New York that there was no need of two Prayer Book societies. The New York Bible and Com- mon Prayer Book Society was established in 1809; the Auxiliary New York Bible and Common Prayer Book So- ciety was founded in 1816, and obtained an act incorporat- ing it for a period of twenty years. At the expiration of that term the two societies were merged under the common title of the New York Bible and Common Prayer Book Society, which society was incorporated April 22, 1841.
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