USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > Albany bi-centennial. Historical memoirs > Part 12
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of past and present, of political significance and picturesque history, of character and reputation, of natural and artificial advantages, that we are " citizens of no mean city," whose " situation is pleasant," like Jericho of old. Albany has fallen to our lot, by birth or by adoption. It is a city with an honorable record of two hundred years. It is among the first of the chartered cities of our country. It is the city of Clinton, Schuyler, Livingston and Stephen Van Rensselaer, of William L. Marcy and Hermanus Bleecker and Ganze- voort and Sanford ; the city whence Potter and Kip and Star- key and Wadhams went to be Bishops, and McCloskey to be Archbishop and Cardinal, where Henry and Romeyn Beck were teachers, where Lydius and Sprague and Campbell and Welch have been pastors, where Croswell and Weed were journalists, where Wendell and Townsend and March and Vanderpoel practiced medicine, and Spencer and Amos Dean and Reynolds and Nicholas Hill and Cagger practiced law ; where Corning rose to the front rank of iron masters ; where Olcott and King were great bankers ; where Pruyn was hon- orable in the exercise of his public-spirited interest and gen- erous hospitality ; where Meads was known and honored for his courteous and cultivated dignity; a city which holds many another distinguished name on its roll of worthies. It is the city that gathers to itself the legislators, the lawyers and the judges of the greatest State of the Union. It is the city of the Dudley Observatory, the Albany academies, and St. Agnes' school and the schools of law and medicine. We have come to have this city for our own. Let us adorn it with memorials; with imitations of the virtues of the past ; with their perpetuation; and with the carrying on into the future, of the blessings of which we are the heirs. It is a legitimate love, this love of city, by all scriptural precedents, by all historic antecedents, by all eternal anticipations. The eyes and feet of all Israel made pilgrimage to the fair place of the Hill of Zion, where lay the City of the Great King. The round world has revolved about the cities of Rome and Constantinople and Alexandria. At the very name of city, the hearts and memories of men turn to Venice and Florence and Edinburgh, the pearls of the Adriatic and the Arno, and the home of Scott and Burns. And more than all, the outlook of St. Augustine's dream, of St. John's vision and of every Christian's hope is the "Civitas Dei;" "the City of pure gold ; " " the City that hath foundations," whose Builder and Maker is God.
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UNION BAPTIST SERVICES.
The union services at the First Baptist church were largely attended. The edifice was handsomely deco- rated, flags being placed about the gallery and the organ loft. The platform was ornamented with cut flowers and potted plants. Seated on it were the pastor, Rev. S. T. Ford; Rev. Albert Foster, of the Tabernacle Baptist; Rev. Mr. Round, of the Bath Baptist church, and Rev. John Jaeger, of the German Baptist church. A letter of regret was read from Rev. Dr. King, of the Emmanuel Baptist church. The musical programme was elaborate and well-rendered. The memorial sermon was delivered by Rev. Albert Foster. He spoke as follows :
Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought? -Numbers, 23-24.
Not the least significant feature in the religious services of this day is the fact that they are shaped to some extent by the recommendation of civic authorities. It is a fitting recognition of the debt which our city owes her churches. I am glad that the religious aspect of this Bi-centennial has not been overlooked. I fail to see how it could be, and the his- torical integrity of the occasion still be preserved. It is no compliment or bit of deference which invokes the services of the different religious societies, but the fact that these socie- ties stand vitally related to the two hundred years of growth. What Albany would be to-day had there been no churches we shall not assume to say. Fidelity to truth demands, how- ever, that we give them a large place in our attempt to trace the sources of its present prosperity. As a people we have never regarded a union of church and State with the least allowance. We have felt, and justly too, that such a union would cause both civil and religious interests to suffer. But we are wise enough, I trust, to discriminate between a State religion and a State built on religion which is a vastly differ- ent thing. We do not need a religious establishment; we do not need even that the name of the Supreme Being should
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appear in our constitution; but we do need that the authority of that Being shall be recognized as supreme, and His super- vision of our affairs gratefully acknowledged. As Baptists, we meet to-night to rehearse the part we have been permitted to play in our city's history. This is no time for self-glorifi- cation. It were better not to dwell on either past or present unless we can do it in the right spirit. I remember that once in the centuries gone by a famous heathen king, filled with the pride that so often revels in statistics, looked proudly round on his superb palaces, hanging gardens and other works of art projected on a scale of splendor unknown before, and as he looked he said: " Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty ?" And while the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying: " Oh, King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, the kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen till seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will." We shall do well to heed the im- pressive warning from that far off age-a warning always timely, and addressing itself to the ear of churches, no less than to the ear of nations and kingly despots. Rather let us find the key-note of this occasion in the words we have chosen for the text. Surveying the tokens of good in past and present, and accepting them as pledges of a still brighter future, let us cry with the ancient seer on his mount of vision : " Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought ?" How do Baptists stand related to the best growth of this city ? What contributions, however slight, have they made to its progress? These are the ques- tions which, in the very nature of things, can never be fully answered. The brief outline of history that I shall trace to- night will suggest far more than it can possibly disclose. As a denomination, Baptists in Albany are a comparatively recent growth. If longevity be the crowning distinction of religious life, let it be freely confessed that we have little of which to boast. To my mind it is of vastly greater import- ance to be able to say that we have lived well since we began to live, than that we have lived a long while. I have neither sympathy nor patience with the attempt so often made to
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trace our denominational existence back to the days of the apostles. What difference does it make whether we were born yesterday or the day before ? Our principles are ap- ostolic and that is all we need care for. Denominations may come and go; the names of sects change or pass away, but the living truth abides, it is here to stay. Of course there was Baptist life in Albany prior to Baptist organization, since life of whatever sort always antedates organization. Unfor- tunately, however, life at this stage attracts little attention and lies almost, if not altogether outside the province of the historian, hence we have no means of ascertaining to what extent it made itself felt. Not till the year 1810 was a Bap- tist society formed. The ground had long been preoccupied by those whose views differed from ours, and who by force of temperament and conviction combined clung to their views with unswerving tenancity-a tenacity which I am far from alleging as cause for reproach. A little band number- ing ten came together and opened a room for public wor- ship. Their names were Joshua A. Burk, Salem Dutcher, John Gray, William Penrey, Charles Boyington, Tamer Page, Betsey Burk, Catherine Gordon, Margaret Jones, Elenor Penrey. At a meeting held in Uranian hall, on the 26th of December, 1810, they elected trustees and formed the " First Baptist Society of Albany." It would seem that they encountered sharp opposition from the start. But they were none the worse off for that. It is written of the Israel- ites that the more the Egyptians oppressed them the more they multiplied and grew. Opposition is annoying, but it is apt to stimulate growth. In January 23, 1811, the ten persons already mentioned, together with eleven others who had joined them, were formerly recognized as the " First Baptist Church of the City of Albany," the venerable mother of us all, in whose edifice, as historic fitness demands, we hold this service to-night. For a short time the young organization worshipped in a little building on the southeast corner of North Pearl and Orange streets, then for several years meetings were regularly held in a school-house rented from the Methodists; but at last, in 1818, the Green street theatre was purchased, and having been remodelled, was formally dedicated to the worship of God January 1, 1819. About thirty-two years were spent in this building. At the end of that time it had either grown too small for its mem- bership or its location had ceased to be desirable, so it was
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sold, and by a strange freak of fortune restored to its origi- nal use, and became a theatre once more. Under the lead- ership of Rev. Reuben Jeffrey, the present edifice was erected on the corner of Philip street and Hudson avenue at a cost of $26,000. The first sixteen years of church life in Green street do not seem to have been specially prosperous. In the exceeding brevity of the pastorates there is evidence that the field was regarded as beset with great discouragements. With undaunted courage and fidelity the little church strug- gled on despite the fact that as late as the year 1827 it did not number 200 members. But brighter days were in store. The heroic faith of the men and women to whom we owe so much was destined to triumph. Never yet did man endure "as seeing him who is invisible " without receiving " great recompense of reward." In 1827 the church called to its vacant pulpit a young man who, for two years previous, had been pastor of a little church at Catskill. His name was Bartholomew T. Welch. His coming to Albany marks an era in the history of Baptists. From that coming dates an almost uninterrupted course of prosperity. As one to whose researches I am largely indebted in the preparation of this sermon, has well said : " His rare enthusiasm was contagious. His marvelous pulpit power became quickly known and commanded universal recognition, not to say admiration. The Baptist church was lifted into a prominence it had not known. The congregations were greatly increased. Many attracted by the personal gifts of the speaker, were led by the spirit of God to yield to the power of the message he preached. The church steadily increased from year to year in numbers and influence, until in 1834 it numbered 327 members, a large church for those days." The brilliant min- istry of this gifted man will be cherished in lasting remem- brance by Albany Baptists. But the church was not spoiled by the period of prosperity and power on which it had entered. No better evidence of that is needed than the fact that it was just at this time that it began to agitate the ques- tion of enlarging the borders of the Baptist camp. Both pastor and people were impressed with a solemn sense of responsibility in the matter. They had not become the prey of that selfish ambition which so often seizes both churches and ministers-the ambition to develop a mam- moth organization, which becomes positively unwieldly by reason of its own bulk. The question of forming a new
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church soon came up for decision. After various prelimi- naries, to which I shall not refer, since I am to deal with Baptist churches in general, rather than with any particular church, letters were granted to one hundred and twenty- three persons to go out and form a new interest. With this company went the pastor, Rev. Dr. Welch. In the meantime the Vanderheyden palace, as it was called, with adjacent lots on Pearl street, had been purchased, and the corner- stone of the new church edifice was laid in July, 1833. In October of the following year it was dedicated, and in it for thirty-six years the "Pearl street church " worshipped with no abatement of power or usefulness. The facile pen of Rev. Dr. King has recently put the record of those years into permanent form. In 1871 the church removed from Pearl street into the elegant and commodious edifice which it now occupies on State street, above Swan, built at an expense of about $200,000. Of course, the change in loca- tion necessitated a change in name. " Pearl Street " was reluctantly given upand " Emmanuel" finally adopted. Going back now to 1842, we find that the old First church was again called on to undergo a separation. A number of per- sons severed their connection with it, and formed what was known as the "South Baptist church." It seems to have had a struggling existence from the start, and at the end of seventeen years disbanded. Despite the brevity of its exist- ence and the difficulties it encountered, which finally culmi- nated in its disruption, we have reason to believe that great good was accomplished. An evangelistic movement in 1840, started in the Pearl street church, with the assistance of Elder Jacob Knapp, had resulted in large accessions to all the churches, and partly in consequence of this move- ment a number of persons felt constrained to organize, in 1846, the " State Street Baptist church." Through the gen- erosity of Mr. William Newton and Mr. S. M. Fish, a house of worship was built, which was sold to the Calvary church in 1865. In the manual of the latter church, I find this item with reference to the State street church: "Under the labors of Elders Knapp, Swan and others many were con- verted, but from various causes the strength of the church had greatly declined, and it was finally deemed expedient to dissolve its organization in anticipation that a considerable proportion of the members that remained would join the Calvary church, which had purchased the house." Under
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the ministry of Rev. Wm. Hague, D. D., the Pearl street church developed a strong interest in missions and church extension. Three missions were established at different points throughout the city. Of these the German mission was the first started. In 1854, Rev. J. G. Oncken, the Bap- tist apostle of Germany, visited this mission, baptized nine converts, and in the autumn of the same year the German Baptist church was organized. For a number of years its pastor was supported by the Pearl street church, but it has long become self-sustaining and freed from debt, is doing excellent work under its present pastor, Rev. John Jaeger. North Broadway was another of the missions opened by the Pearl street church under the ministry of Dr. Hague. A Sabbath school was started in Burt's building, on Broadway, and was soon afterward transferred to the State arsenal. Rev. J. B. Morse was appointed to labor on this field. An en- thusiastic band of workers co-operated with him. Of these George Dawson became the recognized chief, his presence giving inspiration to every movement and his wise, far- sighted counsel paving the way to success. The mission grew rapidly. Rev. Mr. Morse having left it in 1858, in the following year Rev. J. D. Fulton was invited to assume the supervision of the field, and with the view of initiating a church organization. On the 12th of November a council was called, the "Tabernacle Baptist church " was duly recognized, and took its place among the sisterhood of churches. A missionary chapel had already been built on North Pearl street, and this the young organization occupied, enlarging it as occasion required, and worshipped there till 1877, when it moved into its new house on the corner of Ten Broeck street and Clinton avenue, which it now occu- pies, grateful to God for the measure of prosperity it enjoys. In 1858, a union movement led to the establishment of reli- gious services in the Townsend park. These developed into a Sunday school, held in a grain store on Washington avenue near Knox street. Out of this grew the Washington Avenue Baptist church, which was organized on the 16th of February, 1860. Under this name the church passed five years of varying experience, but on the whole its con- dition must have been prosperous, for at the end of that time, feeling the need of better accommodations, it purchased the house of the State street church, adopting then the name of the " Calvary Baptist church." Under that
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name it rapidly grew to be one of the strongest churches in the city. In 1880 it tore down the old building and erected on its site the handsome, commodious structure in which it now worships. As an outgrowth, perhaps, of the missionary movement under Dr. Hague, " The Albany Baptist Mission- ary Union " originated in 1863. It was composed of dele- gates from all the churches. During its active existence of twenty years it did a vast amount of good, establishing missions at Paigeville, Bath, Greenbush, Kenwood, Madison avenue and North Albany, at the same time doing not a little to develop the benevolence and activity of the churches. A history of Baptist work in Albany would be incomplete without some reference to the African churches, unhappily now extinct. Two were formed at different times. The first started in 1820, and was known as the "Albany African Church Association." Its edifice was located on Hamilton street between Grand and Fulton streets. In 1825 it took the name of the " First African Baptist Society." In 1869 its property was sold to the Roman Catholics. The second African church was organized in 1870, but from lack of support was discontinued in a very few years, and its house on Chestnut street, near Dove, sold to the Christian church, and is now occupied by it. Thus in barest outline have I sketched the history of our Baptist churches in Albany. From a very humble beginning we have grown, by the blessing of God, into a strong and prosperous body, with an aggregate membership of nearly 2,500. In all that has pertained to the welfare of this good old city during the past seventy-five years, Baptists have borne their part. Com- mercial, mechanical, political, legal, literary, scientific inter- ests have all received contributions from them Many of
their representatives have been honored citizens as well as useful church members. Among these were Friend Hum- phrey, Ira Harris, Eli Perry, George Dawson and a host of others, many of whom are still with us. In the Baptist pulpit of Albany have stood men whose power has been recognized and felt throughout our land, men like Wayland and Welch, and Ide and Hague, and Jeffrey and Fulton, and Lorimer and Magoon, and Bridgman and Peddie. For its beautiful " Rural cemetery " Albany is indebted to the eloquent appeals and stimulating counsel of a Baptist preacher. And here, perhaps, I might well close this hur- ried sketch. But there is another side to the history of these
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years-a side which must lie largely in the realm of the unwritten, to which I cannot refrain from referring. I remember that the best part of the work of either a man or an organization is that which can never be gathered up and presented in statistics. The distinction between power and influence, as emphasized by Dr. Lord in one of his historical lectures, is very just and discriminating. He says : " Influ- ence never passes away, but power is ephemeral. Theolo- gians, poets, philosopher, great writers, have influences and no power ; railroad kings and bank presidents have power, but not necessarily, influence. Saint Augustine in a little African town had more influence than the bishop of Rome. Rousseau had no power, but he created the French revolu- tion. Socrates revolutionized Greek philosophy, but he had not power enough to save his life from unjust accusations." Baptist power during these years had not been inconsider- able. Let us hope, however, that Baptist influence has far exceeded it. If we have been true to our opportunities, what great and lasting influence should principles like ours exert on this community. We believe in a regenerated church membership, and the working out of that principle ought to contribute vastly to the public honesty, integrity and purity. We believe in the Scriptures as the only author- itative standard of faith and practice, and that ought to bring to the discharge of every public trust a sense of obli- gation imperative, exalted, intelligent, calling sacred convic- tions to the front and trampling mere whims and impulses under foot. Furthermore, we believe in soul liberty or the right and duty of every man to interpret God's word for himself, and that ought to keep alive in the public heart a love of the holiest freedom, and make each man as mindful of his brother's rights as of his own. Let me say in conclusion that the thing in which Albany Baptists seem lacking at the present is missionary aggressiveness. We are in danger of forgetting that the words which God spake to the aged Joshua are applicable to us : "There remaineth yet much land to be possessed." Since the decline of our Missionary union we have not done all that we might have done. If we are to hold our place among the religious forces of this city, we must keep pace with the demands its growth makes upon us. To our Baptist brotherhood I should like to say to-night what old Horace Greeley was wont to say to young men : " Go west !" Not that any of our churches should
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change their present location, but recognize that the drift of population is westward, and adjust their work with reference to it. There is a beautiful legend connected with the found- ing of Constantinople, which the Roman historian relates. With lance in hand the Emperor Constantine traced its boundary lines, and continued to take in so much space that his attendants ventured to observe that he had already exceeded the most ample measure of a large city. " I shall still advance," replied the emperor, " till he, the invisible guide who marches before me, thinks proper to stop." In like manner may Albany Baptists in days to come continue to live and work in absolute loyalty to the invisible guide who evermore goes before them.
STATE STREET PRESBYTERIAN.
One of the most interesting union services held in the city was that of the Presbyterian faith at the State street church. Adornment was not necessary, for the handsome church edifice was brilliant in its myriads of lights, and was crowded with devout and reverential parishioners. People flocked to the church very early, and long before the commencement of the services, the vast edifice was filled. The ushers had plenty to do, and the chancel platform was occupied by the Presby- terian divines of the city. The music was rich, and Organist Frank Van Derzee played the various selec- tions with skill and proficiency, lending an additional charm to the interesting services of the evening. The voices of the choir were well balanced, particularly the voices of the ladies, who sang with fervor and anima- tion that did not appeal in vain for a response from the large congregation. The singing, true to the congre- gational order, was an exceedingly pleasant phase of a most delightful union service. The selections of the evening were as follows :
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Organist F. Van Derzee.
Voluntary-Offertorium in C. Lemmens. Offertorie-Fontaise Lemmens.
Postlude Tielman.
Mr. J. V. Burr. Chorister
Rev. Horace C. Stanton preached eloquently. The sermon was appropos, filled with thoughtful reflec- tions, and was delivered with great force and effect. He chose for his text Isaiah Ixiii : 7.
Isaiah lxiii, 7: " I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord."
Two hundred years their cloudy wings expand around us. And from the vantage ground of this memorable day we turn to survey the past. The history of every company of true worshipers of God, displays evidence of His love and overruling providence. And the annals of the great reli- gious bodies whose representatives are gathered here, unmis- takably exhibit the fidelity of the covenant God. We see the divine mind, divine might, divine mercy everywhere ; more than we see the mind or might of men. Brethren who might themselves have performed it more acceptably, have assigned to me the duty of presenting a brief sketch.
THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF PRESBYTERIANISM IN ALBANY.
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