USA > New York > Rensselaer County > East Greenbush > History of the Reformed church, at East Greenbush, Rensselaer County, New York > Part 11
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"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that love thee."
Sincerely yours, D. K. VAN DOREN, Stated Clerk of the Classis of Schoharie.
PERSONAL GREETING BY REV. NORMAN F. NICKERSON.
DEAR CHRISTIAN BRETHREN AND FRIENDS :- I bring to you, on this occasion, the greetings of a sister church, in whose cemetery stands the pure, white marble shaft, which marks the spot where slumbers the dust of the brother of him whom you have so highly honored and eulogized this day, because he was the first and well-beloved pastor of your church. I refer to the Rev. Thomas Romeyn, of Glenville, N. Y., the grandson of whom, bearing the same name and residing in the same town, has been present at your festivities this day. There is also a great-grandson of the same name who, let us hope, may at some future period, become a minister like unto his great grandsire. In consideration of this relationship of the two churches, somehow I seem to feel like a second cousin to you myself.
Although in an unofficial capacity, I also present to you greeting from a sister Classis, small in terri-
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tory, but by no means least in influence and his- toric incident, viz .: Schenectady, or the venerable Classis of Dort, the eldest daughter of Albany Classis.
At this late hour, I am fully conscious that I must avoid making a lengthy address lest I weary you beyond courteous endurance. I can therefore only rapidly mention a few topics which are sug- gested by this occasion, and which I must leave for yourselves to clothe with their proper environ- ments. Let us first of all answer the inquiry- What, to us, is the meaning of this centennial ?
1. It means the history of four generations of human existence, inclusive of those on the stage of life then (1787) and now (1887). It means a weight in souls, passed on from this lower house, up through the shining portals of the church invisible.
Estimating the number of "the redeemed" of this church, furnished to the heavenly gathering, at the very low estimate of two hundred and fifty per generation, you have well on to a regiment of one thousand veterans in that invisible host-quite a little army, if they can be looking down upon you to-day and participating in your thanksgiving, to help you in swelling the pæns of praise to Him, unto whom all the praise belongs. These all in their day and generation have fought the battle bravely for the redemption of the world from sin,
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even as you are doing now, and abandoned the weapons of their warfare only when mustered out of this church in order to join the regiment fast forming above.
It is a weight in influence, morally and politi- cally. The numerical amount cannot be estimated of the influence for good, and the elevation of the moral and political purity which this church has exerted on the surrounding community during the past one hundred years.
It is pretty generally conceded that if all the churches which stand as bright, green oases in con- venient places in this dry desert world of sin, were to be annihilated, civilization would soon again re- cede backward into barbarism. Your centennial sermonizer, this morning, drew a very thrilling picture, in which he made you to stand in the fore- ground, here before this pulpit, while your ancestry took their stand in the aisle behind you, and he startled us all by showing to us a savage forefather standing at yonder door. Well, I hesitate not to assert, that remove all evidence of the Gospel as taught in and evidenced by the very externals of our churches, and we may pass the line of our descend- ants down either of these other aisles until we find a barbarian again standing at the door, and the savage hand of the descending scale clasping the bony skeleton hand of the savage of the ascending
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scale. It might likely be a well-favored barbarian, for it is not likely that the race would ever again relegate itself back into skins for clothing and caves for dwellings. But it would be a barbarian, nevertheless, and a case all the more mortifying for the lingering signs of civilization.
2. It means to us ten decades of improvements. We have heard from the narrative of your historian about the externals of the primitive church and of its successive structures, until the present beauti- fully ornate edifice which speaks for itself.
But the people have grown, as well as the church, until now your Sunday school boys and girls are better Bible critics than were most of the men and women of that earlier period-aye, perhaps we ought not to exclude many of the ministry. (Here the speaker, by way of illustration, narrated an in- cident in which he was detected in an inaccuracy of statement by one of his Sunday school teachers, which gave considerable amusement to the audi- ence).
Besides this, new sciences have been developed, which have proven of great advantage to us as a church. We still possess all of our forefathers' sources of knowledge, together with one hundred years of discoveries, such as no previous age experi- enced. The last two decades have been meteoric in startling revelations and useful discoveries.
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Theology has also grown. Mark you, I said not religion. That is still of the same old sort - good enough for all. But theology has grown to recognize that the more nearly the church crowds to Christ's idea and definition, " pure religion and undefiled," &c., does she put forth branches ever green, with perennial spring of eternal bloom. More and more does she nowadays put the second of our Lord's commands into practice, in the hope of earning the plaudit. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
And it is well. The sooner theology resolves itself into "Love thy neighbor as thyself," the sooner will the problem of the two great evils of the age-intemperance and the wage evil-be solved to the satisfaction of all.
What we need most is a greater and more inti- mate heart-beat with the beat of the great heart of Christ for the mass of suffering humanity. We must get down to the gutter-cast, and holding on to Christ's hand and reaching forth, grasping their hand, lift them up until we can place their hand in Christ's. As in the electric lights, there is all the power in, but no communication between, the dark dead wires until a slender thread of carbon is placed between the extremities, when lo! there is light and illumination. So has it pleased our Lord
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to place His Church as a carbon, which by connect- ing the fallen to Himself, shall convey to them the light and illumination of eternal glory.
3. This, then, is the most important of all that this centennial means to us, viz., that the work and growth before the Church of Christ for the on- coming century is humanitarian; that our fellow- creatures, of whatever grade of fallen virtue or lost imagery of God, are to be picked up out of the sloughs of despond, set on their feet and brought to the wicket gate on the way to the heavenly " Beulah Land." She is to work out the direction, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight," by removing the obstacles which pride of caste has placed in the church's way of reaching sinners. She is delegated to pick up and renovate the sinners, themselves, and place them back on the way to welcome their and our Lord at His coming. We have too long forgotten what our Saviour said, "I came not to call the righteous but sinners unto repentance."
Then cometh the millenium! How to accom- plish this work is now become the absorbing debate of the theologues of the various schools of christian learning and literature. I will close with the earn- est prayer that you may prosper in the future, as in the past, and that in your own sphere you may do your talent's best work for the Master.
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Congratulations were also offered by the Rev. Mr. Armstrong, of the Methodist Church in the village; by Rev. Mr. Luddon, of the Lutheran Church of East Schodack; and by the Rev. Wil- liam H. Tracy, of the Third Reformed Church of Albany, N. Y.
The following poem, written for the occasion, was then read by Dr. Collier, the author not being present :
"A HUNDRED YEARS OF GROWTH."
BY REV. NORMAN PLASS.
From out his store-house took Jehovah God A precious seed, and with it earthward came, Seeking a place, in all the world abroad, Where best that seed would magnify His name. A spot he found, with worthless weeds o'ergrown,
Barren of aught that yielded good to men; 'Twas there He bade the tiny seed be sown, And turned Him back to His abode again. The seed was sown; the loving sons of God Gave it their constant and their tend'rest care; And soon a tree with branches spread abroad, Budded and bloomed in radiant beauty there.
We celebrate to-day the hundredth year
Since first that seed was thus divinely sown; And as we come our hearts are filled with cheer To find that tree has all things else outgrown. No more do worthless weeds infest the ground-
Beneath that tree they quickly droop and fade; [13]
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Spreading its branches ou all the region 'round, All useless growths have died beneath its shade. It stands to-day upon this lofty hill Unswayed by all tho adverse winds that blow, So full of strength and sturdy vigor still, We scarce oan doubt for centuries yet 'twill grow.
As children gather at the dear old home The gleeful tales of childhood's days to toll, O'er field and woodland once again to roam, 'Beside the brook, within the quiet doll; So here to-day within this sacred home, Endeared to overy hoart in divers ways, The children of one family we come To live again the scenes of former days. And though we have to manhood's stature grown, With Time's dull footprints furrowed on the brow, We quite forget that many years have flown, And moet together o'on as children now.
But as we live anow those youthful years A thread of sadness runs through overy heart, And scaroo can we refrain from bittor tours At thought of those whom God has bid depart. By memory's hearth stands many a vaoant chair Where now the loved forms no more appear ; They are not horo those holy joys to share, They are not here those saddened hoarts to cheer. As wo recall their ministries of love, Wo fain would havo thom share this gladsome scene; But they are gone to that blest home above, There to partake of heavenly joys serene.
As veterans gather at the bugle-note From far and near, where'er they catch the sound,
Donning once more the soiled and tattered coat, Tenting again upon the old camp-ground,
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So we, the warriors of the heavenly King, Gather upon this famous battle-field, Those songs of triumph once again to sing Which to our valor have so oft appealed. We build our camp-fires once again to-night, And gather 'round them as in days of old, To feel their warmth, and by their flickering light Rehearse the stories of our warfare bold.
And as we tell those tales of by-gone days, Recalling scenes in which we fought and bled, Our tongues can scarcely sound the words of praise Which they deserve who forth to victory led. Those noble captains of our valiant host, Who faltered not when dangers hovered near, Who fought the fiercest when the fight seemed lost, Who brooked defeat, and had no room for fear. Would that they with us one and all might meet To join their voices in the victory song; We'd cast our blazoned banners at their feet, And with their glorious praise the shout prolong.
As stand the stones along the world's highways, To mark the miles o'er which the travelers trod, So these recurring anniversary days
Point out the Progress of the Church of God. We note the changes that have taken place Within these hundred years that now have flown-
The fashions old which we no more embrace, The forms of worship that have been outgrown. Customs there were which are to memory dear, Hallowed observances, no more esteemed;
The children scorn the ways their sires revere, Neglecting rites which they most sacred deemed.
But we are not of those who blindly praise
Those blissful days of old " when goodness reigned;"
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We think that we have welcomed better days; Of all the customs have the best retained. No more the long-faced look, the visage grim; No more the sermon, near an endless boon; No more the tedious " lining " of the hymn; No more the doleful " pitching of the tune." Such things as these do we no more regard; They came and went, living their little day; We keep the kernel and the chaff discard,
Retain the seed and throw the husk away.
Wand'ring one day beside a mountain stream, I watched it coursing down its valley bed, Marking its gurgling waters' sparkling gleam Beneath the sun, as on its way it sped. And as I watched I saw it linger long, With shallow course, where stooped the deer to drink; And then I heard it blend its silvery song With that of birds which fluttered at its brink; And now again I saw it stop outright Because of some obstruction to its course;
Then it resumed again its onward flight With greater augmentation of its force;
Amid it all pressing still boldly on,
Running its rough and tortuous course along, Winding this way and that, thither and yon, At every turn growing more swift and strong; Until with quick repulse it sweeps aside All things that dare extend opposing hand, Bearing them on with its increasing tide, Casting them high upon its gravelly strand; Wearing its bed daily more broad and deep, Till on the solid rock its channels rest; And then at length it sinks to silent sleep, From wandering free, upon old Ocean's breast. ·
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How like to this, I thought, the Church of God, That stream that has its source on Sinai's height, And thence flows on along this valley broad That leads beyond to realms of endless light. Sometimes it moves with current smooth and slow, Its gracious blessings to dispense to all; And then again its surging waters flow With speed of torrent swift or waterfall. Sometimes its waters eddy 'round and 'round, Opposed by unbelief or doubts or fears; And then again they start with sudden bound, Strong with accumulated force of years.
Wander with me along its rugged shore, And mark its course throughout the century past; Note what obstructions it has triumphed o'er, Notice what driftwood on its banks is cast. When men have tried to stop its onward course With barriers huge which have its current spanned, It's swept them down with irresisted force, And strewed their shattered fragments on the strand. It's hurled aside with sharp and sudden shock All heresies which have its course deterred, Choosing its paths along the solid Rock, Shaping its shores by the eternal Word.
We note this Progress of God's holy church As it has onward run its arduous way. Fruitless the task and more than vain the search To find a force which can its current stay. We note the mighty volume it has gained- At sight of it our souls o'erfill with joy; We lift our hearts to God with thanks unfeigned, And make His praises our sublime employ.
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By Him its feeble course was first begun ; By His own hand in all the way it's led; Through all its devious paths its race is run To God the sea from God the Fountain-head.
And as when armies put their foes to rout, And on with loud huzzahs to triumph go, Each soldier lifts his voice with lustiest shout, Because that triumph is his victory, too; So we uplift our joyous shout of thanks Because God's Church is vanquishing all sin, For we have place within the sacred ranks Of those who such a glorious victory win. Whate'er the universal church has gained Within these hundred years so quickly gone, Each local church has to the same attained, And in the conquest has rich laurels won.
We have to-day the leaves of history turned, And read what there is worthy deemed a place- Those deeds of valor on their pages burned In characters which Time cannot efface. We have recalled the desperate battles fought Upon this spot throughout the century past; We've had displayed to us the laurels brought From various fields, and at this altar cast. Here have brave warriors grasped the Spirit's sword, And with it put to flight satanic foes; Here have they gained such victories for the Lord As on the general church a luster throws.
. But what the need of tarrying here to-day, And thus renewing these five scores of years, Unless from this review we turn away With loftier faith that shall becalm all fears;
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Unless when Satan's fiendish hosts affright, And from the fight we're ready quick to run, These deeds of daring shall anew incite, These noble victories shall then cheer us on. Let us make sure the battle we begin Will for the cause of Christ advantage gain, And then advance until at length we win The final triumph, and all foes are slain.
We sometimes gather 'round an aged tree, The seed of which was by a grandsire sown, And there rejoice that it so sturdily Has upward grown for all that winds have blown; We gather on the birthdays of a friend From year to year, the event to celebrate, To him our heartiest wishes to extend, And on his blessings to congratulate; 'Tis thus we gather 'round this honored tree, Thus bid God-speed to this our sister-friend, Wishing that many, many years may be Its happy lot, before its life shall end.
The Church of God-it shall unshaken stand As long as to the Truth it loyal proves; Its healing branches shall o'erspread the land, And yield rich fruit to each who by it roves. However hard opposing winds may blow, It shall resist unmoved their fiercest shock ; However strong the tempest-storms of woe, It shall remain enduring as a rock. God sowed the seed, and God will it protect Until the final harvest-time shall come; Then He will send his angels to collect Its ripened fruit, and come rejoicing home.
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ADDITIONAL ITEMS.
The East Greenbush Methodist Church was organized December 2d, 1873, Rev. S. W. Clemens being the first pastor.
The chandelier and pulpit lamps at the Reformed Church were presented by Jacob Kimmey Decem- ber 2d, 1872.
An organ was purchased for the Sabbath school August 16th, 1875.
On December 28th, 1880, it was determined that the church owned forty-two pews and that individ- uals owned sixty-four pews.
By action of Consistory of this date, ten pews were forfeited for non-payment of rent.
Steps were taken on December 18th, 1884, to have the cemetery incorporated.
On January 8th, 1886, Consistory gave a quit. claim deed to the cemetery association.
A piano was secured for prayer meetings and Sabbath school on August 3d, 1886.
The new matched-board ceiling was put on, the walls were papered, new window-curtains hung, a new sawed-pine shingle roof laid, and the interior of the church painted, during the summer of 1887. The carpenters were : Gilbert Westfall, contractor; Clark Waterbury, John Wright, DeWitt Reynolds.
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The painters were: Frank M. Roth, contractor; John R. Payne, Alden Van Buren.
The exterior of the church has just peen painted (November, 1891), by Frank M. Roth, contractor. The color is Pompeian red.
SEXTONS.
The first person whose name appears on the rec- ords as sexton is Adam Cook, in the year 1806.
The following minute explains itself : "Joshua Cook is to officiate as sexton of the church, to heat the stove in winter, to open and close the church doors when there is service, and to provide clean water whenever children are baptized ; and he is to have for those services the sum of three dollars, payable the one-half on the first day of February, and the remaining half on the first day of August in each year during the time he officiates. 1809, August 1st."
These persons have also served in that responsi- ble position : Mr. Jessup, 1836; John O. Lansing, 1838; Isaac Dingman, 1841; J. H. Goodrich, 1846 ; Lorenzo Bedell, 1847; Harry Wilson, 1849 ; George Hulsapple, 1850; Hicks Hulsapple, 1853; W. C. Tourtellot, 1855; William H. Hulsapple, 1857; Reuben Van Buren, 1858; Barney Hoes, 1861; Joel R. Brown, 1867; David De Freest, 1872; A. D. Traver, 1877; Christian Vedder, 1881 ; William S. Miller, William Link.
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ADDITIONAL ITEMS.
TREASURERS.
As far as can be determined, these have per- formed the duties of treasurer : Peter Whitaker (or Whitbeck) 1801; Peter D. Van Dyck, 1802; Peter W. Witbeck, 1806; Stephen Hanson, 1809; L. Gansevoort, Jr., Cornelius Van Buren, James Lan- sing, Esq., 1823; John O. Lansing, 1833; Gov. M. Herrick, 1834; E. P. Stimson, 1838; Henry C. Lodewick, 1846; Jeremiah Hyser, 1847-50; Adam Dings, 1851-3; George Lansing, 1854-5; John N. Pockman, 1856-7; Heremiah Hyser, 1858-68; Jacob Kimmey, 1868-88; Edgar Miller, September 15th, 1888.
SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS.
The list is very imperfect : John O. Lansing, Elliot E. Brown, Henry Salisbury, Joseph S. Hare, Stephen Miller, William H. Rhoda, John R. Tay- lor, Sylvanus Finch, John DeWitt Shufelt.
THE ACADEMY.
The Greenbush and Schodack Academy was started and partly built during the ministry of the Rev. A. H. Dumont, probably in 1829. It was for a long time fostered and controlled by the church. Trustees were elected from the members of the church. Rev. Mr. Stimson is said to have taken a very active interest in the school, and was instru-
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mental in securing a library. For many years it was a source of great benefit to the community.
Some of those who have been at the head of the institution, or have taught there, are these: Mr. Russell, probably the first principal ; John Crum, about 1837 ; John Hall, 1838.
With Mr. Hall was associated, as classical teacher, Michael Hillard, an Irishman, said to have been educated as a priest ; also James Hoyt, after- ward a Presbyterian clergyman, who was his pupils' ideal of scholarship and manhood.
Rev. Samuel Hill taught somewhere about this time; also a Miss Anderson.
Rev. Peter S. Williamson had charge in 1843. In 1844, and for some time after, Henry Bulkley and his brother, Hiram Bulkley.
Messrs. Leach, Schimeal, William C. Hornfager and Fellows were identified with the institution at different times.
Between 1850 and '60 the Rev. William Water- bury was principal.
While the present district school house was being constructed (1835?) the school was trans- ferred to the basement of the Academy and taught by a Mr. Graves, a venerable man.
During the war (1861-5) the building was used for hotel purposes.
About 1869 Rev. William Anderson opened a
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boarding and day school, under the title of "The East Greenbush Collegiate Institute." From the outset it was a very flourishing school, commend- ing itself to parents who desired a school for their sons and daughters where christian culture and re- finement were taught, as well as the contents of books. Mr. Anderson's three daughters, Miss Dar- row, Mr. Herman VanDerwart and others were teachers. In 1872 Mr. Anderson sold his interest in the Academy to the Rev. Isaac G. Ogden, a Presbyterian minister, who, with the assistance of Walter H. Ogden, his son, carried on a successful school for a few years. After this Charles Putnam Searle, now a lawyer in Boston, had a private school in the building for one or two winters. The Misses Steele were the last to use the Academy for school purposes.
DAWN OF THE SECOND CENTURY.
The last sacramental service for the centennial year was administered by Rev. Matthew N. Oliver, of Rosendale, Ulster county, N. Y., on December 4th, 1887, he supplying the pulpit on that Sabbath.
The first pastor of the second century is Rev. John Laubenheimer, who graduated from Rutgers College in 1883, and from the New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 1886.
He was ordained to the ministry and installed
JOHN LAUBENHEIMER.
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pastor of the Reformed Church of West New Hempstead, Rockland county, N. Y., on October 5th, 1886. His call to this, his second pastorate, is dated October 31st, 1888. He accepted the call and began his labors December 1st of that year. The installation services were held on December 19th, 1888. For these three years he has success- fully prosecuted his ministry among the people to their entire satisfaction, and now has every pros- pect of enlarged usefulness in the future. The present strength of the congregation is numerically one hundred and twenty families, with a professed membership of two hundred and twenty-five, and a Sabbath school of one hundred.
Long may the dear old church remain a beacon and a tower of strength to mortal man! Ever may she be blessed with the Holy Spirit's indwelling and power !
"Long be our Fathers' temple ours, Woe to the hand by which it falls; A thousand spirits watch its towers, A cloud of angels guards its walls."
And now my task is done. The labor ceases. The pleasure and profit abide .- (P. T. P.)
PASTORS.
Jacobus Van Campen Romeyn, 1788-1799. John Lansing Zabriskie, 1801-1811. Isaac Labagh, 1811-1815. Nicholas J. Marselus, 1815-1822. Benjamin C. Taylor, 1822-1825. Abraham Henry Dumont, 1826-1829. John Augustus Liddell, 1830-1834. Edward P. Stimson, 1834-1852. James R. Talmage, 1852-1860. Peter Quick Wilson, 1861-1866. William Anderson, 1866-1876. John Steele, 1877-1887. John Laubenheimer, 1888.
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