USA > New York > Erie County > Buffalo > Manual, catalogue and history of the Lafayette St. Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, N.Y. > Part 20
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
I have delayed long the step which I now take, because it seems to me its gravity and solemnity demanded deliberation, but the Providence of God seems clearly to point to the duty of my laying down all the obligations and responsibilities of my ministry among you.
I therefore ask you to unite with me in an application to the Presbytery of Buffalo, to grant at its earliest convenience, a dissolution of the pastoral relation between us. With only the pleasantest and most grateful memories of my long association with you, and with the most earnest wishes for your spiritual peace and prosperity as individuals and as a congregation, praying that long years and those of greater activity, usefulness and enlargement than all the past, may attend this dear Church, under the labors of a new Pastor, I remain affectionately and truly your friend and brother,
BUFFALO, April 4, 1877.
G. W. HEACOCK.
A committee of three was then appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting in relation to our Pastor's resignation. The committee
193
LAFAYETTE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
retiring, the chair called for the reading of the report of the Committee on Pulpit Supply. The report was read by Henry H. Hale, and is as follows :
REPORT OF THE PULPIT COMMITTEE.
To the Lafayette Street Presbyterian Church and Congregation :
Your Committee for Supply of Pulpit ask leave to report that a joint meeting of the Session and Board of Trustees was called, and met at the chapel November 28th, for the purpose of raising a committee to act for the Church and congrega- tion in supplying a preacher and acting-pastor during the period of the sickness and disability of our own beloved Pastor, or until such time as he should deem it best to ask the Church to take definite action for a more permanent supply. The result of the joint meeting was the election of a committee of three, consisting of John Otto, George L. Squier and Henry H. Hale, of which Mr. Otto was made chairman. At the annual meeting of the Church, held January 10, 1877, the same persons were continued as the Committee of Supply by the vote of the Church. Your committee was appointed in response to the wish very generally expressed by the Church and congregation, that there might not only be a preacher for the Sabbath, but a Pastor for the week-one who would lead us in the weekly services, visit the sick, minister to the afflicted, and perform the last sad offices of the burial service. In seeking such a minister for a short period of time, we thought it provi- dential that the Rev. Mr. Daly could be secured temporarily for such service. After consulting with the Pastor and a number of the Church and congrega- tion, we made an engagement with him extending for a period of four months from January 1, 1877. We at first expected to make the term of three months only, but it was made one month longer at the request of Dr. Heacock, and for his own sake. While seeking a good man as a minister for so brief a period, we have to acknowledge the kind offices of Rev. A. H. Plumb and other friends and well- wishers to our Church. During the latter part of December, and prior to the time limited by Rev. Dr. Hopkins as the period during which he would preach for us, viz., during December, we had engaged a supply for the pulpit for the sec- ond and third Sabbaths in January. Mr. Daly was engaged in December for the first Sabbath in January only, and his further continuance by the request of so many of the Church and congregation necessitated the canceling of his engage- ments previously made for service in Boston, and also of our previous engagement with another minister for the second and third Sabbaths in January. For the best and fairest testimony of the ability and success with which Mr. Daly has performed his pulpit and parish labors among us, we have only to refer to the largely-increas- ing attendance on the Sabbath morning service, and the Wednesday evening prayer meeting, with the steady increase of interest in the latter on the part of the mem- bers of the Church, and an increasing interest in the hearing of Gospel truth so ably, clearly, simply and forcibly presented, as to satisfy, instruct and spiritually feed mature minds, and yet to be perfectly understood by the young. In the for- mation of a large and permanent Committee of Supply for pulpit and pastoral work, we trust the Church and congregation will pledge to them a generous confi- dence and readiness to accept their decision and judgment, realizing the great diffi- culty of securing any minister to acceptably succeed a Pastor of thirty years' service, and one of so great ability and grandness of soul as it has been our privi- lege to possess. We trust that the danger of the present situation, resulting in divided counsels and opinions, will be clearly seen and avoided, and that by mutual concession to the opinions and wishes of others, by a firm adherence to all that is right in matters of principle, and by a steady determination to cheerfully abide by the decision of the majority as fairly expressed by vote of the Church and congre- gation, our safety, perpetuity and prosperity as a Church, and our spiritual growth as Christians may be guaranteed. That such may be the result of the efforts and decisions of the new committee, is the sincere wish of your brethren.
JOHN OTTO, GEORGE L. SQUIER, HENRY H. HALE, Committee.
194
MANUAL OF THE
The Committee on Resolutions now came in and presented the following preamble and resolutions :
Whereas, The Rev. Dr. Heacock, born and reared in this city, never having had a home elsewhere, at the youthful age of twenty-three started this Church enterprise under the most discouraging circumstances, and has remained its Pastor during a period of nearly thirty-two years, giving to it his best days, his best thoughts and experience ; and
Whereas, The Lord has blessed his ministry until his Church, from the most feeble and humble beginnings, now outnumbers that of any of his denomination in the city ; and
Whereas, He has defended with his powerful intellect every cause which he con- sidered right, whether popular or not, always lifting his voice in favor of liberty to those who were in bondage, when to do so was to brave the strongest public sentiment, sympathizing with all the interests of humanity in the darkest days of the war for the Union, " never ceasing to encourage our faith that loyalty and freedom were sure to triumph over treason and slavery;" making great sacrifices for this Church when he had received many and flattering invitations from churches in different parts of the country with offers of large and tempting salaries, over- looking all ambitious motives and remaining with this Church in its weakness and poverty ; and
Whereas, Remembering that he has given up his whole life, with its crowded and affluent but exhausting labors, to our welfare; that he has baptized our chil- dren, married our young men and maidens, comforted our sick and buried our dead, for more than a generation ; that he has been instrumental, through the blessing of God, in leading many of us to Christ ; that by his Christian guidance and teaching, by his life and example, by his splendid abilities and wisdom, he has, under the blessing of God, made this Church a power for good in this city and the land ; that by his love and tenderness, by his patience and forbearance, by his generosity and great-heartedness, he has won the profound respect and deep affection of every one of his people, young or old ; remembering the strong and loving hold he has upon the city of his birth, upon all the Churches of this vicinity, and indeed everywhere and upon every one who ever had the good fortune of his acquaintance-remem- bering all these things and a thousand others that time fails us to recite-we do hereby
Resolved, That we cannot bring ourselves to contemplate the possibility that the relations now existing between us as Pastor and people shall ever be severed except by death, and that we most earnestly request him to recall his letter asking for a dissolution of the pastoral relation between us.
Resolved, That we ask of him the privilege of selecting, calling, and settling a colleague Pastor who shall be competent to attend to all the active duties of the pastorate of this Church, with the understanding that the senior Pastor shall be released from all duties and obligations during his present illness.
Resolved, That we cannot take any action towards cutting ourselves off from our endearing relations, so that we cannot have his prayers and kind thoughts and wishes towards us as his people, and we towards him as our Pastor.
Resolved, That these resolutions be engrossed upon the records of the Church, and a copy of them be furnished to our Pastor.
HENRY CHILDS, L. L. LEWIS, GEORGE L. SQUIER, Committee.
195
LAFAYETTE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Remarks were made in favor of these resolutions, together with warm expres- sions of respect and affection toward our Pastor, by Mr. Henry Childs, who moved their adoption ; by Hon. Loran L. Lewis, who seconded the motion ; and by Dr. E. N. Brush. No report has been preserved of the remarks of these gentleman, but all them while considering the uncertainty of Dr. Heacock's life, whether it would be spared for weeks, months or years, yet hoping that he might long remain with us as the object of our love, whether able to perform any pastoral duties or not, expressed the feeling that his connection with the Church as its Pastor, must never be dissolved except by death. Mr. Henry H. Hale spoke as follows :
MR. CHAIRMAN : I came here to-night to listen, not to speak. I will only say that I most heartily approve the resolutions which have been presented. There is but one side to the question as it presents itself to my mind. It is always safe to do right, never safe or expedient to do otherwise. This is simply a duty which we owe as a Church to one who has been so long time our Pastor. Our relation is with him personally ; it makes no difference whether he has a family or not, it is simply our duty to him as a life-long Pastor. I consider his relation to us as much the father of this family as the Pastor of this Church. To dissolve the relation of Pastor and people is to say to him " you are no more the father of this family." The act would be as unnatural and ungrateful as the attempt on the part of a household of children to dissolve the relation between them and their own father. The thought cannot for a moment be entertained ; I do not believe it is entertained in this assembly. The question has been asked me: "Would not the acceptance of Dr. Heacock's letter of resignation be an act of kindness to him, by relieving him of all care and anxiety concerning his Church and Parish ?" In reply I said, "The pre- sentation of the letter has relieved him of all responsibility." That now rests with us as a Church. On the Helper will rest all the burden of work and responsibility for pulpit and parish. We shall honor and respect him in his place for liis work and spirit, while at the same time we love and honor our Pastor for his own sake and for his work's sake, finished though perchance it may be. But if, by God's goodness to him, and to us, we shall be permitted to see him again in the Church or in the pulpit and hear his voice again in counsel, in prayer or benediction, he will still be our Pastor. We will honor him by our love so long as God spares his life, and honor ourselves by so doing.
Followed by Elder George L. Squier :
MR. CHAIRMAN : I do not rise for the purpose of making any extended remarks, but simply to express my hearty concurrence with the resolutions that have just been offered, and my hope that they will pass without a dissenting voice.
To me the idea that this Church could consent to sever its relations with our beloved Pastor because of his affliction is so repugnant that I cannot believe that a single member of the Church or society can assent to such a proposition or harbor such a thought. I believe we are all of a mind on this question, and that the reso- lutions will have our unanimous vote.
While sitting here listening to the expressions of kindness and love of his people for him, an interview which I was privileged to have with our dear Pastor some three months ago has been brought vividly to my mind, and I trust it will not be deemed a breach of confidence to mention a few words that he then uttered, though they were not intended for the public ear. They show how strongly his love still goes out towards his people. It was before he had fully given up all hope of ever again being able to occupy his pulpit. Speaking of his desire to meet and worship with us, even if he could not occupy his pulpit, he said : " If I can only crawl down there into one of the pews, and sit with my dear people, and be permitted to wor- ship God with them, even if I cannot open my mouth, I will thank God for that blessing." And again he said . "So long as I live I shall retain my connection with this dear Church as a member, if I can do nothing more." These words show how his heart goes out in love to this people, and nothing ought to dissolve our
196
MANUAL OF THE
relations with him as our Pastor till God himself severs them. He has given up his life and all his great talents to us, overtaxing himself for our welfare. His great heart is what has killed him. He has worn himself out, and spent his life and strength in doing good to others, and we, if need be, should be willing to give up everything for him.
Followed by John L. Alberger and John Gowans, of whose remarks we have no reports.
Elder Charles H. Baker then spoke to this effect :
MR. CHAIRMAN: There is nothing lower in the nature of man than ingratitude ; and an ungrateful man not only debases himself, but is unworthy the esteem and confidence of society.
For us to say to the man who has worn out his life-and a wonderful life it has been-for our sakes, and in our service, now that he is unable to do more for us, " We don't want anything more to do with you," will be simply ungrateful.
It is needless for me, or any one to rehearse the many acts of self-sacrifice which he has manifested in his unselfish love for us. They are too familiar to need men- tion. But we do know that many times, when half sick and barely able to attend to his duties, when he should have taken care of himself, he has neglected to do so, that he might minister to our sick and dying, or speak words of sympathy and consolation to the troubled and sorrowing, as no other man could. And not only this, but he has been as generous with his means where it was necessary.
Remembering all these things, Mr. Chairman, it seems to me that it will be posi- tive ingratitude for us to accept our Pastor's resignation.
Mr. C. M. Horton then remarked as follows :
I heartily approve the resolutions offered, and do not believe that objection will be made by a single member of our Church ; nor do I believe that Dr. Heacock wishes to sever his connection with us, but, like a parent wishing to aid and assist a son for his future welfare, and not wishing in any manner to become burthensome to him, so our pastor wishes only our good, and desires not to become burthen- some to us. It must be a source of great gratification to our Pastor to know we do not view him as burthensome to us, and therefore we decline to accept his resignation.
When Mr. Horton had concluded his remarks, William Wade spoke as follows :
I came to Buffalo in April, 1833. The first church I attended regularly was the old Park Church. I commenced going to Sunday-school there about the year 1838 or 1839, the time Mr. Angier was Pastor.
On November 7, 1841, there was organized a temperance society, called " The Juvenile Temperance Society of the Park Church Sabbath School." N. B. Palmer was Superintendent ; Caleb McCready, President, and Seymour Smith, Secretary. Each pupil in the Sunday School received a very nicely-printed pledge, with his or her name and the names of the officers written on it. I received one. I have that pledge at the present time, and it has never been violated by drink. Truly we can say of N. B. Palmer, that the righteous die, and their works do follow them. Caleb McCready was the first boy-member of the Park Church. Seymour Smith was a good boy, now an honored citizen of Syracuse. So much for the old Park Church. We continued on until the Rev. Mr. Heacock came in. It was in the early part of his ministry, while preaching in the basement of the old church, that he taught me the way to Jesus ; and I have been an humble yet faithful follower ever since, having never attended any other church.
He has christened the most of my father's family. He has christened six children of my own, and buried two. He has done some marrying in the family, besides he has buried my sainted mother, and my father and sister. He preached a sermon
197
LAFAYETTE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
over my mother's remains that was truly great. He eulogized her Christian virtues and patient endurance, under long and severe illness, in a manner which will never be forgotten.
With all this debt on our part, we could not vote to accept his resignation as long as he shall live.
Mr. Charles G. Brundige closed the remarks of the evening in the following words :
It is not because I imagine there is an individual in this assembly so insensible to the many sacred and tender recollections clustering around Dr. Heacock's long pastorate, as to be willing to entertain for a moment the proposition contained in this letter, that I rise to address you. But I wish simply to add my testimony to that which has been already given, of the strong and unabated love which exists between us as pastor and people, and to protest that the bonds which unite us should be severed only by the hand of death.
Thirty years ago I came to this city, bearing letters to Dr. Lord's church. Form- erly he had been my pastor, I had been converted under his preaching, by him I had been received into the Church, I was strongly attached to him, and I did not dream of placing myself under any other than his pastoral care. But circum- stances, which I need not now mention, often caused me to turn in here to worship. Dr. Heacock impressed me at the first. I began to admire, then to love him. I soon became convinced that here was my place of worship, and here my field of Christian labor ; and I have never regretted that I yielded to that conviction.
And during the long years that have since followed, the hand of God often has been heavy upon me, the cup of affliction often has been pressed to my lips, and I have been compelled to drink it to the very dregs. And it was at those times, when my dear ones were writhing on beds of pain, or lying cold in death, that those tender ministrations of consolation, for which Dr. Heacock is so remarkable, soothed and cheered and strengthened me. It was these gentle offices of love and sympathy that have bound my heart to him by ties that can never be loosened. While I admire his eloquence, and reverence him for his godliness of character, I love him for his great sympathizing heart. Add to all this, the recollection of those seasons of refreshing from on high which so often have been vouchsafed to this people-when in his appeals to the unconverted and his encouragement to Christians he appeared like the very prophet of God-and it will not appear extravagant for me to say that while Dr. Heacock's life is spared, I can call no other man my Pastor.
At the conclusion of the foregoing remarks, a vote was taken by rising, and the resolutions were unanimously passed.
On motion of Hon. L. L. Lewis, a committe of three-L. L. Lewis, Henry Childs and George L. Squier-was appointed by the chair to deliver a copy of these reso- lutions to our Pastor, and to learn his further pleasure.
Mr. John L. Alberger then moved that a committee of ten be named by the chair to supply the Pulpit, until further action should become necessary. The chairman (Mr. Otto) named the committee in the following order: George L. Squier, Cornelius M. Horton, Samuel N. Lawrence, Loran L. Lewis, John R. Linen, John Lapey, Henry Childs, John L. Alberger, W. G. Bancroft, Edwin A. Shaw, and on motion of John Gowans, John Otto was added thereto.
On Tuesday, April roth, the committee called on Dr. Heacock to deliver to him a copy of the resolutions passed by the meeting on the previous evening. They found him weak, and laboring for breath, but cheerful. When they presented to him the resolutions, with his eyes suffused with tears, he said that he had seen in the morning papers a report of the kind and generous action of his people, and
198
MANUAL OF THE
his heart was filled with gratitude to them for this additional token of their love, so much beyond his desert, and it made him wish that he could recover sufficiently to repay them by more earnest and consecrated service. He added, that he would, as soon as his strength should permit, prepare a reply, to be read to his people, expressing his deep gratitude for this tender manifestation of their regard for him, and he hoped to have it ready to be read on the coming Sabbath.
But his strength gradually failed, and he was never able to carry out this desire to express in writing his gratitude to his people for their action in this matter.
As an additional indication of the feeling of our Pastor, we insert the following account furnished by a member of the Church who was on intimate terms with him :
On the afternoon of Saturday, April 7th, a joint meeting of the Session and Trustees was held at Mr. Otto's office, at which time the Pastor's letter of resigna- tion was read and all present said that it must not be accepted. In order to relieve, as far as possible, any anxiety which Dr. Heacock might feel during the pendency of the action of the Church upon his letter of resignation, I called to report to him the warm and unanimous expression of feeling manifested in that meeting. While telling him of it he laid his head back and the tears rolled down his cheeks. I said, " Doctor, do not feel badly over this matter, it is all right." " Oh !" he said, " do not misunderstand these tears; they are tears of joy over this new expression of the love of my dear people."
On the afternoon of Tuesday, April roth, I called on Dr. Heacock with a copy of the morning paper containing an account of the action taken by the Church the evening previous relative to his letter of resignation. I found him in good spirits. He had carefully read the published report, and with great depth of feeling and earnestness expressed his grateful, tearful thanks to his Church and people. He said, " I am unworthy of such love, but it is none the less grateful to me." During the interview he talked freely about his Church and expressed his anxiety for its perpetuity and prosperity, and, also, as to the kind of Preacher and Pastor his people would select to minister to them. He said, " Churches are not built up and edified by finely-written sermons nor by pulpit eloquence alone ; that matter is solved on a minister's knees. It is the spiritual-minded man, the good man, whose preaching tells most in a period of years. I have tried it both ways. Eloquence and literary merit, of themselves, do not satisfy the spiritual wants of a Church, and they are not effective means of bringing sinners to repentance and submission to Christ. That work is done by gospel truth, and he who most clearly presents it, and most fully feels its power on his own heart, is the most effective and successful preacher. Such a man I hope my people will select to minister to them in my place."
April 15th, Sunday-Our Pastor's condition remained about the same to this date, though apparently sinking gradually until yesterday when he appeared much worse and to-day seems near his end.
April 18th, Wednesday-Our Pastor was very low Monday, had fainting spells Tuesday, but some better to-day. He cannot sit up, and sees none of his people.
April 21st, Saturday, 4 P. M .- The Committee on Pulpit Supply met at the office of Elder John Otto, when Mr. Otto was chosen Chairman, and John R. Linen ap - pointed Secretary. It was then resolved to request Prof. Samuel M. Hopkins, D. D., of Auburn Theological Seminary, to supply the pulpit during the month of May.
April 22d, Sunday-Our Pastor has less pain and seems more tranquil.
April 24th, Tuesday-Pastor little more comfortable yesterday and to-day, still extremely low.
199
LAFAYETTE STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
April 29th, Sunday-Rev. James A. Daly concluded this day his most acceptable labors among us as temporary supply, having, during the four months in which he so ably preached the Word to this people, by God's grace, wrought a good work in the hearts of many, which will cause him long to be tenderly remembered by them. Our Pastor more comfortable, though extremely weak and nervous ; none besides his family and physician are permitted to see him.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.