USA > New York > The earliest churches of New York and its vicinity > Part 13
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ANTI
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ing however of professed Arminians, but called Baptist, merely from their ordinance of immersion. It was founded by the Rev. Mr. Wickenden, of Providence, Mr. Whitman, of Groton, and Mr. Ayres, New York, all of whom were Arminian Baptist preachers.
Mr. Wickenden first preached here about the year 1709, suffering three months imprisonment for officiating without license from the crown officer. Mr. Whitman came to the city at the invitation of Mr. Ayres, at whose house he preached occasionally for two years. Under his ministry, a number became serious ; he baptized Nicholas Ayres, Nathaniel Morey, Anthony Webb, John Howes, Edward Hoyter, Cornelius Stephens, James Daneman, Elizabeth Morey, Hannah Wright, Esther Cowley, Martha Stephens, Mrs. Miller. These twelve are said to have been the first persons baptized in this city. Fearing a mob, the females received the ordinance atnight. The next day, however, the others were quietly baptized, in the presence of Governor Burnet.
In the year 1721. Mr. Ayres was ordained the pastor of this little flock, by Elders Valentine Whitman, of Groton, and Daniel Whitman, of Newport. His hearers increasing, the private house could not accommodate them, when a lot was purchased on " Golden Hill"'- John, Cliff, and Gold streets, and during the year 1728 a place of worship erected. To the pious band six more were added-William Ball. Ahasuorus Windal (.Albany), Abigail and Dinah North (Newtown), Martha Walton, (Long Island), and Richard Stilwell, Jr. Mr. Ayres remaining their pastor seven years, then removed to Newport, Rhode Island, in 1731, where he died. A Mr.
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Joli Stevens succeeded him, baptizing six more persons -Robert North, Mary Murphy, Hannah French, Mary Stilwell, and two others whose names we have not asser- tained. Mr. Stevens going to South Carolina, the 1 meeting-house was sold as private property, when the Arminian Baptist Church, then numbering twenty-four members, dissolved, after a history of eight years.
About 1745, Jeremiah Dodge, a Baptist from Fishkill, settled in New York and opened his house for prayer- meetings. During the same year, Elder Benjamin Mil- ler, of Scotch Plains, visited the city and baptized Joseph Meeks, who, with Mr. Dodge and a Mr. Robert North, united in an invitation to John Pine, a licentiate at Fish- kill, to be their preacher. Ilis preaching place appears . principally to have been the house of Mr. Meeks. In 1750, Mr. Pine dying, the little flock was visited by Elder James Carman, of Cranberry, and their number was increased to thirteen. They united with the Baptist Church at Scotch Plains, New Jersey, as a branch, in 1753; Elder Benjamin Miller their pastor, who preached to them and administered the Lord's Supper once a quarter.
The congregation soon becoming too large for any pri- vate dwelling, a rigging-loft, on Horse and Cart street, was obtained for their public services. This was the early name of William street.
As soon as the Baptists had erected their "meeting- house" in Gold street. on the 19th of June, 1762, they were solemnly constituted a church, by the assist- ance of Elders Benjamin Miller and John Gano. On the same day, John Carman and Samuel Edmunds
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were elected the first deacons, and Samuel Dodge, Clerk. Mr. Dodge remained a faithful officer, both as deacon and clerk, from the constitution of the church until his death, a period of more than forty years. He ended his useful and unblemished life in Poughkeepsie, October 4, 1807, aged seventy-seven years. John Bedient was chosen next, resigning in 1800, when Deacon Rosewell Graves became clerk of the church.
As soon as the Gold Street Church was constituted, Elder John Gano was ananimously called to take charge of its pastorate. He had been officiating at Yadkin, North Carolina, and his " praise was in all the churches" -- of Huguenot descent, and born in New Jersey in 1727, where he was called to the Gospel ministry, 1754; he first preached at Morristown for two years, and then re- moved to North Carolina, where he collected a large congregation. His flock dispersed by the Indians in the war of 1756, himself and family fled for their lives.
At New York, his hearers increased so much that it became necessary to enlarge their "meeting-house" in the year 1763. The congregation, then numbering forty-one members, and prosperous, was received into the Phila- delphia' Association, maintaining this connection until October, 1790, twenty-seven years, when they took a dismission from that venerable body, to form an associa- tion with other churches in this city.
On the 12th of April following, the representatives of seven Baptist Churches assembled in New York for this purpose --- Scotch Plains, New Jersey ; Oyster Bay, Long Island ; Morristown, New Jersey : Cannoe Brook, now Northfield ; Staten Island, with the first and second 13
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(Bethel) in New York. This body adjourned to October 19, 1791, when its members formally united under the name of the New York Baptist Association. Its first meeting assembled October 31, 1792, when five other churches were added-Piscataway, Lyon's Farms, Mount Bethel, Potafrag, and Sag Harbor. The body then adjourned till the last Wednesday but one in May, 1793, and this month has been the time of its annual meeting ever since. The first church in New York consisted of two hundred members, and their peace was disturbed, Mr. Gano records, "by the arrival of two or three preachers from England." From his statement, they aimed to divide the church, but failed, causing however much trouble .*
Soon after this, there arose much difference of opinion about Psalmody. The old custom had been to have the lines read, or "given out ;" but now a large majority favored singing from the books, as is now the custom. The minority, however, numbering fourteen, took their dismissions June 5, 1790, and were constituted the "Second Baptist Church in New York," by Elders Miller and Gano. Its first pastor was the Rev. John Dodge, a native of Long Island, born in 1738, and stu- died medicine. He became a Baptist in Baltimore, and joining the Second Church in New York, was licensed to preach January 14, 1771.
During our Revolutionary War, Mr. Gano became a chaplain in the army, and this church was dispersed. The last time he administered baptism, before this event, was on April 28, 1776, and the first, after his return, on * Life of Gano, written by himself.
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September 4th, 1784. On reassembling his flock, Mr. Gano remarks: "We collected of our church about thirty-seven members out of upwards of two hundred ; some being dead, and others scattered into almost every part of the Union."
The "Gold Street Meeting-house," in common with some other places of worship, had been turned into a stable for the British cavalry. Soon repaired, however, after the peace, Mr. Gano preached an appropriate ser- mon from this text : " Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory ? and how do ye see it now ? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing ?" Hag. ii. 3. The congregation soon again greatly in- creased ; and, much to the sorrow of its members, their pastor, after preaching to them nearly twenty-six years, removed to Kentucky. On the 4th of May, 178S, he delivered an affectionate sermon from " Fare ye well," Acts xv. 20 ; and the next day left with his family for his new home, reaching Limestone in May following. Dr. Benjamin Foster, of Newport, Rhode Island, suc- ceeded him, in 1788. He received his degree of D. D. from the College of Rhode Island, for his learned " Dis- sertation on the Seventy Weeks of Daniel ;" he excelled in the oriental languages. The Doctor's ministry, al- though acceptable, experienced difficulties, some of his members professing to discover in his discourses what was then called " New Divinity."
With such controversies we have nothing to do, but to record them. The difficulty, however, became so serious, that a number of persons took letters of dis- mission, and joined the Second Baptist Church. Dr.
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Foster died of the yellow fever, during the prevalence of that epidemic in 179S, aged forty-eight, and in the twenty-second of his ministry. Mr. William Collier, a licentiate of the Second Baptist Church. Boston, next occupied this pulpit, in 1800. In March, 1801, the " old meeting-house" taken down, a new one was opened upon the same spot, Sunday, May 2, 1802, Dr. Stephen Gano, of Providence, delivering the discourse, from " An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me," etc. Ex. xx. 24. The edifice measured eighty feet by sixty-five, built of stone, and cost about twenty-five thousand dol- lars. During its erection, the congregation worshipped in the French Huguenot Church, Pine street.
In 1804, Jeremiah Chaplin, a young man from Dan- vers, Massachusetts, was called to aid Mr. Collier, whose health became feeble. Having faithfully served the Gold street congregation, he accepted a call from Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1804. Mr. Chaplin was ordained the same year, and returned immediately to Danvers.
The Rev. William Parkinson, A. M., from Frederick- town, Maryland, became pastor of this congregation on the Sth of February, 1895, and, for the first time after his arrival, administered baptism to two subjects on Sunday, March 3, 1805, and eight the following month. Mr. Parkinson's ministry was crowned with much suc- cess, his communicants increasing nearly one hundred during the first year of his Christian labors.
After a few years, however (1808), some dissensions arose about doctrine and slave-holding. It was re- solved, "that in future, no person hokling a slave for
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life should be admitted a member," and a committee was appointed "to wait on such of the members as held slaves, to obtain, if possible, their consent to manumit them, at such periods as their several ages and times of past service might justify, and to take their certificates of the same accordingly." This question made differ- ences of opinion, until, finally, twenty-six of the members requested a dismission, to be constituted a church. In March, 1811, their request granted, they formed a new congregation, under the name of "Zoar." They hired a little church on Rose street, opposite the Quaker meeting-house, inviting their old pastor, Mr. Parkin- son, to preach at its opening. But this society dissolved in less than a year.
The Rev. William Parkinson continued in the pastoral office about thirty-five years, when he resigned, in 1840. At that period, it was thought expedient to remove the place of worship, when the new and elegant stone building was finished on the corner of Broome and Eli- zabeth streets, and opened for public worship in the spring of 1841. In July following, the Rev. Spencer II. Cone, D. D., of the Oliver Street Baptist Church, was invited to the pastoral office in this, and he entered im- mediately upon its duties. In 1845, he reported nearly six hundred members in his communion.
Some notice should be taken of the early churches that proceeded from old Gold street, and we follow the time of their organization. Peekskill, Stamford, Con- neetient, 1773. Abyssinian, Anthony street ; Newtown, Long Island ; North Baptist, Budd street, New York- all constituted in the year 1809. The ministers of these
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congregations, when founded, were Thomas Ustick, who died in Philadelphia, 1803 ; Ebenezer Ferris, who consti- tuted the church in Stamford, 1773, preaching there for many years ; Isaac Skillman, afterwards Doctor, who became pastor of the congregation at Salem, New Jer- sey, where he ended his days ; Stephen Gano, son of the pastor in Gold Street Church, who studied medicine, and for many years served the First Baptist Church, Providence, Rhode Island ; Thomas Montanye, who labored for several years at Deer Park, Warwick, New York, and then in Southampton, Pennsylvania ; Corne- lius P. Wyckoff, pastor of the North Baptist Church in this city ; James Bince, who became pastor of the Bap- tist Church on Staten Island, and died at the early age of nineteen, in 1811.
The Baptist Church on Staten Island was principally formed of persons who had been communicants in the old Gold Street Tabernacle. Elder Elkanal Holmes was one of the early and most useful preachers in that section. He afterwards retired to Canada .*
* Mr. Parkinson's Jubilee Sermon.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
BAPTIST CHURCHIES, CONTINUED - " BETHESDA" - SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH -- BETIIEL, ON ROSE STREET-PASTORS-REV. MR. CHASE- HIS NEW CHURCH ON CHRISTIE AND DELANCEY-DIFFICULTIES- OLIVER STREET CHURCH -- REV. JOHN WILLIAMS, PASTOR ; MR. CONE, ASSISTANT-ABYSSINIAN CHURCH IN ANTHONY, NEAR WEST BROAD- WAY-MINISTERS-NORTH BEREAHI CHURCHI IN VANDAM-A COLONY FROM GOLD STREET-DESTROYED BY FIRE, AND A NEW HOUSE BUILT IN McDOWELL STREET-PASTORS-OTIIER CHURCHIES FROM THE BEREAN.
WHEN the Rev. Mr. Parkinson resigned the charge of the First Baptist Church in Gold street, 1840, about seventy of its members, preferring to remain under his ministry, organized the "Bethesda Church." They held meetings in a school-room in Crosby street, Mr. Parkinson preaching for them, until prevented by in- firmity from officiating any longer. The Rev. J. C. Hopkins became their next pastor.
SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH.
The difficulties before alluded to in the First Baptist Church, during the ministries of the Rev. Messrs. Gano (1770) and Dr. Foster (1790), led to the establish- ment of the "Second Baptist Church in New York." Differences arose here also, and, in the year 1791, this congregation divided into two parties, both claiming the name of the "Second Church." But better counsels
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prevailing, they relinquished the title they had so long differed about. One party was called the "Bethel Church," and the other " The Baptist Church in Fayette street." Thus the "Second Baptist Church in New York" became no longer known by that name.
BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH.
After this division, the Bethel Church continued their worship in the little building on Rose street, near Pearl. In 1793, it numbered only thirty-seven members, the Rev. Adam Hamilton their pastor, who remained until 1795, when the Rev. Charles Lohatt succeeded him in the ministry for seven years. The Rev. Daniel Hall became the next pastor for fourteen years, and was suc- ceeded by the Rev. Johnson Chase, in the year 1817.
Mr. Hall, early in his ministry, about 1806, removed with his congregation from Rose street to a small wooden - building on Broome street, near the Bowery. When Mr. Chase commenced the pastorate, a large congrega- tion soon collected, numbering. in 1820, over four hun- dred communicants. During the year 1820, they erected a commodious briek church, sixty-live by eighty-five fect in size, on the corner of Christie and Delancey streets. The congregation continued until 1830, when difficulties and parties arising. the following year, those opposed to the pastor claimed to be the true "Bethel Church," and were joined by the members of the Elizabeth Street Church and their pastor, the Rev. William G. Miller. Curious enough, both parties presented the usual letter to the Association, the one claiming Mr. Chase as their
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pastor, and the other, Mr. Miller. Warmly contested, the matter was postponed a year, but finally settled in favor of Mr. Miller's claims. Mr. Chase and adherents then withdrew from the Association, recording their reasons, and Mr. Miller's congregation was acknowl- edged as the true Bethel Church. Both still claiming the house of worship, very improper efforts were made to retain its possession. Mr. Miller's friends, however, prevailed, and Mr. Chase retiring, his people worshipped by themselves, first in Mott street, and afterwards, at other places.
Mr. Miller continued to preach in the Delancey Street Church until the edifice, embarrassed with debt, was abandoned. The congregation then retired to a public hall on the Bowery, and next to Sixth street. He re- signed his charge about the end of the year 1838, and subsequently, one hundred and seventy-six of the mem- bers, having been dismissed, formed the "Sixth Street Baptist Church." The "Meeting-House" on Delancey street, concerning which there had been such contention, became a public stable !
OLIVER STREET CHURCH.
Oliver was formerly called "Fayette street," and here the portion of the Second Baptist Church com- menced public worship, when a separation took place in that congregation, during the year 1791. As we have before noticed, both parties had claimed the title of the " Second Baptist Church," but relinquishing it, this branch became known as the Church in Fayette street," and, in 1821, the "Oliver Street Church." In
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- the year 1795, this congregation built a house of wor- ship on the corner of Oliver and Henry streets. It was small, and again rebuilt in 1800 ; more permanently during 1819 ; and destroyed by fire, 1843. A beautiful brick edifice succeeded in the following year. This congregation has been blessed with a regular, able, and permanent ministry, and its success constant. For nearly thirty years, from 1793 to 1822, that excellent and faithful man, the Rev. John Williams, was the sole pastor. On the 22d of May, 1825, he rested from his Gospel earthly labors, aged fifty-eight. He was the honored father of the present William R. Williams, D. D., so well known for his liberal, evangelical piety, learning, and pulpit eloquence among us. In the year 1823, the Rev. Spencer II. Cone became the colleague of Mr. Williams, and remained pastor of the "Oliver Street Church" until July, 18-41, when he was called to the pulpit of the "First Baptist Church," in Broome street, near the Bowery.
ABYSSINIAN CHURCHI.
This was a little colony from the "Gold Street Church," and constituted with only eighteen members, July 5th, 1809, and for several years they had no regular pastor. A house of worship was obtained on Anthony street, near West Broadway, which had been creeted by the "Ebenezer" Church. Here, the Rev. J. Van Velsen and the Rev. Drake Wilson preached for several years, until 1824, and then the Rev. Benjamin Paul took charge of the congregation, remaining about six years. When he left, he was followed by the Rev. James
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Hayborn, in 1832, who remained three years, until removed by death. Then followed successively, the Rev. William J. Loomis and Rev. William Moore. In 1841, the Rev. Samson White took the spiritual charge of this congregation. The Abyssinian Church has experienced in its history many trials and diffi- culties, especially from pecuniary embarrassments, the building once having been, on this account, sold at pub- lic auction. Still the little band triumphed over their trouble, and, at one period afterwards, numbered more than four hundred and fifty communicants. .
NORTH BEREAHI CHURCH.
This church colonized from the Gold street congrega- tion, November 13th, 1809, meeting for divine services in Vandam, then Budd street. It was called the " North Church," until 1818, then "Bereah" was added. A frame meeting-house was built in Vandam, near Hudson street, and continued to be their place of worship until 1819, when it was destroyed by fire. During the next year, a large and neat brick church was erected on McDougal, near Vandam street, where the Bereans still worship God.
Its first minister was the Rev. C. P. Wyckoff, who com- menced his labors in 1812, and was succeeded by the Rev. Amasa Smith, 1821. Then came the Rev. Aaron Perkins, 1825, and, in the year 1829, the Rev. Duncan Dunbar, who faithfully preached here a long time. The Berean Church continued very feebly several years, but eventually many members were secured. From these Bereans three other Baptist churches have arisen ---
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"Sabin Church," King street, in 1834; "Berean," 1838; "Providence," 1815 : with a number of members dis- missed to aid in founding the Welsh and the Sixteenth Street Churches. In the year 1833, some three hundred communicants still remained.
The Baptist is now one of our largest denominations ; and there are a number of other Baptist churches in New York city ; but as these are not directly traceable to the Gold street or first congregation, our historical plan does not embrace them.
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CHAPTER XIX.
THIE MORAVIAN CHURCHI -- " UNITAS FRATRUM" -ITS ORIGIN-COUNT ZINZENDORF-MISSIONS-DAVID BRUCE SENT TO PREACH IN NEW YORK AND ON LONG AND STATEN ISLANDS-BISHOP SPANGEN- ~ BERG'S VISIT-CAPTAIN GARRISON -- MISSION COMMENCED ON STATEN ISLAND-MINISTERS THERE-CEMETERY -- COMMODORE VANDERBILT'S FAMILY VAULT -- MR. BINNINGER'S GRAVE-CHURCH BUILT, 1763 -- CHURCH RECORDS-CAPTAIN JACOBSEN SHOT-SAILS A MISSIONARY SHIP -- PASTORS-MORAVIANS IN NEW YORK, 1736-BISHOP BOEH- LER'S AND ZINZENDORF'S VISIT-PERSECUTIONS-BISHOP WATTI- VEL'S VISIT-FULTON STREET CHURCH BUILT, 1751-PASTORS IN NEW YORK-BENJAMIN MORTIMER, WILLIAM VANVLEEK, AFTER- WARDS BISHOP, MR. BIGLER.
THE United Brethren, or Unitas Fratrum, or Moravi- ans, were originally Bohemian and Moravian Christians, and, persecuted for their religious opinions and non-con- formity in their native lands, founded a colony under Count Zinzendorf. It was located upon an estate of his in 1722, at Upper Lusatia, and called " Herrnhut," from its situation on the southern declivity of a hill.
Count Zinzendorf had long entertained the idea of constituting a Christian community on what he believed to be the primitive apostolic congregations. Leaving all the distinctive doctrines of the various Protestant denominations entirely out of his plan, he adopted as articles of faith those fundamental Scripture truths alone in which all agreed. In the year 1227 he thus laid the foundation of the present society of the United Breth-
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ren, afterwards devoting his energy, property, and life to its advancement. They admit no peculiar articles of belief, but confine themselves altogether to regulations of discipline and conduct. Avoiding all discussions on the speculative truths of religion, they insist upon indi- vidual personal experience in the power of the Gospel to produce a real change of sentiment and conduct, as the only essentials in religion. The Moravians carly undertook to preach the Gospel among the heathen na- tions. Their success in this field has been great, and much of their zeal is at this day devoted to the same pious object. The United Brethren in Germany, Eng- land, and America, have boarding-schools for the educa- tion of the young, which have sustained much reputation. Those at Bethlehem and Nazareth, in our own land, have afforded an excellent literary and religious education to very many pupils of both sexes. All kinds of amuse- ment considered dangerous to strict morality, like balls, dancing, plays, and gambling of any kind, are forbid- den in their seminaries. Well would it be for our fash- ionable boarding-schools, where things are done à la mode de Paris, to imitate the pious Moravian teachers of youth in this respect. The Rev. David Bruce was sent to preach to the Moravians in New York and upon Long and Staten Islands. This is the earliest notice of the Brethren's labors on the latter island, where they recently celebrated the centenary of their Church. Tra- dition states that during Bishop Spangenberg's voyage from Georgia to New York, in 1736, he became inti- mately acquainted with the captain of the vessel, Nicholas Garrison. He was a God-fearing seaman,
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and religious services were daily held on his vessel. Approaching New York, a severe storm arose, and the vessel being in extreme danger, fear seized all the crew except the pious Moravian, who remained calm, and engaged in fervent prayer. He cheered the dismayed sailors, having confidence that the Lord would save them. In a few hours they safely entered the desired harbor. This Captain Garrison commanded the ship Irene, and was employed in carrying the missionary colonists and stores from the Old to the New World. It is further supposed that he resided on Staten Island, and at his request the "Brethren" began their pious labors there among the settlers.
We have authentic written records of several Mora- vian ministers who early visited and preached on Staten Island, from 1742 to 1763, when their first church was built. David Bruce came in 1742; Richard Utley, 1747; John Wade, 1749; Owen Price, 1750; Abraham Reinke, Jasper Payne, Abraham Rusmeyer, 1754; Rich- ard Utley, 1755; Jacob Rodgers, 1756; Thomas Yarrel, 1757; George Selb, 1761 ; Thomas Varrel, 1762. These, too, met with opposition on the Island as late as 1789, being denounced by bigots from other pulpits. In 1756 there were only three communicants in the Mora- vian Church on Staten Island-Mr. Vanderbilt and wife and a lady named Inyard. During the month of Octo- ber, the same year, we find that the Rev. Thomas Yar- rel hore attended the funeral services of John Van Deventer, who built the Moravian ship Irene, a large concourse attending, and among them the local and pro- vincial officers of Richmond County.
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