USA > New York > The earliest churches of New York and its vicinity > Part 8
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OLD CHURCH IN FRANKFORT STREET.
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gation erected a small edifice on Skinner street, now Cliff, and near Hull's soap manufactory. Close by was their burying-ground ; and here they remained six years, and, in 1767, erected a substantial stone edifice, the "Swamp Church," on the corner of Frankfort and William streets. After the peace, in 1784, the remnant of the old Rector street society united with the "Swamp Church," when the Rev. John Christopher Kunzie, D. D., became their pastor. He continued to preach usefully. in the German language only, for twenty-three years, until his death, on July 24, 1807, aged sixty-three. The Rev. F. W. Geissenhainer, D. D., succeeded him, officiating in German until 1814, when a difference arose respecting the introduction of the English lan- guage. Dr. Geissenhainer removed to Pennsylvania. when the Rev. F. C. Schaeffer was called to officiate in German during the morning service, and the rest of the Sabbath in English. This arrangement continued some seven years ; then he formed an independent congrega- tion in Walker street, where he continued his solemn duties for some years. Dr. Geissenhainer was recalled to the "Swamp Church," continuing to occupy its pul- pit until sold to the colored Presbyterians. Mr. Schaeffer removing to . St. Matthew's," Walker street, in 1821. he preached in the English language alone. The congre- gation being much involved in debt, as is too often the case, this church was sold at anetion in 1826, and these Lutherans removed to "St. James's" in Orange street, where Mr. Schaeffer soon after died. . He was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Strobel, and. during the autumn of 1841, the Rev. Charles Martin took his place. Soon
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after this the place was given up, a public school erected on the spot, and the society occupied Coliseum Hall, Broadway. They immediately commenced the erection of a neat brick edifice, seventy-five feet by sixty, on Mulberry street, near Broome. It was styled the " Eng- lish Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. James." "St. Matthew's," when sold, was purchased by an individ- ual, and again disposed of in a few days to the Luther- ans of the " Swamp Church." The Rev. F. W. Geissen- hainer, Jr., was called to officiate in English at the former, whilst his father remained with the "Swamp Church." This experiment, however, did not succeed well, and, after four years' trial, the old Swamp Church was sold, as we have stated, and the congregation united with St. Matthew's-the services being con- ducted in both languages. Nor did this plan prove successful, the English hearers dwindling away until the services were conducted entirely in the German language. When Dr. Geissenhainer died, in 1838, the Rov. C. F. E. Stohlman was chosen his successor, and continued to preach in German with increasing success. Mr. Goissenhainer, Jr., resigned his charge in St. Mat- thew's, commencing a new enterprise on Sixth Avenue, corner of Fifteenth street, where a house of worship was erected, and called "The Evangelical Lutheran Church."
We have thus traced the earliest Lutheran churches in New York with as much brevity as possible, from 1663 ; and we have sketched its direct branches since. There are in the city a number of other modern Lutheran congregations, but it is not in our plan to embrace such.
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What changes did the venerable Swamp Church wit- ness in our ever-changing city ! Built in the year 1767, almost a century ago, it was used successively by the Lutherans, the Reformed Methodists, the African Pres- byterians. Then it was turned into a livery stable, and next used for an auction shop. At last the old edifice was demolished, and a large German lager-beer hotel took its place. In widening Frankfort street, the re- mains of a military officer were disinterred ; and, from the sword and uniform, they were those of General Knyphausen. the Hessian leader during the Revolution. He was known to have attended this Church.
There was another "German Reformed Church" in the city, of whose history we must say something.
Among the earliest settlers of New York, some of the Germans wore called Lutherans, and others Calvinists, and the latter known as "German Reformed," until about the year 1758. Before this the German emigrants, in sentiments Calvinistic, and using the Low Dutch lan- guage, attached themselves to the Reformed Dutch Church ; those speaking German only, attended the services of the Intherans. About 1758, however. a meeting was commenced to form a true German Ro- formed Church, and a building used for a theatre par- cbased on Nassau street, at a cost of twelve hundred and fifty dollars. Here they commenced their church services and the first minister was the Rev. Mr. Rosen- nantz. He had been preaching to the Germans on the Mohawk, but was driven away by the Indians; and Having officiated in New York about a year, two other ministers succeeded him, whose names are unknown.
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The church soon writing to Heidelburgh for a pastor. the Rev. J. M. Kern was sent, reaching his charge in September, 1763. By his advice, the name, "German Reformed Congregation in New York," was adopted, and they attached themselves to the Classis of Amster- dam and Synod of North Holland. This, consequently, connected them with the Collegiate Reformed Dutch Church ; and he was installed January 27, 1764, by the ministers of that denomination. Their house of worship, old and decaying, was only used about a year ; and, in 1765, the corner-stone was laid on the same spot, March 8th, by the Rev. Mr. Kern, each member of his consis- tory placing a stone of the foundation. He remained only a few years pastor, the Rev. C. F. Foersing suc- ceeding him in 1722, who was likewise installed by the Collegiate Church. In 1776, Mr. Gebhard became pas- tor, when the British possessed the city, and he then removed to Claverack, where he preached as long as he lived.
In the month of December, 1783, soon after the close of the war, the Rev. J. P. Gross became the minister : and then, in May, 1795, the excellent Roy. Philip Mille- doler was called. continuing to labor with this little flock some ten years. After this, differences of opin- ion arose, but preaching continned, the Rev. Messrs. Runkle, Deyer, and Smith successively ministering from 1805 to 1814, although among much party spirit. During 1804, the Rev. Mr. Labagh was called, approved by the Classis, and labored with much more quiet until 1822. when he resigned the charge. Then the church was sold, and a new one erected on Forsyth street. The old
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„edifice passed into strange purposes under its new own- ers. For many years Mr. Bessonet, a well-known bird- fancier, with a rare collection of songsters. occupied the premises. Then followed Gosling, the English Jew, with his celebrated "Restaurant ;""and now stores occu- py the venerable spot ! To the curious, the numbers are 64 and 66.
The first pastor in the new house was the Rev. Charles Knouse, officiating until 1827; then the Rev. George Mills, 1828 to 1833, when the Lutheran party, long strug- gling, obtained supremacy, and called the Rev. Lewis Smith. He preached three years, when he died. This small congregation unfortunately became involved in litigation before the Court of Chancery. In 1838, the Rev. J. S. Ebaugh began religious services in this church for the "German Reformed :" but before the year's close. the Lutheran party were put in possession of the property by the Vice-Chancellor's decision. But in 1841, the Chancellor, reversing this decision, returned the edifice to the German Reformed Church, when the Lutherans withdrew to a hall on Grand street. But they made a final appeal to the Court of Errors, and. in January. 1816, this bench reversed the decision of the Chancellor, and the Lutherans once more took possession of this house of worship. What a striking instance of the "glorious uncertainty of the law !"
In the year 1820, was formed the General Synod of the American Lutheran Church. Prior to this, the denomi. nation had gradually become divided into five or six distant and different unconnected Synode. This union was propitions, and soon felt among the Lutherans of our
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land. They have now many churches, seminaries, and a college near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Luther- ans claim that their Church holds the grand doctrines of Christianity with fewer appended peculiarities than most other denominations. They share the smiles of Him who is King in Zion, and whose favor is life ; and we bid them God-speed in their religious progress.
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CHAPTER X.
ORIGIN OF FRIENDS OR QUAKERS IN ENGLAND -- GEORGE FOX- EARLY PERSECUTED AT BOSTON-WILLIAM PENN-ROBERT HODSON ARRIVES IN NEW YORK, 1656-GEORGE FOX VISITS LONG ISLAND, 1672-TWO WOMEN THE FIRST PREACHERS-THE MALE PREACH- ERS-PERSECUTIONS-MRS. ANNA BAYARD NOBLY INTERFERES IN THEIR BEHALF-MEETING-HOUSE ON LIBERTY, PEARL, AND ROSE STREETS-NEW EDIFICES ON HESTER, HENRY, ORCHARD STREETS, GRAMERCY PARK, AND STUYVESANT SQUARE.
THE Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers, arose in England about the middle of the seventeenth century. Through the ministry of George Fox and his pious labors, this religious body organized with a regu- lar form of church discipline and government. He was born at Dayton, Leicestershire, England, in 1624, and carefully educated by his parents in the Church of Eng- land. He appears to have led a religious life from his childhood, and to have been deeply concerned for the salvation of his soul. Withdrawing from his former associates, he passed much of his time in retirement and reading the Scriptures. In this state of religious experi- opre. during the year 1647 he began his labors as a min- ister of the Gospel, travelling on foot through England. He refused to receive any compensation for preaching. from a conviction that this was contrary to the positive command of Christ. His pions, disinterested labors were crowned with much success, and in a few years a large
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body of persons embraced the religious principles which he promulgated.
The spread of his doctrines was surprising, some of the best families in England embracing them. Several clergy- men of the Established Church and other denominations also joined his infant society. A large number of min- isters, both men and women, were soon raised up among them, who travelled abroad, spreading the doctrines they had espoused. Persecution followed, and thousands of the Friends were confined in jails and dungeons, and nearly deprived of their property. But these sufferings only animated them with fresh ardor and zeal. As early as 1655, some Qnaker ministers travelled on the Conti- nent, establishing "meetings" in Holland and other regions. Some went to Asia and Africa, and several were imprisoned in the Inquisitions of Rome, Malta. and Hungary.
About this same period the first Quakers reached Amer- ica, and on arriving at Boston they commenced their reli- gious meetings among the people, many of whom em- braced the new doctrine. The spirit of perseention. from which the Friends bad so severely suffered in Eng- land, made its appearance on this side of the Atlantic with increased power and cruelty. Various punish- ments were inflicted upon the non-resisting and peace- able Friends, until four of them were hung on the gallows .* Notwithstanding this opposition. the princi- ples of the Quakers spread in America, and in the year 1682 a large number of the Friends came to Pensylva- nia, under the patronage of William Penn, founding that
* Bancroft
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flourishing colony. Meetings were also settled in the Atlantic provinces from North Carolina to Boston, so that in time the largest body of Quakers were to be found in the United States.
Like the Jews, some Quakers very early came to New Netherland ; and so, like them, they have no churches or "steeple-houses," but "meeting-houses." During the year 1656, Robert Hodson, a preacher of this faith, reached New York with some of like faith, but, finding themselves liable to persecution, soon left. In 1672, George Fox, the celebrated founder of this sect, trav- elled over Long Island, passing on by water to Rhode Island. He seems to have avoided New York, as he came across from Middletown, New Jersey, by water, to Gravesend, returning the same way."
In August, 1657, a few men and women, strangers, who had been expelled from Boston as worse than a pes- tilence, landed at New Amsterdam. They declared a kind and simple creed-peace on earth and good-will towards men. Oaths, they said, were a profanation : " Swear not at all." the divine command ; wars an out- rage against humanity ; and "Love one another" was the supreme will of God. Dorothy Waugh and Mary Witherhead were the two first women who "publicly declared their principles in the streets." Christopher Holder. John Copeland, Humphrey Norton, Robert Hadshone, Richard Dowdney, and William Robinson, were the male preachers. The women were arrested. and Hadshone visited Heemstede to declare his peculiar tonets where he was seized and committed to confine-
* Prime's History of Long Island, p. 338.
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ment. Governor Stuyvesant then sent a guard of mus- keteers to that place, and, seizing his papers, pinioned the Quaker during a night and day. Two defenceless women, who had entertained him, were also arrested, thrown into a cart, and the preacher, tied to its tail, was dragged by night to New Amsterdam. Here he was cast into prison, and, when brought before the council, sentenced to two years' hard labor at the wheelbarrow with a negro, or to pay six hundred guilders (six hun- dred and forty dollars). The poor man vainly attempted a defence, and, forbidden to speak, was again remanded to confinement, "where no English were suffered to come to him." After some time he was taken out, placed in the council chamber, his hat removed from his head, when another sentence was read to him in Dutch, which he did not understand. An old account states : " But that it displeased many of that nation did appear by the shaking of their heads!" It is not at all agreeable to our taste to detail these wicked persecu- tions, but they form part of our chapter, and were car- ried much further, until Governor Stuyvesant's sister implored her brother to liberate the unfortunate man (1657). This noble lady was Madame Anna, widow of Nicholas Bayard, who, with her family, accompanied Stuyvesant to America. She had three sons, from whose marriages have descended the Jays, Verplancks, and a Stuyvesant branch. Honored be the memory of this humane lady! As we have noticed in respect to the Jews, the governor was at last. in 1663. reprimanded by his superiors in Holland, and these ontragos ceased.
Such was the introduction of peaceful Quakerism in
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New Amsterdam. Its first stated meetings were con- neeted with those at Flushing as early as 1670. Some date the first Friends' meeting-house of New York in the year 1696 ; others, 1703 or 1706. It was a small wooden building on Little Green street. near Maiden Lane, then Crown street. This remained the only place for the public worship of the Friends for the long period of
seventy years. In 1794, this old house, now much decayed, was taken down, and a new one adjoining it placed on Liberty street. Here the Friends wor- shipped during seven years, until 1802, when a brick building took its place, sixy by forty feet ; and in Octo- ber, 1826, this was sold to that remarkable little Scots- man, Grant Thorburn. It became the most elegant and famous seed-store in our land. He was no Quaker. but wore the broadest brim and the plainest dress of that excellent people. Mr. Thorburn occupied the place for some ten years, when fine brick stores followed.
A second Friends' meeting-house, built of brick, was founded on Pearl, near Oak street, in 1775, and removed during 1824 to the spacious edifice near by on Rose street. In 1819, another Quaker house of worship was opened upon the corner of Hester and Elizabeth streets. We have now traced the Friends' meeting-houses from the earliest period. with their branches, down to 1827. During this year the great schism took place among them ; the "Orthodox." separating, completed a house of worship upon Henry street, having occupied it twelve years ; then it was sold for a Jewish synagogue, " Anshi Chesed" (the Men of Benevolence), in 1810, the old soci- "ty occupying the commodious house on Orchard near
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Walker street. The Rose street meeting became "Hicks- ites." Recently, two beautiful Quaker meeting-houses have been finished and occupied on Stuyvesant Square and Gramercy Park, the former with large and excellent school-houses. For the regular administration of disci- pline, the Quakers hold four meetings. - preparative. monthly, quarterly, and yearly -- and in all of them Divine worship is the first thing attended to; then the secular business. These "meetings" rise in importance from one to the other, and, as a whole, we think, pre- sent as perfect a system of church discipline as can be found in any denomination. The followers of George Fox may safely claim this in their widely spread useful system.
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CHAPTER XI.
L'EGLISE DU SAINT ESPRIT-ITS PASTORS-REV. MR. NEAU-IIIS DE- SCENDANTS, CAPTAIN OLIVER II. PERRY, DR. FRANCIS VINTON-JOIIN PINTARD, LL. D., AND MEMBERS OF THIS CHURCH-MAROT'S PSALMS -HUGUENOT PSALMODY-OLD FRENCH TRANSLATION OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVENTH PSALM-THE CHURCH REMOVED TO LEONARD STREET-REV. MR. VERREN-SACRED ORATORS -JAMES SAURIN-HIS BRILLIANT ELOQUENCE.
Tim earliest Huguenot chapel in our city of which we find any notice, was erected on Marketfield street, then called Petticoat Lane, and near the Battery. It was a very humble edifice, but hither, on the Lord's day, the French Protestants from the city, Staten Island, and New Rochelle, would meet to worship God. Some would walk from the latter place, and cheer their long journey by singing Marot's Hymns on the way. The same animating strains had often cheered their pions fathers at the stake, and amidst the bloody persecutions of France. their native land.
We know nothing of their earliest pastors. L'Eglise dn Saint Esprit. the French Protestant Church in Pine street, opposite to the custom-house, was founded in the Year 1201, and repaired 1741. In our day it has been demolished, its dead removed, and the venerable sacred place, like many others in our busy city, is now devoted to mammon. Lawyers' offices, custom-house brokers, a restaurant and lager-bier saloon, occupy the onee hal-
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lowed spot. The Rev. James Laborde was the first pastor of Saint Esprit, and soon collected a flourishing congregation. For some years he was allowed, towards his support, "a yearly salary of twenty pounds per ann. out of ye Revenue of this Province." The religious ser- vices were performed in the primitive manner of the French Calvinistic Churches; or, to speak more accu- rately, the Reformed Churches of France and Geneva. Saint Esprit was a plain stone edifice, nearly square, fifty by seventy-seven feet-its burial-ground in the rear, running to Cedar street.
The Rev. Louis Rou was an early pastor of the "Reformed Protestant French Church in New York." Among the names of his members we find, in 1713, Thomas Bayeux, Augustus Jay, Jean Carale. Cromelin, Vincent, Allaire, Le Febier, Pelletreaux, Giraud, Pin- tard, Tellou, Des Brosses, Gilliot, Butler, Burton, Perot, Ford, etc., etc.
There was great excitement in the congregation (1724). 'caused by a party question. Stephen De Lancey, a wealthy merchant, and patron of the Church, with oth- ers, were dissatisfied with their pastor, Mr. Rou. He was even dismissed for want of zeal, and the innovations which they contended he had introduced into their church discipline. But the Huguenot minister, with his friends, appealed from this sentence or decision to Governor Barnet and his council, when they sustained the French preacher. Both parties published indignant memorials, and the dispute went so far, that when De Lancey was elected to the Colonial Assembly, the gov- ernor refused to administer the oath of office to him,
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alleging that he was not a subject of the British crown. De Lancey, the Huguenot, contended that he had left France before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and, under the great seal of the Royal James II., had received denization. The Frenchman was right, the Assembly sustaining his argument and claims against his excellency the "Captain-General and Governor-in- Chief of the Province of New York, New Jersies, and Territories thereon depending in America."
About this period, a Rev. Mr. Moulinars was an assistant minister of Mr. Rou, and united with the party opposing him. They have left records of their views, in which they claim to have paid Mr. Rou in full, and that then the consistory could dismiss him whenever they saw fit. "We are not indebted unto Mr. Rou one farthing for all the time he hath served us," is their language. Still, the religious council deci- ded in Mr. Rou's favor, and was "of opinion that the said congregation be admonished that every person in it do all in his power to preserve peace and unanimity in their congregation." That body also advised "that the ministors of the French congregation who shall officiate next Sunday, be ordered to read publicly the said opin- jon and admonition immediately after divine service in the forenoon."
All these efforts, however, did not produce harmony. Moulinars had evidently a restless spirit, and was much opposed to the Church of England, then the established religion of the New York colony, and he was respected by the Huguenot colonists or French refugees. Through his efforts a "meeting-house," as it is called, was erected
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for the French Protestants at New Rochelle, its members numbering one hundred persons. An old document of May 12, 1725, records, "that the same Mr. Moulinars has declared (as can be proved), that he finds our Church (Episcopal) and that of Rome as like one another as two fishes can be; . . . and one of the chiefest rea- sons of this violence against Mr. Rou has no other ground than his constant affection to the Church, and the public approbation he has at all times given to its ceremonies and doctrines." The Churchmen complained that Moulinars caused "great prejudice in general to the Church of England, and in particular to that of New Rochelle, where he would come quarterly, from New York, and plead among the people." New Rochelle was then a parish, and its rector, of course, considered the French pastor a dissenter, From the parochial ac- count of the former, at this period, the town (New Rochelle) embraced two Quaker families, three Dutch, four Lutherans, and several of the French; and the Huguenots, settling among them in the year 1726, gath- ered a congregation of about one hundred persons.
The Rev. Mr. Neau was a man of more than ordinary eminence-his life useful, beneficial, and pious. Previ- ous to his escape from the religious persecution of France, he suffered confinement for several years in the prisons and galleys, and, during his dungeon life, learned by heart the liturgy, and became attached to the English Church service.
When the Rev. Mr. Vesey was the first rector of Trinity Church, he appointed Mr. Neau catechist. For a number of years he faithfully discharged the duties of
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this important appointment among the Indians and the slaves, of whom some fifteen hundred were catechumens in the city of New York. He could only gather them on Sunday nights, after the last public services. When properly prepared, he would present them to Mr. Vesey for baptism. Mr. Neau may be said to have founded the well-known Free School of Trinity, an institution so useful among the noble charities of our city. This ex- cellent Huguenot preacher closed his profitable life in the year 1722, and was buried near the northern porch of old Trinity, that holy temple of the Lord, where he had long worshipped and served Him. Here the remains of many French Protestants repose among the innumera- ble dead of that crowded and venerable graveyard ; and here may be found memorials of their honor, patriotism, and evangelical piety.
The Rev. Mr. Nean, with his wife, Susannah, and daughter, Judith, left France for America, with other Huguenots, about the year 1685. Judith married a Robineau in New York, and their only child became the wife of Daniel Ayrault. Their issue was six sons and five daughters ; and the second son, Daniel, married Susannah Eargrass, whose children were Daniel and Mary Ayrault. Mary became the wife of Benjamin Mason, whose children were two sons and two daugh- leis. The eldest son. Benjamin Mason. M. D., was educated in England, marrying Margaret Champlin, of Newport. Rhode Island, and their issue was three sons and one daughter. This daughter, Elizabeth Champlin Mason, was the wife of the brave and patriotic Captain Oliver H. Perry, of the United States navy, who died
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