USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > A centennial history of Christ Church, Cincinnati, 1817-1917 > Part 3
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RECTORATE OF REV. J. T. BROOKE
"Brethren,
"The object of this communication is to send in to you my resignation of the Rectorship of this Church to take effect on the 12th day of May next. I have not sufficient vigor of health to sustain the full public labors of the Church and to meet, even as imperfectly as I have heretofore done, the various other calls of the parish. It is my present wish and purpose to occupy, for at least two or three years, some limited and retired sphere, in which I may be so relieved from unceasing and imperious la- bors, as to give time both to invigorate my health and repair my mind. With a view to obtain such a situation I have written to clerical friends in the East as well as in the West. And I entertain the hope that a suitable field will be opened to me by the time I have desired my resignation to take effect, which will be the 12th of May next.
"That day will just close the eleventh year of my ministry among you. And in looking back over that period, I can not but rejoice over the precious though comparatively small spiritual fruits of my labors, and most sincerely thankful do I feel that the congregation has been through- out so united and harmonious, and that the inter- course between us as pastor and people has been so uniformly kind and affectionate.
"My present decision, I assure you, brethren, has not been reached without repeated and severe struggles of feeling. To relinquish a permanent position and to give up a competent support for one likely to be more limited and uncertain, have been, in this instance, comparatively small sacri- fices. For in laying aside these advantages, I
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
have felt that I should be laying aside with them, heavy burdens and responsibilities. But the thought of parting with many friends, to whom I have so long ministered in public and in private,- in their joys and sorrows, has indeed cost me much pain. This single and strong tie of affection, I believe has held me back from my present step, for many months."
This affecting resignation was accepted, to take effect on August 15, 1847. Meanwhile, the Rt. Rev. Bishop McIlvaine was requested to act as rector of Christ Church, until a permanent ap- pointment could be made of a minister to fill the vacancy. On June 27, 1847, Dr. Brooke, in a communication to the Church, explained, "I expect to assume the charge of Harcourt Parish, Gam- bier, in connection with the Professorship of Pas- toral Divinity in the Theological Seminary of the Diocese. The reasons which influence me are various, but I should be wanting in candor and faithfulness if I did not mention as my prin- cipal one the depressed state of the period and my own inability to perform such active and varied clerical labors as would be likely under the Divine power to improve it. It is true that the Church is in a high degree temporally prosperous. It is equally true that large accessions to the com- municants of a Church are not always sure evi- dence of its spiritual growth, much depending upon the standard of communion adopted, and I am thankful to be able to say that the standard in the Church has never been lowered to favor the mistaken views of any who are disposed to be satisfied with an unspiritual or merely worldly religion ; sincerely do I pray that it never may be."
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RECTORATE OF REV. J. T. BROOKE
Dr. Brooke having resigned his pastorate to the regret of all concerned, the beloved Bishop of the Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Charles Pettit Mc- Ilvaine was solicited to undertake the duties of rector, and in a formal letter expressed his willing- ness to do so until the vacancy could be filled by a permanent appointment. Much to the gratifica- tion of the Vestry and Wardens, who were re- lieved of pressing anxieties by his compliance with their wishes, the Bishop took charge of the parish beginning August 15, 1847, and continued his ministrations for one year; after which the Rev. Alfred Blake was elected rector pro tem. Un- remitted but unsuccessful endeavors to secure a satisfactory pastor to take the place of the favor- ite shepherd they had lost, occupied the vigilant attention of the Church officers for many months. No fewer than five clergymen of "light and lead- ing," located prominently in as many centers of in- fluence in the United States, were approached. These were Rev. Thomas M. Clark, of Boston; Rev. M. Newton, Philadelphia; Rev. E. Carter Hutchinson, St. Louis; Rev. C. M. Butler, Wash- ington City, who six years afterward accepted a call to the rectorship of Christ Church, Cincinnati ; and Rev. R. W. Nicholson, New Orleans, the eminent churchman who, in 1851, in Cincinnati, founded the parish of St. John.
On the fourth of January, 1849, the position of rector was again offered to Dr. Brooke, whose health by that time had somewhat improved. The letter of acceptance which he sent from Gam- bier closed with the words: "For my sense of my insufficiency for the responsibilities of so important a position, I must of course seek my main relief
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
in the strength of Him who says, 'My grace is sufficient for thee,' but I have the additional con- solation of feeling that after mature deliberation my duty to accept the call appears to be plain and that I am not going among strangers, but return- ing to a home among old and true friends." He added that according to the understanding, he ex- pected to assume the renewed duties of rector on Easter Monday, with his trusted comrade and brother Reverend Alfred Blake as assistant min- ister. Fortunately for the rector and for the con- gregation, Mr. Blake continued for three years to perform the many and important duties of his office with great ability.
Although Dr. Brooke, with habitual, conscien- tious thoroughness faithfully discharged all his functions as preacher and pastor for a year and a half, his health still remained insecure, and when the summer of 1850 came on, and the church edifice was undergoing some repairs, by a vote of the Vestry the clergymen had the privilege of suspending the usual services. It was also voted that a leave of absence of sixty days be given to the rector. The effect of this relaxation, though beneficial, did not entirely re- store him to his normal vigor, and therefore he at length again decided to give up his charge, which he did; and though the letter of resignation was at first laid upon the table, it was finally accepted with unfeigned reluctance, as the following beauti- ful tribute adopted unanimously by his devoted associates, the Wardens and Vestrymen, testifies : "Resolved :
I. That while we recognize the necessity which is about to produce a separation from one so
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RECTORATE OF REV. J. T. BROOKE
long honored and loved as a friend, a teacher, and a Christian minister, we can not dissolve the connection which has bound him to us, without the deepest sensibility and the most profound sorrow.
2. That the long and faithful service of Dr. Brooke, his eloquence, ability and conscientious independence in the pulpit, his manly and fear- less opposition to heresy, worldliness, and error, his honorable and exemplary Christian walk, and his many social virtues which through so many years have secured for him the affection and rever- ence of his people, entitling him to their lasting gratitude; and we extend to him accordingly the feeble but unfeigned expression of our thankful- ness for the past and our best wishes for the fu- ture.
3. That, believing as we do, that the modesty, teaching, and example of Dr. Brooke have been eminently salutary and instructive, that his vigi- lance as a shepherd and watchman over a numer- ous flock have been unceasing, and that his faith- fulness has been blessed to the edification of an attached congregation and as we hope to the con- version of not a few, we can not but deplore the decision which is about to deprive us of his in- valuable services, while we respect the conscien- tious motives which have induced that measure."
After retiring from his exacting responsibili- ties in Cincinnati, Dr. Brooke resumed the lighter duties of his professorship in Gambier, occasion- ally preaching in the college chapel. In 1853 he removed to the East and took charge of the Church of the Ascension in Baltimore, Maryland, his native State. But the following year he re- signed in order to become rector of Christ Church,
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
Springfield, Ohio, where he continued to preach six years longer before giving up the active work of the ministry. He had seven children, two of whom became clergymen, Rev. Pendleton Brooke and Rev. Frank Key Brooke. Dr. John Thomp- son Brooke died August 19, 1861, and he was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, the beautiful necropolis, which on the day of its dedication in 1845, he had consecrated in a memorable prayer.
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42
III Fifty Years of Christian Endeavor
S UBSEQUENTLY to the resignation of Rev. J. T. Brooke, the rectorship of Christ Church was offered, in quick succession, to the Rev. Richard Newton, of St. Paul's, Philadel- phia; to the Rev N. V. D. Johns, Baltimore; Maryland; and to the Rev. W. R. Nicholson, New Orleans; who each declined to accept the position. At last, on May 5, 1852, the Rev. Dud- ley Atkins Tyng, by a unanimous vote of the Vestry, was chosen rector at a salary of $2,000, raised in less than twelve months to $2, 500. He assumed charge September 16, 1852.
A son of the distinguished Dr. Stephen H.Tyng, Sr., the Rev. Dudley A. Tyng was born in Prince George County, Maryland, January 14, 1825 ; was educated at the University of Pennsylvania and at Alexandria Seminary; was made a deacon in 1846 by Bishop Mead; had been assistant min- ister in St. George's Church, New York City, of which his father was the former rector; and he was at the head of a parish in Charles Town, Virginia, when called to Cincinnati. He is men- tioned in the "History of St. George's Church" by its author, the Rev. Henry Anstice, D.D., as having been "singularly gifted and eloquent." When he began his labors as minister of Christ Church he was but twenty-seven years of age, and it is not strange that, being perhaps an aggressive,
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
enthusiastic innovator in some directions, he met with more or less criticism, though he was much admired and respected. A prominent Episcopal clergyman, formerly of Cincinnati, in a sketch of the career of the brilliant young preacher, re- marks that "his desire to increase its usefulness by popularizing Christ Church does not seem to have been appreciated by some in authority." Be that as it may, Mr. Tyng offered his resignation on April 19, 1854, to take effect May 15, feeling a natural eagerness to accept the rectorship of the Church of the Epiphany, Philadelphia, whose people had most cordially solicited him to become their pastor.
A call was extended, July 7, 1855, to the Rev. Clement M. Butler, of Trinity Church, Washing- ton, District of Columbia, offering to elect him rector of Christ Church at a salary of $3,000. The proposal was accepted on the terms indicated by the Wardens; and the new pastor, a man of promptness, experience, and executive force, en- tered upon the discharge of those duties for which he soon proved himself to be thoroughly pre- pared. He was not only a man of commanding power in the administration of the spiritual func- tions of his sacred office, but also a man of practi- cal familiarity with business transactions. Doc- tor Stanger assures us that "during his incum- bency Christ Church was stronger financially, or more willing to use her talents. Her contribu- tions to missionary and other charitable purposes were never so great. As in the days of Dr. Brooke all the pews seem to have been in demand, and yet the communion roll was not as long as to- day." This comment was written in 1878.
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REV. JOHN THOMPSON BROOKE Rector 1835-1847 1849-1851
REV. DUDLEY A. TYNG Rector 1852-1854
REV. CLEMENT M. BUTLER Rector 1854-1859
FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
Dr. Butler appears to have taken a broad gen- eral interest in the vital affairs of the diocese. He was moved to ask counsel of the Vestry as to the expediency of his visiting the eastern cities in be- half of Kenyon College, and a majority of those present deemed it advisable he should accede to the request of the bishop and the trustees of the college.
When the harrowing news was sent forth from Philadelphia that as "the result of a distressing accident," Rev. Dudley A. Tyng, then rector of the Church of the Covenant, had been taken away by death, April 19, 1858, a meeting of the War- dens, Vestrymen, and others, over which the pas- tor presided, was called to take appropriate ac- tion. Dr. Butler "paid a glowing and touching tribute" to the deceased and also read a letter from Bishop McIlvaine. The resolutions so hap- pily expressive of the love and esteem in which their former pastor was held by those most in- timately associated with him, were probably com- posed by the Senior Warden, Hon. Bellamy Storer. They are here reproduced :
"Resolved, That in the death of Mr. Tyng the Episcopal Church is bereaved of one of her most gifted and faithful ministers, whose teachings were always in harmony with her scriptural standard, and whose past fidelity, earnestness, and piety gave promise of a life of unsurpassed usefulness. "Resolved, That the Church at large has lost a friend whose truly Catholic spirit embraced in the bonds of brotherhood all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and who proved him- self the unflinching defender of that liberty where- with Christ hath made his people free.
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
"Resolved, That in the death of Mr. Tyng the community has sustained the loss of a valiant champion of human rights, a zealous advocate of every measure designed to promote the highest interests of humanity, and a warm friend of those enterprises of the day which unite Christians of almost every name in a common effort to extend the Gospel and evangelize the world."
During the period of somewhat more than four years through which Dr. Butler remained in charge of its interests, material and moral, the Church maintained a steady prosperity and the utmost harmony prevailed. No differences of opinion or policies appear to have disturbed the councils of the Vestry or its relation with the rector. Notwithstanding these auspicious condi- tions, the congregation and its chosen representa- tives who administer its important concerns were destined to suffer a disappointment against which they strongly remonstrated, but in vain. For, on December 30, 1858, the rector addressed to the Wardens and Vestry of Christ Church a letter which took them somewhat by surprise, but which, because of the light it throws upon the spirit and prospects of the Church at that time, forms a val- uable part of the organic history of the parish, and gives a pleasing idea of the character and style of Dr. Butler. "Brethren," he writes, "hav- ing recently received and very anxiously consid- ered a call to resume the rectorship of Trinity Church, Washington, I feel constrained to yield to the strong representations and appeal with which it was accompanied.
"It is with deep emotion that I herewith resign the rectorship of Christ Church, and sever the
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
ties which have so closely and pleasantly united me to the Vestry and congregation. I beg them to accept my heartfelt thanks for the Christian kindness which I have so uniformly experienced at their hands; and to be assured that I shall ever hold them in grateful and affectionate remem- brance. Amidst the pain caused by this separation from a beloved congregation, from my honored bishop, and from my respected brethren of the Vestry in this diocese, it is a source of great gratitude to the Master that he has permitted me to see Christ Church steadily advancing in pros- perity, and that I leave it united in spirit, zealous, liberal, and active in the cause of Christ. It is a Church which has large resources, great oppor- tunities of usefulness, and correspondingly great responsibilities. May the Holy Spirit be poured out upon it abundantly ! May the love of Christ constrain all its members to a more entire con- secration !
"With a heart full of affection and esteem for you all and with the earnest prayer that you may be blessed with the constant presence of the life and love of our Lord and Master,
I remain very truthfully and faithfully Your friend and servant In the Lord, C. M. Butler."
To this the Wardens responded as follows : "Rev. C. M. Butler, Dear Sir :
"On the receipt of your resignation more than a week ago to the Vestry of Christ Church, it was referred to the Wardens to confer with you-
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
under the hope that in the providence of God some inducement might be offered to you to remain with a people to whom your services have been so acceptable and so useful. Disappointed in the hope and finding your determination unalterable, the Vestry have with great reluctance, but with un- affected kindness and sympathy in regard to the sense of duty under which you act, accepted your resignation.
"In communicating to you this official act which severs the tie of Pastor and People we are in- structed to express to you the painful sense of bereavement with which the event has inspired the Vestry and the Congregation.
"You have been to us most truly a beloved and honored Pastor. You have preached the Gospel earnestly and faithfully and in a manner as at- tractive as we trust it has been profitable.
"Under your auspices our Sunday Schools, our Benevolent Society, our various Agencies for good are flourishing and the Kingdom of Christ has been advanced.
"In behalf of the Parish and people of Christ Church, we bid you an affectionate farewell. Our prayers and good wishes attend you. We pray that you and yours may be happy and useful in your new home and that the blessing of God may attend you always.
"With sincere regard we are
Very truly your friends, B. Storer. Jas. Hall."
Though in severing his connection with Christ Church Dr. Butler necessarily ceased from inti- mate association with Cincinnati, his career as a
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
prominent clergyman in the National Capital, after he resumed the pastorate of Trinity Church, was noted with fraternal interest by his Western admirers, who took some pride in the fact that he served with distinction as chaplain of the United States Senate.
Rev. Mr. Butler having resigned the rectorship of Christ Church, January 1, 1859, the position was offered to the Rev. Joshua Peterkin, of Rich- mond, Virginia, but he did not accept. Overtures were then made to Rev. Kingston Goddard, of Philadelphia, who, after some correspondence, was unanimously elected rector at the liberal sal- ary of $4,000. His letter of acceptance was read at the Vestry meeting of May 5, 1859, but the records preserved in the church archives do not indicate that he actually entered upon the duties of his charge before December. From the few and meager references made to his services in the minutes of the Vestry meetings one infers that he was not popular and did not get along with some of his associates without friction. Precisely what the points were upon which the rector took issue with others the minutes do not disclose, but as time went on the disaffection increased until at length, after informing the Vestry of his intention, he appealed to the Rt. Rev. G. T. Bedell, assistant bishop of the diocese, by a letter in which he de- clared he had come to the conclusion that it was necessary for him to take some steps in order to rescue the congregation over which God had placed him, "from utter ruin-if perchance by his blessing it might be saved." He asserts that the "antagonistic position assumed by some of the leading members of the Vestry towards him as
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
rector precluded a settlement of the difficulties with them," and he had concluded therefore, "here- with to place in your hand my resignation of the rectorship of Christ Church-to be returned to me or handed to the Vestry." Whatever may have been the response to this communication, no report of it appears in the written records of the Ward- ens and Vestry, but it is probable that the rector, concluding that he could not persuade the forces in disagreement with his views to change their attitude, gave up his contention, for, on the 19th of March, 1862, he sent in his resignation, which was promptly accepted by the Vestry, and Dr. Goddard returned to Philadelphia.
On July 13, 1861, the Wardens and Vestrymen of Christ Church adopted the following preamble and resolutions :
"It having pleased our Heavenly Father to re- move our friend, Nathaniel Greene Pendleton, for many years a member of this Vestry, as well as of this Church, we desire to record in our min- utes our deep regret for his loss, and our affec- tionate remembrance of his past services to our Parish as well as the Protestant Episcopal Church.
"While cherishing the ardent attachment for the branch of Christ's Church in which he was educated, he indulged a most Catholic spirit. He loved all who loved his Saviour, whatever their denominational distinctions. The Union Meet- ings for Prayer, in which he took an active part, the religious movements at home and abroad were regarded with deep interest and liberally sus- tained by his bounty. He lived and died a Chris- tian. His last days were truly his best days, for in his resignation to the Divine Will, his humble
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FIFTY YEARS' CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR
yet unshaken faith in Christ, he illustrated the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, as 'death was swallowed up in victory.' "
During the comparatively short period of Dr. Goddard's incumbency the several officers and committees who were responsible for the tem- poral prosperity of the parish were engrossed by cares and anxieties concerning the assessment and collection of pew-rents, means of discharging pressing debts incurred by past building enter- prise, new plans for altering the church edifice, and ever-recurring demands which the manage- ment and disposal of the burial ground on Race Street made upon their attention.
This burial ground, it will be remembered, was purchased in 1818, soon after the Church society was organized. When Spring Grove Cemetery was dedicated in 1845, naturally the subject of the removal of the dead from the various local and denominational graveyards of the city was considered. In December, 1849, the directors of Spring Grove Cemetery decided that ground suf- ficient to provide for the interment of all the bodies to be exhumed from the Episcopal Burial Ground could be had for $8,000. From that time forward the matter was constantly before the Vestry. In 1859 a committee appointed to in- vestigate reported that they found about 210 or 220 well-defined graves within the whole area. The sacred remains slumbering in these tombs were transferred to Spring Grove and other sub- urban cemeteries. Finally, in 1860, the burial ground on Race Street was purchased by the city for the sum of $35,000, and it became a part of the present Washington Park.
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THE HISTORY OF CHRIST CHURCH
A just proportional amount of the sum received from the city was passed over to the treasury of St. Paul's Church in consideration of the fact that the burial ground "was acquired when the two parishes of Christ Church and St Paul's formed the only Protestant Episcopal parish in the city."
Christ Church, having been without a pastor since the departure of Dr. Goddard, made sev- eral ineffectual efforts to discover a clergyman of such character and qualifications as would promise his fitness for the rectorship, but though several desirable candidates were approached with a view to their election to the important position, the list including the Rev. Montgomery Schuyler, of St. Louis; the Rev. Carl E. Grammer, of Columbus, Ohio; the Rev. Mr. Clemens ; the Rev. Henry C. Potter, of Troy, New York; the vacancy could not be filled until April 4, 1863, when the Vestry tendered to the Rev. John W. McCarty a call to minister the sacred rites of the Church for one year, dating from Easter, at a salary of $2,000, an amount which within a year was increased to $2,500, and afterwards raised to $3,000. Such were the new minister's varied accomplishments, his eloquence, his pastoral vigilance, his Chris- tian courtesy, and his social tact, that he seemed to have won all hearts, and the four years of his rectorship are counted among the most pleasant and successful brief epochs in the history of the Church. Unhappily his health failed and in May, 1866, he was tendered leave of absence until the following autumn when he resumed his labors, but again falling seriously ill, he, on the 7th of May, 1867, addressed to the gentlemen of the Vestry this pathetic letter :
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REV. KINGSTON GODDARD Rector 1859-1862
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