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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02733 2649
Gc 974.802 P53TA TAYLOR, WILLIAM J. R. 1823- 1891.
REFORMED PROTESTANT DUTCH CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA
dupl
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE,
BY
REV. W. J. R. TAYLOR.
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
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The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church IN PHILADELPHIA.
AN
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE
BY
WILLIAM J. R. TAYLOR,
MINISTER OF THE THIRD R. D. C., PHILADELPHIA.
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST OF THE
CONSISTORY AND TRUSTEES OF SAID CHURCH.
PHILADELPHIA : ROBB, PILE & M'ELROY, PRINTERS, LODGE ST. , BETWEEN SECOND AND DOCK. 1857.
٠
TO THE CONSISTORY, TRUSTEES AND CONGREGATION OF THE THIRD REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA, THIS DISCOURSE IS RESPECTFULLY
Dedicated,
BY THEIR ATTACHED PASTOR,
THE AUTHOR.
PHILADELPHIA, MARCH, 1857.
PREFACE.
THIS discourse was substantially delivered to the people of the author's pastoral charge, on the morning and afternoon of Sabbath January 25th, 1857. It is now printed, with such alterations and additions as were necessary to give it more unity and completeness. The large space assigned to the history of the Third Church, is accounted for by the fact that the discourse was in- tended to commemorate its entrance upon the twenty- first year of its existence, as an established Church. But it was thought that more good might be done by including some brief outline sketches of the rise and progressof the denomination in this city. It has been a labour of love to gather the fragments which have been wrought into this very imperfect production ; especially as many of them have been procured from the lips of venerable friends and lovers of our Church, who cannot long remain with us. The author has been principally indebted to the manuscript records of his own Church, the Minutes of the General Synod, the Magazine of the Reformed Dutch Church, " A Memo- rial of Rev. Jacob Brodhead, D.D.," Rev. Dr. C. C. Cuyler's Sermon on the death of Rev. Dr. Gilbert, R. Livingston, Rev. Dr. Wyckoff's Address at the
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PREFACE.
funeral of Rev. Brogun Hoff, Rev. Dr. Berg's Farewell Words, A Sermon on the Death of Rev. Henry G. Liv- ingston, by the undersigned, and a few other fugitive productions. The facts contained in the tribute to the memory of Governor Buchanan, have been drawn from Rev. Dr. Alexander's History of African Colonization, and the publications of the Colonization Society. It is not a little remarkable, that the memoir of such a man has yet to be written, and that his grave lies still un- covered by a simple marble.
The principles and illustrations of the preliminary discussion, may at least prove encouraging to those who are engaged in the good, but arduous and often heart-trying work of building up new churches. And if these suggestions should help any reader to take proper scriptural views of the "high vocation" of even the feeblest Church of Christ, it will not be labour in vain. With these remarks, the discourse is committed to the press, in the hope that it may subserve the in- terests of the Master's kingdom, and stimulate us all to a nobler and more effective service.
W. J. R. T.
DISCOURSE.
1 Samuel vii. 12.
"THEN SAMUEL TOOK A STONE, AND SET IT UP BETWEEN MIZPEH AND SHEN, AND CALLED THE NAME OF IT EBEN- EZER, SAYING, HITHERTO HATH THE LORD HELPED US."
WHILE Israel was engaged in the solemnities of a day of fasting and humiliation, their old enemies, the Philistines, made a descent upon them. Fearful and unarmed, they betook themselves to the God of battles, and in an- swer to the cries of their venerable prophet, who was "offering up the burnt offering," when "the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel," "the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philis- tines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel." "Then Samuel took a stone, and set it up between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." The sequel is briefly told. "So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel ; and the hand of the Lord
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was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel."
I will not detain you in discussing the pro- priety of such monumental records of great events. The instincts of the human heart approve it-the history of our race has sanc- tioned it. The simple stone which Jacob set up and anointed, and changed from the pillow of his weary head into the memorial pillow of his vision at Bethel; and the heap of stones, from the bed of the Jordan, which Joshua set up at Gilgal, to commemorate his miraculous passage of its floods ; and the " Eb- enezer"-the Stone of Help-which Samuel set up at Mizpeh-are all more eloquent to us, in their rude simplicity, than if they had towered like the pyramids, or been covered with most exquisite sculptures of a Grecian chisel.
Here was a public, formal, solemn acknow- ledgment of the wondrous interposition of Providence, in a time of great danger and trial. It was connected with devout religious services; and has all the aspects of a most pious act. It expresses the idea of the attain- ment of a resting-place after a season of exer-
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tion-the arrival at a stage of a journey-a pause in national and church affairs-a stop- ping-place from whence to look forward, and backward, and around. It is the acknowledg- ment of Divine help, thus far, and the signal of hope for the future. And God speaks to us as he did by Jeremiah to Ephriam: " SET THEE UP WAY-MARKS, make thee high heaps ; set thy heart toward the highway-EVEN THE WAY WHICH THOU WENTEST." (Jer. xxxi. 21.)
This is what we propose doing at this time. This Church, in the twenty-first year of its existence, has arrived at just one of those places, where it is her duty and joy to review her history, and forecast her prospects ; to acknowledge what her God has done for her, and take heart for the future. Here then let us set up our STONE of HELP-and say, " Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."
I. Let us apply these principles to the formal associated character in which we appear before men, angels, and God, at this time .- "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." And who are we ? In what capacity do we set up our "Stone of Help," and acknowledge God's mercies toward us ? Need I say, brethren,
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that we claim to be, and humbly believe that we constitute a portion of "the Holy Catholic Church"-that "Church which Christ loved, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word; that he might present it unto him- self, a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." (Eph. v. 25.) This alone should make us a monumental Church-tracing her origin, and life, and end to her glorious Head.
Let us set out with this principle in full view :- Every new religious movement, and especially every organization of a Christian Church, constitutes an important era in the history of any community, and even of the world, and of its redemption.
We are but too apt to regard such move- ments as having a merely local interest-as designed for the benefit of a few-reaching no farther than the little village, or city, or circle of individuals immediately affected by its operations. Men actually seem to look down upon the labours of the sabbath school -the tract visiters-the colporteur-a mis- sion to the heathen-or the formation of a
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Church on the Western prairies, or even in our cities, as among the inferior things of Zion. And then they begin to talk about the too many calls ; (three-fourths of which they systematically reject,) or they may even dare to take up Israel's wicked excuse : " The time is not come-the time that the Lord's house should be built." Let us brand these ideas as the utterances of ignorance and prejudice, most deplorable, or of covetous- ness, most damnable. Local !- merely local ! Yes, perhaps in their origin ; but in their influences just as local as the Cross, which has made one of Jerusalem's insignificant hills the moral centre of the intelligent universe. Consider, for a moment, the august grandeur of the organization of this once infant Church, as seen in the light of the splendid purpose of the Cross of Christ. The few friends of our Lord, who started this enterprise, did it, I know, in faith, and hope, and prayer. They did it for the sake of Jesus, and of the thou- sands who are swelling our city's annual growth. It was constituted a Church in the name of God the Father, of God the Son, and of God the Holy Ghost, before human specta-
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tors, and the cloud of witnesses in yonder heaven ; and before that Great White Throne. From that moment, its name was "graven on the palms" of the Redeemer's hands. Its beginnings were silent as the gatherings of the clouds ; its issues have already been fer- tilizing as their gentle showers. It started then a train of consecrated influences, which will run on to the Judgment-day, and parallel with the eternity of God. For this Church (we do believe,) was begun for the same rea- son that God has a Church in the world, viz .: for the glory of God, in the salvation of souls by Jesus Christ, who "came into the world to save sinners." Its formation constituted an era in the history of the parent Church. This city will never be able to screen itself from its power-eternity will teem with its results. Is it not a tremendous thought for us all, that it will have to do with the Christianity of generations yet to come-with the destinies of thousands of souls-and with the triumphs of the Redeemer ? From these four walls there may yet go forth some future Martin, or Judson, or Abeel, to bear its messages to idolatrous nations. Some new Nettleton,
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or Whitefield, may here arise, and start out to electrify the Churches with their melting elo- quence, and make another era of revivals : or some Harlan Page-bearing no commission save that of his burning zeal-yet, unobtru. sively gathering hundreds of souls into ti kingdom, as a shepherd folds his flock.
In fine, the truths, agencies, powers, object and end of this Church, are one with those of the Church Universal. It was formed for purposes as precious as redemption. Brethren and friends, do we realize beneath this hum- ble roof, and in this small body of believers, these high distinctions ? If you startle at the suggestion, let me ask you, is it more wonderful, than, that the Babe of Bethlehem had only a manger for his cradle ? Oh! let us break out of this chilling skepticism. Let us view the Church-our own Church-from above, and not from below: from Calvary, and not from "the money-changers' tables ;" from the Judgment-seat, and from our pro- mised thrones !- not from our farms, and our merchandise. And then we shall be able to attach the importance, that is due to every
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new effort like this, to promote the cause of Christ.
Here, then, we stand, looking back to the solemn beginning of this Church. We con- trast its infantile size and strength with its divine immunities; we measure its importance by the scale of the Cross, and the issues of the eternal world. Our eager eyes flash from this house, to the temple made without hands ; from this worship, to that unwearying service ; from this quiet band of living believers, to the awful wonders of the resurrection morn- ing. And like Samuel, we would devoutly raise our memorial of praise, and say : " Hith- erto,"-in and from the very inception and formation of this Church-" hath the Lord helped us ;" and to him be the glory and praise forever and ever.
II. We are called upon, this day, to erect our memorial in devout acknowledgment of our entire dependence upon God, as our Helper. The true meaning of the pillar which Samuel consecrated between Mizpeh and Shen, was designed to give God all the glory, and to recognize, publicly and piously, their Divine deliverance from their enemies.
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It is no strange thing for God's Church to be in trouble ; she has always lived with the Philistines upon her borders. If outward foes come ever to a truce, corruption is always working within. Achans in the camp, and Pharisees in the temple, are no less her plagues, than uncircumcised Philistines on her frontiers. " Unreasonable and wicked men" may vex her; Providence may hedge up her way. She is often placed, like Israel, with the sea before her, and the Egyptians behind her; and then, when cast helpless upon God, he makes her to pass over on dry ground. Ecclesiastical history is a register of conflicts, of heresies and controversies, of persecutions and disasters, intermingled
with victories and blessings. But mainly, it presents the dark side of the picture. Passing over these generalities, let me remark, specifi- cally, that direct efforts to plant and extend the Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ, are often attended by emergencies that are peculiarly trying, and not easily anticipated. Even the apostles, were not always successful in their efforts to establish Churches in Asia and Greece, and elsewhere. Where success
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has crowned the blessed experiment, it has not seldom been like a victory on a bloody field. God does not give the harvest, or even cause the grain to spring up, until the field has been torn up and laid open by the plough- share of a stern and salutary discipline. On this point, let me speak from personal expe- rience ; if I may do so without egotism.
In the providence of God, three new Church enterprises have been entrusted to my unworthy ministry. In the organization of a fourth, he has permitted me to bear the principal part. In each case the process has been the same-the circumstances only have differed. Smallness of numbers, scanty re- sources, dependence on others, trembling hopes, embarrassments, struggles and pauses, and then struggles again, as for life itself ; dark days and sinking hearts : these were our experiences. And then, what could we do, but "stand still and see the salvation of God ?" What, but watch the cloudy pillar above us- move when it moved, and stop when it stop- ped ? But neither was it all darkness. While we rested in their shadows, the "mountains" that before our great "Zerubbabel," were to
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" become a plain," were already tipped with the morning glories of the eastern sky. Then hope, and faith, and gladness drove away de- spondency, unbelief, and disquietude. And as Providence marched, we followed in its train-exclaiming, " Who hath despised the day of small things ?"
Amid all these vicissitudes, in every case, I can truly say, that never was there room for one faltering thought, as to the final issue. Because, in every instance, those who composed these Churches, had begun their work in faith and prayer, with large views of their responsibilities ; and for Jesus' sake, they cast themselves and their precious charge implicitly upon the providence and grace of God. When did he fail them ? True, he tried them; but that was in his love to them, and to test their faith and love towards him.
There these churches stand, flourishing and beneficent-blessings to the communities in which they are located; two of them already parental Churches, and all "growing in favour with God and man." "Hitherto hath the Lord helped" them. And each of 2*
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them has a history, which may illustrate the eloquent language of another : "God's way is in the sanctuary. Every stone of it seems wrought into a pavement of that way ; every altar is a pillar, that shows its course ; and every sound is as the sound of his footsteps, as he goes forward, in its awfulness."
III. The memorial which we this day raise, is full of hope for the future. But hope in such cases becomes vigorous, just in propor- tion to the direct influence of trial in bring- ing out our latent powers and graces. John Angell James has well said, "that every Christian has a greater amount of moral power than he suspects." Nothing proves this more than some great emergency. Take, for instance, the case of an infant Church. Its felt responsibilities awaken the slumbering energies, and by the grace of God, develope qualities of character, personal and social, natural and sanctified, which, in themselves, are like "armour on the right hand and on the left." Sailors and soldiers learn their arts amid the perils of tempest and of battle, in the severities of their discipline. "The Cap- tain of our salvation" thus calls out all the
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fortitude and courage of his soldiers, by ar- duous service ; and no hope is so bright and sure as theirs, whose experience has taught them what it is to " hope against hope," and " through much tribulation to enter the king- dom of God."
Do you talk of difficulties ? What are these to those whose prayers may move the arm of Omnipotence, whose religious history is illu- mined by triumphs over obstacles, high as the throne of Satan, who belong to a Church, bought with the blood of Jesus, and founded on the perpetuity of His Father's word and throne ? Do enemies mock you ? Let some miserable Sanballat, watching and hating the Jews, who are at work upon Jerusalem's fallen walls, exclaim, "What do these feeble Jews ? Will they fortify themselves ? Will they sac- rifice ? Will they make an end in a day ? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned ?" Let Tobias, the Ammonite, sneer out his contempt : "Even that which they build, if a fox go up he shall break down their stone wall !" Let the in- different, and discouraging and unbelieving observer, lift up his soft hands and declare,
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" If the Lord should make windows in heaven, then might this thing be ?" My brethren, if any infant church is founded in the strength of the principles which we have declared to you as the only true foundation of a Christian Church, then " God WILL make windows in heaven," rather than that this thing should not be. Like the Temple of old, it may be built amid difficulties, necessary alike for the trial of faith, and the brighter exhibition of the glory of God. It demands patience, labour, zeal, self-sacrifice, trust in God, and above all, that high consciousness of the magnitude, and solemnity, and imperiousness of the enterprise, which Nehemiah felt, when, rejecting the ad- vances of his foes, he exclaimed " I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down." A spirit like this is preëminently and neces- sarily a hopeful spirit, drawing its aliment from the past, with its troubles and conquests, and from " THE ETERNAL" with His promises, and love, and power.
You may often have wondered at what we may call the tenacity of life in a Church. Here is a little society of believers, struggling from year to year, sacrificing time, ease,
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money, strength and labour, always under a cloud, and often in distress, until at last light breaks through the darkened sky, and the desire of their hearts is fully accomplished. Then the "little one becomes a thousand," and unborn generations shall call it blessed. The world looks on, and wonders what held them together. "The Churches of Christ salute" her, and say "Lo! what hath God wrought !" Or, take another view. Here is a Church established centuries ago, coeval with the settlement of the country. In the mean- time there have been wars and revolutions, commercial revulsions that have scattered her wealth, intestine troubles that have rent the body of Christ. Her pastors' graves lie under the shadow of their holy house, with those of successive congregations to whom they "preached Christ, and him crucified." Time and death have done their work on every thing else, but the church still lives to bless the children, as it blessed their fathers. Finally, review the history of the Church Universal- a bush burning and yet "not consumed"-a rock amid the billows-the Church vital with the life of Christ, and of the indwelling Spirit,
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exhibiting substantially the same form, em- bodying the same eternal principles, echoing the same voices which resounded through the astonished world in her primitive days-the Church, older than empires, stronger than armies, mightier than thrones-the survivor of all her foes, the immortal witness to His truth, the great Teacher of the world, the Heir of all God's promises, the only society, institution, or "kingdom, that shall never be moved."
One thing alone can explain the wonder we are contemplating : The life of the Church is the life of Christianity itself. And you see exemplified, on a small scale, in the history of the little village, or forest, or city Church, the working of the same principles which aston- ish the universe in this more than miracu- lous preservation and triumphal progress of the Church Universal.
These are the assurances of our hope this day, while we set up our Stone of Help, and from the past look out into the unknown future.
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GENERAL HISTORY.
THE history of the efforts which have been made from time to time, to plant and spread the Reformed Dutch Church in the State of Pennsylvania, is properly preceded by the fact, that from a very early period in the last century, the German Churches of this, and other Northern States, were supplied with ministers from Germany, through the Classis of Amsterdam, in Holland, and the Churches of our order in New York. Par- ticular attention had always been paid by that Classis of the mother-land to the sup- port of destitute and feeble Churches in for- eign countries. During a long period of time, both the German Churches of Pennsyl- vania, and those of our own denomination, were thus supplied with a well-educated min- istry, trained and ordained in Holland. It was mainly for this reason-zeal for a tho- roughly-learned ministry-that the American branch of our Church was obliged to depend so long for pastors and teachers upon the
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ecclesiastical authorities in the Netherlands. And it is worthy of note, that a fund for de- fraying the expenses of the German minis- ters to Holland, and their subsequent voyage to America, had been long placed at the dis- posal of the Classis, and very faithfully ap- plied.
In April, 1738, delegates (the Rev. J. Bohm, and an elder named Snyder,) from a Church in this city, sat in one of our eccle- siastical assemblies in the city of New York. This union was continued until " only by the difference of language," it was severed in 1745.
The First Reformed Dutch Church of this city, originally composed of members of the German Reformed Church in Race street, who had left that connection for the sake of enjoying services in the English language, under the name of the "Second Reformed Association," began to worship in the early part of 1809, in the Hall of the Old Aca- demy, Fourth street, below Arch. For seve- ral months they enjoyed the temporary ser- vice of that excellent man and devoted min- ister, the REV. JOSEPH EASTBURN, (commonly
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known as "Father Eastburn," and celebrated for his successful labours among seamen.) The congregation increased under his minis- try. In December, 1809, the Rev. James K. Burch, a Presbyterian clergyman, from North Carolina, began to labour among them as a missionary, and continued his services until April, 1813, with some degree of suc- cess. The corner-stone of the edifice in Crown street, was laid by him, May 28th, 1810. The dedication took place June 28th, 1811. On the 14th day of April, 1813, the congregation, at a meeting held for the pur- pose, unanimously agreed to form a connec- tion with the Reformed Dutch Church.
The necessary steps were taken before the Classis of New Brunswick, by whose appoint- ment the venerable Professor of our Theological Seminary, the Rev. John H. Livingston, D. D., presided at the organization, and preached the sermon on that occasion. The Rev. Mr. (af- terwards Professor,) Schureman, was also on the committee with Dr. Livingston.
The first pastor of this new and important en- terprise, was the REV. DR. JACOB BRODHEAD, who was called from the ministry of the Col-
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legiate Church, in the city of New York. His first sermon as pastor of the Crown Street Church, was preached September 19th, 1813, from Romans i. 16: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ." His installation took place on Sabbath, October 10th, of that year, and on the same evening, he preached his Introductory Discourse, (which was after- wards published,) from 2 Cor. xii. 14: "I seek not yours, but you." A paragraph in the memoranda of his first services, fur- nishes the key-note of the faithful ministry which he then began. It is this :- "I feel all the responsibility of a pastor-a new Church and a new people-much to do to get things in order :- trembling for the issue! What can I do, but go to that Throne of Grace, to which I have often resorted, and found help ? * ₭ I trust 'I am not ashamed of the Gos- pel of Christ,' but that to preach it in its plainness, will be the business of my life." And so he did, until, full of years and honours, and crowned with unusual ministerial success, like a shock of corn, fully ripe, "he was ga- thered in." During the thirteen years of his ministry in the Crown Street Church, five
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