USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > A historical account of Christ Church, Philadelphia : from its foundation, A.D. 1695, to A.D. 1841 : and of St. Peter's and St. James's, until the separation of the churches > Part 2
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Watson in his Annalst tells us that the first Christ Church edifice was "built under the auspices of the Rev. Mr. Clayton." " We know," he says, " that the Rev. Mr. Clayton was first in charge of it, from the book of the Rev. Morgan Edwards, who has therein left us the record of his letter to the Baptists in Philadelphia of the year 1698." How long Mr. Clayton continued the minister of Christ Church we have not been able to learn ; that he was Dr. Evans's predecessor, appears from Keith's Journal, which we shall presently quote.
1700.
The Rev. Evan Evans was sent over mis- sionary to Philadelphia by the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of London, Dr. Compton, as he
* Clay's Annals of the Swedes, p. 83. + Page 325.
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informs us in a letter written on his return to London in the year .1707 .* Mr. Evans con- tinued in charge of the church, with occasional intermissions, for eighteen years; and appears to have been eminently successful in his labours. The following account of his ministerial ser- vices is taken from Humphreys's History of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
" The Swedes and Dutch, settled in this pro- vince, (Pennsylvania,) had some ministers among them, but the English had none, till the year 1700, when the Rev. Mr. Evans was sent over to Philadelphia by Bishop Compton, but after the Church of England service began to be performed, a very numerous congregation attended the public worship, consisting chiefly of great numbers of persons, who a few years before had separated from the Foxian Quakers, and now joined entirely with the Church of England members. They increased so fast that in two years time there were above five hundred persons who frequented the Church. They petitioned to his late majesty, King Wil- liam, for some stipend for their minister, and his majesty was pleased to allow fifty pounds sterling to their minister, and thirty pounds to
* See this letter in the Epis. Mag. vol. i. p. 17.
3
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a school-master at Philadelphia. The people have several times made application for some salary to their minister, from this Society, but never had any; because there were many poorer settlements in this country, which claimed the Society's help.
" The Rev. Mr. Evans being thus supported by the royal bounty, and the liberal contribu- tion of his hearers, was very diligent in the discharge of his duty, and through God's bless- ing very successful. A great number of per- sons of various opinions, not only in Philadelphia the metropolis of this country, but of the adja- cent parts, began to see their errors, and embraced the Church of England worship. The frequent resort of people of the better con- dition, from all the remote parts of the country, to that capital town, gave them an opportunity of hearing Mr. Evans, and being informed in the doctrines of the Church of England. A hearty love and zeal for religion spread so wide, that there arose soon several congregations in other parts of the country. Mr. Evans was forced to divide his labours among them, as often as he conveniently could, till they might be formed into proper districts, and have min- isters sent over to them.
" Mr. Evans used to preach two evening
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lectures at Philadelphia ; one preparatory to the holy Sacrament, on the last Sunday of the month; the other to a society of young men who met together every Lord's Day, after evening prayer, to read the scripture and sing psalms. Mr. Evans was always present at these meetings, unless hindered by some public service, and used to read some select prayers out of the Church Liturgy, and preach upon subjects to an audience of young men. There arose an unforeseen advantage from the lec- tures, for not only the young men who design- edly met were improved, but a great many young persons, who dared not appear in the day time, at the public service of the Church, for fear of disobliging their parents or masters, would stand under the Church windows at night and hearken; at length many of them took up a resolution to leave the sects they had fol- lowed, desired baptism, and became stedfast in the communion of the Church. Several ac- counts from Mr. Keith and Mr. Talbot acquaint that Mr. Evans baptized in Philadelphia, and the adjoining parts, above eight hundred per- sons,"*
This Mr. George Keith had formerly been a public Friend, of great note and influence, in
*Humphreys's Historical Account, p. 144-151.
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Philadelphia. He was a native of Aberdeen, in Scotland; a man of learning, and was the first master of the Friends' Public School in this city, in 1689 .* Thomas Makin was his usher, and succeeded him in the school. Keith had been an eminent preacher and writer among the quakers for many years, but hav- ing renounced his quaker principles, he re- ceived orders in the church of England, and was sent over by the society for the propa- gation of the Gospel in foreign parts, as an itinerant missionary through the British Pro- vinces of North America. The Rev. Mr. Talbot, who accompanied him as his associate in his labours, was afterwards the first minister at Burlington, New Jersey. The journal of their tour, through all the colonies from New Hampshire to North Carolina, kept by Mr. Keith, and transmitted to the Society, affords an interesting account of the early Church in this country. " In Pennsylvania," we are told, "a great number of separatist quakers, or Keithians, who had separated from the body of quakers in the years 1691 and 1692, had quite relinquished quaker principles, and joined themselves to the Church of England members at Philadelphia ; where the Rev. Mr. Evans, who had been sent thither by the Bishop of
* Proud's His. of Pennsylvania, vol. i. pp. 345. 363.
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London, had now a very numerous congrega- tion. These people when they saw Mr. Keith, who had been the chief instrument and occasion of their forsaking the quaker errors, coming again among them, and in the character of a minister of the Church of England, they ex- pressed great joy and satisfaction to hear him , preach what tended to their farther confirma- tion in the Christian faith. Mr. Evans, the minister of Philadelphia, acquainted him that he had baptized above five hundred men, wo- men, and children, quakers, in Pennsylvania and West Jersey."*
The above is from Humphreys's History. We shall now give some extracts from Keith's Journal,t published in London in 1706, which we doubt not will be read with interest by all who are desirous of acquiring accurate know- ledge of the state of the Church here in those days.
" The twenty-eighth day of April, 1702, I sailed from Cowes in the Isle of Wight, in one of the Queen's ships, called the Centurion, whereof Captain Herne was commander, who was very civil to me, bound for Boston in New England ; and by the good providence of God,
* Humphreys's Historical Account, p. 145.
t This Journal is in No. 478, quarto, Philadelphia Library. 3*
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we arrived at Boston the eleventh day of June, our whole time of passage being six weeks and one day."
" By the advice of my good friends at Bos- ton, and especially of Colonel Joseph Dudley, Governor of Boston colony, I chose the Rev. Mr. John Talbot, who had been chaplain in the Centurion, to be my assistant and associate in my missionary travels and services, he hav- ing freely and kindly offered himself, and whom I freely and kindly received, and with the first occasion I wrote to the Society, praying them to allow of him to be my fellow companion and associate in travels, &c., which they accord- ingly did; and indeed divine Providence did well order it, for he proved a very loving and faithful associate to me, and was very helpful to me in all respects, and was well approved and esteemed everywhere, both with respect to his preaching and living, in the several places where we travelled."
" 1702. November 1, Sunday. We preached in the Town-house, at Burlington, in West Jersey, (the Church not being then built,) and we had a great auditory of diverse sorts, some of the Church, and some of the late converts from quakerism. Mr. Talbot preached before noon, and I in the afternoon. My text was
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John xvii. 3. Col. Hamilton, then governor of West Jersey, was present both forenoon and afternoon, and at his invitation we dined with him."
"November 5. We arrived at Philadelphia, and were kindly received by the two ministers* there, and the church people, and especially by the late converts from quakerism, who were become zealous members of the church."
" November 8, Sunday. I preached in the church of Philadelphia, at the minister's request, on 2d Peter iii. 15, 16, in the afternoon. . Mr. Talbot preached there in the forenoon. And again I preached another sermon, on the same, that evening at six o'clock, it being usual once a month to preach an evening sermon in that town. We had a very good auditory, so that the church could not contain them, but many stayed without and heard."
Mr. Keith and Mr. Talbot visited New York and the neighbouring churches a second time, and then returned to Philadelphia in January, where they remained several months.
" 1702-3. January 17, Sunday. I preached at Philadelphia, on John iii. 5, in the forenoon, and Mr. Talbot preached in the afternoon. I
The Rev. John Thomas was Mr. Evans's assistant.
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preached again on the same text an evening sermon, that began after the sixth hour, at night."
" January 24, Sunday. I preached at Phila- delphia, on Mat. v. 17, both in the forenoon and afternoon ; Mr. Evans, the minister of Philadel- phia, having that day been at Chester in Penn- sylvania, to accompany Mr. Talbot, who was to preach there the first sermon in the church after it was built."
From April to August these missionaries travelled through Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, as far as North Carolina, and returned to Philadelphia August 4th. They continued to preach here, and in the vicinity, until the April following.
We give a few more extracts from Mr. Keith's Journal.
"1703, August 8. Mr. Talbot preached in the forenoon at Philadelphia, and I preached there in the afternoon, on 2d Cor. xii. 9."
" August 22, Sunday. I preached at the new church at Burlington, on 2d Sam. xxiii. 3, 4. My Lord Cornbury was present, and many gentlemen who accompanied him, both from New York and the two Jerseys, having had his commission to be governor of West and East Jersey read at the town-house there some days
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before. It was the first sermon that was preach- ed in that church."
"September 21, Tuesday. I preached at Philadelphia on Jude 3. This week being the time of the quakers' yearly meeting in Philadel- phia, the minister of Philadelphia, the reverend Mr. Evans, with the consent of the vestry, hav- ing agreed together with us, to have both prayers and sermons at the church in Philadel- phia, all the days that the quakers had their meetings in that week, which used to continue three days; there happens commonly in that week to be a great concourse of people at Phil- adelphia, not only of quakers, but also of many others, as at some great fair."
" 1704, April 2, Sunday. I preached at Philadelphia, on John iv. 24, being my last ser- mon I preached there."
" After my return from East Jersey to Phil- adelphia, about the middle of February, 1703-4, for the space of six weeks I remained mostly at Philadelphia, and was very kindly and hospita- bly entertained by Mr. Joshua Carpenter, at his house, where I lodged all that time, until I began my journey from Philadelphia towards Virginia, to take passage for my return to England."
" The Rev. Mr. Evan Evans, the minister of
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HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
the church of England congregation at Philadel- phia, informed me, that (beside the considerable number of converts to the church from quaker- ism, that the former minister, the Rev. Mr. Clayton had baptized,) by his account, since he was minister there, he had baptized of men, women, and children, in Pennsylvania and West Jersey, of English and Welsh, about five hun- dred; many, or most of them, having been quakers, and the children of quakers, and qua- kerly affected; and besides these, many who had left quakerism, and had joined to the church had been baptized in infancy, not having been born of quaker parents."
"In Pennsylvania, where there was but one church of England congregation settled, to wit, at Philadelphia, and even that but of few years standing, at our arrival there ; there are now, blessed be God, five church of England congre- gations supplied with ministers, and who have convenient churches, where the people assemble constantly every Lord's day to the prayers and sermons, and where the holy sacraments are duly administered, according to the church of England. The places in Pennsylvania where these churches are set up, are, the first, Phila- delphia ; the second, Chester or Upland; the
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1893903
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third, Frankfort, alias Oxford ; the fourth, New- castle ; the fifth, Apoquimene.
" At Philadelphia, they have prayers in the church, not only on the Lord's days, and other holy days, but all Wednesdays and Fridays weekly, and the sacrament of the Lord's supper administered monthly, and the number of the communicants considerable. The church is commonly well filled with people every Lord's day ; and when they are fully assembled, both of the town and country that belong to that con- gregation, they may well be reckoned, by modest computation, to amount to five hundred persons of hearers. But sometimes there are many more ; and generally the converts from quakerism are good examples, both for fre- quenting the church prayers, and frequent par- taking of the Lord's supper, with zeal and devotion, and also of sober and virtuous living in their daily conversation."
The good old custom of having prayers in the church on all holy days, and on Wednes- days and Fridays, throughout the year, is (1841,) still preserved. The attendance on such occasions is usually very good. It were to be wished, however, that more of the con- gregation would unite in keeping up a pious practice, which has existed here at least a hundred and thirty years.
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1707.
The Rev. Mr. Evans went to England this year, upon private concerns. " During his absence," says Humphreys, " the Rev. Mr. Rudman, a worthy Swedish clergyman, who had officiated among his countrymen in these parts for several years, took care of his cure in Philadelphia." Mr. Rudman, as we are inform- ed by the Rev. Mr. Clay in his Annals of the Swedes,* "continued to officiate in Christ Church until his death, which took place on the 17th of September, A: D. 1708, aged forty years. His remains lie beneath the chancel in the Wicaco church. He appears to have been much beloved by the Swedes of that period, and their descendants will long hold in grateful remembrance his self-denial and faithfulness as a minister of Christ."
1709.
The Rev. Mr. Evans returned to Philadel- phia, and continued as before very diligent in his duty. His labours were not confined to the city, but extended to places forty and sixty miles distant from Philadelphia. Wherever he went he baptized many persons ; and one in-
* Annals of the Swedes, p. 87.
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stance is mentioned of his baptizing " a whole family of quakers, to the number of fifteen."
On his return from England, the early part of this year, he probably brought out the set of communion plate, which was presented by Queen Ann to Christ Church in 1708; the same which is now used at every administra- tion of the Lord's Supper.
In the records which have been preserved, we find incidental mention made this year of the "minister's house" and " school house," as the property of the church. There are also charges on the cash book for "bricks for the belfry," "new rope for the bell," and " bricks for making the horse block."
The bell was presented to the church in 1702, and is now in the belfry of St. Peter's Church, having been placed there soon after that church was erected.
1711.
The church being found too small to accom- modate the increasing congregation, was this year enlarged. Among the subscribers to this object we find the names of the honourable Charles Gookin, for £30. and the honourable Robert Quarry for £20. The addition must have been a considerable one, inasmuch as 4
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HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
37,000 bricks were used for that purpose, and the whole expense was £359. 3s. 8d. The subscriptions amounted to £221. 98. 3d., and the additional pews sold for £90. Some of the pews in the galleries were assessed at £2. 10s. each.
While the church was being enlarged, the congregation, " although the Presbyterians of- fered them the use of their church, asked to be permitted to worship in Wicaco church, which was granted them for three successive Sundays."* From this and other circumstan- ces there appears to have been great harmony between the Swedish and English congrega- tions. They mutually officiated in each others churches, and " on solemn occasions," says the Rev. Mr. Sandel, a Swedish clergyman, “ as at the laying of corner stones of churches, the English have always invited us, and conducted themselves as friends to our church."+
1712.
In this year the first mention is made of " the little bell," and " great bell ;" and we are pleas- ed to find a ." surplice" spoken of, as it goes far to show that, from the very first, " all things were done decently and in order." Col. Robert
* Annals of the Swedes, p. 103. + Ibid.
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Quarry now presented the church with a large silver flagon, and two silver plates, for the communion, and a large silver basin for the baptismal font; the aggregate value of which must have been nearly two hundred dollars. These vessels are all inscribed with the donor's name and the date, Oct. 8, 1712, when pre- sented.
1715.
The Rev. Mr. Evans again went to England " upon account of some family concerns ;" and on his return to America in the year 1716, the society appointed him missionary to Oxford and Radnor, Welsh settlements, being then vacant. "He undertook that cure," says the historian of the society, "for two years, and discharged it with diligence, to the great ad- vantage of the people, and much to his own credit."*
The Rev. Mr. Talbot, of Burlington, seems to have officiated during Mr. Evans's absence in England, as " the box money" is appropri- ated to him.
1717.
The appointment of Mr. Evans to the cure
*Humphreys's Historical Account, p. 151.
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HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
of Oxford and Radnor, two churches which he himself had gathered, appears not to have inter- fered with his duties in Christ Church.
The following extracts from the minutes of the vestry will show that he was still the min- ister here, and that he was greatly esteemed and beloved by his people.
April 22. " Being Easter-Monday, the con- gregation of Christ Church in Philadelphia being met after divine service, they proceeded accord- ing to custom to electing church wardens and vestrymen for the ensuing year, the Rev. Doct. Evan Evans, minister, being present." Then follow the names of the two wardens and twelve vestrymen who were elected. We give the above extract merely because it is the first minute of the vestry which has come down to us. From this period the records are, for the most part, full, clear, and uninterrupted, until the present time.
June 11. The seats in the gallery are men- · tioned, which shows that the original building must have been more than "one story" high ; and in the February following, both the north gallery and the west gallery are named. At this meeting it was "Resolved, that a form of subscription be prepared by the church war- dens towards erecting a steeple for Christ
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Church." It was further " Resolved, that the Rev. Doctor Evans and the church wardens do wait upon his honour the governor, to desire him in the name of the whole vestry, to honour them with being one of their members." Agree- ably to this request the governor took his seat in the vestry, and for more than two years was a constant attendant on all their meetings.
1718.
February 3. The following appears among the minutes of this day : " The present gover- nor has been pleased at a considerable charge, not only to erect a spacious pew right before the altar, to be appropriated in all time to come for the conveniency and use of the governor and his family for the time being ; but also to pro- mise and voluntarily agree to pay the yearly rent of five pounds per annum for the same, to the use of the church." At that time the floor of the church was probably of brick ; as we find it stated in the cash book that " the bricks were taken up to lay the foundation of the governor's pew."
" The vestry considering that great incon- veniences may flow from allowing all persons promiscuously to vote in the yearly election of vestries, without their having given some proof 4*
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HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
of their being truly of the communion of the church, do therefere recommend it to the Doc- tor (Evans) to keep a faithful list of all such persons as come yearly to the communion table, in order to distinguish them from such others, as either never have communicated, or shall hereafter fall off from the church communion. And that two Sundays immediately before the election of any vestry, the Doctor will please, after the divine service, to cause the clerk pub- licly to read the above minute to the congrega- tion, certifying to all persons concerned, that it is and shall be hereafter a standing order of the vestry that no person be admitted to vote in the election of any succeeding vestry, or of the church-wardens, unless it be made to ap- pear that some time within the space of twelve months before such election, such person pre- tending to vote, actually did communicate and receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper, according to the rites of the church of Eng- land."
February 15. At a meeting of the vestry, " Doctor Evans acquaints the board that he has lately received a letter from the governor of Maryland, with an offer of a living there ; that he finds himself by reason of age and other infirmities, very incapable of discharging his
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cure here in such manner as the same ought to be discharged ; that he is a hearty well-wisher to this church and people, and requests that the vestry will not only acquiesce in his removal, but that they will think of proper methods for supplying the church with a minister or minis- ters until the lord bishop of London shall fill the vacancy."
The vestry accept the Doctor's resignation, and direct the churchwardens " without loss of time, to wait on all the members of the church in the place, who are able and willing to con- tribute for the use and benefit" of their minis- ter, who, they say, "justly deserves some suit- able return of gratitude from a congregation over which he had so long presided."
He had been minister of Christ Church since 1700, a period of eighteen years. Shortly after his removal to Maryland he died ; " with this general character, that he had been a faithful missionary, and had proved a great instrument towards settling religion and the church of England in those wild countries."*
March 11. At a meeting of the vestry held this day, the Hon. William Keith, Lieut. Gov- ernor, being present, was " unanimously chosen
* Humphreys's Historical Account, p. 151.
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HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
chairman ;" and it was resolved that the gover- nor be respectfully requested to inform the bishop of London of " the unhappy condition of the church in this place for a long time past, for want of an able and sufficient school-mas- ter to educate our children ;" and " that his lordship will be pleased earnestly to solicit his most sacred majesty for obtaining the contin- uance of the royal bounty, formerly granted to the minister and school-master of this place ; assuring his lordship that we will use our utmost endeavours to raise such supplies by way of addition thereto as shall give a most decent and fitting encouragement to the persons with whom his lordship shall be pleased to fill up these vacancies."
April 3. "The governor acquainted the vestry that the Rev. Mr. 'Talbot of Burlington, Mr. Humphreys of Chester, Mr. Ross of New Castle, and Mr. Sandel, of Wicaco, had been invited by him, and most of them were now in town, in order to wait on this vestry and receive their proposals for supplying the vacancy of this church, until the bishop of London's plea- sure was known."
" The vestry thereupon recommended it to the governor to concert with the above named clergymen how they might supply this vacancy
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with conveniency to themselves, and the least prejudice to their respective cures."
An arrangement was made with these gen- tlemen for supplying the church for several months, and a liberal compensation was voted them by the vestry ; but they declined " receiv- ing any pecuniary reward" for their services.
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