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 21
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return among them, to teach school, for the instruction of their children. In short, many other public letters were continually sent over, by which it appeared, that the in- habitants of Hopewell and Maidenhead, were building a church, and desired a minister and some subsistence for him ; that there were churches building at Salem, at Am- boy, and Elizabeth-Town; that the inhabitants of Dover- Hundred, in Kent county, had subscribed fifty-five pounds seventeen shillings in Pennsylvania money, towards the maintenance of a minister : that the inhabitants of North and South Appoqueniminck creek, were preparing to build a church, desiring a minister with fifty pounds per annum from the society, and hoping to add something themselves towards his subsistence. The chief of which inhabitants have since sent over an address to the Lord Bishop of London, certifying that they have a very commodious church already built, and that they earnestly desire a pious minister to reside among them, to guide and instruct them in religion, according to the principles, doctrine and wor- ship, of the Church of England, for whose encouragement they had made subscriptions according to the best of their abilities. That the vestry of St. Paul's in Chester or Up- lands, did crave advice of the society, concerning some lands given to the use of the Swedish Church there, and sold by some Swedes to a quaker, how to recover it to the use of their own English church; they are thankful for the society's contribution to the maintenance of their min- ister, Mr. Nichols ; and acknowledge the great favour of sending so good and worthy man among them. That the minister and vestry of Philadelphia, could never be suffi- ciently thankful to divine Providence for raising up such an honourable society to maintain the interests of religion, and to engage in the great work of promoting the salva- tion of men ; and that they return their most thankful ac-
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knowledgments for the society's pious care in sending over the Rev. Mr. George Keith and his associate Mr. John Talbot, whose labours and conversation they very much commend ; that the minister and vestry of Chester in Penn- sylvania, did bless God for putting it into the hearts of so many charitable christians to engage in the great work of promoting the salvation of such as were so widely removen from all conveniences of divine worship ; they are thankful for their minister, and for the society's support of him, and beg the continuance of their benevolence, &c.
It must be further observed, that the society have taken care to propagate christian religion according to the purity of faith and worship profest and established in the church of England, and have consulted the honour and interest of our English church, by all the fairest and most effectual ways and means. Upon this honest view, they have taken care to send no missionaries, but such as, among other qualifications, have a good attestation of their affection to the present government, and of their conformity to the doc- trine and discipline of the Church of England. And in their request to the Bishops and Arch Deacons, for recom- mending to them fit ministers to be sent abroad, they declare that their subsistence and encouragement shall be given only to those who devote themselves to the service of God, by propagating and promoting the gospel in the truth and purity of it, according to the doctrine, discipline, and wor- ship established in the Church of England. And among the instructions given to their missionaries, they do direct them that they conscientiously observe the rule of our Lit- urgy in the performance of all the offices of their ministry. That besides the stated service appointed for Sundays and Holidays, they do, as far as they shall find it practicable, publicly read the daily morning and evening service-that they consider the qualifications of those whom they admit
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to the Lord's Supper, according to the directions of the Rubricks in our Liturgy-that they explain the Church- Catechism in the most easy and familiar manner-that they frequently visit their respective parishioners, those of our own communion, to keep them steady in the profession and practice of religion, as taught in the church of Eng- land. Those that oppose us, or dissent from us, to con- vince and reclaim them with a spirit of meekness and gen- tleness. And to encourage the English decency and order in the several plantation churches, the society have ex- pended above two hundred and fifty pounds, in large Bibles and folio Common Prayer-books, for public use and service, and more than two hundred pounds, in small common Prayer-Books, Catechisms, and expositors, to be distributed gratis among the people. And for an example, to furnish the churches with suitable ornaments, they have sent over two distinct services of communion cups and patens in sil- ver, with pulpit cloths and cushions, and carpets and linen for the communion-table. In a late monthly meeting of the society, the Lord Bishop of London reported, that Her Majesty, of her princely grace and favour, had been pleased (through his lordship's hands) to allow five large Church- Bibles, Common Prayer-Books, and Books of Homilies, as also pulpit cloths, communion-table cloths, silver chalices and patens, for each of the five churches in the govern- ment of New York, viz. : Hempstead and Jamaica in Long Island, West Chester, Rye, and Staten Island. So far may the prophecy and the fulfilling of it be applied to the Church of Christ arising in America ; Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and Queens thy nursing mothers.
The subscriptions, gifts, and legacies so made to the so- ciety, have enabled them to expend, for the first year, four hundred and fifty-two pounds, ten shillings and nine-pence. For the second year, five hundred and seventy-five pounds,
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seven shillings and four-pence. For the third year, eight hundred and sixty-four pounds, five shillings and two-pence. And for the last year, to midsummer 1705, the sum of one thousand three hundred and forty-three pounds, one shil- ling and nine-pence half-penny. And if their abilities were equal to the pressing occasions of supply, they would con- tinually send over more missionaries, both itinerant and resident ; they would contribute to the erecting and endow- ing of more churches, and chapels, and schools, and libra- ries ; and, by all possible ways and means, would more 'and more promote the glory of God, and the good of souls, by a vigorous propagation of the gospel in those foreign parts. And therefore we humbly desire, and earnestly en- treat, and for the sake of the holy Jesus, whose gospel and work it is, we heartily implore the aid and assistance of all christians, who have any concern for christianity.
Thus have we given a true and faithful account of the constitution and proceedings of the society, established by royal charter, for the propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts ; and we here publish it to the world, not for osten- tation of what has been done, (which is little or nothing in proportion to the great work,) but to show what a mighty trust is committed to us ; how sincerely we have endea- voured to discharge it ; how willing we are to labour in the prosecution of it; and how much we want a farther assistance and supply from all good and pious christians, who may depend on a just disposal of their charity in promoting the best design in the world, that of the conver- sion of souls, by the propagation of the Gospel. Prosper Thou the work, O Lord, and make it appear to be the work of Thy hands."
The preceding account gives only the history of the Society's operations for the first four years of its exis-
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tence. The following is an account of its continued efforts to plant, and nourish the church in Pennsylva- nia, Delaware and New Jersey, for more than twenty years after. The work from which we extract is " Humphreys's History of the Society for the Propa- gation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, London, 1730." It contains a very full record of the Society's pro- ceedings up to the year 1728. The author, Dr. David Humphreys, was secretary to the society, and drew the materials of his history, as he tells us in his preface, " from papers transmitted to the society, by governors of colonies, or persons of note abroad; or from con- gregations of people, and the missionaries in the plan- tations;" the original documents being " in the soci- ety's custody." His account may therefore be relied on as authentic, and " sufficiently exact in all material points."
After giving a deplorable account of the religious destitution of the Southern States, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland, in the year 1701, when the Society was instituted, he says :
" The large adjoining colony, Pennsylvania, was in a very destitute state, wholly unprovided of any ministers of the church of England, except only at one place, Philadel- phia. A considerable number of people here, members of the church of England, had formed themselves into a gathered church, and chose a vestry, and transmitted to the society a very zealous letter in the year 1704, wherein they say, ' They can never be sufficiently thankful to Divine Providence, who hath raised up this society, to maintain the honour of religion, and to engage in the great' work, the salvation of men. That gratitude, and an humble ac-
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knowledgment of their noble and charitable resolution of propagating the sacred Gospel, in these remote and dark corners of the earth, is not only a duty, but a debt, on all true professors of Christianity.'
" At the same time the society received a letter from the vestry of Chester, in Pennsylvania, full of religious senti- ments, ' that they did bless God, who had put it into the hearts of so many charitable persons, to engage in the great work of promoting the salvation of such as were so widely removed from all conveniences of divine worship, as they were, till the christian charity of this society, not only procured a minister for them, but also supported him. This truly was absolutely necessary, for though in some parts of that province, and particularly in and about Phila- delphia, abundance of souls were daily added to the church, yet the number of this parish being small, and the charge of building their church (not then quite finished) together with the great scarcity of money among them since the war with Spain ; had quite disenabled them from taking that weight from the society, which otherwise they would have willingly done. They never before had grounds even to hope the Gospel would be propagated in those, above all other foreign parts, till they found themselves the subjects of the society's care.' The society received also letters and petitions from the people of Dover-Hundred, Oxford, and from the Welsh people settled at Radnor, requesting the corporation with great earnestness to send them mis- sionaries ; and expressing the greatest love and esteem for the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England." P. 53-55.
The next extract will be read with peculiar interest, as containing an account of the first efforts of the society to plant the church in Pennsylvania.
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" The society before they proceeded to appoint mission- aries to particular places, resolved to send a travelling mis- sionary or preacher, who should travel over, and preach in the several governments on the continent of the British America ; by which means they hoped they should awaken the people into a sense of the duties of religion. For this purpose, they sent the Rev. Mr. George Keith, who had formerly resided in Pennsylvania, an itinerant missionary through the continent of the British North America, with an allowance of two hundred pounds a year. He set sail from England on the 24th of April, in 1702, and arrived at Boston, in New England, on the 11th of June following. He performed his mission in two years, and returned to England, and published a full account of his labours there, of which I shall give the reader here, a very short sum- mary. He travelled over, and preached in all the govern- ments and dominions belonging to the Crown of England, betwixt North Carolina and Piscataway river in New England, inclusively, being ten distinct governments ; and extending in length above eight hundred miles. During the whole time of his mission he was very assiduous; he preached commonly twice on Sundays, besides on week- days, and the sermons were properly adapted to the hear- ers, before whom they were delivered. He had generally good success where he preached ; the people in many places were well disposed for receiving of the gospel, and seemed to hear the word with great reverence, humility, and zeal. They joined with him devoutly in the liturgy and all public prayers, and the administration of the sacra- ment, and earnestly desired him to present their requests to the society, to have ministers sent among them. But he was especially successful in his preaching, and private and public conferences, in several places, in Pennsylvania, the two Jerseys, Oyster Bay in Long Island, and at New
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York, where he laboured most, and continued the longest time. In the two first of these places, 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 London, had now a very numerous congregation. - 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 expressed great joy and satisfaction to hear him preach what tended to their farther confirmation in the Christian faith. Mr. Evans, the minister at Philadelphia, acquainted him, that he had baptized above 500 men, women and children, qua- kers, in Pennsylvania and West Jersey. And Mr. Keith, during his continuance in those parts, together with the Rev. Mr. Talbot, who accompanied him as his associate in his labours, baptized at least 200 in Pennsylvania, and West and East Jersey, New York, and in some places on Long Island, especially Oyster Bay.
There were now settled in Pennsylvania, three church of England congregations, which had convenient churches, at Philadelphia, Chester and Oxford. The Rev. Mr. Evans, Minister of Philadelphia, preached occasionally at Chester, and the Rev. Mr. Rudman, a Swedish missionary, officiated at Oxford. At Philadelphia, they had public prayers not only on Sundays, but also on Wednesdays and Fridays, and by a mean computation there was an audience of 500 persons from the town and country near Philadel- phia, and more on great festivals; at the church at Ches- ter, there assembled commonly 200 persons ; and at Ox- ford, above 150. These churches are within thirty miles
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distance of each other, and were frequented by a consi- derable number of late converts to the church from qua- kerism, and were persons of good note for their christian conversation, devotion and zeal." p. 73-77.
" Pennsylvania, with the three lower counties, extends in length near three hundred miles, and in breadth above two hundred, watered with that noble stream the Delaware, navigable three hundred miles at least, in small vessels ; it was settled by people of several European nations, by Swedes and some Dutch first, and afterwards by the En- glish and French. The first English settlers here were quakers, above two thousand of which went over from Eng- land at once, with Mr. Penn, the proprietary ; but since that time, great numbers of persons of other principles in religion, have settled themselves there ; not to avoid any violence at home, but to improve their fortunes in those parts. The English were much the most numerous inhab- itants, and quakerism the prevailing opinion. Mr. George Keith, who resided here, says, according to the best com- putation he could make, above 1500 men and women qua- kers, used to come to their yearly meetings, at Philadel- phia, from the adjoining country, and from East and West Jerseys, in the year 1689.
" But soon after, in the year 1691, there arose a breach between a party of quakers who joined with Mr. Keith, in opposing some of their errors, (especially their notion of the sufficiency of the light within every man to salvation, with- out any thing else,) and another party that joined with Mr. Thomas Loyd, then deputy governor of the country, and a great preacher among the quakers. Upon this breach, all the meetings in these provinces were broken, and each party sat up separate meetings, upon account of such differ- ent principles in religion, and especially with regard to that notion, of the sufficiency of the light within every man.
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One party called the Keithian quakers, judged this a tacit rejection of the written word of God, and of the sacra- ments, and tending, at least, to set up deism. They divid- ed therefore from the Foxian quakers ; and in the year 1694, there were fifteen meetings of these separatist quakers, in Pennsylvania and the Jerseys.
" The Swedes and Dutch settled in this province, 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, con- sisting 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 his late majesty, King William, for some stipend for their minister, and his majesty was pleased to allow fifty pounds sterling to their minister, and thirty pounds to a schoolmaster, at Philadelphia. The people have sev- eral times made application for some salary to their minis- ter 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 contributions of his hearers ; was very diligent in the discharge of his duty, and through God's blessing very successful. A great number of persons of various opinions, not only in Philadelphia, the metropolis of this country, but of the adjacent parts, began to see their errors, and embraced the Church of England worship. The frequent resort of people of the better condition, from all the remote parts of the country, to that capital town,
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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 ministers sent over to them.
" He went frequently to Chichester, Chester and Con- cord, to Montgomery and Radnor, each about twenty miles distant from Philadelphia; and to Maidenhead, in West Jersey, forty miles distant. This travelling was both fatiguing and expensive, yet he frequently visited these places, being determined by all means, to lose none of those he had gained. But Montgomery and Radnor, next to Philadelphia, had the most considerable share in his labours.
" Mr. Evans used to preach two evening lectures at Phil- adelphia, 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 ser- vice, and used to read some select prayers out of the church liturgy, and preached upon subjects suitable to an audience of young men. There arose an unforeseen ad- vantage from the lectures, for not only the young men who designedly met, were improved, but a great many young persons, who dared not appear in the day time, at the pub- lic 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 followed, desired baptism, and
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became stedfast in the communion of the church. Several accounts from Mr. Keith and Mr. Talbot acquaint that Mr. Evans baptized in Philadelphia, and the adjoining parts, above eight hundred persons. The Welsh people of Rad- nor and Montgomery stirred up by his preaching, addressed the Bishop of London for a minister, who understood their language ; representing, that a very considerable number of Welsh people in those towns and neighbouring parts, who had been bred up members of the church of England, were here unhappily fallen into quakerism, for want of a minister ; as being disposed to follow that, rather than have no form of religion, and who were ready to return back to the Church of England.
" In the year 1707, Mr. Evans came to England upon private concerns ; during his absence, the Rev. Mr. Rud- man, a worthy Swedish clergyman, who had officiated among his countrymen in these parts for several years, took care of his cure at Philadelphia. Mr. Evans returned to Philadelphia, and continued as before very diligent in his duty ; he used to preach sometimes at Hopewell, in West Jersey, forty miles distant from Philadelphia, where the people were exceeding desirous of having the Church of England worship settled ; and only upon hopes of obtain- ing a missionary from the society, had with considerable expense built a church. He visited also Appoquinimy, sixty-five miles distant from Philadelphia ; and a new set- tlement called Parkeomen, situated on the river Schoolkill ; he baptized many persons here, particularly a whole family of quakers, to the number of fifteen. He afterwards re- turned to England upon account of some family concerns.
" In the year 1716, Mr. Evans resolved to go once more abroad, and the cure of Oxford and Radnor, Welsh settle- ments, being then vacant, the society appointed him mis- sionary there. He undertook that cure for two years, and
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discharged it with diligence, to the great advantage of the people, and much to his own credit. He was afterwards invited to Maryland, to a parish there, but soon after died; with this general character, that he had been a faithful missionary, and had proved a great instrument towards set- tling religion and the Church of England in those wild countries." p. 144 to 151.
The people of Chester county showed a very early zeal to have the Church of England worship settled among them. This county is so called because most of the first inhabitants of it came from Cheshire in England. Chester the chief town of the county, is finely situate on the river Delaware, at that place, three miles over; the road for shipping here is very commodious and safe, and so large that a royal navy might ride there. The people here were stirred up by Mr. Evans's preaching ; to engage in building a church; they erected a very good brick fabric, one of the neatest on the continent, and completed it in July 1702, at the sole expense of private subscriptions of the church members. It was opened on St. Paul's day, and therefore called St. Paul's, and Mr. George Keith preached the first sermon in it.
The society appointed the Rev. Mr. Nicholls mission- ary in 1703; he acquainted the society in 1704, that he found the people very well inclined to the Church of Eng- land, and recommended them earnestly to the society's care, on account of their good disposition, though they had not any fixed minister till now. The people made a sub- scription of sixty pounds a year towards Mr. Nicholls's sup- port, and became very regular and constant at divine wor- ship. Mr. Nicholls said, he did not want a considerable congregation at his first arrival, notwithstanding his being seated in the midst of quakers, and ascribes this advantage to the industrious preaching of the society's itinerant mis-
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sionaries, the Rev. Mr. Keith and Mr. Talbot, who had prepared the people very much by their labours.
Mr. Jasper Yeates and Mr. James Sandelands, two worthy gentlemen of this place, deserve particular men- tion here ; they were the principal promoters of the build- ing this church. Mr. Thomas Powell gave also a valuable piece of ground for the minister's garden, the parishioners contributed the rest ; and as soon as the outside was com- pleted, the inside was beautified, mostly at the expense of those who frequented it, and adorned with decent furniture, a handsome pulpit and pews. Mr. Nicholls continued here with good success in his labours, till about 1708, at which time he removed to Maryland. The Rev. Mr. Ross came from New Castle, and officiated here upon the peo- ple's desire. He was very industrious in his ministry and acceptable to the people. He moved the society to send some good books here, to prevent the people's continuing in unsettled notions of religion ; and said he was much con- cerned to observe in his travels up and down the country, that there were variety of books sent and placed in almost every quaker family, especially Barclay's Apology, to for- tify the people in their errors, and furnish them with argu- ments against' the faith ; whereas in the houses of the church people, few or no books were to be seen. Upon which the society have since sent quantities of Bibles, Common Prayers, and devotional tracts, to be dispersed among the people. However, the society did not continue Mr. Ross at Chester, though he behaved himself entirely to their satisfaction, but directed him to remove to New- castle, where he was first appointed, and sent to Chester the Rev. Mr. Humphreys their missionary. He used great diligence in serving all parts of his cure, and gained the love and esteem of his parishioners. There were at that time but very few missionaries in that province, and
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