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 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22
415
OF THE CHURCH.
being obliged to divide themselves among 11 or 12 con- gregations, they had more than employ sufficient. The church at Chester continued in a flourishing condition dur- ing Mr. Humphreys's residence. He used to preach once a month at Chichester, a town of note, where the people had built a convenient chapel, upon his persuasion and promise to attend them once a month. It is distant four miles from Chester, and there is a legacy left by Mr. Jeremiah Col- lett to the minister of Chester, to preach four times a year there. This chapel is very convenient for aged people, youth and servants, (who cannot go so far as to Chester,) to come to hear divine service. Mr. Humphreys had a congregation, generally, of about 150 people. He used also once a month to visit the small neighbouring town, Concord, where he had a good number of people for his hearers ; who have since, for the more decent performing of divine worship, built a little church. Mr. Humphreys continued very diligent in the care of these three places ; but by reason of the fatigue of visiting several congrega- tions, contracted many indispositions and severe sicknesses, which engaged him in heavier expenses than the society's salary and the people's contributions would support. He was invited to Maryland by some friends, where he could have a better provision, which he accepted, not only with the society's leave, but also with the allowance of a gra- tuity of 30 pounds beyond his salary, on account of the hardships he suffered on his mission, and of his good beha- viour during his being employed. These three churches are now without a minister, but the society have agreed to send them a missionary as soon as conveniently may be.
:
Oxford and Radnor, two Welsh settlements, were first visited by Mr. Evans of Philadelphia, and the people hav- ing been members of the Church of England, when they were transplanted from Wales hither, were desirous of
416
EARLY HISTORY
having that form of worship fixed among them again. By his occasional sermons, and the visits of other clergymen, the people of Oxford were encouraged to build a neat and convenient church. The congregation consisted chiefly of the younger people, and the whole town composed about twenty families; they not only built a church but sub- scribed also twenty pounds a year to their minister in money and country produce. The people of Radnor also petitioned for a minister : and the society appointed the Rev. Mr. Club, missionary to Oxford and Radnor, two towns, being about twenty miles distant from each other. He arrived there in 1714. The inhabitants of both towns received him with great kindness, as being well known to them before, during his being school-master at Philadelphia; the people of Radnor, especially, were very thankful to the society for having been pleased to consider their wants, and renewed their promise of giving him their best assistance, and presently after his arrival, heartily engaged to build a handsome stone church, which they have since performed. Mr. Club was very earnest in all parts of his ministerial office, and very successful in his labours, and happy in en- gaging the love and esteem of all his people. But the care of these two churches engaged him in great fatigue, not only on account of the distance between the places, but because of the extremity of the weather, whether hot or cold. Mr. Club contracted so many indispositions by his labours, as put an end to his life in 1715. The people were so sensible of the difficulties he underwent, that after his death the church-wardens of the parish wrote thus to the society : "Mr. Club, our late minister, was the first that undertook the cure of Oxford and Radnor, and he paid dear for it ; for the great fatigue of riding between the two churches, in such dismal ways and weather as we gener-
417
OF THE CHURCH.
ally have for four months in the winter, soon put a period to his life."
Both towns wrote again to the society, requesting an- other missionary, the society wrote a letter, exhorting them to consider on some proper means among themselves for making sufficient allowance for a minister to reside con- stantly among them. In answer to this they assured the society, " They were heartily disposed to do their best ; but at present their circumstances would not do great things. They were at present but poor settlers, who had newly settled land backwards in the wilderness, and had not yet so much as their own habitations free from debts ; that indeed they had built churches, in hopes of having minis- ters from the society, and had thereby so much encumbered themselves, that it would be some years, in all probability, before they could clear that debt."
The society were desirous this good disposition of the people should not be disappointed, and in 1718, appointed the Rev. Mr. Wayman their missionary at Oxford and Radnor. He entered upon his ministry among them with diligence, and the people continued their zeal for the church service. The inhabitants of Oxford purchased a house, orchard, and sixty-three acres of land, for the use and habitation of the minister ; and the people of Radnor have obliged themselves to contribute forty pounds procla- mation money of that country, yearly, towards the support of a minister to preach to them in Welsh, their native lan- guage, because many of them do not understand English. Several accounts have been sent the society that Mr. Way- man is very careful in all parts of his duty, and that he extends his labours to several other places, on the week days, when he can be spared from his own immediate charge ; particularly that he hath often travelled to Con- estego, about forty miles beyond Radnor, and baptized
1
418
EARLY HISTORY
there and elsewhere above seventy children in one year. Mr. Wayman hath acquainted the society, that the members of the church increase continually ; that there is a congregation at Whitemarsh, about ten miles distant from Oxford, who are desirous of a minister, and have, for the decent performance of divine worship, erected a goodly stone building. Mr. Wayman continues in the mission, with good success.
The inhabitants of Appoquinimy were so zealous as to build a convenient church, about the year 1705, long be- fore they had any settled minister. They used to be sometimes visited by the Rev. Mr. Sewell from Maryland, and by Mr. Crawford the society's missionary in Dover- Hundred. They applied to the society for a missionary, and the Rev. Mr. Jenkins was appointed to that place ; upon his arrival, he found the people much scattered in their settlements, and Newcastle town, which was then vacant, being settled closer and more commodious, he offi- ciated there for some time at first ; but soon after, by directions from the society, returned to his own cure of Appoquinimy. However, during his stay at Newcastle, he was not neglectful of his duty. At his return to Appoquin- imy, in 1708, he soon drew together a large congregation of about two hundred persons, who were, for the most part, very constant hearers. He had thirteen communicants the first time he administered the Lord's Supper. He wrote to the society, " that the people grew so earnest in reli- gion, that above twenty persons had discoursed with him, in order for their due instruction, and were preparing themselves against the next administration of the Lord's Supper ; and also, that a great many grown persons were preparing to receive holy baptism, and that he hoped soon to be able to send over a joyful account of his further suc- cess in his labours." But five months after he died, and
-
1
419
OF THE CHURCH.
was exceedingly regretted by all who were acquainted with his merit, and especially by his parishioners. The vestry of his parish wrote thus concerning him to the society, " He died to our unspeakable grief and loss ; and we must do that justice to his memory, as to assure the honourable society, that he behaved himself in all respects, both as to his doctrine and life, as became the sacred character he bore ; and God did so bless his labours here, that before he died he saw our church in a flourishing condition." They conclude their letter, praying the society to send them another missionary. The society did not send a missionary thither for a considerable time, on account of being engaged to support other missions, to the extent of their fund; however, the people were not quite desti- tute, they were occasionally visited by the Rev. Mr. Byork, a Swedish minister, who came from Christina creek, on Delaware river, to perform divine service once a month. They were visited also by the Rev. Mr. Club, but oftener by Mr. Ross from Newcastle, and by some other missionaries. But the clergy there, in the year 1715, with much earnestness represented to the society, that the state of several places in that province was deplorable. Many churches, which were once filled with considerable numbers of communicants whose early zeal had led them, though poor, to erect those decent structures for the service of God, and at some of them to build commodious houses for the reception of their minis- ters, were, through a long vacancy, by the death or remo- val of the missionaries, quite desolate ; and great opportu- nities were given for the sincere members of the church to be seduced to errors, especially the people of Appoquinimy, and of all Bucks, Kent and Sussex counties. They assured they had done the utmost they could, in their circumstances, to keep those congregations together, by dividing the care
420
EARLY HISTORY
of them among themselves, and visiting them sometimes on week days, and baptizing their children and instructing their youth ; but the great distance from their fixed cures rendered the service out of measure difficult. The soci- ety, moved with this representation, sent the Rev. Mr. Merry missionary to Appoquinimy ; but upon account of some difficulties in the mission he did not settle there, but after a short stay in those parts returned to England. The Rev. Mr. Campbell was afterwards sent missionary, but he is gone from this mission to Brookhaven. And the society have, this last year appointed the Rev. Mr. Hacket missionary hither, and conceive good hopes, from the very ample testimonials he brought them of his good behaviour, that he will answer the intent of his mission.
. Newcastle, the capital of the county of that name, is finely seated, standing high upon the Delaware ; this county is the uppermost of the three lower, Newcastle, Kent and Sussex, which run one hundred and twenty miles along the coast, and are about thirty miles deep towards Maryland. These counties comprehend all the marshes on the great bay of the Delaware, as commodious and fertile as any in the world. The town was first built and inhabited by the Dutch, and called Amstel, from that river which gives a name to Amsterdam in Holland. It is a large place, con- taining above twenty-five hundred souls. The Rev. Mr. George Ross, was appointed missionary hither by the society, in the year 1705. He was received with great kindness by the inhabitants, and had a very regular congre- gation; not only the people of the town, but a considerable number of the country people, though they lived a good way off the town, some above twelve miles, yet they sel- dom missed coming to church, when there was no sermon in the country. The congregation hath continued still increasing through Mr. Ross's assiduous care ; he extended
421
OF THE CHURCH.
his labours farther, to the churches of Appoquinimy, and at Whiteclay creek ; the latter, indeed, is reckoned as a cha- pel of ease to his own church, the other a distant cure. When Appoquinimy had no missionary, he used to preach on two Sundays at Newcastle, once a month at Appoquinimy, and once at Whiteclay creek. This truly was very pain- ful service, but he performed it with a willing mind and good success. Sometimes however, he did represent to the society, that the people at Newcastle seemed to lay claim to all his service, and to take it somewhat amiss when he was employed abroad on Sundays; and adds, " I would not willingly disoblige them, nor yet see, if I could help it, the church at Appoquinimy, which is as fre- quent as that at Newcastle, quite destitute and forsaken." Indeed the people at Newcastle have, from the beginning, showed a due regard to their worthy minister, and sub- scribed voluntarily to him, about forty-eight pounds per annum, and some other benefactions have been made to the church : particularly Mr. Richard Halliwell, a gentle- man of piety and honour, made a bequest as follows : " I give and bequeath unto Emanuel Church, standing upon the green, in the town of Newcastle, the sum of sixty pounds, it being due to me, over and above my subscription towards building thereof. Item, I also give and bequeath all my marsh and plantation, situate near the broad dyke of the town of Burlington, containing and laid out for sixty- seven acres of land and marsh, together with all the houses and orchards, and other improvements, to the proper use and behoof of the minister, that from time to time shall serve the said Emanuel Church, forever." This, so sig- nal a benefaction, by a gentleman who had in his lifetime so generously contributed towards building this church, deserves a grateful record in these papers. St. James's Church, at Whiteclay Creek, is the other branch of Mr.
36
422
EARLY HISTORY
Ross's cure. The frame of this church was raised in December, 1716, situate about ten or eleven miles from the town of Newcastle. It is made of wood, in length thirty-two feet, in breadth twenty-two, and stands upon a rising ground not far from that creek, whence the hundred where the church stands borrows its name : it is as fair an oratory as any not built of brick, in that government ; but the rise of this church may more peculiarly be ascribed to a worthy gentleman, Mr. James Robinson, who lived there, and took great pains to promote the building, contributed himself very handsomely, and afterwards endowed it with ten acres of glebe land forever. Mr. Ross hath continued in this mission until the present time, irreprovable in his conduct, and very diligent in his labours ; which he hath not only employed in his own parish, but in several other places occasionally, and very much to the satisfaction of the people where he officiated. He hath been particularly serviceable in visiting the congregations in the two lower counties of Kent and Sussex, when they had no resident ministers. A little lower I shall give some account of his labours in those places .- pp. 151 to 166.
The two lower counties of Pennsylvania, Kent and Sus- sex, had very early care taken of them by the society. The country is very fruitful, but not so well planted as others. The families are not settled together in towns, but live in scattered plantations. There are in these counties many tracts of excellent land, which tempt the inhabitants to fix in such separate dwellings. Dover is the capital of Kent county ; but very thin of houses, containing not above forty families. The people showed a very earnest desire of having the Church of England worship set up among them, and the society appointed the Rev. Mr. Crawford to be missionary at Dover; in the year 1704. He entered upon his ministry with good success, and gained from per-
423
OF THE CHURCH.
sons of repute, the character of an ingenious and accepta- ble man. The people began soon to be zealous to build a church for divine worship, and in about three years raised a very decent fabric. Soon after Mr. Crawford's coming among them, not only the masters of families brought their children to be baptized, but many grown persons, who once had prejudices to the church, desired and received baptism ; in about two years time Mr. Crawford baptized above 230, young and old, in his own appointed cure, be- sides many others in places which were not within his charge. He was very constant in his labours, and did not confine them to Dover town, and the adjacent parts, but preached up and down the county, which is above fifty miles long, at several places. His general audience was from fifty to near two hundred persons, and he ordinarily had between thirty and forty communicants. The people at his first coming among them were very ignorant ; inso- much that he informs, not one man in the country under- stood how the Common Prayer Book was to be read : and he was forced to instruct them privately at home, in the method of reading the liturgy ; for the more general in- struction of the people, he used to preach one Sunday at the upper end of the county, another at Dover church, and a third at the lower end of the county. He used to catechise the children all the summer long, before the ser- mon, but not in the winter. The people improved much, became serious and grave in their behaviour at church, and brought their children very regularly for baptism, though a great many of them were quakers' children, or had been quakers themselves. He was also invited by the people of Sussex county, to come and preach among them, which he did, at Captain Hill's house in Lewis town, and at other places. The people of this county also, were of a religious disposition. They soon after wrote a letter to the Bishop
424
EARLY HISTORY
of London, desiring a minister, and promised to allow him all their present circumstances would permit ; and farther, to show their hearty zeal, they began to build a church, which they have since finished, and have by many other instances approved themselves a worthy people. Mr. Crawford acquainted the society, that Bibles, Common Prayer Books, and books of instruction and devotion, were much wanted; for there were about two hundred persons who attended the public worship, who had none, and made application to him for some ; because there were but few to be purchased there, and those which could be got, were too dear for them to purchase. The society sent a quan- tity of Bibles and Common Prayers to be distributed, but Mr. Crawford came to England soon after, upon some fam- ily affairs, and continued here.
Upon this account the people of these two large counties continued some years without a resident minister. How- ever, in the mean time, they had the advantage of some visits from the society's missionaries, especially from the Rev. Mr. Ross, as I observed above. In August, 1717, Colonel William Keith, the governor, resolving to visit the lower counties, the Rev. Mr. Ross, missionary at New- castle, was invited by the governor to accompany him. Mr. Ross very readily embraced this kind invitation, hoping by this opportunity to make himself acquainted with the state of the church there, and in some measure supply its present wants by his ministry. He embarked with the governor and several other gentlemen at New- castle, and set sail for Lewistown, in Sussex county, which lies upon one of the capes of the river Delaware, and in two days arrived there. On the 7th of August he preach- ed before the governor and justices of the county, in the court house of the county, and had a very numerous audi- ence of the people, who appeared very serious, and desi-
425
OF THE CHURCH.
rous of the sacraments of the church, and he baptized that day thirty children which were brought to him. On the 9th day of the same month, Mr. Ross preached again before the governor and other gentlemen, had a large audience of the people, and baptized twenty-one children. On the 10th the governor left this place, in order to go to Kent county. Mr. Ross sat out before him to a place of worship about sixteen miles from Lewistown ; it is a small building, erected by a few well-disposed persons in order to meet together there to worship God. Mr. Ross preached once here, and baptized twenty-five children, and several grown persons. On the Sunday following, August the 11th, he preached to a very large congregation in the upper parts of this county, where the people had erected a fabric for the church, which was not quite finished. Here he baptized twenty -six children ; so that the whole number of the baptized in one week's stay among this people, amounted to one hundred and two.
Mr. Ross observes thus to the society : " by this beha- viour of the people, it appears plainly, they are truly zeal- ous for the Church of England, though they have had but few instructions from some clergymen passing through these parts, and some visits from the Rev. Mr. Adams, in Maryland." As the governor returned home through Kent county, Mr. Ross attended him, and preached before him and the magistrates on the 14th of August ; he had a very full congregation, and baptized thirteen children, and one grown person. In April following, Mr. Ross resolved to make a second visit by himself, to the people of Sussex county ; he was so much pleased with his former success among them, that he was desirous to improve further the good disposition of the people. He went to Sussex county, continued there six days, preached on every one of them at different places, and baptized above one hundred per-
36*
426
EARLY HISTORY
sons, seven of whom were of an advanced age. Lastly, he opened there a new church which the poor people had built, notwithstanding so great a discouragement as their having no minister.
Mr. Ross sent this account of his labours in these two counties, to the society in form of a journal, and the mis- sionaries of this colony made a full representation of the state of the church in those parts. The governor was far- ther pleased to write a letter to the society, and to trans- mit several applications made to him by the clergy, relat- ing to the church affairs, and a copy of the above named journal of Mr. Ross. His letter runs thus : " According to my duty, I presume to lay before you the application of your missionaries, the clergy of this province and neigh- bourhood, to me, relating to the Church here ; as also a copy of the Rev. Mr. George Ross's journal of his ser- vices done in the counties of Kent and Sussex. It is a great satisfaction to me that I can assure this venerable board of the great pains and diligent care which the rev- erend gentlemen within named take, in all the parts of their ministerial function ; and herein I cannot but in jus- tice, particularly recommend Mr. Ross's capacity, pious and exemplary life, and great industry, to your favourable notice and regard. But I must observe, that the duty here daily increases at such a rate, and the labourers are so few, that without your pious and immediate care, to relieve and supply this languishing, but valuable branch of the church, all our endeavours will be to no purpose."
The society were very much affected with these repre- sentations of the clergy, and especially with the governor's letter ; and resolved that a missionary should be sent to Sussex county ; and soon after appointed the Rev. Mr. Becket, missionary at Lewistown.
Lewis, the capital of Sussex county, is a handsome large
427
OF THE CHURCH.
town, standing on the lovely bank of a river, between the town and the sea, which makes the harbour, about one hundred and forty miles distant from Philadelphia. Mr. Becket arrived here 1721, and entered upon the duties of his mission with great diligence ; he was obliged to divide his labours between three places. He resided at Lewis, but officiated alternately at one place eight miles distant, and at another twenty-five miles distant from Lewis. He had a considerable number of inhabitants attending divine service at both places ; and in half a year after his arrival, he baptized fifty-five persons, nine of which were of a grown age. His private admonitions and preaching had soon a good effect on many irregular persons, and there appeared a manifest change in the manners of the people ; some also who were addicted to several sensual vices, were reclaimed to a more orderly way of life.
This reformation was so considerable, that the gentle- men of the county took notice of it, and Mr. Becket re- ceived upon this account the thanks of the magistrates and gentlemen in that county, for his great pains and labours. Upon Mr. Becket's first coming, there was no church built at Lewis ; but the people presently made a subscription, and began to build one with all expedition. In the mean time, Mr. Becket preached in the most convenient houses he could have ; his necessary labours were very great, for he was obliged to travel seventy or eighty miles every week, to discharge the duties of his function, in several places ; that large county, fifty miles in length, and twenty in breadth, being all reckoned his parish.
In the second year after his arrival, he continued to have the same good success, and in six months baptized forty- eight children, five persons of advanced years, two mothers of several children, one white servant, and two negro slaves, and in two of the churches he had twenty commu-
428
EARLY HISTORY
nicants each time. There were above one hundred and forty persons, masters of families, zealous members of the Church of England, besides many single persons, servants, and negroes, that constantly attended divine service. But the number of the native Indians did not exceed one hundred and twenty, who had a small settlement on the utmost border of the parish, where it adjoins to Maryland ; they were extremely barbarous, and obstinately ignorant.
The inhabitants of Lewis raised the frame of a church on a high bank in the centre of the town, in October, 1720, and diligently carried on the building ; in the mean time, the people in the country, assisted with some money gath- ered in town, began to finish and fit up the two churches which had been raised at distant places in the country. Mr. Becket used much diligence in all parts of his minis- terial office, and in the following year baptized eighty-two, twelve of which were grown persons. As he travelled this year, through Kent county, to go to a meeting of the so- ciety's missionaries at Chichester, he "preached in that county to a good body of people, who had built them a large church, but had no minister, and on one day bap- tized twenty-one, six of whom were grown persons.
He represented to the society, that he had a very nume- rous congregation, and that there was great want of a mis- sionary in the country, there being a considerable body of people here, who joined heartily with the Church of Eng- land; and some others, who had been of many religious persuasions, and now seemed to be of none at all; and therefore had still more need of an instructer.
In the year following, the church at Lewis was finished, and divine service was performed in it; and the two churches in the country were completed. Mr. Becket writes thus concerning the people's zeal for religion; " We have now three churches in this county, yet none of them
429
OF THE CHURCH.
will contain the hearers that would constantly attend di- vine service : the people, at a good time of the year, make no account of riding twenty miles to church, a thing very common in this part of America, which is sufficient to shew, that our people have a great value for the favour of the society, and that our labour is not lost, in this distant part of the world." Mr. Becket still continues in this mission with great success.
As the administration of this government is in the hands of quakers, no acts of Assembly have been made, either for building of churches, or settling any salaries upon minis- ters; however, a great part of the people being hearty members of the Church of England, have contributed by private subscriptions, very liberally, and built, fifteen churches, very decent structures for celebrating public divine worship. Several valuable bequests have been made for the use of the church and ministers, and houses have been built for them, and the congregations of each minis- ter do voluntarily contribute towards the maintenance of their minister, as much, and in some places more, than any law could reasonably demand of them.
The society have distributed among the poorer people in this province, above two thousand volumes of bound books, and about £300. worth of small tracts."-pp. 166 to 179.
Thus did this little plant, in process of time, become a mighty tree, " whose leaves have been for the heal- ing of the nations." It has sent out its boughs into all lands. The prayer of the first founders of this " ven- erable" society, has been most signally answered, that " God would prosper their work, and make it appear to be the work of his hands." " Of its extraordinary efficiency," it has been justly said, " some approach to a correct opinion may be formed from the fact, that
430
EARLY HISTORY, ETC.
when it began its operations in the American colonies, it found but five churches; and when compelled by the war of the revolution to close them, it left us with two hundred and fifty." From the report of the soci- ety in 1837, we learn that its receipts in that year were more than 350,000 dollars, and that the expendi- tures exceeded 480,000 dollars. The whole number of books and tracts circulated, during that period, was two millions, two hundred and thirty-five thousand, six hundred and fourteen. Of these, 187,715 were Bibles and Testaments, and 192,444 were Prayer Books.
May the divine blessing continue to rest upon this noble charity, and crown its labours with even more abundant success ! " Thou God of hosts, look down from heaven, behold and visit this vine, and the place of the vineyard that thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest so strong for thyself."
THE END.
2365
1
0
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.