USA > Pennsylvania > Bucks County > Warwick in Bucks County > History of Neshaminy Presbyterian Church of Warwick, Hartsville, Bucks County, Pa., 1726-1876 > Part 7
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 | Part 23 | Part 24
85
NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
as the situation of his family prevented his going, though he regarded the mission as a very desirable one, Mr. Beatty was appointed in his place. Dr. Miller says in his life of Dr. Rodgers, that Mr. Beatty fulfilled the appointment " to the great advantage of the fund, and to the satisfaction of the Synod."
Supplies were appointed by the Synod for his church at Neshaminy, in 1760, 1761 and 1762, different ministers being directed to preach there from May to November each of those years. He sailed from Philadelphia about the 20th of March, 1760, and arrived in London, April 15th. He visited the North of Ireland, and Scotland, as well as England, and secured extensive collections and donations for the fund for the relief of ministers and their families, and for missionary and educational purposes. He made many acquaintances among the clergy, and wrote in a letter to America, July 7th, " I have preached seven or eight times in Scotland, almost as many times in Ireland, not to the disadvantage of my cause ; my military appointments have been of great advantage, and given me access to many persons." " He witnessed the coronation of George III, October 25th, was presented at Court, and received from his Majesty a handsome donation for the fund." He crossed the English Channel to Holland, and wrote in June, 1761, that he intended soon to return home. When he actually did return seems uncertain, but as his wife, Mrs. Ann Beatty, gave to the trustees of Neshaminy church receipts for salary in November, 1760, and 1761 ; as he was not present at the meeting of Synod in May, 1762, and that body appointed supplies for the church for that summer, it is probable that he was
1
86
HISTORY OF
employed, either in Europe or this country, more than two entire years, in soliciting donations for the benevolent objects of the Presbyterian Church in America, which was at that time still weak in men and resources, though it had begun to experience an accelerated and healthy growth.
In May, 1763, a request was presented to the Synod by the Corporation of the fund for the relief of poor and distressed ministers, that some clergymen "be sent to preach to the frontier inhabitants, and to report their distresses, and to let us know where new congregations are a forming, and what is necessary to be done to promote the spread of the Gospel among them, and that they inform us, what opportunities there may be of preaching the Gospel to the Indian nations in their neighborhood."
The " necessary expenses of these missionaries were to be paid by the board." In consequence of the above request Mr. Beatty and Rev. John Brainard were ap- pointed " to go as soon as they conveniently could, that they might return by the time of the next general meeting of the Corporation in October."
In the Records of the Synod of New York and Phila- delphia for that year, it is said : "As the Synod have the mission to the frontiers much at heart, therefore, lest it miscarry, it is ordered, that if either Mr. Beatty or Mr. Brainard fail of going, Mr. Kirkpatrick shall go in place of the person who fails."
It does not appear, however, that the visit of the missionaries was accomplished then. Three years elapsed before a successful effort in that direction was made.
In 1766 it is said in the Records: "According to a ,
87
NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
former request," evidently that made in 1763, "of the Corporation of the Widows' fund, for missionaries to be sent to the frontiers of the province, the Synod appoint Messrs. Beatty and Rev. George Duffield of Carlisle, Pa., to visit the frontier settlements and the Indian tribes beyond the Alleghany Mountains, that the way might be opened for preaching the Gospel and establishing churches among them ; and Mr. Beatty's pulpit was to be supplied during his absence by Rev. Abner Brush two Sabbaths, by New Castle Presbytery three Sabbaths, and by the First Philadelphia Presbytery the other Sabbaths."* He set out August 12, 1766, accompanied by Joseph Peepy, a Christian Indian, as an interpreter. At Carlisle Mr. Duffield joined them, and they proceeded on their journey westward, through a country then almost wholly covered with forest. They went on horseback and on foot to Fort Pitt, now Pittsburg, and one hundred and thirty miles be- yond. They reported to the Synod the next year, " that they found on the frontiers numbers of people earnestly de- sirous of forming themselves into congregations, and de- claring their willingness to exert their utmost in order to have the Gospel among them, but in circumstances exceedingly distressing and necessitous from the late calamities of the war in these parts. And also that they visited the Indians at the chief town of the Delaware Nation, on the Muskingum, about one hundred and thirty miles beyond Fort Pitt, and were received much more cheerfully than they could have expected. That a consid- erable number of them waited on the preaching of the Gospel with peculiar attention, many of them appearing
* Minutes of the Synod of N. Y. and Phila., p. 362.
88
HISTORY OF
solemnly concerned about the great matters of religion ; that they expressed an earnest desire of having further op- portunities of hearing those things; that they informed them that several other tribes of Indians around them were ready to join with them in receiving the Gospel, and earnestly desiring an opportunity. Upon the whole that there does appear a very agreeable prospect of a door open- ing for the Gospel being spread among those poor be- nighted savage tribes."
After being absent about six weeks they returned home in safety. Dr. Alexander, in his notice of the life of Mr. Beatty, says :
" In Allen's American Biographical Dictionary it is stated, that Mr. Beatty was engaged in missionary work from 1740 to 1765, a period of twenty-five years. This must be a great mistake. Mr. Beatty was not in the ministry so early as 1740, and his service as a missionary did not continue one-sixth part of the time specified."
The truth is he was gone from home, among Indians, less than two months. In the Records of Neshaminy Church, there is a receipt for payment of salary given by him, dated November 27, 1766, the same year in which he was among the Indians ; and in his journal, published in London, he does not speak of being among them later than the last part of September.
89
NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
CHAPTER IX.
PART OF THE JOURNAL OF REV. C. BEATTY.
A few extracts from this journal will here be given. Speaking of his arrival at Fort Pitt, Mr. Beatty says :
" September 5th, Friday. Set out early this morning, and rode to Turtle Creek, eight miles, before breakfast ; and riding 18 miles more, we arrived at Fort Pitt a little before night. We immediately waited on the command- ing officer, Capt. Murray, who received us politely and introduced us to the Rev. McLagan, Chaplain to the 42nd Regiment, part of which are now in garrison here.
" 6th, Saturday. Remained in Pittsburg, and received much civility from the corps of officers here. They invited us to their table, and the commanding officer ordered us a room in the Fort while we stayed. Mr. McLagan, with some other gentlemen of the place, fur- nished us with blankets to sleep in, and some other neces- saries, so that we fared as well as we could expect.
" 7th, Sabbath. At the invitation of Mr. McLagan, preached in the forenoon to the garrison in the Fort, while Mr. Duffield, at the same time, preached to the people, who live in some kind of a town, without the Fort, to whom I also preached in the afternoon. The audience were very attentive and much engaged."
They left Pittsburg on the 10th of September, and crossed the Allegheny River in a canoe, " swimming our
90
HISTORY OF
horses along side of it." "In the night there fell a heavy rain, which wet us much."
" Friday, 12th. The morning dark and heavy, with small rain. Our clothes being wet last night made our condition very uncomfortable. After travelling twelve miles we came to the second Beaver river, which we crossed and proceeded six miles further to the third Bea- ver river, where we encamped, having but poor feed for our horses.
" Joseph, our interpreter, who went on before to hunt for us, returned without anything, so that we had poor living for ourselves as well as our horses. However, we had some bread, for which we had reason to be thankful.
"Sabbath, 14th. We rested on the Sabbath, and sup- posing this to be the first Sabbath ever kept in this wil- derness, we gave the place of our encampment the name of Sabbath Ridge.
"A number of Indians, who had been trading at Fort Pitt, came up with us, and wondered why we did not travel that Sunday. They had about one hundred gallons of rum with them. We explained the matter to them as well as we could. Our interpreter, who had gone out to procure something for our subsistence, returned late in the morning with a young deer on his back, which we immediately divided, giving three-quarters to the three companies of Indians who travelled with us, and reserved one-quarter for ourselves. This was a seasonable supply for them as well as for us.
" Tuesday, 16th. Entered more freely into conversation with the Indians, our fellow travellers, and found them more sociable and communicative than before. Their
91
NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
chief man, especially, became more friendly, when he found that we were not Moravians, against whom he had taken up a prejudice. On this day, after crossing several streams and extensive savannahs, we arrived at Tuska- lawa before night. Our fellow traveller, the chief, now became very friendly, invited us to his house, where we were treated with great respect and kindness. He brought us some green corn, which we roasted, and some cucumbers, which we ate without salt or any other con- diment. Having preserved a small portion of the venison from the last night, we made some soup, and gave part to our host and his family. Having prayed with the family, our interpreter explaining the nature of the ser- vice, we proceeded on our journey, and our kind host sent a young man seven or eight miles to show us the way. As we passed through the town we saw a number of Indians in a state of intoxication from the rum which they had brought from Fort Pitt, and when in this they appeared very terrible, and behaved as mad men.
"Thursday, 18th. After travelling twenty miles through swamps and marshy ground, we reached the town about 3 o'clock, P. M. We now sent notice of our arrival to the king or head man of the Delaware nation. In the mean- time, the woman at whose house we stayed, and who was a near relative of our interpreter, furnished us with a little hut for ourselves, and spread some skins for our bed, which was far better than what we had been lately used to have.
" Friday, 19th. The king sent us word that he was ready to receive us. We went accordingly to the Council House. This house is a long building, with two fires in
92
HISTORY OF
it, at a proper distance, without any chimney or par- tition.
" As soon as we entered the king rose from his seat (nothing unusual), and took us by the hand, and gave thanks to the Great Being above, the Creator and Pre- server of all, that we had the opportunity of seeing each other in the wilderness, and appeared truly glad on the occasion. We were then conducted to a seat near his majesty ; the council being seated on each side of the room. After sitting awhile silent, according to their cus- tom, I arose, and by Joseph, our interpreter, delivered my speech. It is an invariable rule with the Indians, when they receive an address or speech, not to return an imme- diate answer, but to take time to deliberate.
" In the speech which I delivered, we gave them an account of the design of the Synod in commissioning us to visit them, with the view of ascertaining whether they were disposed to receive the Christian religion, and to have some ministers sent among them.
" In the evening an Indian and his sister, both advanced in years, came to our house. They had been in New Jer- sey in the time of the revival of religion among the Indians there, and had received some good impressions from the preaching of the Rev. David Brainard. They afterwards joined the Moravians, but seemed to have, in a great measure, lost their serious impressions, but re- quested us to talk to them on the subject of religion, which we did through our interpreter. We also prayed with them, and on taking leave they seemed much affected.
" Saturday, 20th. Five of the principal men came to our
93
NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
hut, and after sitting an hour in silence, they returned our string of wampum, saying, 'They could not under- stand it.'
" After talking some time about it, they brought out and showed a belt of wampum of friendship, which Sir William Johnson had given them. The belt, they told us, he held by one end, and they by the other, and when they had anything to say, they must go along the path marked on the belt. To this they added that they be- lieved there was a great God above, and desired to serve him in the best manner they could ; that they thought of him on lying down and rising up, and hoped he would look upon them and do them good.
" As the next day was the Sabbath, we requested to know whether they would give us a hearing, to which they gave their assent, and exhorted us not to be dis- couraged at the delay of receiving a full answer to our proposals, as they always took time to deliberate. Ac- cordingly, one of their chief men went around and gave notice that we would preach to them at the council house ; and another of their counsellors came to our hut to conduct us to the place of meeting. A considerable number both of men and women attended, and I preached to them from.the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke xv). Good attention was paid, and the women appeared really to lay to heart what they heard. After sermon we sat awhile with them, and asked, if it would be agreeable, that we should speak to them again in the afternoon. They said it would.
"About three o'clock the people collected again, and Mr. Duffield preached to them from 1 Cor. xv. 22, in which
94
HISTORY OF
he gave a plain narrative of all being dead in Adam, and that all believers would be made alive in Christ. The people appeared to be much engaged, and well pleased with what they heard. Our interpreter remained with them some time after the sermon, and brought us word that the king and chief men were desirous that we should speak again to them on the morrow, with which we were rejoiced.
" In the evening of this day, Monday, which was ob- served by the Indians like a Sabbath, several came to our hut, and heard us explain many things contained in the Bible. Among them was a young man named Neolin, who for some time past had been in the habit of speaking to the Indians, and reproving them for their wicked ways, and was the means of reforming a number of them. The answer of this young man, when we inquired what put him in this practice, partakes of the marvellous. He said that six years ago a man came and stood in his door, and told him that all who followed bad ways would, after death, go to a miserable place, but those who hated evil, and did what was right and pleasing to God, would be taken to a happy place. In the afternoon the king and four chief men of the council came and de- livered a formal speech, in which they acknowledged the evil of drunkenness, to which they were addicted, but said the blame did not entirely belong to them, but to the white men, who brought rum and sold it to them. They also complained of the conduct of the whites in other respects. This day was so much taken up in im- portant conferences with the chief men, that no opportu- nity of preaching was afforded.
95
NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
" Tuesday, 22d. This day the head men met in council, where we attended, and I preached to them from Luke xiv. 16. In my discourse I showed that there were rich provisions made in the Gospel for poor sinners, the na- ture of these provisions, and why they were compared to a marriage feast ; how men made excuses for not comply- ing with the invitations by the ministers, and how some by the grace of God were made willing, and then con- cluded with an exhortation to them to accept the gracious invitation.
"A solemn awe appeared on the face of the assembly. All seemed attentive to the things which were spoken, and some seemed affected. The interpreter was so much affected at times that he could scarcely speak; and indeed, I must own that my own heart was warmed with the truths I delivered, and with the effect they seemed to have on these poor, benighted heathen. Blessed be God ! Let all the praise be to him! We have reason to hope not one opportunity enjoyed here has been in vain, and we trust that the good impressions which have been made will be permanent. May the Lord grant that our hopes may not be disappointed."
Before Mr. Beatty and Mr. Duffield took their depar- ture from the Indians, they delivered to the chiefs a sol- emn and appropriate address, which is recorded in Mr. B's journal. They accompanied it with the present of a string of wampum, which the natives received with apparent friendliness. To one who had learned to read a little while among the English, they gave a Bible; to a woman, a small book entitled, "A Compassionate Ad- dress to the Christian World."
96
HISTORY OF
-
On Thursday, September 24th, the travellers left their copper-colored hosts, and commenced their journey home- wards. They would have been glad to remain longer, if they could have enlightened those dark-minded vic- tims of superstition in respect to their duty to God ; but they had obtained some knowledge upon their state and wants, and had endeavored to communicate to them some great and important truths, and they must repair now to their own appropriate fields of labor. They trusted that the way might be opened for missionaries to come and live among these and other tribes in the vast western regions, of which they had had a glimpse. On Wednes- day, October 15th, Mr. Beatty arrived at his home at Neshaminy, having had a pleasant but fatiguing tour. The report which he and his companion made to the Synod was entirely approved, and it was hoped that Providence would soon lead others to go and labor among the Indians permanently ; but many years passed away before anything effective was done in that good work.
When he visited Scotland, in 1768, he sent his Journal to Rev. Dr. John Erskine, of Edinburgh, with an inter- esting account of missionary labor among the Indians, and some thoughts and discussions upon their origin, advocating the view that they were the descendants of the ten "Lost Tribes of Israel." The whole was pub- lished under Mr. Beatty's supervision. The first edition was published in London in 1768, and another in Edin- burgh in 1798. It is not known that it was ever pub- lished in full in this country.
97
NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
CHAPTER X.
REV. C. BEATTY-VISIT TO GREAT BRITAIN.
In 1767 Mrs. Beatty having suffered a considerable time with a cancer in the breast, and suitable medical and surgical aid not being accessible in this country, her husband determined to take her to Great Britain, that they might consult eminent physicians there. The sister of Mrs. Beatty, Mrs. Hacket, went with them. They intended to have gone in a vessel direct to London, but reaching New York one day too late, they took the next ship for Great Britain, which was bound for Greenock, in Scotland, and which sailed August 18th. They arrived September 25th, and her health being very delicate, they remained there for some time, hoping that she would be able soon to make the journey to London. Dr. William Cullen, a celebrated physician of Edinburgh, was sent for in consultation, and he strongly advised them not to think of going further. She was attended by the most competent medical advisers and nurses, but to no purpose. She gradually sank until she died, March 22d, 1768, " soon after the birth of an infant daughter, who sur- vived her but a short time." They were both buried at Greenock.
About three weeks after his arrival in Scotland he wrote a letter to Rev. Richard Treat, of Abington, in
98
HISTORY OF
which he touches upon the election of Rev. Dr. Wither- spoon to the Presidency of the College of New Jersey. Both he and Mr. Treat were members of the Board of Trustees of the College, he himself having been chosen a member in 1763.
We will insert the following extracts from the letter:
GREENOCK, October 15th, 1767.
REV. AND DEAR SIR :
You have doubtless heard that we embarked for Glasgow, the first ship bound for Britain. We sat sail from New York the 10th of August, and arrived here in 37 days.
There are two.churches of the Establishment and one seceding meeting-house of the Anti-Burghers, here. Mr. Turner, a minister of one of the churches, soon visited me after our arrival, invited me to preach for him, which I did the two Sabbaths I have been here, both forenoon and afternoon, to a crowded and attentive audience. This gentleman, now in years, appears to be a sound, good man. The minister of the other church I am not yet acquainted with, and very likely shall remain so. There is little or no correspon- dence kept up between him and Mr. Turner. He has the most polite audience, but Mr. Turner the most serious. Last Friday I went to Glasgow, which is about 18 miles from here ; saw several of my friends, ministers and some others. On Saturday I went to Paisley, sent for Dr. Witherspoon to my inn, who in a very friendly manner invited me to lodge at his house. At first I was reluctant ; however, upon his insisting upon it, I consented. I preached for the Doctor both parts of the day, and he lectured only. He appears to me, as I observed to you, to be a good speaker and preacher, though not a fine speaker. I cannot think he is so old as you have heard, though I did not ask his age. I see him make no use of spectacles, neither public nor private.
I need say nothing now to you about choosing a President for Jersey College ; for before now you will be fixed, either by a choice
99
NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
in America or here. Dr. Witherspoon has had a call to a congre- gation in Dublin this last summer, and had the offer of £200 sal- ary ; that amount or a little more and a house, but he declined it. In short, he told me that the call to the College had been much on his mind, and nothing had ever given him-
A part of the letter is here torn off, and the sentence is unfinished.
"P. S .- October 29th .- I have had letters from some of my friends in Edinburgh. One writes that there was a subtle letter wrote over from Princeton under a pretense to encourage Dr. Witherspoon to accept the call of New Jersey College, but it was quite the reverse. Complaint is also made that the Synod wants to take what was collected in Scotland out of the hands of the cor- poration, and that the widows' fund will be lost, &c., but I shall be able to set that matter in another light."
During his sojourn in Scotland many marks of respect were bestowed upon him by the public ; among others he was by letters patent constituted a free Burgess of Greenock, and another Scotch Burgh; and of Paisley after his return to America, the last being dated December 23, 1769.
He was absent on this visit to Europe almost two years. His employments during the latter part of this period, subsequent to his wife's death, are unknown to us. He may have been collecting funds for the Presbyterian Church in America, as on a previous tour eight years before.
He and Mrs. Hacket arrived at New York on their return, July 20, 1769, being on the ocean eight weeks, a long passage even for that day.
Mr. Beatty always evinced a deep interest in the pros- perity of the College of New Jersey at Princeton, of
100
HISTORY OF
which he was a Trustee nine years. He ultimately lost his life in efforts to promote its welfare. "Log College " was the germ of that institution, which within the past half century has been so greatly favored and distinguished, and it was natural that it should be dear to him who had been trained for the ministry in the bosom of its humble parent, and who was Pastor of the church located where it found its origin. The New Jersey College was financially depressed. It was but a child as yet ; the country was new, and population scat- tered. It was deemed advisable that some one should visit the West Indies, where were many English residents of wealth and influence, who it was supposed might be induced to contribute pecuniary assistance.
Dr. Witherspoon was first appointed by the Board of Trustees to undertake the task, but his duties as President prevented his leaving, and he recommended his son, James Witherspoon, as a proper person to perform the work, and Mr. Beatty was selected to accompany him, March 12, 1772.
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.