USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Brandywine > History of the Presbyterian Church in the Forks of Brandywine, Chester County, Pa. (Brandywine Manor Presbyterian Church), from A.D. 1735 to A.D. 1885 : with biographical sketches of the deceased pastors of the church and of those who prepared for the Christian ministry under the direction of the Rev. Nathan Grier > Part 6
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reminded of the obligations resting upon them; the children were questioned in regard to their acquaint- ance with the Catechism and their knowledge of re- ligious principles ; and the whole household humbly and reverently bowed in prayer, while their pastor earnestly invoked the Divine Blessing on the heads of the family and their offspring.
Instructed by the glimpse of the Eternal World afforded by the parable of Dives and Lazarus, he avoided the mistake which clergymen often make, of frequent visits to the mansions of the wealthy while the dwellings of those of stinted means are passed un- noticed. Such, too, was his amiability and warmth of feeling that he was equally welcomed at the homes of the poorest and the richest members of his congrega- tion.
In addition to the weekly ministrations of the pulpit, he preached during the Summer, on the afternoon of the Sabbath, either in school-houses or at the residences of the aged and infirm. He also assisted his clerical brethren at Communion seasons and on other occa- sions, and frequently supplied the pulpit of congrega- tions without a pastor. Among the latter was the church at Upper Octoraro, during the fourteen years it was without a regular ministry, before the installa- tion of the Rev. James Latta. On these occasions the house was crowded, the attention close, and the impressions made deep and often lasting.
As his predecessor, Mr. Carmichael, adding the du- ties of the patriot to those of the pastor, labored with assidnity to aid the cause of civil liberty and enlist soldiers to combat the enemies of national independ-
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ence, Mr. Grier, combining the pastor and the theo- logical instructor, and working with equal zeal and . watchfulness, prepared young men to engage in a holier war under the Great Captain of Salvation.
It is well known that a hundred years were per- mitted to pass, after the establishment of the Presby- terian Church in America, before a Seminary was or- ganized and endowed by the Church for the special study of theology. Candidates for the ministry were, therefore, trained by eminent divines in schools opened for that purpose. The Log College, Blair's School at Fagg's Manor, Allison's School at New London, and Smith's School in Pequea, were established mainly with this object in view.
Mr. Grier, a well-read theologian, following their example, received a number of young men, and espe- cially those of his own congregation, under his care, for the study of Theology.
This Divinity School, though not formally known by that name, took the place of Dr. Smith's School in Pequea. It was commenced in 1792, when the in- firmities of Dr. Smith, who died in April, 1793, rendered him incapable of directing the studies of young men preparing to enter the ministry.
The following synopsis of the course pursued by the students under the supervision of Mr. Grier is from the pen of the most eminent of his pupils, the Rev. Dr. McConaughy :
" Those who studied under his direction were ac- customed to divide their time between the study of the Scriptures, Ecclesiastical History, and a series of questions about One Hundred in number, in the
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usual order of the System of Theology. On these questions they were required to write pretty fully and submit the result to his examination and criticism. In like manner they composed sermons, on which they had his opinion as to matter and style.
" Besides this, they had the advantages of his Chris- tian example, the genial influence of his well-ordered household, and his daily counsel and guidance."
Of the twenty young men who studied Theology under the direction of Mr. Grier, one, Mr. John Ralston, died (in 1804) before the completion of his studies, and ill-health prevented another, Mr. John M'Clure, from entering on the active duties of the ministry. The remaining eighteen, as may be learned by the biographical sketches appended, be- came workers in the Gospel field. Seventeen of them were pastors of churches, and one passed upwards of thirty years as a Chaplain in the Navy of the United States.
Three received the honorary title of D.D., and one of both D.D. and LL.D., at a period when collegiate honors were not so freely dispensed as they are at present.
They occupied pulpits in six States of the Union, and all, with one exception, faithfully discharged the duties of their sacred office until they were unfitted by the infirmities of age or removed by death.
But his fellow-laborers in the Master's vineyard were suddenly deprived of an associate and the congregation of its pastor. He died, after a short illness, on the 30th of March, 1814, at the comparatively early age of fifty-three years and six months.
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The inscription on his tombstone, in the Upper Graveyard, closes with the following terse and beautiful lines of Goldsmith, which have seldom been so correctly applied :
" But in his duty prompt at every call, He watched and wept, he prayed and felt for all. He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way."
Mr. Grier was punctual in his attendance on the councils of the church, in which he took an active, though not a forward, part. A leading trustee of Dickinson College during the latter years of his life, he watched over its interests with paternal solicitude, warmly advocated the establishing of a Theological Seminary, and ably sustained all the religious enter- prises of his day.
Although his sermons, prepared with care, were evangelical and well illustrated by references to the Scriptures, they were practical rather than doctrinal or controversial. Gifted with a voice of more than ordinary power, Mr. Grier could be heard by a large audience, and he seldom failed to enchain the atten- tion of his hearers by his earnestness, warmth, and direct appeals to the conscience. Indeed, if he dis- played greater power in the pulpit in one direction more than another, it was in his ability to call forth the finer feelings of our nature, and arouse the dor- mant sympathies of the heart. He, therefore, often made salutary impressions which the lapse of years failed to erase. As an instance of this, the writer may state that he has heard the aged relate, while
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tears gathered in their eyes as the solemn scene came in remembrance before them, his touching appeals at the close of each Communion to the members of his church to live consistently with their profession, and the melting tenderness with which he besought those who " were strangers to the Covenant of Grace" to flee from the wrath to come.
Mr. Grier was united in marriage, November 13, 1787, to Miss Susannah Smith, daughter of Colonel Robert and Margaret Smith, members of his congre- gation. She was eminently worthy of his choice, and by her piety, prudence, and careful family oversight strengthened his hands and lessened his worldly cares. " But he was not permitted to enjoy her counsel and aid to the close of his life." On January 2, 1812, she exchanged the probation of time for the blessedness of eternity.
Their children were two sons and three daugh- ters. Both of their sons entered the ministry, and stood as faithful sentinels for more than half a century on the watch-towers of Zion. Their eldest daughter was married to Mr. White, a quarter of a century the popular pastor of the church in Fagg's Manor. Another became the wife of Mr. Parke, who ministered with acceptance upwards of thirty years to the churches of Slate Ridge and Centre, in York County, Pa .; and the third, the much-esteemed widow of Dr. Thompson, of Fagg's Manor, was for several years previous to her decease a member of this congregation.
Six of the grandsons of Mr. Grier became minis- ters of the Gospel, and five of them are still engaged
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in proclaiming the glad tidings of Salvation. Those who survive are the eldest son of Mr. White, two of the sons of Mr. Robert S. Grier, one of the sons of Mr. Parke, and the younger son of Dr. Thompson. Another grandson, Dr. Nathan G. Thompson, is now a Ruling Elder in this congregation, where his grand- father and uncle declared the whole counsel of God upwards of fourscore years.
A discourse entitled " The Man of Bethany," com- memorative of Mr. Grier, was delivered shortly after his death by the Rev. William Arthur, at that time pastor of the Pequea Presbyterian Church .*
* Sprague, " Annals of Pres. Church ;" Rev. J. N. C. Grier, D.D., " Historical Discourse ;" MS. Collections ; Minutes of the Presbytery of Newcastle.
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REV. JOHN N. C. GRIER, D.D.
Died 1880. Born 1792.
In the Presbyterian Churches of Ireland and Scot- land the settlement of a pastor in charge of a con- gregation is generally a settlement for life. The shepherd and his flock are seldom separated except by death. The hearers of "the man of God," ven- erable for years and piety, are frequently the grand- children of those who welcomed him as their youthful pastor.
This unbroken, harmonious, and Christian rela- tion between the people and their spiritual adviser, from his entrance on his ministry until its close, has not been confined to the Eastern shore of the Atlan- tic. Instances of the pastor " who ne'er had changed or wished to change his place" are not uncommon in the history of the Presbyterian Church in America. The remains of James Grier, Nathaniel Irwin, John King, Robert Smith, John F. Grier, Robert White, William Latta, John Carmichael, Nathan Grier, and of many others, await the resurrection of the Just in the graveyards belonging to the congregations which were their only charge.
Such long-continued labor in the same portion of Zion, which Dr. A. Alexander correctly regarded as a strong proof of ministerial faithfulness, is well exem- plified in the pastorate of the Rev. Dr. J. N. C. Grier. From his installation until weighed down by the
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burden of years he made known "the truth as it is in Jesus" from the pulpit of the same church. Surely much that is interesting and worthy of remembrance must have occurred in connection with him, and with the people among whom he " served God in the Gospel of his Son" for nearly sixty years. Shall the pages of history be crowded with the deeds of warriors and statesmen, and no place be found for even the names of those who have disseminated and impressed the precepts of that Holy Book, which are the sources of individual and national well-being?
John Nathan Caldwell, second son of the Rev. Nathan Grier, was born the 8th of June, 1792, on a farm in West Brandywine Township, then the prop- erty of his father, and now occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Louisa Parke. He received his classical educa- tion at the Brandywine Academy under the direction chiefly of the Rev. John F. Grier, and his collegiate at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., where he was graduated in September, 1809. Shortly after his graduation he became the subject of Divine grace, and his thoughts being turned towards "the ministry of reconciliation," he began the study of theology in the school established for that purpose by his father. Having successfully applied himself to the prescribed preparation for a herald of righteousness, he was licensed to preach the Gospel by the Presbytery of New Castle on the 7th of April, 1813.
Mr. Grier passed the next year and a half as a probationer, supplying vacant pulpits within the bounds of the Presbytery, and after the death of his father, received a unanimous call to become his suc-
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cessor. This he accepted, and on the 24th of No- vember, 1814, was ordained and installed by the Presbytery with which the Church had been long connected. On that occasion the Rev. Mr. Arthur, of Pequea, presided, and the Rev. Mr. Graham, of New London, preached the sermon.
With the example of his godly father to guide and animate, and the fervent prayers of the congregation that the mantle of the father might fall on the son, the youthful pastor entered on the discharge of the duties of his sacred office. But although he made known the great truths of the Gospel with earnest- ness and power, and there were manifest tokens of the divine approval of his labors, yet there was no general awakening until 1822, when forty-one were added to the membership of the Church.
This was followed by a dearth of spiritual blessings, but in 1831, seemingly in answer to the earnest wrest- ling with God in prayer by the members of the Pres- bytery of New Castle, there was a copious outpouring of the spirit.
Like the revival which began in Freehold, New Jer- sey, a century before, "this refreshing from the pres- ence of the Lord" was not confined to this church in which its glorious effects first became manifest, but it extended to the neighboring congregations of all de- nominations. Under its blessed influence one hundred and twenty-seven were added in that year to the number worshipping here, and two hundred and thirty-three in the six years next following.
Owing to the large increase the meeting-house was crowded on the Sabbath. This was relieved to some
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extent in 1833 by the organization of a church at Coatesville, made up in part of those who had been connected with this congregation.
But in 1835, the number of members being nearly seven hundred, it became necessary either to enlarge the Meeting-House or to divide. After a discussion of the subject at several congregational meetings held for the purpose, it was finally resolved to separate. As a consequence of this determination a building was erected, and a church composed entirely of those who had been under the pastoral supervision of Dr. Grier was organized at Waynesburg, now Honeybrook. The large attendance was further reduced, in 1839, by the establishment of Fairview Presbyterian Church in Wallace Township.
Thus in the short period of seven years three Pres- byterian Churches, which have grown and prospered, were organized by those a majority of whom had pro- fessed their faith in Christ, and united with the con- gregation worshipping in this place.
During the remainder of Dr. Grier's ministry, although there was no special manifestation of the Divine presence, there was an ingathering at every Communion season, and notwithstanding the organiza- tion of a church at Downingtown in 1863, the mem- bership of his charge equalled that of fifty years be- fore. The whole number received into the fellowship of the church during his pastorate being about thirteen hundred.
In addition to the preparation and delivery of up- wards of five thousand sermons, the baptism of nearly one thousand infants and adults, pastoral visits, attend-
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ance on the sick, conducting the services at funerals, and Sunday-school superintendence, Dr. Grier took an active part in the temperance reformation, and fre- quently addressed the publie on that subject. A de- termined foe of intemperance, no one did more to guard both the old and the young against its insidious advance than he who stood for more than half a cen- tury on the watch-tower of human welfare and hap- piness.
But the toil, the trials, and even the triumphs of his long ministry at last unfitted him for further labor in the Gospel field, and on the 14th of April, 1869, the pastoral relation was dissolved at his request* by the Presbytery of New Castle.
His work was done, but not until the children and many of the children's children of those to whom he first ministered, had been brought by his faithfulness to know " the God of their fathers, and to serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind."
During the remainder of his sojourn on this side of Jordan, although enduring much bodily suffering, Dr. Grier patiently and prayerfully awaited the dividing of the waters, and on the 15th of September, 1880, entered the promised land,; to which all, except two, of those with whom he first met at the " table of the Lord," had preceded him. His death cast a gloom over the community, and a large number assembled to pay the last tribute of respect to him whom they had
* See Appendix I.
+ He was the last survivor of those who prepared for the ministry under the direction of his father.
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often seen, on a like occasion, standing beside the un- closed coffin or the newly-made grave, warning the impenitent or consoling the bereaved. The funeral services were conducted in the church. After some feeling remarks by the pastor, Mr. McColl, and the delivery of an impressive Commemorative Address by Dr. Bingham, of Oxford, Pa., the oldest of the six- teen clergymen present, the members of the congrega- tion, and many besides, took leave of the remains. They were then borne by the most aged pastors in attendance to their last resting-place in the Upper Graveyard.
Dr. Grier firmly upheld what he believed to be right, was punctual in meeting his engagements, and aided the Councils of the Church, from which he was rarely absent, by his sound judgment and experience. He took a lively interest in the various religious institu- tions of his day, and every feasible plan for their extension received his cordial support.
His manner in the pulpit was earnest and solemn, and his plain, practical discourses, decidedly evangeli- cal and pervaded by a tone of unaffected piety, " were blessed for the conversion of many."
No productions of his pen have appeared in print except a Historical Discourse delivered in 1849, and an Address to those who had assembled to congratu- late him on the completion of the fiftieth year of his pastorate. In both of these publications, but especially in the last mentioned, many interesting occurrences of his ministry are given.
The degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by Washington College, Pa., in 1841.
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Dr. Grier was united in marriage, on the 9th of Sep- tember, 1813, to Nancy R., eldest daughter of Captain James Ralston, a leading member of his congregation. She died on the 7th of November, 1873, after having for more than sixty years contributed by her prudence, discretion, and piety to increase his means of usefulness and promote the beneficent operations of his charge. They had a family of four daughters : Susannah, the eldest, died while young ; Louisa was married to Rich- ard Parke, then a resident of Chester Valley ; Frances to Thomas G. Happersett, late of Baltimore, Md .; and Agnes to G. Washington Neely, recently deceased, and long a resident of Ohio .*
* Minutes of Pres. of Newcastle; Dr. J. N. C. Grier, " Hist. Dis- course ;" Obituary Notice, by Rev. J. C. Thompson ; by Rev. John McColl ; Local Memoranda.
8
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RULING ELDERS.
RULING Elders being the governing body in a Presbyterian Church, and those on whose prudence, zeal, and piety the prosperity of a congregation largely depends, it might be supposed that at least their names and the time of their ordination could be ascer- tained by the Church Register. But, unfortunately, no records of Session during the first eighty years of the existence of this Church can be found. It is, therefore, impossible to state many things which it would be desirable to know respecting the godly men who upheld the hands of the pastors during that long period, and whose faithfulness may be traced in the growth and vigor of the Church.
The following list, gathered from a variety of sources, contains, it is believed, the names of nearly all who have been Ruling Elders since the organization of a Church in this place. But in regard to several of them the writer, after diligent inquiry, has been unable to learn the date of their ordination, and in some instances of their resignation or death.
Earliest Periods at which they are known to have been Ruling Elders.
1735.
Edward Irwin . . Died about 1750.
John Hamilton, ceased to act in 1741
in May, 1761.
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Robert Hamilton, ceased to act in 1741. James Ward, ceased to act in 1741.
1741.
John Henderson, ceased to act in 1759.
Francis Alexander . . Died in Aug., 1778.
1745.
Thomas Reese, M.D.
Matthew Robertson, resigned before 1760 . . Died July 30, 1792.
1760.
Samuel Allen, removed to Mercer County about
1805.
Thomas Brown.
William Brown
Died in Jan., 1786.
John Culbertson
Sept. 2, 1794.
William Denny, Sr. € Oct. 8, 1784.
David Denny
.
Nov. 4, 1820.
Francis Gardner
66 in Sept., 1783.
William Ervin .
Dec. 18, 1794.
1776.
Samuel Holliday, resigned in 1783.
Colonel Robert Smith . Died in Dec., 1803.
1785.
William Hunter . Died Dec. 18, 1804. William Kennedy . 66 Feb. 18, 1814.
1787.
Samuel Culbertson .
. Died in April, 1788.
1801 OR 1802.
John Robeson, resigned before 1814 .
. Died Nov. 4, 1846.
1814.
Joseph Grier
. Died Nov. 10, 1830.
.
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James Lockhart, resigned in 1829; removed in October, 1829, to the western part of Pennsylvania.
Richard Templin Died in Nov., 1824.
William Denny .
Jan. 14, 1819.
Joseph M'Clure, Sr., resigned in 1825
Oct. 15, 1827.
James Ralston, Sr.
Jan. 28, 1834.
Ordained.
1815.
Matthew Stanley, resigned in 1840 . Died June 15, 1844.
John Buchanan, resigned in 1837
Aug. 22, 1856.
William Templeton
Sept. 1, 1849.
Robert Ralston .
Aug. 14, 1844.
1825.
Dan Kirkpatrick . Died Sept. 19, 1829.
John Templeton
July 27, 1865.
William Lockhart, resigned in 1829 ; removed in October, 1829, to the western part of Pennsylvania. Robert MeIntyre . Died Feb. 18, 1844. 66 Feb. 20, 1875.
David Buchanan, resigned in 1835
1830.
Samuel Ralston . Died Jan. 1, 1859.
James II. Long
66 July 13, 1857.
Joseph M'Clure, resigned in 1839 .
Nov. 11, 1861.
John M'Clure, resigned in 1839
Feb. 9, 1873.
1844.
John Ralston . Died Apr. 21, 1880.
William N. Long
66 July 13, 1862.
David Williams
66 Feb. 7, 1849.
Caleb Liggett
66 March 2, 1876.
1859.
William Robeson . Died Nov. 27, 1871.
James K. Grier
Jan. 8, 1867.
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John Dauman . Died Oct. 5, 1871. Andrew Buchanan
Oct. 2, 1872. James Liggett.
1869.
John F. Templeton, resigned in 1876.
1870.
Gordon Lallock, resigned in 1871.
1877.
Baxter B. M'Clure, resigned in 1882. John Weber.
Nathan G. Thompson. Benjamin Rea, resigned in 1883.
1882.
F. H. Irwin. Charles T. Forrest. Lewis Worrall.
Samuel Allen, Thomas Brown, William Brown, John Culbertson, William Denny, Sr., Francis Gard- ner, and Francis Alexander were members of the Session when Mr. Carmichael was installed.
William Denny, Sr., Francis Gardner, and Francis Alexander died during his pastorate; Samuel Holli- day, who settled in the neighborhood in 1765, and Colonel Robert Smith were elders in 1776, and Wil- liam Hunter, William Kennedy, David Denny, and Samuel Culbertson in 1787. It is, therefore, altogether likely that Samuel Culbertson, Samuel Allen, David Denny, William Hunter, William Irwin, Thomas Brown, and Colonel Robert Smith composed the bench of Elders when the Rev. Nathan Grier be- came pastor. But owing to removal, resignation, or
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death, all of them had ceased to be members of Session before Mr. Grier's decease.
When Dr. Grier was installed the Ruling Elders were James Lockhart, Richard Templin, James Rals- ton, Joseph Grier, William Denny, and Joseph Mc- Clure, Sr. During his pastorate he ordained twenty- one elders, and in the same period eighteen of those with whom he had taken such sweet counsel "in the household of faith" went to their graves in peace.
When Mr. Heberton became pastor the members of Session were John Ralston, Caleb Liggett, Andrew Buchanan, William Robeson, John Dauman, James Liggett, and John F. Templeton.
When he withdrew the members of Session were John Ralston, Caleb Liggett, James Liggett, and John F. Templeton.
The Ruling Elders at the present time are James Liggett, John Weber, Nathan G. Thompson, Lewis Worrall, Charles T. Forrest, and Frederick H. Irwin, all of whom, except James Liggett, have been ordained by Mr. McColl.
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ADDITIONAL NOTICES.
EDWARD IRWIN was among the first who settled in what is now West Brandywine Township. He was one of the Commissioners sent by the congregation in 1736 with the second call for Mr. Black. After the separation he attended the ministry of Mr. Boyd.
John Hamilton, Robert Hamilton, and James Ward took an active part in the organization of the church. They withdrew with the New Side in 1741, and per- haps were members of Session in Mr. Dean's congre- gation. John Hamilton was one of the witnesses to Mr. Dean's will.
John Henderson was a Ruling Elder in Mr. Boyd's church until 1757, which seems to have been the time of his decease.
Francis Alexander was a supporter of Mr. Boyd during the whole of his pastorate, and probably a member of Session.
Francis Gardner, a native of the North of Ire- land, settled near the Beaver Dam, in Nantmeal, now Honeybrook Township, in 1733. He was a Ruling Elder a part of Mr. Boyd's and nearly the whole of Mr. Carmichael's pastorate. Like all the Scotch- Irish, Mr. Gardner was an active patriot during the struggle for national independence.
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