USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Oxford > Two discourses relating to the early history of Trinity Church, Oxford, Philadelphia : with a compend of its history between September, 1854, and October, 1882, with an appendix > Part 5
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Subjoined is a statement of some of the statistics of the Parish during the period of Mr. B's Min- istry.
Whole number of baptisms, (of which 62 were adult and 415 those of children) 477. Confirma- tions: Times 32, Persons confirmed, 201. Mar- riages, 88. Burials, 282.
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Communicants: The number in 1854 was 18. Whole number of additions in the twenty-eight years following, (of whom 199 were entirely new communicants,) 323. Number remaining in 1882, (after deducting losses by removals, deaths and other ways) 130.
CONTRIBUTIONS.
In the first ten years, . . $11,700 00
In the next decennial period, (Oct. 1st,
1864, to Oct. 1st, 1874,) 52,000 00
During the remaining eight years, 75,125 42
Total, $138,825 42
APPENDIX.
EARLY LETTERS, RELATING TO THE PARISH, FROM BISHOP PERRY'S COMPILATION.
TRINITY CHURCH TO THE SOCIETY.
TRINITY CHURCH,
OXFORD, IN PENSYLVANIA, 5th March, 170g.
May it please your Lordships and the rest of your Honourable Members :
We are deeply sensible of the great mercy and love of God to us, who in his Providence hath given to us so obscure a people, a minister to take care of our souls, even us who are a people of no note and figure in the country; whereas, many other places which are much more considerable do still want that blessing. Next then to the great and good God to whom we ascribe all honour and thanksgiving, we crave leave unanimously to signify our gratitude and respect to your venerable body, begging of God this grace that we may always carry ourselves with piety and all virtue, that we may not provoke God to withdraw his loving kindness from us, nor those good men that contribute so largely for the good of the churches in these countries, their favor and bounty.
For as much then, may it please your Lordships, &c., as since the departure of the Reverend M' Evans from Philadelphia, the Reverend Mr Rudman, who was appointed our minister, did supply M" Evans' place, and the Revª M" Clubb, in pity to our
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forlorn condition, did piously take upon him the care of our poor church, for which we cannot be sufficiently thankful to him.
We think ourselves obliged to make a short representation of the present state of our church. Near three years M" Clubb has constantly officiated among us (and to do him justice, with- out partiality or flattery, piously and diligently in every part of his ministerial function, viz., in the administration of the sacra- ments, preaching, catechising our children, visiting our sick, &c.)
And now, being the late M' Rudman departed this life the 17th of last September (who declared his resolutions of leaving us and returning to Sweedland upon the arrival of the Reverend M" Evans, designing to end his days in his native country), we therefore think that it is our interest and duty (and indeed it is all we can do), humbly to petition your venerable body for the appointing of Mr Clubb to be our minister, to whom we have just reason to pay a particular regard for taking upon him the care of our church when we were left destitute, especially con- sidering our circumstances, that he could not promise to himself any encouragement but what your venerable body will be pleased to allow him.
And were it proper for us to recommend any person to your favour, we could say no less than that we believe him worthy of your consideration for his said service and diligence in this church, adding many to it, and recovering those that were fallen away from it, and, in short, by giving satisfaction to us all. We heartily beg he may be continued to us, and that your Lordships and the rest of the honourable members would be pleased to grant him the usual salary to other ministers, by reason it is not in our power to do much towards the support of himself and family.
May God Almighty bless and prosper you in your under- takings is and ever shall be the prayer of your Lordship's, &c. most humble Servts.
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MR. CLUBB TO THE SECRETARY.
OXFORD, PA., Oct. 6, 1714.
May it please your honor :
My safe arrival at Port Philadelphia was (thanks be to God), upon the 24th of August, after a long passage of thirteen weeks, and the bearing of several difficulties which the tediousness of our voyage and the number of our hands aboard, was in great measure the occasion of, during which time I faithfully per- formed my duty dayly in reading prayers morning and evening, and preaching every Lord's Day, in which offices of devotion I found those Dissenters (that were on board with us), always will- ing and ready to joyn and I believe would do so everywhere else if they were not prevented by those that are their leaders. In a few days after when my effects were delivered me, I entered upon my charge at Radnor and Oxford, where the people were well satisfied and ready to receive me, and Mr. Humphreys as willing to go to Chester, as the Society were pleased to appoint him their missionary in that place.
The people of Radnor are very thankful to ye Honble Corpora- tion that you were pleased at last to consider them, and send them the minister they desired for ye welfare of their souls. *
As for the people of Oxford they are still indebted for some parts of the money they had to finish their church. They are also very gratefull to your illustrious body for your favour in committing the care of them to me. Again, they say they will do what they can for me when they are discharged from their incumbrances.
In the meantime I am truly thankful to the Honble Society for their benevolence and satisfyed wth what the goodwill of these two poor congregations will afford. I shall by the help of God with all fidelity contribute the best of my endeavours for the good of their souls, the conscientious discharge of my own duty,
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and I hope the satisfaction of my superiours and munificent patrons at home.
I humbly presume (that as I understood some small time before I came away, Mr Lassinby had given some books, viz., Bibles. and of them that are titled, "The Whole Duty of Man," to be disposed by the Society in the Plantations where their Missionaries are), to beg of your Honble Body that you will be pleased to bestow upon us what portion you think fit of each, there being here a great many youth wholly unprovided of Bibles, and none to be purchased but at such excessive rates as they are not able to comply with.
For which your generous charity and all your other liberal benefactions, that God Almighty would bless your pious designs here, and reward you with the blessings of this life, and the felicity of eternity is ye hearty prayer of.
May it please your Hon", &c.,
JOHN CLUBB.
CHURCH WARDENS AND VESTRY OF OXFORD IN PENSYLVANIA TO THE SECRETARY.
To the most Revª, Rt. Revª, and the other Revª and worthy mem-
bers of the Honble Society for promoting the Gospel in y.se parts.
Hond Sirs :- We whose names are hereunto subscribed, in- habitants of Oxford township, in the province of Philada and members of the congregation in these parts who meet to worship God in the way of the Church of England, do dutifully acknowledge our obligation to the whole body by whom we have been accommodated wh a Minister of the Church of England for some years past, to the benefit and comfort of ourselves and many others, and as it is our bounden duty we return our most
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humble thanks for that your charity towards us; but it hath pleased Almighty God to take unto himself our loveing and be- loved Pastor, M' John Clubb, y", Mission', who departed this life in Dec' last past, and ever since we have been destitute of a minister. * * * * Therefore in this case we most humbly im- plore your help, that as we have a Church wherein to meet and worship God, so we may be accommodated wh a minister to officiate for us in the things that pertain unto his worship, and we hope that such y Charity will redound to your own reward and to the increase of religion in these parts, and to the glory and praise of God. So pray your humble petitioners met together the 21st day of May, 1715, at the Church of Oxford township, in the province of Philadelphia, in America.
EDWARD COLLINS and others.
MR WEYMAN TO THE SECRETARY.
OXON, PENSILVANIA, July 26, 1725.
Reverend Sir :- I received the honor of yours of 25 of Augt last, and am sorry that the Society are not yet come to resolution of sending a missionary to Radnor where the people have great need of one to be always residing amongst them that can con- verse with them in their own British dialect. I should have returned the Society's thanks to Mrs. Mellows, but she is lately dead and gone to receive the reward of her well doing. I must farther inform you that that Gentlewoman in her last Will and Testament gave the Church an additional legacy of £5 to her former Benefaction of Eighty, both which sums with an additional of so much more from the people have been laid out in the pur- chase of 63 Acres of Land, with House, Orchard and Improve- ments for the conveniency, use and habitation of a minister, and I am now in the actual possession of and residence upon it, and have
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taken effectual care by mean conveyances in the Law to secure it in perpetuity for my successors in the work of the ministry. Thus far our People have proceeded in the settlement of a minister among them, and there is a congregation at Whitemarsh, about 10 miles distant from this place, that is very desirous of a min- ister, and have for the decency and conveniency of divine Worship erected a goodly fabrick in stone for that end, and have addressed the Honorable Society that they will allow me to extend my Administration to them, which I am willing to do if it be con- sistent with the pleasure of the Honorable Society to whose wisdom and piety I refer it, and am with the deepest regard and honor, Reverend Sir,
Your most humble serv™,
ROBE WEYMAN.
MR HOWIE TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.]
OXFORD IN PENSYLVANIA, Septr 29th, 1741.
Revª Sir :- * * My income last year from Oxford was £16 10s. 6d., paper money, and this is paid by subscription, sometimes 10, 5, 4, 3, or 2-shillings at times, so that when a sum of money is paid after this way, it is but of small service to a family. And as for those who are deficient in paying their sub- scriptions, we cannot sue them without having the charges thrown upon us, and losing our just due besides, such an unhappy con- stitution do we live under.
Those who are really of the Church of England do not at present exceed 25 in number, and few of them are subscribers.
I cannot possibly affix the number of dissenters. The people of our Province are, this and that, here and there, and of no steady principles, sometimes anything or nothing, just as the humour takes them, or the Spirit of Giddiness moves them.
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However, Quakers and Anabaptists are numerous, some Presby- terians and Whitefieldians, but few open Papists.
I know not of any professed heathens or Infidels. The native Indians lye a great many miles back in the country; indeed, there are some people among us, viz., Whitefield's followers, who seldom frequent any place of orthodox worship, and tho' many of them seem to be convinced that their pious leader is a mercenary impostor, yet so big are their stomachs, that rather than own their convictions openly, they are resolved to be obstinate, and are in a fair way to lose all sober principles by imagining that the new Exercise of Hymn Singing, the Solidifian Scheme, and damning all their Innocent neighbors who differ from them will carry them to heaven.
ALEXR HOWIE.
P. S .- The parsonage lands and house belonging to Oxford are in a ruinous condition, and the people have always been, and still are, very negligent and slothful about repairing them, so that I have no more benefit from 60 acres of Land than if I had none. All that can be said is, that I and my Family live rent free, at the hazard of our lives, for the house will neither keep out wet nor cold, which last is very extreme in the winter.
A. H.
MR. ROSS TO THE SECRETARY. [EXTRACT.]
OXFORD, Oct", 5th, 1749.
Reverend Sir :- They complain of my living at the Glebe of Oxfª, & create me a good deal of Uneasiness on that account, when after a year's living at German Town, to please them, I was obliged to remove to Oxfª, where my Salary does but just maintain my Family. The place is very poor, and but half of the lands inclosed. But I have told the People of Whitemarsh that if they would purchase or rent another Place between the 2
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churches I would give them half my time, with which if they do not comply, I hope the Honorable Society will either provide for me elsewhere, or that they may be contented with a smaller portion of my Service. I cannot exert myself beyond my natural Strength; my Constitution is but tender at the best, and have been so poorly this summer that I could hardly go through my service but with difficulty, but thank God, I am now much better.
MR. NEILL TO THE SECRETARY. [EXTRACT.]
GERMAN TOWN, May 12th, 1760.
Very Revª and D' Sir :- I have an invitation from some of the English people in German Town to preach for them, as there is no kind of English worship in the Town except a Quaker meeting house; and indeed this is something extraordinary, as I don't know a family of the Church of England in the Town but one, altho' it contains 300 houses, but as they are divided into so many Sects that no single sect is able to support a Minister, I mean the English people, and as I have offered to preach to them for nothing Sunday Evenings, after service is over of my other churches, they readily embraced the offer. The loan of the Lu- theran Church, of the upper end of German Town, and of the Calvinist Church, in the Middle of the Town, are both offered to me by their respective Ministers and people, as they appear more willing to have a Minister of the Church of England to preach to their people that understand English (as most of the young people do), than any other denomination. Since I had the very great misfortune of having the Glebe house at Oxford, and the best part of my valuable effects destroyed by fire, I have removed my family into German Town. The Governor and Citizens of Philadelphia were so sensible of the misery my family was re-
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duced to by fire, that they subscribed the sum of Two hundred and fifty-five pounds towards rebuilding the Glebe house, which is almost double the value of the house, as it was an old wooden building. The Congregation, considering the inconvenient situa- tion of the Glebe, being 13 miles distant from White Marsh, joined me in a petition to the Assembly for leave to bring in a Bill to sell the old Glebe and purchase one more convenient-and better land. The Assembly gave us leave to bring in a Bill; ac- cordingly a Bill lyes before them for the aforesaid purpose, and we have the strongest assurance that it will be passed the next session.
The loss sustained by the fire (exclusive of the house) exceeded one hundred pounds, besides my Library, which exceeded Sixty pounds Sterling, independent of part of the Library belonging to Oxford.
MR. NEILL TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.]
OXFORD, IN PENNSYLVANIA, Jan' 10th, 1762.
Revª. Sir :- * * * * As our Church of Oxford was too small for the Congregation that generally attended, we set on foot a Lottery last Spring for enlarging of it; and other uses about the Church. We have drawn the Lottery the other day and hope we shall be able to clear for the uses aforesaid, between four and five hundred pounds. His Honor, the Governor, gave us a gra- tuity of Ten pounds towards enlarging the Church. Thus I hope by the assistance of Divine Providence, notwithstanding the num- bers of Dissenters among us, we shall continue steady and united as we are at present, and increase in numbers every day.
I am, Revª Sir, &c.
HUGH NEILL.
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MR. NEILL TO THE SECRETARY. [EXTRACT.]
OXFORD, IN PENNSYLVANIA, June 5th, 1762.
Revª Sir :- * * The state of this Church upon my ap- pointment was still worse, because their numbers were almost reduced to nothing. Providence has so far blessed my weak endeavours as to enable me to collect them together, and now they are as decent and orderly a Congregation as any in this Province. However, one inveterate prejudice reigns among them, which I am afraid I shall never be able to root out, and that is their antipathy to Infant Baptism. This makes me have but few children to baptize, and as for these that are grown up, they are ashamed to make a public profession of Christianity by Baptism, altho' they are constant attendants at Church; and as I can't admit them to the Communion till they are Baptized, this gives me great uneasiness. I have not christened above five children since my last letter, two adults that are white, and four adult Negroes. My Communicants are about thirty in both Con- gregations. As to the number of Inhabitants within the bounds of my Mission, it is impossible for me to tell, as I have found no rule yet whereby to count them. As to the professed members of the Church in the Congregation of Oxford, they are about One hundred and fifty. There are nearly the same number at- tends White Marsh Church, but not above twenty or thirty of them are professed members of the Church; the rest of them being either Dissenters, or young Dutch people who understand the English language. As to the number of Dissenters they are almost innumerable: Quakers, Presbyterians, old and new, i. e., New Lights, Baptists, both Seventh Day and First Day, Mora- vians, Menonists, Dumplers, and Pretests, with many other sorts; but these have all stated places of worship besides the Dutch Calvinists and Lutherans. As to Heathens and Infidels, if I set
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aside the practical ones, there is none professed that I know of. Thus I have gone through my Notitia parochialis, and shall only add that there is the utmost love, union and harmony subsisting between me and my Churches, and that the majority of my people endeavour to excel the Dissenters as far by the piety of their lives as by the purity of their doctrine.
I am, Revª Sir, &c.,
HUGH NEILL.
MR. NEILL TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.] OXFORD, IN PENNSYLVANIA, June 21st, 1762.
Revª Sir :- * I have sent the enclosed papers to shew how kind the Legislature has been to our Church, and the means I have used to perpetuate this new Glebe for the use of my successors.
The old Glebe that we sold was so much out of order that there was not a stick of fence upon it, nor any wood to repair them, no Meadow, the Ground extremely poor, and the house so much out of order that no person could live in it with any com- fort. Such was its situation when it had the misfortune to be burnt down. The Congregation concluded never to build it again, as it would be money thrown away, but resolved to pur- chase a new one, with a house ready built, better land, some meadow and one more conveniently situated for the two Churches.
This could not be done without the aid of the Legislature. We accordingly applied and obtained an act agreeably to the en- closed Copy. But as His Majesty's approbation is necessary to confirm all acts of this Government, we wait with impatience to hear of its confirmation. * * * When I came to this Mis- sion I found the Glebe in the situation I have described it. I have with unwearied diligence and thro' the kind interposition
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of the Legislature obtained a Glebe worth two of the Old one. This was obtained at a considerable expence, but as I hope to reap some of the benefits I am the easier. However, I could still make considerable improvements did I know how to be re- funded, but in the meantime I am contented.
I am, Revª Sir, &c.,
HUGH NEILL.
MR. NEILL TO THE SECRETARY. [EXTRACT.]
OXFORD, IN PENNSYLVANIA, May 19th, 1766. Revª Sir :- * Such, alas! are the misfortunes, and I may say persecutions, that attend the poor distressed Church of England in America, that whilst the Dissenters can send out an innumerable tribe of Teachers of all sorts, without any expence, we must send three thousand miles, cross the Atlantic Ocean, at an expence of all we are worth sometimes, and as much more as we have credit for, as well as the risque of our lives before we can have an ordination; this is a difficulty that has and always will prevent the growth of the Church in America. Few Eng- lishmen that can live at home will undertake the Mission. The great expences and dangers of the Seas that the Americans must encounter with before they can obtain an ordination, damps their spirits and forces many of them (who have strong inclinations to the Church) to join the Dissenters and become teachers among them. Thus, when a vacancy happens among them, it can be filled in an instant, while a vacancy among us is some consider- able time before they can have a Minister. All this time the Dissenters are making such havock among the Church people that when a Missionary comes to one of these destitute places he has all the work to begin again, and many years before he can collect his scattered Flock.
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The Dissenters very well know that the sending of a Bishop to America would contribute more to the increase of the Church here than all the money that has been raised by the venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Alas! we see and feel the power of our enemies and weakness of our friends, and can only mourn in secret and pray for better times.
The Revª Dr. Allison, Vice-Provost of the College of Phila- delphia, and who is at the head of the Presbyterians in this Province, assured me the other day in a conversation upon this subject, that they had no objection to what he called primitive Episcopacy, i. e., Episcopacy without any civil power annexed to it, as he explained himself, and that he would be well contented if there was a Bishop of this sort in every Province in America.
I am, Revª Sir, &c.,
HUGH NEILL.
MR. SMITH TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.]
PHILADA., Sept" 1, 1767.
Revª and Worthy Sir :- I have in several late letters informed you that since M' Neill's departure in October last, I have twice in three weeks supplied the Mission at Oxford in order to pre- vent that old and respectable Mission from dwindling away, and as the act of our Assembly, which was made for selling the old and purchasing the new Glebe, required that there should be a Minister to constitute a Vestry and do any legal act, I was obliged last February to let the people nominate me their Minister in order that we might proceed to get possession of the Glebe for the use of the Church, and I accordingly consented to supply them for one year, or till you appointed another, unless so far as M' Peters's indisposition might require my assistance in Town, which has been but seldom till within these few weeks past.
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I have got possession of the Glebe and have leased it for one year, to commence from the first of June last, but this year's rent will not be sufficient to make the necessary repairs to the house and fences which are suffered to go to great ruin. I have also let out the Pews and done everything to make the Mission worth M' Barton's acceptance, who has an unanimous invitation from the people. He was down here last week, but has not given his answer whether he will accept, as he fears he will change for the worse.
In the meantime I shall give them what help I can, but as nothing can be got this first year from the Pews, nor from the Glebe, Mª Neill's tenant being insolvent, I shall receive nothing and shall be considerably out of Pocket in my frequent visits, besides Sundays, unless the Society should be pleased to give me some consideration as they did D" Cooper for supplying West Chester.
I am, Revª and worthy Sir, &c.,
WM. SMITH.
MR. SMITH TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.]
PHILADA, 15th Oct., 1770.
Revd. and Worthy Sir :- The great bane of the Oxford Mis- sion, and the cause of the divisions I found among them was a lottery erected in Mr. Neill's time, which, instead of some hun- dred pounds which it ought to have cleared, never cleared thirty pounds that I can find any account of, and that part of the Con- gregation which were not in the management of the lottery, ac- cused the others of mismanagement, which laid the foundation of quarrels scarcely yet healed up, tho' I have endeavored to bring them to forget the Lottery and all that is past as if it had never been.
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Since Easter last the Congregation has been happy and flourish- ing, and I think will continue so. Its peace had been chiefly disturbed by one -- , a sort of Practitioner in Physic, who was bred an Anabaptist ; and who, being turned out of that So- ciety for seizing the elements at the Sacrament by force, when the Minister had refused to admit him to the Communion, on ac- count of some misconduct; he then turned to the Church, and was received by Mr. Neill, and came at last to be Churchwarden, and wanted to govern everything in the same arbitrary way as he had attempted among the Baptists. For a year or two I kept him in the Oxford vestry, hoping to reconcile all sides, but find- ing it could not be done, I let the people take their way last Easter, and they turned him wholly out of all power, and then he left the Church, for which we have cause to rejoice, since they are now a happy and united people, and increasing in numbers daily, nor do I ever wish to see him in any office in that Church again, while I have any care of it. I am told he and some of his family now join a strolling follower of Wesley's.
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